Tell 'Em Steve-Dave #630: Red Wings
Date: March 16, 2025
Episode Overview
This week’s episode of "Tell 'Em Steve-Dave" delves into the crew’s wild past compared to their current, more subdued lives, pivots on hot topics like celebrity fan experiences (Gene Simmons' $12,000 assistant day), British royalty’s musical tastes, animal rights activism, and finishes with a candid conversation about mortality, creativity, and legacy. As always, it’s a blend of irreverent humor, storytelling, and introspection, with Walt, Bryan (“Q”), and Brian diving deep into comic culture, current events, and their own anxieties and ambitions.
Main Discussion Points & Segments
1. The New Q vs. the Old Q
-
(00:06 – 05:27)
- The guys rib Q for his taming ways, contrasting his current lack of partying with his erstwhile “wild man” persona.
- Q recounts a brief, no-partying work trip to Toronto—gone are the days of debauchery.
- The conversation becomes a meditation on aging and inevitable change.
Walt (A): "I feared this day would come... It's a little sad. It's like, man, that’s not the Q that he was." (05:06)
Q (B): “What am I giving up exactly? What is it time for?” (05:27)
-
The group reflects on the inevitability of time and getting older:
- Q likens this change to Tom Brady knowing when it was time to quit.
- There's nostalgia for wilder days, but also acceptance of transition.
2. Listener Updates & “Tim Pod” Fundraiser
- (06:45 – 08:41)
- Discussion shifts to the success of the “Tim Pod” fundraising episode, raising money for a friend’s care.
- Effusive thanks for fans’ support and a bit on recording dynamics (“Sometimes when the episodes are structured... they come up a little bit. When they have a point, yeah.” (08:42)).
3. King Charles’ Spotify Playlist Game
-
(09:03 – 26:13)
- Q proposes guessing tracks on the (real) King Charles playlist, sparking much speculation and ribbing.
- Hilarity ensues as they attempt to intuit what a “stodgy” 76-year-old royal would include (Beatles, Stones, Spice Girls, etc.).
- They’re amazed (and somewhat scandalized) by the actual playlist, which includes Bob Marley and much more obscure picks.
Q (B): “What do you think about a king doing this? A King DJing?” (25:21)
Walt (A): “These motherfuckers making a playlist? Concentrate on something a little more important!” (25:30)
- Bonus: The show revisits infamous “tampon” scandal quotes from Charles’ past, leading into a “Red Wings” riff (i.e., sex during menstruation)—the show’s hallmark gross-out humor.
Bryan (B): “That’s how much I love it, man. I have and unfortunately, still have friends like that...” (27:51)
4. Gene Simmons’ $12,000 “Assistant for a Day” Offer
-
(13:14 – 18:33)
- Outrage and fascination over Gene Simmons charging fans $12,500 to be his assistant for a day—manual labor, backstage meal, 4 autographs, rehearsal-used bass guitar.
- The guys debate whether it’s exploitation or harmless business, and toy with the idea of using TSD funds to buy the experience and turn it into content.
Walt (A): “I’m gonna use TSD money to do it, and then I’ll record it.” (14:03)
Q (B): “Go for it, Gene. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.” (18:28)
Q (B): “I stopped doing meet and greets... I felt, I’m like, I can’t take people’s money to say hello.” (18:33)
5. Serial Killers & Technology’s Impact
- (29:23 – 31:32)
- Brief but dense segment: Can modern technology (cameras, DNA) make it impossible for serial killers to evade capture today? Q ponders how hard it would be to get away with the kinds of crimes that define true crime lore.
6. TV & Pop Culture Roundup
- (31:05 – 42:40)
- Panel discuss new episodes of "Daredevil" and verdicts on superhero portrayals (praising Charlie Cox, reminisce on Ben Affleck and Colin Farrell’s “Bullseye”).
- Mixed feelings on "The Last of Us"—discusses the divergence between fan expectations (zombie action!) and showrunners’ wishes (more romance arcs).
- The third episode is divisive:
Q (B): “Every second I watch these two fall in love, you could have had zombies eating people!” (40:27)
- Walt says "The Office" changed his mind on loving romance in shows.
7. Art, Animal Rights, and Ethics
-
(44:20 – 52:28)
- A controversial art exhibit in Denmark is discussed, where piglets were almost starved for the sake of “art” (to raise awareness of animal suffering in factory farms).
- Q argues the artist’s point is valid but the method is disturbing; the others discuss the ethics and whether this was a kind of meta “art activism” where rescue was always the plan.
Q (B): “He’s playing chess while I’m playing checkers.” (46:21)
Q (B): “That’s a scale of misery. That’s unbelievable that that’s going on on the planet that we live on.” (48:23)
-
Shocking stats on pig deaths in Denmark prompt a reckoning about meat consumption and personal responsibility:
- “25,000 piglets a day starve in Denmark for no reason but overbreeding.” (paraphrased, 49:03)
-
Discussion of pets, whether Q could get a pig, and the intelligence of pigs and animals.
8. On Career, Mortality, and Achievement
-
(55:44 – End)
- The crew reflect on what getting older means, particularly for Q, whose 49th birthday is imminent. He expresses relief and clarity about death being closer—he feels less pressure, more contentment, and desire to focus on fun and loved ones.
Q (B): "The idea that I'm going to die one day and relatively soon... has taken a lot of fear and pressure off me..." (55:53)
- Walt shares his wish to finally write/draw his own comic—wonders if the world would care, or if the industry even allows for meaningful new voices anymore. Q encourages him to relish the process, not outcome.
- The loss/illness of their friend Tim sharpens everyone’s sense of urgency (“if I don't do it now, I might not get to it”) and the value of time.
Q (B): “It doesn't matter either way … if you're loving doing it …” (68:21)
C: “No matter what the motivation is, if you can find it in some capacity … it’s a good thing.” (70:58)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On aging and change:
- “Time remains undefeated.” – Q (06:10)
- "We lived to pod one more day." – Walt (06:28)
-
On success and legacy:
- "If you told me Jokers and I never did another fucking thing again at 50-something, whenever the show ends... I don't give a fuck. Who cares?" – Q (55:53)
- "I want to write and draw my own comic book... I think I better get fucking working on it." – Walt (62:22)
- "I think you just got to do stuff that's rewarding no matter what the fucking — you had me in the beginning where you're like 'I want to write from beginning to end the comic and do the art myself.' That's the goal." – Q (63:06)
- “What more do I got to do?” – Walt, comparing Q to Derek Jeter (62:04)
-
Nostalgia and irreverence:
- “He still looks like a demon.” – Walt, on Gene Simmons (11:49)
- "That's how much I love it, man. I have... unfortunately, still have friends like that." – Q, about friends earning "Red Wings" (27:51)
- “I used to think like you, until The Office turned me around. I was like — I like romance." – Walt (41:02)
Key Timestamps
- Old Q vs New Q/Aging: 00:06–05:27
- Listener/Tim Pod Update: 06:45–08:41
- King Charles Playlist Guessing: 09:03–26:13
- Gene Simmons Roadie Experience: 13:14–18:33
- Serial Killers & Tech: 29:23–31:32
- Daredevil, The Last of Us & TV Roundtable: 31:05–42:40
- Animal Rights/Art Exhibit: 44:20–52:28
- Career, Legacy, Motivation: 55:44–end
Tone & Style
True to "Tell 'Em Steve-Dave" tradition, the episode swings from sophomoric humor, candid self-reflection, and nerd culture deep dives, to genuine discussions about the passage of time, mortality, and meaning. The conversation is raw, playful, and marked with black humor, ending with a collective vow to create and celebrate while they still can.
Fans of the show will find this episode equal parts relatable, hilarious, and surprisingly deep, as the cast navigates everything from Gene Simmons' odd capitalist stunts to deeply personal reckonings with ambition and the ticking clock.