The Bonfire: "Andy Garbage" w/ H. Foley & Kevin Ryan

Date: November 19, 2025
Guests: H. Foley & Kevin Ryan (Are You Garbage)

Episode Overview

This episode of The Bonfire sees hosts Big Jay Oakerson and Robert Kelly hanging out with H. Foley and Kevin Ryan, the comedians behind the popular "Are You Garbage?" podcast. Recorded ahead of their live tour appearances in Atlanta and Philly, the discussion spirals into hilarious anecdotes and playful self-deprecation, spotlighting the comedian lifestyle, personal histories, fashion woes, body image, and the insular camaraderie of the comedy scene.

The tone is classic Bonfire: rowdy, candid, and full of playful insults and confessions, with the group riffing on everything from awkward family backgrounds to the indignities of fat-guy fashion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Skank Fest and the Comedy Tour Circuit

• The group discusses upcoming dates in Atlanta and Philly, and plans for Skank Fest.
• Stories about past Skank Fests, debauchery, and sobriety crop up ("Next for a year. 13 months." - [01:39] Kevin Ryan).
• Lou’s transformation and the anticipated backslide at Skank Fest prompt jokes about substance abuse and support systems.

Kevin Ryan [02:14]: "I'm sober now. I can say this. You guys might have a problem."
Jay Oakerson [02:19]: "I'm good."

2. Origin of "Andy Garbage" and Comedy Show Intros

• Kevin Ryan recalls a comic mistakenly introducing him as "Andy Garbage" instead of "Are You Garbage?" at a bar show ([04:22]).
• The group riffs on "Andy Garbage" as a persona, laughing at the obliviousness and inside jokes of the New York scene.

Kevin Ryan [04:36]: "A minute later he's like, 'I'm about to go up. Your name's Andy Garbage, right?' I was like, yeah, dude, it's Andy Garbage."

3. Garbage Upbringings and Family Antics

• Bobby Kelly shares stories of his high school girlfriend’s rough home life and the dirtbag ingenuity of her family hiding alcohol from Child Protective Services ([05:13]–[06:54]).
• The conversation devolves into uproarious tales of makeshift home porn, VHS tapes, and unsavory teenage habits.

Bobby Kelly [07:32]: "Her room was garbage... When she was like young and would send me like masturbation VHS's..."
Bobby Kelly [08:12]: "It’ll be horse stuff and then the video would, you know, the V-hold would ride up and then it would be her on this crusty dirty ass trailer floor..."

4. Transgender Ninja & Instagram Oddities

• Kevin shares the wildest Instagram follow: a "professional trans ninja." The hosts gleefully debate the legitimacy of old titles post-transition and riff on the absurdity of “ninja boots” and self-defense ([11:00]–[12:24]).
• Tangents include Jay and Bobby admitting their own failed attempts at martial arts fashion and nostalgia for ‘80s action movies.

Kevin Ryan [11:31]: "She has to go through back all the courses and get all her belts again."

5. Fashion Struggles & Fat Guy Clothes

• Extended camaraderie about shopping as fat dudes, tailoring mishaps, and the politics of self-presentation as comics ([16:00]–[26:44]).
• Hilariously real stories about ill-fitting suits at weddings, emergency runs to Men’s Warehouse, and the unique struggle of plus-size fashion (e.g., DXL, “Harbor Bay” tank tops).
• Nods to passing down jeans between comedians, the rise of stretchy denim, and the communal suffering of "recliner fat."

Kevin Ryan [23:48]: "The very next wedding, I was like, 'I'll just wear my suit.' And I went to put it on. I couldn't get my legs [in]."
Bobby Kelly [27:14]: "It was humiliating... I cut [the shirt]. I tried to make it sleeveless... Safety pinned them to another shirt that fit."

6. On Being a ‘Dandy’, a ‘Classic Gentleman’, and a Fat Slob

• Running jokes on Jacob's ‘dandy’ style vs. Jay’s ‘welder on his day off’ fashion ([14:23]-[18:20]).
• Lively debate over what makes one a dandy or a “classic gentleman,” mixed with teasing about dressing like dads, office bros, or Jimmy Carr.

Bobby Kelly [14:25]: "Jacob's what we call in the biz a dandy."
Jay Oakerson [13:01]: "You don't get this fat. Not... this isn't your first time."

7. Comedic Vulnerability & Camaraderie

• Through playful roast and honest talk, the comics bond over the shared indignities of battle with body image and self-esteem, both on stage and off.
• The "Are You Garbage?" guys reminisce about passing clothes down as they lost weight or gained, cementing the theme of gritty, affectionate community ([31:01]).

Jay Oakerson [31:03]: "At one point, me, him, and Reggie Conquest shared, and then I lost weight, and we would pass my clothes down to... There's a jacket still floating around. I think Dave Temple wears it."

8. Mothers, Booze Cruises, and Porn Offers

• Bobby returns to discuss his mother’s colorful past—posing for "Oui" magazine (“that’s the porn magazine’s logo”—[41:48]) and considering adult modeling, reflecting on how perceptions shift with age ([41:48]–[43:09]).
• They delight in the comedic potential and family myth-making around these stories.

Bobby Kelly [42:01]: "Oui. It was like a French porn magazine..."
Bobby Kelly [42:34]: "She always told me…they offered her to do it. She thought about it, and then she was like, nah. But what if, like, your grandparents ever go to like France? And it’s like they get into pornography, go to a porn magazine. Like, why would that happen?"

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Fat-Friendly Denim
  Jay Oakerson [34:36]: "Yeah, the stretch is the best. Especially around the way they added it around the waist. The way I used to have to like sweat, fat sweat my waist..."

• On Comedy Introductions
  Kevin Ryan [04:36]: "Your name’s Andy Garbage, right? I was like… yeah, dude, it’s Andy Garbage."

• On the Ritual of Shopping at DXL
  Kevin Ryan [29:22]: "The problem with DXL, they have, like, five cool fat guy shirts. So you’re gonna bump into a fat guy [in] the same exact [thing]."

• On Accidental Porn Typo
  Bobby Kelly [42:34]: "The shirt’s like, 'to clean yourself up with this when you’re done. If you want to wash it and dry it and get that come off.'"

• On Losing Weight and Sharing Clothes
  Jay Oakerson [31:03]: "At one point, me, him, and Reggie Conquest shared... There's a jacket still floating around. I think Dave Temple wears it."

• On Vanity in Olden Times
  Jay Oakerson [15:10]: "We would just be fat and hot and smelly all the time. When you had to wear like the laces..."

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• [04:22] "Andy Garbage" comedy intro story
• [05:13]–[08:12] Bobby details ex-girlfriend’s rough upbringing and homemade VHS scandals
• [11:00]–[12:24] "Professional Trans Ninja" Instagram segment
• [14:23]–[18:20] Dandy vs. classic gentleman debate
• [23:48]–[27:18] Fat-guy fashion struggles and showbiz wardrobe disasters
• [31:01]–[31:14] The great comedian clothing hand-me-down chain
• [41:48]–[43:09] Bobby’s mom nearly becomes a French porn magazine star

Final Notes

This episode is quintessential Bonfire—a joyful roast, rich with gritty, real-life stories, inside comedian baseball, and the unguarded intimacy of friends who’ve spent years in the comedy trenches together. Whether you’re trying to pull on jeans after a pizza bender, wondering if your mom nearly posed for "Oui", or just need a reminder that everyone’s got trash in their past, this hour will both make you laugh and make you feel seen.

Don’t miss the Are You Garbage boys on tour—details at the end of the show!