Jim Norton & Adam Carolla on the Wild Evolution of the Trans Debate

Summary

Adam Carolla Show: Jim Norton & Adam Carolla on the Wild Evolution of the Trans Debate

Release Date: December 17, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode features comedian Jim Norton joining Adam Carolla for a candid, often hilarious, and unexpectedly poignant conversation. The pair go deep on evolving their comedy careers, generational shifts, the psychology of negativity in families, addiction, sexuality, and—most centrally—the wild evolution of the trans debate in American culture and media. The conversation weaves Norton's personal experience being married to a transgender woman with broader issues of language, polarization, and identity.

The discussion remains loyal to the Carolla Show’s signature mix of unfiltered humor, honest reflection, and quick-witted banter.

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Key Discussion Points & Timestamps

Breaking Down Creative Chemistry, Aging & Comedy

[04:40–06:16]

• The two discuss what makes a creative partnership “click” and riff on the pressure to like certain bands (e.g., Radiohead, Rage Against The Machine) just because it’s culturally expected.
• Quote – Jim Norton:

  "There’s plenty of people in entertainment who I recognize they’re good at what they do, and I don’t enjoy it... We’re all such fucking empty vessels and we’re all so attached to bigger ideas and bigger things to feel like we’re part of something.” (06:16)

[06:37–07:24]

• Norton admits being a better comic at 57 than at 37, saying age brings confidence and less need for approval.
• Carolla jokes about “bands starting with R” and faith in one’s own sense of humor.

Family Psychology: Dealing with Negativity

[08:04–16:12]

• Both recount stories of family members, especially “ball-buster” grandmothers and mothers, who reflexively undermine good news or successes.

• Quote – Adam Carolla:

  “Disappointers never disappoint. You could set your watch on the people that do that.” (11:05)

• Carolla shares a story about buying a mansion and his grandmother immediately shifting focus to someone less fortunate:

  “I said, I bought a huge mansion, grandma. And she goes, ‘Delia doesn’t have a kitchen table.’ And I was like, hey, bitch, pay her more than that.” (14:11)

• They examine why some people dampen others’ joy—jealousy, ingrained negativity, or lack of self-awareness.

The "Trans" Conversation: Labels, Politics, and Personal Lives

[51:37–54:16 & 54:38–56:31]

• Adam gently but directly brings up Jim's marriage to a transgender woman, Nikki (“She has a dick.”), introducing their conversation about changing language around gender identity and sexuality.
• Quote – Jim Norton:

  “There used to be…transvestites, cross dressers, pre-op, post-op…we had a name for everything. And now you just go, ‘Caitlyn Jenner,’ and you go, yeah, but still—it’s…Can’t—what do you mean?” (52:25)

• Norton observes people are now afraid to ask basic, factual questions about trans identities for fear of appearing bigoted.
• Norton: “I do understand. There’s so much anger around it...like, they’ve argued, like legitimate pushback against where I think liberals were crazy. And then it just went into, from there, into what I see as bigotry...some pushback had to happen.” (53:50)

[54:16–56:31]

• Adam and Jim dissect the natural, cyclical “overreach–pushback” cycle in American politics, using trans issues and abortion as key examples.
• Quote – Carolla:

  “What you get is you get an overreach one way or the other, and then there’s a pushback against the overreach, and then the pushback can be worse than the overreach. And then you have American politics.” (54:38)

Sexuality, Relationships, and Honesty

[61:30–62:16]

• Norton is frank about his bisexuality:

  “I used to blow my friends when I was a kid, and there’s no way…Like, there’s this weird narrative where they’re saying, if you’re with somebody transgender you’re totally heterosexual…But if you’re involved with somebody…and you have a dick and they have a dick, you’re not a straight male.” (61:53)

• He warns against pretending queerness doesn’t exist for the sake of appearing “progressive,” advocating instead for openness and honesty.

[62:16–64:11]

• Norton stresses the difference between seeking novelty/fetishism for its own sake and actually being drawn to a real, stable relationship—even if it’s “unconventional.”
• He describes his marriage as more traditional and loving than people might assume, and that what was unconventional about it “wears off” and becomes just everyday life.

Addiction, Compulsion, and Coping Mechanisms

[34:36–36:39; 80:03–81:25]

• They discuss how former addictions often get replaced by others—food, sex, gambling—with eating being the “catch-all.”
  • Norton: “Now that I’m married, I don’t do that. I’m just fucking eating.” (35:01)
• Jim describes his early struggles with alcohol, a suicide attempt, and his road to sobriety (clean since age 18). Both agree vices are often just coping mechanisms.
  • Norton: “Sex for me was the first one, like, from childhood on…then when I stop with them, sex again or food or whatever…” (80:38)

Riffs, Pop Culture, and Comedic Life

Throughout

• The conversation is peppered with pop culture references—old school porn stars, band and comedy club anecdotes, the economics of doing standup, and comic preferences.
• Adam and Jim exchange stories about taking on new jokes, how they workshop new material at the Comedy Cellar, and the experience of growing as comics.

[74:23–75:40]

• Norton describes his stand-up process now, relishing the freedom to build new material in front of live audiences regularly.

Society, Entitlement, and Personal Responsibility

[93:04–98:27]

• Adam critiques the current welfare/food stamp culture and the expectation that luxuries (energy drinks, Starbucks) should be government-provided, linking it to a broader cultural desire for choice without acknowledging cost or responsibility.
• Quote – Carolla:

  “If you want your stepdad to lease you a BMW, then your stepdad is within his rights…If you’re taking his car and his payment, then there’s some rules that are coming along with that. And that’s, by the way, all of life. That’s what jobs are.” (96:10)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jim Norton [On identity labels & clarity, 53:36]:
  “I wasn’t really doing it to discriminate against them. I just…wanted the information.”
• Adam Carolla [On ball-busting relatives, 10:29]:
  “The ball buster cannot shut it off…”
• Jim Norton [On family negativity, 14:29]:
  “Did you hate her? Your grandmother? Did you hate her?”
• Jim Norton [On “progressive” attitudes toward sexuality, 61:54]:
  “That’s 1950s thinking. The message should be—you’re not straight, and it’s okay that you’re not straight.”
• Adam Carolla [On parenthood & individuality, 87:58]:
  “I am much more into nature than I am into nurture…the twins—completely different. And nobody did anything any differently…They’re just gonna fucking be who they are.”
• Jim Norton [On comedy & self-acceptance, 92:15]:
  “Hitchens had a good thing where he said…that’s how I feel about something, and that’s enough for me. I don’t need other people to agree with it.”

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Key Timestamps for Major Topics

• 04:40 – Comedy chemistry, creative partnership
• 08:00 – “Ball-buster” relatives, effects on upbringing
• 16:30 – Parental/family pessimism, storytelling
• 34:36 – Life in NYC, addiction shifting to food
• 51:37 – Discussing Jim’s marriage, transgender terminology
• 54:16 – Politics & polarization: the cycle of overreach and pushback
• 61:30 – Sexuality, Norton’s take on labeling and honesty
• 74:23 – Norton’s writing/performing process
• 93:04 – Food stamps, government entitlement
• 97:57 – Social class & “fewer choices” in America

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Tone & Language

The conversation is strikingly frank, unsentimental, and darkly funny—blending quick-fire wit with raw self-disclosure. Both men are self-deprecating, frequently swearing, and relish exploring the uncomfortable or taboo. While Carolla often remains skeptical and “of the people,” Norton’s openness about his sexuality, vices, and personal history anchors the discussion around empathy and the absurdities of modern life. The episode is at once comedic, controversial, and resonant for its honest wrestling with complexity.

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For New Listeners

This episode provides a perfect capsule of the Carolla Show’s blend of bracing humor and authentic debate. Even those unfamiliar with Jim Norton will find the discussions on identity, family dynamics, and the shifting sands of cultural politics both provocative and thought-provoking. The intimate, sometimes vulnerable, asides set this apart from standard pop culture interviews.

Skip to:

• [54:16] for the trans debate and societal polarizations.
• [61:30] for sexuality, labeling, and honest self-examination.
• [08:00] or [16:30] for hilarious and biting takes on family psychology.

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Summary by Podcast Summarizer AI.

Transcript

[Adam Carolla]

Well in this episode, very funny. Comedian Jim Norton joins me for a one on one and we'll do that right after this. Hey, this is Adam Carolla from the Adam Carolla Show. Bowl season is here and Bet Online gives you more ways to play the latest odds, breaking news, live scores and in game betting so you never miss a moment of college football bowls, NFL playoff races. It's all there, all the time. Every bowl matchup, NFL late season games all the way to NBA hardwood battles, college hoops tip offs. Betonline has you locked in all year long. And if you love UFC fights and NHL futures, BETOnline is the place to get in on all of the action. And when it's time to switch gears, dive into Betonline's casino packed with hundreds of the hottest slots, classic table games, live dealers and massive jackpots waiting to be hit. And don't forget the VIP program with exclusive level up bonuses, weekly cash boosts and rewards designed for serious players. Head to Betonline today because at Betonline the game starts here.

[Dawson]

It's time to celebrate Christmas with the Ace Man.

[Adam Carolla]

Happy holy, holy Christmas and the best time of the year.

[Dawson]

Thursday, December 18th at the Sagebrush Cantino.

[Adam Carolla]

Chesnut roasting in the open fire.

[Dawson]

Join Adam Carolla and the crew. I'm Ted couple plus special guest Brad.

[Adam Carolla]

Williams and if we daily creamer my too long to me I personally it's wonderful and oh breaking news plus an.

[Dawson]

Ugly sweater contest with your chance to win lunch with Adam and the staff, A special Adam Corolla show Christmas at the Sagebrush Cantina on December 18.

[Adam Carolla]

Feliz Navidad.

[Dawson]

Join us for the brightest season of the year. Get your tickets [e-mail].

[Adam Carolla]

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[Jim Norton]

The wait is over. Dive into Audible's most anticipated collection, the Best of 2025. Featuring top audiobooks, podcasts and originals across all genres. Arts Our editors have carefully curated this year's must listens. From brilliant hidden gems to the buzziest new releases, every title in this collection has earned its spot. This is your go to for the absolute best in 2025 audio entertainment. Whether you love thrillers, romance or nonfiction, your next favorite listen awaits. Discover why there's more to imagine when you [e-mail] bestoftheyear foreign.

[Dawson]

Studios in Glendale, California. This is the Adam Carolla Show. Adam's guest today, Jim Norton. And now impacted by the justice system, Adam Carolla.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah. Get it on. Got to get it on. The church in a minute. You get it on. Thanks for tuning in. Thanks for telling a friend. We love that about you. Jim Norton in the studio. Jim's got dates coming up. We got Morgan Hill Event Center. We got Foxwoods Rewards Casino, and then we got the Wilbur. The beautiful Wilbur. I was just there, I don't know, five weeks ago or something in Mass. That's December 20th. Podcast Jim Norton Can't Save you is the name of the podcast as well. Good to see you, Jim. Good to see you, buddy.

[Jim Norton]

Thanks for having me.

[Adam Carolla]

I always look forward to hearing you on Wherever I hear you. Oh, thank you. I'm always, you know, there's. There's people you vibe with, you know, their sense of humor. And you go, oh, yeah, like what this guy's doing. I don't know, maybe it's like a cook or something. Like, if someone goes, this guy's gonna make you an omelette. You go, yeah, okay, good. I'm gonna like, yeah, he is. I do. I like what that guy does. And then there's other guys who are like, I don't want that guy fucking near my omelet. I hate that guy.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah, that's E. Coli.

[Adam Carolla]

He's a ship. But he could be a great chef. I just don't.

[Jim Norton]

I don't vibe with it 100%. There's plenty of people in entertainment who I recognize they're good at what they do, and I don't enjoy it. Like, there's certain singers. I'm not a Rage against the Machine fan, but I recognize they're a great band. I don't think they stink. They're not. They're great musicians, a great singer. It's not my. It doesn't touch me.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah. I also think the Tom Morello sort of Rage against the Machine thing, I think there's a part every decade, you have to have a band or two. Like, you have to go, I like Radiohead. I like Radiohead. Cause you don't wanna get yelled at. So you just go, oh, yeah, Rage. Yeah. Radio Ray. Stuff that starts with an R. Yeah. Reggae music.

[Jim Norton]

I don't like Rage. I don't like radio.

[Adam Carolla]

I like Collinspan. I like anything with an R. Yeah. And so if you're sitting around and you go, I don't really like Rage against the Machine, then people think you're an intellectual lightweight. And so people go along with it. And I don't know how bands achieve that. They can't be too commercially successful. It can't be too big.

[Dawson]

Right.

[Jim Norton]

I also think people are so married to things, like they're married to their bands, they're married to their sport teams, that if you don't like it, it's an indictment of them. If you don't like what I like, you're somehow indicting who I am. We're all such fucking empty vessels and we're all so attached to bigger ideas and bigger things to feel like we're part of something. The people do that with music, too.

[Adam Carolla]

How's your comedy? Do you feel better at 57 than you did at 37? Let's say a lot better.

[Jim Norton]

A lot better, Yeah. I love it. It's funny. I go through depression like everybody else and like, fuck, my career sucks. But I like the material I'm doing a lot. Like, I'm really happy with myself as a comic. I like the jokes. I like the special I did. Like, I'm never happy with what I do, but, like, lately I'm very happy with how I'm performing. So there's that. Yeah, but it's different. It's better. I think it's better. Cause I'm saying what I want to say. Better economy of words. You're a better joke writer in your 50s than you are in your 30s.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jim Norton]

And I care less now about convincing people. Like, the jokes are not about convincing anybody that I'm right. I don't care if they think I'm right or not. You know what I mean? You get more faith in your own opinion as you get older, too.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, yeah. Faith no more. Another band you have to like.

[Jim Norton]

I did like the drummer, though. I did like him because he played with Mike Borden. Played with Ozzy. So I an affection for Mike Borden.

[Adam Carolla]

Ozzy, yeah. Jeez. Crazy.

[Jim Norton]

I know, I know. Depressing.

[Adam Carolla]

Well, it's also, I mean, you know, I don't know. Rob Reiner, Ozzy, Norm MacDonald. I mean, they're all. So it's. Pardon me. I go, what's happening to everybody? And the answer is you're getting old. And they've been around and they. Remember you used to listen to Black Sabbath when you're in high school or. Well, now. Now what? Yeah, you're middle aged.

[Jim Norton]

They're starting to get older. And the people. Ace Freely from kiss, the people you grew up loving are dying. Some natural causes, some not natural Causes. But, yeah, it's a part of it. I'm always depressed when my friends die, but I'm happy I passed one more. Like, whenever one of my friends dies, I'm like, it's proof that I'm alive because they're gone. I'm like, fuck, that could have been me.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah.

[Jim Norton]

So I'm kind of. I'm not happy they're dead, but I also take something good out of it.

[Adam Carolla]

It's. And I look, you want to hang around and. You know, it is weird that if you hang around long enough, though. Like, I saw it with my parents, who were not social anyway, but at some point, everyone's gone. Yeah. You make it to 93. Yep. You're the only one at your funeral. Yes. There's nobody. Who are you gonna have, your best buddy from high school? They're all gone.

[Jim Norton]

I want that, though. I can't wait to be the sole fucking controller of all the people I know, their legacies. I want to be the last, like, Dick Van Dyke could tell you anything about somebody he worked with.

[Adam Carolla]

Oh, yeah.

[Jim Norton]

And nobody is alive who knew them. So he's in total control. I can't wait for that day.

[Adam Carolla]

I was thinking about. My grandmother was such a bitch. She was such a fucking bitch. And she just busted. She was like, kind of mean. Yeah. And I remember having this conversation with her when I was like 23 or something. Maybe I was 19 or something. And, you know, she said, you know, these old folks homes or these old homes, it's like 10 women for every one guy. Because the women live a lot longer. And so the one guy becomes sort of the bull, you know, or the cock, you know, in the henhouse. And I just kind of joked with her. I said, well, okay, well, at least I got that to look forward to. And she goes, why do you think you're gonna be the one guy who lived? I was like, I'm fucking. Fucking 22, grandma. Give me a fucking break, would you? Bitch. Like, she fucking busted my chest. And it made me realize, no, statistically, I will be dead sure. And that'll be somebody else fucking my ex wife, you know, my elder. But I mean, it's so the ball buster. The ball buster cannot shut it off.

[Jim Norton]

No.

[Adam Carolla]

Right. And so it's like the ball buster is you could pull up in your brand new sports car and go, you know, ball buster, look at this. I go, I bet insurance is through the roof. They can't not doing.

[Jim Norton]

And they don't know they're doing it.

[Adam Carolla]

They don't Know, like, even Grandson's making a joke about one day being at the elderly home and having all his lady friends. And you just go right into. You're going to be dead.

[Jim Norton]

Got to spit the facts out. Let's lay it down properly, yeah? They don't know they're doing it. And on some level, they wouldn't care even if they did know. They're cancerous people. They're just cancerous shit people. And we all know them.

[Adam Carolla]

They. By the way, they. I always say, disappointers never disappoint. You could set your watch on the people that do that. They'll always have something. My Aunt Pat was one of these people just like anything you show. If you said, I'm going to Europe next week, they'd go, oh, jet lag. It's so. It's like everything. Everything is something.

[Jim Norton]

The Euro is so much better than the dollar.

[Adam Carolla]

You can't have anything nice. They'll talk about, oh, great, your beautiful car, but who's gonna watch it when you're in the theater and someone's gonna key it? You know, like, it was like, it's such a. I remember telling my mom once I bought my first house, and I was gonna buy another, bigger house, which means your son's successful, you know. And I said, what are you gonna do with the first house? And I was like, well, probably I'll rent it out so I don't have income coming. And she's like, well, what if, like, marauding bikers move in and cook meth in the tub? You know? She just went right to. The Manson Family's gonna come in and start, you know, practicing Santeria or something. And I was like, what about the part where you go, hey, that's a good idea, son. That's good. That's income. That's how you get rich. You have, you know, now right to it.

[Jim Norton]

What is that? Is it one of those things? Where are they. Is it because they're always trying to, like, cut off all problems, or they think they're so married to the truth, or are they just shitty? And is there an awareness to it? I said before that they don't even know they're doing it, but is there an awareness to it? Is there a jealousy to it, like, where they don't like that you're having something good, so they have to go in there and maybe even unconsciously just kind of fuck it up for you a little bit.

[Adam Carolla]

It's totally consistent. It doesn't matter what you do. They will explain to you Whatever the bad is of it. And it gets to a point where they don't even know that you don't give a fuck. Like they just go, oh yeah, come on, Debbie Downer, let's do this. You know, and I, we can find Dawson, you might be able to find my grandmother explaining to the camera crew that I wasn't charismatic or have any just to the end. But I remember like when I bought literally a giant hacienda mansion up on top of the hill above Lake Hollywood. And I said to my grandmother, well, I finally bought. I mean, this thing's a huge home. It's like it's in a state, you know, and the Corollas are apartment dwellers, you know, I mean, she lived in one bed, one bedroom, one bath, one bedroom, one bath our whole lives, you know, and now I got thing with seven bathrooms in it, you know, and her helper was some poor Hispanic woman at times, like her part time nurse helper, whatever it was Delia or whatever. And I said, I bought a huge mansion, grandma. And she goes, delia doesn't have a kitchen table. And I was like, hey, bitch, pay her more than that.

[Jim Norton]

Exactly. Like, fuck off, let her eat off yours.

[Adam Carolla]

The whole point is, is we certainly couldn't celebrate any kind of success that I was having whatsoever. She just found a person. I just said, I bought a big. And she just found a person who was poor and said she didn't have a table.

[Jim Norton]

Did you hate her? Your grandmother? Did you hate her?

[Adam Carolla]

Oh, yeah, I didn't, I didn't. Well, you know what? You know what I realized? I learned to resent her and my mom would do the same, but she ruined my mom. But because of like, what? Because, see, this stuff's all free. Like, I got the rapport part, but this isn't. This doesn't cost anything to go, oh, I'm proud of you, son. Or that's great, that looks awesome. I can't wait to check it out. Or tell me about it. What year was it built or something? Or a hug, you know what I mean? All this shit is free. And I remember they wouldn't let anyone have anything, you know what I mean? So I was like, yeah, but then what about the table? And then what about the insurance on the car? My sister told a story at Thanksgiving like five, eight years ago where she goes, remember Michael Jackson lived in Encino, you know, and one day we were traveling, me and mom went to like the supermarket on Ventura Boulevard and we spotted Michael Jackson in the supermarket. It was like the greatest day of my life. I. I was. You know, she was nine, my sister, you know, she has. I was the hugest fan. And she's telling this whole animated story at the Thanksgiving table. And she goes, it was incredible. There's Michael Jackson. I'll never forgot it. Mom, do you remember that? My mom goes, no, I don't recall that. Leans back. I'm like, all right, well, no more stories for you, sis. By the way, sis, that's your fault.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

You tried to tell us.

[Jim Norton]

You should have known.

[Adam Carolla]

You should have known. You're in your fault 50s now. You have to know that bitch is not going to support any. She's got. Whatever it is you're doing here. Feeling good, telling a story, reminiscing, waxing poetic. We're gonna pull the plug on that jukebox now.

[Jim Norton]

How was she, though, when something good would happen for her? Like, it. Was it one of those things where they couldn't even enjoy their own success? Like, you know, I got this new job, but eventually my boss is gonna find. Or would they celebrate their own happiness and joy overtly.

[Adam Carolla]

Nothing good ever happened for her, so I don't know. Okay. The best thing that would. What I realized is we'd talk about subject. Like, she'd go, norma found a bakery on Melrose, and they do a. Hold on, John, what is it? Poppy seed. Poppy seed. They do a poppy seed muffin that is. It's the best I've ever had. It's the best poppy seed. I think they. John, did they do a lemon as well? I don't know how to do poppy. They do a lemon. I think they do a lemon. And then they end up talking about muffins, which I don't eat. And I've never talked about with anybody because I'm not interested.

[Jim Norton]

They're not. Interesting to hear about it all.

[Adam Carolla]

Meanwhile, I was hanging around with Jon Stewart and Jimmy Kimmel earlier today. If you'd like to know anything about them or hosting the Oscars or something like that, but we can talk about muffins. We'll do that for a while, I guess. So this is whenever I was doing my TTLC show, like 20 years ago, but I went to. My grandmother is at the end now. My grandmother is in a wheelchair. She's like 90 years old. And I brought her a cake, and the TLC camera guys came with me. And this is her talking about her grandson who's a celebrity now. Yes.

[Jim Norton]

She looks like Roger Waters.

[Adam Carolla]

Thank you. I never think of Adam as a star, and I think people do, but I don't think he has big charisma or charm, but he is intelligent. Maybe he gets some of that from me. Ah. At the end, she took it to the end. No charisma, but no charm.

[Jim Norton]

But she put the good part there.

[Adam Carolla]

And by the way, the mom, the crazy Islamist who went on a shooting spree in Australia, his mom is defending him right now, saying he's a good boy.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

I'm hosting TV shows and I can't get a thumbs up.

[Jim Norton]

And the one good thing about you, which was your intelligence, she put back to herself. There is one good thing about him, and he did get it from me. You know whose mother was like that? Johnny Carson's mother. Did you ever see interviews with Carson's? There was a. They did a special on him and his mother.

[Adam Carolla]

Yes.

[Jim Norton]

And she was really like a ball cutter, like one of those people. So a lot of times, you know, whatever it is, maybe it helped you be as good at you are at what you do.

[Adam Carolla]

Maybe it helped him, you know, seeking approval. I should be grateful. But it's also weird. Norman Lear's mom was that way. I interviewed him. But it's weird when it comes from Grandma, because Grandma's supposed to be the unconditional one. You know what I mean? And my grandma had it worse than. Than my mom. She just sort of broke my mom. And then my mom's just kind of, you know. But she broke her because that's who she was. She was like constantly, you know, explaining what you were. You couldn't say a word in front of her. She'd tell you you'd misprint. It's hors d'. Oeuvre. It's not hors d'.

[Dawson]

Oeuvre.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, well, everyone says hors d', oeuvre, Grandma. Hors d'. Oeuvre. I'm like, okay, did anyone tell her to shut up?

[Jim Norton]

Sometimes when people like that, you just go, shut up.

[Adam Carolla]

No. You know, later. Yeah. Eventually I got rich and tired, and eventually I got rich and tired. And it was quite the scene. It was quite a scene. You had an argument with her? Well, it kind of. So we were sitting at my mom's house, which was my grandma's house. She let her sit and live or dine or something. And we were sitting there. It was my grandmother, who was a ball buster.

[Jim Norton]

Yes.

[Adam Carolla]

And then it was my mom, who was sort of broken and didn't really talk. Or if she did talk, she talked about muffins or something. And then my stepdad, who didn't talk either, because My mom had sort of. What you didn't do with my mom is like ask questions, you know what I mean? Like, why are you wearing the same thing three days in a row? Or how come you said you were gonna build a carport like two years ago? There's still no carport. She'd go nuts, right?

[Jim Norton]

She'd get angry or would she be overly defensive?

[Adam Carolla]

Okay, she'd get angry. And so we're sitting there with my grandma and my mom, my stepdad and his. He had. My stepdad had friends, like brother in law or something, who were sort of like a normal couple, you know. And my grandmother is sitting there and she's talking to the friends, you know, like, oh, I like she said something about me and she said, I like this version of Adam better, not the one from high school or something. And she goes, and he was in high school, he was bursting out of his clothes. And everyone's just sort of sitting there. And she said, he was so big, he was like bursting out of his clothes. And aesthetically it wasn't. It didn't look good. But now I like this look better. And everyone's just sitting there eating for a while. And then eventually I go to the couple, I go, look, I'm sorry, but you're probably not picturing all Central Valley first team football player. You're probably picturing fat kid with a thyroid condition. Because my grandmother's saying, and no one has brought up football or being an all Valley player or being recruited by colleges to play football. You're not picturing a muscular guy who lifted a lot of weights. You're picturing a fat kid.

[Jim Norton]

Yes, that's what I was picturing.

[Adam Carolla]

Right, right. Because grandma is painting a picture of a fat kid, not an all Valley football player.

[Jim Norton]

Right.

[Adam Carolla]

And my mom is just sitting there eating her. And I'm like, mom, you're allowed to chime in. I feel stupid. But here's the deal. I was an all Valley football player. I was big. Cause I lifted a lot of weights. And I was recruited to play colleges. And you guys all pretending like she's being nice or kind or what are you picturing a fat kid with a thyroid condition? That was not me, but I shall pick up. And grandmother, I do not know why people describe people that way. And I said to her once when I was doing Loveline with Ricky Rackman.

[Jim Norton]

Oh yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

She goes, how's radio going? I go, well, Ricky's a pain. He's talking over me, doesn't give me room to breathe. He's Bad. He doesn't want me there. He doesn't give me a chance to talk. And she goes, I bet he'd say the same thing about you. I said, okay, Grandma, When Ricky Rackman is talking shit to his grandma about me, do you think Ricky Rackman's grandma defends me? Or she agrees with her grandson?

[Jim Norton]

That's very passive aggressive. Very passive aggressive.

[Adam Carolla]

I'll bet Ricky says the same thing about you. Why would you even say. By the way, he did suck back then. He was pissed off that I was there and whatever.

[Jim Norton]

Are you friends now?

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, we're friendly, sure enough. You know what it's like?

[Jim Norton]

Of course. Yes.

[Adam Carolla]

You've been there.

[Jim Norton]

You're there for hours every day. Yeah. And then when you stop talking, it's a relief.

[Adam Carolla]

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[Jim Norton]

So if you're feeling Frugal, stream Pluto TV.

[Adam Carolla]

Stream Pluto TV. Stream Pluto TV for free. Stream blockbuster hits like 21 Jump Street Ted, The Expendables, and so much more on Pluto TV. Stream Now Pay never.

[Jim Norton]

Guys, thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree.

[Adam Carolla]

Zoe, this thing weighs a ton. Drew, ski lift with your legs, man. Santa. Santa.

[Jim Norton]

Did you get my letter?

[Adam Carolla]

He's talking to you, Bridges. I'm not. Of course he did. Right, Santos, you know my elf, Drew Ski here. He handles the nice list. And elf, I'm six' three. What everyone wants is iPhone 17 and at T mobile.

[Jim Norton]

You can get it on them.

[Adam Carolla]

That center stage front camera is amazing for group selfies. Right, Mrs. Claus?

[Jim Norton]

I'm Mrs. Claus much younger sister and At T Mobile, there's no trade in.

[Adam Carolla]

Needed when you switch, so you can keep your old phone or give it as a gift.

[Jim Norton]

And the best part, you can make.

[Adam Carolla]

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[Jim Norton]

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[Adam Carolla]

Nice. My side of the tree is slipping. Kimber. The holidays are better. AT T Mobile, switch in just 15 minutes and get iPhone 17 on us with no trade in needed. And now T Mobile is available in US cellular stores with three full monthly.

[Jim Norton]

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[Adam Carolla]

Plan with auto payments, taxes and fees required.

[Jim Norton]

Check out 15 minutes or rest per line. Visit t mobile.com.

[Adam Carolla]

Do you have. You're friends with. Are you friends with Opie and Anthony still?

[Jim Norton]

Anthony's one of my best friends. Opie and I haven't talked in many years. We haven't talked in probably seven years. He tweeted me something when Ozzy died. He sent me a nice tweet like we hadn't really communicated. And he had a death in the family recently. I sent him, you know, I mean, there's no. I'm not angry at him. It's like it was a long time ago and any anger is gone. It's just, you know, one of those things where you don't have a relationship anymore.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, I told you. He went sort of nuts on me once. Yeah, I remember that whole Loveline thing. And it was. It struck me as weird. Yeah, it just struck me as weird. Depending on. I couldn't make any sense of it.

[Jim Norton]

He read something, I think as a slight that you probably didn't mean as a slight or even notice that happened at the moment. Like when you see when somebody does something. Someone told me once, people don't do things to us, they just do them. And like once in a while somebody does something that comes off a certain way and instead of resolving it, I just kind of languish in my version of it and I feed off the anger of it and it becomes the thing. Like, that's what happened. And fuck this guy. And then if you go back to the beginning and I asked the guy, he might go, oh, no, I wasn't even thinking of that. I've had a few moments in my life like that where there came a resolution. I'm like, well, I was angry for a long time about nothing.

[Adam Carolla]

I find myself telling other people that Person probably didn't mean anything or thinking of it, like, what do you care? They didn't know. But, you know, there's a. Because it's a kind of a narcissism because he's doing it to me, you know, And I have to kind of explain. That person that cut you off on the freeway doesn't know who you are.

[Jim Norton]

Right, Right.

[Adam Carolla]

They're not cutting you off. They're just trying to get off the freeway, and they don't see you.

[Jim Norton]

That's.

[Adam Carolla]

You don't internalize that. I mean, the guys have chase the person down and fucking throw a coke bottle at their rear window. It's like that person's not cutting you off. Like, you have to realize it's a kind of a narcissism to even think the person is spending that kind of energy on you.

[Jim Norton]

And it's a very zen thing to not let it get to you. But I am of the type who, even though I know intellectually he's not cutting me off on purpose, I still realize I'm watching a selfish asshole weave in and out of traffic, and I want him punished. I want him punished.

[Adam Carolla]

And.

[Jim Norton]

And I understand. Like, I don't have a gun, but, like, these kids that have gotten shot, it's because the person is firing into the backseat. Like, they're not trying to kill anybody. They're just trying to scare the shit out of the guy, and they don't know there's a child in the backseat.

[Adam Carolla]

Right?

[Jim Norton]

So, I mean, the rage that comes with that, I kind of get. And if I had a gun, I would probably brandish it on the road. I'm very guilty of that.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah. You know, whenever they go, well, you know, the profession that has the most suicide is cops. And I go, yeah, if I had a suicide machine strapped to my hip, I would have killed myself 27 times by now.

[Jim Norton]

That's a fucking great point. I never thought of why, other than the things they see. But they have the gun. That's right.

[Adam Carolla]

If you drove Kevorkian's van for a living, you just kill yourself at every other stoplight, wouldn't you? Like, it's. There's a machine that kills people, and by law, you have to carry it.

[Jim Norton]

That's funny on you, 100%. I never thought of that until you just said it.

[Adam Carolla]

Think about when you were 24 and you got dumped and you're fucking out of your mind and you were drinking. There's a fucking Just pistol just sitting on the fucking end table.

[Jim Norton]

Yep, 100%. I would have swallowed one dentist, though. I don't know how. Why? They always do it too. Very high suicide rate in dentists.

[Adam Carolla]

Oh, really?

[Jim Norton]

Yeah, Yeah. I always heard they were number one, but maybe cops are number one. But I guess it's cause people hate going to see them and that people are scared of them or their profession feels unrewarding. But I've heard dentists have a very high suicide rate.

[Adam Carolla]

Well, let's look it up. Cause I always heard cops number one.

[Jim Norton]

It probably is cops.

[Adam Carolla]

Dentist is a thing where if you're attracted to it, I don't really trust you. In a weird way. Like I feel that way about meter maids and stuff. Like, you want to do this really? Because ruining people's day is not something I would want to do for a living. Getting in people's mouth, I don't. First off, it's noble and we need you, but I can't imagine wanting to do it.

[Jim Norton]

But here's the thing. You just said meader, mate and made me think a meter maid is probably a frustrated cop deep down who's not good. And a dentist probably wants the love and the God complex of a surgeon, but didn't go that route. So they're in the same world, but they're hated.

[Adam Carolla]

All right, so the following were among the major occupation groups with the highest suicide rate per 100,000 workers. Construction and extractions. Wow. I don't know what extraction is. Farming, fishing. Now wait a minute. Is this suicide or is this just death?

[Jim Norton]

This doesn't make sense.

[Adam Carolla]

I don't think fishing is. I think these are dangerous jobs. But suicide rate by major occupation.

[Dawson]

Fishing all day.

[Adam Carolla]

I could do suicide rates.

[Jim Norton]

You know, you start fishing, yeah. You got a string, you just put it up on a tree.

[Adam Carolla]

Farming, fishing, forestry. Forestry is probably just because forestry is a good place to commit suicide. Sure. Personal care and service. Okay. Installation, maintenance, repair. We're just talking about drug. Poor drug addicts.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah. This is wrong. I think this is wrong. There's no way cops or dentists are not on that list. They're not behind.

[Adam Carolla]

Where's the top in the dentist list?

[Jim Norton]

Forestry.

[Adam Carolla]

Well, half the people from January six were just suicides. They counted them, you know, six years later or six months later. Oh, really? I committed suicide. I'm like. Well, cops commit suicide all the time.

[Jim Norton]

Oh, that's right. Oh, that cop. Yeah, yeah, the one cop who they said was killed in the. In the day of. Or whatever, but he wasn't. And yeah, it was. It was something later. It was kind of, I think, unrelated There have.

[Adam Carolla]

There were a few cops who committed suicide months after the event. And they're counting that out.

[Jim Norton]

They're counted as deaths.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah. The data and the myth. The belief that dentists have the highest suicide rate largely stems from older, sometimes flawed. Studies from the 1960s and 70s were based on a small localized.

[Dawson]

Sample.

[Adam Carolla]

So it was a small sample size of dentists.

[Jim Norton]

So I'm basically. I'm your grandmother. So somebody's gonna come in and go, oh, look at that. My nephew, he just. He just graduated. He's gonna be a dentist. Somebody's gonna kill himself before he's 40.

[Adam Carolla]

Statistically, he's not gonna see his 39th birthday.

[Jim Norton]

But at least it's from a study. At least I know I didn't make that up. I'm just older.

[Adam Carolla]

You didn't make it up. Now, where's the cop? Where do the cops. The cops rank. They gotta be up there. While police officers are at a significantly higher risk of suicide compared to the general population, it is not the profession with the highest suicide rate overall.

[Jim Norton]

But here's the strange thing. Like, I've. We've both heard this stuff from different studies. Isn't it weird how, like, you can think something and go like, well, no, that's just the way it's the truth. I've read it and it's, like, not even close to being true. Like, I don't know how I got that dentist thing so wrong.

[Adam Carolla]

Ah, listen, though. It sounded. You know what? It was very specific. And it sounded correct because it was very specific.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah, usually something like that is not a rumor. Usually rumors are more vague than something like that.

[Adam Carolla]

And again, like I said, cops are young and they're dudes and they're like testosterone dudes who have big swings. Like, they have fuck and they're madly in love, and then they want to kill their ex or whatever, and there's just a fucking pistol on the nightstand every night. So it's gonna happen.

[Jim Norton]

Shoot themselves or the ex and the new boyfriend first, and then themselves. Terrible.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah. All right. So are you. You're east coast, right?

[Jim Norton]

I am. New York.

[Dawson]

Yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

How's New York doing?

[Jim Norton]

It's good. I mean, look, I live within walking distance of the Comedy Cellar, which is what I wanna. It's why I'll never leave New York. So I wanna be able to walk to the club. And I like it out in LA, but I'm fatter than I should be by 25 or 30 pounds. And when I'm out here, I'm even a bigger pig than I am in New York, at least exercise. In la, I'm a complete lump of shit. I don't do anything.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, it's kind of weird when you get off your rhythm, right?

[Jim Norton]

You're off your rhythm and you're on vacation. Even though I'm out here doing podcasts, you still feel like while I'm not home, I'm in a hotel and I was just talking about this on the road. So much of my life was sex and being dirty and now that I'm married, I don't do that. I'm just fucking eating.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, yeah. Eating is funny because it'll be a catch all for sex addiction or quitting smoking or quitting drinking or quitting gambling. Like it's always just eating. Yep. It's like you may have been addicted to sex and that guy may have been addicted to blackjack, and that guy may have been addicted to Jack and Cokes, but when it all goes away, the buffet's always there for all of them.

[Jim Norton]

A Ring Ding covers all three of those things. A piece of cheesecake covers all of them. And it's very. It's like you're in a hotel. You know how it is. You're alone. It's like, it's fucking. What am I gonna do? I'm a goon on pornhub and then I want to act out. So I'm like, let me just order Uber eats. I'll order some Jersey mics and shove that in my face.

[Adam Carolla]

What? So for you on the road, it'd always be some sort of sexual escapade.

[Jim Norton]

Right up until. Yeah, about. Till about 2017 when I started dating my wife. Then it kind of mellowed out.

[Adam Carolla]

So you could go and just go online and find the local whatever.

[Jim Norton]

Sure.

[Adam Carolla]

Like I've traveled with guys that are the rub and tug guys and there's just a network, like they know where to go in every town, you know.

[Jim Norton]

Not my favorite scene. I mean, I've done it in my life. But I never loved the rub and tug. Just because to me, dirty communication turns me on a lot. Somebody whose brain is locked in and they're being a pervert. Somebody when you just walk in, they're like, what do you need? Like that just doesn't do it for me. It's not dirty enough for me.

[Adam Carolla]

Uh huh. It's not personal enough or dirty enough?

[Jim Norton]

Both. And it's also, I didn't know if the girls wanted to be there. And I'm not turned on if she's just doing it because she has to it's like, eh, I would rather have it be. Cause somebody's making a perverted decision to do it with me. So the rub and tug places were never my favorites.

[Adam Carolla]

So it was a lot of verbal communication with you back in the day?

[Jim Norton]

Yeah, it's why I didn't love Brazil. I mean, there was some beautiful women there and great hookers and it was fun. It was with my friends, but they don't. The one girl I latched onto in Brazil who I kind of fell in love with for a week, I never fucked. I just hung out with her because she spoke English. And so I kind of treated it like we were dating, which we certainly were not. But I like the communication that turns me on.

[Adam Carolla]

So it's really interesting. Like, I don't need the communication. I guess. Maybe we could do this. Let's try it. Let's see if we can figure this out. Sure. Porn with no sound, does that work for you?

[Jim Norton]

If it's a certain type of. Very rarely. I have to watch it with no sound because I'm married now, so I've kind of gotten adjusted to that.

[Adam Carolla]

Sure.

[Jim Norton]

But I think if it's something voyeuristic. Yes. Like if it's somebody being sexual in public or at the bus stop. Yes. Because I can still get the dirty part of it. But just watching two people fuck with no sound, nah, that wouldn't do much for me.

[Adam Carolla]

What about back in the day when you would rent a porn? Would you have to watch, Scan the whole thing and then go back to a part you enjoyed? I've had this conversation with roommates in the past where I'd get it and they'd make fun of me for, like, watch. I'd go through the porn and I'd go, well, how do I know someone who I went to high school with isn't in the last 10 minutes of this porn? And that'd be the greatest day of my life. You know what I mean? And they'd go, you just watch it up to the point where you like what you're seeing and you're good. Right. Do you have to scan through it?

[Jim Norton]

No, I don't scan through it. And by the way, the high school one at the end of the movie, you're right. But then again, that just means you have to jerk more than once. I don't have a limit, but I would scan up until the point because for me, I couldn't go back. It wouldn't turn me on as much if I knew it was gonna happen. It's the surprise of it unfolding that I like so much. Like, what's gonna happen? Like, there was this. My first porn was called the Fur Trap with Kelly Bint and Jamie Gillis. And there's a lesbian scene in acting. He's a fucking classic. Jamie Gillis. And Kelly Mint is having this seduction lesbian scene with this woman. Oh, I don't.

[Adam Carolla]

Should we.

[Jim Norton]

And I remember not knowing what was going to happen was part of the turn on. Once I've seen it, I can still whack to it. But the first. It's the first. It's like the first cigarette where the first fucking line of coke is always better than the second or third line.

[Adam Carolla]

So that's.

[Jim Norton]

I wanted to keep it. Like the first line of coke was Jamie.

[Adam Carolla]

Show me a picture of Jamie Gils. Was he the guy who never opened his eyes?

[Jim Norton]

He was a little bit heavy. He had a curly black hair.

[Adam Carolla]

Yes, yes.

[Jim Norton]

Paul Thomas, you might be thinking of.

[Adam Carolla]

No, no, those guys were. There was a whole sort of New York Jew artist kind of thing where it's like, that guy's not that good looking. He doesn't even have a big dick. And it's like, I'm a porn star. I think there were like New York artists, porn stars or something.

[Jim Norton]

But it stayed hard. Like Paul Thomas. Jamie Gillis. There was. I forget the Italian guy's name with the fucking balding. He was in Taboo American style. There was Randy West.

[Adam Carolla]

Randy West, Yeah. We had a song about him.

[Jim Norton]

He was the best. But.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, that's him.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah. Oh, wait, is that Jamie? That's Jamie Gillis.

[Adam Carolla]

That's Jamie Gillis at Jamie Gillis.

[Jim Norton]

John Leslie.

[Adam Carolla]

John Leslie. Jamie Gillis was into. Like, he was a little bit rough. Yep. Like, you could see him, like, sort of pushing the girl's head down and going like. Yeah, like there's like a little scowl on his face. I don't know if Jamie Gillis is still alive, but I remember interviewing, like, trying to think who I interviewed. Like, like one of the female porn.

[Jim Norton]

Stars of Linda Lovelace.

[Adam Carolla]

Now, it was. It was Honey Wilder. It was. It was after. It was after. And I'll think of her name in a second. But anyway, I was interviewing her. Oh, God, I'll think of her name in a second. And I said, Jamie Gillis, who she worked with back in the day. Oh, I was gonna say, what was that blonde's name? That poor star. Yeah, they're all blonde.

[Jim Norton]

Jesse Jane.

[Adam Carolla]

Oh, God, I'll think of this and it'll make you angry.

[Jim Norton]

Not Seka.

[Adam Carolla]

That was after Seka Amberlynn.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

Ginger Lynn. It was gingerlyn. I was interviewing Ginger Lynn on. On Loveline, and. And I said, Jamie Gillis. Like, he was always kind of. His eyes sort of half closed and he was like. He wasn't beating women. He would just kind of like push. You know, he'd be screwing them, like pushing their head down or something. And I said, oh, he died 66, 2010. So he goes, it's like a Ginger Lynn. I go, was Jamie. Was he kind of like a tough guy or is he, like, rude or, you know, were you scared of him or something? And she goes. She goes, no, no, Jamie. Jamie was a good guy. Jamie and I got along. We worked together quite a bit. No, like that. Then she goes, oh, yeah. One time he tried dry anal rape on me. But she said it. Like, somebody said he used the wrong fork for the salad. And I used a big one.

[Jim Norton]

And it was a faux pas. It was a faux pas.

[Adam Carolla]

Like, she was literally defending him. And then, like, reminiscing, going, oh, Jimmy's a good dude. And then drops the dry. Puts the word dry. Yeah. Anal rape in there. Meaning. I think he just was improvising a little bit. Sure.

[Jim Norton]

And wanted to shove it in while.

[Adam Carolla]

He was back there. But anyway, other than the dry anal rape. A perfect gentleman. Sure. Yeah. Sir Rothschild.

[Jim Norton]

He's a good egg. He had one main. One mistake. Dry anal rape attempt. But aside from that, he was a good egg, a fine man.

[Adam Carolla]

Jamie Gillis. Yeah, there was a whole, like, weird crew that seemed to just. They're like four guys who did porn. Yeah. And. And that. That was it.

[Jim Norton]

Joey Silvera, who was a buddy of mine and I love. He's shot on the transport. He's the best. He's a good friend.

[Adam Carolla]

Oh, he shoots the transport.

[Jim Norton]

He did. I watched my first Tonight Show. I did it in 2004, and when it aired that night, I was at Joey Silvera's house and I was in the basement. It was him, his girlfriend at the time, and Brandon Iron, who was another porn star who passed away. And there was, like, four of them upstairs watching. But I couldn't watch with other people. But, yeah, I always had such an affection for porn. People like, I hated when they were, like, mocked or treated like shit. It's like their job is harder than any other fucking acting gig. Anyone that's tried to keep an erection in front of people, it's very difficult. And guys like Nacho could fucking. You know, his dick would stay hard. The opening of Saving Private Ryan Jamie Gillis.

[Adam Carolla]

And who's the. There was one. There's one other guy. I'm trying to think of.

[Jim Norton]

I'm trying to think of the old.

[Adam Carolla]

You mentioned him.

[Jim Norton]

The old. Well, there was John. There was Paul Thomas, there was Jamie Gillis. There was John Leslie, Joey Silvera, John Leslie, Randy West. And who was the guy? He's balding, not Harry. He was in Taboo, American style. He did a lot of those. He was a very plain looking guy.

[Adam Carolla]

They had civilians doing porn back then. I mean, porn back then was like, let's see, I'll tell you his name.

[Jim Norton]

When I see him.

[Adam Carolla]

I need John Leslie. Like young John Leslie. But here's what I'm saying. When you go back and you look at like the 72 Dallas Cowboys defense and Cliff Harris was their free safety, he was like balding, 180 pounds, skinny white guy. He looked like a civilian. He didn't look like a professional. And so porn stars used to sort of be civilians.

[Jim Norton]

That's right.

[Adam Carolla]

Like, they didn't look like what they are now.

[Jim Norton]

They had regular lives and they kind of got into this. And then most of them got out of it. Some of them stayed. Tom Byron, what a legend. Tom Byron did some great stuff.

[Adam Carolla]

I know all these guys. I want to see John Leslie because there's one guy, it's always bothered me, but he looks in the TV show the Flying Nun.

[Jim Norton]

I remember the show, but I don't remember it.

[Adam Carolla]

The Flying Nun was a kind of insane conceit. She had her habit, but she put too much starch in it and it made like a winged canard. And then the wind would kick up and she'd fly.

[Jim Norton]

Yes.

[Adam Carolla]

Except for she didn't really need to fly. You know, nuns don't really need to fly. You can walk to the next village or whatever, but some. And she didn't fly like Superman. She hovered and slow. She flew as fast as you walk, essentially. All right, now, I'm telling you, find me young John Leslie.

[Jim Norton]

That's him right there, top right.

[Adam Carolla]

And then find me from the Flying Nun. There was the bachelor. There was the rich bachelor who, like, lived on the island. And she was always trying to get money from him. And they looked the same.

[Jim Norton]

But anyway, all right, John Leslie, I met him. I hosted the porn awards twice. And I was very starstruck meeting John Leslie. And he kept telling me how much he loved Marc Maron. I was so fucking annoyed. I'm like, I love Mark, but I mean, like, I'm a comic and he's like, you know Mark Maron. I'm like, yeah, I know him.

[Adam Carolla]

How is hosting the porn awards?

[Jim Norton]

The ones, the stuff the porn people laugh at, Regular people don't. And vice versa.

[Adam Carolla]

Oh, really?

[Jim Norton]

I did it at the Venetian with Jenna Jameson in like 2000. Oh, January of 04. And there's like 6,000 people. And then I did it with Jessica Drake in 2007. It was massive. And now it's kind of not what it used to be because it's all online and cam and only things and shit. But it was. I was nervous, but I didn't go typical porn jokes and like imply they were all idiots. So they liked me. I did as well as you could expect it to do.

[Adam Carolla]

Carlos the Bachelor.

[Jim Norton]

That was his name?

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, his name was Carlos and I think he was like the Bachelor and he was an actor. He was this good looking guy and he always reminded me of John Leslie.

[Jim Norton]

He has John Leslie eyes and a John Leslie mouth, like the middle of the face. Yeah, he's definitely John Leslie.

[Adam Carolla]

Ish. Carlos Ramirez. It's gotta be. Good call. Wow. That's my. That's my. That's my gift.

[Jim Norton]

Died the 80s, Carlos. He was 57. Yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

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[Dawson]

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[Adam Carolla]

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[Adam Carolla]

So for you, you're out here doing podcasting?

[Jim Norton]

Yeah, just doing a few and again just coming out. My wife and I have been on vacation all year because I'm not doing radio so I'm just pod doing. So I will go to la, I'll do some podcasts and then just kind of make a few days out of it.

[Adam Carolla]

Your wife, you gotta help me with your wife one more time. She's got.

[Jim Norton]

Nikki.

[Adam Carolla]

Nikki. Sorry, Nikki.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

First of all, was there any legality to getting married or anything? Was there any. The state of, you know, you're not recognized in the state of Kentucky or something like that. Is there any weird no, there's nothing. There's nothing like that.

[Jim Norton]

Nah, it was New York, and we've been married now, January, four years. So, like. No, there was nothing. It was a typical immigration case and very standard, you know what I mean?

[Adam Carolla]

She's Swedish, right?

[Jim Norton]

No, Norwegian.

[Adam Carolla]

Norwegian, sorry, yeah. That'll piss them off.

[Jim Norton]

Nah, but they're the same. She's. Deny it. But they're the same as the Finnish and the Icelandic. It's all just real blonde Aryan people.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And. And she was born a he, right?

[Jim Norton]

She was born a male.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah. And is she physically still a male?

[Jim Norton]

She has a dick.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah. Oh, that's what I was gonna say.

[Advertisement Voice]

Yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

Tell me where you come down on this, Jim Norton. There used to be. We call. There was transvestites, there was cross dressers, there was pre op, there were post op.

[Jim Norton]

Yes.

[Adam Carolla]

And we had a specific name for everybody. And there were the guys who just waited for their wife to leave to go be a schoolteacher. And then they'd get in their dress and put their underpants on and stand in front of the mirror, and then they'd put their suit on and go to the Nabisco factory. And then there was like, this sort of secret cross dressers. And then there was the transvestites and the transsexuals and the pre op and the poor. But we had a name for everything. And now you just go, Caitlyn Jenner, you know, and you go, yeah, but still, it's. Can't. What do you mean? And people go like, what are you asking? Right? And I'll go, well, I'm kind of asking. She's still got his don, you know, and they go, you can't answer. I go, well, I did like all the old titles. Because you'd have pre op, post op. No, like, you knew where everyone was. And I wasn't really doing it to discriminate against them. I just.

[Jim Norton]

You wanted the information.

[Adam Carolla]

One of the info.

[Jim Norton]

It's one of those things where everyone's so afraid to talk about it. I've had UFC fighters ask me, does she have a dick, bro? But they weren't being rude. The guy was just like, literally wanted to know. And there's nobody he could ask without getting scolded.

[Adam Carolla]

Right.

[Jim Norton]

I'm very comfortable, so I don't. People could ask anything about. It's not. It's not. It's nothing so shameful to me. It's just. It's our life together. She's transgender. I do understand. There's so much anger around it, which has gotten crazy. Like, they've argued, like, legitimate pushback against where I think liberals were crazy. And then it just went into. From there into what I see as bigotry. Like, I think that both of those things are kind of happening, but some pushback had to happen.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, it's always gonna. I mean. Right. So what you're gonna get. I mean, what you get is you get an overreach one way or the other, and then there's a pushback against the overreach, and then the pushback can be worse than the overreach. And then you have American politics.

[Jim Norton]

That's exactly it.

[Adam Carolla]

What. What we're doing now.

[Jim Norton]

That's right. It happens with abortion. It happens with everything. You know, we want nine month. We want ninth month. Fucking Kermit Gosnell in Philadelphia abortions. And then pro lifers just push hard enough and they're like, fuck you. Not even if you're raped. Like, there's no balance to it.

[Adam Carolla]

It's crazy, right? Yeah. Yeah. I don't. You know, I never really got that. And I also don't get that you're not allowed to. Like, I would say to people that go, oh, you know, I'm pro abortion. I'd go, okay, me too. But let's set a number. Let's, like, how many weeks? How many weeks they go, I'm not gonna. What do you mean you're not gonna. Let's do it. If we can both agree that day of conception, fine, take the pill. We can also agree that 9th month, not good. So we gotta pick a number in between.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah, I'm a first trimester guy, but I would, you know, wasn't that what. They settled it. First trimester was kind of like the thing, right? In the first three months. But even that might be too long.

[Adam Carolla]

I had this joke. I forgot. I did it two or three times, but I don't know. I should do it. I said, the pill for the abortion is RU486. Yeah. Like, are you 486 ing this pregnancy, this fetus?

[Jim Norton]

That's not what it really meant, though.

[Adam Carolla]

No, but it's a weird. I said that. It looks like a vanity plate on a Planned Parenthood van. Are you 486? You'd honked behind the guy. Like, I'm 486 in that fetus. You want 86? Are you 486?

[Jim Norton]

Very funny.

[Adam Carolla]

It's fucking weird, right?

[Dawson]

Yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

And I've looked it up. Cause, I don't know, I think I looked into It. Cause it was a joke. I was like trying to. I was like. They just randomly. Yeah. Well, drug companies come up with whatever name and the whatever name. And like Quaaludes are like, roar714 or something. They had a number. They all have little numbers on it. But if you're at the place that manufactures a drug and you go, are you for, like, already. We're already somewhere weird. Like, I'm for. I'm against. This is a thing that tears nations apart. RU4 shouldn't even be the first three. Whatever. But let's certainly not 86.

[Jim Norton]

Right. That's very funny. And the vanity plate outside the Planned Parenthood. You should definitely do that joke. That's a great joke.

[Adam Carolla]

Oh, you like that joke?

[Jim Norton]

I love the joke.

[Adam Carolla]

I gotta write that down.

[Jim Norton]

I would love to know what it really. The 86 thing is probably. It's almost like COVID 19. They didn't know what it was. 2019. Like, there was a reason for the 86. It's got something to do. Are you four hundred and eighty six? Yeah. What is the four hundred and eighty six?

[Adam Carolla]

I don't know.

[Jim Norton]

I mean, is it the 486th time they tried something and then that was the one that stuck?

[Adam Carolla]

Everything needs its own, like, number, serial number and whatever. And I have no idea how they arrive. Like I said, Quaalude was 714. I don't know if there was a 713 and 712. But that's how. But. But what I'm saying is somebody has. I always say this when they ran that campaign for ups. Like, what can brown do for you? Someone should just raise their hand and just be like, bob, it's not. It's weird. It makes it. I'm thinking of shit. Yeah, I know, but I get it. They have a brown uniform.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah, we got it.

[Adam Carolla]

Understood. Understood. But we can do better. Like, let's not print this Times A Thousand Billboards. Like, we gotta do something better. And I'm just saying Ru. 486. My hand's going up and I'm just going, let's get some different numbers in there or something. And it can't be 69. Why does the abortion pill have RU 46 on it? Russell New. So RU is the company.

[Jim Norton]

Yep.

[Adam Carolla]

And it's also known for its drug generic. It blocks. Yeah. Yeah, but the company's RU now. I don't even know where the 480.

[Dawson]

It's just a serial number.

[Jim Norton]

They said it's. The internal code is 38486. So they abbreviated it.

[Adam Carolla]

Somebody starts to raise their hand. Yep.

[Dawson]

They do.

[Adam Carolla]

And just go, this is weird.

[Jim Norton]

But in French, though, if it's French, that probably doesn't mean the same thing. Somebody in English should have said French. French company. So that probably meant something totally different.

[Adam Carolla]

Uh huh. Yeah. Yeah. Jimmy and I once played a video game at an arcade called Violence Fight. And it was clearly Asians going, what? Americans? Like, you know what I mean? Someone needed to tell them. I get it. But that's not how we speak. We don't say violence.

[Jim Norton]

It's a little on the nose.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, yeah, it's too violence.

[Jim Norton]

Or the fight. Or a violent fight. But violent would have been with the word, not violence.

[Adam Carolla]

Violence, fight. All right, so you're out here. What's your wife do? What's Nikki do right now?

[Jim Norton]

She wants to go back to school. She was in school for photography and she wants to go back to school for music. And we were doing a podcast together and we were shooting stuff together, which was kind of fun. But she's undecided. I think she wants to do music. She loves doing music.

[Adam Carolla]

Is this one of those things where you make money so she's allowed to enjoy her life?

[Jim Norton]

Yeah, I don't mind it. Like, there's no. I'm sure if I pushed her, she would, but I don't care. I mean, it's like, how much is she gonna. Not to be a dick, but I mean, I make enough to. For us to live in a good way. And she doesn't spend like crazy. Although we went out to eat at the Bel Air Hotel and she didn't ask how much. The fucking champagne was $115 a glass. A glass, a glass. And she had three of them, so. But we didn't know. Yeah, she actually. She was very apologetic. She's like, I didn't know. I'm like, all right, whatever. But yeah, once in a while you'll get that. Yeah, I was furious.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah. I mean, because there's a. There's a. Like, there's a two parts of work. There's I work because I need to work because I have to work, and there's what do you want to do? And that's where the photography sort of comes in. Yeah. And I'd like to be kept a little bit.

[Jim Norton]

Sure.

[Adam Carolla]

I'd be all right with that.

[Jim Norton]

I like having. Look, she takes care of the house, the dog. Like, I like having her there. If we want to travel, we can travel. I'm home a lot, so it's like, I'm not working a traditional job either. And we kind of get our. Like, our life is kind of built around my schedule, which is as an arrogant person. I like that. And, you know, if I want to go away, she can come with me. If I'm going away by myself, she stays home. And it helps you not fight as much if I'm on the road and she's home. You know how it is.

[Adam Carolla]

Were you bi before this?

[Jim Norton]

Yes, of course. Like, there's no way you. You like my. You know, I used to blow my friends when I was a kid, and there's no way. Like, there's this weird narrative where they're saying, if you're somebody transgender, you're totally heterosexual. Like, I mean, whatever you want to tell yourself. But if you're involved with somebody and you're. You have a dick and they have a dick, you're not a straight male. Like, I'm sorry. I don't know how to break it.

[Advertisement Voice]

Please.

[Jim Norton]

Should be a bumper sticker.

[Adam Carolla]

Are you 46?

[Jim Norton]

But, I mean, I don't know how people. And they think they're being progressive. They're like, they think they're being progressive, but it's not. That's 1950s thinking. Like, the message should be, you're not straight, and it's okay that you're not straight. That's how I look at it. I don't care what other people tell themselves, but it's like, the message should just be. Be who you are. You don't have to maze it to get back to heterosexual, because that's the only right answer.

[Adam Carolla]

All right. Do you think that for you, like, there's a lot of people that just. Whatever it is, they can't do conventional. Right. It has to be something different than what would be conventional, you know? And I don't even know if it's totally sexual or it's just, we're gonna. Everything has to be a little weird or something that grandpa wouldn't approved of or something like that. Like, how much of it is just deviant.

[Jim Norton]

You know, it's when you're. When you're married, like, when you have a. It's a real relationship. So it's like the sexual aspect or the different. Like, I don't think of that when I'm talking to her or arguing with her. She's just my wife. It's just Nikki. Like, the things that might attract you into a situation in life if that's all it is, or that's the basic push of it. Maybe some people make it a lifestyle and get married. But I can't see myself having married because everything wears off. Like everything that feels weird, doesn't feel weird when you do it more than once or more than 10 times or a thousand times. So there's nothing that she and I do that feels bizarre to me or feels different to me. But I've had, you know, with, with, with women. I've had these relationships my whole life. So it's like. I know what you're saying, but that wasn't what attracted me to her because I would have went for something weirder because she's a very traditional person. Like she's surprisingly tactile and traditional and non fetishy and non weird stuff. And if I was choosing for that reason, I would have went with somebody much more into fetish or perverted role play or none of that shit is her energy at all, which is weird, I guess maybe it's good for me, but I feel like she's probably the most tactile, normal person. Person I've dated for a long time.

[Adam Carolla]

Do you think I feel like guys get saner as they get older and women go nuts? But you're lucky.

[Jim Norton]

No, no, no. Believe me, that part of her internally is nuts. I'm dealing with. There's very few things that I'm. That guys whose wives are women and somebody who's a trans woman. You're dealing with the same mentality, if that makes sense. I know the difference, of course, but it's the same mentality, it's the same arguing style, it's the same processing of information. I see no difference between her and every ex before her with the way she processes information and processes what I'm saying. It's very frustrating.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah. I mean you really. There is a thing where you just realize that it is. You think it's about accuracy or like. Yes.

[Jim Norton]

Proving the point.

[Adam Carolla]

And people used to say, I wish I was recording that conversation so I could play it back for you and you could hear, you know, whatever. But now everything is recorded and nothing's changed. It's like, I thought the ring doorbell would stop Porch Pirates, but it just means we watch them steal the stuff Now. I thought cameras would slow people down and recordings would slow people down and sort of proof, you know, like everyone who owns a phone has an encyclopedia of everything that's happened in the world before today.

[Jim Norton]

That's right.

[Adam Carolla]

You know, and you still get in stupid arguments with people where you just. I argue with people like the phone, they argue with me like it wasn't invented. Like, I just go, really? Okay, no, wrong. But it doesn't slow him down. Just like the camera in the 711 doesn't stop the guy from pistol whipping the guy behind the counter.

[Jim Norton]

That's right. That's. It doesn't. And it just kind of makes people jockey quicker either to the next point. What people have gotten better at is go, yeah, no, but. And then back to a talking point or onto the next point because nobody wants to be wrong. It's a really weird fear of just going, you know what? I didn't know that. I don't know why people are so married to being right. It's not an impressive quality. It doesn't make me think somebody's smart. Like, I mean, Most of us bat.500. Like, it is what it is. And I see somebody digging in irrationally, I find them to be very uninteresting. Like, you know what I mean? I'm not like a belief system, like free speech, but when I see people convinced that, you know, their ideological group is somehow better, it's like, you delusional fucking idiot.

[Adam Carolla]

Well, I, you know, Dr. Drew's always saying to me, like, tell me more, I want to learn about this thing, or get me wrong. Like, lots of prefaces with I could be wrong, I may not be right about this, or whatever that is. And what you should do is take being incorrect and see if you can remove all whatever stigma you've created and attached to it that makes you fight so hard to be that way, because that's what kids do. And instead, be thankful that you can learn something or learn about something or figure something out. And it's, it's a. And then, and then you do actually learn a lot because you're not walled off.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

And trying to protect your ego as if you're a bad person because you're incorrect about something. Which is, which is weird. I mean, everyone has a little, you know, like, like, I don't know, I, you know, they have a little, like now I was talking to my son. He said he was going to drive to Oregon. I said, how long's that drive? About eight, eight and a half hours. I said, seems longer than that. He said, no, that's about eight, eight and a half. I said, huh, I've never driven Oregon, but I think it's going to take a little longer than that. Then he got on his phone and was like, ah, it's 13 hours. And I go, yeah, that sounds about right. And he goes, yeah. And that's about it. You know, it doesn't mean you can learn now. I know how long it takes to get there and so does he, by the way. He didn't go, well, the way I drive, old man. Like, he didn't do any of that. He just went, okay, now we know.

[Jim Norton]

All right, now I know. Yeah, well, the problem is too, especially with people in public life, it's a two part thing. One is we have to stop marrying ourselves to being right and be okay to learn. But we have to stop punishing people who do admit they were wrong. Like a lot of times if a politician changes, somebody changes their position on something, we don't commend them for seeing it differently. We attack them as being having no stable base or no balance and being wishy washy. Say we punish people who admit they're wrong but want the room to admit we're wrong ourselves. We have to stop doing both.

[Adam Carolla]

Well, I'll tell you my thing, cuz I do vary from that a little bit in the sense that anybody can make mistakes when they're young. The politicians that I don't like, who make proclamations when they're in their 50s and their 60s, and then at some point they lick their finger and they're like, oh, you mean transgender surgeries in prisons for illegal aliens is not popular with taxpayers? All right, I'm gonna shift. Cause I do like evolving into something, but I just feel like a lot of them just licked their finger and put it in the air and went, can't work that anymore.

[Jim Norton]

Sure. Well, there's a difference between somebody who literally is just being a fraud and going where the polls are and somebody who actually has a change of heart, I guess. Yeah. We have to figure out which is which before you say that's okay.

[Adam Carolla]

How many dates a year are you doing?

[Jim Norton]

A lot more now that I'm not doing radio. I only have these last three for the end of the year. And then I start off in Pennsylvania and I'm back out here in February. And then I'm on the road with Louie. I've been on the road with Louie a lot, which has been a lot of fun. We're going overseas in February.

[Adam Carolla]

Oh, he was just in here, which is great.

[Jim Norton]

I think it's really fun to work with someone and have no pressure. And I love him. His material is so fucking so it's fun to be on the road with somebody too.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, he's. I had a really nice chat with him and I hadn't talked to him in a while, but he seems like he's in a good Place.

[Jim Norton]

Great place. Yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

He seems, like, comfortable and kind of relaxed and. I don't know, maybe in the past he felt a little sense of urgency or something. Maybe I was trying to prove something or something like that. He seems very settled in and very relaxed. Enjoyable.

[Jim Norton]

The road has been very peaceful. Not that it was stressful before, but I mean, just, you know, when we leave a venue and go to the next venue, like, he's always just relaxed and taking it as it comes. Like, yeah, it's a very calm. You're right. A very calm and kind of nice energy. But I had never been on the road with him before, so maybe he's always been like that on the road. Yeah, I know. I'm not.

[Dawson]

I'm stressed.

[Jim Norton]

I fucking panic.

[Adam Carolla]

Do you?

[Jim Norton]

I'm obsessed about ticket count.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah.

[Jim Norton]

You know, it's just.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah. Yeah. But I mean, you're not stressed about performing?

[Jim Norton]

Not really, no. I mean, like I said, I actually like what I'm doing creatively, which is, for me, nice. Because everything else, I kind of. I hate how this is going or, you know, how it is. You start to feel like a failure, and I'm like. But the material I really like. And I'm not just saying that. I watched back my special. I'm like, yeah, I like how that came out. I was happy with that. So, you know, if I'm happy with it, then I'm like, it's all I can do. So if people don't like it, there's nothing I could do better. I'm doing the best I can with it.

[Adam Carolla]

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[Dawson]

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[Adam Carolla]

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[Dawson]

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[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, I think, well, I mean, the thing that's nice is unlike sports or modeling or something, you can actually get better as you get older in this endeavor, you know, quite a bit. And it kind of feels good.

[Jim Norton]

It feels great. And I just, I love going, I do an hour every Wednesday at the Fat Black Pussycat. So that's a. And it's a comedy Cellar room. And I just, I love having that hour every week because you can work through material. I go up with paper I read off my phone. They kind of, it's a work in progress show and they kind of know that. And that's probably been the most valuable thing I do. And that and doing 12 sets a week. You know, every, every night I'm up.

[Adam Carolla]

At the Cellar every night.

[Jim Norton]

Every night except Sunday.

[Adam Carolla]

How much time are you doing?

[Jim Norton]

15 or 20 minutes, depending on the room. And if anybody's going on. But the spots are 15 minutes. Except Wednesday, it's an hour.

[Adam Carolla]

How much new material do you do in those 15 minutes?

[Jim Norton]

It depends. Like, I mean, from in one week to the next, it might not be much, but overall I pump out a lot of new stuff. Like I Just. Cause I get so bored, and then everything feels automatic. I like to do new stuff because it shape. It kind of makes me think again about what's next. And then when you think about it, it feels alive again instead of just pumping out the same shit.

[Adam Carolla]

How funny were you when you were.

[Jim Norton]

It was the most definable quality in myself was being funny. I won class clown in high school, but I didn't get my picture in the yearbook because I was in rehab for a suicide attempt. So that was like. I was like. But I should have been class clown. It was a very unfair decision.

[Adam Carolla]

Is there a picture in there? Is somebody in there?

[Jim Norton]

This guy, Joe Amore, who was funny. He was a nice dude, too.

[Adam Carolla]

Second funniest dude. Yeah.

[Jim Norton]

And he was more, you know, for yearbook friendly. Well, you have me with a bandage on my wrist waving, you know. So you were voted class by the students, overwhelmingly. But then I was in rehab and they just gave it to someone else.

[Adam Carolla]

How big was your school?

[Jim Norton]

You know, it's a great question. I don't know. North Brunswick High school, class of 86. I didn't graduate, but I. I don't know. A few hundred students. I mean, it was a good size. Not. Not massive and not, you know, not Little House on the Prairie, but, I mean, maybe two or 300 in each class. I don't know. I'm a terrible guesser.

[Adam Carolla]

I got class clown.

[Jim Norton]

You did?

[Adam Carolla]

Mm.

[Jim Norton]

Did it make you feel like, this is what I'm gonna do with my life, or did you just kind of file it away and keep going?

[Adam Carolla]

I was weird in that I was a good football player, so I was always thinking about football, and I was never thinking about comedy.

[Jim Norton]

Right.

[Adam Carolla]

In comedy, where I sort of grew up, even though it wasn't that long ago and it was here, it was like comedy was like a thing you did. Like, I knew guys who could take their tongue and make it look like a wave, an ocean, and then flip it over, make it look like a funnel or something. And it was like, hey, do that thing.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

All right. Let's go back to work. You know what I mean? Like, it was just kind of a side thing. It wasn't a way. What are you gonna do? I mean, it wasn't a way to get paid or make a living or anything. Sure you. I understood there were sitcoms and comics and stuff, but it wasn't a thing that was gonna happen.

[Jim Norton]

So it wasn't a life direction.

[Adam Carolla]

No, no. So it wasn't a. So it was kind of nice. I mean, like, okay, you could. It's like saying I'll pick up the guitar to party and strum it a little bit and maybe I'll get laid. But I'm not in a band.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah. It's not my life. It's a thing.

[Adam Carolla]

It's a thing. Yeah. And for me it was kind of a liability because it is a weird concept to be. You know, every single one of my report cards said disruptive on. He talks too much. Cause he's got to sit in the back of the class. Don't sit next to him. He's gonna talk your ear off. Go stand in the hall, you know, just shut up. So you gotta think about the message. The message is my entire scholastic career I was told to shut up. And at the end they hand you a plaque that says class clown. And it's a weird because I only got class clown from popping off.

[Jim Norton]

Well, who voted for is the students, right?

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah.

[Jim Norton]

Cause they probably never wanted you to shut up. It was always the teachers.

[Adam Carolla]

That is, that is true. But I would kind of argue. Don't even have the category of the kid who can't shut up if you're telling him to shut up constantly.

[Jim Norton]

And he knows that category is there. That was a goal for me to get class clown. I wanted to be the class clown.

[Adam Carolla]

Oh, we have the picture of the kid from. Who did I mean placeholder for you.

[Jim Norton]

Let's see. Oh, let's see. Oh, that's me his sophomore year.

[Adam Carolla]

That's you?

[Jim Norton]

Yeah. Fucking Chinese railroad worker.

[Adam Carolla]

That's an awesome hierarchy.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah, yeah. Ozzy shirt, class picture. I have cowlicks. So I would always comb my hair like that.

[Adam Carolla]

Uh huh.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah. That was sophomore year of high school. My junior picture is awful. My senior picture, I look like Dahmer. Cause I had those weird glasses that were tainted and my hair was fucking brushed back.

[Adam Carolla]

There was always a guy who had the smoked glasses, the tinted glasses.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

So class clown but in rehab.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah, in rehab. In 80 was a January, the Challenger exploded. When I was in rehab, it was January, early January of 80 to early 85. Whenever the that exploded, what was it? Rehab for a suicide attempt. And drinking.

[Adam Carolla]

Drinking.

[Jim Norton]

Mostly drinking. Yeah. It was even at that age, it was my favorite drug. I like to drink.

[Adam Carolla]

Do you still drink?

[Jim Norton]

No, I'm sober my whole. Since 87.

[Adam Carolla]

Oh, since 87.

[Jim Norton]

I got sober a year after that. Yeah, I got sober.

[Adam Carolla]

I was sober a year after that.

[Jim Norton]

I was 18 when I got sober.

[Adam Carolla]

Oh, so did you, you think, did that drive some of the other behavior? There's Guys that are, like, they're sober and they're totally sleeved up with tattoos and they like to go base jumping, you know, And I'm like, oh, you're just taking that crazy energy and pushing it into another direction, which is fine.

[Jim Norton]

Sure. It's healthier. I mean, sex for me was the first one, like, from childhood on, like, that was by far the oldest. Like, addictive behavior. So alcohol and drugs, naturally, I love them. And, you know, and then when I stop with them, sex again or food or whatever, I just. I love anything outside myself to pump into my face.

[Adam Carolla]

So you knew that the sense of humor thing was. Was where you were heading.

[Jim Norton]

It's the only thing I ever wanted to do. I was 12. I remember watching Richard Pryor film Live in concert with my parents, and we all laughed at it, probably for different reasons, but when I saw that it was like 1980 on HBO, I'm like, oh, that's what you do with being funny. So I would make kids laugh.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah.

[Jim Norton]

But seeing that, I was like, that's who I want to be.

[Adam Carolla]

How. Well, I met your parents. Are they still with us?

[Jim Norton]

They are, yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

A very nice, traditional seeming couple. Yes.

[Jim Norton]

Nice people met him with. With Leno, right?

[Adam Carolla]

With Leno, yeah. And his. Wow. We were in a. Yeah, I guess.

[Jim Norton]

I'm guessing the Borgata.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, The Borgata. Yeah. That's where we were. We're at the Borgata. Yeah. It was great.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah. They're not. They're very nice people. And that's why, like, you know, when you look at a kid who's fucked up, like, my parents really encouraged me, and they were really loving and supportive of whatever I wanted to do. So, like, when I went all off the deep end, there's nothing they could have done to stop that. Like, you know, I've heard Rob Reiners people say, well, if he was a better parent, you can't stop someone from up. You can only do so much.

[Adam Carolla]

Right.

[Jim Norton]

And they did. My parents did everything they could, and I still went off the deep end.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, that's. That's why I just. Funny because Jay. Jay called me that that day, and he said he was at. Yeah, I was at the Borgata. Yeah. And where was that? New Jersey?

[Jim Norton]

No, it was in New Jersey.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, New Jersey.

[Jim Norton]

Atlantic City.

[Adam Carolla]

Atlantic City. It was Atlantic City. And I had this weird thing. He goes, hey, you want to catch a ride back with me tonight? I said, catch a ride? Like, I thought he was going to drive me to the airport in the jet. I'm flying out tonight. I go, oh, oh, we're gonna do our show. And then when I'm done, I'm sleeping my own bed tonight. I live in la and I'm in Atlantic City. And he goes, yeah, catch a ride with me. And I go, oh, all right. And then I go, what time's your show? And he's like seven. And I go, oh, mine's at eight. I'll wait. I said, oh, okay. All right, fine. So then I was traveling with the guy. I was traveling with Mike. And Mike's like, in my dressing room. And I go, hey, Mike, I got news. I'm not getting up and driving to Philly with you at 4:45 tomorrow morning for a Southwest flight. I'm catching my ride with Jay. And then he goes. Then Mike's like, I think I had two guys with me. He goes, do you think we could catch a ride with J2? And I said, well, I'll ask. And Jay was sort of like, eh, what kind of. The seats are spoken for. Which I thought was kind of funny. Cause I just went back and went, sorry, the fucking losers. But then I thought the plane was gonna crash after that, because my last thing was making fun of them for not getting on the fucking plane.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah, you were gonna fucking. Was it Willie Nelson that didn't get on the flight?

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah. Right. So I had all those thoughts at once. But that's when I met your parents in Leno's dressing.

[Jim Norton]

That's right. How was the flight back? Flying private. I hate it. The planes are small. It freaks me out.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, no, I remember. Yeah, it was an old plane. It was a little bumpy. I mean, it's a jet, but it was not a big jet, you know, And I was a little bit of a nervous flyer.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

And Jay was there with his dudes. And I got on. It's Saturday night, I just finished a show, and I'm flying on this rickety airplane. And I'm like, where are those mini bottles of rum? Are that. And Jay's like, Jay's eating cookies. You know what I mean? Jay's like, I don't know. I don't think they have that on the plane. Like, oh, I'll find it. I'll find it. So I started getting into the mini bar with the drawers and stuff. And then, you know, had one, you know, I sat back down. It's a five hour, you know. So next thing you know, Saturday night, I'm trying to pretend like, yeah, maybe they have some more snacks or something. Just grab another handful of those bottles I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be out in four hours. Yeah, I just remember there's some. Somehow. Yeah. I was the only dude on that flight that had a drinking. He was a fucking drinker on a private jet.

[Jim Norton]

But he. I bet you he wasn't a nervous flyer at all.

[Adam Carolla]

No.

[Jim Norton]

He was like American's most. The rumor right here was at one point, Jay was American's most frequent flier. Were wandering around. Yeah. And he might go, that's wrong. It's a rumor. But I heard that years ago, he flew so much on American Airlines, every weekend he's out.

[Adam Carolla]

He drove me home in a Fiat at like 4:00am yeah, that's. That's. That's what I recall. He literally drove me home.

[Jim Norton]

He's the greatest, man. I never see him anymore because the Tonight Show's. But, I mean, he was just. He treated me very well. I love Leno, and I always hated when comics thought it was hip to. To shit on him. It's like, do you guys not know he treats us better than anybody.

[Adam Carolla]

Oh, yeah.

[Jim Norton]

Leno treated the comedians better than fucking anybody. And they would. They would. I'm like, you guys are stupid.

[Adam Carolla]

I was just with him walking through a shop because we donated or auctioned off a tour. Jay shop with Jay and Adam, you know, for the cancer research kids or whatever. And. Yeah, I've always found that way. I always felt the part that twisted the knife for me is everybody worshiped at the altar of Dave Letterman and talked shit about Leno, but Letterman was such a douche and Leno was so nice. And I was always like, I'm not gonna be one of these hip comedians who's making fun of. Of the guy who's accommodating and friendly and good to his staff and all that kind of stuff. And then worship at the altar of. The guy's a douche.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah. And a working comic. Leno's a working comic. Look, people could like comedically who they want, but I always thought that when those hip guys would shit on Leno, like, he was this Bob. I'm like, you guys are fucking idiots, man. He's a funny guy and he's a fucking. He treats comedians. He loves us.

[Adam Carolla]

I. I agree. I've done a ton of shit with him. Jay Leno was the third most frequent flyer in the United States. Wow.

[Jim Norton]

I didn't realize. I thought it was just for American Airlines.

[Adam Carolla]

Wow. Yeah. He did the most. I don't know.

[Jim Norton]

So I don't think he's scared of it at All.

[Adam Carolla]

No, no. But I do remember the borgata. I do remember your family. And you must get it a lot when your family seems so normal.

[Dawson]

What happened?

[Adam Carolla]

What happened?

[Jim Norton]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Everyone who meets my parents is amazed at how nice and unassuming they are. And they're just very quiet people. Like.

[Adam Carolla]

Well, I, I, I am much more into nurture than I am into nature. I'm sorry. Sorry. I'm into nature more than nurture. As I get older, I. What you have to do is you have to have twins. I have twins. And then you see they're completely different. And there's no accounting for why they're so different. And nobody did anything any differently with either one of them. They're just different. And I see it all the time with people. I got three nephews. They're all different. You know what I mean? And then you go. It's a lot of trying to. In a weird way, it's a sort of an atheist religion where you go, you gotta get them exposed to classical music early. Early. You gotta expose them a lot. They gotta go through museums. They have to learn. They have to play dates and all this stuff. And it's like. Or you just. They're just gonna fucking be who they are.

[Jim Norton]

They're gonna be who they are. Exposing them. I still don't listen to hall and Oates. My father listened to hall and Oates all the time. That's not gonna do much, you know, education. Yeah. But, like, when they talk about nature or nurture, maybe both. Like, for people who are gay, like, you don't pick when you're a kid who you're gonna have a crush on. You know what I mean? Like, people say that's a choice, but when you're a kid and you get pulled towards somebody who you just want to be around or sit next to, like, there's nothing influencing that other than this whatever magnetism, you know, that magnetic draw you have to a person.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah.

[Jim Norton]

So, yeah, I think nature's a big part of it.

[Adam Carolla]

I think it's pure and it's not the same. But I would tell people all the time when they go, like, we're trying to figure out, like, a wallpaper or something for the entry hall or something. I go, go get someone to put three swatches on the wall. You come in, turn the corner, turn the light on and make a decision right now. You'll never be purer than that. Whatever you point at, that's your purest. Now, if you stare at it for four months, you'll just Start swimming. But the attraction thing is sort of that way. Like, yeah, you're nine and you're just attracted to this person.

[Jim Norton]

It just. You're pulled.

[Adam Carolla]

It's the purest it's ever gonna be. Because later on, you start factoring in society, money, you know, other taboos and judgment and stuff. But if it's just that sort of point at the wallpaper you like the most.

[Jim Norton]

That's right.

[Adam Carolla]

That's when it's purest.

[Jim Norton]

And I'm a person who will stare at the wallpaper and then point at it and then go, all right. And then going to buy it. I'll go, no, no, no, I'm wrong.

[Adam Carolla]

I'm wrong.

[Jim Norton]

I'm very, very bad with making those decisions.

[Adam Carolla]

I think one of the most important things I would try to instill upon my kids is having getting your antenna tuned up all the time, like pointing the right direction and constantly in tune. And when it's in tune, you can do things like. You'll say things like, it's happened to me in my life where people go, why are you quitting this job? Or why are you not. It's such a good job. Or so whatever, like, why would you do it? And I just go, because that's what I want to do. It feels like that's time to do it. And they go, but that doesn't make any sense, or whatever you're doing this thing. It's not gonna work. You know what I mean? And I go, I'm just gonna trust my instinct. Yes, but trusting your instinct can get you fucked up if you're not tuned up. You know what I mean? But if you just sort of tune yourself. So you go, look, here's what I want. I wanna end this relationship, or I wanna start this job, or I wanna try to do something. Sixteen years ago, I started doing podcasting. You know, I was like, why? You know, it's like, that's what I feel like I should do. Well, it's not a job. You don't get paid. You lose money on bandwidth. That's not a job. I'm like, grant, all what you said is right, but whatever my tuning is, is, it feels like that's what I should be doing. Yeah, and you can say that about selling a house and moving. You can say it about ending a relationship, you can say it about starting something. But. But try to keep yourself. Keep that radar dish going north so there's no static on your channel. And if you kind of get that way, you can just point at the wallpaper. Swatch you like. And you go, because I like it. And that's it. That's your wallpaper. Yeah.

[Jim Norton]

It's my opinion. And Hitchens had a good thing where he said something like, just, that's how I feel about something. And that's enough for me. I don't need other people to agree with it or other people to co sign. And. And again, you don't want to be a sociopath and have crazy beliefs just to be stubborn. But I do try to have faith in, like, yeah, I like that. And that's the end of it. But it's hard. I'm a bad decision maker. I envy that ability.

[Adam Carolla]

You also kind of. I was just remodeling something and I just sort of picked some tile out real fast. And then there was a part of me that's like, did I get the right tile? And then there's a part of me that's like, I don't know. Who cares? Who cares? I mean, it's nice. Is it going to be the best? I don't know if it's going to be the best. Would have been better if I waited longer or spent more time thinking about, maybe, but you'll never know it. And it'll be nice enough for you.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah. It's not going to be a disaster.

[Adam Carolla]

Right. And it'll be better. I don't know. How'd you grow up? Did you. Did your dad make any money or anything?

[Jim Norton]

No, my parents, very middle class. I mean, but my dad was laid off. He worked for Hall's Trucking, and he got laid off in, like. I think we were on food stamps at one point when I was like 11 or 12, my dad was. He had to get shifts driving a truck. And they weren't gonna call him back because the guy ahead of him in the union, the guys above hated the guy ahead of my father, so they couldn't bring my dad back because they would have to bring the guy above him back in seniority who they hated. So, yeah, it was a rough few years. From what I remember, he drove a truck. He's in the. The Army Reserve, so he always was working. But, yeah, definitely didn't grow up rich.

[Adam Carolla]

I did food stamps for a while. I don't. I was saying to somebody over the weekend, I go, there used to be a lot of rules about what you could buy and couldn't buy with food stamps. I was in Glendale. I passed a pastry place. All they sold was pastries. They took food stamps. I'm like, last thing you need is a Fucking cannoli or a lady's finger, you need rice and beans. Like, every time I pass a McDonald's jack in the Box, they're like, come on in. I'm like, I got turned down trying to buy cat food. We tried to buy cat food back in the day with food stamps. They said, no good, no, just for people. Yeah, my mom said, we'll eat the cat food. That's the way we got it. But yeah, that was a joke I was trying to work out. I just shelled on stage. But yeah, we had a stray cat and my mom tried to buy cats.

[Jim Norton]

Now I think now they feel like, well, it's elitist to tell people what they can mean while we're paying for it. I have the right to say you shouldn't eat McDonald's. My whole.

[Adam Carolla]

Well, first off, it's sort of this thing. It's like when they go, hobby Lobby is denying reproductive care for women. It's like, they're not paying for birth control, but they're not denying if you'd like birth control. I say it all the time. Everyone here eats lunch. I don't buy it every day, but I'm not denying the right to eat lunch. Go get a sandwich and fucking eat your lunch. Or don't. And so my thing is like, yeah, nobody said you can. Where's that article? There was a great one. Ah, God. It was an NPR article or whatever, but it was about energy drinks. Remember we talked about this about six months ago. It was like this hard hitting article in Rolling Stone about now they can't use snap to get energy drinks. And the girl feels like her crowd is like. It's like, listen, you can drink all the fucking Red Bull you want. I'm just saying I'm not paying for it. I'm not saying you can't have an energy drink. I'm not saying you can't have this or that. There's just. We're not buying cigarettes for you, okay? Why not? Well, I don't know. They're not healthy. Yeah, okay, and you don't like the optics of us giving you shit that is unhealthy? So what's the fucking difference between a 32 ounce Pepsi and a pack of cigarettes in terms of health?

[Jim Norton]

And also, if I'm buying you cigarettes, I'm also gonna have to pay for it. When you have to eat your fucking lung out, that's also gonna come out of my pocket.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, so this weird thing, like this thing, we're like denying everyone. No one's denying Anybody? I eat lunch every day. No one pays for it. I pay for it. So you can go do whatever you want. But I think here's the deal. If you want your stepdad to lease you a BMW, then your stepdad is within his rights to come up with that car when it's covered with bird shit and fast food wrappers on the dash. And say, you know what my rule is? Once a week, you take this to the car wash and you clean it up. And then you go, fuck you, old man. You're not the boss of me. Right. Okay, so you pay for your own car then. And you do whatever the fuck you want. But as long as you're taking his car and his payment, then there's some rules that are coming along with that. And that's, by the way, all of life. Yeah. You get it. That's what jobs are.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

You want some money? Yeah. Okay, here's the rule. You gotta come in on Mondays.

[Jim Norton]

You rent a house. You can't shit on the floor. If you buy a house, you can do what you want in it.

[Adam Carolla]

Right? All right. So what was this story? Is it the one we were talking about? About? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it was the mother they interviewed, one of the kids. And the kids was being said they were being ostracized because they showed up and had their energy drink in the morning, which is another weird thing. Like in high school, like, at 7:15 in the morning. And the kid was being ostracized because this wasn't gonna cover whatever. And it was like. Like, first off, you shouldn't be drinking that shit. And then, secondly, pay for it yourself. I can't read it from here, Andrew.

[Jim Norton]

It says fewer choices for people with fewer resources.

[Adam Carolla]

Right?

[Jim Norton]

Well, yeah. That's how. That's life. Yes.

[Adam Carolla]

Yes.

[Jim Norton]

I have less choices than fucking than Chappelle does.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah.

[Jim Norton]

Because he makes a lot more money than I do.

[Adam Carolla]

Oh, yeah? Yeah. Let me tell you, my choices were for vacations when I was poor. Fucking camping or camping. There's no, I'm going to the French Riviera. Yeah. Where's my tuxedo? It's always fewer choices.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah. If you have less resources, you get less choices. That's fucking reality.

[Adam Carolla]

Yes.

[Jim Norton]

Like, physically, I have less resources than a lot of other people. So I've had less choices in sexual partners. You know what I mean? Like, if you have. If you're better looking and you have a great body, you have more choices. Tough shit. For me.

[Adam Carolla]

We have it. Dawson, I think, has some for her.

[Dawson]

Teenagers Soda and energy drinks occupy a unique role. It's kind of a social currency for them, she says. Her 17 year old daughter, Olivia confirms this dynamic. I feel like when you walk into first period in the morning, everyone has like a Red Bull, an energy drink. It's a social construct for sure. Some of her peers come to school with Starbucks drinks that cost nearly $7. A luxury she cannot afford. But having a Red Bull, she says, makes her feel more normal.

[Adam Carolla]

Right. So we should pay for that because she's not feeling normal because she doesn't have enough caffeine and chemical scorching terrain. By the way, her fucking homeroom teacher's got to be pissed. Everyone's all peaked out. They're all on rock stars.

[Jim Norton]

It's obnoxious coffee, all talking. Yeah, you.

[Adam Carolla]

That's the other thing. You don't need a Red Bull, you don't need a rock star, and you don't need a coffee.

[Jim Norton]

No, I didn't even.

[Adam Carolla]

I don't even fuck coffee. Coffee wasn't even a thing when I was young.

[Jim Norton]

Dude, I'm in Starbucks sometimes. There's one and like I went like three and there's all these young people. I'm like, if you told me when I was 15 to go to a coffee shop, I would have fucking thrown a rock at you. What a shit place to hang out when you're a teenager.

[Adam Carolla]

It's weird. Like, I was thinking about that. The idea that we're gonna sell 200 metric tons of coffee to people under 25.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

Is nuts. Cause nobody drank coffee. But I also feel that way about black guys and tattoos. I could be like, you can't. That's not your market. I see very dark guys and I go, is he. I gotta get up on it, get my phone, you know, get the light.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah.

[Adam Carolla]

And I'm like, I wouldn't have thought that was a thing. It's a thing now.

[Jim Norton]

I know. I don't get it either. And is there no way to make like, almost like, if you're black, to put something where you can have like, almost like a. Where a picture will be more visible, like a lighter color? Is there no way to do that? Cause I always see tattoos like that. Like they're all kind of like in a darker gray color and I can't see what the tattoo is?

[Adam Carolla]

There's something. I'll give it equivalency. There's something in the hot rod world. In the hot rod world, there's like the 55 Chevy Bel Air with the flames on it. But there's also something called ghost flames, where you take a car that's like midnight blue, and the flames are also done in like midnight blue. And it's weird cause they don't really show up, but if you hit them at a certain angle, you go, oh, there's ghost flames. So brothers are getting ghost tattoos. Cause I'll see a dark guy sleeved up, and I can't even tell he's sleeved up. And then I realize he is. But they're spending the same money whitey is. And they. And that's gotta be great for that industry also, because your industry were white guys who are longshoremen.

[Jim Norton]

Yep.

[Adam Carolla]

That was your merchant marines. That was your entire industry. And now chicks are getting fucking sleeved up thighs. I mean, think how much area we're covering with fucking tattoos.

[Jim Norton]

Do you have any?

[Adam Carolla]

No.

[Jim Norton]

Me neither.

[Adam Carolla]

I don't get any of the accoutrements of life that are gonna make. I never got. Not making yourself more attractive with stuff like even a Rolex. Here's my. In the back. I tried to buy cowboy boots once. I worked with a guy named Kelly. We installed closets. He was from Durango, Colorado, and he had black cowboy boots.

[Jim Norton]

And I was like.

[Adam Carolla]

I go, oh, that's pretty cool. And he goes, you should get some black cowboy. And I was like, oh, okay. And following weekend, me and my buddies were like going, you know, from the Valley, going out. I put my black cowboy boots on. I come walking out, they go, what the fuck are you doing? I go, I'm going out. Not. Those fucking boots are not. Why not? Give me. Go fucking change your shoes, you idiot.

[Jim Norton]

They look stupid.

[Adam Carolla]

You look fucking stupid. And so if I got an earring or a tattoo, I would just picture walking out with my buddy Chris and Ray going, what? Give me a fucking break.

[Jim Norton]

That's not you.

[Adam Carolla]

That's not you. You can't wear boots.

[Jim Norton]

Well, that's the key is finding what makes. Like, what am I putting on where I'm an imposter and what am I putting on where like, wow, I really do have this. Like, how this makes me look when I see it on somebody else. It never looks the same on me. Like, I did Jack Osborne show, and we were talking about tattoos. And I saw him at the last Sabbath show and they were giving out free Black Sabbath tattoos. And again, I would look at his tattoo. I'm like, God damn, I would love to have that tattoo. Cause I love Sabbath, but it wouldn't look right on me. Like, it looks good on somebody who has tattoos. It wouldn't look right on me. Who has none? I would look stupid.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah, but also, I think it's your mindset, you know? Cause there's always that little who you kidding? In the back of your head.

[Jim Norton]

Who you kidding? Yep.

[Adam Carolla]

Come on with the fucking boots. Give me a break. This is bullshit.

[Jim Norton]

You're trying.

[Adam Carolla]

You're trying. You shouldn't be trying. Yeah, and there's a part of me that sees those. It's like. Also, there's a maintenance part. Like, when I see brothers with dreads. Like, big time. I'm like, I couldn't even. No, I can barely fucking brush my teeth in the morning. Like, I wouldn't know what to do with this sack hair on top of my head. I'd have to bag it every night before I went to bed. And then I'd have to pay someone to braid it and manage it. And then I don't even know what. It's too much.

[Jim Norton]

I see guys in jiu jitsu with dreads, and they'll put it on kind of like into, like. It's not a turbine, but it's something that will protect the hand. All that work. I mean, I admire their ability to do it, but I mean, like, I just would hate doing all that fucking work.

[Adam Carolla]

I see guys in the NFL who are playing, you know, for Florida. They're there in Tampa Bay, and they're doing two A days during the off season. They got the dreads, and I'm like, oh, God, the sweat. Oh, the heat. Like, I got. And, yeah, I'm with you. Everything. I don't know. But I think you're like me in that you want people to sort of judge you solely based on sort of your worth or your material or your ability. But, like, the hoops and the earrings and the tats, you'd be like, I don't.

[Jim Norton]

I should have let them judge me on something else because I've achieved mediocrity. Like, so whatever it was that would have taken me to that next step, I should have fucking faked it up a little bit. I just. But like you said, the voice, I keep hearing you fucking phony. Like, I keep hearing that, and I can't unhear it, and that's why I can't do it. But if it feels like it's something I came up with, or it feels like, oh, yeah, this cologne does smell good on me, then I'm comfortable doing it. But if I'm trying to be somebody else, it's never satisfying because I call.

[Adam Carolla]

Myself out on it even, you know, for me, I literally put bought once. I was flying to New York and I was just sitting there and I was like, older and rich, essentially. I was looking at a magazine and I saw, like, a $7,000 watch. And I just went, I want that watch. And then I thought, no, you can't have that watch. And I was like, why not? You deserve that watch. You should get that watch. It looks beautiful. You should get it back. I bought it. I've worn it two times in my entire life because I feel like I'm going to walk out my butt. Buddy Ray is going to go get the watch.

[Jim Norton]

It's not you.

[Adam Carolla]

Not you.

[Jim Norton]

Stop making a pretend you're a Timex guy, you fraud.

[Adam Carolla]

Give me a break. Yeah, but it is.

[Jim Norton]

But. But that. There's something good about that, too, where, like, I. I'm not so caught up in the trend. And it's not because I think I'm better than it. I just. I have that same fucking internal voice. But I hate when I see other people doing it. Like, when I see somebody who's 65 trying to look like they're 22, I'm like, you embarrassing asshole.

[Adam Carolla]

I used to like Harrison Ford until he got his ear pierced in Morgan Freeman.

[Jim Norton]

Annoys the fuck out of me.

[Adam Carolla]

Yeah. And Ed Bradley.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah, Ed.

[Adam Carolla]

Any dude after 55 gets the stud. All right, let's see. I'm gonna be at the Sagebrush Cantina with Brad Williams. That'll be tomorrow night in Calabasas. Bring an ugly sweater. We're doing a live pod there, Jim. It's got events, shows. We got Wilbur. That's the 20th of December 19th. Foxwoods, that's in Connecticut. And then Morgan Hill event center. That's December 18th. Right. Also, Jim Norton. Should we just go to Jim Norton for dates and.

[Jim Norton]

Yeah. Jimnorton.com and the podcast is Jim Norton Comedy on YouTube. And I got my special up.

[Adam Carolla]

Oh, it's a real good special.

[Jim Norton]

Oh, thanks.

[Adam Carolla]

Check that out. It's real strong.

[Jim Norton]

Thank you.

[Adam Carolla]

All right, you can go to AdamCorol.com for all my live shows. Until next time, sign up for Jim Norton saying mahalo.

[Dawson]

Pick up your phone and leave us a voicemail. The number is 888-634-1744. And be sure and get tickets to see Adam Corolla this Thursday night in Calabasas with Brad Williams, a very Christmas Adam Carolla show podcast. Get your tickets [e-mail].

[Adam Carolla]

Stream Pluto TV streaming Pluto TV for free. Stream blockbuster hits like 21 Jump Street, Ted, the Expendables and so much more on Pluto TV stream now Pay Never. Stories the longer days are brutal so.

[Jim Norton]

If you're feeling frugal.

[Adam Carolla]

TV stream Pluto TV for free. Stream blockbuster hits like 21 Jump Street Ted, the Expendables and so much more on Pluto TV stream now may Never.