The BOB & TOM Show Free Podcast

Episode: The BOB & TOM Show – November 27, 2025

Release Date: November 28, 2025
Hosts: Tom Griswold, Chick McGee, Christy Lee, Josh Arnold, Ace Cosby
Guests/Regulars: Al Jackson, Pat Godwin, Jimmy Pardo, Drew Powell, Auggie Smith, assorted call-ins

Overview

This lively Thanksgiving-themed episode features The BOB & TOM Show’s signature blend of comedy, banter, news, and sports. The crew exchanges personal Thanksgiving stories, riffs on holiday traditions (and mishaps), and welcomes regular contributors Al Jackson, Jimmy Pardo, and Drew Powell. From “Mr. Obvious” sketch comedy to deep dives into gravy fountains, Mac & Cheese debates, TSA food rules, and an epic T-shirt discussion with Jimmy Pardo, the episode is packed with the group’s trademark humor, playful roasting, and sincere moments about family and holidays.

Episode Structure & Key Segments

1. Cold Open (00:00–01:15)

• Standard sponsored content and advertisements for Apple Watch sleep score and AmEx cards (skipped per guidelines).

2. "Mr. Obvious" Thanksgiving Sketch (01:15–05:12)

Description:
A classic BOB & TOM “Mr. Obvious” call-in bit, where a clueless listener can’t figure out why his turkey turns out tough every year—only to reveal he’s been trying to roast a live turkey.

Notable Quotes & Moments:

• Tom Griswold: "I tried cooking one the last five years and just haven't had any success..."
• Chick McGee / Mr. Obvious (03:55): "Turkey's alive, isn't he?"
• Tom Griswold (03:57): "Oh yeah, he's alive, there's no doubt about that. He's a tough old bird."
• Chick McGee (04:42): "Caller, you… you can't cook the turkey until he's dead."

This opening sets the episode's goofy, holiday-centric tone.

3. Morning Team Banter & Thanksgiving Plans (05:13–14:28)

Topics Covered:

• Crew welcomes back Jessica Alsman after illness.
• Teasing upcoming Bloody Mary tastings (“We got the vodka down there. I’ll tell you about it in a second.” —Tom, 06:42).
• Discussion of epic mac and cheese and the UK solo Atlantic-row world record attempt.
  • Ace Cosby (06:49): “Mac and cheese is so good.”
  • Christy Lee (07:02): “Ms. Emma Wolstenholm… she could pick you up and throw you ten shoes.”
• Mascot heist story: Army cadets steal the wrong Navy goat before Army-Navy game, nabbing an arthritic retiree instead.
  • Josh Arnold (09:23): “Arthritic, and one horn.”
• Team riffs on terminology: “GOAT” as "greatest of all time" and the evolving MVP/MOP (Most Outstanding Player).
• Christy Lee and Tom joke about the price of Thanksgiving dinner and family attendance rising after isolated pandemic years.

Memorable Exchange:

• Tom Griswold to Christy Lee (14:16): “That’s sad.” (re: her Thanksgiving alone)
• Christy Lee (15:54): “Just because you’re alone doesn’t mean you’re lonely.”

4. Thanksgiving Sides Deep Dive with Al Jackson (18:54–27:39)

Segment Highlights:

• Al Jackson joins in-studio, sharply dressed, and jokes about “Daily Blast Live” and doing dog-friendly comedy shows.
• Tom asks about the phrase “right on” and its music history.
  • Al (20:43): “Marvin Gaye still gets people on the dance floor like it just came out the day before…”
  • Tom (21:08): “Marvin Gaye is the only person who ever wrote and performed a protest song that was also a panty dropper.”
• Christy presents a survey of most popular Thanksgiving sides by state:
  • #1: Mashed potatoes (22:11)
  • #2: Rolls/bread (Christy objects: “That’s not a side dish!” –22:31)
  • Mac and cheese is only #1 in Virginia and Vermont.
  • Collard greens surprisingly top in Maryland, Georgia, South Carolina.
• Al Jackson shares about his Aunt Valerie’s soul-food Thanksgiving: “mac and cheese that’ll really make you just go sit in the car and reevaluate your life…” (23:42)
  • Team riffs on “charcuterie tray” as the favorite in Minnesota and Missouri.
• Philosophical tangent: Al Jackson (25:56): “Thanksgiving’s the best holiday. You don’t have to buy anything for anybody…”

5. Al Jackson's "Word Lesson" & Language Play (26:54–32:55)

Words & Definitions:

1. "Sillage": (pronounced sē-yazh) – The lingering scent of perfume or cologne left in the air.
   • Al to Tom (27:50): “Some days he’s just locked in. And then other days... not so much.”
2. "Situationship": A relationship based more on circumstances or mutual convenience than romance.
   • Josh Arnold (32:28): "I wish my girl and I would break up, but it’s summer and she has air conditioning and my house doesn’t."
   • Al (32:42): “Absolutely.”

Table Talk:

• Breakups and who “gets the dog.”
• Al: “I think breakups involving the dog... that's usually the sticking point.”

6. Actor Drew Powell Joins: Thanksgiving & World Records (35:08–45:46)

Quick Hits:

• Drew Powell (of Gotham, Leverage, and Pee Wee Herman’s Broadway show) shares career updates and celebrity stories.
• Guinness World Records: 12,952 cereal boxes toppled as dominoes at the Detroit Pistons facility.
  • Tony the Tiger says, “They’re grrreat” (joking impressions)
• Indian woman holds record for most teeth (38) – humorous riffs on dental oddities.
• Team derails into more Thanksgiving food rules, what you can/can’t bring on a plane.
  • Christy Lee (41:09): “TSA has released this year’s list of Thanksgiving foods that you can bring onto a plane…”

7. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade & Listener Letters (47:16–54:36)

Topics:

• "No Nut November" vs. "Drunk December", Coca-Cola's new holiday vanilla flavor, and nostalgic soft drink banter.
• Josh laments that Dr. Pepper was his childhood drink.
• Crew jokes about parade balloon favorites, K-Pop Demon Hunters, and the pop-culture overlap between parade entries and Netflix sensations.
• Riff on Foreigner and Kool & The Gang ("What year is it?"), and the lack of original band members in current tours.

8. More Al Jackson: Thanksgiving Language, Scrabble, Slang (59:09–69:22)

Language Segment:

• Tom rails against Scrabble’s new “non-word” slang inclusions ("guac," "sitch," "zook," "Marg").
• Al (66:09): “It’s becoming more and more like the Urban Dictionary.”
• Slang term “dumb nice” explained: something or someone that is extremely skilled or impressive.
  • Ace Cosby (67:49): “So I’ve heard the expression dummy thick…”
  • Al Jackson: “Dumb nice means you’re, like, really good at [something].”
• Al teaches Tom “tricked that off” (73:01): means you had a good opportunity and blew it.
  • “Tricking off” means going too hard for someone who isn’t reciprocating in a relationship.
• Holiday awkwardness bits: gift-giving, uninvited to “friendsgiving,” bad small talk, and oversharing.

9. Thanksgiving Traditions & Gravy Fountain (96:48–104:12)

Food Oddities & Traditions:

• Food & Wine’s “gravy fountain” is vigorously debated.
  • Christy Lee (97:02): “Food & Wine has recipes... specifically designed to be used with a so-called gravy fountain.”
    • Crew lists items they’d dip in: cornbread, mashed potato balls, sliders.
  • Health concerns about communal food fountains and past chocolate fountain “booger” horror stories.
• Friendsgiving: Invitations for those who might be alone over the holiday.
  • Christy Lee invites Josh Arnold, who agrees last year he cooked a traditional meal with Pat Godwin.
• Thanksgiving leftovers: waffle-iron potato pancakes, stuffing, turkey sandwiches.
• Debate over proper use of the word "side dish" and who gets stuck eating the worst casseroles.

10. Thanksgiving Spending & PETA's "Arm Barn" (115:36–122:30)

Key Bits:

• Tom rails against annual news stories about Thanksgiving cost increases.
• Debate about presidents “pardoning” turkeys.
• PETA wants to rename baseball’s "bullpen" the "arm barn."
  • Chick McGee (120:14): “That sounds like a place that sells devices for people who lost an arm...”
  • Group devolves into “dress barn” and “arm pit” jokes.

11. Listener Letters, Maraschino Cherry Pie Tragedy, and Forced Holiday Foods (160:43–165:56)

Heartfelt & Hilarious:

• Letter about a dreaded zucchini casserole everyone pretends to like
• Tom advocates politeness: “I will always taste what someone brings...”
• Josh insists on honesty: "If they can’t handle it that you don’t like it, you don’t need them in your life."
• Chick McGee admits to having to remove his shirt for “major transactions” (longtime running joke).

12. Jimmy Pardo In Studio: Concert T-Shirts & Standup (141:06–159:01)

Segment Highlights:

• Jimmy Pardo jokes about being bumped from Tom’s “top 3” to his “top 10” shows.
• T-shirt deep dive: alphabetizing classic rock shirts, why it’s okay to wear band shirts to concerts, rare/oldest shirts.
  • Jimmy: "I alphabetize by first name. When you do your albums, would you put Tom Jones in T or J?"
• Team diverges on the etiquette of gifting, honesty with family, and senior-high pube development.

Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• Chick McGee (04:42): "Caller, you… you can't cook the turkey until he's dead."
• Tom Griswold (21:08): "Marvin Gaye is the only person who ever wrote and performed a protest song that was also a panty dropper."
• Al Jackson (25:56): “Thanksgiving is the best holiday. You don't have to buy anything for anybody... All you have to do is show up and eat and sit there and get drunk and watch the Lions lose.”
• Christy Lee (15:54): "Just because you're alone doesn't mean you're lonely."
• Ace Cosby (67:49): “So I've heard the expression dummy thick…”
• Al Jackson (68:02): "Dumb nice means you're, like, really good at it."
• Josh Arnold (32:28): "I wish my girl and I would break up, but it's summer and she has air conditioning and my house doesn't."
• Chick McGee (120:14): "That sounds like a place that sells devices for people who have sadly lost an arm — the arm barn..."
• Tom Griswold (116:18): "If your turkey's a little more this year, hey, thank your lucky stars that you're doing okay and you can have a nice turkey dinner."

Tone & Style

• Loosely structured, fast-paced, and irreverent; classic morning-drive radio banter.
• Most humor is playful, self-deprecating, and affectionate, though not without sharp barbs.
• Show rhythm alternates between ensemble riffing, regular comedic segments, and interviews/highlights with recurring guests, punctuated by both silly bits (gravy fountain!) and sincere talk about family and holidays.

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |---------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:15–05:12 | "Mr. Obvious" Thanksgiving Sketch | | 06:49–14:28 | Thanksgiving plans, mascot heist, meal cost debate | | 18:54–27:39 | Al Jackson on Thanksgiving, favorite sides, and family stories | | 26:54–32:55 | Al Jackson Language Lesson: "Sillage," "Situationship" | | 35:08–45:46 | Drew Powell, records, and TSA Thanksgiving food rules | | 47:16–54:36 | No Nut November, parade balloons, and band nostalgia | | 59:09–69:22 | Al Jackson: Holiday slang, Scrabble, “dumb nice,” "tricked off" explained| | 96:48–104:12 | Gravy fountain, Friendsgiving, leftovers | | 115:36–122:30 | Thanksgiving costs, PETA's ‘arm barn’, and turkey pardons | | 141:06–159:01 | Jimmy Pardo: Standup, T-shirts, concert stories | | 160:43–165:56 | Listener letters: casserole honesty, forced holiday foods |

Summary Takeaways

• Thanksgiving is about food, family, laughter, but also about forgiving yourself for not being perfect, whether that means eating alone, botching a casserole, or inviting your friends over for a “friendsgiving.”
• Language evolves — sometimes into Scrabble!
• Honesty is the best policy, except when eating Aunt Pat’s zucchini casserole.
• If you're going to cook a turkey, make sure it's not alive.
• You can bring turkey on a plane, but leave the gravy in your checked luggage.
• Don’t let an overflowing cologne cloud clear the room — unless you want to, and know that your coworkers are keeping score.
• And, yes, it's okay to wear your favorite band T-shirt to the concert. Just know where you filed it in the drawer.