Judge John Hodgman

Blair and her sister Lisa are frequent flyers.  Blair never checks her bags due to the inconvenience of it, opting instead to carry them on.  Since she’s only 5’1”, she often relies on the generosity of fellow passengers to help maneuver her bags into the overhead compartment.  Her sister Lisa feels that Blair and people like her abuse the convenience of a carry-on -- in short, if you’re unable to completely manage your belongings on the plane, you should have to check them.  Who is right?

Greg and Eric are longtime friends and sometime-bandmates.  They disagree on one area of performance; should members of the band ever ask the audience to clap along to their music?

Carrie and her husband Phillip are planning for the future. A collapse of civilazation under the coming apocalypse to be exact. Carrie and "Sarge" are at odds about where to best survive the end of days and bring the case to Judge John Hodgman. 

When is it appropriate to ask to crash at a friend's place? Should the practice be curtailed when one reaches a certain age or level of financial security? Chris and Emily bring this case against their friend Pat.

Jesse and Jessica are used to squaring off against one another when they play games like Scrabble & Hangman on their smartphones. In this episode of Judge John Hodgman their rivalry spills into the courtroom as they litigate their literary license.  Please use JUSTICE in a sentence!

Austin brings the case against his good friend Ethan. A year ago, they drove cross-country from Santa Cruz, California to Brooklyn, New York. Austin says that during the trip, he experienced "car lag," a variant form of jetlag. Ethan says the very idea is absurd. The argument has driven a wedge into their friendship.

Strife between two friends -- over DVR recordings.  If Anthony requests that Joseph record television programs for him on his personal DVR, is he obligated to come over and watch them?

Not in MY backyard! Julienne and Emily are neighbors and romantically involved. Julienne has created a garden space  but wants to add a particular flower that Emily detests. Emily has threatened to never cross the picket fence again if they are brought in. Who'll win the war of the roses?

What IS a horror movie? Bryan's list of 100 horror movies is all about content. His friend Jay says it's all about the audience's reaction. Who is the master of the macabre? Only one justice of the deceased can decide!

A young couple battle embarrassing behavior and bags of trash in search of unpeeled prize tickets for a shot at redemption. And a free slice of pizza. Or a free Coke.

Seth and Stephen are colleagues in a Broadway show.  They bring a case of Lost and Found, Finders and Keepers, and Losers and Weepers.

Guest bailiffed by ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper! Friends Mike, Mike and Dan seek a ruling on a modified but highly charged game of beard chicken.

Brothers and bandmates Jack and Jeff bring this argument over tourdates, a wedding and being the boss of the band.

Elisabeth and Melissa are good friends and enthusiastic travelers, who often journey together on planes and in cars across the country. While their traveling styles mesh for the most part, they are divided on a hot-button issue: the correct way to de-plane once you've arrived at your destination. Elisabeth, who prefers to take the aisle seat, believes that the aisle-sitter bears some burden of judgment, and may choose to wait a reasonable amount of time before stepping into the aisle, without asking permission of his or her seatmates. Melissa, on the other hand, is frequently a window-seater, and believes that people should abide by the "row by row" rule as a general rule. WHO IS RIGHT, and WHO IS WRONG? Only Judge Hodgman can decide.

Mike's three children were enticed to try a foreign food -- bacon-wrapped scallops -- by an offer from their father of $5. However, Mike now claims that since the boys enjoyed the food, he no longer owes them compensation. Mike's wife Ellen represents the boys in court.

Ted brings this case against his father Paul, who has become obsessed with cows.  Ted argues that his father's cow collection and his inclination to randomly say the word cow, among other issues, indicate the need to tamp down the cow-talk.  Paul argues that his obsession is merited, because "cows are our most important animal friends."

Matt Haughey of Metafilter and his wife Kay split household chores right down the middle, except when it comes to garbage duty.  Does the person taking out the trash have "garbage hands" that are only suitable to replace the trash bag and deal with all matters dirty?  Judge John Hodgman decides!

Pat and Joe come before the court with a case about that famous rock band, The Beatles. Pat claims that The White Album is one of The Beatles' worst albums and has a scattered approach. Joe argues that the album benefits from its variance and is one of their best works.

Randi and Chris were gifted Mulder and Scully action figures for Christmas, but differ on their purpose. Should they be kept in their original packaging, to retain value (and for laughs)? Or should they be freed, to re-enact X-Files episodes and general playtime?

When Jake listens to his favorite classical music, he finds himself conducting furiously and with abandon.  His wife Erica, an accomplished concert musician, says his flamboyant conducting makes a mockery of her life's work. Must Jake cease his carefree conducting style?