Adam Carolla Show: “Rosie Perez + Marc Maron” (Carolla Classics)

Date: October 4, 2025
Host: Adam Carolla | Featuring: Marc Maron, Rosie Perez, Allison Rosen, Brian Bishop, Dave Dameshek
Format: Carolla Classics (Best-of highlights and full interviews from prior shows)

Episode Overview

This “Carolla Classics” episode is a two-part throwback, showcasing Adam Carolla’s legendary, unfiltered conversational style. The first segment is a raucous, freewheeling live interview with Marc Maron (originally recorded in 2013) that explores the world of comedy, showbiz struggles, and the personal quirks of both podcasters. The second segment features actress Rosie Perez, with conversations about her theater work, the rigors and camaraderie of live performance, and comedic digressions with the Carolla crew and guest Dave Dameshek.

In signature Carolla fashion, the discussions veer between self-deprecating humor, industry anecdotes, and spirited debates over pop culture minutia—punctuated by Carolla’s rants on architecture, family, and societal inefficiency.

Part 1: Marc Maron Interview (Live at Amalfi, 2013)

[00:59–43:00]

Key Discussion Points

Podcasting & Image

• Marc Maron's “Cool Guy” Podcast:

  • Adam calls Maron’s ‘WTF’ podcast "the coolest podcast...on the Ultranet," to which Maron replies with faux humility:

    “Am I a cool guy? I’m just an idiot talking in his garage.” (03:01)

  • Adam argues it's this humility that makes Maron “the Levi’s of podcasting," quipping about podcast status and style with a riff about being "the Wrangler" or "Toughskins" of podcasters.

• On the Set of Maron’s TV Show:

  • Adam notes Maron’s TV show set closely resembles his own house.
  • Maron reveals they wanted to shoot at his house, but his girlfriend objected, so “career or girlfriend” choice. They recreated his garage elsewhere:

    "My girlfriend wouldn't tolerate it. So I had to really choose TV career or girlfriend. And I decided to keep her." (04:39)

• Riffs on LA Housing & Architecture:

  • Extended banter about the botched architectural “remuddling” rampant in LA:

    “It's the equivalent of the world's worst 70s toupee.” (05:24, Adam)

Self-Image, Fashion, and Midlife Regret

• Both Maron and Carolla reminisce on regrettable fashion choices of their pasts:

  • Maron:

    “There's footage of me on television sitting next to Conan O'Brien. Polo tie, almost black leather pants and a black velvet Nehru jacket. What the fuck was I thinking?” (09:15)

  • Carolla:

    "I got no pussy. All the guys who were dressed like Vanilla Ice were getting pussy..." (08:55) "One time I bought black cowboy boots ... My buddy Ray saw me ... said, ‘That's Kelly. That's not you, asshole. Get the fuck back in the house.’" (11:36)

• On Trends vs. Timelessness:

  • Adam argues that "society is rarely kind to trends," advocating classic choices:

    "I realized that anything that was a trend—new wave, romantic, disco, grunge—it was a trend. And society was rarely kind to trends." (10:21)

The Entertainment Grind: Late-Night TV, Booking, and Pre-Interview Nightmares

• The Pre-Interview Dance ("What Else You Got?")

  • Maron details the awkward network TV segment prep, impersonating a booker always asking for more material:

    “You’ll sit there for five minutes, tell this guy something, he’ll go, ‘Huh. What else?’” (17:28) “That’s good stuff, but...what else you got?” (17:55)

  • Adam likens it to being forced to reveal all your “comedy gold” up front, with little feedback.

• How Jay Leno Differs from Conan:

  • Maron's first upcoming Leno show is discussed. Adam confirms that Leno makes a point of being charming and referencing guest books as “bullet points,” but:

    “He will come down before the show, he will tell you he’s read your book...But Marin’s book, real funny.” (21:13)

  • Both agree Leno is less interested in actual conversation during pre-show calls.

Banter on TV Actors, Podcasts, and the Lowest Common Denominator

• Carolla and Maron vent about the way TV bookers over-prep interviews for actors and comedians alike due to the 'lowest common denominator'—because so many actors are lousy guests:

  "Actors are boring. They’re pompous, they're egotistical, and they're dumb and they're not good at conversation." (54:56, Adam)

Notable/Laugh-Out-Loud Quotes

• Adam on LA home architecture:

  “It looks like your house grew a shit hat made of stucco.” (07:01)

• Marc Maron on his comedy outfits:

  “I met some dude. He said he was like, you know, a designer ... made me a special outfit for Conan. The shirt seemed like curtain material." (13:13)

• Adam on podcaster status:

  "I like to think of you as maybe the Levi's of podcasting, and I'm the Toughskins.” (03:22)

• On child-rearing:

  “Daddy usually has a couple glasses of wine and stands up and goes, you better hope Daddy doesn't stop talking. Daddy stops talking, the Audi goes back to the dealer...” (82:00)

Part 2: Rosie Perez Interview + Dave Dameshek

[145:00-END]

Key Discussion Points

Rosie Perez & The 24-Hour Plays

• Rosie’s Charity Event:
  • Discussion centers on the “24 Hour Plays” for Urban Arts Partnership, where six plays are written, cast, and performed within 24 hours.

    “It's insanity. And I've been doing it for 11 years.” (145:30, Rosie)

• Actor Panic Stories:
  • Hilarity ensues as Rosie describes Eva Mendes panicking and hiding her script in a prop magazine—only for it to fall out mid-show.

    “She brought a prop on stage, and it was a magazine, and in the magazine was her script. ... She sat down and, I mean, got up from when she was seated, the script fell off on the stage. The whole audience started cracking up.” (146:08)

• Film vs. Theater Actors:
  • Rosie teases that movie actors have the hardest time with the pressure and lack of “creature comforts” like dressing rooms:

    “There's no trailers in theater, you know, and there's no dressing rooms because you have 24 actors all together." (148:03)

• Philosophy of Performance:
  • Adam riffs on actors as often being "shitty students" who use creativity to avoid the "homework muscle" required for lines.

Dog-Sitting and Disaster

• The show takes a detour when Rosie reveals she’s dog-sitting three dogs (and a parrot) for a friend. As the studio dog pees on the carpet mid-interview, Adam jokes about the constant anxiety of pet-sitting and shares a dark story about a friend's dog’s demise—prompting group groans.

  “People give you their dog, and then it’s like their emotional future is wrapped up in how good job you do with these dogs.” (152:09)

Traffic, Cities, and Rants

• Adam goes on a classic LA traffic rant, critiquing former mayor Villaraigosa and city leadership for being clueless, particularly for being considered for the role of US Transportation Secretary despite LA's notorious congestion.

  “How the fuck can Viragosa be on the short list [for transportation secretary]?” (166:32)

• Rosie vents about Michael Bloomberg’s congestion pricing and enormous bike lanes in NYC, which she argues only serve the elite.

  “He put bike lanes that are so wide, like three bicycles could go down at a time.” (177:27, Rosie)

• Adam on driving culture:

  “We would come up on people that were doing 61 in the left lane ... Mike would shoot them the high beams as we were coming up on him. They wouldn't fucking budge.” (173:19)

• Adam's advice to “fight back” against speed traps by getting a radar detector.

Women, Power, and Prison Psychology

• A philosophical debate arises on male vs. female aggression and the “reptilian brain,” with Rosie sharing anecdotes about women manipulating corrections officers mentally in prison.

  “Women are just smarter.” (189:25, Rosie)

• Adam speculates:

  “If women had fifty pounds on us, they’d be kicking the shit out of us.” (188:20)

Miscellaneous: Food Color Debate

• Dave Dameshek poses: “Which food color has the most good food associated with it?” (139:00)
  • Arguments fly: Yellow? Orange? Brown?
  • Consensus lands on 'Brown' for being the color of the best foods (baked, fried, chocolate).

Memorable Quotes/Timestamps

• On pre-interview struggles:

  “That’s good stuff, but what else you got?” (17:55 – Adam as booker)

• On LA home expansion:

  “Why is that ugly house eating the small little house?” (06:54 – Maron)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:59 – Start of Marc Maron interview (Podcasting, house talk)
• 05:54 – Adam’s “world’s worst toupee” rant (architecture)
• 09:15 – Marc Maron’s outfit horror stories
• 14:55 – Adam's “May-December home remodels” analogy
• 16:19 – Late-night set prep woes (“What else you got?” routine)
• 19:43 – Marc discusses upcoming Leno appearance & producer calls
• 33:47 – Adam’s classic “What can’t Adam complain about?” (Paul Newman, race cars)
• 40:23 – Adam’s horsepower/car metaphor for business inefficiency
• 58:46–61:36 – News Segment: Jodi Arias verdict and Adam’s ideas for monetizing trials
• 145:00–149:01 – Rosie Perez interview begins (24 Hour Plays, actor panic, dog chaos)
• 166:32–176:20 – LA traffic rant: politics, policy, speed limits
• 188:20–191:18 – Rosie Perez on women’s prisons & manipulation
• 193:17 – Outro and calls to action

Style and Tone

• Freewheeling, irreverent, heavily anecdotal
• Adam’s rants oscillate between hilarious exaggeration and serious commentary
• Panel dynamic encourages run-on riffs, bits, and spontaneous “complain about anything” challenges
• Standout for sharp, unsparing wit—“no sacred cows”

Useful for Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This two-part “Carolla Classics” is essential listening for fans of comedy, showbiz behind-the-scenes, and Adam’s brand of cultural critique. There’s little pretense—just honest banter, self-mockery, and perpetual one-upmanship. The first half offers inside podcast industry comedy with Marc Maron and Adam Carolla’s shared frustration for showbiz phoniness. The second, with Rosie Perez and Dave Dameshek, features off-the-cuff stories, meta-debates about food, driving, and the absurdities of daily life.

Best for:

• Lovers of long-form comedic dialogue
• Listeners interested in podcasting/entertainment industry anecdotes
• Fans of unfiltered, rapid-fire panel shows

Skip if:

• You expect organized interviews or clean soundbites (this is maximalist, overlapping, and energetic)

Notable "Classic" Moments

• Adam and Maron’s riff on LA “stucco monstrosities”—so funny and visual you can see the houses crumbling.
• Rosie Perez describing actors hiding scripts in their props and the foibles of theater.
• “What can’t Adam complain about?”—an acrobatic act of turning beloved things like Paul Newman and air into gripes.
• Dave Dameshek’s food color debate, a weirdly passionate group argument about whether brown is the most delicious color.
• Adam’s ongoing campaign for car-culture sanity: high beams, speed limits, and the war on front license plates.

Final Notes

The show remains a masterclass in “riff and rant” podcasting, equally accessible to new listeners and old fans. Every segment, no matter the ostensible topic, becomes an excuse for feverish improvisation. If you want the distilled essence of Carolla and friends—comic storytelling avant-garde—without waiting for the ads to end, start here.

“It looks like your house grew a shit hat made of stucco.”

— Adam Carolla ([07:01])

Further info:

• Rosie Perez’s charity: [Urban Arts Partnership / broadstage.com events]
• Marc Maron’s book: Attempting Normal
• Adam Carolla’s projects: [AdamCarolla.com | Substack]
• PodcastOne Archives: “Carolla Classics” series

End of Summary.