The BOB & TOM Show Free Podcast

Episode: B&T Extra: Comedian Brian Bates
Date: October 10, 2025
Guest: Comedian Brian Bates

Episode Overview

This episode of The BOB & TOM Show Extra features comedian Brian Bates in a lively studio discussion with the cast. The main theme centers on the ups and downs of being an "older" parent, comedic perspectives on marriage and family, pet antics, the aging process, funny personal stories, and the classic banter that characterizes the show's mornings. The group also dives into offbeat news stories and the food chain for bald guys in comedy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Brian Bates: Late-in-Life Dad and Husband

• Bates discusses becoming a father at 50 and the challenges of having a toddler in his fifties.
• He jokes about the dual purpose of having a child late in life: “We just need a caregiver." (05:26)
• Bates and his wife reconnected eleven years after first dating, marrying later and starting a family. “We're gonna put a tourniquet on this, stop the bleeding. It's the best thing that one of us is gonna do.” (07:39)

2. The Struggles and Humor of Older Parenting

• The group riffs on babysitting challenges for older parents: young parents drop kids off with grandparents, but for Brian, it's not feasible. “Okay. I'll just drop her off at Harpeth Hill Cemetery.” (06:29)
• Folkloric parenting advice from older generations: “Put a piece of parsley between her butt cheeks to cure the hiccups.” (06:53)

3. Reconnecting Relationships and Modern Romance

• Bates and his wife met through Match.com after 11 years apart.
• The myth of fate in romantic reconnections is cheekily debunked: “We both thought we could do better.” (07:33)

4. Kids’ Perceptions and Generational Gags

• Bates on hiding his age from his daughter: “Her first sentence was, ‘I think I pulled something.’” (08:25)

5. Baldness, Vanity, and Comic Identity

• An extended, self-deprecating riff on going bald, baldness in comedy, and the acceptance of hair loss.
  • “Now when I picture myself or when I dream, I don't know. I'm not always bald.” (12:47)
  • “I just now identify as a bald guy.” (12:45)
• Humor about going for hair implants in Turkey, and the “food chain” for comics with bald haircuts—“Larry David, Bill Co..." (13:34)

6. Quirky News Segment with Christy

a. Ice Cream Man on a Colorado Mountain

• Hikers on a 14,000-foot summit encounter a man giving out ice cream sandwiches in costume. Quick wit ensues:
  • “This man is not to be trusted.” (09:18)
  • “I'd be terrified if all of a sudden you looked over and there was a man dressed as an ice cream cone.” (10:21)

b. The Most Expensive Milk—Horse Milk

• British farmer selling mare’s milk at over $17 a pint spawns riffs on taste, marketing, and horse-related hair care products.

c. Baldness Technology and International Solutions

• Extended banter on baldness solutions: “Comedians are going to Turkey for a cheap implant.” (16:41)
• The (un)reality of turkey in Turkey and beef in Iceland.

7. Pets, Behaviors, and Specialists

• Bates shares a story about his small dog, Hazel, developing behavioral issues after the baby arrived, leading to an expensive but anticlimactic trip to a dog behaviorist:
  • “She doesn't want to be picked up.” (18:24)
  • Rich in comic irony over the lengths people go for their pets versus the simple solution.

8. Mistaken Celebrity Identity

• Bates recounts mistaking comedic song parodist Cledus T. Judd for Larry the Cable Guy at a charity golf tournament—giving out Nate Bargatze's contact info in the process:
  • “The point is, Cledus T. Judd’s as nice as he can be... apparently I'm so racist, I can't tell the difference between two white guys.” (21:02)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “The truth is we just need a caregiver.” — Brian Bates (05:26)
• “Her first sentence was, ‘I think I pulled something.’” — Brian Bates (08:25)
• “We both thought we could do better. Realized we couldn't.” — Brian Bates, about rekindling his relationship (07:33)
• “I'd be terrified if all of a sudden you looked over and there was a man dressed as an ice cream cone.” — Christopher (10:21)
• “I just now identify as a bald guy.” — Christopher (12:45)
• “She doesn't want to be picked up.” — Brian Bates (18:24)
• “Apparently I'm so racist, I can't tell the difference between two white guys.” — Brian Bates, on his comedy of mistaken identity (21:02)

Timestamped Segment Highlights

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:42 | Brian’s Nashville origins and the Lebanon/Cracker Barrel joke | | 05:17 | The “caregiver” gag—a reason for late parenthood | | 06:29 | Bates on the impracticality of old grandparents as babysitters| | 07:10 | Match.com & “We both thought we could do better” | | 08:25 | Daughter’s “I think I pulled something” joke | | 09:03 | News: Hiker gets ice cream at mountain summit | | 10:56 | Discussion on Britain’s pricy horse milk | | 12:45 | “I just now identify as a bald guy” monologue | | 16:41 | Comedy and hair implants in Turkey | | 18:24 | Pet story: expensive dog whisperer’s very basic advice | | 19:38 | Mistaken identity: Larry the Cable Guy vs. Cledus T. Judd | | 21:02 | Bates’ punchline on mixing up the two comedians |

Tone & Style

True to The BOB & TOM Show’s hallmark, the episode is rapid-fire, irreverent, and overflowing with good-natured ribbing. Comedic exaggeration and banter keep the tone light, with genuine moments of self-awareness, especially around topics of aging, family, and the quirks of everyday life as seen through a comedian’s lens.

For New Listeners

This episode offers a perfect blend of stand-up-style riffing, genuine life observations, and offbeat news. Brian Bates brings relatable laughs about midlife fatherhood, marriage, and the little humiliations—and joys—in being part of a family. If you enjoy comedy that pokes fun at the realities of adulthood (with a touch of absurdity), this B&T Extra is a great listen.