The Adam Carolla Show: Pat O’Brien + Adam Ray (Carolla Classics)

PodcastOne / Carolla Digital – August 23, 2025
Classic Episodes 1207 & 1210 (2013)

Episode Overview

This Carolla Classics installment features two popular episodes from 2013, highlighted by extended appearances from sportscaster Pat O’Brien and comedian Adam Ray. True to the show’s signature blend of no-holds-barred humor and conversational tangents, these clips cover a gamut of topics: gift-giving anxieties (notably Adam’s struggle with Jimmy Kimmel’s birthday), domestic mishaps, old-school car culture, addiction and sobriety, the shifting landscape of healthcare, and plenty of riffing on modern life—from sandwiches and snack foods to the strange etiquette of public restrooms. The tone is loose, irreverent, and often nostalgic, with guests and regulars like Allison Rosen, Bryan Bishop (“Bald Bryan”), and Michael “Dawson” Dawson providing rapid-fire banter and memorable moments.

Highlights and Key Segments

1. Gift-Giving, Box of the Month, and Jimmy Kimmel’s Birthday

[01:00–07:08]

• Adam struggles to figure out a suitable birthday gift for Jimmy Kimmel, lampooning the challenges of buying for wealthy friends. This leads to the invention of the “Box of the Month Club”—a purposely empty box with an inspirational note about needing nothing.
• Memorable Quote:
  “This is just a box … with an inspirational note: you need nothing. Count your blessings. I could give you a twelve-pack of imported beer, but you can get that at Trader Joe's for nine bucks. This is the gift.”
  —Adam Carolla ([02:09])
• Explores the frustrating search for the "perfect gift"—including an attempt to refurbish Kimmel’s old car, only to find out it was already taken care of by Kimmel’s assistant.

2. Domestic Mysteries and ‘Never Satisfying’ Victories

[07:11–17:22]

• Adam recounts a missing house key story. His logical suggestion that the key might be stuck to the underside of the mat is repeatedly dismissed—until he’s proven right.
  Quote:
  “We found the key. Where was it? Stuck to the underside of the mat.”
  —Adam Carolla ([09:42])
• Discussion devolves into why it’s never satisfying to be vindicated in domestic disputes: the reluctance of others to admit they were wrong, and why “currency” in relationships rarely carries over to the next disagreement.
• Allison Rosen’s Life Advice:
  “If it doesn't make you money and it doesn't make you happy, let it go.” ([11:35])

3. Food Debates: Grilled Cheese, Quesadillas, and the ‘Butter Sandwich’

[17:22–22:07]

• Adam proposes a culinary paradox: Why is American cheese great in grilled cheese, but “an abortion” in a quesadilla? Panel theorizes it’s the interplay of bread and butter that hides the blandness in a grilled cheese, while in a quesadilla the cheese is exposed.
• The ‘Butter Sandwich’ Debate: Is bread with butter really a sandwich?
  Consensus: Yes, especially if you grew up poor.

4. Jo Koy Story and Game Tape Regret

[24:18–28:46]

• Discussing comedic improvisation and “blowing past a moment”—Adam reviews a clip where he missed an opportunity to follow Jo Koy’s lead in an “improv sugar” bit.
• Adam on learning from missed comedic beats:
  “When you're in it, sometimes you're pushing… I was pushing to get him under the counter. That's right. Eye of the Tiger. Breaking down game tape with the Ace man.” ([27:23])

5. Legendary Stories: The Coffee Can Fart & Hobo Power

[30:32–35:26]

• The famous “coffee can fart” prank on Kimmel is recounted in detail: “He dove into that can and he just, you know, I mean, he really just, he took it in, nostrils flared. It’s the best part.”
  —Adam ([31:47])
• Hobo Power—a humorous, recurring show metric for rating bad smells—is invoked.

6. The Key to Happiness

[37:29–43:28]

• Listener Q: What’s the key to happiness?
  Adam’s take: It’s “not what you accumulate, but how you accumulate it.” Lasting satisfaction comes from earning things, not just possessing them.
• Memorable Quote:
  “Chasing happy is really just chasing, you know, that’s what drugs are for, amusement parks, alcohol… But when you earn it, that's where it feels… the satisfaction.”
  —Adam ([39:49])

7. Pat O’Brien on Old Cars, Car Culture, and Sobriety

[45:44–63:54]

• Classic car nostalgia: Adam and Pat reminisce about the tactile, unpredictable experience of driving old cars—manual windows, jiggly keys, bump starting—a lost world of mechanical connection and camaraderie.
• Notable moment:
  “There was a lot more basic communication with others… Pull up at a stoplight, windows down, ‘Hey, nice ride!’”
  —Adam ([48:07])
• Pat O’Brien’s story about late-onset alcoholism:
  “Mine kicked in… when I was 55 or 56, I couldn’t be without it. Once I got home, it was off to the races.” ([58:09])
• Discusses family history of alcoholism, his father smuggling booze in a cane, and the generational silence and shame of addiction.

8. Healthcare, Lawyers, and Young People’s Apathy

[64:32–70:48]

• Debates the failings of the healthcare and insurance systems, especially from the young person's apathy toward getting insurance.
• Adam: “If you’re relying on healthy people that are young to do the right thing…look out world.”

9. Communal Space Etiquette: Modern Airports, Hotel TVs, and Public Restrooms

[155:00–178:54] (Episode 1210, Adam Ray appearance)

• Adam Ray joins to reminisce about stand-up road gigs, wild bar scenes (mechanical bull riding, public drunkenness), and the surreal ethos of airports as society’s waiting rooms.
• Airport culture lampooned:
  “Airports… it’s just become a flophouse for rich people. You don’t see Whitey flopping out anywhere else like that.”—Adam ([162:22])
• Deep dive into public restroom etiquette, culminating in an argument between Adam Ray and a “bathroom bully” over the right to pee in a stall.

10. Pop Culture, Celebrity Anecdotes & Listener Q&A

Episode 1210, [88:32–130:00+]

• David Wild shares his remarkable interview experience with Eddie Murphy.
• Riffing on celebrity signatures (Michael Jordan's creative "23" in his autograph), fashion choices (Michael Jordan wearing shirts of himself), and more.

Notable Quotes & Their Speakers

• Adam Carolla:
  • “Gift giving to rich friends is the White Guy’s nightmare.” ([05:18])
  • “Satisfaction trumps happiness. You’ll be happy when you’re satisfied.” ([38:41])
  • “There’s a little compartment in everyone’s brain—you can fill it with God, or superstitions, or Wicca, or Santeria.” ([91:08])
• Pat O'Brien:
  • “My last day of drinking… I drank 10 bottles of wine. One setting.” ([59:22])
• Allison Rosen:
  • “If it doesn’t make you money and it doesn’t make you happy, let it go.” ([11:35])
• Adam Ray:
  • “They took me to this western bar with a mechanical bull… The guy holding the controls holds people’s fate in his hands.” ([143:04])

Episode Tone and Takeaways

• The episodes capture The Adam Carolla Show’s trademark style—freewheeling, candid and irreverent—with a focus on relatable everyday frustrations and absurdities.
• Listeners are treated to a blend of ribald humor, social observations, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, and genuine moments of vulnerability (Pat O'Brien’s candid talk about addiction, the honest look at middle-aged anxieties and friendships).
• The mix of nostalgia (for cars, shared public experiences), pop culture, and observational riffing offers both nostalgia and biting modern commentary, emphasizing how much has changed—and how much has stayed the same.

Timestamps for Critical Moments

• Kimmel Birthday/Gift Anxiety: 01:15–07:08
• Lost Key Domestic Saga: 07:11–17:22
• Food Debates: 17:22–22:07
• ‘Coffee Can Fart’ & Hobo Power: 30:32–35:26
• Key to Happiness / Satisfaction vs. Happiness: 37:29–43:28
• Pat O’Brien Sobriety Story: 57:09–63:54
• Healthcare & Young People: 64:32–70:48
• Airport/Public Restroom Etiquette: 155:00–178:54
• Adam Ray, Comedy & Road Stories: 138:37+
• Listener Q&A on Podcasting: 121:20–130:12

Final Thoughts

The best of Carolla Classics delivers—balancing unfiltered laughs with moments of reflection, and plenty of group therapy for all the irritating parts of 21st-century life. Longtime fans will appreciate the callbacks and chemistry, while newcomers are given an accessible window into why this show remains a podcasting giant.

For full laughs and anecdotes, check out the companion episode "Carolla Classics" wherever you get your podcasts.