Adam Carolla Show – "Dr. Drew + Teresa and Bryan" (Carolla Classics)

Original Date: January 17, 2026 (Clips from 2009)
Host: Adam Carolla
Guests: Dr. Drew Pinsky, Teresa Strasser, Bald Bryan (Brian Bishop)

Episode Overview

This “Carolla Classics” episode revisits standout moments from the Adam Carolla Show’s 2009 archives, focusing on two episodes:

• ACS #187: Featuring Adam, Teresa Strasser, and Bald Bryan, centered on personal updates (notably Teresa’s recent C-section and new motherhood), reflections on the state of live comedy and benefits, and trademark comedic riffs on culture and nostalgia.
• ACS #200: A reunion with Dr. Drew covers a sweep of topics: the golden (and not-so-golden) age of kids’ cartoons, road rage, touring war stories, and a harrowing account of Dr. Drew saving a life.

Adam’s signature blend of caustic honesty, observational humor, and candid storytelling runs throughout, with the co-hosts bringing their own wit and vulnerability to the discussion.

Key Discussion Points & Timestamps

1. The "Laughs for Bald Bryan" Benefit and Ticket Sales

[02:56–08:19]

• Adam, Teresa, and Bryan discuss the overwhelming audience support for the Laughs for Bald Bryan benefit show, initially selling out the floor and beginning to open balcony/loge seats.
• Adam battles industry pessimism, citing agents' doubts about selling 1,250 tickets at $100 during a tough economic climate.
  • “We're few but we're proud. We have a very dedicated audience.” — Adam Carolla [04:51]
• Bryan announces ticket giveaway winners and VIP opportunities.

2. Teresa’s C-Section and Reflections on Motherhood

[08:19–30:31]

• Teresa provides a comedic yet honest breakdown of her C-section, recovery, and anxieties about not bonding instantly with her son.
• Adam riffs on outdated parenting, the vanishing "short leg kid" in schools, and the disappearance of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from lunchrooms.
  • “There's a Dumpster parked in front of your vagina right now.” — Adam [29:43]
• The shift from nursery care to “rooming in,” the surreal discomforts of post-op paralysis, and the mental challenge of being suddenly responsible for a newborn.
  • “You are the nursery. That's what's weird.” — Teresa [21:05]
• Both Adam and Teresa discuss growing pains, lack of instructions, and the emotional overwhelm of those first weeks at home.

Notable Real Talk About New Parenthood

• Teresa admits her initial terror and sense of incompetence.
  • “I felt better knowing that I’m supposed to feel frazzled and confused as opposed to this should be 100% blissful.” — Teresa [29:46]
• Adam likens the early weeks to ugly, necessary stages of a home remodel: “This is the part where you’re pulling permits and just demoing out stucco with a hammer.” [28:36]

3. Parody, Satire, and Parenting Blogs

[30:31–35:33]

• Adam satirizes the trend of late-blooming "mom bloggers" treating motherhood like a new invention.
• Teresa confesses her own anxieties being sucked into the online “cult” of perfect motherhood, and how her blog exploitingmybaby.com aims to show the rough as well as the beautiful sides.
• Adam proposes the “Jack Blog” — the self-important, TMI blog equivalent for men discovering masturbation at 40.

4. Modern Neuroses and Parenting Overkill

[34:33–35:33]

• The hosts poke fun at modern parenting—the dietary obsessions, sleep-scheduling consultants, and the perils of hiring a “co-sleeper.”
• Adam’s gold standard for child-rearing: don't be an alcoholic, pick a stable partner, and try not to beat your kids or have blowout fights in front of them.

5. Morton's, Doggy Bags, and Pat Smear

[39:17–53:03]

• Adam tells a story about a dinner at Morton’s, his philosophy on leftovers (“Just dump it all!”), and running into Pat Smear, the guitarist famous for playing with Nirvana and Foo Fighters.
• This segues into a riff on flamboyant musicians, wedding rings, and perceptions of sexuality (see below).

6. Ambiguity in 'Rock Star' Masculinity & Wedding Rings

[43:22–53:03]

• Adam debates why musicians like Paul Shaffer and Pat Smear lean into androgyny on stage and whether they court ambiguity.
  • “If you’re not gay, why would you want people to think you’re gay?” — Adam [44:58]
• Discusses the oddity of men (Shaffer included) who only remove wedding rings "when they travel."
  • “When I reach a comfortable cruising altitude, I’m less married.” — Bald Bryan, mocking this [50:42]
• Teresa posits some men simply embrace their less-butchness rather than hiding it, regardless of orientation.

7. Publicists & Interview 'No Go' Zones

[51:21–56:40]

• Adam derides publicists who bar all mention of “scandal” topics (e.g., Letterman's affairs) rather than coaching talent on how to gracefully shut down the question.
  • “A fucking day laborer could do that.” — Adam [55:05]
  • Solution: acknowledge the subject, give the standard “no comment for legal reasons,” and move on.

8. Cartoons, Nostalgia, and the Downfall of 1970s Pop Culture

With Dr. Drew | [58:21–66:45]

• Adam and Drew launch into a tirade against mediocre cartoons of the ‘60s and ‘70s (Grape Ape, Flintstones, Hong Kong Phooey), contrasting with the creativity of Pixar and select modern shows.
• Bryan: “The ‘70s almost killed America.” [63:39]
• Drew: “We were adolescent then. We were living through that suckedness.” [65:45]
• The trio decry the laziness in children’s content and the nostalgia that wrongly elevates mediocrity.

9. Road Rage and “Road Rape” in LA

[67:44–79:44]

• Adam’s classic rant about LA drivers, the tyranny of misplaced stop signs, and drivers overly neurotic about the “letter of the law.”
  • “If you are listening to this podcast, please just throw down the MP3 player and kill yourself right now.” — Adam [73:14]
• Extended riffing on drive-thru etiquette, “windows of opportunity,” and the dumbfounding inertia of other drivers that leads to Adam’s coined term: “road rape.”
• Drew tries to unpack the psyche of timid, indecisive drivers.
• The hosts discuss ticketing priorities and revenue-raising in LA, concluding that what city governments care about is not what they say, but what they enforce.

10. Dr. Drew’s On-Field CPR Save

[84:28–91:34]

• Drew recounts rushing to save a high-school football player suffering a traumatic brain bleed, mere days after losing his own father to the same condition.
• The precise, somber account covers symptoms, Drew's emotional state, and the difference fast medical intervention made.
  • “I started breathing for this kid… you just start breathing for him.” — Dr. Drew [87:37]
• Adam turns gallows-humor, asking about responsibility if the child grows up to do wrong.
• The conversation veers into whether doctors can "look the other way" when faced with evil patients (satirically referencing mercy and medical ethics).

11. Quick-Hit Topics and Call-Ins

• “Why don’t we execute clear-cut terrorists immediately?” Adam argues for swift justice over endless legal wrangling.
• The difference between “acts of terrorism” and “disturbed individuals”, with Adam lambasting leftist squeamishness about using the “terrorist” label.
  • “Not being accurate and not telling the truth always causes more problems.” — Adam [103:03]

12. Touring Horror Stories

[112:14–143:28]

• Adam and Drew share a succession of behind-the-scenes nightmares from their college speaking days: unreliable rides, road unworthy cars, no coffee, clueless student handlers, and late arrivals.
• The men recall a harrowing flight on a malfunctioning, overweight turboprop during a thunderstorm.
• Adam’s superstitions—inspired by seeing a Roberto Clemente (who died in a plane crash) newspaper ad in front of him—heighten his travel anxiety.
  • “I didn’t know adults were going to be so stupid.” — Adam [117:43]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Audience Loyalty:

  • “We’re few but we’re proud. We have a very dedicated audience. And I think they're going to step up and come through for us.”
    — Adam Carolla [04:51]

• New Mom Life:

  • “They give you a spinal… I just found it really terribly disturbing, like, just so weird to not know… where are my legs?”
    — Teresa Strasser [18:19]

• Honesty About Overwhelm:

  • “I felt better knowing that I'm supposed to feel frazzled and confused as opposed to this should be 100% blissful.”
    — Teresa Strasser [29:46]

• Parenting Today vs. the Past:

  • “There's a Dumpster parked in front of your vagina right now.”
    — Adam [29:43]

• On Blog Narcissism:

  • “It’s as if I discovered beating off at age 40 and had to tell all my friends.”
    — Adam [32:21]

• On Dad Qualities:

  • “Find a guy who’s not an alcoholic… try not to have huge blowouts in front of the kid, you know, and that’s about it.”
    — Adam [35:09]

• Riffs on Musicians’ Public Personas:

  • “If you're not gay, why would you want people to think you're gay?”
    — Adam [44:58]

• On Publicists:

  • “A fucking day laborer could do that.”
    — Adam [55:05]

• Cartoon Critique:

  • “The 70s almost killed America. 70s was the worst period Of American history…”
    — Brian Bishop [63:39]

• Road Rage and Modern LA:

  • “Not being accurate and not telling the truth always causes more problems. Not seeing reality on reality’s terms always causes more problems.”
    — Adam [103:03]

• Touring Failures:

  • “I had no idea as an adult how disappointing it was going to be to run into so many adults that were fucking horrible at their jobs, didn’t give a shit, didn’t know any better…”
    — Adam [117:43]

Flow & Tone

• Language & Attitude: Irreverent, unfiltered, conversational, and deeply personal—Adam and crew blend caustic rants, self-deprecating humor, and honest introspection.
• Structure: Loosely sequential, meandering with digressions but always returning to personal experiences or social commentary.

Segment Highlights

| Time | Topic | |----------------|---------------------------------------------------------| | 02:56–08:19 | Benefit ticket sales & audience loyalty | | 08:19–30:31 | Teresa’s C-section & early motherhood | | 30:31–35:33 | Parenting blogs & modern mom culture | | 39:17–53:03 | Morton's story, Pat Smear, and musician personas | | 58:21–66:45 | Cartoons & pop culture nostalgia | | 67:44–79:44 | Road rage/"road rape" and urban driving | | 84:28–91:34 | Dr. Drew's life-saving CPR story | | 112:14–143:28 | Touring horror stories & flight superstitions |

Useful For…

• Fans of Adam Carolla’s Comedy—Quintessential examples of his blunt observations, rants, and unscripted exchanges.
• Anyone Navigating New Parenthood—Honest reflections and comedic catharsis on C-sections, overwhelm, and identity upheaval.
• Pop Culture Nostalgia Critique—Savage takes on the over-romanticized past alongside reality checks for the present.
• Anyone Who Ever Traveled for Work—War stories that befit the “comedy of errors” genre, with lessons in humility and exasperation.

Summary prepared for listeners new and returning, skipping ads and filler. For full content, consult the original episode.