PODCAST · society
The Manners Lab
by Dave Huffman
The Manners Lab takes everyday human behavior into the lab and asks a simple question: Whatever happened to good manners?From dating and dinner tables to texting, tipping, driving, social media, workplaces, weddings, funerals, airplanes, relationships, and the person talking on speakerphone in the grocery store, The Manners Lab explores the unwritten rules that help civilized people live together.This isn’t about knowing which fork to use.It’s about respect.It’s about consideration.It’s about recognizing that you’re not the only person in the room.Each episode examines real-life situations, changing social expectations, traditional etiquette, and modern dilemmas with humor, common sense, and plenty of disagreement.Because good manners aren’t old-fashioned.They’re what kindness looks like in practice.
Episodes
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The Speakerphone Standoff: Why Is Your Business Everyone's Business?
From grocery store aisles to subway cars, the speakerphone has become the new public nuisance—a tiny device broadcasting someone else's life at maximum volume. In this episode, James and Diane take the speakerphone standoff into the lab. Is it ever okay to take a call on speaker in public?...
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The Late Show: When Punctuality Became Optional
In this episode of The Manners Lab, James and Diane tackle the universal frustration of the perpetually late. We open with a listener's horror story about a wedding guest who strolled in during the vows, then dig into what punctuality actually signals in modern life. James lays out the old-school...
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The Earbud Escape: When Headphones Are a Do-Not-Disturb Sign
In this episode of The Manners Lab, James and Diane tackle one of the most common yet confusing social signals of modern life: the earbud. When does wearing headphones in public become a polite boundary, and when does it cross into outright rudeness? We explore the unspoken contract of the...
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The Seat Swap: Is Saving a Chair for a Friend Still Polite?
In this episode of The Manners Lab, James and Diane tackle one of the most quietly controversial everyday dilemmas: saving seats. Whether it's a crowded movie theater, a packed brunch spot, a standing-room-only concert, or a sold-out train, the saved seat can turn a simple outing into a social...
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The Side-Hug Showdown: When Did We Stop Touching Each Other?
In this episode of The Manners Lab, James and Diane tackle one of the most awkward moments in modern social life: the greeting. From the double-cheek air kiss to the lingering handshake, the side-hug to the full embrace, we explore how physical contact has become a minefield of unspoken rules....
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The Gym Etiquette Experiment: When Sweat Meets Social Rules
Gyms are a social petri dish where traditional manners collide with modern self-care culture. We explore the unwritten rules of shared fitness spaces—from re-racking weights and wiping down benches to navigating peak-hour machine hogs and the eternal debate over grunting versus silence. James...
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The Unread Text: When Silence Becomes a Statement
In a world where our phones track everything, the read receipt has become the ultimate social Rorschach test. This episode of The Manners Lab asks the question we’ve all asked ourselves: what does it mean when someone sees your message and doesn’t reply? James and Diane break down the unspoken...
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The Interruption Inquisition: When Cutting Someone Off Is Rude vs. Required
We've all been steamrolled mid-sentence by the person who just has to get their point in—but is every interruption a violation of the sacred rules of conversation? In this episode of The Manners Lab, James and Diane take the interruption into the lab. They start with the classic dinner party…
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The Plus-One Protocol: Who Gets an Invite to Your Inner Circle?
Every invitation comes with a hidden question: can I bring someone? The plus-one is one of the most delicate social negotiations we face—whether it's a wedding, a dinner party, a work event, or a casual barbecue. In this episode, James and Diane break down the unwritten rules of the plus-one: who...
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The Host Gift Hustle: Do You Really Need to Bring a Bottle of Wine?
In this episode of The Manners Lab, James and Diane tackle the ever-awkward question of host gifts. Is it still mandatory to show up to a dinner party with something in hand? What if the host says 'just bring yourself'? And what happens when you receive a gift you don't like or already have three...
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The Open-Door Debate: Chivalry, Choice, or Just Common Courtesy?
In this episode of The Manners Lab, James and Diane tackle the deceptively simple act of holding a door open. Is the old rule that a man should hold the door for a woman a charming tradition or a dated relic of chivalry? We start with a funny story about a door-holding standoff that turned into…
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The Grocery Store Lane Etiquette Trial: Cart, Code, and Common Decency
Grocery stores are a microcosm of modern society: cramped spaces, rushed people, unspoken rules, and plenty of opportunities for small kindnesses or small annoyances. In this episode, James and Diane take a walk down the aisle to examine the unwritten code of grocery store etiquette. They start...
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The Thank-You Note Showdown: Is Gratitude Dead or Just Texting Now?
In this episode, The Manners Lab takes on one of the most loaded questions in modern etiquette: what does a proper thank-you actually look like in 2025? James makes the case for the handwritten note—the timeless power of ink on paper, the effort it signals, and why a physical card still lands...
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The Chronic Lateness Autopsy: Is Your Time More Valuable Than Mine?
In this episode of The Manners Lab, James and Diane tackle one of the most quietly corrosive social frictions of modern life: chronic lateness. We've all waited—at a restaurant, a meeting, a movie theater, or a front stoop—watching the minutes tick by while our irritation grows. Is being late...
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The Loud Conversation: Why Speakerphone in Public Makes Everyone Your Unwilling Audience
We've all been trapped in the grocery store line while someone's mother-in-law narrates her entire medical history through a tinny iPhone speaker. The public speakerphone conversation has become one of modern life's most reliable annoyances—a behavior that somehow manages to be both deeply…
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The RSVP Reckoning: Why "Maybe" Is Killing the Dinner Party
This week on The Manners Lab, we tackle one of the most frustrating social riddles of modern life: the vanishing RSVP. You send an invitation—for a wedding, a dinner party, a birthday—and then... silence. Guests ghost, hedge with 'maybes,' or wait until the last possible second to respond…
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The Ghosting Etiquette Audit: Is Disappearing Ever Polite?
Ghosting. It’s the breakup that never gets a goodbye, the friendship that fades into silence, the job candidate who simply stops answering. In this episode of The Manners Lab, James and Diane tackle the etiquette of disappearing. Traditional etiquette says every relationship deserves a clear...
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The Great Phone-on-the-Table Test: When Did the Dinner Table Become a Charging Station?
In this episode, James and Diane tackle one of the most common modern friction points: smartphones at the dinner table. Is it ever okay to have your phone out during a meal with friends, family, or a date? The old-school rule is clear—no phones, period. But the modern reality is messy: what about…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Manners Lab takes everyday human behavior into the lab and asks a simple question: Whatever happened to good manners?From dating and dinner tables to texting, tipping, driving, social media, workplaces, weddings, funerals, airplanes, relationships, and the person talking on speakerphone in the grocery store, The Manners Lab explores the unwritten rules that help civilized people live together.This isn’t about knowing which fork to use.It’s about respect.It’s about consideration.It’s about recognizing that you’re not the only person in the room.Each episode examines real-life situations, changing social expectations, traditional etiquette, and modern dilemmas with humor, common sense, and plenty of disagreement.Because good manners aren’t old-fashioned.They’re what kindness looks like in practice.
HOSTED BY
Dave Huffman
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Manners Lab have?
The Manners Lab currently has 18 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Manners Lab about?
The Manners Lab takes everyday human behavior into the lab and asks a simple question: Whatever happened to good manners?From dating and dinner tables to texting, tipping, driving, social media, workplaces, weddings, funerals, airplanes, relationships, and the person talking on speakerphone in the...
How often does The Manners Lab release new episodes?
The Manners Lab has 18 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Manners Lab?
You can listen to The Manners Lab on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Manners Lab?
The Manners Lab is created and hosted by Dave Huffman.
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