The Bonfire with Big Jay Oakerson & Robert Kelly

Episode: Indigenous Trans Indians

Date: January 16, 2026
Podcast Host: SiriusXM Faction Talk (Channel 103)
Main Hosts: Big Jay Oakerson, Robert Kelly
Key Guests/Regulars: Jacob, Christine, Black Lou

Episode Overview

This episode of "The Bonfire" is quintessential Jay and Bobby: brimming with the duo’s irreverent, rapid-fire banter and comedic honesty. The crew—joined by regulars and partners—dives into their personal lives, recent heroics, awkward family moments, pop culture, sexuality and gender in the present and historical context, and their trademark takes on everything from pool safety to pie. The biggest throughlines are Robert Kelly’s recent act of heroism (saving a young girl from drowning), the changing dynamics of long-term relationships, and a wildly funny discussion about Native American history, brutality, and gender, culminating in a riff on two-spirit individuals and viral queer family content.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Opening Banter & Jacob’s Return ([00:52]–[07:14])

• Jay and Bobby open the show singing Nickelback’s “Hero” and immediately riffing about viral internet videos—particularly “firefighters in reverse” (visual jokes about running disaster video footage in reverse).
• Jacob is absent at first due to a recent illness; the hosts mock the idea of using tarps, fans, or “plastic bubbles” to quarantine sick show members.
• Quote:
  “If he dies, we’re not going to know because he has the same body movements of a dead guy.” —Big Jay ([04:30])

2. Robert Kelly, Hero Complex, and the “Drowning Incident” ([07:34]–[13:36])

• The main story: Bobby (Robert Kelly) saved a young Black girl from drowning while cracking jokes inappropriately—like making “turd in the punch bowl” references to a terrified child.
• The hosts probe whether the act was enough to absolve Bobby’s past misdeeds and joke about how many more lives he needs to save for a “heaven pass.”
• Quote:
  “You were such a monster before these heroics that I don’t know if these heroics got you into heaven still.” —Big Jay ([09:28])

3. Relationship Dynamics & Rekindling Romance ([16:02]–[25:18])

• Bobby reflects on the romantic rekindling between him and his wife, Dawn, following his rescue of the girl. The pair experienced an “early relationship” spark while on vacation in Costa Rica, but he laments how quickly real life and “roommate energy" return once home.
• They reminisce about earlier relationship days: trips to Aruba, playful nudity, and spontaneous sex; contrast with post-child, post-menopausal sexual rhythms.
• Quote:
  “It’s nice when your girl becomes your roommate. It sucks when they start talking to you like a dude. I gotta check her on that a lot...” —Bobby ([20:23])
  “You gotta save a girl to get a kiss on the beach.” —Big Jay ([22:11])

4. “Chubby Chunkins” Song and Vacation Jokes ([25:18]–[26:41])

• Dawn’s playful nickname for herself (“Chubby Chunkins”) becomes the source of an ongoing running joke and a song Bobby composes, shared on the show.
• Quote & Song Sample:
  “Chubby Chunkins here!” —Dawn, imitated by Bobby ([25:39])
  "I was making songs all week about Chubby Jumpkins." —Bobby ([26:03])

5. Financial Histories and Provider Dynamics ([34:10]–[38:03])

• Discussion shifts to who paid for whom during the lean years of their relationships.
• Bobby and Dawn’s early romance: Dawn paid most expenses due to her successful esthetician career; Big Jay and Christine split bills more as time went on.
• Quote:
  “Don paid for everything for me back when we met. I didn’t have enough money. I had five jobs, like one hour a day…” —Bobby ([35:28])

6. Lego Building, "Adulting," and New Hobbies ([38:18]–[47:10])

• Jay shares a new passion: reading books, something he never enjoyed before. He’s devouring works on Native American history and classics like "The Road".
• Adult Lego building as a wholesome, therapy-adjacent hobby for Jay and Christine.
• Quote:
  “I can’t stop reading. I was reading on the train here about the Comanche Indians.” —Jay ([48:01])

7. Brutality in Native American History: "Savages and Torture" ([48:01]–[53:47])

• Jay offers a darkly comic summary of the brutality inflicted and received during 19th-century America, recounting torture methods by the Comanches and riffing on the term "savages."
• Bobby and Jay escalate with ever more grotesque (and comic) descriptions, peaking with references to Wu Tang Clan’s “Torture” skit.
• Quote:
  “They’d cut your stomach open, pull your intestines out, and then put hot coals nice on your intestines. They’d cut your genitals off and put it in your mouth.” —Jay ([49:00])

8. Indigenous Gender Fluidity & Viral Gay Dads ([53:47]–[61:28])

• Jay schools the crew on "two-spirited" people: Native American individuals embodying both masculine and feminine spirits, respected in several tribes.
• Immediate comic riffing follows—“Chief sits-to-pee,” “one spirit masculine, one spirit bitchy.”
• The team pivots to discussing viral “Rainbow Dads”—a Buffalo Bills-loving, openly gay couple on social media with a son who plays football.
• Discussion around how children of gay parents process sexuality and culture, and how personal identity forms regardless of environment.
• Quote:
  “Indians had trans people, but they weren't looked down upon. They were called two-spirited people.” —Jay ([54:41])

9. Identity, Influence, & Parenting ([61:28]–[63:34])

• They question whether growing up in gay families influences a kid's sexuality or if orientation is innate.
• Bobby shares thoughts on the value of open, informed communication about sex and relationships, contrasting it with the repressed, confusing atmosphere of their own upbringings.
• Quote:
  “I think having parents that, ‘Hey, I’m gay, we’re two men, we’re good with it’... talking to your kid about sex and relationships gives them the information to make choices on their own.” —Bobby ([63:02])

10. Closing Laughs: Fat Comics, Deathpools, and Community ([65:09]–[66:44])

• They swap “fat comic” horror stories and reminisce about being targeted for death pools after Ralphie May’s passing.
• Endearing, honest rapport emerges about initial dislikes for comedian Karen Feehan, evolving into camaraderie.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Bobby’s Heroic Act:
  “You were a monster before these heroics that I don’t know if these heroics got you into heaven still.” —Big Jay ([09:28])

• On Rekindled Romance:
  "She was looking up at me like we were looking at each other. And on the beach...she was giving me early relationship vibes.” —Bobby ([17:26])

• On Historical Indigenous Brutality:
  “They didn’t just kill you. They would bury you up to your eyes alive and then cut your eyelids off.” —Jay ([49:03])

• On Two-Spirit Indigenous People:
  “They had trans Indians back in the day called two spirited people. They were born a man but identified as women.” —Jay ([54:41])

• On LGBT Family Viral Videos:
  "It's just very funny that these guys like, the one is such a queen. The big guy, I mean, is a real, like, twirly bear." —Big Jay ([61:13])

Selected Timestamps for Key Segments

• Heroic Rescue & Its Fallout: [07:34]–[13:36]
• Rekindling Romance: [16:02]–[25:18]
• Historic Savagery & Torture: [48:01]–[53:47]
• Two-Spirit & Modern Queerness: [54:41]–[61:28]
• Fat Comics & Community: [65:09]–[66:44]

Overall Tone & Takeaway

The episode is classic "Bonfire": equal parts personal, sincere, shocking, and vulgar hilarity—flipping from genuine reflection on relationships and aging, to raw, boundary-pushing comedy about sex, violence, and American culture, all filtered through the unique chemistry of two veteran comics. Fans get a sense of who Bobby, Jay, and their crew are—warts, wisdom, heroics, and all.