This One's For Jenny

Summary

Kennedy Saves the World – “This One’s For Jenny”

Podcast: Kennedy Saves the World
Host: Kennedy
Guest: Jimmy Failla
Date: November 24, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this Thanksgiving-themed episode, Kennedy welcomes comedian, Fox News host, and friend Jimmy Failla for a raucous, heartfelt conversation about family, career detours, the joys and awkwardness of comedy, and the lighter side of parenting. The episode’s central theme is gratitude—especially for family—and the quirks, chaos, and support that make life’s journey so much richer. Their rapid-fire banter, personal anecdotes, and playful jabs offer a lively, authentic glimpse into the lives of two entertainers navigating work, family, and the holidays.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Pittsburgh Comedy Shows, Family, and Performing for “Ric Flairs”

• Jimmy’s Fox News Saturday Night Experience & Performances

  • Kennedy shares gratitude for Jimmy after joining his show and describes the fun, whirlwind weekend as a “miracle [of] physics.”
  • Jimmy jokes about Pittsburgh crowds:

    “You know how Pittsburgh works, man. The one word they drink till there's a one word vocabulary. Whoo.” (01:10)

  • Both recall the unique challenge and humor of performing for mixed-age audiences, including kids in comedy clubs.

• Comedy in Front of Kids

  • Kennedy:

    “I was like, listen, son, ear muffs. It's not going to get any cleaner.” (01:42)

  • They discuss how comics end up covering the awkward birds-and-bees talk for parents who dare to bring their kids to comedy shows.

2. Comedy Origins, Risky Careers, and Family Inspiration

• Awkward Moments at Comedy Shows with Family

  • Jimmy recalls attending a risqué comedy set with his newly divorced mother:

    “His whole act was about how 50 year old women are the biggest sluts. Just there with my newly divorced mom. Like, should we… are we in your way right now?” (02:45)

• When Did Jimmy Know Comedy Was for Him?

  • Despite growing up with athletes and cops, Jimmy’s inspiration to perform:

    “It took me wanting to get my mom out of the house to start doing what I always wanted to do. Meaning if someone hadn't come along and given me an excuse, I would probably still be turning tricks in an Atlantic City bathroom right now to pay my gambling debts.” (03:56)

  • Kennedy riffing:

    “You hope that your, your gambling is as much of a success slash failure that the casino does. Maybe give you a room or a buffet coupon here or there. And that's the stuff of big dreams.” (04:36)

3. Family Dynamics and Staying Grounded

• Jimmy’s Mom: Heart of the Family

  • Kennedy admires the supportive, close-knit nature of Jimmy’s family:

    “You would have the same family if you were hosting the Tonight show or if you were the host at Olive Garden... you would all be leaning in, you would all be making fun of each other.” (05:26)

  • Jimmy’s mom attends almost every show—sometimes, to hilarious effect.

    “My mom's still going to show up to every gig maybe 30 minutes late... One night we were taping my show... I got really thrown because somebody walked right into the bleachers... until you realize they recognize my mom and might have decided to let her in.” (07:21)

• How Having a Kid Changed His Comedy

  • Jimmy shares the positive pressure of fatherhood:

    “It really benefited a guy like me to have a family and a kid because my decisions affected them, which forced me to become more efficient as a writer, as a performer.” (06:42)

4. Thanksgiving, Traditions, and Passing Down Wisdom

• Holiday Plans and Recipe Exchange

  • Kennedy is smoking a turkey for the first time, aided by Jimmy’s wife Jenny’s handwritten Midwestern recipe cards.
  • Kennedy’s gratitude:

    “[Jenny] is using, like, her powers to infuse my table with her wisdom... she is making sure that all my plans are flawless because of her help and intervention.” (10:19)

• Heartfelt Thanksgiving Banter

  • Jimmy jokes about Jenny channeling her guidance:

    “This is like the movie Ghost. You know how you had to jump inside Whoopi to get to Patrick Swayze? Jenny has to jump inside you to get to the Thanksgiving turkey... It's not Ghost. It's called Host.” (10:34–10:47)

  • Kennedy’s playful response as she prepares the turkey:

    “But I'm going to be rubbing that turkey, like, oh, yeah, this one's for Jenny tucking the wings underneath. Here we go, little birdie.” (10:48)

  • Concludes with mutual gratitude and a promise of future “cabin weekends,” complete with smoked meats and quality time.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Family and Comedy:

  “That's the one nice thing about coming from a group of broken people is success is not going to fix anything.”
  — Jimmy Failla (07:25)

• On Comedy Career and Responsibility:

  “Most comics get more responsibility and just kind of self destruct. I was like the other thing, you know, I took an advance on the downhill spiral of my life… Did it first and then kind of worked my way back to where I am now.”
  — Jimmy Failla (06:56)

• On Thanksgiving Wisdom Transfer:

  “Jenny has to jump inside you to get to the Thanksgiving turkey... It's not Ghost. It's called Host.”
  — Jimmy Failla (10:41)

• On Parental Intervention at a Comedy Show:

  “Listen, son, ear muffs. It's not going to get any cleaner.”
  — Kennedy (01:42)

• On Stage Surprises:

  “As I was sitting there talking on live TV in my head... I literally was like, who the [expletive] is walking into the bleachers right now?”
  — Jimmy Failla (08:20)

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• Comedy and Drinking in Pittsburgh — 00:40–01:28
• Performing for Kids and Awkward Audience Moments — 01:28–02:33
• Family Influence and Comedy Beginnings — 03:27–04:36
• Driving a Cab, Early Comedy, Having a Kid — 05:47–06:56
• Jimmy’s Mom and Taping Fox News Show — 07:21–08:33
• Thanksgiving, Traditions, Jenny’s Recipes — 09:40–10:57
• Heartfelt Goodbyes and Holiday Wishes — 10:57–11:29

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Kennedy Saves the World is a fun, warm, and honest conversation that showcases the importance of family—by birth and by choice—in shaping who you are and carrying you through life’s ups, downs, and traditions. Kennedy and Jimmy’s chemistry and quick wit make this a must-listen, especially for those craving stories that are both hilarious and heartfelt this Thanksgiving season.

Transcript

[A]

Hi, I'm here to pick up my son, Milo. There's no Milo here. Who picked up my son from school?

[B]

Streaming only on Peacock. I'm gonna need the name of everyone that could have a connection.

[A]

You don't understand. It was just the five of us.

[B]

So this was all planned.

[A]

What are you gonna do? I will do whatever it takes to get my son back.

[B]

I honestly didn't see this coming. These nice people killing each other. All her fault. A new series. Streaming now only on Peacock.

[A]

Hello and welcome to this episode of Kennedy Saves the World. This Thanksgiving week, I am so thankful for Jimmy Fayella because I got to go on his Fox News Saturday night show. And we partied so hard. And that was right before Jimmy and I took the stage in respective parts of Pennsylvania, which was a miracle. Physics. Jimmy is back. Hey, Jim. How was your weekend? How was the show in Pittsburgh?

[B]

Yeah. In the spirit of that, you're the first sober person I've talked to in 72 hours. You know how Pittsburgh works, man. The one word they drink till there's a one word vocabulary. Whoo. You know, that whole thing so everyone.

[A]

Turns into Ric Flair.

[B]

I performed for a room full of Rick. Rick Flairs. To be clear, it was great. Was pot, by the way. I need to know.

[A]

Oh, Pot Soldiers is such an incredible venue. It's so cool. It's historic. And the crowd was leaning into it. They were ready to go. I was a little nervous because there was a 13 year old kid in the front row.

[B]

That's the worst.

[A]

And I was like, listen, son, ear muffs. It's not going to get any cleaner.

[B]

Let's go.

[A]

And then I ended up telling the story about mom's weekend.

[B]

Oh, gosh.

[A]

And. And then there was another kid in the audience. He's like, hey, I just graduated from college. Do you have any advice? And I was like, hey, it's not too late for another mom's weekend. I'm, hey, volunteering my duties. All right, son.

[B]

No, I love that. But one thing people should keep in mind, too, is if you do bring your kid to the comedy club, you know, preteen, you know, teen. And in that window, you're actually sparing yourself a lot of awkward conversations because the comic's usually going to hit that stuff for you, you know, One of the most awkward moments of my life is when my mom turned 50. We went to the comic strip. I was a civilian. I hadn't attempted comedy yet.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[B]

We were sitting up front, and whoever the comic was that night, I think it was J.J. ramirez, the Latin lunatic. Anyway, his whole act was about how 50 year old women are the biggest sluts. Just there with my newly divorced mom. Like, should we. Are we in your way right now? Should we be out of the way?

[A]

That's funny because I don't know if you're stealing material from J.J. ramirez, but I recall you having a very similar joke in your act.

[B]

What I talk about is, I always say this, I always say, young people, do they make the mistake of hitting on the young girl because they don't have urgency. So for me, it's like, you need a woman. I always say this in my act. You need a woman with kids. Like specifically with kids who went out and had a sitter. You see, what I was on the receiving end of as a civilian is, oh, she's turning 50. And it was awkward because every joke was aimed at us. So here we are.

[A]

Oh, that's fantastic. When did you know that you were going to get into comedy?

[B]

Honestly, I wanted to do it since I was young, but the way it worked out is, growing up, everybody in my family was a cop and an athlete. So anybody who performed on stage was considered, you know, like a little soft, was a little fruity. What's going on there, you know? And when I was in college, I had a buddy, Stevie Robbins, who played college basketball and then wound up taking a theater class. And he was in a play. And I mean this, on a Friday night, I saw him in a play at New York Tech University. And his mom was there. His divorced mom was sitting in the front row watching the play. And I really thought to myself, I was like, you know, it'd be really cool if my mom had somewhere to go on a Friday night. And it took me wanting to get my mom out of the house to start doing what I always wanted to do. Meaning if someone hadn't come along and given me an excuse, I would probably still be turning tricks in an Atlantic City bathroom right now to pay my gambling debts. But here we are. I mean, I'd like to think I would have gotten good at it enough that I'd be turning the tricks in actual hotel rooms. But you don't know.

[A]

You hope you get the upgrade. You hope that your, your gambling is as much of a success slash failure that the casino does. Maybe give you a room or a buffet coupon here or there. And that's the stuff of big dreams.

[B]

I'll say.

[A]

Don't go anywhere more. Kennedy Saves the World right after this. This is Ainsley Earhart. Thank you for joining me for the 52 episode podcast series the Life of.

[C]

Jesus, A listening experience that will provide hope, comfort and understanding of the greatest story ever told. Listen and follow starting November 30th on foxnewspodcasts.com it's Will Tane country. Watch it live at noon Eastern Monday through Thursday, fox news.com or on the Fox News YouTube channel. And don't miss the show. Listen and follow the podcast five days a week at Fox newspodcasts.com or wherever you download your favorite podcasts.

[A]

I love it though, because I, I adore your mom. And the thing that I love about your family is you would have the same family if you were hosting the Tonight show or if you were the host at Olive Garden. Like you would all be in it, you would all be leaning in, you would all be making fun of each other. But your mom is there pretty much at every show.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

With her special little friend. And it makes me so happy. Like for me, that's how family is supposed to be. And the fact that it was your mom who inspired you to take a path in life that it can be really risky, especially if you're going to have a kid. So when Lincoln was born, I know you were driving a cab, but were you already doing stand up at that point?

[B]

Yeah, I was doing, you know, colleges and like opening for people on the road like that. I was like the guy that goes on before the guy you've actually heard of. So he was born in 08. Like I really started doing comedy for like any form of income. I don't mean it was exclusively making my living because I was driving, I drove a cab for 10 years, but I was doing comedy for some form of pay from about 02 on, you know. And when he was born, I mean we were obviously on the lower end of that. You know, I was doing like some mid level colleges, some opium dens on the lower east side of Manhattan. I wish I was kidding, you know. And I always, you know, wanted to do this on a higher level. But you need, it's funny. Comics obviously, like a lot of people are very self absorbed and it actually really benefited a guy like me to have a family and a kid because my decisions affected them, which forced me to become more efficient as a writer, as a performer. Like I was one of the very few people who benefited from having more responsibility. Most comics get more responsibility and just kind of self destruct. I was like the other thing, you know, I took an advance on the downhill spiral of my life, meaning my 20s were what you're supposed to do after you get famous, which is like, women, all kinds of vices and high level Deb. I did it first and then kind of worked my way back to where I am now. And yes, it is cool to have my family be a part of it, because that's the one nice thing about coming from a group of broken people is success is not going to fix anything. My mom's still going to show up to every gig maybe 30 minutes late while we're shooting the monologue on Fox News Saturday night. Through the shots, like, everything. I'm not kidding. You want to laugh? One night we were taping my show. It was during the election last year. So we were going live at 10 o' clock and like six minutes into a monologue that I thought was going particularly well, I got really thrown because somebody walked right into the bleachers, like, past security, past everybody, which is unfathomable, until you realize they recognize my mom and might have decided to let her in. But as I was sitting there talking on live TV in my head, you know how you have those moments all to yourself? I literally was like, who the is walking into the bleachers right now?

[A]

Yes. And you have to do that. Instant computing to try and figure out, like, is this a threat? Yeah.

[B]

Do I know? Yeah. Do I change the show up 1000%? It happened this past weekend because I walked out of the fricking wall the night you were on and saw 10 of girls I graduated high school with who, you know, I know these women, when they go out, they drink to the point that they might fall off those bleachers. So it was a genuine moment of concern. Like, I walked off behind the wall and I was like, oh, well, they're here. And then I was like, oh, oh, wait, that's. I got to get through an hour of this without anybody barfing in their purse. You know how the Levittown chicks roll.

[A]

Yeah. But I. There, There was not a drop of vomit spilled. They. They are the most efficient bar first that I've seen in quite some time since I hung out with those libertarian triathletes. Amen. But they, they were a very receptive audience. Like, they loved the shout outs. They were so excited to be there. And. And they, you know, finally, wine moms got a good look on Saturday night. Yo.

[B]

It is so true.

[A]

So I have to tell you, this is really funny because I know that you and your family are together and spending Thanksgiving on the road this week, which is really sweet because I know. I. Wherever you guys end up, it's going to be awesome. There's going to be a memory. Something hysterical is going to happen. But I reached out to Jenny because I'm smoking a turkey on the Traeger for the first time.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And your wife sent me pictures of all of her recipe cards, handwritten, because she is such a beautiful, decent Midwesterner. And I know that she is, like, having Thanksgiving through me. And she. She is using, like, her powers to infuse my table with her wisdom. And, you know, because she's not executing at the family table this year, she is making sure that all my plans are flawless because of her help and intervention.

[B]

I love that. This is like the movie Ghost. You know how you had to jump inside Whoopi to get to Patrick Swayze? Jenny has to jump inside you to get to the Thanksgiving turkey. This is a weird. It's not ghost. It's called host. It's called host.

[A]

But I'm going to be rubbing that turkey, like, oh, yeah, this one's for Jenny tucking the wings underneath. Here we go, little birdie.

[B]

Oh, that's hot.

[A]

Yeah. Well, Jim, wherever you guys go, have the best Thanksgiving. And know that I'm so grateful for you and your family. And Jenny promised that when you guys come back, we're going to have a cabin weekend where we smoke birds and ribs and porter houses and just send it.

[B]

It's amazing. No, no, I'm so there. I am so there. Assuming you don't burn the cabin down with that smoker this weekend. God's Godspeed to you, young lady. Equally thankful on this end. And hopefully I'll see you when we get back.

[A]

I hope so. God willing. This has been Kennedy Saves the World 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.