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If there’s one thing Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers are great at, it’s giving advice.
On their podcast, Las Culturistas, the pair utilize humor to get at life’s burning questions, digging deep into the mundane and unearthing gold. In that vein, the pair are a trusted source for many when it comes to the “what’s what” of culture. With their proclivity for taste and a sharp wit in tow, Yang and Rogers embarked on a journey with Marshalls, creating a gift guide that helps shoppers navigate the holiday season, whether for yourself or that ultra picky family member you love but can never figure out.
“I think in this day and age of online shopping, people are like, ‘if I need something, I’ll just go online and I’ll get it right away,’” Rogers says. “So, something I try to do, which is very similar to the way that we’ve created this gift guide, is we create characters. For example, ‘best gifts for the host who insists you bring nothing, but nothing is code for ‘bring something good or else.’”
The guide, titled “It’s Giving Gifts!,” gives superlatives to a slew of Marshalls products that could cater to a specific person, including the “Best gift for the mom whose idea of a sensible walking shoe is a stiletto” or the “Best gifts for the person who loves to tell you ‘the book was better than the movie.’” Yang and Rogers have done the heavy lifting with these ultra-specific guides, giving shoppers the tools they need to choose gifts that best suit that particular person without hassle.
“We all know this person, and so once you read a category, you can kind of see that person in your mind’s eye and just be creative with it. What is that person wearing? What are they doing?,” Rogers added. Yang spoke of his love of candles and the anti-gift card wave, noting that, if all else fails, Marshalls has a “fabulous” gift card that is just as meaningful.
On the topic of gift cards, the pair got to chatting about former Las Culturistas guests, namely Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga. They spoke about what gifts they’d give both artists if given the chance. For Gaga, Yang went specific, saying, “I would give Gaga a silk pajama set. I think her category in this gift guide would be ‘best gifts for the girl who thinks punctuality is like whatever.’”
Yang’s gift for Grande? An on-theme holiday piece or something from Marshalls’ extensive beauty aisle. “I think she wants the holidays. We’d get her something for Christmas. I think I’d get her fragrances as well, which Marshalls has in spades.”
For Rogers, Gaga and Grande’s potential gifts were all about winding down. “I think that they both need some relaxation. I think they would both appreciate that. So maybe some sort of Theragun moment … I think a silk pajama set is really wonderful. Maybe some slippers or some cozy sweats.
Yang and Rogers got going about gifting faux-pas, taking an “I Don’t Think So, Honey!” approach to the topic, a segment on the duo’s podcast. The lesson? If all else fails, regifting is a great option. “Earlier, someone was asking me, ‘How do you cope when you know that you’ve given a bad gift?’ Just re-gift it,” Yang said. “We were also saying earlier, re-gifting is quite sustainable as a practice. It’s circular. So just the whole notion of, ‘You did a bad job giving me this gift. Go fix it.’ I’m like, ‘That’s not on me anymore!’”
You can shop Yang and Rogers’ gift guide on Marshalls’ website now. We’ve scouted a few of our favorites from the duo’s picks that you can browse below.
Bowen Yang & Matt Rogers Holiday Gifting Picks from Marshalls
Salvatore Ferragamo Made In Italy Calfskin Leather Card Holder
A brown calfskin card holder.
