Podcast Summary: RISK! – “Live From LA Storytelling Fest” (February 5, 2026)

Overview

In this special live episode of RISK!, host Kevin Allison curates a selection of jaw-dropping, uncensored, and emotionally varied true stories, all performed at the LA Storytelling Festival. The episode’s theme, “weirdo,” invites three performers—Brian Finkelstein, Carrie Wade (in her first public performance), and Matt Oberg—to share vulnerable, hilarious, and impactful experiences about being outsiders, coping with hardship, and celebrating inner quirks. The episode showcases RISK!’s signature blend of humor, heartbreak, and honesty, offering listeners both laughs and poignant insights into the human condition.

Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. Brian Finkelstein: “She and I”

[03:39 – 20:37]

Theme:

Navigating anxiety, relationships, and the pressures of adult life.

Highlights:

• Contrasting Personalities:
  Brian describes waking up everyday with existential dread, whereas his wife, Jean, is irrepressibly optimistic.
  “My wife Jean wakes up every day the happiest person who’s ever been alive…” – Brian Finkelstein [03:44]

• LA Observations & Satire:
  Witty takes on LA culture: meditation, pet spas, and the grocery store caste system.
  “You don’t have to wear a costume to ride a bike. You don’t have to fucking wear bright…you’re not Italian, Joe.” [05:00]

• Personal Vulnerability:
  Brian candidly discusses relationship issues, performance anxiety, and therapy, blending self-deprecation with dark humor.
  “And instead of trying to figure it out, I would leave and I would go home and I would take Vicodin because life hurts. And I would watch House because life hurts.” [09:09]

• Therapy & Self-Discovery:
  His anxiety and relationship troubles lead them to Florence, a therapist, whose advice is sometimes less than helpful:
  “You need to relax. You just need to fucking relax.” [13:10]

• Panic Attack at Gelson’s:
  Brian humorously recounts his meltdown over being unable to buy a chicken sandwich due to forgetting his wallet—sparking an existential spiral.
  “Now the lid comes off and I’m starting to melt down… I let out a full on, like, Clive Davis wire.” [14:22]

• Pregnancy, Loss, and Finding Strength:
  When Jean becomes pregnant and subsequently has a miscarriage, Brian’s fears are realized. He recognizes Jean’s resilience and the couple’s ability to overcome adversity together:
  “I realized, like, in that moment that I, you know, I have problems with everything, but she and I can get through anything.” [19:58]

  Concludes with making a sandwich together as a sign that even amid chaos and tragedy, small gestures of love sustain them.

Notable Quotes:

• “It’s better to never have been born, which is kind of my mantra… but what’s not okay is to have a mantra.” – Brian Finkelstein [04:08]
• “I think I would do well in the hole, Steve. Like, in prison. I think it’d be an ineffectual threat to say, ‘I’m gonna…’ I would love the hole. Put me in the hole.” [16:36]
• “And much… she’s amazing. She’s a rock star.” [19:50]

2. Carrie Wade: (Debut Story)

[21:16 – 34:03]

Theme:

Disability, sexuality, self-advocacy, and reclaiming body confidence.

Highlights:

• Disability and Social Perception:
  Carrie’s cerebral palsy is “mild,” but she faces infantilization, overprotection, and the struggle to be taken seriously as an adult and sexual being.
  “I actually like to call myself disabled enough—as in enough for the perks, but not for the bullshit.” [21:29]

• Sexual Awakening and Dating:
  Her goal after college: lose her virginity. She details meeting Alex online and the self-consciousness of a romantic encounter as a disabled woman.

• First Time & Sexual Vulnerability:
  Carrie candidly describes her nervousness and the realities of lesbian sex, humorously referencing the movie Black Swan.
  “Masturbation and sex are not the same thing. You’re in a completely different angle. And I’m like, ‘I didn’t even know that could fit in there.’” [25:01]

• Bondagey Things & Confronting Infantilization:
  Alex suggests trying “bondagey things” but is hesitant out of fear of hurting Carrie, which hits a nerve for her.
  “This woman still thinks I’m a little girl. It hit me right in the place I hate the most, because my entire life, I had worked so hard to be nice and accommodating and kind, mostly to keep people from being afraid of me.” [27:59]

• Claiming Power & Body Acceptance:
  Carrie asserts her pain tolerance and participates in a powerful, consensual BDSM moment that allows her to see her body as strong and desirable.
  “Turns out what had been perceived as so defective about my body was actually the thing that made me desirable and made me sexy and powerful for the first time in my life. And that moment was beautiful.” [33:13]

Notable Quotes:

• “Who’s better at pain than me? Because when you have a disability, pain is just part of your life.” – Carrie Wade [29:49]
• “Our safe word was dinosaur, which I still think is amazing.” [31:33]
• “No matter how many times you tell yourself, I’m not sick and there’s nothing wrong with me, you never see anyone looking beautiful who looks like you…” [32:29]

3. Matt Oberg: “Khakis, Fingernails & Normalcy”

[34:03 – 43:58]

Theme:

The illusion of normalcy, the awkwardness of intimacy, and embracing quirks.

Highlights:

• “Normal Guy” Persona:
  Matt sees himself as average (“squarely in the middle” of most graphs), illustrated by his preference for khakis and tame dining options like Cheesecake Factory.

• Innocence and Awkwardness Around Women:
  Raised in male-dominated environments, he was unprepared for femininity and intimacy, which felt like a foreign language.
  “Swedish person and you’ve never taken a lesson or read a book, but you’re gonna try to speak to them in Swedish.” [36:56]

• First Romance & The Fingernail Incident:
  Abroad in London, he begins dating “Tina.” In a critical moment, he reveals to her his odd collection: a year’s worth of his own fingernail clippings, stored in a hand towel.
  “I show her a collection of my own fingernail clippings. That’s something that’s true. And that I did. And she is horrified.” [39:21]

• Resolution and Wisdom:
  The relationship survives, though momentum is lost. Eventually, Matt learns that what women (and people) want isn’t “normalcy,” but authenticity.
  “Women don’t necessarily really want a normal guy. They want someone who’s honest.” [42:38]

Notable Quotes:

• “If I’m not wearing this, I’m wearing a costume because this is who I really am. I’m normal.” – Matt Oberg [34:29]
• “Immediately I realized like, this is crazy. I throw it…I throw it out. Outside on the garbage can on the sidewalk. So it can’t be, like, traces back to me.” [40:20]
• “If I showed her a collection of my fingernail clippings now, she would be horrified. Because that is something disgusting and shameful. And gross.” [43:45]

Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• Witty LA Satire:
  “If anyone has taken their dog or cat to a spa of any kind, you’re fucking idiots. I’m sorry. It’s true. No offense. Offense.” – Brian Finkelstein [05:44]

• Relationship Anxiety:
  “Sometimes when I’m doing that, I look over at Jean and I could see just a little bit of the love leave her eyes.” – Brian Finkelstein [10:52]

• Carrie on Disability & Pain:
  “Pain is just part of your life. It’s like a second character in all your affairs... The new pain is what’s scary.” – Carrie Wade [29:56]

• Matt’s Cringe Confession:
  “I had been collecting them for almost a year. Okay? It started out where I clipped them into the towel, and I was too lazy to throw it out. And then I don’t know at what point... but I was like, I’m onto something.” – Matt Oberg [39:30]

Segment Timestamps

• Brian Finkelstein: 03:39 – 20:37
• Carrie Wade: 21:16 – 34:03
• Matt Oberg: 34:03 – 43:58

Tone & Language

The tone throughout the episode is candid, vulnerable, and often self-deprecating—frequently laced with sharp humor and refreshing honesty. Performers are unfiltered, veering between lighthearted personal satire, raw admissions of pain, and optimistic reframing.

Takeaways

• Authenticity connects: The most “normal” or “weird” thing someone can do is be real about themselves—even if it involves fingernails or chicken sandwich meltdowns.
• Adversity, laughter, and love: Through anxiety, disability, trauma, and even loss, the power of relationships—romantic or platonic—and self-acceptance shines through.
• Redefining power and desirability: For Carrie Wade, disability becomes a source of erotic power rather than shame—a reframing many can draw inspiration from.

In RISK!’s trademark fashion, the episode is a fast-paced, moving celebration of the messy, hilarious, and touching moments that make us all outsiders sometimes—reminding listeners it’s safe to share your strangest truths.