Podcast Summary: The Bonfire w/ Big Jay Oakerson & Robert Kelly

Episode: Storytime Bob & Adventure Hats
Date: November 14, 2025
Host: SiriusXM Faction Talk, Channel 103

Episode Overview

This episode of The Bonfire delivers classic unfiltered humor as Big Jay Oakerson and Robert Kelly—joined by Christine, Lou, and Jacob—riff on everything from storytelling trends in comedy, the allure and ridicule of wearing hats, club security, and evolving personal styles. Hilarious, meandering, and meta, much of the show is spent debating the art and ethics of "storytelling" among comics, regaling a wild true-crime tale, and lampooning each other's wardrobe choices, especially adventure hats and bold accessories.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Comedy Circles, Club Audiences, and Rogan Stories

• [01:07–05:34] Christine and Bobby trade stories about recent nights at NYC clubs, touching on comic Avi Loeb, encounters at Rogan's studio, and the unique make-up of club audiences—where die-hard fans intermingle with global tourists.
• Jay reflects: “One night I was there, it was no fans. It was just the world looking back at me.” (05:03)

2. Mothership Security & Comedy Club Vibes

• [05:34–07:06] The comics jokingly admire the intense security at Austin’s Mothership (Joe Rogan’s club), noting the door staff’s tough demeanor.
• “It’s weird just to look up at a guy goes, id, please. Or else. I mean, their eyes say, or else. Don’t give me your id.” - Christine, 05:36

3. Special Ops Guys & The Addiction to Adrenaline

• [07:06–08:16] Bobby meditates on Navy SEALs and ex–special ops guys, how their craving for adrenaline sometimes leads them into new careers—like public storytelling on YouTube and podcasts.

4. The Epic True-Crime Storytelling Detour

• [08:16–15:15]
  • Bobby, eager to test his "storytelling chops," recounts a notorious case (Daniel LaPlante)—a Massachusetts home invasion gone deeply awry, involving Ouija boards, tapping noises, and a madman living secretly in the walls.
  • The crew alternately heckle, interrupt, and help steer the narrative, noting how much it suddenly veered from paranormal to pure crime horror.
  • Memorable quote:
    • “Hang on a second, Lou. It’s not paranormal anymore. There was a man. There was a man in the closet.” – Christine, 11:01
    • “So sad. So then the cops come. They check the whole house. Nothing’s. Nobody’s there. Nothing’s there.” – Bobby, 11:16
  • Punchline twist:
    • Christine and Jacob roast: "What the fuck does this have to do with being a Navy SEAL?" (13:21)
    • Bobby cops to just being fascinated by the art of telling gripping stories and wanting to try it himself.

5. Ethics, Style, and Limits of Comedic Storytelling

• [15:15–23:05] The group debates whether comics should "borrow" true stories, if adding comedic color is fair, and whether there's a place in comedy for serious storytelling (vs. pure funny). Bobby is ribbed for aspiring to an NPR or Moth "story hour" style but still wanting to inject edge and irreverence.
  • “Should I do it? Wait, what, you’re just going to look up a story and then tell the story earnestly?” – Christine, 17:39
  • “There’s only one version of a true story.” – Christine, 23:13

6. The Great Hat & Adventure Style Debate

• [32:30–50:12]
  • The conversation morphs into a sustained, absolutely Bonfire–esque roast session on personal style, focusing especially on hats and midlife wardrobe pivots.
  • Bobby admits to owning various “adventure hats” and sporting them up in New Hampshire, with Christine and others poking fun at his “secret life” and the line between eccentric and embarrassing.
    • “You wear a cowboy hat sometimes up there?” – Christine (33:25)
    • “Dawn hates all my hats.” – Bobby (33:53)
  • Christine confesses she’s nervous to wear a new bold hat in public, while Lou, Jacob, and Bobby offer hat solidarity and advice on “owning it with confidence.”
  • Discussion extends hilariously to Kangols, Scally caps, and “guide” hats (à la Indiana Jones), including whether such items signify adventure, midlife crisis, or just fun.
    • “There’s a thin line, Jacob, between adventurer and Freddy fucking Krueger.” – Christine (51:17)
    • “What does Freddy Krueger’s hat look like?” – Bobby (51:23)

7. Styles and Stigma in Comedy Circles

• [37:14–41:12]
  • Bobby shares an anecdote about getting roasted at the Comedy Cellar by Ricky Velez and others for his fashion choices.
    • “They all just stepped back and started ripping apart my outfit. … It’s almost like they were waiting for this moment.” – Bobby (38:14)
  • The group agrees: in comedy, every image pivot guarantees ribbing—and there are few sacred cows, whether it’s fingerless gloves or flat-brim hats.

8. Storytelling Traditions, Masculinity, and Nostalgia

• [56:13–58:31]
  • Bobby reminisces about inheriting his grandfather’s hat (or so he thought), then learning it wasn’t actually his—a surprisingly poignant turn that’s immediately deflated by the usual dark humor.
    • “So for two summers, I was wearing some fucking other person's grandfather's old hat with sweat in it.” – Bobby (58:23)
  • The crew touches on generational style changes, the end of American men wearing hats everywhere, and JFK’s fabled role in killing off the hat era.

9. Pop Culture, Club Scenes & Coattail-Jumping

• [61:30–63:52]
  • In classic Bonfire style, the last extended riff is about Austin’s new comedy scene, comics “jumping on coattails” (mostly about their friend Joe DeRosa), and fond ribbing of peers who adapt their whole vibe (and facial hair) to suit their social-climbing needs.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Club Audiences:
  “One night I was there, it was no fans. It was just the world looking back at me.” — Jay (05:03)

• On True Crime Storytelling:
  “Hang on a second, Lou. It's not paranormal anymore. There was a man. There was a man in the closet.” — Christine (11:01)

• On Wearing Hats and Living Out Loud:
  “I try not to wear [my hats] with her. Like when I go on a hike by myself or I go fly fishing or I go out with Max, I'll throw my hat off.”— Bobby (48:29)
  “You gotta own it. You just gotta own it.” — Bobby (35:41)

• On Comedy Roasts & Fashion:
  “They all just stepped back and started ripping apart my outfit. … It’s almost like they were waiting for this moment for one of the other lions to be alone.” — Bobby (38:14)

• On Generational Change:
  “All men used to wear hats. All men back in the—”
  “And all men were problem alcoholics back then.” — (Lou & Christine, 56:47–56:50)

• On Stealing Stories:
  “There’s only one version of a true story.” – Christine (23:13)

• On Mystical Hats:
  “When I put that hat on, it was like the final Infinity Stone went on the Infinity Gauntlet.” — Jacob (56:03)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|--------------------| | 01:07 | Christine opens with a NY club story | | 08:16 | Bobby begins the “storytelling” true-crime tale | | 11:01 | Realization: It’s not paranormal, it’s a psycho in the walls | | 15:15 | Group debates appropriateness and ethics of storytelling | | 32:30 | The Great Hat Style Debate | | 37:14 | Bobby’s Comedy Cellar fashion roast | | 48:29 | Bobby on sneaking hats in New Hampshire | | 56:03 | Jacob on “destiny” with an adventure hat | | 58:23 | Bobby’s granddad’s hat turned thrift store fake | | 61:30 | Bonfire take on “Austin Joe" (DeRosa) and social climbing in comedy |

Tone & Style

The episode is classic Bonfire: freewheeling, playful, at-times dark, and completely unfiltered. The crew’s natural chemistry and tendency to riff and roast each other ensure every topic, no matter how trivial (or serious), is approached with irreverence and brutal honesty. In the middle of apparent chaos, the core chemistry and insight into the comedy world always shine through.

Useful for:

• Fans who want the best moments without sitting through ads
• Comedy industry insiders and fans interested in trends on storytelling, NYC vs. Austin club scene, and what comics really think about personal style
• Anyone debating whether to buy that “adventure hat” (but not if you mind being compared to Freddy Krueger…)

End of Summary