Bad Friends Podcast – "Eskimo Kiss Thanksgiving" (Nov 24, 2025)

Hosts: Bobby Lee & Andrew Santino
Notable Guests: Paulie, Zach Townsend
Episode Theme: Unfiltered Stories, Comedy Industry, Thanksgiving Antics, and Navigating Relationships

Episode Overview

In this Thanksgiving-themed episode, Bobby Lee and Andrew Santino celebrate the “Eskimo Kiss Thanksgiving” with their signature irreverent, rapid-fire banter. They riff on problematic holiday traditions, share wild personal stories involving everything from extortion and lost lovers to on-set pranks with Howie Mandel, and welcome comic Zach Townsend for tales from the grind of stand-up. Amid jokes and mayhem, they touch on deeper issues—boundaries, generosity, and the unspoken rules of friendships and showbiz.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Thanksgiving and American Colonial Guilt (01:13–03:00)

• The hosts lampoon the traditional Thanksgiving prayer, riffing on America’s relationship with Native Americans.
  • Notable moment: They offer a sardonic, guilt-laced “prayer” apologizing for historical injustices:
    Bobby Lee: “Thank you, natives, for all of the land we gave you. Casinos cut off your hands.” (01:26)
  • Poking fun at cultural ignorance, Santino mistakes “Hmong” for a Native group, and they riff on loving "all groups except jerks—or, as Santino jokes, Eskimos.”

2. Eskimo Kisses, Gender Fluidity, and Stereotypes (03:03–04:26)

• The duo delves into the perceived mechanics of an “Eskimo kiss,” joking about intimacy and cultural practices with their usual absurdity and improv.
  • Santino: “With Eskimo, how do you get more… intimate with it?” (04:30)
  • Bobby: “Maybe they blow snot into the other hole.” (04:41)

3. Movie Satire: "Predator Badlands" & Hollywood Casting (04:46–10:23)

• Santino raves about “Predator Badlands” and he and Bobby launch an extended, comedic bit inventing plotlines for the movie—misidentifying actors, joking about immigration allegories, and critiquing Hollywood for casting unattractive actors in masked roles:

  • Bobby Lee: “Pick an ugly guy for that. You can’t give that to us—it’s in a mask.” (07:08)

• They debate the premise, eventually bringing in actual plot elements (Predator culture, androids), and poke fun at the movie’s made-up relationships.

• This section doubles as a parody of “guy movie nights” and how little both know (or care) about actual plots.

4. Dark Comedy: Sharing Photos of Santino’s Deceased Father (10:25–12:36)

• Bobby recounts calling Santino from Mexico to request photos of his dead father, for a group of inebriated friends who doubted the podcast’s backstory.
  • Santino: “At 1 in the morning, this guy calls me and goes, ‘Send me photos of your dead dad.’” (10:40)
  • Bobby: “I was king of the party for a couple of minutes… then it wasn’t as funny as I thought.” (11:28)
• Both acknowledge the story’s taboo nature, and the oddity in sharing such photos for laughs, highlighting their unique (and sometimes shocking) comic sensibility.

5. Travel & Tacos: Fear in Mexico, Organ Harvesting Paranoia (12:50–15:10)

• Bobby shares food tales from Mexico, praising birria tacos and handmade tortillas.
• Santino admits feeling uneasy traveling abroad, joking about fears of organ theft due to “looking like a local.”
  • Paulie: “You look like them. They don’t want you.” (14:05)
  • Bobby Lee: “I don’t know if they want your organs, man.” (14:14)

6. On Generosity: Venmo Requests, Giving to Friends vs. Strangers (21:06–27:41)

• The hosts discuss being hit up for money by strangers and ex-girlfriends, questioning the authenticity of internet pleas.
  • Santino on giving to strangers: “I can’t say no… I’ll pay your bill, but I won’t just give the cash.” (26:41)
  • Bobby: “I don’t loan friends money. You either give it or you don’t… it should not come back.” (27:04)

7. Comedy Industry Hazing: Pranks, Boundaries, and Howie Mandel (30:28–38:14)

• Santino tells a wild story about being pranked (twice) by Howie Mandel on a film set:
  • Santino: “I was curled up asleep… and there is a 90-year-old background actress, her bony finger in my ear. Howie’s filming it.” (33:29)
  • Bobby: “Then your hand’s in a bucket of warm water—he’s trying to get you to pee yourself!” (34:34)
• Santino confesses he “went nuclear,” and both reflect on how industry legends sometimes push boundaries, and how not all pranks are welcome.
• Bobby shares an “old world rule”:
  • “You don’t pester a sleeping man.” (37:43)

8. Generational Clashes & Set Dynamics (40:13–43:20)

• Bobby relates an on-set dispute from "Dave," when a director lost her temper and called the cast “children,” causing tension and passive-aggressive standoffs on set.
  • Santino: “You treat me like a kid, that’s crazy. I’m a grownup.” (42:14)

9. Comedy Bits, Climbing the Stand-Up Ladder: With Zach Townsend (47:25–65:29)

• Zach Townsend joins, pitching a gag (“Chat EBT”) and sharing stories from doing “Comics Unleashed,” a late-night showcase.
  • Santino: “So is it AI or Allen Iverson?” (48:25)
• Zach describes the sometimes surreal, forced format of these TV shows, doing bits about racial stereotypes and black/white friendships, and being “roasted” by fellow comics over his shoes:
  • Zach: “My black friend told me… white people always whisper. I said, that’s because we're the only race that knows how to whisper.” (55:27)
• The hosts tease Zach about “Shreking” (dating above his league), and debate what their dream TV game show team-ups would be.

10. Wrapping Up: Dreams, Rivalries, and “Karate Ghost” (65:01–66:00)

• The hosts joke about being replaced by up-and-coming comics, and riff on their latest movie projects.
  • Bobby: “That’s why we’re not Daniel Dae Kim—because you played a sensei.” (65:18)

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• Thanksgiving Prayer Satire
  Bobby Lee: “Sorry, natives. Whoopsie, our bad. We really did a lot of damage. And we named our sports teams after your leaders.” (01:54)

• On “Eskimo Kisses”
  Santino: “Maybe they blow snot into the other hole… it could be cool.” (04:41)

• Hollywood in Masks
  Bobby Lee: “Pick an ugly guy for that. You can’t give that to us—it’s in a mask.” (07:08)

• Sharing Personal Tragedy for Comedy
  Santino: “At 1am, this guy calls me and goes, ‘Send me photos of your dead dad.’” (10:40)

• Generosity Philosophy
  Bobby Lee: “You either give it or you don’t… it should not come back.” (27:04)

• On-Set Pranks
  Santino: “About 20 minutes later, I feel something in my ear… a 90-year-old background actress… and there’s Howie Mandel with a camera.” (33:29)
  Bobby Lee: “You don’t pester a sleeping man.” (37:43)

• Set Tension and Respect
  Santino: “You treat me like a kid, that’s crazy. I’m a grownup. Just be like, ‘Hey, we can hear you.’” (42:14)

• Rising Comic Realness
  Zach Townsend: “Because I’m just trying to say yes to a lot of things.” (54:20)

Important Timestamps

• Thanksgiving Prayer Parody: 01:13–02:26
• Identity & Joke About People Groups: 02:49–03:19
• Eskimo Kiss Bit: 03:39–04:41
• Predator Badlands Satire: 05:23–10:23
• Dead Father Photo Story: 10:25–12:36
• Mexico Travel/Organ Harvesting: 12:44–15:10
• Giving/Lending Money: 21:06–27:41
• Howie Mandel Prank Story: 30:28–38:14
• Set Argument/Respect: 40:13–43:20
• Zach Townsend, Comics Unleashed: 47:25–65:29

Tone & Style

The conversation throughout is crass, self-deprecating, and fast-paced, with constant banter, mini-riffs, and call-backs. The hosts frequently cross from superficial observations into confessional or even uncomfortable territory, always cushioned by mutual affection and comic camaraderie—often turning dark moments into shared laughter.

Summary Takeaways

• Irreverence is king: Even sensitive cultural and personal topics are subjected to their humor.
• Comedy boundaries matter: The episode showcases how far comics can push each other—and when it’s too far.
• In the trenches: Making it in stand-up involves saying “yes,” hustling, and, as Zach shows, taking odd gigs and enduring public roastings.
• Friendship codes: Lending, forgiving, even dealing with pranks—there are unspoken rules among "bad friends" that neither money nor fame can dissolve.

For anyone who enjoys raw, boundary-pushing comedic storytelling, insider stand-up tales, and roasts that come with heart, this episode of Bad Friends delivers a full cornucopia of chaos—with a little Thanksgiving seasoning on top.