Soder Podcast #126: Adult Field Trips with Justin Stagner

Release Date: March 24, 2026
Host: Dan Soder
Guest: Justin Stagner (comedian/viral video creator)

Episode Overview

In this high-energy, nostalgic, and hilarious conversation, Dan Soder sits down with comedian and viral content creator Justin Stagner to riff on the weirdness and joy of adult field trips, childhood memories, comedy, sports fandom, and the changing landscape of social media and entertainment. The two share stories about their blue-collar work experiences, the role of sports in family life, and the way media (from wrestling to sitcoms) shaped their senses of humor.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Field Trips & Nostalgia (02:36–06:47)

• They start by remembering the quintessential Southern childhood field trip to the Huntsville, AL science center (“It’s not like you could make the joke of like ‘the Science center of Alabama’–which I think I was making that joke, which I thought was just a Burger King off the highway, but it's actually where NASA is and like rockets.” – Dan, 01:00) and sliding down WWII battleship cannons.
• Justin reflects on how the old battleship is unchanged, except for the modern vending machines awkwardly placed among historic exhibits. Dan riffs:
  “Field trips should be snacks from the World War II era in the vending machine.” – Dan (03:22)
• Both agree: “True field trips are wasted on children.” – Dan (04:32)

2. Comedy, Impressions, and Blue Collar Roots (06:47–22:59)

• Discussion of how ball-busting humor is part of their roots—making coworkers laugh in blue-collar jobs set the stage for careers in comedy.
• Dan recalls: “You should find the thing in your life you like doing that gets you in trouble at other jobs...push your life in that direction.” (19:34)
• Justin: “The only blue collar work I ever did was this summer I worked at a cannery in Alaska...the bit that murdered was me doing an impression of the processing boss.” (18:14)
• On adult interactions with fans, Justin notes, “People yell a Southern grandpa thing or they'll come up, like, square up with me.” (06:18)
• On internet culture and sensitivity: “The fun part of doing this show is it’s just straight up where I play video games all the time. So it really is my couch.” – Dan (07:54)

3. Generational Humor & Language (09:10–14:03)

• They reminisce on feeling “old,” the weirdness of interacting with teens, and not understanding or saying things like “dead ass.”
• Dan shares the moment his mom earnestly said “that’s the bomb” ("That was my 9/11...my mom goes, ‘that’s the bomb’, and I went like, what the lady?” – Dan, 13:16)
• Justin: “Alabama's like 10 years late for everything. We kept the mullet too long and all that.” (13:49)

4. The Evolution of Making It in Comedy & Social Media (16:41–22:59)

• Justin’s origin story: Made videos of (and about) his wife’s Southern sayings; “old Southern men are way funnier… so I just started doing jokes from my grandpa.” (48:49)
• Dissecting how the removal of gatekeepers and technology changed comedy: “You can sit and complain about there's no industry...but what it does is it gives creative people an immediate, like, platform.” – Dan (49:21)

5. Wrestling: From Childhood Awe to Adult Appreciation (23:00–47:49)

• Deep dive into wrestling as storytelling, the communal fandom, and the role of sports entertainment in childhood and adulthood.
  • Dan: "Every wrestling fan will tell you...there's an unspoken agreement when you walk into that arena that we're all gonna treat this like it's real." (26:10)
  • They each share stories of family members mimicking wrestlers (Stone Cold, Macho Man).
  • Justin: “My grandpa shaved his head because of Stone Cold Steve Austin.” (26:42)
• Dan recounts experiencing “real heat” from wrestling fans after a misunderstood joke in a documentary (“They edited the documentary in a way where it looked like I took the death of Macho Man very lightly.” – 44:07)
• Memorable Moment: Eric Bischoff defended Dan, saying, “He put [Macho Man] over. He made him look tougher.” (45:26)
• They geek out over 90s/2000s wrestling, impressions, and the magic of live events with children and adults alike.

6. Sitcoms, Stand-Up Heroes & Cultural References (35:18–42:49)

• How shows like Martin, Golden Girls, and The Simpsons influenced their humor growing up.
  • “Martin, funny-wise, gets overlooked so much.” – Dan (36:25)
  • Golden Girls as universal comfort TV.
• The importance of dads letting them watch “stuff above your age grade,” sharpening their wit through Mel Brooks movies and Rodney Dangerfield specials.
• The art of doing impressions—trading tips and nerding out over Frank Caliendo and voiceover technique.

7. Sports Fandom: Family, Identity, and the Madness of Loyalty (51:01–66:36)

• Sporting rivalries and the odd tribalism of being a fan.
  • Justin: “Sports will teach you how to hate people.” (53:06)
  • Dan: “That is interesting about sports hate because, like, I'm a San Francisco Giants fan, and the Dodgers are just on a generational tear with that.” (53:40)
• Discussion on fair-weather fans, college football fanaticism in Alabama, sports heartbreak (“I never thought the Nuggets were going to win a world championship.” – Dan, 57:12), and the passionate women in their lives (“one of the only times I've ever seen Nate Bargatze’s wife angry...” – Dan, 60:31).
• Debate over NIL (name, image, likeness) payments to college athletes and how it's changed the game in the South.

8. Unintentional Comedy & Accidentally Hurting Kids (63:24–65:00)

• Both share self-deprecating stories of accidentally wounding kids when wrestling or playing, ending with, “Accidentally hurting a child...My bad, little buddy.” – Dan (64:57)
• Full circle back to “my bad” as the ultimate de-escalator in both life and comedy (09:10).

Notable Quotes & Standout Moments

Dan Soder:

• “True field trips are wasted on children.” (04:32)
• “You should find the thing in your life that you like doing that gets you in trouble at other jobs...push your life in that direction.” (19:34)
• “That's the fun part of wrestling. Just going like, nah, man, you got one.” (30:36)
• “The art of comedy is ball-busting, but you forget some people are sensitive. Not everyone thinks it’s just fun.” (08:34)
• “My bad. It’s just a two-word parachute for bailing out of stupid situations.” (09:36)
• “Sports will teach you how to hate people.” (53:06)

Justin Stagner:

• “The only blue collar work I ever did was this summer I worked at a cannery in Alaska...The bit that murdered was me doing an impression of the processing boss.” (18:14)
• “Alabama's like 10 years late for everything. We kept the mullet too long…” (13:49)
• “My grandpa shaved his head because of Stone Cold Steve Austin.” (26:42)
• “You see somebody in the same T shirt, just hit them as hard as you can.” (53:30)
• “The only part of Alabama that’s got a beach and a bay.” (50:39)

Special Mentions:

• Impression of the Alabama pronunciation of “Mobile” v. “Mobile.”
• Both recall being starstruck as adults (Dan with Seinfeld and Stone Cold; Justin with Ken Griffey Jr. liking his reel).
• Earnest sports heartbreak and the dynamics of divided sports loyalties within families.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:36 – Field trips, battleship cannons, WWII museum nostalgia
• 06:47 – Becoming the “office comic”; making people laugh on the job
• 09:10 – Generational rifts, "my bad," language gaps with youth
• 16:41 – Justin explains starting videos, making the jump to comedy
• 23:00 – Wrestling fandom, storytelling, uniting generations
• 35:18 – Childhood TV (“Martin,” “Golden Girls,” “The Simpsons”); jokes for adults
• 42:49 – Comedy impressions deep-dive
• 51:01 – College football, state rivalries, and sports loyalty
• 63:24 – “Hurting” kids while playing; “my bad, little buddy”
• 66:36 – Closing shoutouts; Justin’s Instagram; thanks and sign-off

Tone & Style

The episode is fast-paced, full of recallable bits, snappy banter, and layered with warmth, self-deprecation, and honest nostalgia. Dan and Justin riff as old friends, naturally blending cultural references, Southern quirks, and big-hearted ball-busting. The conversation jumps between personal stories and cultural phenomena, always seasoned with punchlines and genuine respect.

Takeaways

If you ever wondered what would happen if two comedians who grew up as working class sports nerds and wrestling fans just shot the shit for an hour about childhood, comedy origins, and every American TV touchstone, this episode is your golden ticket. Both rep their roots, dig into what shapes funny people, and make it clear that the things that used to get you in trouble at work may just be your true calling.

Guest Plugs:

• Justin Stagner: Follow on Instagram; see him on tour; check out his viral Southern Grandpa videos.
• Dan Soder: Stand-up tour dates at dansoder.com.

For fans of nostalgia, inside-comedy baseball, and the never-ending debate over the best wrestling pop of all time, this is a can’t-miss hang.