Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade
Episode: Jazz Fest + Manifestos
Release Date: May 4, 2026
Podcast Host: Audacy
Episode Overview
In this episode, comedy icons and SNL alumni Dana Carvey and David Spade riff through a rapid-fire hour of showbiz gossip, personal stories, light cultural commentary, and, as always, their unmistakable impressions. The duo chats about indie film trials, box office woes, music festivals (with a New Orleans/Jazz Fest detour), the odd world of celebrity glam squads, news headlines and "manifestos," and closes with a future-gazing AI courtroom sketch, all while peppering the show with quick-witted banter and plenty of memorable one-liners.
Key Discussion Points & Highlights
1. The Adventures (and Politics) of Indie Filmmaking
[00:00–05:20]
- David's Indie Film Box Office Frustration:
David laments Box Office Mojo's non-reporting of their indie film Bus Boys' weekly numbers, joking about "Big Movie" (i.e., the major studios) conspiring to suppress indie successes:
"You know, I think big movie got to them. Like big pharma, big movie." – David [02:17]
- Indies vs. Studio Flops:
Contrasts their modestly budgeted film with the $150 million flop Desert Warrior (made only $480,000 opening weekend):
"There’s flops and then there’s flops." – Dana [04:38]
2. Cinema's Reluctance to Name the "Bad Guy"
[05:58–07:25]
- Top Gun: Maverick and Avoiding Offense:
Dana jokes about movies avoiding naming specific enemy nations:
"They just kept calling them the bad guys. They never once said who it was. Isn’t that funny?" – Dana [06:14]
- Christopher Nolan's 'The Enemy':
David notes Dunkirk called Nazis merely "the enemy," pondering Hollywood's carefulness.
3. Classic Movie Tropes, Comedy of Naming, and Softening History
[07:25–08:08]
- Plays with the idea of sanitized names:
"You don’t want to say confederates, so you say the confettis." – David [07:56]
Dana and David riff on renaming the Union as "the unisons."
4. PG-13 Culture Shifts
[08:08–09:14]
- David recalls pre-PC era jokes from mainstream movies:
"There was pre political correctness. You could pretty much say whatever you want." – David [08:36]
5. New Orleans/Jazz Fest Stories
[10:10–17:48]
- Traveling During Jazz Fest:
Dana asks, “Can you master New Orleans?” as David regales his airport and Jazz Fest misadventures—bartenders, accents, malfunctioning airplane toilets, and the unique local charm.
- Festival Feature Creep:
They riff on how Jazz Fest, like other festivals, increasingly hosts non-jazz acts:
"So now it’s turned into some rockers, some rapper, and just have a music festival because they don’t stick to the theme." – David [15:46]
6. Voodoo, Superstitions & Phones Acting Up
[17:48–20:22]
- Spade recounts an eerily malfunctioning phone in a New Orleans hotel, joking about voodoo curses and a mystical “anti-voodoo hex machine.”
7. Showbiz Glam: Extreme Costs of Red-Carpet Preparation
[31:37–33:13]
- Simone Biles’ $23,000 “glam squad” for an appearance:
"That’s outfits, stylist, hair, makeup, steam, nails...to get ready for one." – David [32:31]
- Kim Kardashian’s Tonight Show look cost:
"Yeah, it was $17,200 dollars. She looked every penny of it." – David [33:13]
8. Age, Vanity, and No-Makeup Celebs
[34:03–35:10]
- Riffs on “You look every bit of your age,” fame, and the growing “no makeup” trend—with tales of Mickey Rooney and viewer comments about their own looks.
9. Manifestos, Mental Health, and Cultural Jargon
[23:41–27:13]
- Dana on the prevalence of "manifestos":
"Everyone has a fucking manifesto. I’m like, I don’t have one, do I? Should I have one just in case anything happens to me?" – Dana [23:46]
- Psyche, serial killer trials, and societal perceptions:
"I mean, if you’re a serial killer...I mean, they know something’s wrong with them, right?" – Dana [25:12]
10. AI Comedian Courtroom Sketch (Buzzing Around segment)
[36:27–40:44]
- Dana and David enact a short sketch imagining a future where AI robots based on comedians are brought to trial for taking things literally:
"He said J1000, knock ‘em dead. Problem was, my empathy chip was on the fritz, so I took him literally." – Dana, as robot comic [37:19]
- David riffs as various “defendants,” including Sebastian200:
"The chips were perfect, your honor!" – David (Sebastian200) [39:37]
- The court's verdict: “This court has no recourse except to dismantle you piece by piece and take you down to the nubs.” [40:01]
11. Edible Seaweed Water Blobs
[48:05–49:39]
- Joking about new “edible water balloons” made from seaweed:
"Give me a half a dozen blobs. That’s great." – Dana [48:39]
"Hey, Dana, we’re going on a drive, grab a couple blobs for the road." – David [48:55]
12. Random Observations & Rapid-Fire Bits
Sample Highlights
- The California bullet train’s spiraling costs:
"It was 100 billion. It’s up to 230 now. You could make the Desert Warrior movie 5000 times." – Dana [45:29]
- Simulated family whistling:
"Your family whistles to find each other. Dogs putting up in the woods." – David [44:31]
- On the rude phrase “every bit of your age”:
"That means every day is accounted for...little wear and tear every fucking day." – Dana [34:03]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Indie Resilience:
"This is the kind of movie that you watch on your phone while you’re driving. It’s not a real cinematic experience, but it’s fun." – David [03:19]
- Naming the Enemy:
"Come on soldiers, let’s get out there and fight the bad guys. Who? The bad guys, jerks!" – David mocking ambiguous movie villains [06:33]
- Glam Industry Exposed:
"Will you cover my glam? It’s 20 [grand]. That’s outfits, stylist, hair, makeup, steam, nails...for one." – David [32:31]
- AI Courtroom Satire:
"He said knock ‘em dead—I took him literally and beat the hell out of all till they were dead." – Dana as robot comedian [37:19]
- On Manifestos:
"Mine’s a pamphlet. Right? ...The first time I heard ‘manifesto’—it's like a phone book!" – Dana [24:12]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [00:00–05:20] Indie Film/Growing Pains & Box Office Realities
- [05:58–07:25] Movie ‘Bad Guys’ and Hollywood Cautiousness
- [10:10–17:48] Jazz Fest, NOLA stories, and travel mishaps
- [20:22–23:41] Doctor’s secretary character & inside banter
- [23:41–27:13] Manifestos, mental health, and society
- [31:37–33:13] Simone Biles, glam squads, and celebrity prepping
- [34:03–35:10] Vanity and not wearing makeup
- [36:27–40:44] “Buzzing Around” AI Comic Courtroom Sketch
- [48:05–49:39] Edible water blobs/innovations
- [53:36–56:13] Brewery scandal and political betting
- [45:29, 46:10] California bullet train riff
Tone & Takeaways
Carvey and Spade deliver with their distinct comedic rhythm: part observational, part absurdist, always self-aware. The episode is a blend of sly showbiz roasting, irreverent impressions, amusing personal travel tales, and clever bits skewering everything from festival mission creep to the uncanny reality of AI comedians. The podcast is loose, authentic, and peppered with inside jokes—but never veers so far out as to lose general listeners.
Summary in a Nutshell
A comedic kaleidoscope: Dana and David juggle tales from the indie movie grind, festival culture, bad guy euphemisms in Hollywood, travel hilarities, the cost of celebrity appearances, the proliferation of manifestos, and top it with a future-skewering AI comedian sketch. All grounded by their on-the-fly improvisation, sharp impressions, and unmatched chemistry.
For Listeners Who Missed the Episode
Expect to leave with a smile, a few new showbiz tidbits, and perhaps a new appreciation for how much a glam squad really costs—or for how easy it is to land in comedy hot water when you take things just a little too literally.
