Son of a Boy Dad #384 - "Veritas"
Release Date: March 17, 2026
Hosts: Harry (Lil Sasquatch), Roan (Rone), Francis Ellis
Producer: Barstool Sports
Episode Overview
This episode finds the trio in classic form: riffing on life, sharing bizarre stories, needling each other, and, at times, getting earnestly reflective. With Lil Sasquatch (Harry) recently dropped out of college and searching for direction, Rone (Roan) and Francis Ellis step into the generic, ill-defined roles of “life mentors,” though the group prefers gags and banter over solemn advice. Through wide-ranging discussions, they touch on manhood, honor, Harvard traditions, the absurdities of air travel, family, fitting in, and, naturally, plenty of comedic detours into tampon talk and TSA horror stories.
Key Segments & Insights
1. Sleep-Deprived Banter & "Present Monday" [02:16–06:57]
- Francis’ Red-Eye: Francis shares his professional commitment by podcasting straight off a sleepless red-eye flight.
- Quote: “No, I’m a pro. This is what it means to be a pro.” – Francis [03:11]
- Present Monday: The group opens strange gifts, receiving everything from drill bits to menstrual cups masquerading as quirky podcast presents.
- Quote: “These are like medical parts. Are these shell casings?...Those are for a drill?” – Francis [04:47]
- The confusion peaks as a box of menstrual cups passes hands:
- Quote: “If you have a big pussy, you’d use this one, I assume.” – Roan [05:54]
- Quote: "You can mold those into dreidels, you just leave those in the freezer." – Harry [05:59]
- Notable Moment: Roan method-acts comparing menstrual cups' nesting to Russian dolls and wonders aloud how the podcast got put on the tampon mailing list.
2. Harvard Merch, Codes of Honor, and "Stolen Valor?" [09:29–17:22]
- Harvard Gear & Coach Byrne: Francis brings in care packages of Harvard Lacrosse team apparel sent by the coach, sparking playful debates about “stolen valor” when wearing another school’s merch.
- Quote: "If someone came up to you and said, prove how you are connected to that team, you’d say, Francis Ellis—I do a podcast and sit next to Francis Ellis, class of 2011, two goals against Princeton." – Francis [12:15]
- Honor Codes: The group discusses whether Harvard’s “Veritas” motto (truth) translates to real-life student behavior—prompting gallows humor about fabled rumors like roommates getting automatic A’s if one dies.
- Quote: "The school’s motto is ‘Veritas’, which means truth. I think it’s just—don’t lie, don’t cheat…" – Francis [18:10]
- Quote: “If one of your roommates killed him or herself, then you got automatic A’s for that whole semester.” – Francis [18:22]
- Personal Connections: Francis describes his roommate “Romeo,” later a contestant on The Bachelor, joking about the mutual myth-making of college days.
- Quote: “He had Bottom bunk and… it got annoying” – Francis [18:50]
3. Diversity (and Lack Thereof): Schools and Standup Crowds [21:24–24:39]
- Stuyvesant, Asian Population, and Detroit: Francis recounts Stuyvesant's legendary (but undiverse) entrance, canny battle rap alums, and Roan riffs on performing in Detroit, “the least diverse city.”
- Quote: "76% of Stuyvesant is Asian or Asian-American... then 25% white and 1% other. You could argue it's one of the least diverse schools, but Romeo crushed it there." – Francis [21:24]
- Quote: "I was in the least diverse city in the country this weekend, personally." – Roan [21:47]
- Quote: "Were your shows diverse for the population of Detroit?" – Harry [22:51]
- Quote: "Maybe the most diverse thing happening in the city." – Roan [22:54]
- Comedy as Counterculture: Roan describes doing standup next to “We Them Ones” tour, admitting DC Young Fly’s tour was likely more fun than his own.
4. Bureaucratic Hell: Passports and the Post Office [31:26–36:27]
- Passport Fiascos: The crew bemoans the Byzantine process of expediting passports in the U.S.—from FedEx documentation to potentially needing five generations of lineage proof.
- Quote: “You’re taking blood tests for this. You’re proving lineage for five direct generations.” – Francis [33:54]
- Roan prepares for an intimidating trip to the post office for his passport appointment, anticipating Kafkaesque obstacles.
5. Hasidic Tunnels, Gym Ettiquette, and Curiosity [35:45–41:14]
- Jewish Tunnels Conspiracy: A tangent into Hasidic tunnels under NYC leads to laughter at online conspiracies and viral videos.
- Interacting at the Gym: Francis debates whether he could kindly ask a Hasid at his gym about not wearing a yarmulke, sparking a heated etiquette argument.
- Quote: "That’s a crazy thing to say." – Roan [36:46]
- Quote: “Let me ask you—just put yourself in his pointed shoes.” – Francis [39:26]
- Gym Stereotypes: Group agrees—no one wants to be talked to at the gym, but Francis admits he’s inadvertently loud when working out without headphones.
6. Travel Nightmares: Airports, TSA Agents, and Pilot Drama [47:01–90:00]
- Airport Chaos: Plainspoken complaints about bad airport design (e.g. Denver, LaGuardia), government shutdowns, and TSA attitudes.
- Quote: “If you don’t want to get breathed on, pivot.” – Roan [49:43]
- TSA altercations: Francis recounts being snapped at by a TSA agent after dropping his AirPods—"If you don’t want people close to you, you chose the wrong job."
- Quote: “That’s the power-tripping people of all time.” – Harry [51:44]
- Roan brags about calling an Uber dispatcher to “relax” after exiting the airport, delighting in finding himself and the driver briefly united.
- Pilot Performance: Francis tells the story of a JetBlue pilot who delivered a long-winded, self-congratulatory speech in both English and Spanish before takeoff, dismissing his co-pilot’s “civilian” experience.
- Quote: "I have 26 years of military experience flying for the Air Force. My co-pilot has seven years of civilian flying experience." – JetBlue pilot via Francis [88:35]
- Joke emerges about “Jet Boo.”
7. Obesity, Language, and Body Image [63:37–67:36]
- Jillian Michaels Clip: Harry brings up a video where the term “obese” is now offensive to some; the panel wanted to be called “fat-bodied people.”
- Quote: “Obese is like their N word. They’ll be like, please don’t…” – Harry [65:05]
- The guys riff on semantics (“morbidly obese” vs “fat”) and the absurdities of language sensitivity, ultimately maintaining a playful, irreverent tone.
8. Francis’ Hell Gigs & Drunken Luck [68:23–84:36]
- Harsh Standup Gigs: Francis recounts a traumatic comedy gig in front of a disinterested crowd at a Dominican Republic golf club:
- Quote: “I had to do half an hour. And I was looking at my watch being like, 17 more minutes, folks. Just hang on for dear life.” – Francis [74:29]
- Drunken “Liquid Luck”: After a massive margarita binge, Francis accidentally bonds with the right crowd and scores a spot on a private jet to Miami with near-strangers.
- Quote: “I ended up getting myself a seat on a private jet...and the whole time I had been thanking the older guy for putting me on the jet, and he was accepting the thanks. Turns out he just some guy.” – Francis [80:38]
9. Running Gags & Episode Wrap [91:01–End]
- Running Gags: Tampon talk, renegotiated ad reads, and concerns over who’s wearing their Harvard swag.
- Irony of Podcast Dynamics: Francis laments that whenever he opens up with stories, it’s time to go, as Roan reminds them his passport appointment is looming.
- Quote: “I feel like we’re just kind of starting to get like…a snowball rolling downhill here.” – Harry [94:22]
- Fact Toss: Riff on animal biology (“bees and dogs can smell fear”) in the style of child actors like Jerry Maguire’s Lipnicki, and Francis shares a fact about humming and snails.
- Closing Note: Roan pushes to wrap up, reiterating he has a hard out, while Francis and Harry try to keep the ball rolling.
Notable Quotes
- “That’s honor. Every man’s gotta follow a code.” – Roan [03:59]
- “You guys have no idea how a drill works.” – Roan [05:11]
- “You don’t pop too early.” – Francis [93:14]
- “He’s going to renegade row your neck.” – Harry [94:04]
- “If you don’t wear one of those, I’m coming over your home and I’m going to yank that fire escape…” – Francis [93:54]
- "I think what we've learned is our audience really likes longer episodes." – Francis [94:47]
Timestamps for Key Moments
- [02:16] – Episode proper begins, banter about red-eye flights, “Present Monday” gifts
- [09:29] – Harvard lacrosse gear segment
- [17:22] – Discussion on Harvard’s honor code and "Veritas"
- [21:24] – Stuyvesant, diversity stats
- [22:51] – Roan on diverse comedy crowds in Detroit
- [31:26] – Passport fiasco and bureaucracy
- [35:45] – Hasidic tunnel conspiracy; gym etiquette debate
- [47:01] – Airport/air travel horror stories
- [63:37] – Jillian Michaels, fat acceptance and language
- [68:23] – Francis’ Dominican “hell gig”
- [80:24] – Francis’ accidental private jet ride
- [91:01] – Finale: facts, closing jokes, Roan wraps up
Tone and Style
The tone is irreverent, quick-witted, and self-deprecating, with rapid-fire exchanges, NYC energy, and a refusal to take authority or social norms too seriously. Storytelling is loose and digressive, but genuine camaraderie and a desire for connection animate even the most offbeat bits. Even discussions about responsibility or “what it means to be a man” are more likely to devolve into wisecracks than deliver Hallmark inspiration.
Summary for New Listeners
This episode encapsulates what makes Son of a Boy Dad unique—improvisational chemistry, unique life stories, odd rabbit holes, and the constant interplay between low-stakes banter and bigger existential questions. Whether you’re here for the bits, the life lessons, or the “tampon talk,” you’ll find the hosts both relatable and just a bit unhinged—never letting seriousness get in the way of a good joke.