This week on Twinkie Tales, Ryan takes you back to a pivotal — and wildly unfortunate — moment in public high school education: Sex Ed Day.

Set in a crumbling Australian classroom sometime in the late ‘90s, this hilarious story features:

• An awkward VHS sex tape (educational, of course)

• A middle-aged Indian doctor who did not read the banana instructions

• An exploding rubber penis disguised as fruit

• And a health lesson that landed about as well as the banana did — directly on a teacher’s lapel

From VHS horrors to flying flesh-toned props, this episode is a painfully relatable rite-of-passage for anyone who’s survived public school sex ed.

Warning: Includes awkward laughter, nostalgic cringe, and mild banana-based trauma.

Keywords: sex ed fail, funny school story, condom banana story, Australian school memories, Twinkie Tales, podcast storytelling, educational disaster, sex education comedy, high school flashback, rogue plastic penis

In this listener-inspired episode of Twinkie Tales, Ryan reflects on one of life’s quietly demoralising questions:
Why does no one listen to me?

Sparked by a heartfelt message from a listener struggling to be heard — in meetings, in relationships, and in life — this episode unpacks the emotional toll of being spoken over, forgotten, or brushed aside.

Ryan explores:

• The frustration of being constantly interrupted

• The evolutionary need to be heard (and why it still matters)

• The balance between self-worth and external validation

• A spicy take on group dynamics, burritos, and base urges

• Two practical mindshifts that might just change everything

This one’s for anyone who’s ever felt invisible in a room full of people — and needs a reminder that sometimes, it’s not you. It’s just... people.

Keywords: feeling unheard podcast, listener question, validation and self-worth, group conversation tips, Twinkie Tales, practical life advice, podcast on empathy, talking over people, how to be heard, Australian podcast, short story + advice format

In this caffeinated confession, Ryan pens a rambling open letter to his future self — live from inside a Starbucks. Yes, a real, thriving Starbucks in Sydney. And yes, he’s deeply ashamed… but also kind of enjoying it?

Twinkie Tales Ep6 dives headfirst into coffee culture, self-loathing, and the absurdity of choice in modern life. Along the way, we explore:

• The cultural cringe of sipping chain coffee in a café-rich nation

• Why Starbucks is secretly a North American dessert bar disguised as a coffee shop

• Kamala vs Trump as beverage analogies

• The delusion of Aussie coffee elitism

• And the Gen A chaos unfolding in food courts everywhere

A sharp, funny take on class, coffee, cultural identity — and why butter chicken and flat whites have more in common than you think.

Keywords: Starbucks podcast, coffee culture rant, Australian coffee snobbery, open letter podcast, Twinkie Tales, funny podcast short, mocha vs flat white, Gen Z chaos, Sydney café scene, podcast humour

n a break from the usual stories, Twinkie Tales offers a quiet, contemplative space to rest your mind.

In this guided meditation, host Ryan invites you into The Empty Theatre — a thought experiment used across traditions and cultures that practice stillness and self-reflection. Through vivid imagery, you’ll explore how your mind works when no one’s watching — and what it means when the screen stays blank.

This meditative episode helps you:

• Visualise your mind as a cinema screen

• Observe thoughts as passing film strips

• Sit with discomfort, emotion, or stillness

• Recognise how to let go — without forcing or freezing your thoughts

Whether you’re new to meditation or just need five minutes of calm, this immersive guided story offers something truly unique.

Keywords: guided meditation podcast, short meditation, visualisation exercise, cinema metaphor for the mind, Twinkie Tales, mental health podcast, mindfulness practice, calming podcast, creative meditation, theatre of the mind

In this near-future short, Twinkie Tales takes a turn for the speculative as Ryan introduces us to a world reshaped by a single molecule — CS239 — better known on the street as The Love Pill.

Discovered on Mars. Cloned on Earth. Banned by the UN. Desired by nearly everyone.

This story explores:

• The rise and fall of a synthetic love drug

• How “The Love Bite” transformed users into obsessed, psychotic romantics

• The crimson-armband Marshalls known only as Sweethearts

• And the underground network of “family therapists” dealing pills through AI and drones

It’s 2035 in Sydney, and one low-level dealer named Troy is about to stumble on something big…

Part 1 of a two-part dystopian tale about love, addiction, and the chaos of connection.

Keywords: sci-fi podcast, love drug story, dystopian short story, synthetic love, Twinkie Tales, love bite, podcast fiction, CS239, Mars drug discovery, black market AI, sweethearts, Australian storytelling podcast

This week on Twinkie Tales, Ryan takes us back to a childhood science experiment gone ethically sideways: a blue jelly-filled ant farm straight out of a sci-fi flick.

What was meant to be a mini utopia turned into a prison break scenario — led by one renegade ant who refused to play along. While the others dug in (literally), this lone rebel fought for freedom.

Tune in for:

• The jelly ant farm that looked more alien abduction than nature walk

• A single ant’s protest movement

• Lessons in conformity, guilt, and letting go

• And why sometimes… one ant just won’t assimilate

Funny, reflective, and vaguely insect-rights adjacent — it’s a Twinkie Tale that digs deep.

Keywords: ant farm story, alien ant farm podcast, ant rebellion, blue jelly ant farm, kids science fail, insect escape story, childhood memory podcast, Twinkie Tales, short story podcast, Australian humour podcast

Ever had a dream so vivid it made you question everything about leadership, belonging, and free will?

In this episode of Twinkie Tales, Ryan shares a dream sparked by sleep-deprived parenting — one that took him from a field under a flock of sparrows to inside the flock itself. What unfolds is a reflection on instinct, group dynamics, and whether we’re truly in charge of our own lives.

Tune in to explore:

• A surreal dream about becoming one with a bird flock

• What flying in sync says about control, trust, and self

• Why we follow — and what happens when we drift from the group

• Whether the "hive mind" might be more peaceful than we think

From rollercoaster G-forces to sparrow choreography, it’s another curious wander through life’s absurdities.

Keywords: dream interpretation, flock mentality, free will podcast, parenting and sleep, bird dream meaning, hive mind, introspective podcast, short story podcast, Twinkie Tales, Sydney podcast

What do breakfast sandwiches and emotional betrayal have in common? More than you’d think.

In this first episode of Twinkie Tales, Sydney-based host Ryan shares a short story about love, loyalty, and a sausage and egg McMuffin that let him down when he needed it most.

This bite-sized episode covers:

• Why the sausage & egg McMuffin might be the best fast-food breakfast

• The moment an eggshell ruined everything

• What it taught Ryan about trust, life, and chewing through disappointment

If you’ve ever bitten into something and felt your worldview shift — this one’s for you.

Keywords: McMuffin story, fast food fail, trust issues, breakfast podcast, short story podcast, funny podcast, Australian podcast, life lessons, food and feelings