Podcast Summary: Disgraceful with Grace O'Malley – “Rory Scovel: A Comic's Comic”

Date: September 25, 2025
Host: Grace O’Malley
Guest: Rory Scovel

Episode Overview

This episode of “Disgraceful with Grace O’Malley” features comedian, actor, and writer Rory Scovel, whose latest special “Religion, Sex and Few Things in Between” is out on Max, and who is about to embark on his “Know Your Enemy” tour. Grace, with her trademark irreverent wit, explores Rory’s comedic journey, personal quirks, and takes listeners through interactive listener voicemails about “things most people love that you hate.” The discussion winds through topics like showmanship in stand-up, cultural trends, personal pet peeves, the camaraderie (and rivalry) among comics, and how comedy keeps evolving in the age of social media. The episode is peppered with lighthearted banter, memorable bits, and the recurring assist of Grace’s “HR department” (her sister, Nora).

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter & Tour Talk (02:14–04:07)

• Tour Naming: Rory explains the reasoning behind his tour title, “Know Your Enemy,” emphasizing that he doesn’t craft his hours thematically—titles are often retrofitted to the content and meant to sound intriguing.
  “I kinda just put it together and then tried to find some kind of thread…something that also sounded provocative in a way, like someone might want to come and see what it is.” – Rory (03:13)
• Special Title Transparency: Rory named his special “Religion, Sex and Few Things in Between” to signal exactly what’s covered, referencing backlash from an older special where he “said anal a lot” and encouraged people who didn’t like it to “bail now.”
  “…So in a way, I felt like I was doing you a service of saying, if you don’t like this, bail now.” – Rory (04:33)

2. Showmanship, Lights, and the Art of the Comedy Opener (06:08–09:33)

• Elaborate Light Shows: Rory’s opening bit involved over-the-top light shows, a playful contrast to show size, which started as a “funny, stupid and fun” experiment at a half-empty Tucson tour stop.
  “It felt like if you took Madonna’s giant live show and you’re like, it’s going to be in a coffee shop today, but we’re still doing all the effects.” – Rory (07:31)
• Technical Challenges: The struggle with inconsistent tech crews led to scaling back; the segment highlights how much comics value creative control and how even simple stunts require teamwork and buy-in.

3. Listener Voicemails: Things You Hate That Most People Love (09:34–29:52, recurring)

Notable Calls & Comic Reactions:

• Hating Summer (10:40): A listener rails against summer’s heat. Rory finds the communal misery of sweaty New Yorkers endearing: “When you got there, everybody was in the same boat… everybody was enduring the same kind of thing.” – Rory (11:28)
• Michael Bublé (13:51): Caller simply hates him. The group muses over “crooner cringe,” likening it to comics desperate for love from the crowd.
• Matcha (15:59): The hosts both hate matcha, suspecting it's a social performance:
  “…People are putting it on. They’re acting like it’s fucking great. It’s not.” – Rory (17:29)
• Live Music at Restaurants (17:37): Caller hates “dinner bands.” Grace and Rory agree: live music is fun at concerts and certain venues, but not when you want to talk over burgers; the distinction between ambiance and annoyance is clarified.
• Hugs (22:41): Some hate “casual hugging.” Rory reflects on his own unconscious touching/physical gestures, noting the difference between men’s and women’s experiences.
• Friday Night Socials (25:53): A 24-year-old admits preferring to stay in on Fridays. Rory, taken aback: “What you’re describing is pure bliss. I love it. …But you can’t be 24 and be in this space!” – Rory (26:17)
• Country Music (39:27): Caller is “highly against it, so change it.” Rory relates, revealing his adolescent rebellion via metal, but then appreciating old and new country, critiquing middle-of-the-road, trend-chasing themes.

4. Comedy Career Deep Dives & Industry Insight (49:32–54:54)

• Guidance and Mentorship: Rory recounts his early days in the DC comedy scene, the diversity of comedic styles (shout outs to Eric Myers, Tony Woods), and how “wanting to keep up” with good comics improves everyone’s game.
• Comedic Identity & the New Public Sphere: The move from “funny/not funny” evaluation to aligning with social or comedic “gangs” is discussed, with Rory and Grace bemoaning comics now needing to be cool, to build “teams,” and balance podcast/online persona with stage craft.
  “…Before you were on the side of ‘you’re funny or you’re not.’ And there wasn’t any other social click element …” – Rory (44:54)

5. Comic Notes, Craft, and Riffs (64:13–69:12)

• Jokes in My Notes: Grace and Rory share joke fragments and premises pulled from their phones:
  • Grace: “Ordering a Bloody Mary: spiked tomato, the strega nona way… gazpacho with a splash of Grey Goose…”
  • Rory: “Thriller is such a good album. I don’t care that Michael Jackson fucked those kids.”
• Brief aside about the futility of “house-made ketchup,” the irrelevance of anchovies-on-pizza discourse, and running meta jokes about notes as self-doubt or comic critique.

6. “Disgraceful Receipts”: Deep Dives into Rory’s Online Footprint (75:35–89:21)

• Photo Oddities: Grace presents random images from Rory’s social media—him snorting a line off his chest, face swap app baby pictures, suits on stage, an old Department of War ID.
• Rory on Dressing Up:
  “…the moment you go on stage, even with just a blazer, but definitely with a tie, you can feel the audience going, ‘oh, let's pay attention.’” – Rory (82:41)
• Bit About Parenting: Rory describes telling his daughter that she’ll never fly "like a fairy" and grappling with when to reveal the Santa Claus truth:
  “…my kid was like, one day I’ll fly like a fairy. And my brain was like, tell your kid the truth at all times. And then I did.” – Rory (83:40)

7. Closing Segments: Rapid Fire Shout-Outs & Callbacks (90:16–end)

• Shout Outs Galore: Grace and Rory riff back and forth in a mock-earnest shout out session—to family, to “Burning Man,” to MDMA, to everyone who told him to go to Burning Man.
  “Shout out MDMA. The first medicine I’ve ever truly had. You are incredible. I won’t abuse you, but thank you for being in my life.” – Rory (91:23)
• On “Word of Mouth”: A playful riff on the expression: “Word of mouth. Word of mouth. Is that what they say? …I think they say 'word them up.'” – Grace (92:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Transparency in Comedy:
  “…Let’s just title [the special] exactly what the topics are, so nobody wastes their time finding out what I talk about.” – Rory (04:36)
• On the Evolution of the Scene:
  “…It used to be, just you’re funny or not funny. That was because we also never presented outside of the stage. But now with like podcasts and social media, there’s everybody connection with the audience…” – Rory (48:03)
• On the Pressure to Engage Online:
  “We have to have our shows, we have to guest on shows, we have to have our own shows. We’ve got to have social media presence…otherwise no one knows we do any of the things that we do.” – Rory (49:15)
• On the Innocence of Youthful Confidence:
  “That kid probably thought he was going to play professional basketball. And literally thought in his head that that was a viable option. No, if I work hard, I can do it.” – Rory (86:14)
• On the Futility of Anchovy Warnings:
  “There was always such a … Like, I grew up thinking as an adult, you’d really have to contend with people who wanted anchovies on pizza…” – Rory (67:38)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Tour Title and Special Discussion: 02:36–04:36
• Light Show Opener Origin: 06:08–07:46
• Caller Voicemail - Hating Summer: 10:40–13:38
• Matcha Smackdown: 15:59–17:29
• On Live Music in Bars/Restaurants: 17:37–21:58
• On Friday Night Fatigue and 24-Year-Olds: 25:53–29:52
• Country Music and High School Musical Identity: 39:27–44:42
• Mentorship and DC Comedy Roots: 49:32–54:54
• Jokes in My Notes / Standup Process: 64:13–69:12
• Disgraceful Receipts (social media/online bits): 75:35–89:21
• Shout-out Lightning Round: 90:16–92:24

Tone, Structure & Style

The podcast features a loose, conversational rhythm, generously laced with meta-commentary, comic self-deprecation, affection for the absurd, and sharp cultural observations. Grace and Rory maintain a playful, teasing rapport and occasionally deliver sincere insight beneath the banter.

For Listeners New & Old

Whether you’re a longtime Rory Scovel fan, a comic looking for wisdom on navigating the contemporary comedy world, or just here for lighthearted takes on everyday irritations, this episode delivers a hearty serving of both laughs and real talk. Grace O’Malley’s inventive segments (voicemails, “jokes in my notes,” “disgraceful receipts”) keep the structure lively while Rory’s openness about his process, career bumps, and artistic choices provide substance for comedy aficionados.

“Shout Outs”

(91:23) Rory:
Shout out to my wife and child who I love endlessly. Shout out everyone who comes out to live comedy—never discount how powerful it is for you to tell someone to go see a show. …Also, shout out MDMA, the first medicine I’ve ever truly had.”

Final Note:
Stay disgraceful—and keep calling in. As always, every complaint, tangent, and weird childhood anecdote is welcome here. Shout out to everyone we were mean to!