Judge John Hodgman

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! Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

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. Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

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? Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

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? Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

Friends Adam and Will have a dispute about social networking.  Is it Adam's responsibility as a young adult to get with the program and join the online social networking world, or is Will pushing his own life choices on his friend? Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

Jason's mom argues that whenever he passes gas, he should proffer an "excuse me" to whomever is present (according to general social etiquette).  Jason says he's an adult and as such, is allowed to do as he pleases.  Should Jason's mom butt out, or should be held to her standards? Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

Jeff says his live-in girlfriend Courtney habitually hides food from him. Courtney admits that she's hidden food in the past, but only to save Jeff from his own ravenous tendencies, and that she has stopped the practice. Is Courtney a food-hoarder, or is Jeff a food-stealer? Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

College pals Corey, Tyler and Caitlyn are moving into a new apartment in the coming school year with three bedrooms: two small, one gloriously spacious. Who deserves the biggest room? Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

Is it appropriate to ask a cab driver to take you through a drive-thru after a long night of drinking? Take a ride in the Justice Cab to find out. Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

In this episode, we are joined by SPECIAL GUEST and EXPERT WITNESS Morgan Webb.  John argues that using a strategy guide when playing a video game is cheating, pure and simple.  His friend Josef argues that while it provides an advantage, it's not out of line to use a guide and constitutes no cheating. Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

We have a pronunciation problem. Matt brings the case against his friend Josh, who he argues pronounces a number of words incorrectly. Affectations, shibboleths, and regionalisms: we've got it all. Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

Friends (and Canadian barristers) Nick and Phil bring their fruit-based case before the Judge: which gentleman's technique for peeling a banana is correct? Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

Should an endurance event enthusiast (and former couch potato) be allowed to participate in an Ironman Triathlon against the wishes of his wife? Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

  When is it appropriate to request a photo with a celebrity seen in the wild? Andrew and Britt bring this case of a Hollywood party, Stephen Colbert, and potential Facebook popularity before the judge. Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

Should a father be able to compell his teenage daughter to watch classic films? Or does a 16-year-old deserve autonomy in her entertainment choices? Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

Two best friends disagree on the morality of the potluck. One says it's a great opportunity for everyone to pitch in. One says it's a sign of a host who's abdicated responsibility for the party. Only one man can decide who's right. Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

A group of high school kids kidnapped their youth group leader's life-size Ernie doll as a prank, but he was stolen from them before his safe return.  Can they be held responsible for Ernie's disappearance if they intended to return him? Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

A fiancee demands that her sweetheart shape up and dress for a promotion, plus other clothing-related disputes. Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

A friends' night out at a Polynesian restaurant, several Scorpion bowls and an abandoned bag of takeout are involved in this accusation of impropriety and substandard hygiene. Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.

Sisters Carol and Michelle have a disagreement over the pronunciation of their last name, Martucci. Carol believes in the traditional Italian "Mar-too-CHEE" and Michelle thinks it honors their grandfather to pronounce the name in his preferred fashion, "Mar-too-SEE". Judge John Hodgman: Road Court! Tickets are on sale NOW! For dates and more information, go to maximumfun.org/events.