The BOB & TOM Show – January 29, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of The BOB & TOM Show features the signature blend of comedy, conversational banter, topical news, sports, and offbeat stories that the show is known for. The cast includes Tom Griswold, Christy Lee, Jeff Oskay, Pat Godwin, Ace Cosby, Jess Hooker, and guest comedian Al Jackson. Notable segments include discussions on unusual pet names, Valentine’s Day traditions (like dining at White Castle), outrageous world records, quirky news stories, the return of certain fashion trends, listener mail, and a special appearance from Al Jackson. The episode is peppered with original comedic songs, listener letters, and classic Bob & Tom irreverence.

Cast & Guests

• Tom Griswold: Host, main ringmaster for topical and offbeat discussions
• Christy Lee: Silac Insurance news desk
• Jeff Oskay: Sports desk, comedic sidekick, and frequent “target”
• Pat Godwin: Musican, parodist, and contributor to banter
• Jess Hooker: Frequent panelist with unique stories
• Ace Cosby: Board operator, contest guy
• Al Jackson (Guest): Comedian, "Word of the Week" segment

Episode Highlights by Segment

International “Shut Up” Song & Languages (00:15–06:00)

• Bob Kevoian performs the original “Shut up, shut up, shut up” song, riffing on different ways to say “shut up” in international languages.
• Discussion follows about a Guinness World Record for singing “I love you” in 520 languages, to which Tom responds:

  "I couldn't stand to listen long enough to see if he ever got it in English." (04:22)

Cast Introductions & Today’s Topics (03:20–06:16)

• The main cast is introduced. Josh and Chick are out sick.
• Upcoming: sporting news, a weird vacuum cleaner update, a “three-flipper” turtle, animals, and “butts in the news.”

Listener Letters: Dog Names & Pet Insurance (07:02–13:00)

• Discussion about popular and disappearing dog names.
• Christy lists the top dog names for 2025; “Luna” is #1 for both dogs and cats.
• Tom on classic versus modern pet names:

  “It’d be funnier to name a snake Fido, don’t you think?” (11:07)

• Jeff rails against pet insurance, laying the blame for vet bill increases on its existence.

Valentine’s Day Traditions – White Castle Dinner (12:25–25:20)

• Tom urges listeners to make dinner reservations now. Christy confirms that White Castle continues its tradition of Valentine's Day sit-down service (21:57).
• Pat Godwin performs an original "Valentine’s at White Castle" song:

  "Onion breath kisses from your cheapskate boyfriend..." (22:43)

• Panel shares quirky stories and suggestions for less-than-glamorous Valentine’s celebrations (White Castle, homemade brownies).

Listener Letters: Pet Names Gone Wrong (24:39–36:43)

• Tom and Christy read letters about the dangers of giving pets odd names—especially when you have to shout them through the neighborhood.
• Stories include:
  • A greyhound named “Priest” (near a Catholic church)
  • A white labrador named “Whitey” (yelled in the wrong neighborhood)
  • Dogs named “Whiskey,” “Brandy,” and “Martini”
  • A child naming a dog “Bark” (parents run through neighborhood screaming “Bark!”)
  • Childhood trauma of “Peter” the dog, whom Jeff’s dad dumped so he’d stop having to yell “Peter” outside (29:10).

Travel: Christy’s Italy Trip (32:32–34:54, 74:29–77:15, 110:23–112:13)

• Repeated plugs for Christy’s upcoming Bob & Tom listener trip to Italy in September, organized by Colette Travel.
• Tom’s unsuccessful search for appropriate Italian background music becomes a running gag:

  “He said he really wanted to sell this trip out for you—I go, thank you.” (33:11)

Binge-Watching and TV Reviews (47:33–51:33)

• Listener recommends new Bert Kreischer show.
• Christy reviews “Heated Rivalry,” a hockey drama/romance. Shares candid thoughts on viewing it with family:

  “There's no way I could sit in the room with my two 20-year-old daughters watching guys do it.” (50:16)

Sports Update: Deion Sanders & NFL Hall of Fame (56:28–59:04)

• Jeff Oskay: Deion Sanders institutes fines at Colorado for team infractions.
• Panels discuss NIL money, college athlete riches, missing meetings, and fines for profanity and gear.
• Robert Kraft “shocked” Belichick wasn’t immediately voted into NFL Hall of Fame.
• Debate on morality, image, and hall eligibility.

News Oddities & World Records

Kenyan Tree-Hugging Record (59:41–62:54)

• Kenyan activist hugs a tree for 72 consecutive hours (60:09), shattering the previous record.
• Jess confesses to her own “tree-hugging phase,” shares personal quirks.

Florida: Man Caught in Lewd Act with a Vacuum (62:59–66:31)

• Headline: “Florida man arrested for sexual performance with a vacuum cleaner.”
• Tom: “All I know is, when this guy goes to jail, his cellmate’s gonna call him Hoover.” (64:52)
• Discussion turns to teen “hickey with a vacuum” trick (65:33).

Schoolbook Censorship: “I Need a New Butt” (66:45–68:49)

• Mississippi assistant principal fired for reading the children’s book “I Need a New Butt” is reinstated after appeals.

Listener Letters: Skiing, Tattoos, and Childhood (86:20–93:23)

• Letters about skiing in Michigan, growing up with unreliable radio paychecks, and favorite stories about pet names, tattoos, and teaching children.

Food & Fitness

Parmesan Cheese as Protein Trend (100:28–101:30)

• Christy reports on a new (and dubious) fitness fad: eating parmesan cheese for protein.
• Panel: You’d have to eat “a pretty big chunk” for it to have any impact.

Super Bowl Party Food – Baked Potatoes (97:40–100:25)

• Jess is challenged to make baked potatoes look like footballs for the show’s upcoming Super Bowl special.
• Banter about the best football-shaped garnishes.

Health, Hypnosis, and Addictions

Hypnotism Success Stories (103:23–105:52)

• Tom and Jess recall the late Ken Whitener and discuss hypnotism to stop smoking and cure picky eating.
• Discussion of kids' extreme food obsessions (e.g., sausage rolls) resolved by hypnosis.

Culture, Trends, and “Old Man” Complaints

Recurring Bits:

• Tom’s frustration about cultural references no one remembers (e.g., Ken “Hawk” Harrelson, classic baseball, vintage movies).
• The cast debates which classic films “hold up”—Tom vouches for “Dr. Strangelove” and “Body Heat,” Christy is not impressed.
• Christy:

  "I watched [Dr. Strangelove], I did not get it. I'm sorry." Tom:
  "How can you not love a movie in which a guy says, 'Gentlemen, you can't fight in here. This is the war room!'" (118:56)

Fashion: “2016 Is Back” (107:52–109:30)

• A trend journalist says chunky jewelry, bomber jackets, and skinny jeans are resurfacing.
• Jess and Christy debate nostalgia windows and the return of “Juicy” velour tracksuits.

Quirky & Heartwarming Animal Stories

• Turtle With Three Flippers Released: After rehab, the turtle “Pyari” (meaning “lovely” in Hindi) gets a $10,000 satellite tracker and is released. Panel jokes about its odds in the wild (157:04–159:52).
• Florida Cop Removes Nine-Foot Boa Constrictor: Cop removes enormous snake from a woman’s yard—cast prefers that to wrestling a gator (159:56–161:02).

Scam Stories & Listener Gullibility (146:04–147:45)

• U.K. woman loses $344,000 to scammers posing as Chris Hemsworth and other celebrities.
• Tom: “So does this mean the thousand bucks I just sent to Beyoncé...?”

Special Guests

Comedian Al Jackson: "Word of the Week" (123:06–138:55)

• Al’s Word: “Rage booking” (booking travel out of anger/frustration; 135:02)
• Explores old vs. new movie humor, what films still hold up, cultural shifts in taste.
• Tom’s “Ken Harrelson, the Hawk” joke about a trapped bird in a batting cage falls flat, leading to a segment-long running gag about dated references.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On classic dog names:
  Tom: “I think Rovers kind of someone would do that in sort of an ironic manner.” (11:02)
• On pet insurance:
  Jeff Oskay: “You used to be able to go to the vet for a normal price, and then you start seeing brochures for pet insurance. Now it costs twice as much to take your dog to the vet. I'm blaming the insurance.” (09:33)
• Tom’s daughter Hart, when fan says her dad is funny:
  Christy: "He goes, 'Your dad is so funny.' [Hart replies] 'No, he's not.'" (92:03)
• On food fads:
  Christy: “Parmesan is a fairly good protein source… but you'd have to eat quite a bit of it.” (100:38)
• On being scammed by fake celebrities:
  Tom: “If a famous actor asked you for money, unless it was Mickey Rourke…” (147:45)

Standout Comedy & Running Gags

• Tom’s endless play with sound effects, especially failing to find Italian music for Christy’s trip segment.
• The “Hawk”/Ken Harrelson joke debacle.
• “Shut up” song in multiple languages.
• Repeated callbacks to pet names and awkward moments shouting them.
• White Castle as THE romantic Valentine’s destination:
  Pat: “Valentine’s Day at White Castle is back again–onion breath kisses from your cheapskate boyfriend…” (22:43)
• “Tree hugging” as therapy, and Jess’s unusual personal stories (hickey-from-vacuum anecdote).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Shut Up Song & Guinness Song Languages: 00:15–06:00
• Dog Names, Pet Insurance: 08:53–13:00
• White Castle/Valentine’s Day Dinner: 21:57–24:03
• Listener Letters (Funny Pet Names): 24:31–36:43
• Comedy Song (“Valentine’s at White Castle”): 22:43
• Fashion Trends (“2016 is back”): 107:52–109:30
• Movie Nostalgia (“Dr. Strangelove,” “Body Heat”): 116:17–119:58
• Jess’s Tree-Hugging Confession: 60:38–62:28
• Man/Vacuum Incident: 62:59–66:31
• Hypnosis & Picky Eaters: 103:23–105:52
• Al Jackson segment (“Rage Booking”): 123:06–138:55

Closing

This episode encapsulates the fun, sprawling, and unpredictable nature of The BOB & TOM Show: sharp comedy, musical parodies, the oddest news, sentimental stories, listener engagement, and cast moments that oscillate between the heartwarming and the hilarious.

Listener takeaway: Whether you’re interested in why “Bark” is a bad dog name, how to celebrate Valentine’s at White Castle, why parmesan isn’t a great protein hack, or just love quirky American radio comedy, this episode delivers a little something for everyone.

End of Summary