Jimmy Failla: "My Son is the LeBron James of Media"

Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: Kennedy Saves the World
Host: Kennedy
Guest: Jimmy Failla
Date: April 6, 2026

In this warm, freewheeling conversation, Kennedy and comedian/radio host Jimmy Failla explore the parenting challenges, joys, and bittersweet milestones that come as their children approach adulthood. Focusing on Jimmy’s son Lincoln, the discussion dives into generational changes, parenting philosophies, the importance of finding happiness and fulfillment, and the evolving landscape of young adulthood. Equal parts humorous, nostalgic, and heartfelt, the episode weaves parenting wisdom with hilarious asides and the duo’s signature banter.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Lincoln’s College Decision and Changing Generations

• Lincoln is headed to SUNY Cortland, majoring in phys ed and health.
  • Why Cortland? Renowned for its physical education program (03:20), aligning with Lincoln’s passion.
  • Jimmy jokes: “The fact that they overlooked his criminal convictions obviously goes a long way.” (01:12) [humor]
  • Reflections on generational differences:
    • Today’s kids are focused on self-care and physical health, but deal with phone addiction and mental stresses.
    • “Everyone's crazy now, but they have abs.” – Jimmy (02:27)

2. How Childhoods Have Changed

• Then vs. Now:
  • Jimmy and Kennedy recall unsupervised, low-tech childhoods: wandering, roughhousing, lighting things on fire, and getting into innocent trouble. (02:36–03:01)
    • “They just shoved you out the door like a feral cat.” – Jimmy (02:38)
  • Modern kids, in contrast, track their steps and are more health-conscious, but perhaps less free mentally.

3. Parenting Philosophy: Fostering Independence and Joy

• Letting go as a parent:

  • The bittersweet necessity of letting kids find their own way.
    • “It's so heartbreaking because that's what they're meant to do. Like, they are meant to be independent.” – Kennedy (03:51)
    • “If your kid wants to stay at home, there, you've done something wrong.” – Kennedy (03:58)

• Importance of Passion and Happiness:

  • Lincoln’s decision to pursue physical education and coaching isn't about status; it’s about helping people and being happy.
    • “He does define success around the word happiness.” – Jimmy (07:22)
    • “He thinks he would be happier coaching gym and being a personal trainer. And he always tells me, he's like, I can help so many people.” – Jimmy (07:27)

• On Professionalism and Enjoying What You Do:

  • Jimmy stresses making even mundane tasks enjoyable and taking pride in them.
    • “Your job is to make doing [the task you don’t want to do] fun.” – Jimmy (05:49)
    • “When someone treats what they are doing with that kind of respect and passion, it warms your heart.” – Kennedy (06:04)

4. Family Stories: Humor and Heart

• Early Family Life:

  • Jimmy recounts meeting his in-laws at 3 AM in the middle of Ohio to hand off baby Lincoln, all from his days as a NYC cabbie. (09:25–10:34)
    • “We would literally just show up 2, 3, 4 in the morning... and hand them a baby in the parking lot of the Dutch pantry.” – Jimmy (09:32)

• Last Summer at Home:

  • Failla family plans to soak up the final summer before Lincoln leaves: “We’re gonna max this one out now. Buckle up, man. This is it.” – Jimmy (10:55)

• Humorous Boundaries:

  • Jimmy’s mock deal with his son: he’ll pay for college unless Lincoln becomes “a queer for Palestine”—a pointed joke on campus activism.
    • “You can come home as anything you want... but you owe me every dollar of this tuition if I’ve got a... queer for Palestine!” – Jimmy (11:15)

5. Kennedy & Jenny’s Influence

• On Jenny (Jimmy’s wife):
  • Discussed her deep joy and impact as a special needs teacher, and the emotional tie to helping others.
    • “You don't ever walk away from that emotional connection to the special needs community.” – Jimmy (08:10)
    • “The fact that Lincoln has that inside of him is just amazing.” – Kennedy (07:54)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On generational difference:
  “They're obsessed with self care, so they're physically so much better than we were at that age. But because of their phone addiction, they're mentally worse. So everyone's crazy now, but they have abs.”
  – Jimmy (02:18–02:29)

• On childhood independence:
  “If your kid wants to stay at home, there, you've done something wrong.”
  – Kennedy (03:58)

• On defining success:
  “He does define success around the word happiness. And he thinks he would be happier coaching gym and being a personal trainer.”
  – Jimmy (07:22)

• On joyful professionalism:
  “Your job is to make doing that fun.”
  – Jimmy (05:49)

• Classic Failla humor about college activism:
  “You can come home as anything you want... but you owe me every dollar of this tuition if I’ve got a... queer for Palestine!”
  – Jimmy (11:15)

• On the bittersweet of letting go:
  “It's very bittersweet.”
  – Kennedy (04:04)

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Topic / Quote | |-----------|-----------------| | 01:12 | Jimmy’s joke about Lincoln “criminal convictions”—starting the school decision story | | 02:18 | Generational differences: self-care obsession vs. phone addiction | | 03:26 | Cortland has great phys Ed—Lincoln’s major decision | | 03:51 | "It's so heartbreaking because that's what they're meant to do..." – Kennedy | | 05:49 | "Your job is to make doing that fun." – Jimmy | | 07:22 | "He does define success around the word happiness." – Jimmy | | 09:32 | Hilarious family story – handing off the baby at 3 AM | | 10:55 | Looking forward to one last summer with Lincoln at home | | 11:15 | The “queer for Palestine” college joke – Jimmy’s comic take on modern college culture |

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Tone & Style

Throughout the episode, Jimmy Failla and Kennedy maintain a light, irreverent rapport, lacing insights about freedom, parenting, and generational change with quick, witty humor and personal anecdotes. The conversation is both deeply heartfelt and laugh-out-loud funny, offering a relatable look at what it means to raise children for independence and happiness in today’s world.

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In sum:
This episode is a heartfelt, hilarious take on parenting teens, the value of finding joy, and embracing the adventure of launching the next generation—reminding listeners to savor these fleeting moments and approach life (and even hard goodbyes) with humor and heart.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Hello.

[C]

Happy Monday, Jimmy. Fela is back. I'm glad that we changed into the same clothes we were in last Wednesday so we could.

[B]

This is the thing. That was such a good show. We were like continuity.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, this became like.

[C]

What did you call me?

[B]

Earmuffs. I'm kidding. Good to see you.

[C]

Okay, so last week we didn't do a Monday podcast, we did a Wednesday podcast. Because your son has committed to Courtland Lincoln going to. What was it about that school that

[B]

I mean, first and foremost, the fact that they overlooked his criminal convictions obviously goes a long way.

[C]

He's not been convicted.

[B]

There's a lot of school. He's a good kid.

[C]

Lincoln is such a good kid.

[B]

It's one of my favorite things in the world. I used to make jokes about him to Harris and Harris would be like, oh, I'm like, Harris. She got it right away. You know, I explained it to you. I'm like, harris, if you have a dumb kid, you don't go on TV and call him dumb. That's you're an a hole. Okay. But if you actually have a smart kid, you can call him dumb on tv. And he goes, haha. Yeah. So Lincoln obviously had much higher grades than I did. You know, I went to community college and I tried to push Nassau community on him. I'm like, you would be a legacy. You could smoke weed there for free with. With the administration for the rest of your life. If you went to community college, you'd be a conquering hero.

[C]

Oh, that's fantastic.

[B]

But the big determining factors, and this really does matter. Lincoln's generation is a lot more into self care than we are. Okay. They are.

[C]

I know.

[B]

Because of the Internet for a bill. Yes. No, it's right. It's so true. And you know, the protein and everything like that.

[C]

The thing like I. I can't imagine with Lincoln, but with girls.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

What they find to spend money on, it's stunning. In the name of self care.

[B]

But that's what's so funny about it is they're obsessed with self care, so they're physically so much better than we were. At that age. But because of their phone addiction, they're mentally worse.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

So everyone's crazy now, but they have abs.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

That's the world.

[C]

Ate Velveeta but probably walked 40,000 steps.

[B]

Yeah. We were fine. And we weren't even tracking.

[C]

Roving the neighborhood as gangs.

[B]

Yeah. We didn't need a Fitbit to track steps because nothing. No one was tracking anything. They just shoved you out the door like a feral cat.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And you just went looking for excitement. What did that thing move? Let's play with it. You know, let's ride our bikes towards it.

[C]

See what that's. It was. Let's light it on fire.

[B]

Yeah. There was absolutely heaven. You know, there's a lot of bugs out there that the American children owe an apology to.

[C]

Leave a candle lit.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

For five minutes too long. I'm like, who left that candle?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

My dad's like, here's a quarter stick of dynamite, and everyone gets a lighter. Don't burn your thumb on the Bic. Okay. The little metal wheel gets hot.

[B]

Now, some of the venom's still in the snake, but if you take it out to the field now. But here's the thing. He. He. He wants to be a phys ed and a health major.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And Cortland, oddly enough, has, like, the greatest phys Ed program anywhere.

[C]

How cool is that?

[B]

So that's what he wanted to do. And when we took him to visit the school and he really wrapped his head around going away, and I could see he was passionate about it. But the minute he got on campus and started walking around, I was like, aw, he wants to go do his, you know, do his thing. And obviously for us, the big deal. Cause he's our only kid, and we're used to having him around, and he's just so much fricking fun.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But knowing your kid is passionate about something is the coolest thing in the world.

[C]

That's.

[B]

It's.

[C]

It's so heartbreaking because that's what they're meant to do.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Like, they are meant to be independent.

[B]

That's what you're raising them to do. Yeah.

[C]

If. If your kid wants to stay at home, there, you've done something wrong.

[B]

It is true.

[C]

Like, it's a bummer. But if they want to go out and find themselves and carve their own path, like, it's. It's very bittersweet.

[B]

Yep. And I'll tell you what. It came. That is a big part of it for him. So the two things he was considering, it's like well, you know, he likes the jobs we have. He thinks media is really cool.

[C]

It's great.

[B]

But he said he's like, but if I stay home and just decide I'm going to throw myself into media, like, my childhood ends, effective immediately. I'm now fighting, you know, for life and relevance in all, you know, in this field. And he just turned 17, so he wants to go grow for four more years, which to me makes all the sense in the world.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Because you don't.

[C]

It's like LeBron got into the NBA too young.

[B]

Yeah. And stayed too long. And now he's just fake flopping all the time. Oh, they would give anything to get. LeBron James is the Mitch McConnell of NBA players. You know, the Republicans, to get rid of McConnell. It keeps glitching out.

[C]

If. If Lincoln got into media right now, he would be like the Bronnie James.

[B]

It had shots, though. He has the skills. But this is the God's honest truth. He is. And it's because of when he was born. When he was born, I was obviously was driving a taxi. Everyone, we've talked to you about this. They joke about not having money in the bank. We didn't have a bank. You know, people always go, how do you become a cab driver? Like, it's actually really easy. You have to knock up your wife without health insurance and, oh, a bookie. $43,000 that you don't have. That's how I became a cab driver. And it was wonderful. But the point is, because he was born into that world, we were really heavily impressing upon him in the early stages of his life the importance of just having fun every day, no matter what you're doing, regardless of whether or not you want to do it.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Meaning you go to work. Okay. You might want, like, the task you've been assigned, but being a professional means getting it done with the same level of proficiency that you would the thing you want to do.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So your job is to make doing that fun.

[C]

So lacking.

[B]

Oh. Everywhere. Everywhere. Customer service is gone.

[C]

But that's why when. When someone really leans into whatever they're doing. No. No matter how much less significant they may consider it compared to what they ultimately would like to be doing. And when someone treats what they are doing with that kind of respect and passion, like, it warms your heart.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And. And you acknowledge it because you don't see it all the time.

[B]

Yeah. Big time. And so knowing that to be the case at an early age, I was like, you know, take pride in what you're Doing the way we're it fun. That thing you don't want to do. Listen to some song you like, eat some food. You know what I mean? Make some break time to do this thing. So you just feel like your production model is kind of maxed out. But with the maxing being around fun and because we've created such a fun kid, he really doesn't have the definition of sec success that I did okay. And I like, I wanted to do this since I was like five and there was no version of life. It's like, you know, the Yankees, if they don't win the World Series, were like, they suck.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

They won 106 games. Yeah.

[C]

Judges and the real Yankees. Yeah.

[B]

It doesn't even matter. Guy with his third mvp. I could do better than you in the playoffs. But you couldn't.

[C]

Is that Uncle Mikey, my brother?

[B]

Forget about it. My brother Mike is on the Yankees. They just don't know that. It's like, it's a weird situation.

[C]

Every year he goes to Yankees.

[B]

He goes to the Yankee camp. He goes to fat camp. Fat Yankee camp. It's a ground ball home run. But hold on a second. Against other fat guys. But no, but this is the truth for the link, man. And God, I hope to hell he holds on to this. He does define success around the word happiness. And he thinks he would be happier coaching Jim and being a personal trainer. And he always tells me, he's like, I can help so many people, but

[C]

that, I mean that first of all, that makes me really happy because he's more Jenny than you.

[B]

What do they have? How can we take it? Come on showbiz.

[C]

No, because Jenny is like, you know, for years she was a special needs teacher.

[B]

She was.

[C]

And took so much joy in like helping and guiding and loving her students. And it's like. And the fact that Lincoln has that inside of him, of him is just amazing.

[B]

Yeah. No, I for that. I'm thankful for that. And the thing about the Jenny special needs thing is that when you have that type of relationship with them and you have, you know, this investment in helping them make progress because you're bettering circumstance, you don't ever walk away from that emotional connection to the special needs community. That's why we went out to brunch with you on Sunday. We were like, kennedy, what are you doing? Jenny's having. I know, but I told it so well. I'm like, Jenny's having flashbacks. If she could just help you with a coloring book and then high five you even though you've colored outside all the lines.

[C]

You guys have bacon.

[B]

If she could just have bacon at

[C]

brunch, you can tell me. You have to tell me by law.

[B]

But no, it's true. And that's what it is. We're so excited for him. And honestly, early in the process, I really do was like, no, don't worry, Jenny. Wherever this goes, I, I'll, I'll, I'll get him to stay. I'll, you know, he's got to, he's got to work in me. He's got to. Come on, what are we doing here, Jenny? But the more I talk to him about it, I realized like he really wanted to go away and is excited about it and I can't be any but excited for him.

[C]

Yeah. And he's not too far?

[B]

No, he's, you know, whatever it is, four hours or something like that.

[C]

But again, by the way, they come back a lot.

[B]

I know they do.

[C]

Like a lot more than you think. Don't go anywhere more. Kennedy saves the world.

[B]

Right after this, we're used to driving to Ohio. Yeah, we drive since he was a child. This is a great story.

[C]

Can you drive Pele back next time?

[B]

I would if I'm going that way. Jenny and I, when I was a cab driver and Lincoln was, I'm talking three months old, five months old, eight months old, because she was trying to get back to work and obviously couldn't afford childcare and stuff. And we wanted her parents to have a relationship with her grandkid. We would meet them at the 300 mile mark in Ohio. We would drive to the halfway point in Ohio, like 2 in the morning and get out and hand them a baby in the parking lot of the Dutch pantry. But the fact that we never ended up on an FBI watch list for that, we would literally just show up 2, 3, 4 in the morning.

[C]

Meeting older couple. Like, we've just always wanted a whole family. Finally, here's the hundred thousand dollars. Oh, he's got blue eyes too. I once met him just like Craig.

[B]

I once met him in Clearfield, Pennsylvania in a New York City yellow cab. If anyone listening wants to Google CLEARFIELD, it's exit 120 on Route 80. It is the exact halfway point between New York and Wapakoneta, Ohio. It's 120 miles from Youngstown, the border of Ohio east. So it's east of Pittsburgh. And I met them there at three in the morning in a taxi and handed them a baby. And I never got tackled or tased.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

So as much as we like to praise law enforcement on this show. You guys aren't throwing a perfect game.

[C]

We're not quite where we think we are as a society.

[B]

Anybody who tells you we've got surveillance everywhere? Not quite everywhere.

[C]

Yeah, go ahead and check the nest cam. Well, I'm excited for Lincoln. I can't wait to see what happens. And this will be a really special summer.

[B]

Yeah, we're gonna max this one out now. Buckle up, man. This is it. So we're fired up. Failures are excited. Linkman, he has like this thing now because he has a three month window left to be a high school kid because it's all decided. So I was like, really? Just go be that thing. You never get that back. It's such a sweet, innocent time in your life. Just go play lacrosse or whatever the hell you do and don't throw up. And I made him a deal. And you know this. Okay, I'll pay for college as long as you do not come home a queer for Palestine. You can come home as anything you want. You can come home gay, you can come home anything. I don't care about that. Okay, but you owe me every dollar of this tuition. If I've got a gays. Yeah, you love the gays. But if you were a queer for Palestine, one of those deals off. Yeah, okay. I drive him back to the Dutch pantry at 2 in the morning and hand his 6 foot 5 ass to

[C]

give him grandparents for every dime you've paid.

[B]

Every dime I go to Jenny's parents. Dave and Judy. Remember me? I saw you here about 16 years ago. You can have him back. Give me the money. Give me the money.

[C]

You see he's got his cute little keffiyeh instead of a baby blanket this time. All right, Go forth and conquer. This has been kenned. Kennedy saves the world. Welcome to your week along with Jimmy Fala. I'm Kennedy. Listen ad free. With a Fox News podcast plus subscription on Apple podcasts and Amazon Prime. Members can listen to this show ad free on the Amazon music app. Oh, go ahead and leave me a review while you're there. I'd love to hear what you have to say. You've been listening to Kennedy Saves the World on the Fox News podcast network.