Podcast Summary: The BOB & TOM Show Free Podcast

Episode: B&T Extra: Edwin McCain & Catproof Christmas Trees
Date: January 1, 2026
Host: The BOB & TOM Show | Cumulus Podcast Network
Featured Guest: Edwin McCain

Overview

This episode of The BOB & TOM Show Free Podcast Extra delivers trademark comedic banter and lighthearted conversation centered on holiday traditions, cat-proof Christmas trees, and colorful Christmas customs. Acclaimed singer-songwriter Edwin McCain joins the cast for stories about music, touring, and his quirky “misfit toy” Christmas album, bringing humor and humility to both his career highlights and self-embarrassing moments. The group also dives into the evolving landscape of Christmas trees, reminiscing about past customs and poking fun at new innovations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Humorous Holiday Song: “Grandma Got Molested at the Airport”

• [01:23 – 03:28]
  • Performed by Dick Mango: A playful parody riffing on the classic “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” but with a TSA twist.
  • The song tells a tongue-in-cheek story about Grandma enjoying TSA pat-downs.
  • Memorable lyric:

    “Now Grandma’s always at the airport. But she ain’t flying anywhere. She just wants another pat down. And this time she ain’t wearing underwear.” – Dick Mango (02:41)

2. Edwin McCain Joins the Studio

• [03:39 – 07:41]
  • Meat Eater and Omaha Steaks:
    • Edwin playfully welcomes the Omaha Steaks care package Bob’s promising: “Right on.” – Edwin McCain (03:49)
  • Embarrassing Celebrity Encounters:
    • Edwin shares a story about awkwardly introducing himself to Billy Corgan at a Chicago benefit:

      “Billy Corgan has now joined the list of someone I’ve completely said something stupid in front of… I was like, ‘Well, I’m actually known as more of a singer.’ And then there was this pregnant pause…” – Edwin McCain (05:00)

  • Chart Success Debates:
    • Discussion of Edwin’s “number one” hit and his son’s fact-checking:

      “My middle son… doesn’t let me get by with any fibbing.” – Edwin McCain (06:19)

  • Smashing Pumpkins & Billy Corgan:
    • Recap of Corgan’s recent performances and his reputation for being prickly in interviews, which Edwin attributes to inside jokes and youthful antics.
    • Band “inside word” games and stories about intentionally creating odd interview moments.

3. The Catproof Christmas Tree

• [08:53 – 10:35]
  • Argos Half Tree (UK innovation):
    • Christy Lee reports on a “catproof” Christmas tree that’s just the top half of an artificial tree on a pole.

      “Now, we all know cats can jump into a tree, so I don’t know how this is going to prevent a cat.” – Christy Lee (09:20)

    • Everyone agrees cats will outsmart any such device.

      “If your cat wants to get at the ornaments, it will.” – Tom Griswold (09:57)

    • Bob jokes it’s just a DIY hack:

      “Just take a cutting tool, cut off the bottom half…” – Bob Kevoian (09:49)

    • The hosts riff on how odd it looks; palm tree, stripper pole, or boardroom folly.

      “Every time I see something like this, I think there was a meeting… and they all went, yes.” – Edwin McCain (10:35)

4. Spray-Painted Christmas Trees & Holiday Decor Disasters

• [10:56 – 14:45]
  • Rainbow-Colored Real Trees in New Jersey:
    • The group reacts to a tree farm offering firs in neon shades (pink, blue, magenta, black).

      “Come over here, Sizzle Neck. I got blue, magenta, purple…” – Edwin McCain (11:42)

    • Social media backlash over “poisoning” trees.
    • Bob delivers a pun:

      “I called this one Spruce Springsteen. He’s from Jersey, you know.” – Bob Kevoian (11:47)

  • Flocking, Tinsel, and Dog Hazards:
    • Debate over flocking (fake snow), why tinsel disappeared (pet safety), and the struggle of cleaning up after pets ingest decorations:

      “If your dog eats the tinsel… you’re doing this surgical procedure.” – Bob Kevoian (12:40)

    • Nostalgia for lost traditions: bubble lights & popcorn garlands.

      “It was like all day… you end up with holes all in your hands.” – Edwin McCain on making cranberry-popcorn garlands (14:03)

5. Real vs. Fake Trees: Family Stories and Traditions

• [15:00 – 17:47]
  • Cutting Your Own Tree: The Bloody Reality
    • Edwin’s family cut down a cedar tree (“the big prick”), which cured them of real tree enthusiasm:

      “You might as well just go over to a briar bush and cut down a briar bush, ‘cause you’re gonna be cut up and bloody.” – Edwin McCain (15:16)

    • Bob’s own ordeal beneath a sappy tree with rejected tools:

      “You have to lie down under the tree and they give you a relatively dull saw…” – Bob Kevoian (15:41)

    • Both recommend goggles and a face mask for survival.
  • Comparing Real vs. Pre-Lit Artificial Trees
    • Bob advocates for supporting local tree farms and the “real experience,” joking at the foreign factories producing artificial trees:

      “I’m sure there’s many, many kids out there that have an extra finger because…” – Bob Kevoian (18:01)

    • Tom wedges in a dark joke about Chinese factories and mitten production.
  • Workplace Humor on Toy Factories
    • Edwin jokes about factory nets and makes a quip on “size 10 scrotums” for sex toy manufacturing—a typically edgy, BOB & TOM moment.

      “There’s probably a direct correlation to how much they wonder to how many of those big nets on the outside of the building…” – Edwin McCain (18:34)

6. Edwin McCain’s Christmas Album: The “Misfit Toy” Record

• [19:00 – 20:34]
  • The Christmas Album Nobody (Except Edwin) Likes
    • Record was long rejected by labels, only recently revived.
    • Even Edwin’s fans are mixed; it’s become an inside joke.

      “Like 80% of the people that I know that like my music hate this record. And so it makes it even better for me.” – Edwin McCain (19:40)

    • Bob asks for a song; Edwin recommends their funky take on “Frosty.”

      “Frosty’s a good one… but it’s funky.” – Edwin McCain (20:27)

    • Studio laughs about analog vs. digital sharing of the track (“Send us the mpeg… or a 2-inch reel with grease pencil notes”).

Notable Quotes

• “My superpower is I can say the exact wrong thing in front of famous people.”
  — Edwin McCain (04:31)
• “If your cat wants to get at the ornaments, it will.”
  — Tom Griswold (09:57)
• “Have you ever thought your Christmas tree wasn’t quite flammable enough?”
  — Edwin McCain, joking about spray-painted trees (12:07)
• “You might as well go over to a briar bush and cut it down, ‘cause you’re gonna be cut up and bloody…”
  — Edwin McCain, on cutting a cedar Christmas tree (15:16)
• “Like 80% of the people that I know that like my music hate this record. And so it makes it even better for me.”
  — Edwin McCain, on his Christmas album (19:40)
• “I called this one Spruce Springsteen. He’s from Jersey, you know.”
  — Bob Kevoian (11:47)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Holiday Parody Song, “Grandma Got Molested at the Airport”: [01:23 – 03:28]
• Edwin McCain’s Billy Corgan encounter: [04:24 – 05:46]
• Catproof Christmas Tree Discussion: [08:53 – 10:35]
• Color-Sprayed Christmas Trees & decorating disasters: [10:56 – 14:45]
• Cutting-Your-Own-Tree war stories: [15:00 – 17:47]
• Edwin McCain’s “misfit toy” Christmas album: [19:00 – 20:34]

Tone and Style

The conversation is classic BOB & TOM: sharp, irreverent, and rapid-fire with playful ribbing and punchlines, even when guests like Edwin McCain share self-deprecating stories or talk about personal projects. There’s warmth as hosts reminisce about holidays past and poke fun at new consumer fads, always with a wink and a laugh.