Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade

Episode: Remembering Rob Reiner + All Kinds Of Life Hacks
Release Date: December 22, 2025
Host: Audacy

Episode Overview

In this lively and bittersweet pre-Christmas episode, Dana Carvey and David Spade, joined by regular contributor Heather Santoro, share holiday banter, life hacks, and personal stories from the world of showbiz, with a special tribute to the late Rob Reiner. The trio riff on everything from Christmas survival tips and their families’ quirks, to the strangeness of live streaming, UFO sightings, and celebrity encounters. Amid jokes, impressions, and tangents, the group manages sharp comedic observations, a dose of nostalgic storytelling, and heartfelt reflections on friendship and loss.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Holiday Riffs & Surviving Christmas

• Opening Banter ([04:02])
  • Dana and David joke about typical holiday food comas, stuffed Santas, and energy resets in the post-holiday season.
  • The importance of giving yourself a break and not taking Christmas too seriously:

    “Basically to get along with relatives that hate you and you hate them is just to kind of give it up to them. Oh, you’re right. I got you. Yeah, yeah.” — Heather Santoro ([31:55])

• Dana’s Christmas Survival Wisdom
  • A tongue-in-cheek prescription: “The really, the way to survive is to drink heavily, give yourself a treat, try not to fight… Christmas, I don’t know, it’s really for little kids, you know, 10,000 gifts and stuff…” — Heather Santoro ([31:28])

2. Showbiz & Streaming Culture

• Dana’s Adventures with Young Streamers ([06:14])
  • Dana recounts appearing on internet celebrity Aiden Ross’s stream, feeling out of his element among younger stars.

    “I don’t know if it’s the only thing, like, lazier than doing a podcast, if that’s possible. They just walk around and talk… There’s no real point.” — Dana Carvey ([06:14])

  • Discussion of the new “good hang” culture of streaming — modern surrogate friendships for audiences.

    “People have you on in the background and you’re like their surrogate friends...” — Heather Santoro ([07:14])

• Younger Generations, Streaming, and Clip Culture
  • Dana reflects on comedy, shifting platforms, and the casual chaos of content creation.
  • Anecdotes about meeting Jake Paul, clip competitions, and the “danger of live” unfiltered moments.

3. Unusual Encounters & Oddities

• Seasonal Decorations & Ripped Santas ([04:25])
  • Chatter about a muscular Santa animatronic: “He looks like he’s flexing. Is he on nad? ... Do they want Santa to be ripped now?” — Dana Carvey ([05:26])
• UFO Sightings and Skepticism ([12:24])
  • Heather shares a recent photo of strange lights—possible UFOs—taken from her California home.
  • Parallels drawn to “lights over Phoenix” and popular UFO lore.

    “That whole thing is the edge of a ship.” — Dana Carvey ([14:56])

  • Jokes about sending evidence to Dr. Greer and the proliferation of UFO interest in pop culture.

4. Behind the Scenes: Showbiz Stories & Therapy Talk

• Dropping Out of Movie Projects & Rewrites ([10:26])
  • Dana recounts pulling out of a movie, “Puka Pete,” weeks before filming and the challenges of too much script “overthinking.”
  • Importance of audience feedback: “If you show it to a crowd, you start to go, oh, the jokes I love bomb. And then this other weird cutaway got the biggest laugh.” — Dana Carvey ([11:56])
• Therapist Recommendations and Self-Awareness ([20:57])
  • The comic oddity of chaotic friends offering up their own therapists.

    “It takes 18 pills just to get you to leave the house. Is this the best possible you right now?” — Dana Carvey ([21:58])

  • Heather’s insight: “Therapy... in the narrow frame of it, what are your patterns of behavior?” ([22:05])
• Scientology Anecdotes and Hollywood’s Cultish Side ([23:31])
  • Dana shares a bizarre story about a chiropractor trying to recruit him into Scientology at the infamous Celebrity Center.

5. Family, Finances, & Absurd Parental Wisdom

• Growing Up, Dad Stories, and Odd Advice ([26:29], [27:54], [28:34])
  • Dana’s fractured paternal relationship – buying his dad a condo, receiving weird investment tips (“they’re not making any more condos!”), and the pain/guilt of parental absence.

  • “One time I was 14 and he was pissed at me. He goes, you’re not wearing socks with your shoes... And he pulled over and tried to spank me. … Dad, I think the spanking part of me growing up is over.” — Dana Carvey ([27:54])

• Regrets and ‘Woulda Coulda Shoulda’s of Life ([31:07])
  • Heather and Dana trade tales of missed real estate investments and the perpetual sense of “just missing out” in adulthood.

6. Remembering Rob Reiner: Tribute and Film Legacy

• Heartfelt Reflections ([32:21])
  • The group pauses to remember director and actor Rob Reiner and mourns the recent tragedy in his family.

    “He was eclectic… When Harry Met Sally, Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, Misery… Those are all fucking home runs. Like big movies.” — Dana Carvey ([33:17])

  • Heather shares early showbiz encounters with Reiner—his warmth and generosity towards nervous newcomers, and devotion to craft and friendship.

    “He was what I’d call a gentleman. Very sweet.” — Heather Santoro ([33:22])

  • Discussion on how personal tragedies in the lives of public figures feel amplified but are sadly far too common.

7. Funny Moments, Life Hacks & FOOLPROOF Advice

• On Being a Hero on Airplanes ([55:15])
  • The crew jokes about what they’d do if a passenger tried to take down the plane, envisioning themselves as accidental “heroes.”

    “There’s no way I’m going down without a fight.” — Dana Carvey ([55:33])

• AI “Life Hacks” for Criminals ([49:00])
  • Satirical “tips” for evading facial recognition by using fake extra fingers:

    “If you’re a criminal, you wear an extra finger… because AI, I guess, doesn’t know how to do fingers... So it made six.” — Dana Carvey ([49:00])

• Board Games and Comedy Club Tales ([49:47], [50:31])
  • Playfully riffing on Battleship, Milton Bradley, and the etiquette of comedians watching each other’s sets.
  • Dana’s story about performing on a stacked comedy show with legends (Leno, Arsenio, JJ Walker) and lightly roasting a less-known opener for a classic “comedy layup.”

8. Pop Culture & Headlines

• Ethan Hawke and Celebrity Doppelgängers ([37:01])
  • Variety misidentifies David Spade as Ethan Hawke after supposed “facial work.”

    “They put in Variety, they go, Spade, did you do some facial work? I said, I wish. … What a stud, huh?” — David Spade ([37:01])

• Who Can Claim to Be a Doctor? ([37:52])
  • Discussion of California clarifying who may legitimately use the title “Doctor.” Laughs about lawyers, dentists, and chiropractors trying to claim the honorific.
• Dakota Johnson in Saudi Arabia & Oscars on YouTube ([40:13], [42:14])
  • Light ribbing about Dakota Johnson’s trip to the Saudi Film Festival.
  • The Academy Awards moving to YouTube; Heather discusses the evolution of film and global viewership.

9. Holiday Shopping & Modern Life

• Amazon Culture and Present-Giving ([59:02])
  • Dana and Heather trade Amazon shopping hacks and marvel at modern conveniences:

    “One of the biggest revolutions in the history of man.” — Heather Santoro ([59:32])

• Stock Talk & Money Jokes ([59:41])
  • Contrasts in financial attitudes; Dana pokes fun at his own lack of investments.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dana Carvey (on Hollywood and therapy):

  “Have you ever had someone recommend you a therapist? And my first thought is, wait, did they… well, that’s a hard pass. You’re the most fucked-up individual. I know. Your life is a disaster...” ([20:57])

• Heather Santoro (on Christmas survival):

  “Basically to get along with relatives that hate you and you hate them is just to kind of give it up to them. Oh, you’re right. I got you. Yeah, yeah.” ([31:55])

• On Parental Life Lessons:

  “Whoever told you life was fair?” — Dana’s dad ([26:29])

• On Rob Reiner:

  “He was what I’d call a gentleman. Very sweet.” — Heather Santoro ([33:22])

• Dana Carvey’s holiday shopping confessions:

  “For my Christmas shopping… I’m on Amazon 9.95. Okay. All right. Hummingbird thing. Okay. Washcloths. And I just blast out. Everyone gets like 10 gifts. I only spent a hundred dollars, but they’re Christmas wrapped, so it’s all that, right?” ([59:02])

• Banter on live-streamers & comedy:

  “There’s no real point. There’s no real, like, let’s get to this.” — Dana Carvey ([06:14])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:02] – Comedy banter about the holidays, food comas, and Santa decor
• [06:14] – Dana’s experience on Aiden Ross’s live stream
• [12:24] – Sharing a UFO sighting and discussion of unexplained phenomena
• [20:57] – Therapist recommendations and self-improvement comedy
• [26:29] – Life advice from Dana’s dad and stories of childish discipline
• [31:28] – Christmas survival philosophy
• [32:21] – Remembering Rob Reiner: stories, tributes, and his film legacy
• [37:01] – David Spade/Ethan Hawke facial work joke
• [49:00] – AI “life hack” for criminals (extra fake fingers)
• [50:31] – Comedy club stories and “dreams come true” moments
• [55:15] – “Would you be a hero on a plane?” scenario
• [59:02] – Online Christmas shopping and revolution of Amazon
• [61:01] – Wrap-up and closing remarks

Episode Tone and Style

The episode is quintessential “Fly on the Wall”: irreverent, conversational, and brimming with both sharp observations and affectionate, self-deprecating humor. Dana, David, and Heather keep it light and punchy, routinely pivoting between heartfelt tributes, inside showbiz tales, and absurdist riffs on everyday life. The tone delivers warmth and wit, making even weighty or sad moments approachable and endearing to their loyal audience.

For New Listeners

If you’re new to “Fly on the Wall”, this episode provides a prime blend of what makes the show a gem: showbiz insights, affectionate tributes to comedy legends, relatable family messiness, and plenty of laughs. You’ll come away with a few real-life “life hacks”, a fond memory of Rob Reiner, and the sense that you’ve just hung out with a group of old friends wisecracking through the holidays—exactly the “good hang” that modern streaming fans love.