The BOB & TOM Show Free Podcast

Episode: B&T Extra: John Heffron
Date: December 19, 2025
Guest: John Heffron, comedian, winner of Last Comic Standing
Theme: Thanksgiving Traditions, Stand-Up Evolution, and Comedy Banter

Episode Overview

This episode of The BOB & TOM Show features comedian John Heffron in a lively roundtable with the hosts. The crew reminisces about Thanksgiving traditions, pokes fun at evolving family gatherings, and dives into how stand-up comedy—and life—change as you age. Peppered with nostalgia, irreverence, and quick-witted banter, the show blends Heffron’s Midwest memories with group insights and listeners’ shared quirks around the holiday season.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Catching Up with John Heffron (04:11–05:55)

Heffron on Aging & Comedy:
- Heffron jokes about winning Last Comic Standing over 20 years ago:
  
  “At this point it's like I won, you know, Hollywood Squares or Match Game, you know, or Who Do You Trust?” (04:22 – John Heffron)
- Touches on the generational shift in stand-up, referencing TikTok/Instagram comics and his own contentment with aging out of that scene:
  
  “I'm 56 and the older you get, the more invisible you start to become. Right? Like I'm at that age. I go to the grocery store, the door doesn't even open up for me because it just doesn't acknowledge that I exist anymore.” (05:46 – John Heffron)
- Relates the experience of being the “creepy guy” at his niece’s college soccer games, reflecting on changed perspectives as an older male.

2. Thanksgiving Talk & Holiday Traditions (06:32–09:44)

Relocations and Family Turmoil:
- Heffron shares moving stories, from selling his Michigan farm to finding unexpected mysteries (e.g., stained carpets), and becoming addicted to Zillow.
- Lampoons amateur real estate photos:
  
  “There's a guy asleep on the couch with a cigarette in his mouth...there's a kid with a dumpy diaper and a one boot. This should be sent to child services and not...you know what.” (07:29–07:38 – John Heffron)
Thanksgiving Survey Facts:
- 90% of people in a survey prefer sides over turkey.
- Thanksgiving meal facts are introduced, setting up a string of trivia and banter.
Consumption and Family Dynamics:
- The crew guesses the number of turkeys consumed (Heffron jokes about eating multiple as a kid from divorced parents):
  
  “I'm from divorced parents, so I ate three turkeys....So that was three just for me. Three birds—go to grandma's, my mom's, my dad picked me up, so I'm at three.” (09:18–09:23 – John Heffron)
- Final answer: 46 million turkeys consumed on Thanksgiving.

3. Holiday Booze, the "Marijuana Walk," and Childhood Mischief (09:44–11:59)

Alcohol Is a Big Part of Thanksgiving:
- Average: 2.7 drinks per person—with group consensus this is “low.”
- John and others recall sneaking sips in basements and awkward interactions at the “kids’ table.”
The Pre-Dinner "Walk":
- Discussion of the tradition where young adults would “take a walk” to consume marijuana:
  
  “I've tried for years to keep the walk from you. How do you know?” (10:55 – Michael Rosenbaum)
  - In the modern era, this is replaced by a discreet basement vape session, leading to new awkwardness:
    
    “You get too stinky...you got to talk to your aunt while you're high.” (11:13 – Michael Rosenbaum)
  - Old-school “shots in the garage” considered more acceptable—especially for doing Jello shots.

4. Thanksgiving Food Quirks & The Birth of the TV Dinner (12:10–13:59)

Food Separation on Plates:
- Heffron prefers to eat like a TV dinner, with nothing touching:
  
  “I eat the same exact way that TV dinners were. Nothing touches on my plate.” (12:12 – John Heffron)
- Others pile their food “KFC Famous Bowl style” (12:32).
TV Dinner Origin:
- Thanksgiving leftovers directly inspired the Swanson TV dinner:
  
  “Swanson used 260 tons of leftover turkey to create the original frozen meals.” (12:55 – Thanksgiving Facts Narrator)
- Nostalgia for original “aluminum foil” trays, burning fingers on the hot apple crisp (13:17–13:19).
- Tom’s mother recreated TV dinners at home with quality food:
  
  “She would buy one [a tray], and then she would make fresh, decent food and put it in the various sections.” (13:37 – Tom Welling)

5. Memorable Comedy: "Give Beef a Chance" Song (14:09–16:28)

Lloyd, “Leader of the Turkey Nation,” delivers a tongue-in-cheek Thanksgiving song encouraging people to eat beef on the holiday, parodying “Give Peace a Chance.”

“All we are saying is give beef a chance.” (15:00 – Lloyd)
The segment lampoons holiday food dogma and delivers a highlight of absurdist humor.

Notable Quotes

On stand-up and aging:

“I'm 56 and the older you get, the more invisible you start to become.”
(05:46 – John Heffron)
On real estate absurdities:

“There's a kid with a dumpy diaper and a one boot.”
(07:36 – John Heffron)
On family Thanksgiving as a child of divorce:

“I'm from divorced parents, so I ate three turkeys.... That was three just for me.”
(09:18 – John Heffron)
On the evolution of the ‘walk’:

“I don't even think it's a walk now. I just think it's—you go down to the basement and you hit a secret little vape pen.”
(11:01 – Michael Rosenbaum)
Thanksgiving food philosophies:

“Nothing touches on my plate.”
(12:12 – John Heffron)
Turkey Pleas:

“All we are saying is give beef a chance.”
(15:00 – Lloyd, “Turkey Nation Leader”)

Notable Segments with Timestamps

[04:11–05:55] Catching Up with John Heffron
[06:32–09:44] Thanksgiving trivia and memories
[09:44–11:59] Thanksgiving family drinking and ‘walk’ traditions
[12:10–13:59] Food on the plate and TV dinner nostalgia
[14:09–16:28] "Give Beef a Chance" Parody Song

Memorable Moments

John Heffron's wry take on aging out of younger comedy audiences.
The absurd real estate photos from his Zillow addiction.
Group riffing on the “family walk” and how it's evolved in the era of vape pens.
The parody song from Lloyd, championing beef instead of turkey for Thanksgiving.

Tone: Playful, irreverent, nostalgic, and loaded with sarcastic observations about family, tradition, and the passage of time—classic BOB & TOM Show through and through.

The BOB & TOM Show Free Podcast

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Catching Up with John Heffron (04:11–05:55)

Heffron on Aging & Comedy:
- Heffron jokes about winning Last Comic Standing over 20 years ago:
  
  “At this point it's like I won, you know, Hollywood Squares or Match Game, you know, or Who Do You Trust?” (04:22 – John Heffron)
- Touches on the generational shift in stand-up, referencing TikTok/Instagram comics and his own contentment with aging out of that scene:
  
  “I'm 56 and the older you get, the more invisible you start to become. Right? Like I'm at that age. I go to the grocery store, the door doesn't even open up for me because it just doesn't acknowledge that I exist anymore.” (05:46 – John Heffron)
- Relates the experience of being the “creepy guy” at his niece’s college soccer games, reflecting on changed perspectives as an older male.

2. Thanksgiving Talk & Holiday Traditions (06:32–09:44)

Relocations and Family Turmoil:
- Heffron shares moving stories, from selling his Michigan farm to finding unexpected mysteries (e.g., stained carpets), and becoming addicted to Zillow.
- Lampoons amateur real estate photos:
  
  “There's a guy asleep on the couch with a cigarette in his mouth...there's a kid with a dumpy diaper and a one boot. This should be sent to child services and not...you know what.” (07:29–07:38 – John Heffron)
Thanksgiving Survey Facts:
- 90% of people in a survey prefer sides over turkey.
- Thanksgiving meal facts are introduced, setting up a string of trivia and banter.
Consumption and Family Dynamics:
- The crew guesses the number of turkeys consumed (Heffron jokes about eating multiple as a kid from divorced parents):
  
  “I'm from divorced parents, so I ate three turkeys....So that was three just for me. Three birds—go to grandma's, my mom's, my dad picked me up, so I'm at three.” (09:18–09:23 – John Heffron)
- Final answer: 46 million turkeys consumed on Thanksgiving.

3. Holiday Booze, the "Marijuana Walk," and Childhood Mischief (09:44–11:59)

Alcohol Is a Big Part of Thanksgiving:
- Average: 2.7 drinks per person—with group consensus this is “low.”
- John and others recall sneaking sips in basements and awkward interactions at the “kids’ table.”
The Pre-Dinner "Walk":
- Discussion of the tradition where young adults would “take a walk” to consume marijuana:
  
  “I've tried for years to keep the walk from you. How do you know?” (10:55 – Michael Rosenbaum)
  - In the modern era, this is replaced by a discreet basement vape session, leading to new awkwardness:
    
    “You get too stinky...you got to talk to your aunt while you're high.” (11:13 – Michael Rosenbaum)
  - Old-school “shots in the garage” considered more acceptable—especially for doing Jello shots.

4. Thanksgiving Food Quirks & The Birth of the TV Dinner (12:10–13:59)

Food Separation on Plates:
- Heffron prefers to eat like a TV dinner, with nothing touching:
  
  “I eat the same exact way that TV dinners were. Nothing touches on my plate.” (12:12 – John Heffron)
- Others pile their food “KFC Famous Bowl style” (12:32).
TV Dinner Origin:
- Thanksgiving leftovers directly inspired the Swanson TV dinner:
  
  “Swanson used 260 tons of leftover turkey to create the original frozen meals.” (12:55 – Thanksgiving Facts Narrator)
- Nostalgia for original “aluminum foil” trays, burning fingers on the hot apple crisp (13:17–13:19).
- Tom’s mother recreated TV dinners at home with quality food:
  
  “She would buy one [a tray], and then she would make fresh, decent food and put it in the various sections.” (13:37 – Tom Welling)

5. Memorable Comedy: "Give Beef a Chance" Song (14:09–16:28)

Lloyd, “Leader of the Turkey Nation,” delivers a tongue-in-cheek Thanksgiving song encouraging people to eat beef on the holiday, parodying “Give Peace a Chance.”

“All we are saying is give beef a chance.” (15:00 – Lloyd)
The segment lampoons holiday food dogma and delivers a highlight of absurdist humor.

Notable Quotes

On stand-up and aging:

“I'm 56 and the older you get, the more invisible you start to become.”
(05:46 – John Heffron)
On real estate absurdities:

“There's a kid with a dumpy diaper and a one boot.”
(07:36 – John Heffron)
On family Thanksgiving as a child of divorce:

“I'm from divorced parents, so I ate three turkeys.... That was three just for me.”
(09:18 – John Heffron)
On the evolution of the ‘walk’:

“I don't even think it's a walk now. I just think it's—you go down to the basement and you hit a secret little vape pen.”
(11:01 – Michael Rosenbaum)
Thanksgiving food philosophies:

“Nothing touches on my plate.”
(12:12 – John Heffron)
Turkey Pleas:

“All we are saying is give beef a chance.”
(15:00 – Lloyd, “Turkey Nation Leader”)

Notable Segments with Timestamps

[04:11–05:55] Catching Up with John Heffron
[06:32–09:44] Thanksgiving trivia and memories
[09:44–11:59] Thanksgiving family drinking and ‘walk’ traditions
[12:10–13:59] Food on the plate and TV dinner nostalgia
[14:09–16:28] "Give Beef a Chance" Parody Song

Memorable Moments

John Heffron's wry take on aging out of younger comedy audiences.
The absurd real estate photos from his Zillow addiction.
Group riffing on the “family walk” and how it's evolved in the era of vape pens.
The parody song from Lloyd, championing beef instead of turkey for Thanksgiving.

Tone: Playful, irreverent, nostalgic, and loaded with sarcastic observations about family, tradition, and the passage of time—classic BOB & TOM Show through and through.

wavePod

B&T Extra: John Heffron

Summary

The BOB & TOM Show Free Podcast

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Catching Up with John Heffron (04:11–05:55)

2. Thanksgiving Talk & Holiday Traditions (06:32–09:44)

3. Holiday Booze, the "Marijuana Walk," and Childhood Mischief (09:44–11:59)

4. Thanksgiving Food Quirks & The Birth of the TV Dinner (12:10–13:59)

5. Memorable Comedy: "Give Beef a Chance" Song (14:09–16:28)

Notable Quotes

Notable Segments with Timestamps

Memorable Moments

Transcript

Summary

The BOB & TOM Show Free Podcast

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Catching Up with John Heffron (04:11–05:55)

2. Thanksgiving Talk & Holiday Traditions (06:32–09:44)

3. Holiday Booze, the "Marijuana Walk," and Childhood Mischief (09:44–11:59)

4. Thanksgiving Food Quirks & The Birth of the TV Dinner (12:10–13:59)

5. Memorable Comedy: "Give Beef a Chance" Song (14:09–16:28)

Notable Quotes

Notable Segments with Timestamps

Memorable Moments