Stop Taking Things So Seriously: A Hilarious Story About Wedgies, Wardrobe Failures, Art Museums, & Having More Fun

0:00Hey, it's your friend Mel and welcome to the Mel Robbins podcast. Let's do it.

0:09I am so excited for today. I came running up the stairs above the garage here in our studio in Vermont. And boy, oh boy, do I have a story to tell. Not only you, but I'm sitting here with my friends and colleagues, Amy and Jesse. Hello. Hello. Okay. So I think we're going to call this a jump on a mic kind of episode because this is going to be super random, but I promise you there's a point to it. I have a freaking hilarious story to tell you guys. I can't wait. It involves a wardrobe failure. Yes. That is super embarrassing and really, really funny. Are you ready for it? Yes. Okay. So first of all, I have a question for everybody.

0:54Is there any better feeling than taking your bra off at the end of the day. No, period. That's a let loose feeling. Yes. How would you describe that? Like you literally reach back, unhook. Yeah. It's like, do you ever get like the itchy, like, ooh, you just want to rub underneath. Like you just want to just a little shake. Shake them loose. Yeah. Well, mine sort of fall like pancakes flat against me. Gravity doesn't help, but. Yes, yes. It's a good feeling. It's like, it just is like a giant. Yeah. And you know what I wonder? Do dudes have a, like, do they have like a let loose moment? Hmm. They might always be loose.

1:44Seriously, it's a serious question. Is there a moment for a guy that feels as freeing as unhooking your bra? I think like you think about a guy in traditional sense, coming home from work, walk through the door. First thing he does, loosen up his tie. That is not, I don't think. What about a belt? A belt? I would say if the belt is quite tight and it's holding a lot in, that would probably be like, oh God. Yeah. I just heard my husband pull in. There is. I have to ask Chris about this. I'm going to call him right now and tell him to come up here. Let's hope he has his cell phone on him because normally he doesn't.

2:27Did you wear shapewear at your wedding, Jesse? I did not wear shapewear at my wedding. Isn't that when everybody does? It's your wedding night. You got to have some quick, easy access after that night's wrapped. We can't be scrambling to get that off. It's one thing to get the dress off. But then like that's going to be super glued after a night. No way. That's true. It's like this beige sausage casing that you're going to roll off. It was boob tape, but that's fine. Here he comes. Hey, baby. Hi. Okay, so we got a question for you. What's up? There is almost no better feeling for a woman than to take her bra off at the end of the day.

3:06What is the equivalent for a dude? Of removing a piece of apparel? Just freedom. Like, you just are like, oh. Well, I didn't play a lot of football, but I would imagine removing a jock strap would be a little bit like that. What about your bike shorts? So you've been out for a 70 mile ride. You're wearing a pair of padded bike shorts. My crotch is like on fire. Yes, when you roll that off like a pair of pantyhose, what does that feel like? My balls hurt. Yes. Yeah, that feels pretty good. Really? Yeah. You know, the amount of sort of abuse that my nuts are taking in the saddle on a bike ride is very different than your breasts over the course of a day, right?

3:55Well, I don't know. That's why I'm asking you. What do you think she does all day? I don't know. With her breasts. Well, there's some feeling associated with removing the brassiere. Yeah, well, I just figured your balls, your doodle dads that you call them sometimes, that they just kind of drop a little and that feels very freeing. Yeah, like I said, no different than, well, I guess for you wearing Spanx, there's nothing dropping, right? It's just, but yeah, that's a good feeling. I would love to know for you listening, is there something that we're missing here that you feel is that moment of it's just like, oh, at the end of the day, I you guys are so creative and very sort of interesting in your insights about these things.

4:49And so I guarantee you were missing a couple. So I can't wait to hear what you write in about. But the reason why I'm telling you this story is because yesterday I experienced a moment of body freedom that was, I would say, maybe 25 times more liberating than taking a bra off at the end of the day. 25 times? Body freedom. Yes. It also involves a major wardrobe failure. Ooh. So let me tell you the story. Okay. And as I tell you the story, I would love for you to think about some wardrobe failure that maybe you've had. Because these seem to happen to me all the time. I don't know what it is. So here's what happened.

5:34So my daughters have recently introduced me to Shapewear. I'm a huge fan of Sarah Blakely, the founder of Spanx. I love her story, but I've never been, sorry, Sarah, a huge fan of shapewear. And one of the reasons why is because when Spanx first came out, and this is not like a slam on Spanx, but when they first came out and I bought a high waisted pair of bike shorts, they give me gas. I don't know if that's like a new, I don't know if that's me, but I felt like the compression was so compressed or maybe I bought the wrong size that I felt gassy and crampy all day wearing shapewear. So I thought, okay, I'm getting gas.

6:18I have cramps. It's sort of like the same thing as when you wear really high-waisted pants and you sit down and it's like a tourniquet on your stomach. Yes. Just cuts at the wrong spot. So I probably just bought the wrong style and wore it with the wrong thing. Yeah. So I have not worn shapewear. Do you guys wear shapewear? I did. I have. Yeah. And then we moved to Vermont.

6:45You don't need it up here. That's true. Yeah. You really don't let everything go. No. Yeah. Just let it all hang out. No, I still have it. I can almost guarantee you that if I were to bring it in and show it to you and you were to take the waistband and just kind of like flex it a little bit, it would probably disintegrate because I just never wear it. Yeah. Yeah. So here's what happened. My daughter Kendall was up and I asked her if she would help me go through my closet because I am trying to get rid of clothes that don't fit. And so I was trying on clothes and my daughter came to this conclusion that the reason why I hate my clothes is because I have no shapewear and I have saggy bras.

7:24So she's saying shapewear is essential. Yes. To enjoy the way you look in clothes. Yes. And so she pulled up the internet and she went to. Pulled up the internet. She went to Skims, which is Kim Kardashian's line. And, you know, if anybody other than Sarah Blakely is going to make shapewear, Kim Kardashian seems like the perfect person to do that. And we ordered a bunch of stuff. So it arrives. It comes in this box. I pull this stuff out. I kid you not. It looks like Barbie clothing. That's how small it is. I pull it out. I'm like, this is not going to fit me. Did you order the children's size?

8:03She's like, mom, this is perfect. This is exactly how it looks. I'm like, are you kidding me? I can't fit my body in this. And so she coaches me through getting it on and basically you stretch it like, you know, to kind of loosen it up a little bit. Or at least I had to. And then, you know, I stepped into it and you sort of like yank it up on your body. And it's a lot like pulling sausage casing up over your body. Very thin stretches out. I put it on. she ordered me the thong okay which I probably would not have done but I gotta give props to Kim Kardashian because the thong was not a string it actually was like a landing strip there was enough there so it was not going to go right up my rear end and so I put it on and I looked in the mirror and I'm like dang this this looks pretty damn good I'm not gonna lie what did you think about those skims that I bought the bodysuits they look good it looks kind of uncomfortable to me.

9:00It looks kind of a little tight. I'm not sure I would go with that. So here's the mistake I made. I tried it on. I'm like, this is great. And then I took it off and went on with my life. I didn't walk around in it. I didn't sit down in it. I didn't test it for real life. You have to test drive your underwear. that is true actually you do yeah well i did not know this yeah so i mean i didn't either fast forward to my wardrobe fail here's the story and chris you've heard this horror show before so if you want to blaze right now is a great time to bounce but first i just want to thank you for coming up so thank you honey you're welcome we love you ladies and gentlemen christopher robbins thanks for representing yes awesome for the men out there okay are you two ready for this ready for me to go back to the story?

9:53Oh yeah. Oh my God. Okay. So I was in Boston because I was invited by a friend to go to this fundraiser at the Institute of Contemporary Art that was celebrating women artists. And I was so excited to go. I thought, okay, this is going to be a cool group of people and a really cool group of women. So I got to, I got to put on like a really cool, I'm into art outfit. Oh, I'm into art. Yes. So I pull out a pair of black pants that I have not worn in probably eight years. Now's the day. Now's the day. Now's the day. And they're very like stretchy fabric. And they were the kind of pants that I wore when I had to go into corporate settings.

10:40So really nicely tailored. You can see everything in the rear end. So I'm like, this would be a great moment to wear my bodysuit. Okay. Right. Yeah. And I've also pulled out a sweater that is a ribbed sweater. So it's tight. Right. And the sweater is, is the boldest colors. So I'm going for like the pop art look, right? I've got on black pants. I got on black heeled boots and I've got on this tight ribbed sweater that is bold stripes. I look like human caution tape. It is white. And then it is yellow. And then it is brown. And then it is black. I'm like a bumblebee. I love it. Yes. That's a good art outfit.

11:25Yes. Yeah. I looked great. Yeah. Yeah. And the shapewear pulled it all in. I'm like, this is great. I look like I support art. I look really cool, but not pretentious. I got like the pop thing going. The color is all springy. Yes. And so I get in the car. Things are really good. I'm listening to great music. Things are really good. I get downtown to Boston. Things are really good. I find a parking space in a parking garage a couple blocks away from the ICA. Things are really good. I get out of the car and going from sitting to standing up sort of made the bodysuit go from really good to not so great.

12:12because that thong started to turn into a wedgie. Oh, no. Now, I get out of the car and I try to reach back and pull it down a little while I'm in the parking garage, right? Yeah, yeah. And I can't get a grip. That's a two-hand job. Yes, but I don't know that, right? And plus the thing is starting in about five minutes, so I got to go. So I stick my hand down the back of my pants and try to just like move it down a little. Yeah, yeah. And that works. That works. Well, I am embarrassed to tell you what I did next, but I'm not telling you until after a break. Oh my God. So no, don't go anywhere.

12:54This is worth sticking around for. We'll be right back.

13:07Okay. Welcome back. It's your friend, Mel. I'm here with Amy and Jesse. And I was just telling you how I was wearing this new compression wear bodysuit for the very first time. And it was looking and it was feeling great. Right, guys? And I was driving into Boston and things were really good. But as soon as I stood up, I have this giant, painful wedgie in this public parking garage. And as Jesse says, in order to unlock that kind of bodysuit wedgie, that is a quote, two hand job. You got to. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Just yank that sucker down. You need both hands there. So being a newbie to this sort of situation, I did not know that.

13:52And so we are at the part of my story where I am sticking my hand down the back of my pants. And I'm just trying to push the thong part down to move it down a little. And what do you think I did next? Did you wash your hands? No, I smelled it. No, it did not smell bad. And I'm like, okay. Okay. So. What? You smelled your hand? Yes. Let me tell you something. What? Yes. yes but why why are we doing this why are we why would you smell your hand i am about to walk into an event where i'm going to see my friends yeah and i don't want to give them a hug if i have poop hands yeah but not like actual poop but i don't want my hand to smell like that yeah i can't say i've ever smelled someone's hand though i know but i just felt like if it smelled bad like there's something like not cool really there would be somebody i have not numbered on this somebody What if somebody that I don't know is standing next to one of my friends and I hug my friend and I keep my hand off of my friend, but then somebody goes, it's nice to meet you and they extend your hand.

15:08Well, it's on you for not putting some hand sanitizer on those. I don't have hand sanitizer in my car. So I just wanted to clear, like I wanted to have a clear conscious walking into this. Yeah. It's like checking your breath. Yes. Yes. Check your, like, just do that. Yeah, I get it. It is relatable. I think it's actually a very conscientious thing to do for other people. Yes, it is true. It is true. Okay. It's conscientious. I'll start doing it. But also a lot of people wouldn't admit that. So props to you for just telling all the details of the story. You know, that's what I'm here for. Yes.

15:49Okay. So I'm like, okay, I'm good. I have five minutes to get two city blocks to an event that's about to begin. Yeah. And so I start to walk and I'm as I'm what's it called forward ambulation? That's what the neuroscientists call it. I'm forward ambulating as I walk. And as I'm walking and I'm walking like I'm late because I'm about to be late. I'm realizing as I'm walking, this frickin body suit is starting to slowly inch up and the bodysuit is starting to give me a simultaneous wedgie in the front and the back, which basically means I had both a camel toe and a piece of floss that was starting to go up and up and up like a hammock from the front to the back.

16:38And so now I can't stride it out because I'm a split myself in half. And so now I'm shuffling as fast as I possibly can because I don't want a big stride. And I shuffle into the ICA and there is my friend. And I walk right up to her and I give her a big hug and I whisper in her ear, I've got a giant wedgie in my body suit. I've got to find it. But where's the bathroom? She's like, Oh my God. Oh my God. That's the worst feeling. She's like, it points to the thing. She goes, I'll save you a seat. Okay. And I'm like, Oh my God, I love you. Don't you love friends like that? Yes. Oh, so I shuffled to the bathroom.

17:14This thing is so far up me that I dropped my pants to the floor. And to your point, Jesse, this is a two hand we've all been there. Yeah. Yes. I have to grab both sides front and back. Oh, I didn't start there. Oh, you started on your side. I started on the side. Interesting. You know, I think that's a gentler approach. I needed some slack. Yeah. I needed to create some slack and some extra. This bodysuit showed itself to you as a, as a Barbie outfit. You got it to expand. It was like, it was like the pumpkin turned into a carriage and then all of the sudden it's snaps back to Barbie suit for you.

17:54Like at the wrong time, you know? Like, and so right back to the pumpkin and you're, you haven't even gotten to the dance yet. And you're like, this, this is a difficult situation. So I get the sides thing. You need the slack. Yes. I think that was a good strategy. Yeah, I'm like, pull down. Yes, because I wanted a couple inches. Yes. Okay. And plus this thing had basically like rolled up almost like a string, right? Because it was so stretched that I have to flatten the landing strip back out so it doesn't do it again. I just want to tell you, my heart is racing for this story. Like, I'm really feeling this.

18:30Like, I'm a little bit starting to sweat. It's very relatable. Yes. You know, here's the thing. And I have to give myself props. the old me would have just been like embarrassed and like, why can't you do that? And I just was like, this is the craziest. I was laughing at myself. That's so important in life to be able to whisper in your friend's ear that you got a wedgie, to be able to laugh at yourself as you're in a bathroom in like what you think is the best art forward outfit that you've ever put on in a brand new body suit that you've never tested. like in a real life situation. Yeah. I am yanking it down on the sides to give me a couple extra inches so that I can straighten out the middle and get it repositioned in place.

19:18Unsnapping it was not an option because what happens when you unsnap a bodysuit? Oh, I, it, the snaps hit your teeth. It goes up so far. Yeah, basically rolls up like a window shade. And plus this thing, like, I was afraid if I unsnap it, it's going to hang out the front and the back. And God knows it's now got stuff on it because I don't have underwear on. And I'm like, this is a disaster. disaster it has been up there yeah you don't know yes and so i get it all positioned and the problem is is that now as i'm pulling it down it's pulling off my boobs oh no like it's not on your boobs anymore no and so i have a long torso yes i have a long torso yeah so i now look like what is it the heineken or the saint paulie girl yeah and i've got a rib sweater so you can see the nipples and everything else.

20:02So I'm like yanking this thing. Oh, what a mess. To try to stretch it out. I finally, you know, it didn't even occur to me. I could have just taken it off and been nude. It didn't even occur to me. It wouldn't have occurred to me either. You don't want to be that person at the art studio. Yeah, you don't want to be that person. So I get it all positioned. I, of course, wash my hands. Good. Everyone can exhale. Yeah. And I go to the luncheon. And what's your attitude? Like, I've got this. Are you like, Oh, I told a bunch of people because like, I think it's hilarious. And I think everybody can relate to it.

20:44I think everybody can relate. And I think a lot of times people look at you and they're like, wow, you know, she doesn't give her shit. She's got her act together. What a badass. I think that's true. And then I, I have to give it to you, Mel, you take it up a notch.

21:01not only do you not give a shit but you make you make funnier so you know you let everybody in on the joke tell people i am a joke guess what you are but it's a relatable joke and i guess it's an interesting point that you just made about the kind of distinction between not giving a shit versus being able to laugh at yourself because they are related but it's a different thing and I think both are really important. The not giving a shit part is the ability to whisper in your friend's ear. Yeah. That you have a wedgie right now. And to tell people the disaster just happened in the bathroom. Yeah.

21:38Right. And that is one layer that I think is really important. And the second thing, though, which has been very freeing for me, is just like loosening the grip and being able to laugh at these moments. and it's interesting because humor, we've done a lot of research on humor because of speeches that I've given or other projects that we've done for Audible. The research is kind of bananas. In fact, why don't we take a break? This is a great time to allow our sponsors to entertain you for a second and let's dig into the research real quick while you guys are listening to a commercial because I think it's important to explain that humor is actually a really important skill and asset in life.

22:23Oh yeah. And if I recall correctly, it makes other people think you're intelligent. They trust you more. It exudes confidence in the workplace. And I realized this was not in the workplace. I mean, it was like a professional event. Yeah. But it was, it was, it was professional though. You know, it wasn't like you were sitting on the couch with your girlfriends. But there's all this research about leadership and teams when it comes to having a sense of humor. Now I would not tell your boss you had a thong wedgie up your ass. I would not do that. Yeah. But I think there's a lot here to unpack. And by the way, I'm not done with the story.

22:58Oh my God. There's more. There's a lot more. All right. And I'll tell you all of it when we come back. Okay.

23:15welcome back it's your friend mel and i'm here with my colleagues and friends amy and jesse in our studios and we're doing a jump on the mic episode which basically means i rolled in here hot with a story to tell and now we're making something of it but i was just talking about this wardrobe malfunction and how having a sense of humor is such an asset in life. Where were we? So here we're, here we are. And then we got to get to the humor thing. Cause I think that's the big takeaway here. Yeah. Laugh, laugh, laugh at yourself. You have to be able to laugh at yourself. Um, because the second you start laughing at a situation, this is the most ridiculous thing I've gotten myself into.

23:54Why do you always do this to yourself, Mel? Like you can go two different ways, right? I could either be shuffling toward this museum, beating myself up for buying the wrong size, always getting it wrong, screwing things up, running late, or I can be laughing at myself. Yeah. And how ridiculous this is. Of course, I've done this to myself. Of course, I would have a thong up my ass the first time I am going to this really nice thing. And of course, I'm having a massive wardrobe problem. But so this is not all. So as I'm sitting at the luncheon, It is slowly starting to itch up again. Oh no. While you're sitting this time?

24:31And so as we walk back to the parking garage, I'm with a friend, one of my closest friends, Lisa, and she's just like, stop picking at that wedgie. Stop picking at that wedgie. Can't stop. Just unsnap the damn thing. And I'm like, I can't unsnap the thing. First of all, I can't unsnap it because I'm in a public space and trying to unsnap a bodysuit in a discreet way is next to impossible. No. And so my only choice is to try to pick at it. And so we get down to the parking garage. Thank God. We go to her car first so I don't have to walk that far. And then she drives me to my car so that I don't have to keep dealing with this.

25:10I get out of the thing and I open up my car door and step behind it. I mean, I do have some decor. I'm not going to like drop my pants, you know, and make Lisa watches. So I literally unsnap it. it rolls up like a window shade question are your pants still down are you able to do this with your pants like around to take my pants like down they're down and i have to kind of squat so now you're yanked down again i you're getting snap it full breeze now oh my god if you think taking a bra off or a pair of bike shorts off for you gentlemen out there feels liberating, try unsnapping a thong body suit that's too small while you ate poached salmon and asparagus.

26:05I just wanted to stand there for a minute with my legs shoulder width apart. you know, just, I just, it's expansion from all sides. It's not just the bra. It's like you, that is the definition of let loose. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. You let it all loose. And sure enough, I button my pants back up. I step out from a side, the side of the door. I shut the door. Lisa is laughing hysterically because now of course I have the front part hanging down in front and the back part like a tail. And she's laughing and I'm laughing. And I'm like, you got to take a picture of this. You got to take a picture of this, dude.

26:45Like, this is hilarious. I got to remember this. And so she goes, well, I got to back the car up so I can get a good angle. And I'm like, okay. So she starts backing the car up. I can't make this up. And she freaking hits a parking pylon. So now I'm doubled over laughing with the unsnapped bodysuit hanging out of my pants. And I'm like, what should I do? What should I do? And she's like, just step over there and strike a pose. So I kind of put my arm up on my head. I look like this exasperated freedom look. She snaps a photo. And when we look at it, we cannot believe it. I got to show you this.