Adam Carolla Show: Brian Posehn + Ben Bailey (Carolla Classics) - February 20, 2026

Episode Overview

This "Carolla Classics" episode brings together some of the best moments from Adam Carolla’s extensive podcast archive, spotlighting comedian and "Cash Cab" host Ben Bailey and stand-up comic/writer Brian Posehn. Adam and co-hosts Gina Grad and Bryan Bishop deliver signature Carolla banter, observations about sports, parenting, pop culture, and a hilarious mock "Cash Cab" game with Ben Bailey. There’s honest talk about bullying, masculinity, advice-giving, and a deep dive into the quirks of everyday life—with plenty of laughs and the raw, irreverent tone fans expect from Carolla and crew.

Key Discussion Points & Segments

1. Reflecting on 17 Years of the Adam Carolla Show (01:20)

• Superfan Giovanni opens with podcast history, evolution through eras (from Teresa to Gina Grad, and the COVID-remote years), and how to access "Carolla Classics" archives.
• Noteworthy: Adam enters reminiscing about past formats, co-hosts, and fan-favorite segments.

2. The Cash Cab Segment with Ben Bailey (41:28)

• Guest: Ben Bailey, stand-up comedian and Emmy-winning host of Cash Cab.
• The crew discusses the cultural impact of "Cash Cab" and how it became a phenomenon without heavy promotion.
  • Ben: “We had no advertising... people just learned about the show by catching it on the air. It’s almost like a word-of-mouth hit.” (42:08)
• Behind-the-scenes talk about cab medallions in NYC, the logistics of the show, and Bailey’s experience as a host.
  • Ben: “It’s several jobs at once… I’d much rather host a show in a studio.” (44:39)

They Play a Mock "Cash Cab" Game (49:00–63:00)

• Adam, Gina, and Bryan play along as fake contestants.
• Questions range from sports trivia to beer blends:
  • Q: “Since 1976, what popular antacid sponsored baseball’s Relief Pitcher of the Year award?”
    A: “Rolaids.” — Ben Bailey (50:17)
  • Q: “Name six U.S. States with five or fewer letters in the name.”
    Group struggles with Maine, Ohio, Texas, Utah, Idaho, Iowa.
    Gina: “We got four out of five…” (56:07)
• Red Light Challenge and Video Bonus Round.
  • Q: “Traditional Indian clay oven.”
    Adam: “Tandoori is correct.” (64:47)
• Entertaining banter about prize hypotheticals and the art of hosting.
  • Adam: “Letting it ride in hypothetical world where you don’t actually have the money is much easier.” (63:53)
  • Gina: “I hope you, Ben Bailey, continue to do Cash Cab for the rest of eternity…” (66:55)

3. Sports Rant: Multi-use Stadiums, Player Safety & Field Conditions (05:06–10:30)

• Discussion on NFL games played on baseball fields, poor field maintenance, Mexican stadium logistics, and why football is played in all weather.
  • Adam: “Why is every snap and every crucial kick take place in the dirt?” (08:46)
  • Gina (deadpan): “With a billion dollars, it drives me nuts.” (07:17)

4. Sensitivity, Seasickness, & Human Variation (10:53–21:12)

• Adam and crew riff on altitude sickness, motion sensitivity, spicy food tolerance, and “internal gyroscopes.”
  • Adam: “Some people just have this internal gyroscope that is easily sort of knocked…” (12:32)
  • Gina shares never getting seasick or car sick, even during chemo. (13:16)
• Adam proposes a (mock) research study on physiological vs. psychological roots of sensitivity.

5. Party Stories: Kimmel’s Birthday & Earwax Removal (25:32–28:11)

• Adam recounts attending Jimmy Kimmel’s party, absurd conversations about earwax, and celebrities present.
  • Adam: “…we did about 40 minutes on who’s been probed anally. And everyone seemed to have a story.” (26:36)
  • Jennifer Aniston gets drawn into a running joke about a friend’s “medical procedure.” (27:43)

6. Food & Diet: “Eat Your Feelings” with Gina Grad (33:21–39:14)

• Gina shares her Maple Shallot Chicken recipe and discusses low-carb, high-reward eating.
  • Adam: “There is no reason to go back to anything in terms of carbs… it’s satisfied.” (35:13)
  • Gina on mashed cauliflower: “It really feels satisfying, like you’re eating a carb with your chicken.” (37:40)

7. Bullying, Masculinity, and Childhood Memories (161:28–175:10)

• Brian Posehn joins to discuss his memoir, “Forever Nerdy.” Topics include being bullied, awkward adolescence, and turning struggles into humor.
  • Brian: “Junior high was just brutal… I was even bullied by my friends.” (167:25)
  • Adam: “Does everyone get bullied? … Every girl tells you how awkward they were.” (167:17)
• Stories about playground games, the male pecking order, and a hilarious recounting of Adam being attacked by a girl after a softball game (174:20).

8. On Advice, Human Nature, & Genetics (141:53–153:45)

• Adam laments the futility of giving advice—people need, but rarely want, it.
  • “People don’t want advice. They need advice. But if you sit down with them and try to offer it… they almost always reject it.” (152:37)
  • Discussion on entrepreneurial spirit and the limits of nurture vs. nature.

9. Potty Training & Parenting Realities (93:23–103:29)

• Coverage of modern potty training classes and parental tactics.
  • Adam (joking about kid educators): “I feign retardation for 8 hours a day. That’s your job.” (94:11)
  • Real talk and humor about milestones in kids’ lives, toxic masculinity, and gender socialization.
  • Adam’s rant on nature v. nurture: “Nobody foisted anything on him… it’s encoded into his DNA.” (100:16)

10. Rapid-fire Riffs & Classic Carolla Rants

• On Aquaman: “His powers are communicating, not growing aquatic life. There are no giant seahorses.” (69:55)
• Cold showers and home maintenance misadventures (118:34–125:49).
• Water damage stories, ruined homes, and why water is both life-giving and destructive (199:00).
• Dishwashers, “gross” debates, and how domestic chores reveal personality divides (213:42).
• On the futility of modern food/diet and germ avoidance fads: “When the dust settles, we will be as wrong as we were about the diet…” (210:42)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On sensitivity & internal ‘gyroscopes’:

  • Adam Carolla: “Some people just have this internal gyroscope that is easily knocked… I don’t have one of those gyroscopes.” (12:32)

• Ben Bailey on “Cash Cab” success:

  • “We had no advertising… people learned about the show by just catching it on TV… it’s almost like a word-of-mouth hit.” (42:08)

• Party recap:

  • Adam: “We did about 40 minutes on who’s been probed anally. And everyone seemed to have a story.” (26:36)

• On gender, advice, and authenticity:

  • Adam: “It’s encoded into his DNA… Not true at all. Nobody foisted anything on him… that’s how it is.” (100:16)

• Gina Grad, on bullying and adolescence:

  • “You don’t get the memo, but everyone does that: Oh, we’re not friends anymore… Oh, you’re mean.” (168:45)

• Bryan Bishop:

  • “The best you can do is give them that information. What they do with it is up to them. They can just go piss on the corner.” (147:41)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [01:20] — Giovanni’s intro, Adam Carolla Show history
• [41:28] — Ben Bailey ("Cash Cab") segment begins
• [49:00–63:00] — Cash Cab trivia game
• [05:06–10:30] — Stadium rants, NFL & MLB field conditions
• [10:53–21:12] — Sensitivity, altitude, motion sickness discussion
• [25:32–28:11] — Jimmy Kimmel’s party, celebrity earwax story
• [33:21–39:14] — “Eat Your Feelings,” low-carb cooking
• [69:55] — Aquaman’s giant seahorse tangent
• [93:23–103:29] — Potty training, parenting, gender wiring
• [118:34–125:49] — Cold showers, bad gas pipes
• [141:53–153:45] — Advice, human nature, entrepreneurialism
• [161:28–175:10] — Bullying, masculinity, and childhood
• [199:00] — Frankie Muniz and water damage

Tone & Style Notes

• The language is consistently sharp, fast-paced, and laced with sarcasm—Carolla’s brand of self-aware, irreverent comedy.
• Panel-style banter: The conversational flow is spontaneous, with guests and regulars freely riffing, offering personal stories, and bouncing off Adam’s rants.
• Humor is raw, unfiltered, sometimes edgy, as expected for the Adam Carolla Show.
• Regular, pop culture trivia, relatable parenting rants, and an undercurrent of "real talk" about human behavior.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This is a classic, wide-ranging episode that jumps from pop culture trivia and the inside world of "Cash Cab" to sincere takes on bullying, advice-giving, and modern parenting. The trivia segments are fast and funny, the personal stories both embarrassing and endearing, and Adam’s rants are in top form. Noteworthy is Ben Bailey’s insight into hosting TV, Gina and Bryan’s honest anecdotes about growing up, and a steady undercurrent of observational comedy—whether it’s about NFL locker rooms, gender, or potty training.

It’s a treasure trove of Carolla’s style—irreverent, reflective, occasionally poignant, and always hilarious.