Are You Garbage? — “Are You Jewish?” w/ Ari Shaffir

Episode Date: April 2, 2026
Guests: Kevin Ryan, H. Foley, Ari Shaffir

Episode Overview

This raucous episode marks the return of comedian Ari Shaffir, who puts his hosts Kevin Ryan and H. Foley through a new twist on their usual "Are You Garbage?" test—this time to answer: Are You Jewish? Amidst hilarious tales, irreverent banter, and plenty of digressions, the gang explores everything from international travel stories to the quirks of Jewish identity. Ari shares his travel adventures, new projects, and orchestrates an impromptu Jewishness quiz, all while busting each other's chops in classic Are You Garbage? style.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Ari’s Return: The Watch, Retirement, and Rich Guy Jokes

• Ari’s flashy appearance and thrift store chic sparks jokes about his “wealth” and rumors about his possible retirement.
  • “Could you retire right now? Could you ride off into the sunset financially?” (A, 03:42)
  • Ari jokes he could last six months if he moved to Guatemala or Berlin, provided his new show makes money.
• Ari teases his new storytelling show, The End, sharing that comics like Shane Gillis and Tom Segura worked for minimal pay—“I am legitimately broke now. It was all my money, and then I had to borrow the rest from Tom.” (C, 09:41)

2. Travel Tales & Living Dirtbag Abroad

• Ari reflects on minimalist backpacking, keeping only a few clothes, notebooks, and the Are You Garbage? card game, which he spread to hostels worldwide.
  • “There is trash from France and the Netherlands and fucking Belgium and everywhere in the fucking world, that’s trash. And the Latin American ones, they know it too.” (C, 15:57)
• They marvel at how the “garbage” way of life is universal. Ari’s Are You Garbage? game is a hit with hostel travelers, laughably revealing “trash” exists in every culture.

3. Spreading Kindness: Paying It Forward

• Ari recalls being given $300 by Kevin and H. before his travels, instructed to do random acts of kindness.
  • “Give it out to people who deserve it...pay it forward.” (B, 18:13)
• Ari recounts giving a big tip to a street flutist and most notably, an encounter in Guatemala with “the coolest guy”—a Somali jazz musician and coffee shop owner named Stormy.
  • “This dude is so fucking pure and legitimately the coolest man I've ever met...I gave him $100 US. And he lost his mind. He goes, allah bless you. All the blessings in eternity.” (C, 25:47)

4. Garbage Economics & Classic Cheapness

• Long-form riff about street hustlers, gold in the Diamond District, and cheap living.
• Stories of arguing with food vendors about price and the “Jewish” inclination to talk people down—a running bit for the “Are You Jewish?” segment:
  • “I go, I live here. And I think he was like, all right, give me five bucks or something. There was a concession.” (B, 38:04)
• H. Foley and Kevin debate the merits of paying more for better tickets when free ones exist, with Ari insisting, “Why would I get better tickets when I already have free tickets?” (A, 34:38)

5. "Are You Jewish?" The Game

• Ari puts on a makeshift tallit and leads Kevin and H. through a rapid-fire quiz on Jewish tropes and behaviors:
  • Shared cultural guilt and eating: “Catholic mother and Jewish mother are very, very similar.” (A, 32:04)
  • Academic achievements, business sense, misleadingly frugal yet sometimes bad at managing money, and humorous coping mechanisms.
  • Property taxes, scalp ticket buying, and grocery shopping at convenience stores all play into his satirical “Jewish audit.”
• Memorable back-and-forth about a $100 Uber ride, faulty phone chargers, and who ultimately owes whom:
  • “I considered even.” (A, 54:28)
  • “So I’m down 188.” (C, 54:40)
  • “He’s good at business!” (B, 54:27)

6. Verdicts and Identity

• After the probing quiz, Ari delivers his comedic judgements:
  • “H. Foley, this pains me. You are. You are not a Jew.” (C, 58:00)
  • “Kevin Ryan, you are a Jew. I’ve got you this....Welcome to the tribe.” (C, 58:38, 59:06)
• The gang revels in Kevin’s new status, with everyone trying on the yarmulke and breaking into laughter.

7. Meta-Commentary: Influence and Legacy

• The hosts praise Ari’s risk-taking in self-funding his new show, acknowledging his influence:
  • “You laid the groundwork for what we also create here. We always quote you...take a loan out to make The End. I respect it.” (B, 60:52)
• Joking about business acumen and how “garbage” traits transcend culture, with nods to Catholic guilt, Jewish identity, and classic New York hustler culture.

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• On Garbage Universality:
  • “There is trash from France and the Netherlands and fucking Belgium and everywhere in the world, that's trash.” — Ari, (15:57)
• On Frugality:
  • “Why would I get better tickets when I already have free tickets?” — H. Foley, (34:38)
• On Spreading Joy:
  • “My friend Kevin Ryan said, if I see somebody worthy, I should give it to him. This man is a blessed man, this Kevin Ryan.” — Ari, retelling Stormy's words, (25:58)
• On Getting Scammed/Business Savvy:
  • “You think you have a good business sense?” — Ari, (43:46)
  • “I think you have the worst business sense of the two.” — Ari, pointed at H., (44:21)
• $100 Uber story:
  • “You are arguing about money...if you could put in post some of these on him while he's doing that. The pay us.” — Ari, (54:44)
• On who’s “Jewish”:
  • “You are not a Jew.” — Ari, (58:00)
  • “Kevin Ryan, you are a Jew. I’ve got you this...Welcome to the tribe.” — Ari, (58:38, 59:06)

Important Segments with Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:51 | Ari’s new show The End and its all-star lineup | | 15:45 | Ari describes using Are You Garbage? game in hostels | | 18:04 | Ari tells of paying it forward with $300 from the hosts | | 23:02 | Ari meets “the coolest guy”—San Marcos, Guatemala story | | 29:33 | “Are You Jewish?” game segment begins | | 43:46 | Business acumen discussion — Who’s got “Jewy” business sense | | 54:06 | The $100/180 Uber saga—debate about who “won” the exchange | | 58:00 | Final verdict—who is Jewish? | | 60:52 | Last segment—praise for Ari's trailblazing/self-funded art |

Tone and Style

• Irreverent, self-deprecating, rowdy, and fast-paced.
• All three comedians riff mercilessly, often interrupting, making fun of each other’s clothes, habits, backgrounds, and financial choices.
• Ari’s dry sarcasm meets the big-hearted, boisterous style of the hosts.
• Good-natured, occasionally absurd, but always affectionate—even as they needle one another over money, religion, or “garbage” status.

Summary Takeaways

• This episode lampoons cultural habits, identity, stereotypes, and the fine art of being a lovable dirtbag.
• Ari’s wild traveler’s tales and the trio’s money mishaps become a prism for exploring what it “means” to be Jewish (and Garbage) in America.
• The hosts’ witty banter provides plenty of laughs but also gently lampoons cultural divisions in a spirit of inclusiveness.

Fans of Are You Garbage? will love the wit, warmth, and biting humor—plus the “Are You Jewish?” twist. Ari’s backpacking stories, him bestowing the honorary yarmulke, and the money mishaps are all classic moments.