Adam Carolla Show – Carolla Classics: Dennis Prager + JB Smoove
Date: October 12, 2025
Host: Adam Carolla
Guests: Dennis Prager, JB Smoove
Panel: Allison Rosen, Brian "Bald Bryan" Bishop, Dr. Bruce (“Dr. Spaz”)
Summary by Section with Timestamps
Episode Overview
This “Carolla Classics” edition revisits two standout episodes: one featuring Dennis Prager (conservative commentator, talk show host) and the other with comedian JB Smoove. Adam, Allison, and Bryan serve up Adam’s signature unfiltered humor and skeptical takes on modern culture, airline travel woes, celebrity breakups, and America’s obsession with self-esteem, all with a mix of candid storytelling and irreverent wit.
Listeners get classic Adam rants, unforgettable guest moments, and the unique chemistry of the panel dissecting everything from political scandal to pop culture, often with an eye toward what’s wrong (and occasionally right) with the world.
Key Segments & Discussion Highlights
1. Tales from the Road: Names, Weird Flight Attendants & “Generic” Autographs
(01:00–17:40)
- Adam shares a series of comical grievances from touring, including misspelling names on autographed posters and cultural quirks in name spelling.
- Memorable Anecdote: Mistaking the Post-It note label "Generic" for a staff member’s name while signing posters.
- “Anyway, just in the world of the stupid... Some of them have names of staff members... And the name before it is Aurora. And then I throw that one aside and it says generic. And I start writing. I get G E, N... dear God...” (03:06)
- Adam's observations about oddball flight attendants—especially an aggressively straight, “lumberjack” male attendant who responded dismissively when asked for a beer.
- “This is the first time I’ve ever had a flight attendant—the dude who wanted to make sure you didn’t think he was one of the gay ones. So he went a little over the top...” (05:22)
- Notably told Adam it would take “an hour” to fetch a Miller Lite on a 1hr45m flight (08:10).
Notable Quote
“If you don’t like people, teach shop. That’s what I want to say. Don’t mess with adults... Don’t get that gig if you do not like humanity.” —Adam (11:06)
2. On Meeting Fans: Sweaty Handshakes & Meet-and-Greet Psychology
(17:52–24:00)
- Adam muses on the psychology of fans at post-show signings, particularly “the sweaty hand guys” who insist on prolonged, clammy handshakes in photos.
- Offers business idea: pants with built-in “mopping” pads for nervous hand-shakers.
Notable Quote
“Out of 200 people there, there are only two guys who insisted on holding the handshake while we took the picture. Like we just completed a real estate transaction.” —Adam (20:14)
3. The Self-Sabotage Gene (aka ‘Full Circle Fuck-Up’)
(24:34–29:13)
- Adam describes colleagues who “can’t not screw up,” no matter how much advice or setup they’re given (e.g., comic Josh Gardner’s unnecessary curtain call after a great set).
- “You can’t—wouldn’t be who you are if you didn’t knock everything down a couple of notches.” (27:44)
4. Dr. Bruce Segment: ER Talk, Constipation & Medical Annoyances
(30:19–43:58)
- Dr. Bruce (“Dr. Spaz”) appears for medical questions. Panel discusses constipation causes, bathroom habits, and ER policies (no manual disimpaction, please).
- Amusingly tangents into airline beverage rules and the inconsistency of cash vs. credit in flight.
Notable Quotes
“Here’s an issue. Once you’re stopped up, putting in fiber is like... The dam is up and putting more logs in.” —Dr. Bruce (35:35)
“By the way, if you show Mike, if you show the line from House of Blues... you gotta understand, we’re traveling. That’s the line.” —Adam, on post-show signing marathons (31:48)
5. Audience Q&A: Hangovers, Chiropractors, Antidepressants & Libido
(44:07–51:14)
- Callers ask Dr. Bruce about hangover aches, skeptical chiropractic visits, and how antidepressants (Citalopram) can reduce libido; advice includes possibly trying Wellbutrin as an alternative.
6. JB Smoove Segment: Fantasy Football, Comedy, and Curb Your Enthusiasm
(51:58–62:44)
- JB and Adam riff on the absurd “trials” of fantasy football compared to real suffering (see: “JB explains fantasy football to former slaves”).
- “We bring back former slaves and you explain to them how rough fantasy football can be...” —Adam (52:47)
- JB shares how his wife “manifested” his role on Curb Your Enthusiasm; six months after predicting it, he landed the job.
- “You throw some shit out there in the universe, sometimes that comes back.” —JB (55:43)
JB’s “Life Lessons”
- “Life is all about opportunities, right? But also timing. You get your ass out there, right? You make something happen.” (54:23)
7. The News with Allison Rosen: Joe Paterno, Political Scandal, Food Stamps & Social Satire
(57:41–87:18, selected highlights below)
- Joe Paterno’s death: Panel muses on “multilayered sadness” of the story, old age, and the difference between seeming robust and actually being brittle.
- “You gotta be careful. 82, you know what I mean? 82 is a rough ass age.” —JB Smoove (59:36)
- Newt Gingrich’s open marriage scandal & debate performance:
- Detailed breakdown of Gingrich’s debate “offense as defense” when confronted about his personal life.
- “Are guys who announce their appalled ever really appalled? Because I think when you’re appalled, you don’t announce you’re appalled.” —Adam (69:33)
- Media culture & the lost art of dignified debate:
- “We’re a bunch of Mexican broads that are in our 40s going at it on a TV series.” —Adam (72:43)
- Race, food stamps, and government cheese:
- Spirited, comedic exchange about demographic realities, stereotypes, and the “government cheese” experience.
- “I was just some bad going on... Some white people. I went to my dad’s old neighborhood in South Philly a couple weeks back...” —Adam (83:39)
- “Maybe it’s not her stomach, maybe the dress is too small.” —JB (84:51)
8. Interlude: Pet Ownership & Cultural Differences
(98:00–101:15)
- Light-hearted riffing on whether a pet “turns black” after joining a black family, and how pets adapt to different household “languages.”
9. Dennis Prager Segment: Stereotypes, Political Correctness, and Israel
(133:39–155:01)
- Adam introduces Prager, who explains his take on legitimacy of stereotypes:
- “By and large, I have to admit, they tend to be legit.” —Dennis (136:15)
- Adam and Dennis agree many cultural name changes are more about “correcting” than meaningful progress (African American, rescue dogs, etc.).
- “The process is to correct you, not... really improve anything.” —Adam (145:40)
- Prager’s sharp critique of his community for gravitating to “isms” after abandoning Judaism as a traditional religion.
- “If it’s an ism and a Jew left Judaism, then a Jew will gravitate to another ism.” —Dennis (153:03)
- On Israel: Dennis summarizes how the political left’s support shifted post-1967, turning away from a “victim” Israel as soon as it became strong and successful.
- Hilarious Play-by-Play:
- Panel replays and deconstructs famous C-SPAN clips (Barbara Boxer correcting a military officer over “ma’am,” and a congressman’s fear of Guam “tipping over”).
- “We don’t anticipate the island capsizing.” —Admiral, in deadpan response (156:06)
10. Self-Esteem Culture & the “You’re the Best” Message
(172:00–196:29)
- Dennis Prager debunks America’s “self-esteem” obsession and its unintended consequences (e.g., criminals have the highest self-esteem).
- “You're supposed to earn the right to feel good about yourself.” —Adam (178:21)
- “Violent criminals... These people have the highest self esteem... I am so terrific I can rape you.” —Dennis (174:35)
- Adam rails against the relentless, false messages of children’s programming ("You're the best! Just be you!") contrasted with the value of striving and accountability.
- Panel plays and mocks the “Wawa Wubsy” song:
- “You condescending pricks think this is good. Just be yourself. You don’t have to try. You’re number one.” —Adam (195:04)
Notable Quotes (with Timestamp & Speaker)
- “I am convinced that fuck ups cannot live without fucking up. Like, they just have to. Fuck. They’re not alive unless someone’s yelling at them.” —Adam, on self-sabotaging creatives (24:34)
- “There are more white folks on food stamps than black. That’s what I know.” —JB Smoove (97:35)
- “If you don’t like people, teach shop. That’s what I want to say. Don’t mess with adults.” —Adam (11:06)
- “By and large, I have to admit, they tend to be legit [stereotypes].” —Dennis Prager (136:15)
- “We’re losing ground on the food stamps program. You know, we're losing ground right now.” —JB (85:42)
- “Your kid feels great about his non-math skills.” —Adam, on self-esteem in education (177:16)
- “You’re supposed to earn the right to feel good about yourself.” —Adam (178:21)
- “Violent criminals... These people have the highest self-esteem...” —Dennis Prager (174:35)
- “You condescending pricks think this is good. Just be yourself. You don’t have to try. You’re number one.” —Adam (195:04)
Episode Tone & Highlights
- Signature Carolla-style rants: inefficiency, bureaucracy, and modern parenting.
- Panel chemistry: sharp, fast banter between Adam, Bryan, and Allison, with memorable color commentary from JB Smoove and Dennis Prager.
- Cultural satire on American trends: from the politics of food stamps to celebrity divorces (Seal & Heidi Klum) and airline absurdities.
- Comedic riffs on race, class, and stereotypes—handled with unvarnished wit and just enough sensitivity to avoid mean-spiritedness.
- Segments punctuated by rapid-fire, quotable moments, making it a must-listen (or, thanks to this summary, must-read) episode for longtime fans and newcomers alike.
TL;DR Recap
- Adam’s air travel gripes & fan encounters blend into jokes about bureaucracy and social cluelessness.
- JB Smoove’s improv and “motivational anti-motivation” riffing is a standout.
- The crew lampoons media hysteria, open marriages, “government cheese,” and the perils of excessive self-esteem.
- With Dennis Prager, they smartly unpack political correctness, shifting social terminology, and why some stereotypes endure.
- Throughout, the real subject is how America sees itself — and why Adam thinks we could all use a little less self-satisfaction... and maybe a little more effort.