The Adam Carolla Show: John Popper + Matt Walsh (Carolla Classics)

Release Date: February 1, 2026
Podcast Network: PodcastOne / Carolla Digital
Guests: Matt Walsh, John Popper, Steve Hofstadter
Regulars: Adam Carolla, Allison Rosen, Brian "Bald Bryan" Bishop

Episode Overview

This episode of Carolla Classics brings together some of the best segments from earlier Adam Carolla Show episodes, with a focus on unfiltered humor, pop culture rants, and lively guest appearances. The featured highlights include comedic insights from Veep star and Upright Citizens Brigade founding member Matt Walsh, an interview with Blues Traveler frontman John Popper, and a discussion with comedian Steve Hofstadter. Regular co-hosts Allison Rosen and Brian Bishop provide their own signature banter, and the classic Carolla “crew drama” is never far from the surface.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. On Making and Bridging Movies – The “Six Months Later” Cop-Out

[03:22]–[06:25]

• Adam shares the frustrations of filmmaking, particularly when movies skip time with a “six months later” title card to cover for missing story elements:

  “The movie version of duct tape … It should’ve just kind of flowed … if it’s one of those ‘20 years later’ Adam Sandler type bullshit things—yeah—but usually it's, ‘We couldn’t figure out how to finesse this. So we'll jump ahead six months and have a wedding scene.’” (Adam, [05:30])

• Discussion on how movies either earn their time-jumps or use them as shortcuts, referencing Chef and Clear History.

2. Behind-the-Scenes: Editors, Trust, and Hollywood Douchebaggery

[06:25]–[11:26]

• Adam talks about pickup shoots for his film Road Hard, and raves about finding an editor who “just wants to edit,” unusual in Hollywood where most want to direct.

  “I know you’re good at it… And he said, ‘Yeah.’ And I said, ‘But you want to direct one day?’ ‘Nope. I like editing.’ Now I love this guy.” (Adam, [09:14])

• Both Adam and the editor bond over mutual disdain for Telepictures:

  “How is it that every human being that has any contact with Telepictures … has decided they're the biggest fucking jack-off douchebag asshole weirdos in the world?” (Adam, [11:05])

3. Movie Ratings Rant: Historical Smoking and Modern Hypocrisy

[14:35]–[21:58]

• Adam and the crew riff on Monuments Men’s unusual PG-13 rating for “war violence and historical smoking,” and mock Hollywood’s obsession with anti-smoking warnings.

  “A 12-year-old can watch as much fisting-based porn as they want, but God forbid they see ‘historical smoking’ ... What are we even doing?” (Adam, [17:31])

• Adam extends the bit to the broader cultural phenomenon:

  “We take stands against things that nobody could defend, essentially. It’s the bumper sticker that says ‘end war.’" (Adam, [20:28])

4. School-to-Prison Pipeline and Social Problems

[23:59]–[33:18]

• Discussion around discipline and demographics in schools, with data showing higher suspension rates for black students.

• The group criticizes “safe,” noncommittal responses from institutional leaders:

  “He doesn’t want to go home and read a whole bunch of shitty tweets. So he just says something that means nothing.” (Adam, [32:36])

• Adam points out data correlating single-parent households with suspension rates:

  “Shockingly, the exact order as single-parent households … as who’s getting suspended most in schools.” (Adam, [25:19])

5. Caller Segment: Friendship and Outgrowing People

[34:30]–[40:32]

• Callers share life dilemmas: one about a declining friendship due to weed-induced stagnation; another about the “$75,000 happiness” income study.

  “At a certain point in my life, I started hanging around with successful people … you want to be a part of that.” (Adam, [37:07]) “The sting of not having enough is much greater than the pleasure of extra … Once you’re above a certain point, you don’t really feel it.” (Adam, [43:51])

6. Beer-Gate and Crew Drama

[122:17]–[144:06]

• Adam jokingly investigates who from the crew stole and returned beer, leading to an extended, playful analysis.

  “To the best of my knowledge, there is only one gentleman, and I use that term loosely, who brought the beer back, and that individual was Mike Altier.” (Adam, [140:14])

• Playful group teasing on loyalty, gratitude, and fear of the boss.

7. Interview Highlights: Matt Walsh & John Popper

Matt Walsh on Filming Into the Storm and Working with Julia Louis-Dreyfus

[48:28]–[56:43]

• Matt discusses shooting stunts, the difference between horror-comedies and straight horror, and plays along with Adam’s improv bit about having “cool” friends at his house.

  “I like a good comedy horror, like American Werewolf or Shaun of the Dead … If there’s comedy in it, I’ll watch it.” (Matt Walsh, [50:34])

• Praises Julia Louis-Dreyfus:

  “She likes the detail. She’s very pro about the joke and she really … works hard at it. She’s really good.” (Matt, [53:31])

John Popper on Touring and Collaborating

[126:07]–[135:23]

• John promotes the Under the Sun tour with Blues Traveler, Smash Mouth, Sugar Ray, and Uncle Kracker. They discuss aging, band dynamics, and recording collaborative tracks with various other bands:

  “When you work with people that are different, they show you cool stuff about you you didn't know.” (John Popper, [133:24])

8. Hollywood, Careers, and “Peak” Actor Performances

[88:12]–[99:12]

• Extended riffing on which movies represent actors at their most “themselves” (e.g., Pacino's “Scent of a Woman,” Swayze’s “Road House,” Nicholson’s “The Shining”).

9. Comic Industry & Stand-Up: Steve Hofstadter Interview

[154:19]–[166:00]

• Steve discusses his TV clip show Laughs, the difficulties of launching stand-up on television, and the pitfalls of “notes” from non-comics.

  “The best thing about it is … we’re only showing a minute and a half, and there are plenty who have a killer 90 seconds. Good luck getting to two.” (Steve, [155:45])

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• [05:30] Adam Carolla:
  “When it comes at the end of the movie … we couldn’t figure out how to finesse this or bridge this. So we're just gonna ... jump ahead six months. We'll have a wedding scene.”

• [09:14] Adam Carolla describing his editor:
  “You’re an editor, and that’s what you want to continue doing? ‘Absolutely.’ And I was like, now I love this guy.”

• [17:31] Adam Carolla on movie ratings:
  “A 12-year-old couldn’t handle ‘historical smoking’, but a 12-year-old can watch as much film fisting-based porn as they’d like on the Internet by age nine.”

• [20:28] Adam Carolla on cultural wars:
  “We take stands against things nobody could defend, essentially … it’s the bumper sticker that says ‘end war’. Who’s gonna have a serious beef with that?”

• [32:36] Adam Carolla on bureaucracy and cowardly leadership:
  “He doesn’t want to go home and read a whole bunch of shitty tweets. So he just says something that means nothing, and that's going to not solve the problem.”

• [43:51] Adam Carolla on money and happiness:
  “The sting of not having enough is much greater than the pleasure of extra. ... Once you make over a certain amount, you don’t feel it … but you do feel it when you’re well under.”

• [140:14] Adam Carolla’s verdict on Beer-Gate:
  “To the best of my knowledge, there is only one gentleman, and I use that term loosely, who brought the beer back, and that individual was Mike Altier.”

• [53:31] Matt Walsh on Julia Louis-Dreyfus:
  “She likes the detail. She’s very pro about the joke and she really … works hard at it. She’s really good.”

• [155:45] Steve Hofstadter (on his TV show):
  “There are plenty who have a killer 90 seconds. Good luck getting to two.”

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------------|--------------------------------------------------| | 03:22–06:25 | Filmmaking and “six months later” cop-out | | 06:25–11:26 | Editors, Hollywood, and Telepictures | | 14:35–21:58 | Movie ratings, “historical smoking”, hypocrisy | | 23:59–33:18 | School-to-prison pipeline, racial data | | 34:30–40:32 | Caller: Friendship and outgrowing friends | | 43:51 | The $75,000 income happiness study | | 122:17–144:06 | Beer-Gate: Staff drama, loyalty, “noted” | | 48:28–56:43 | Matt Walsh interview: stunts, Veep, improv bit | | 126:07–135:23 | John Popper interview: Tour stories, collaboration | | 88:12–99:12 | Actor “peak” roles riff | | 154:19–166:00 | Steve Hofstadter interview: Stand-up/TV industry |

Additional Highlights

• Recurring banter about Guardians of the Galaxy’s surprise success, voice acting, and James Gunn’s career.
• Extended improvisational riffing, especially with Matt Walsh (“What if Billy Connolly and Questlove just left my house?”).
• Thoughtful discussion about the challenges of launching careers in entertainment, stand-up “clip culture,” and the importance of honesty about ability and preparation.
• Classic Carolla rants on Hollywood bureaucracy, the legal system, and modern cowardice in cultural debates.
• Embarrassing but light-hearted “behind-the-scenes” crew shenanigans, e.g., the “beer heist.”

Overall Tone

The episode captures Adam Carolla’s signature style: a blend of wit, brash opinions, comedic group riffing, and a refusal to sugarcoat even Hollywood experiences. Regulars Allison Rosen and Bald Bryan provide chemistry and counterpoints, while guests smoothly fit into the sharp, irreverent conversational style. The tone is informal, fast-paced, sometimes self-mocking, and always feels like dropping in on highly opinionated friends with showbiz stories to spare.

For New Listeners

This episode is very representative of The Adam Carolla Show’s core strengths:

• Unfiltered insights on entertainment, culture, and human behavior
• Playful/dark crew drama as a comedic device
• Frequent digressions that turn into memorable, thematic discussions
• Quick pivots between the ridiculous and the profound

Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to Carolla’s world, this highlight reel delivers behind-the-scenes looks, social commentary, and plenty of laughs.