Story Warz Podcast — Episode 074: Steve-O, Dan Soder, H. Foley | "Trouble"

Date: January 2, 2026
Location: LIVE at Gramercy Theater, New York Comedy Festival
Panel: Hosts Big Jay Oakerson & Luis J. Gomez, plus comedians Dan Soder, H. Foley, and special guest Steve-O

Episode Overview

The largest-ever live episode of Story Warz takes place at the Gramercy Theater during the New York Comedy Festival. Hosts Big Jay Oakerson and Luis J. Gomez lead fellow comedians (Dan Soder, H. Foley, and Steve-O) in a riotous battle of deceptive storytelling. The theme for this game: "Trouble". Each contestant submits stories from their life related to getting into trouble—some are real, some are decoys. The group tries to deduce which panelist lived each tale, with points awarded for correct guesses and successful deceptions. The energy, the crowd, and the stories are all at peak hilarity for this milestone show.

Table of Contents

• Episode Setup (00:15–06:16)
• How Story Warz Works (06:16–07:51)
• Panel Introductions & Banter (03:00–06:16)
• Key Stories & Game Highlights
  • Story 1: Trash Can Manhunt (11:34–19:19)
  • Story 2: Plane Scene & Smoking (23:01–30:51)
  • Story 3: The Great Bead Scandal (32:10–44:09)
  • Story 4: Kitchen Knife Meltdown (45:38–61:02)
  • Story 5: Show & Tell Disaster (66:49–77:58)
  • Story 6: Closet Hangover (83:07–88:05)
  • Story 7: Ratting Out the Bully (89:30–95:13)
  • Story 8: The Email Meltdown (97:16–109:22)
• Final Results & Closing Banter (109:34–111:52)
• Best Quotes & Memorable Moments

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Episode Setup (00:15–06:16)

• Big Jay Okerson and Luis J. Gomez open with crowd work, marvel at the size of the near sell-out ("87% sold out"), and riff about respecting the theater.
• Quick orientation for new fans: "How the fuck are you here [if you don’t know the game]?" (02:08).
• The night’s theme is revealed: "Trouble."
  • Steve-O: "Dude, how the fuck am I supposed to compete in this category?" (06:18)
  • Quick jokes about Steve-O’s lifelong, legendary forays into trouble.

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Panel Introductions & Banter (03:00–06:16)

• H. Foley (Are You Garbage?) — relentlessly razzed as a returning competitor who’s “never won.”
  • "You look like you were both responsible for the 2008 housing crisis." (03:53)
• Dan Soder (Soder Podcast/ The Regs) — self-declared champion.
  • “I want back to back wins, and I want them right now.” (04:39)
  • Mock resentment: “The black people hate you.” – “Just the way God intended.” (04:50)
• Steve-O (Jackass) — iconic daredevil and wildcard.

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How Story Warz Works (06:16–07:51)

• Each contestant submitted 3-5 stories of “trouble."
• Stories are anonymized and read aloud by producer Alex; panel must bluff/detect whose story is whose.
• Points: 2 for correct guess, 1 per person fooled.
• Prize: Venus Williams’ Strive: 8 Steps to Find Your Awesome ("the Story Warrior book").

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Key Stories & Game Highlights

1. Trash Can Manhunt — Big Jay Okerson

Segment: [11:34–19:19]
Story: As a kid, Jay tried to steal porn magazines, got caught, broke free, and hid terrified in a trash can for 45 minutes, convinced there was “a full manhunt” out for him.

• Panel guesses: All guess wrong (everyone thought Dan Soder).
• Jay reveals: “[The store owner] grabbed my arm… I just could have given them back. I wanted them so bad. So I broke free and I ran as fast as I could and I jumped into a fucking—like a shitty Oscar the Grouch trash can.”
• Laugh-out-loud moment: “I'll take the porn, leave the fat kid.” – Foley (19:04)
• Big Jay sweeps opening round: "It just earned me a clean sweep." (19:00)

2. Plane Scene & Smoking — Steve-O

Segment: [23:01–30:51]
Story: Steve-O once caused such a ruckus on a plane they made an announcement about him. He chain-smoked cigarettes mid-flight, put one out on his own hand for footage, hurled slurs at a flight attendant, and eventually got put on the Delta no-fly list.

• “I was just… chain smoking on a flight to spring break in Panama City.” (29:38)
• "I learned that as soon as you totally disregard the instructions of a flight attendant, then it is a federal crime." (30:02)
• Panel expected wild, but not that wild.

3. The Great Bead Scandal — Luis J. Gomez

Segment: [32:10–44:09]
Story: In middle school, Lewis ran a home-ec class business selling colored bead necklaces matching kids' nationalities (Italians, Puerto Ricans, Polish, etc.) As demand soared, teachers shut it down as "gang activity."

• Panel spends ten minutes dunking: “Out of everybody here, who would sell beads? C’mon.” (33:02)
• "Why would you get in trouble for selling beads?" – Lewis’s attempted misdirection, which actually convinced some panelists.
• Steve-O after the reveal: “You’re a gnarly liar. You have no integrity!” (38:55)

4. Kitchen Knife Meltdown — H. Foley

Segment: [45:38–61:02]
Story: In high school, Foley calls his girlfriend and a guy answers, claiming she's "sucking his dick." Foley, in jealous rage, grabs a kitchen knife and drives over—ending with police, an adult intervention, and a night in the psych ward.

• “Her body was retarded. And I was madly in love.” (59:10)
• "I was kind of a loose cannon... I just calmly walked downstairs...grabbed a kitchen knife and...drove over." (56:00)
• Emotional rollercoaster as Foley relives, justifying—but ultimately, “been sober and different since.”

5. Show & Tell Disaster — Steve-O

Segment: [66:49–77:58]
Story: 9-year-old Steve-O invites the class to hear about movies shown to him by a shady handyman—in particular, cult rape-revenge horror I Spit On Your Grave. Parent notification ensued.

• “No parent wants to get a phone call that their 9-year-old boy brought to class that there’s a handyman…sending your son up…with videotapes…[like] I Spit on Your Grave.” (73:50)
• “30 minutes are devoted to graphic gang rape. Okay, and she gets repeatedly—” (75:08)
• Alex, host, and panel are briefly speechless at the 1970s-level trauma.

6. Closet Hangover — Dan Soder

Segment: [83:07–88:05]
Story: As a Bed Bath & Beyond employee, Dan slept off a hangover in a pillow closet, got caught, and only earned a write-up.

• “I got caught sleeping in the pillow closet at Bed Bath & Beyond … under a pile of pillows. Felt worth it.” (86:51)
• “What else is there to tell?” – The shortest story for “trouble” but everyone riffs on the nap space.

7. Ratting Out the Bully — Big Jay Okerson

Segment: [89:30–95:13]
Story: Jay is caught cutting school, and blames a kid he doesn’t like ("Avi Lazar"), falsely claiming bullying. The innocent kid gets in trouble; Jay skates by.

• “There was a kid I didn’t like named Avi Lazar… so I just said, ‘Oh, it’s Avi Lazar.’ He got in all kinds of trouble…” (93:05)
• Panel accuses Jay of being a “dirty rat.”

8. The Email Meltdown — Steve-O

Segment: [97:16–109:22]
Story: Drugs, fame, and spiraling mental health lead Steve-O to send chaotic, threatening emails to a 200-strong list of industry contacts. His “24 hours to do the stunt or I’ll jump anyway” plea prompts Johnny Knoxville and crew to stage an intervention and have him committed.

• “I had this email list with like 200 of the most fucking influential people… I was broadcasting my downward spiral in real time.” (105:28)
• “That counted as me demonstrating that I was harmful to myself or others. Knoxville wrote back… Sheesh. Can't we make it noon?” (108:19)
• Steve-O: "I've been clean and sober ever since. 17 years." (109:22)
• Emotional, hilarious, and poignant.

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Final Results & Closing (109:34–111:52)

• Final Scores:

  • Winner: Steve-O (21 points) — “Your newest Story Warrior!”
  • 2nd: Big Jay Okerson (20)
  • 3rd: Dan Soder (16)
  • 4th: Luis J. Gomez (14)
  • 5th: H. Foley (10)

• Steve-O receives Venus Williams' Strive, signed by all.

• Big Jay (in suit) is crestfallen; Foley jokes, “You two look real stupid in those suits now, don't you?" (111:06)

• Thunderous applause for the panel.

• Crowd, hosts, and guests all bask in perhaps the wildest Story Warz yet.

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Best Quotes & Memorable Moments

On The Theme

• Steve-O: “Dude, how the fuck am I supposed to compete in this category [Trouble]?” (06:18)
• Dan Soder: “How are we supposed to compete with you?” (06:23)

Banter & Classic Burns

• H. Foley (to Jay & Lewis): “You two look like you were both responsible for the 2008 housing crisis.” (03:53)
• Dan Soder: “You’re gnarly. Like, this game is more important to you than anybody thinking you’re a pussy.” (36:24)
• Big Jay (on sleeping in pillow closet): “Dude, do I have to spell it out? Pillow closet.” (87:27)

About Stories

• Steve-O: "I was just… chain smoking on a flight to spring break in Panama City.” (29:38)
• Big Jay (childhood porn heist): "I'm panicking, I was gonna get caught. But, you know, I got those porns, though." (18:29)
• H. Foley (kitchen knife): “She was just out for a run one day...I called over there, and this guy says, ‘yeah, she can’t right now, she’s sucking my dick.’” (55:24)

Meta-game Analysis

• Steve-O (strategy): "Here's why it's not Lewis, because he's made a distinct effort to craft his entries in a way that throws us off his scent." (48:44)
• Big Jay (on friendship): “Week after week, I’m a fool for keep coming back. Why do I never leave?” (39:36)

Emotional Beats

• Steve-O (intervention): “Knoxville and those men saved my fucking goddamn life. And that was over 17 years ago. I’ve been clean and sober ever since.” (109:22)

The Show’s Climax

• Luis J. Gomez: “This is a huge night in Story wars history. The biggest show we’ve ever done. Big J holding onto the lead since story number one...now Steve-O comes from behind…” (79:09, 96:43)

Conclusion

This was the rowdiest and most heartfelt episode of Story Warz to date. Every comic brought their biggest trouble but Steve-O — with stories at the far edges of wildness and redemption — triumphed as the new Story Warrior. The game show format, personal revelations, and relentless jokes make this a must-listen for fans of honest, unfiltered comedy storytelling.

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