James Sexton, Rick Glassman, Matt McCusker - Mostly Wise #4 - #1156
September 28, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readWhen a divorce lawyer’s client described the moment she knew her marriage was over, it wasn’t a blow-up fight or a betrayal. It was the granola. She used to put a specific granola on her yogurt every morning, and her husband would notice when it was running low and buy more without being asked. It made her feel seen. Then one day, the granola ran out, and he didn’t replace it. She waited, giving him a chance, and he never did. She asked him to fix the granola, but that wasn’t the point—the point was that he had stopped paying attention.
That story, told by divorce attorney James Sexton on Modern Wisdom, became the thread for a sprawling conversation about what actually holds relationships together and what breaks them. Joined by comedians Rick Glassman and Matt McCusker, Sexton used his decades in family court to argue that most marriages don’t fail because of one dramatic event. They fail because small, unspoken things stop happening—and no one says anything about it.
The granola and the blow job: reciprocity without scorekeeping
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **Episode Kickoff & Live Show Announcement** - Chris Williamson promotes his UK/Ireland live tour before introducing the panel.
- 2 (03:19) **The Granola vs. Blowjobs Debate** - The panel argues over whether it’s healthier to ask for what you need or expect your partner to notice it unprompted.
- 3 (08:22) **Divorce Lawyer Dynamics & Pre-Nup Philosophy** - James Sexton explains the strange dynamic of being a divorce lawyer for women, and argues for discussing finances early in a relationship.
- 4 (10:13) **The “All or Nothing” Relationship Model** - Matt McCusker argues for a zero-sum, romantic approach to marriage, while Sexton gently pushes back with a more practical reality.
- 5 (11:36) **Medieval Divorce Combat & The Lady Judge Question** - The group discusses a historical trial-by-combat for married couples, then pivots to how Sexton tailors his courtroom persona to different judges.
- 6 (13:46) **Mr. Rogers, Emotional Vocabulary, and Authenticity** - The panel discusses the legacy of Fred Rogers as a master of emotional vocabulary, contrasting his authenticity with modern performative culture.
- 7 (17:18) **The Social Cost of Being a Divorce Lawyer** - Sexton admits that being a high-profile divorce attorney makes him an awkward friend for married men, as it creates bad optics.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
In the fourth episode of Mostly Wise, we explore:
- If there is any sexual tension between clients and divorce lawyers.
- Why Rick can't hook up with someone he isn't in love with.
- Where all the hot goth girls up and disappeared to.
- The craziest clauses found in James' clients' prenuptial agreements.
- How to talk to your partner about gaining weight.
- Gen Z's big problem with being the most sexless generation.
- And much more...
Guests
- James Sexton is a New York-based divorce attorney and author, known for his expertise in family law and insights on marriage and divorce.
- Matt McCusker is a comedian, writer, author and podcaster.
- Rick Glassman is a comedian, actor, and podcaster.
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Timestamps:
(00:00) The Problem With Blowjobs and Granola (08:16) Why Being a Divorce Lawyer Is Surprisingly Sexy (13:39) Who Is Fred Rogers? (17:07) Do People Hide Their Friendship With James? (20:29) Why James Tailors Every Case to the Judge (26:28) Does James Ever Feel Guilty About Winning? (30:06) Does Rick Need to Have More Casual Sex? (42:13) Why Funny and Attractive Is So Hard to Find (54:31) Are Modern Dating Standards Getting Ridiculous? (58:50) The Craziest Prenup Clause James Has Ever Seen (01:04:31) What Are Women Demanding in Prenups? (01:13:42) Can You Tell Your Partner They’ve Gained Weight? (01:17:06) Are Personal Politics Ruining Relationships? (01:28:19) Did Donald Trump Really Miss His Son’s Wedding? (01:32:15) Why Keeping Score Kills Relationships (01:42:09) Do Women Hold the Power in Sex? (01:46:35) Does Rick Always Call Out Unspoken Subtext? (01:50:55) Why Being Funny on Set Is Harder Than It Looks (01:55:34) What Happened to Multi-Cam Sitcoms? (02:00:16) What’s Britain’s Most-Watched TV Show? (02:06:21) The Most Unreal Inverse Icks (02:16:50) Why Is Rick So Good at Basketball? (02:25:47) Rick’s Post-Sex Service (02:37:06) The Fascinating Timing of