Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade

Episode Title: Spade CLAPS BACK at Critic (Salesforce CEO CONTROVERSY)
Date: October 20, 2025
Podcast Host: Audacy

Episode Overview

This episode features Dana Carvey and David Spade riffing on a wide range of showbiz stories, current events, and behind-the-scenes comedy secrets. The main focus centers on Spade’s recent controversial performance at a Salesforce corporate event, the ensuing media critique (and Spade's witty riposte), and a candid discussion about the realities of “corporate gigs” in comedy. The duo also dives into casino-gig culture, AI and job automation, crypto confusion, US-China business oddities, some standup reminiscence, and plenty of trademark banter and showbiz impressions.

Key Topics & Segment Breakdown

1. The Salesforce Corporate Gig Controversy

[03:11 – 17:03]

• Emergency Addendum: Dana and David insert a quick update before the main show to discuss a hot-off-the-press situation: Spade’s show at a high-profile Salesforce corporate event in San Francisco and a subsequent "stingy" review.

• How It Happened:

  • Spade was called in last-minute to replace Kumail Nanjiani and Ilana Glazer, who dropped out amid controversy surrounding Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's comments about welcoming National Guard presence.
  • Spade describes the odd atmosphere and the unique demands of entertaining a less-than-rowdy corporate crowd.
  • The high production value included Metallica performing the night before, and other celebrity speakers like Matthew McConaughey and Katie Couric.

• The Review:

  • A tech reporter—not a comedy critic—publishes a review painted as possibly AI-generated, describing Spade as "B-list talent" and dismissing his act as "40, 45 minutes of rambly down home storytelling" (11:18).
  • Review points out lack of pointed material or conference-specific jokes, suggesting it felt slapped together.

• Spade’s Response:

  • Spade shares how restrictive contracts and the corporate environment force comics to tone down their acts, explaining:

    "First of all, they take the edges off your act. You sign a contract...we don't want you shitting on the CEO...keep it nice and fun." (11:55)

  • Both hosts lament the oddity of a corporate gig getting reviewed at all:

    "This is highly unusual to get a review for...corporate." (14:15, Carvey)

• Memorable Quote:

  • Spade (on the “B-list” dig):

    "Just that was a little stingy...if he doesn't like my act, that's okay too...but he went a little out of his way to go, 'I would love to hear these people really go after the system and punch up,' but I don't know if that's what they were there to do either." (14:28)

• Final Thoughts:

  • Both hosts agree that corporate shows are “just a job”—not a platform for biting satire—and that comics want to get rehired, not make headlines.
  • The takeaway: reviews of corporate gigs are rare for a reason, and comics have to walk a delicate line.

2. Life on the Comedy Road: Casino Gigs & Performer Stories

[17:17 – 28:48]

• Yamava Casino Gig Recap:

  • The duo reminisces about their recent fun casino show, sharing tales about custom cookies themed on their careers and the mechanics of high-roller seating at casino gigs.
  • Banter about the primacy of gambling over entertainment ("They do not want the show to exceed 90 minutes." (23:16)).

• Folklore & Standup Craft:

  • Dana and David discuss dealing with super fans, their riffing styles, and tricks for pacing energy backstage.
  • Share classic Dennis Miller stories and impressions—Miller’s matter-of-fact approach to timing a set and leaving the stage ("as soon as it hits 60, even if he's in the middle of a bit, good night." (27:58)).

• Notable Impressions and Memories:

  • Dana's routine about Scarface at Thanksgiving and following Miller’s high-energy sets
  • The concept of "papering" a show for high rollers:

    "They're going to have high rollers. They're not going to charge them for the show. And if you get 100, 200 of those, you're halfway there." (25:54)

3. Comedy Housekeeping, Banter & Random Facts

[33:49 – 36:34]

• Playing Card Trivia:

  • Dana shares fun facts about how a deck of cards allegedly syncs with the calendar: suits for seasons, 52 for weeks, red/black for day/night, and the Joker as leap day.

    "If you add the cards together and go, ace, ace, two, two, two. It's 364. ... 365 days is the joker for leap year." (34:42–34:57)

• Casino Banter Continues:

  • More tales of pre-show energy management, super fans, and the challenge of early dinners.

4. Headlines & Pop Culture Hot Takes

[40:29 – ~61:00]

• Time Magazine's "Reluctant" Trump Cover

  • Satirical discussion about the supposedly unflattering Time cover photo selection:

    "Somebody at Time magazine... 'Okay, we're putting him on the cover, but what is the absolute worst?' Let's go right up his nose, right under his chin..." (41:15)

  • Carvey and Spade compare it to Obama’s covers and riff on partisan media photo choices.

• Fire Alarm Mayhem at Spade’s House

  • Spade recounts being jolted awake by a fire alarm—a mundane yet anxiety-inducing story with classic comic coloring.

5. Automation, AI, and the Future of Jobs

[49:32 – 52:08]

• AI at the Dockyards:

  • They marvel at viral video clips of fully robotic ports in China and ponder the economic and social impacts.

    "That's what I call a secular trend—you know what a secular trend is? ... just things that aren’t political—but we’re just transitioning into this." (50:22, Carvey/Spade)

• Universal Basic Income & The End of Work:

  • Speculate humorously and seriously about what happens when automation replaces most jobs.

    "People that have jobs have no jobs. And it's... so universal basic income. How much do you think it should be when there's just no jobs you got to give people?" (50:55, Spade)

6. US-China Weirdness, Crypto Panic, and the "Greater Fool"

[58:40 – 64:27]

• Chinese Company Buys New Hampshire Water Supply

  • Discuss news that China’s richest man bought a local water facility, raising questions about US assets owned by foreign entities and the limits of reciprocity.

    "Could you buy things in China from America? Could you buy the same things? ... Are we being dumb?" (59:57, Spade)

• Bitcoin Confusion & FTX Scare:

  • The hosts admit to not fully understanding Bitcoin ("Do you understand bitcoin?" —"I do not." (61:12)), joke about buying high and selling low, and explain the “greater fool theory” for speculative assets:

    "So all you need is a greater fool to sell it to...get out, convert it to cash dollars and then buy a mansion." (63:44, Carvey)

7. Strongman Prank Video & Comedy Imposter Fantasies

[64:35 – 66:54]

• Spade and Carvey riff on viral videos of Anatoly, a world-class weightlifter disguising himself as a gym newbie and astonishing bodybuilders.
  • They joke about how it would be to "prank" as amateur comics in a club, drawing humor from the idea of subverting stereotypes.

8. Returning to the “Corporate Comic” Theme: Professional Pride & The Realities of Standup

[66:54 – 69:46]

• Both reflect on what drives them: pride in being “worth the money” and making the bookers and audience happy—even at gigs where they’re not the main attraction.

  • "Every time I get hired, you want them to say, you're worth the money. We're glad we hired you." (67:26, Spade)
  • "When I do corporates, I know that a lot of great comedians have come before me over the years, and so I always want them to say, 'well, you were the best'." (67:40, Carvey)

• Exchange tips for tailoring material to a corporate crowd and navigating restrictions on content.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Spade on the AI Review:

  "I thought it was a little kick in the balls to me because if he doesn't like my act, that's okay too. But he felt like, he went a little out of his way..." (14:28)

• Carvey on Unusual Corporate Show Reviews:

  "This is highly unusual to get a review for...corporate." (14:15)

• On Standup Pride:

  "I sort of think to myself, huh, here I am 50 years in, kind of. Or 40 years in, and I still really care, you know, that I get a lot of laughs and I kind of wonder. I go, it's not going to change my life. But it's the same vibe, same feel." (67:04, Carvey)

Tone & Style

• Conversational, irreverent, and honest with frequent detours into industry inside-jokes, storytelling, and banter.
• The hosts maintain a mix of playfulness and seasoned perspective throughout.
• Plenty of meta-jokes about podcasting, riffing, and the inherent absurdity of their showbiz world.

Summary

This episode is a blend of sharp industry insight and classic Carvey-Spade wit, tackling a rare brush with controversy and critique in a world where comics typically fly under the radar at corporate events. While Spade sitsirically “claps back” at a snarky review, both hosts pull back the curtain on life as a working comic, the changing face of live gigs, and the oddness of being both “famous” and a “side show” in the world of corporate entertainment. Along the way, they touch on big societal shifts (AI, automation, crypto), tell old road stories, and find plenty to laugh about—even as the world changes all around them.

For listeners looking for an insider’s take on comedy, corporate gigs, and the changing nature of “success” in show business, this episode is both insightful and highly amusing.