The Adam Carolla Show — “All Things Ladylike” with Erica Rhodes

Episode Date: September 29, 2025
Guest: Erica Rhodes

Episode Overview

This lively episode features comedian Erica Rhodes joining Adam Carolla and Mike Dawson for a candid, freewheeling conversation blending social commentary, personal anecdotes, and irreverent humor. The overarching theme is “ladylike” behavior—what defines it, whether it’s outdated, and how changing cultural expectations have affected both women and men. The conversation ranges from recent viral moments of women behaving “unhinged,” generational changes in gender roles, personal stories about family, to the intersection of victimhood, outrage culture, and media narratives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. "Going Nuts": Women, Regulation, and Ladylike Behavior

[03:20–10:10]

• Adam launches with his characteristic unfiltered take: “I think women are going nuts. And they're really getting crazy. And they're fighting, and it's easy. So they're fighting in airports. They're fighting out front of ice facilities. They're like, they're going nuts.” (Adam, 03:27)
• He riffs on the increase of public outbursts and confrontations involving women, citing WNBA clashes and viral videos from airports and public protests.
• Adam attributes some of this to differences in how boys and girls are socialized: “Men grow up regulating themselves because they grow up with rough and tumble play... Women don't do the rough and tumble play, so they don't really know where to begin and end, so they just start screaming.” (Adam, 05:33)
• Erica pushes back gently, noting hormonal changes and generational shifts: “Older women go crazy. And also, they're dealing with hormone changes, you know, like, this woman's probably going through menopause.” (Erica, 07:47)

Notable Segment:

• WNBA Coach Outburst
  • Adam and Erica dissect a now-infamous press conference where a WNBA coach was suspended after dropping “three F bombs” and physically confronting officials:
    • Adam: “No NBA coach would go out there and attack the crew... they wouldn't go after the league.” ([08:01–08:46])

2. Stories of Public Rage & Identity Politics

[10:36–16:25]

• Erica recounts a testy Starbucks encounter, where an airport barista seemed hostile and suggests Erica’s “privilege” may have played into it:
  • Erica: “I started feeling, like, a drip in my pants. There was a hole in the bottom of my coffee cup. And it just starts... I was like, did she do that on purpose?” (10:42)
• Adam expands on the theme, weaving together cultural resentment, the “Karen” phenomenon, and how social narratives inflame divides:
  • “You are attractive, blond and white. According to the steady diet we've been feeding every young person—I'm a Karen. You're kind of the enemy.” (Adam, 11:48–11:49)
  • Adam shares a personal story where his own background was misjudged due to appearances: “I'm just a person who probably grew up poorer than her, who pays a shitload in taxes and just wants to get along.” (Adam, 16:19)

3. Double Standards, Victimhood, and the "Victim/Oppressor" Divide

[16:25–22:24]

• Adam rails against society’s habit of casting people as either "victim" or "oppressor": “We’re doing a nice job in society of trying to divide everyone into victim and oppressor. And I've been screaming it's a bad idea, stop doing it.” (Adam, 16:25)
• Erica points out a contemporary double standard: “Now it's like they can profile you, but you can't profile them. So there's like, a real double standard happening.” (Erica, 16:53)
• The topic transitions to violent behavior by both genders, but Adam claims society is less able to absorb “female craziness” since “as a society, we didn’t count on a large demographic of women participating in craziness.” (Adam, 20:57)
• They discuss the changing threshold for what is considered abnormal or disruptive—from the 1960s’ “ladylike” ideal to today’s social media-saturated climate.

4. Generational Shifts and “Ladylike” Archetypes

[22:34–29:07]

• Adam and Erica humorously listen to and analyze a 1960s educational video about what it meant to be a “young lady,” contrasting it with their own mothers’ unconventional paths:
  • Adam: “When everyone was normal, my mom was abnormal. And now I got a bunch of shit for it. And now your mom can be a freak show... and you wouldn’t get any shit.” (26:14–26:22)
• Erica reveals her grandmother was an aeronautical engineer during WWII, defying traditional roles, while Adam recounts his mother being “early money on not shaving the pits.”
• The takeaway: definitions of “ladylike” are as much about context and timing as actual conduct.

5. ICE Protests & Media Narratives: Who Deserves Compassion?

[32:03–39:12]

• Adam and Erica discuss riotous ICE facility protests, “shoot ICE” chants, and the selective compassion shown by politicians and mainstream media:
  • Adam: “If you are part of the January 6th committee... your claim is that the Capitol Police suffered irreparable long term damage, psychological damage... Then why no sympathy for the other law enforcement, ICE people that are having this as an ongoing daily battle?” (Adam, 36:00)
• This segues into a hypothetical comparison for parents of police: Is a single hard day worse than daily, ongoing public abuse?
• Dawson and Erica play along, humorously reflecting the rhetorical mismatches at play in media and politics.

6. Light Interlude: Plumbing Mishaps & Domestic DIY

[41:16–45:54]

• Adam shares his proud (and promptly disappointing) installation of a “urinal sink,” only to discover it won’t drain: “It's a sink on top, urinal on the bottom. It's kind of the mullet of bathroom fixtures, you know?” (Adam, 41:32)
• The trio riff on home improvement disasters versus putting together IKEA furniture, with Erica noting she recently broke her toe “kicking my coffee table... I was just multitasking.”

7. Children’s Rhymes, Nostalgia, and “Creative Laziness”

[47:20–54:02]

• Adam and Erica deconstruct the classic “This Little Piggy” rhyme, bemoaning its lack of creativity:
  • Adam: “That is the least creative children's limerick ever.” (47:32)
  • Erica recites it straight (“This little piggy had none...”), leading to a playful dissection of why it’s endured.
• They reminisce about favorite childhood games—Adam’s “stinky foot” and Erica’s “lost little kitty”—blending humor and nostalgia.

8. Family Eccentricities and Generational Differences

[54:24–61:43]

• Adam and Erica swap tales of quirky parents, stepdads, separate bedrooms, and the stray neighborhood cats who became surrogate pets.
• Adam: “My mom saved part of the jean leg from a cutoff jeans and then thumbtacked it where the flap was. So we had a flap of denim jean [in the window].” (59:36)
• The segment highlights the oddball nature of non-traditional households and how children adapt (or get embarrassed).

9. News Segment with Mike Dawson

[64:04–99:50]
Notable stories and riffs include:

• Who’s the Better-Looking TV Icon?
  • “You gotta go Selleck, because Selleck was like 6'2, 6'3, played on the basketball team and they could dunk a basketball and stuff. ... If you want to start getting into handsome, you gotta get over six foot.” (Adam, 64:28)
• Serena Williams’ “Cotton Trauma”
  • Adam and Erica skewer Serena’s social media complaint about cotton décor:
    • “Bitch, you've been rich since you were seven. That’s number one. Number two, you're married to a rich guy. ... I'm sure the Italians may have been discriminated against ... but not me.” (Adam, 71:01)
    • Erica: “Every time I touch [cotton], I'm like slavery.” (70:58)
• Muslim Call to Prayer in Dearborn
  • A neighborly conflict erupts over loud religious broadcasts at 5:30am.
  • “All Muslims understand and know when the call to prayer is. They don't need this. This is more of a 'hey, f you'—we're shoving this down your throats.” (Mike Dawson, 76:55)
• Bill Maher’s “Both Sides” Monologue
  • Adam rebuts the “both sides are authoritarian” narrative—using COVID-era policies as his proof:
    • “We did an experiment. Who wanted control, who didn’t want control? ... You tried to force everyone to get an unproven jab... That sounds like authoritarian dictatorship control.” (Adam, 84:48)
    • “Don’t give me this lecture on control. It’s insane that they even have the balls to do it when we just got done with an experiment called Covid.” (Adam, 86:24)

10. Malt Liquor, Ethnic Advertising, and Cultural Shifts

[88:29–95:16]

• Adam, Dawson, and Erica indulge in a nostalgia trip through 70s and 80s malt liquor commercials—Billy Dee Williams for Colt 45 and Fred “The Hammer” Williamson for King Cobra.
  • "I've spent half my life trying to liquor up women... liquor never works. It's the vegemite of alcohol." (Adam, 89:46)
• They note the shift from harsh malt liquors to today’s syrup-flavored vodkas, and muse on how marketing and community taste have evolved.
• Erica: “I don’t think I’ve ever had malt liquor.”

11. Comedy Closer: The JonBenet Ramsey Joke

[99:50–100:27]

• Erica closes with one of her viral jokes:
  • “I went on a date and the guy said I look like JonBenet Ramsey if she were still alive. And I said, you look like the killer if they found him. And we had a fun night of role playing. I hid in the basement, and he pretended to write a ransom note in my mom’s handwriting.” (Erica, 100:03–100:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On generational shifts:
  • “My mom was early money on not shaving the pits.” (Adam, 27:00)
• On societal tolerance:
  • “The ocean can take raw sewage... but at a certain point, fish will start floating. It can't absorb an infinite amount.” (Adam, 19:46)
• On “ladylike” standards:
  • “What's a ladylike sport?” (Adam, 18:03)
  • “Tennis.” (Erica, 18:06)
• On virus restrictions as proof of authoritarianism:
  • “You arrested a guy who was paddle boarding in the bay. … Spare me your fucking discussions on authoritarianism.” (Adam, 84:50)
• On kid’s rhymes:
  • “That is the least creative children's limerick ever.” (Adam, 47:32)
• On Serena Williams’ “cotton trauma”:
  • “Now, here's the thing. The thing. Can people have a little more situational awareness? Like, bitch, you've been rich since you were seven.” (Adam, 71:01)

Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Topic/Segment | |-------------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:20–10:10 | “Women Going Nuts,” regulation & WNBA controversy | | 10:36–16:25 | Public rage, privilege, and identity politics | | 16:25–22:24 | Double standards & “victim/oppressor” narratives | | 22:34–29:07 | Generational differences; 1960s “ladylike” archetypes | | 32:03–39:12 | ICE protests, media narratives, and selective compassion | | 41:16–45:54 | DIY home disasters: Adam’s urinal sink | | 47:20–54:02 | Nursery rhymes and creative laziness | | 54:24–61:43 | Family eccentricities and adapting as a kid | | 64:04–99:50 | News: TV icons, Serena & cotton, Dearborn mosque, Bill Maher | | 88:29–95:16 | Malt liquor ads, ethnic marketing, shifts in taste | | 99:50–100:27| Erica’s JonBenet Ramsey joke |

Tone & Language

The conversation is energetic, brash, and often irreverent—hallmarks of the Adam Carolla Show. Adam’s rants are peppered with sharp humor, social criticism, and the occasional outlandish analogy. Erica’s laid-back, witty retorts provide a grounded, self-aware counterbalance, keeping the banter engaging and relatable. The tone shifts fluidly between playful, satirical deconstructions of convention and caustic, no-holds-barred cultural commentary.

Conclusion

For listeners, this episode offers classic Carolla: rapid-fire social critique punctuated with laughs, candid stories, and a guest (Erica Rhodes) who skillfully matches Adam’s wit. Whether skewering modern gender norms, categorizing types of public outbursts, or reminiscing about family quirks and childhood rhymes, Adam and Erica hold up a funhouse mirror to contemporary American life—proving, as ever, that some things are just never very ladylike.

For tour dates, Erica's comedy can be found at: ericarodescomedy.com
Adam’s upcoming shows: adamcarolla.com