The BOB & TOM Show – November 21, 2025 [DETAILED SUMMARY]
Main Theme
This episode of The BOB & TOM Show is a lively and characteristically zany blend of comedy, banter about Thanksgiving, musical parodies, listener letters, and wide-ranging conversations. The crew—Tom Griswold, Chick McGee, Bob Kevoian, Jess Hooker, Pat Godwin, John Heffron, and others—riff on Thanksgiving food traditions, scams, wacky news, vehicles that look like the products they advertise, hearing loss, notable inventions, pop culture, and host a guest segment with comedian John Heffron.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Starting the Weekend: "Beer Run" & Welcome Back Banter (01:36–05:55)
- Pat Godwin and John Heffron perform the comedic country tune “Beer Run,” a crowd-pleaser that sets the weekend tone.
- Banter on studio seating arrangements, radio broadcast language, and the joy of syncing radio commentary with TV visuals.
- Notable Quote:
“This is like when you’re listening to a football game and they go, ‘The Colts are going left to right on your radio dial.’”
— Tom Griswold (05:17) - Josh Arnold returns after illness—his absence and experience with bronchitis are humorously dissected, including the effects of medication.
2. Viagra and Hearing News, Tinnitus/Tinnitus, and Off-Label Drug Uses (05:54–12:10)
- Tom brings up an odd medical news bite about Viagra’s potential to help certain kinds of hearing loss.
- They joke about drug side effects, minoxidil’s hairy surprise, and the “hard of hearing” pun.
- Song Segment:
Pat Godwin delivers a tongue-in-cheek song about the medical pronunciations (tinnitus/tinnitus). - Notable Quote:
“And this gives new meaning to the term ‘hard of hearing.’”
— Tom Griswold (06:19) - Discussion of headphone use and its risks, clever solutions like AirPod-style hearing aids, and the invasion of hearing tech in public.
3. Food Tastings & Thanksgiving Food Traditions (17:24–19:36)
- The team reviews apple pie mac and cheese (“you don’t taste much until the aftertaste—not great”) and various novelty chips (Argentinian Steak Lays, “burnt” Venezuelan chips).
- Tease upcoming tasting of “Thanksgiving-themed potato chips.”
- Memorable Exchange:
“My mouth was ready for mac and cheese... I didn't even really honestly taste the apple pie part of it.”
— Chick McGee (18:10)
4. Listener Letters: Scams, Tickets, Wiener Mobiles, and Vehicle Promotions (12:29–30:00)
- Tom and Bob read listener emails about scam calls—like fake lost dog messages and AI-voice scams (“your granddaughter is being held hostage”).
- Pro tip: Have a family “safe word” for emergencies.
- They detail novelty vehicles:
- Oscar Mayer Wiener Mobile
- Guinness can trucks (Ireland)
- Idaho Potato Truck (“28-foot-long spud on wheels”)
- Huge guitars, pianos, and a poop emoji car from Dude Wipes.
- Visual Humor:
“It looks like the top of a Dairy Queen chocolate cone…”
— Tom Griswold on the Mini Pooper car (40:57)
5. Thanksgiving Decorating Trends & Fake vs. Real Trees; Early Holiday Spirit (29:39–31:17)
- Early Christmas decorators, fake trees abound (“80% of Americans use fake trees now”), and some keep their holiday lights up all year, adjusting colors for other holidays.
- Notable Quote:
“My wife has six Christmas trees inside the house already up. Nine outside…”
— Listener Letter (30:43) - Jess says her tree is “fall-themed” right now, not yet Christmas.
6. Raccoons in the News: Odd Traditions & Urban Wildlife (31:48–34:41)
- Talk of Calvin Coolidge being gifted a raccoon for Thanksgiving (he didn’t eat it), and NFL player Xavier Legette eating raccoon for Thanksgiving.
- Scientific musings: urban raccoons’ noses are “mutating,” and raccoons are becoming more comfortable with humans.
- Letter from a listener who saw someone driving with a raccoon in their lap!
7. Virology, Health, and Simplisafe (35:44–36:34)
- An ad break on home security segues to more health news—upcoming topics on beards in the news and dietary “fart maxing.”
8. Thanksgiving Facts & Trivia! (88:28–111:38 / [1:28:28–1:51:38])
- The hosts share Thanksgiving fun facts:
- The first Thanksgiving was in 1621, documented by Edward Winslow.
- 46 million turkeys eaten annually at Thanksgiving.
- Red wine is the top drink; “Drunk Uncle” is a real phenomenon.
- Swanson’s TV dinners originated to solve a turkey surplus.
- Detroit Lions’ tradition of playing football on Thanksgiving dates to 1934.
- Campbell’s Soup invented green bean casserole as a marketing ploy.
- Jingle Bells was originally written for Thanksgiving (fact-checked by Jess).
- Warm banter about food combinations, family rituals, and sneaking off for "the walk" before dinner.
- Memorable Quote:
“Thanksgiving was inspired—or inspired—the TV dinner. Swanson used 260 tons of leftover turkey to create the original frozen meals…”
— Jess Hooker (96:34)
9. Modern Life Riffs: Appliances, Aging, Hearing, and Tech (116:31–125:29 / [1:56:31–2:05:29])
- Guest John Heffron riffs on the frustrations of modern appliances:
- Old school vs. new school washer/dryers (“Mine needs a safe space... it’s a Montessori dryer!”).
- Riff about losing hearing, using Bluetooth hearing aids with “restaurant mode” (“blocks crowd noise, lets you hear just your table”).
- Tom reflects on old tech: payphones, phone cards, and getting phone charges linked to international drug calls.
10. News We Failed to Mention [Jeff Oskay Segment] (127:46–132:36 / [2:07:46–2:12:36])
- Jeff Oskay presents his satirical “Failed to Mention News,” riffing on:
- An 80-year-old Ironman competitor: “She mapped out the race using the liver spots on the back of her hand.”
- Ancient crocodiles climbing trees.
- Play sand recalled for asbestos.
- Domesticated raccoons (“Didn’t they open for the Traveling Wilburys?”)
- KFC’s “gravy flight.”
- Plush toys that are anatomically correct.
- Calvin Coolidge pardoning a raccoon via “autopen.”
11. Outrageous News: “Menstrual Masking” & “Fart Maxing” (61:04–65:16, 82:33–85:13)
- Jess reports on a viral TikTok trend where people use their own menstrual blood as a face mask—medical experts emphatically advise against it.
- “Putting period blood on your face runs the risk of getting various infections—including herpes, chlamydia in your eye, or cellulitis.”
— Jess Hooker (62:51)
- “Putting period blood on your face runs the risk of getting various infections—including herpes, chlamydia in your eye, or cellulitis.”
- “Fart maxing”—TikTok user details a fiber-rich, egg-heavy diet to maximize flatulence, measured with a decibel meter (hits 93 dB, “like a lawnmower”).
12. Listener Letters: Drill Sergeant Antics, ATM Heist, Disc Jockey Origins (41:31–44:00)
- Letter about a drill sergeant playing mind games with a recruit who accidentally made eye contact.
- Discussion on why radio hosts are called “disc jockeys.”
- Story of someone who tried to steal an ATM—caught when their sparks were spotted by a police helicopter.
13. Supertasters/Tasting & Bodily Functions (47:53, 53:14–54:22)
- More on Thanksgiving taste tests and food debates.
- Fart humor amid discussions of diet, “fart maxing,” and embarrassing bodily functions at family gatherings.
14. Guest Segment: John Heffron (87:54–153:58 / [1:27:54–2:33:58])
- John Heffron joins, discusses:
- Aging invisibility (“the door at the grocery store doesn’t open for me anymore”).
- Selling a Michigan farm, house hunting on Zillow, and the bizarre photo choices people make for listings.
- Thanksgiving plans, living with “mystery animals in the wall,” and playing “guess what animal is in the house.”
- The origin of his famous “That Guy Game” (with shout-outs to its viral success via the Bob & Tom Show).
- Appliances from the past vs. present (“washers and dryers had one setting—do your job or it all burns”).
- Getting diagnosed with ADD, going through testing with teens, and what Adderall did (or didn’t do)—which led to writing his sci-fi book, The Maskers.
- Stories of morning radio stunts gone wrong (fighting with Janet Jackson on-air, getting hit so hard he “reverted to VCR technology”).
15. Sports News: NFL, Mascot Vehicles, Aging Australians (25:12–26:14; 79:56; 80:17–82:25)
- Quick sports updates:
- NFL sack records, quarterback troubles, Thursday night game summaries.
- Guinness World Record: Over 100 Australians over age 100 gathered in one spot (“a combined age of 15,000 years!”).
- “What’s the reaper doing at the 100-year-olds' gathering?” [dark humor segment]
16. Miscellaneous: History, Trivia, & Pop Culture Call-Backs (158:30–164:15)
- Historical birthdays (“one-name people,” Voltaire, Goldie Hawn, Bjork).
- Jingle Bells actually written for Thanksgiving “Sunday school program.”
- Human cannonball trivia; family/ancestry jokes about the “Battle of Griswoldville, Georgia.”
- Discourses on pop culture (Aerosmith ride at Disney being replaced by the Muppets, Muppet 3D show nostalgia, etc).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
On Off-Label Drug Uses:
"Viagra… gives new meaning to the term ‘hard of hearing.’"
— Tom Griswold (06:19)
On Early Christmas Decor:
“My wife has six Christmas trees inside the house already up. Nine outside have been turned on since the day after Halloween.”
— Listener Letter (30:43)
On Family Thanksgivings:
“Thanksgiving was inspired—or inspired—the TV dinner. Swanson used 260 tons of leftover turkey to create the original frozen meals…”
— Jess Hooker (96:34)
On TikTok Challenges:
“A man in Florida who was arrested for walking around in the nude told officers he was taking part in a TikTok challenge… though authorities said he did not have a smartphone, phone or a camera on him.”
— Jess Hooker (147:49)
On Adulthood:
“I’m at that age… the door doesn’t even open up for me at the supermarket anymore—it just doesn’t acknowledge that I exist.”
— John Heffron (89:39)
On Appliances:
“Our dryer is like, ‘we sense when clothes are dry, we’re a Montessori dryer,’ …now if you’re not downstairs in 22 minutes—it all burns.”
— John Heffron (123:52)
Important Timestamps (MM:SS) & Segment Markers
- 01:36–03:55: “Beer Run” performance
- 05:54–06:19: Viagra and hearing news (“hard of hearing” pun)
- 11:10–11:53: Pat Godwin’s “Tinnitus” medical medley
- 18:01–18:23: Apple pie mac & cheese review
- 40:57–41:02: Description of the Mini Pooper car
- 61:04–62:51: Menstrual masking/viral TikTok trend news
- 82:33–85:13: Fart maxing, TikTok user’s record (93 dB)
- 88:28–111:38: Thanksgiving facts & trivia marathon
- 127:46–132:36: “News We Failed to Mention” – Jeff Oskay segment
- 158:30–164:15: History, trivia & pop culture call-backs (Voltaire, cannonballs, disco)
Tone and Language
The episode maintains the irreverent, improvisational, and often absurd tone familiar to BOB & TOM Show listeners. The banter is fast-paced and playful, filled with running gags, bodily function humor, callbacks to long-time characters (“being a rocker, Tom”), and off-color jokes—often at the expense of one another, but always with good-natured affection.
For the Listener Who Missed the Show
This episode is a classic BOB & TOM Show blend—funny, loose, and unscripted—with something for everyone: witty musical numbers, relatable humor about growing older, family and food traditions, wild news-of-the-weird, holiday prep inspiration (and caution!), and plenty of smart-dumb slapstick. If you want food laughs, tales of 100-year-olds gathering, knowledge about the origins of TV dinners and Jingle Bells, or just great riffing from comedians at the top of their game, it’s all here.
Don’t miss:
- The “Beer Run” musical opener
- John Heffron’s riffs on appliances & ADHD
- Thanksgiving food trivia & pop culture reminiscing
- Listener letters on wild vehicles and holiday scams
- Jeff Oskay’s “Failed to Mention News”
- And the saga of “menstrual masking” (science says: don’t try this at home!)
[End of Summary]