Transcript

A (0:00)

Hey, everybody out there and welcome back to everybody's favorite podcast. This is RU Garbage.

B (0:05)

Oh, yeah.

A (0:06)

It's that little show. We sit down with your favorite comedians and we find it at the group to be classy.

B (0:10)

Yeah.

A (0:10)

Or if they're just a big old piece of trash. Trash, trash, trash. I'm your host, H. Foley. Coming at you on a beautiful day. We're out back here at Tooties in a new edition. She's upstairs in a room watching a little Rockford Files.

B (0:20)

Okay.

A (0:21)

Loves that James Garner.

C (0:22)

Sure.

A (0:23)

It's a very popular show in the 70s. Kevin Mike cohes is coming at you from right next to me. He is the CEO of RU Garbage. He is an international businessman and my best palace the whole wide world, and I love them. Give it up for kj Kevin. James Ryan, everybody.

B (0:35)

What up, gang? Shout out to you. Thanks for tuning in as always. Please make sure you rate, view, subscribe on itunes. Full video available on YouTube. Full video available over there on Spotify. And the boys are climbing the charts.

A (0:44)

That's actually true this week.

B (0:45)

And then the greatest website of all time, www.patreon.com. are you garbage? You go over there, you get all that bonus content, gang.

A (0:52)

Yes, sir. And gang, we couldn't be more excited to have our incredibly, and I mean incredibly special guest here with us today for the first time. He is a legendary standup comedian, actor, and podcaster. And you might have seen him in but not limited to. Now. I got to hold this up. I don't have my contact lenses in. Gang, strap in, but get ready for this. You got the Wayans Brothers, Daddy Daycare. All right. You got Little Man, House of Pain, who made the potato salad? Which has been brought up multiple times on this year program as one of the funniest movies ever. Think Like a Man, Meet the Blacks, Undercutter, Undercover Brother 2, BET Comic View, the Soul Train Awards, Good Morning America, the Late Show, Rachael Ray, Steve Harvey, Hip Hop Squares, Wild n Out, the D.L. hughley Show, Maury, the Breakfast Club. He has his own podcast, get something near every week. And his specials include. You ready for this?

Summary

Are You Garbage? Comedy Podcast

Episode: Gary Owen!

Hosts: H. Foley & Kevin Ryan
Guest: Gary Owen
Date: February 8, 2026

Overview

This episode of "Are You Garbage?" features the legendary standup comedian Gary Owen. Hosts H. Foley and Kevin Ryan put Gary to the test to determine if he's "garbage" or "classy," digging deep into his upbringing, career, family drama, and material success. The episode offers a hilarious and honest portrait of Gary’s trailer park roots, Navy years, rise to fame in comedy, and eventual evolution into his current, more upscale life—all in the show’s signature blend of roasting and affection.

Gary Owen's Early Life & Upbringing

Childhood & Family Dynamics

Gary grew up on the outskirts of Cincinnati, Ohio, in a setting that shifted based on his mom’s relationships.
“It was outskirts vibe. I always say it’s depending on who my mom was dating. Kind of moving around.” (02:28)
At age 10, his family moved into a trailer park in Hamilton, Ohio. He describes a chaotic home life, with multiple half-siblings from both his mom and dad, whom he didn’t really grow up close to due to big age gaps: “19 years between me and the youngest.” (07:01)
The family vacations were minimal—a single trip to Cocoa Beach, Florida, crammed into a non-air-conditioned station wagon. It was memorable chiefly because Gary saw his first sex worker there at age 10.
- “That’s the first hooker I ever saw. Cocoa Beach.” (08:46)

Stepdad Drama & Family Ties

Gary’s stepdad, Rodney, featured prominently in his childhood stories.
- “If you have… those of you who don’t have kids yet, don’t name your son Rodney, because as an adult, you will get this phone call: ‘Hey, did you hear what happened to Rodney?’” (05:27)
Rodney and Gary’s mom are still together, but the family has seen its share of hardships: one brother died of a heroin overdose, and another is permanently brain-damaged after a violent drug incident. Gary is now estranged from his entire family.
Falling out happened after a 2014 BuzzFeed profile upset Rodney:
- “That’s when my mom and Rodney went—left my mom especially, because I kind of—the family secret got let out. Rodney’s an asshole, but everybody knows he’s an asshole.” (13:43)

School Days, Social Life, & First Jobs

School Experience

Gary was an average student (“right in the meaty part of the curve" (14:44)) but popular, named Prom King and class clown.
He didn’t attend prom by choice, nearly going to a Reds game instead, and only went because he landed on prom court. His date was a last-minute setup, which led to a comically awkward night and a surprise “full circle” moment (16:25–17:40) years later:
- “Guess who my green room waitress is—the girl from prom.” (17:04)

First Job

Worked at a strawberry farm as a teenager—getting up before sunrise, earning $11/hour picking berries, and getting paid under the table, along with a payday candy bar.
- “Lunch was amazing. It was like out of a movie. Picnic table, chicken salad sandwiches, iced tea with the big glass lemons…” (22:24)
Never took the SAT or ACT; instead, took the military’s ASVAB to join the Navy.
- “My best friend…woke me up one Saturday morning…‘Gary, you gotta get out of here’... him and his dad drove me down to the recruiting station.” (23:27)

Navy Years & Stand-Up Beginnings

Military Service

Navy for six years—initially in the Presidential Honor Guard in Washington, D.C.
“First duty station was Washington, D.C. I was in Honor Guard…spinning the rifles.” (24:51)
Participated in Clinton’s inauguration, military funerals at Arlington, and White House ceremonies (27:11).
Then transferred to San Diego, became Navy police, and started doing stand-up comedy.
His first attempt at stand-up—for the legendary Comedy Store in La Jolla—was disastrous, resulting in being immediately kicked out for a joke about underage drinking.
- “The lights went off, the mic went off. Two guys came out of nowhere, grabbed me by the shirt and winged me out the front door.” (31:36)

Breaking Into Comedy

Got back into comedy doing black rooms in San Diego—crucial in shaping his career niche as a white comic in a black comedy world.
- “A lot of white comics didn’t want to go there. So that’s really what got me started…in all the black shows.” (32:36)
Regular at karaoke/comedy hybrid nights and eventually got back on stage at the Comedy Store after apologizing.

Career Success, Money, and Star Encounters

Comedy Rise

Broke in with TV (BET Comic View, movie with Jamie Foxx) and quickly saw more money than he ever had.
- Bought a Rolex after his first big checks. “It was an expensive one, but…I bought a nice little watch.” (55:44)
Received a $150k holding deal from Quincy Jones after an unlikely set of performances at Montreal’s Just For Laughs festival:
- “He wrote the check and handed it to me. And my manager goes, ‘Oh, this never happens.’” (60:55)
Spent months at Quincy’s house.
- “The stories he told—I’m not going to share them all, but they’re true…like Frank Sinatra and Orson Welles and Michael Jackson…” (62:10)

Present-Day Life—Wealth, Family, & Taste

Upscale Living

Lives in Houston suburb Sienna:
- “There’s no Rodneys in the neighborhood.” (35:39)
Building his own house with a custom pool, sunken outdoor game area, and a connected hot tub.
- “Always wanted the sunken area to watch the game.” (36:37)
Drives an Audi S8; his partner drives an electric Escalade because of their two-year-old twins.
Notable “glow up” from his roots:
- “You picked strawberries and grew up in a trailer park. Now you’re building your own house and have a pool with a waterfall.” (38:01)

Vacations & Perks

Annual family trips to the Bahamas:
- “I do the Bahamas twice a year—I do July 4th and I do Christmas at the Bahamar.” (42:05)
The arrangement: he performs one show, gets all rooms and food comped, and brings the entire extended family.
- “They give me a cabana at the pool…just took great care of us.” (44:58)

Food, Drinking, & Personal Style

Diet & Indulgence

Eats clean, rarely fast food, enjoys masa chip nachos at home (65:03), collects wine but is more a social drinker.
- "If other people are around...I get horny when I drink, so I don't want to just be drinking by myself." (65:56)

Barbers & Grooming

Struggles to find a reliable barber in Houston, prefers “quick, simple cuts” and is annoyed by extensive barber “events.”
- “Black barbers…take a long time and it's an event.” (47:16)
Has a temperature-controlled wine display by the front door—“…it's like 104 [bottles] and I think I'm at 98, and I've bought like six of the bottles.” (50:44)

Travel & Flying

Flies United (“can get everywhere direct out of Houston” (52:18)), up front whenever possible, conscious about putting his airplane seat back:
- “I see who’s behind me. I’m very cautious because I don’t like it when somebody just goes [slams seat back]…” (53:08)
Prefers snacks over meals on planes; not a “bring-my-own-meal” guy.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

On Growing Up

“I am the only guy that’s in the top and bottom half of the meaty part of the curve.” (14:44)
“One vacation. Cocoa Beach, Florida. I saw my first hooker.” (07:53)

On Rodney

“Rodney had every bad black stereotype…no job, in and out of jail…I go, that’s Rodney.” (09:03)
[On stepdad fighting his real dad at his wedding]: “Rodney sucker punched my real dad at the wedding, bro.” (66:42)

On Comedy Beginnings

“First day in San Diego…called the Comic Castle. Guy goes, ‘Hold on, let me check.’ He comes back, he goes, ‘I can't find him’…he was looking for a superhero named Open Mic.” (30:15)
“I got kicked out of the Comedy Store, but I knew I could talk shit, so I took a little solace out of it.” (31:50)

On Making It/Having Money

“Once you go up front [on a plane], you can’t go to the back.” (53:00)
[On his resort deal]: “You’re on vacation. You’re like, ‘I don’t wanna pay for this thing.’ ‘Wipe it up. I’ll do 45 [minutes].’” (44:46)

On Black Audiences

“No matter what you do in life, whether you’re playing basketball, telling jokes, you’re at a wedding, dancing—if there’s nothing like black people hyping you up…” (70:34)
“It really does hit different.” (71:05)

Notable Segments & Timestamps

[02:25] — Gary describes growing up in Cincinnati-outskirts, trailer park living.
[07:53] — Only family vacation; sees first sex worker at age 10.
[14:44] — “Meaty part of the curve”—average in school, class clown, prom king.
[22:01] — First job: picking strawberries; paid in cash and a candy bar.
[23:27] — Getting pushed into the Navy by a friend.
[24:51] — Honor Guard experiences, Clinton inauguration, Navy police stories.
[31:36] — Getting kicked out of the Comedy Store for threatening to call the cops.
[42:05] — His Bahamas gig-for-vacation arrangement.
[44:58] — “They just took great care of us”—cabana, rooms, food at resort.
[55:44] — First splurges: Rolex and Quincy Jones $150k deal.
[60:55] — “He wrote the check and handed it to me…” Quincy Jones deal story.
[66:42] — Rodney sucker-punches Gary’s real dad at his wedding.

Is Gary Garbage?

Judgment:

“[You] started Rodney in a goddamn trailer park. You’re allowed to ask for the Mountain Valley water…Now you’re building your own house and have a pool with a waterfall.” (52:02)
Final verdict (comic): “You’re trash, buddy. The great kind…You redeemed yourself. But you’re dirt. A goddamn gentleman these days!” (73:20)

Takeaway

Gary Owen’s episode is classic “Are You Garbage?”—a raw and hilarious deep-dive into hardscrabble beginnings, colorful family history, hustling toward success, and ultimately growing into serious comfort without losing perspective (or self-deprecation). Listeners get both outrageous anecdotes and a sense of triumph, all bathed in the show’s signature trashy-classy analysis.