Staying Alive with Jon Gabrus & Adam Pally

Episode: “Zorb Whippit” (w/ Eric Andre) — January 8, 2026

Episode Overview

This riotous episode of Staying Alive welcomes comedian and chaos agent Eric Andre for a personal, unfiltered, and hilarious discussion about health, aging, drugs (lots of drug talk), and the strange realities of trying to care for yourself as a professional fun-lover. Hosts Jon Gabrus and Adam Pally dive into stories from Gabrus’s recent “regression weekend,” Andre’s legacy of absurdist comedy, the societal contradictions of drugs and wellness, and their own messy efforts to “stay alive.” The episode stands out for its self-aware, no-holds-barred banter, surprising vulnerability, and constant hot takes on health, addiction, comedy, and the systems propping up (and failing) modern man-children.

Episode Structure

• Catching Up: Gabrus’s “Boys Weekend” (00:41–05:24)
• Comedic Bonds & Eric Andre’s Persona (05:55–15:15)
• The Craft of Chaos: Behind the Eric Andre Show (15:24–19:44)
• Drugs, Whippets, and Pandemic Vices (20:05–25:20)
• Drug Culture, Propaganda, and Policy (29:15–37:44)
• Modern Health & Aging: Medications, TRT, and Weight-Loss Drugs (40:31–54:57)
• Random Riffs: OnlyFans, Hasidic Flip Phones, Famous Longevity (38:12–43:56, 61:31–62:37)
• Wrap Up & Love Fest (55:58–59:49)
• Post-Episode Extras: Bloopers and Jewish Technology (61:31–62:37)

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Boys Weekend & Regression (00:41–05:24)

• Gabrus recounts an epic weekend of tailgating at Notre Dame, reconnecting with childhood friends, surviving the Chicago winter, and regressing to “full-blown 23-year-old mode” with 25-year-olds who “aren’t party animals” but business grad students:

  “I was just above miserable… because you’re drunk.” – Jon Gabrus (02:51)

• A major correction: Turns out his friend’s dad isn’t dead (“Shout out Chris!”).

Friendship & Comedy Circuit Origins (05:55–15:15)

• Pally and Gabrus recall their evolution from “fans” of Eric Andre to peers and friends.
• Deep comedic respect expressed both ways:

  “I was friends with him and then he became huge and then still stayed friends, which is like… a victory for him.” – Adam Pally (06:16)

• The room riffs on show business anxieties, midlife, and Marvel movie dreams slipping away.

Eric Andre: The Persona vs. The Person (15:24–19:44)

• Andre shares how his wild persona confuses industry people about his actual vibe:

  “If people knew how normal I actually am, I’d be way more successful… people would hire me!” – Eric Andre (15:53)

• Pally concurs: “We both have that rep where people are a little scared… we’re actually normal.” (16:01)

Writing The Eric Andre Show: Controlled Chaos (16:54–19:44)

• Peek behind the curtain: The show is run tightly, with “brilliant minds trying to outstupid each other.”

  “The room was: smartest comedians, dumbest ideas possible.” – Eric Andre (18:32)

• Hilarious sketches discussed, including abandoned bits (“face and genitals through the wall, mafia-style”).

Drug Technology, Quarantining, and Whippets (20:05–25:20)

• Eric and Adam open up about their “whippet phase” during the pandemic, how party habits escalated, and the line between fun and dependency:

  “All my gal pals were like, you have to stop doing whippets.” – Eric Andre (20:53) “They make mushrooms more awesome… cocaine and whippets are best friends.” – Eric Andre (25:01)

• Discussion of “drug tech” making excess easier: “There’s no more roll another joint, it’s just dab rig to the face.” – Gabrus (26:42)

Societal Drug Policy & Propaganda (29:15–37:44)

• Andre drops knowledge (via his friend Hamilton Morris) about the arbitrary distinctions between “good” v. “bad” drugs:

  “Ketamine and PCP are kissing cousins… all the scare stories are propaganda.” – Eric Andre (29:44–30:20)

• The conversation goes deep:

  “It’s all this irresponsible journalism… a vestige of Nixon and Reagan, just a way to have an excuse to arrest poor people.” – Eric Andre (30:29) “All drugs were legal until 1914 and the rate of addiction hasn’t changed.” – Eric Andre (35:00)

• Crack v. powder cocaine sentencing disparities discussed, plus the CIA’s role in flooding Black communities with crack.

Health, Aging, and Modern Medicine (40:31–54:57)

• Discussion turns to testosterone replacement therapy (“dancing with the devil”) and how influencer podcasters appear “like they’d split open if you touched them with a scalpel.”
• Gabrus and Pally compare their statin, baby aspirin, blood pressure, and SSRI regimens.
• Pally is on GLP-1s ("Wegovy"/weight loss drug), which he says cut his risk factors; Gabrus is denied by insurance (“You won’t believe this… the moment I need to use my fat to get medicine, they’re like, no. Welcome to the American health care system.” – Gabrus, 54:57).
• They riff on genetic luck versus chasing health fads:

  “Some lady in Des Moines is 114, been drinking Dr. Peppers for 30 years.” – Eric Andre (49:58) “Life’s a genetic crapshoot.” – Eric Andre (49:42)

• Andre’s wildest health exploration: getting stuck in an Australian hyperbaric (oxygen) chamber.

Drug Use: Experience vs. Stigma (multiple)

• Open, thoughtful talk about the value of psychedelics and the misguided “war on drugs.”
• Pally’s dad’s PCP story (“guy hands him a joint, says that was PCP – parks car for 12 hours, shitting and tripping” 31:36–32:04).
• Andre: “The government doesn’t want you to do your drugs, they want you to do their drugs. That’s why Oxy, Xanax, and Adderall are legal.”

Random Round-Up: OnlyFans, Celebrity Longevity, Hasidic Flip Phones (38:12–43:56, 61:31–62:37)

• Andre dunking on OnlyFans (“I jerk off the old-fashioned way… on a school bus with a gun to my head.” 38:46)
• Bizarre talk about celebrity anti-aging rituals: blood transfusions, stem cell baths, back-to-tanks, “Keith Richards has 250,000 miles on the odometer.”
• Hasidic flip phones and running communications “through a sheet.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Whippets & Pandemic Regression:

• “We did like Bootsy Collins, Hunter S. Thompson amount of junk… but the only thing that stuck post-Covid was I was doing whippets all the time. They’re so fucking great.”
  — Eric Andre (22:40)

• “Cocaine and whippets are best friends. And Tusi and whippets are even better friends. Oh, really good friends. Is this a health podcast or an unhealth podcast?”
  — Adam Pally (25:08)

On Persona vs. Reality:

• “If people knew how normal I actually am, I’d be way more successful… people would hire me!”
  — Eric Andre (15:53)

On Drugs, Policy, and Stigma:

• “Ketamine and PCP are kissing cousins… all the scare stories are propaganda and journalism that goes into the war on drugs, a vestige of Nixon and Reagan… a way to arrest poor people.”
  — Eric Andre (30:29)

• “All drugs were legal until 1914 and the rate of addiction hasn’t changed.”
  — Eric Andre (35:00)

• “You won’t believe this. The moment I need to use my fat to get medicine, [insurance says] no. Welcome to the American health care system.”
  — Jon Gabrus (54:57)

Miscellaneous Gems:

• “I just served the best goddamn appetizers you ever had, cause you’re about to get a small, overcooked steak, no sides.”
  — Jon Gabrus, on cunnilingus as compensation (14:17)

• “We could get this guy, but Adam’s palatable.”
  — Eric Andre/Adam Pally riff on Hollywood casting (27:49)

• “My friend’s dad isn’t dead – shout out, Chris!”
  — Jon Gabrus, after a much-needed correction (05:23)

Important Timestamps

• 00:41 – Gabrus recounts “regression weekend,” Notre Dame & Chicago trip
• 05:55 – Introducing Eric Andre, discussing comedy relationships
• 15:24 – Eric on his persona versus private self
• 16:54 – Inside the writers’ room at The Eric Andre Show
• 20:05 – Pandemic whippet stories
• 29:15 – Drug propaganda, PCP/keta discussion
• 40:31 – TRT, medicine, and influencers’ body changes
• 49:42 – Genetics versus effort in longevity
• 54:57 – “Welcome to the American health care system”
• 61:31 – Hasidic flip phones and analog living

Final Thoughts & Takeaways

• Exercise & Therapy: Eric’s only “non-negotiables” for staying alive: “Exercise is non-negotiable and therapy is non-negotiable. Have to do therapy at least once a week and exercise almost every day. Even if it’s a middle-aged man walk.” (20:24)
• Drugs and Pleasure: The crew’s open, harm-reduction approach to “unhealthy” pleasures. They balance joy and caution, discussing how society’s health narratives are shaped by class and politics as much as science.
• Aging & Masculinity: Candid, comical confessions of their evolving bodies, dependence on modern medicine, and attempts to stay in the game—bolstered by friendship and self-awareness.
• Eric Andre’s Genius: The episode underscores Eric’s range—not just a chaotic comedian but a thoughtful, disciplined craftsman with sharp insights on society, health, and everything in between.

For New Listeners

This episode showcases the unique comedic chemistry and candor of Staying Alive—an unvarnished window into the lives of aging funnymen, the lines between self-care and self-destruction, and the real stories behind showbiz masks. Whether you’re concerned about your own health, curious about modern masculinity, or just in need of smart, unfiltered laughs, this one delivers.

No need to listen to ads, intros, or outros—just dive in when you want to learn about staying barely alive and fully entertained.