Laugh with Me — Friday Happy Hour #16 (July 19, 2025)

Episode Overview

In this installment of "Laugh with Me," host Jeremy Odem is joined by his brother (and frequent guest) Kyle Odom, plus a travel-calling Eric, for a laid-back Friday Happy Hour episode. The main focus is on Jeremy’s recent, much-talked-about interview with Joe Exotic (the notorious "Tiger King," calling in from prison). Jeremy and Kyle react to the call, get into the wild saga of Joe Exotic’s life and persona (both serious and ridiculous aspects), reminisce about their introduction to the Tiger King phenomenon, discuss social media, pop culture, the justice system, and the bizarre, enduring appeal of the Tiger King universe.

Later in the episode, Eric chimes in from a North Dakota bar with a colorful travel log, providing a break before the group returns for final thoughts on Joe Exotic, fame, and the world’s hunger for weird stories.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kicking off Friday Happy Hour (01:16)

• Jeremy welcomes listeners, sets a relaxed end-of-week tone, and highlights today’s focus: his recent call with Joe Exotic.
  • “Time to crack open that first Friday beer and unwind from the week that was.” — Jeremy Odem [01:18]

2. Joe Exotic: From Viral Sensation to Prison Reality

• Jeremy and Kyle analyze the surreal reality of talking to Joe Exotic, who claims “2,503 days of being wrongly imprisoned.”

  • "If you've been in prison for 2,500 days, you probably don't want to be reminded of just how long you've been in there." — Jeremy [03:21]

• They reflect on how Joe runs his Instagram remotely, his awareness (or lack thereof) of internet culture and his own mythos.

• The brothers remember their own introduction to Joe Exotic via the Netflix hit during the pandemic — noting most people had never heard of him before:

  • "I've never heard of this guy until Netflix." — Kyle [05:14]

3. Fame, Fortune, and Delusion (Dreams of Riches)

• Joe’s belief in his post-prison earning power is dissected:

  • "He says he's got three awesome movie deals right now on the table, but he needs to be out in order to make this deal work." — Jeremy [07:18]

• Kyle jokes about Joe’s financial ambitions:

  • "Homie, you have $5? Like, where are you getting this $5 million? What are we doing here?" — Kyle [06:29]

• Jeremy reiterates Tiger King's record-breaking popularity: "34 million people watched the Tiger King on Netflix in the first 10 days of release." [06:40]

4. Pardons, Politics, and Character Judgment

• The possibility of a Presidential pardon for Joe Exotic sparks both sarcasm and sober reflection.
  • "He thinks that he's innocent. Like, if you watch that thing, you know his feelings on Carole Baskin. He straight up is hiring folks to kill her." — Kyle [08:39]
  • "Yeah, I'm gonna get pardoned… proceeds to name off the worst folks in the world." — Kyle [08:55]
  • "You only get the President's ear for, what, seconds, probably... and then is Joe Exotic the name that comes up when you do have his ear?" — Jeremy [09:20]

5. Stand-Up in Jail and Music Behind Bars

• The oddity of entertainers performing in jail is discussed, referencing Seinfeld:
  • "The Seinfeld finale, when they end up in prison, and then the very last scene, Jerry's doing stand up... I'm just like, do entertainers do that? Like, is R. Kelly performing in prison?" — Jeremy [12:52]
• Joe’s creative process in prison is updated for the 2020s:
  • “Actually, I’m writing it and sending it off to my girls out there, and they just put it in the AI and it does the music and the vocals.” — as Joe reportedly explained [13:41]
  • Jeremy and Kyle joke about the future of AI-generated Tiger King music — "Oh my gosh, that's a scary thought." — Kyle [13:59]

6. The Tiger King Cast: Guilt by Association

• Comparing sentences for other Tiger King figures (Doc Annel, Carole Baskin) and speculating on possible future scandals.
  • "It does seem like the people around him that were in that documentary, Tiger King, they were all involved in something." — Jeremy [14:11]
  • "She definitely killed her husband. She's definitely a terrible person. ...When you're dealing with folks who own actual tigers, everything is sketch." — Kyle [14:56]

7. The Trouble With Tigers—and Parenting

• Jeremy shares a parenting moment when his child, Braden, gets curious after seeing Tiger King footage:
  • "Braden... he's like, holy cow, you could do that. Is that the guy you're going to talk to? Can we get tigers? And I'm like, we are not getting tigers.” — Jeremy [15:16]
  • The prison call’s automated interlude (“This call is from…”) becomes a humorous punctuation, which Jeremy debates leaving in for “reality.” [15:33]

8. Crime, Prison, and Self-Justification

• Discussion of Joe Exotic's numerous allegations, including the murder-for-hire plot and conflicting testimony.
  • "When you hire somebody to kill somebody, you're going to jail...and be like, well, that guy only got a year. What is going on here?" — Kyle [16:15]
• Questions on legal maneuvering and dubious hopes for release.

9. Joe Exotic’s Good Deeds, Spin, and Legacy

• Joe's emphasis on former charitable actions (fixing babies’ faces, feeding the hungry) is examined—much of it played up as hopeful PR.
  • "It's smart on his behalf...if that's the question...then instantly hit the goodwill things you did before." — Jeremy [21:24]
• Kyle, sarcastically: "It's really not fair that he's in there for 21 years because he's just fixing babies' faces." [17:37]

10. Unorthodox Love and Life in Prison

• Joe’s prison marriage, his husband's deportation to Mexico, and the post-prison plans, including possible relocation.
  • "You just, you don't know where it's gonna, when love's gonna hit you." — Jeremy [23:28]

11. The Tiger King’s Book and Prison Productivity

• Joe’s alleged 30-minutes-a-day book writing regimen:
  • "He wrote it while he was in prison and he used his 30 minutes of computer time a day in order to write the book." — Jeremy [24:30]

12. Hitting Up Carole Baskin for a Follow-Up

• The brothers muse about booking Carole Baskin as a future guest.
  • "Did you not hit up Carol Baskin's Instagram and just shoot a message and be like, hey, I got this podcast...?" — Kyle [25:14]

13. Reflections on Fame, Netflix, and the South

• What it must be like to have your entire life story viewed by tens of millions:
  • "Can you imagine 34 million people watching your show, your life, in, like, the first 10 days of a release about it? Like, that's insane." — Jeremy [25:54]
• On Tiger King’s legacy and the strange fame machinery:
  • "Everything they know about you is this..." — Jeremy [26:13]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Joe Exotic’s confidence:
  “He says he's got three awesome movie deals right now on the table, but he needs to be out in order to make this deal work.” — Jeremy [07:18]
• On Joe’s finances:
  “Homie, you have $5? Like, where are you getting this $5 million?” — Kyle [06:29]
• On prison entertainment:
  "I'm just like, do entertainers do that? Like, is R. Kelly performing... in prison?" — Jeremy [12:52]
• On Carol Baskin:
  "She definitely killed her husband. She's definitely a terrible person... everything is sketch." — Kyle [14:56]
• On the power of AI:
  "This dude's writing, like, three lines of words and he's calling that writing music nowadays. What is happening?" — Kyle [13:41]
• On the absurdity of fame:
  "Can you imagine 34 million people watching your show, your life, in like, the first 10 days of a release about it? Like, that's insane." — Jeremy [25:54]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro/Warmup — 01:16
• Debriefing the Joe Exotic Call — 03:04
• Tiger King’s Notoriety and Netflix Impact — 05:14
• Joe’s Money, Movie, and Pardons — 06:29 – 10:10
• Beetlejuice Joke and Prison Info Access — 10:16
• Joe’s Book and Music in Prison — 11:24 – 13:59
• Discussing Other Tiger King Players and Carole Baskin — 14:11
• Prison Parenting Humor — 15:08
• Justice, Sentencing, and the Law — 16:15 – 17:37
• Charity, Fixing Babies’ Faces — 18:03 – 22:19
• Life, Love, and Plans after Prison — 23:15
• Joe Exotic’s Book & 30 Minute Routine — 24:30
• Booking Carole Baskin/Podcast Dreaming — 25:14 – 26:39
• Fame, Netflix, and South Reflection — 26:59 – 30:01

Eric's North Dakota Travel Log [31:30]

• Eric calls in from a Fargo, ND bar, humorously bemoaning losing $100 at charity blackjack and sharing his confusion about North Dakota’s unique bar-casino setup.

  • “Somebody's running that blackjack table, collecting the profits, and the bar is just selling you the drinks.” — Eric [31:52]
  • “Winning is so much better than losing.” — Eric [33:16]
  • On the futility of his luck: “I had that bimbo/himbo guy sitting all the way on the left. ...he's just raking it in. Meanwhile, yours truly...nothing.” [34:03]

• Jeremy riffs on how even losing could feel better if it went to charity—maybe even “fixing kids’ faces courtesy of Joe Exotic, the Tiger King.” [36:13]

Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up [28:19 – 30:01]

• Kyle: Excited, a little frightened, but now “invested” in Joe Exotic’s story ("I freaking loved it...I kind of want to go rewatch the Tiger King.") [28:24]
• The group ponders the mechanics and impact of the documentary, the mythology around Joe Exotic, and the South's enduring flair for the eccentric.
  • "That's the South, baby. You know? That's the South." — Jeremy [30:01]

Summary

This episode epitomizes the mix of irreverence and curiosity that defines "Laugh with Me": equal parts absurd pop culture critique, genuinely thoughtful moral questioning, and sibling banter. Jeremy and Kyle entertain wry skepticism about Joe Exotic while acknowledging the mesmerizing grip of his story. Through jokes and sharp asides—sprinkled with real questions about justice, fame, and identity—the conversation makes a larger point: sometimes, you just have to laugh at the madness of modern life.

For more about Joe Exotic, visit: Joe Exotic Official Website
Will Jeremy score a Carole Baskin interview? Stay tuned!