The John Clay Wolfe Show: JCW ARCHIVE – Funny Is As Funny Does

Date: November 22, 2025
Host: John Clay Wolfe
Co-hosts: DJ Pre K, Turley
Special guest vocal cameo: Martha Stewart
Episode theme: A behind-the-scenes, humorous breakdown of John Clay Wolfe’s foray into live stand-up comedy as he warms up for Adam Carolla and Patrick Warburton at a car museum event—reflecting on nerves, crowd reactions, and the pitfalls (and laughs) of telling edgy, unrehearsed jokes.

Episode Overview

In this archive episode, John Clay Wolfe and his usual crew (DJ Pre K and Turley) dive into John’s recent experience doing live stand-up for a mixed audience of Adam Carolla fans and car enthusiasts. The bulk of the episode is a playful, self-deprecating debrief about what it’s really like to make comedy magic—or not—in front of a demanding crowd. The guys roast each other, discuss what worked and what didn’t, and reflect on the fine art of busting balls, working blue, and connecting with a live audience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Stand-Up Nerves and Expectations

[00:21–02:07]

• John Clay Wolfe recounts how the prospect of doing live stand-up (instead of just MC work) for Adam Carolla’s crowd came up last minute.
• The audience was both “a real mixed bag” and “Adam Carolla fans…car fans…lots of normal guys.”
• DJ Pre K highlights the difference between making radio listeners laugh and facing a live, expectant audience.
• Wolfe describes the anxiety of being told moments before: “just get up there, make ‘em laugh. You’re a radio guy, this is your crowd.”
• Quote:
  “I was really just supposed to be the MC, but I was like, you know what, I’m just gonna go ahead and do this. Let’s warm them up now.” (John Clay Wolfe, 02:37)

2. The Opening: Early Success and “Tourette’s” Takeover

[03:33–04:44]

• Wolfe opens by referencing his syndicated car show and jokes about making radio callers mad with car appraisals.
• Immediate laughter from the crowd boosts his confidence (“That’s a good group…my confidence went up a lot.” – John Clay Wolfe, 03:51).
• Things go sideways as he quickly escalates into heavy cursing (“Tourette's”) and dives into auction stories—earning laughs but also some confusion as the jokes get bleeped for language.

3. Edgy Material: Hitler’s Mercedes & Ted Bundy’s Bug

[05:14–07:20]

• John (half-remembering, half-guessing at what he said due to the cursing) realizes he brought up Hitler’s parade car while discussing old, “pre-war” automobiles and their declining value.
• Turley playfully grills him:
  “What made you think that Hitler in a comedy stand up would be a great way to go here?” (Turley, 05:44)
• John defends the joke, tying it to the idea that old cars lose value because no one alive has memories in them anymore:
  “The joke is that nobody that's still alive ever had sex in them.” (John Clay Wolfe, 06:17)
• He tries to riff on Ted Bundy’s car as more appealing since “at least somebody got laid in it”—but acknowledges he fumbled the delivery.

4. Auction Pain: “F You, Pay Me” and the Risks of Buying Classic Cars

[07:29–09:59]

• John leans into a “Goodfellas” reference about auctions (“F you, pay me”) to explain how people overpay for problem cars at specialty auctions, then try to unload them to him when repairs mount up.
• He tries to warm up the crowd further by calling for raised hands from people who’ve bought at auction—most freeze, prompting him to lightly harass the audience into participating, with mixed results.

5. Closing Out: Memories, Cars, and Going Too Blue

[10:21–11:46]

• John tries to end on nostalgic ground, talking about how classic cars are tied to memories of youth, love, and (awkwardly) getting lucky in the back seat.
• He accidentally drops the “P word” (“pussy”) on stage and ruefully notes that the audience—and especially his wife, running the camera—were less than impressed by the blue humor.
• Quote:
  “I thought I got it today by blazer the other day, you know, driving my wife around and this is my high school car…that’s what we’re driving around. Memories, memories.” (John Clay Wolfe, 11:03)
  “I probably shouldn’t have said that.” (John Clay Wolfe, 11:13)

6. Self-Review and Takeaways

[11:47–12:10]

• Turley awards John a “C” grade for his first attempt: “Come on. For the first time, no prep.”
• John acknowledges he needs to slow down, prep more, and enunciate for the (sometimes confused) crowd.
• The hosts wrap up by inviting listeners to engage on social media, buy show merch, and check out archives.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Immediate Audience Connection:
  “They started laughing right away.” (Turley, 03:48)
  “At that moment, my confidence went up a lot.” (John Clay Wolfe, 03:51)

• On Edgy Material:
  “Did I say Hitler’s Mercedes was cool?” (John Clay Wolfe, 05:31)

• Roasting the Approach:
  “What made you think that Hitler in a comedy stand up would be a great way to go here?” (Turley, 05:44)

• On Mistimed Blue Humor:
  “I probably shouldn’t have said that.” (John Clay Wolfe, 11:13)
  “You could tell on the cam, because she was running the camera…you kind of hear a sigh in the background like, oh, what did he do?” (Turley, 11:34)

• Self-Assessment:
  “I need to slow down and not speak so fast. Correct. Listen back. I’m going way too fast.” (John Clay Wolfe, 12:02)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |--------------|-------------------------------------------| | 00:21–02:07 | Setting up, nerves, and the surprise role | | 03:33 | First on-stage joke, initial audience laugh | | 04:05–04:44 | Cursing/Tourette’s outburst, crowd reaction | | 05:14–07:20 | Hitler Mercedes/Ted Bundy’s Bug bit | | 07:29–09:59 | Auction experience—“F you, pay me” | | 10:21–11:46 | Classic car memories & blue humor | | 11:47–12:10 | Self-critique and takeaways |

Tone and Style

The entire episode is infused with the show’s signature locker-room banter, playful roasting, and a willingness to let awkwardness hang in the air for laughter. John is self-aware, openly inviting criticism and poking fun at his own missteps, while Turley and DJ Pre K bring genuine but good-natured ribbing, keeping the tone authentic and lively.

Summary

This episode is a fun, honest peek behind the curtain into the world of stand-up comedy—especially when you’re winging it in front of a crowd that may or may not be on your wavelength. John’s willingness to be roasted by his co-hosts and his openness about what worked (and what bombed) makes for a relatable, often hilarious, and occasionally cringe-worthy listen, especially for fans of live performance, car culture, and “anything goes” radio.