Are You Garbage? – Rory Scovel

Podcast with Kevin Ryan & H. Foley
Episode Air Date: September 18, 2025

Episode Overview

Comedian Rory Scovel joins hosts Kevin Ryan and H. Foley to determine if he’s truly “garbage,” according to the rules of RU Garbage—a show where guests are grilled about their upbringings, habits, and lifestyles in a hilariously judgmental game of white-trash bingo. The episode takes listeners through Rory’s journey from a chaotic upbringing in South Carolina to his present life as a successful comedian and family man in Denver. Throughout the conversation, the trio dives into tales of family struggle, the joys of chain restaurants, questionable hygiene habits, and trash-culture nostalgia, while also exploring how these formative experiences have carried into adulthood.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Rory’s Upbringing: Blue-Collar, Big Family, Modest Means

[04:00] – [08:00] Childhood in Greenville, SC

• Mother’s passing/Family dynamic: Rory’s mother died on his first birthday. His aunt moved in to help his dad (a postal worker), and his dad later remarried, adding five half-siblings for a total of seven kids.
  • “My dad worked at the post office, and […] he remarried and they had five kids, so I have five half siblings, so I’m one of seven.” (05:00)
• The family home: A modest, aging three-bedroom, later retrofitted with makeshift basement bedrooms (“I don’t know that he knows how to connect these two pieces of wood”). The house, still in the family, is described as “falling apart.” (08:16)

Education, ADHD, and the Move to Comedy

[04:28], [05:51], [07:04]

• Private school on a budget: Rory’s dad pulled overtime and refereed hoops to keep the oldest two in private school, as promised to Rory’s late mother.
• Academic struggles and ADHD: Diagnosed in high school, started on Ritalin then Adderall; transformative for grades but contributed to later depression.
  • “I got on some Ritalin with my stomach, then they switched me to Adderall. High honors student immediately.” (05:51)
  • “I stopped before college because it was making me wildly depressed.” (47:30)
• Soccer scholarships: Brief stint at UCF, switched to South Carolina Upstate as money and logistics forced a change.
• Early jobs: Busboy at Crazy Marlins in Panama City Beach (16:00), camera operator at a local news station (07:02).
• First attempts at stand-up: Inspired by a David Cross album, career kicks off after move to DC (07:24).

Home Life and Family Rituals

[08:49] – [26:58] Household Details

• No pets: Dad's allergies and asthma stopped any real pet adoptions; one dog “got rid of” without discussion: “There was no conversation. Psychologically, you should say goodbye.” (11:50)
• Groceries and Meals: Bilo and Piggly Wiggly for groceries, “a lot of takeout,” and heavy rotation of Hamburger Helper. Rare use of the dining table, most meals eaten at the kitchen counter with TV on. (22:00)
  • “We had a dining room table this size... never used it and never used it. And I gotta say, it has made me the person that's like, turn the fuck... turn everything off... We're sitting here and chatting and, like, talk.” (23:21)
• Chores: Rory and his older sister handled the weekend deep clean—the youngest siblings weren’t pressed as hard. (“I take care of my house now.”)

Classic “Garbage” Moments & Tangible Trash Culture

[12:09] – [35:55] Vacations, Cars, Food, and More

• Family vacations: Always Myrtle Beach, renting the tiniest beach condo and squeezing everyone in. (“You put everybody into like a... mattress, fold-out bed in the living room.” 12:58)
• Family vehicles: Cycled through old minivans and a hand-me-down 1981 Buick LeSabre. He wore old family “shitty” cars as a badge of honor. (14:09)
• First concert: New Kids on the Block, 5th grade, at Furman University stadium. (20:57)
• Dining out: Applebee’s, Red Lobster, and Capri’s Italian; chains dominated until adulthood. (26:05)
  • “The idea of, like, a restaurant that isn’t a chain was not something I was really aware of.” (26:29)
• Sugary breakfast: “We had everything you can drink of... Frosted Flakes... Cap’n Crunch... Fruity Pebbles...” (30:55)
• Soda: “Lots of soda. I was addicted to Dr. Pepper.” (31:59)
• First real splurges: When he booked his first big role (Ground Floor, 2013), spent his whole check on flying friends to Hawaii and buying Diesel jeans.
  • “Pretty much a full check to take me and my wife, girlfriend at the time and our, like, some of our friends to Hawaii.” (37:05)

Adult Life: Comfortable, Still Trashy at Heart

[42:31] – [67:14] Present-Day Habits and Upgrades

• Current status: Married, one daughter; renting a five-bedroom in the Denver suburbs.
  • “We moved to Denver a year ago... It’s the most suburban I’ve ever lived in my life, and I thought I’d hate it, but I think at 45, I get it now.” (43:53)
• Car game: Leasing a Hyundai Ioniq 5 now (after five years in a Tesla Model 3: “It’s probably the first time I bought a brand new car.” 42:36)
• No TV in the bedroom or living room: “I’m not like a big TV guy.” (46:14)
• Reading: Sudden, intense commitment in adulthood: “Before January, I had maybe read 15 books in my entire life... I have now read since January, 28 books this year. I’m so addicted.” (46:37)
• Grocery shopping: Sprouts is the go-to; impressed by the size of King Soopers; privileged nostalgia (Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Erewhon comes up briefly). (56:33–57:20)
• Housekeeping: Butter now kept on the counter and in the fridge: “The butter on the counter... you can just spread it.” (36:04)
• Toiletries: Tom’s toothpaste, eco-friendly bar soaps (“My wife is very, like, waste conscious of all that stuff...”). (51:53)
• Cologne: Hugo Boss, Polo, and a nostalgic nod to the old-school Ralph Lauren green bottle (“They just were like, let’s get a different scent in there.” 54:00)
• Still trashy: Brings leftovers home, bites his nails to the quick, will buy the floor model, splits (but prefers to pick up) dinner checks, pees in the shower.

Philosophical/Reflective Moments

Struggle, Success, and Not-So-Serious Insights

• Parental retrospection:
  • “He wasn't perfect, but fuck, I could have probably had a little more grace.” (10:34)
• On celebrating career wins:
  • “As soon as you do something good, you’re like, ‘Okay, great. Well, I got to worry that I do another good thing.’ And so you never fucking enjoy, you never celebrate anything, you’re just always two steps ahead.” (38:34)
• On childhood shaping adulthood:
  • “As much as I kind of wish, maybe we did that [chores] less and we could hang out more on the weekends... it does make me reflect and go, I am kind of happy that I don’t live like a piece of shit. Like, I clean up." (25:01)

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• On depression from ADHD meds:
  “I stopped before college because it was making me wildly depressed. I would finish my work so fast and sit in my room. No music, nothing. Quiet.” (47:30)
• On chain restaurant innocence:
  “The idea of, like, a restaurant that isn’t a chain was not something I was really aware of...I also did not know that people thought they were trash.” (26:29)
• On trash pride:
  “I like took so much pride in the fact that we had a shitty car. My dad had a...this old two door Toyota Corolla...like one step above a go kart.” (14:06)
• On splurging the first big check:
  “Pretty much a full check to take me and my wife, girlfriend at the time and our, like, some of our friends to Hawaii and got like a MTV cribs style house for like a week, which was the whole paycheck.” (37:05)
• On reading later in life:
  “Before January, I had maybe read 15 books in my entire life... I have now read since January, 28 books this year. I’m so addicted.” (46:37)
• On Christmas trees:
  “Growing up, always artificial tree. My dad’s asthma. We didn’t even bring in a real tree. Always was in the artificial tree.” (63:09)

Memorable Moments

• Milk with dinner: Unapologetic about drinking milk with dinner and ice cream—a recurring “Are You Garbage” benchmark. (23:49)
• First car accident: Old Buick LeSabre shrugs off a collision that destroys another car: “Just pure metal ripping into tinfoil." (15:09)
• Bathroom habits: Pees in the shower, not above biting nails over clipping, and has never brushed teeth in the shower. (“I go hardcore. Bite them. Toilet. Flush it.” 65:31)
• Suit story: Both suits he owns were “freebies” from press events; one is green, one is purple—a nod to the Joker. (66:11)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:00] – Childhood & Family background
• [05:51] – ADHD diagnosis & medication
• [07:04] – Stand-up comedy origin story
• [08:47] – Home setup and basement bedrooms
• [12:09] – Vacations at Myrtle Beach
• [14:09] – First cars
• [15:27] – First job as a busboy
• [20:57] – First concert: New Kids on the Block
• [22:00] – Mealtime rituals & kitchen counter
• [26:05] – Dining out: chains and nostalgia
• [30:55] – House full of sugar cereal and soda
• [37:05] – Splurging first big comedy check on Hawaii trip
• [42:31] – Current life in Denver, leasing an EV, family setup
• [46:14] – No TV in bedroom; new obsession with reading
• [56:33] – Current grocery habits; regional store shoutouts
• [63:09] – Christmas tree tradition (artificial only)
• [65:31] – Nail-biting pride
• [66:11] – Suit stories & purple Joker suit

Conclusion

Final Judgment:
It’s official—Rory Scovel is “100% trash,” but in the most charming, relatable, and resourceful way. His stories traverse everything from makeshift bedrooms and Hamburger Helper to five-star Hawaii vacations and Tesla leases, consistently circling back to blue-collar values, DIY solutions, and an awareness that transcends the trappings of success. Rory’s frankness about his family, finances, neuroses, and trash culture pride fits perfectly with the RU Garbage ethos, making this a touchstone episode for fans of both comedy and self-deprecating nostalgia.

Upcoming for Rory:
Big US tour starts mid-October—details at roryscovel.com

Listen If...

You love funny, vulnerable stories about family, class, and the small details that make childhood weirdly universal; you want expert-level banter and “trash” commentary from people who wear it as a badge of pride.