Pete and Sebastian Show – EP 684

"Best of 2025 Pt. 1"

Released: December 9, 2025
Hosts: Pete Correale & Sebastian Maniscalco

Episode Overview

This episode departs from the typical weekly banter to deliver a "Best of 2025" compilation, featuring top highlights from January to April. Owing to an unexpected incident involving Pete's wife and scheduling conflicts, producer Kansas curates a selection of standout clips. The episode is a fast-moving barrage of stories, riffs, and classic Pete & Sebastian chemistry, offered as holiday listening for fans.

Key Segments and Discussions

1. Opening & Format Explanation

[02:17–04:42]

• Pete explains the episode’s unusual format: a “Best of” due to last-minute family emergencies.
• Reflects on a busy year: Pete’s move, both taping specials, Sebastian’s "It Ain't Right" tour and Hulu special.
• Shoutout to behind-the-scenes producer Kansas (“cans”), gratitude to listeners.
• “We always try to put a few [best ofs] together at the end of the year...We didn’t want to not have a show.” – Pete [02:25]

2. The Buzz Aldrin “Moon Card” Story

[04:42–10:11]

• Sebastian recounts witnessing Buzz Aldrin denied entry into an airport lounge in Germany, despite dropping “I was on the moon.”
• They riff on whether being an astronaut should guarantee special treatment, referencing Brian Regan’s classic bit about one-upmanship.
• “I am Buzz Aldrin. I was on the moon.” – Sebastian, channeling Aldrin [05:35]
• “What do you think of Buzz Aldrin pulling out the moon card?” – Sebastian [06:04]
• Pete compares it to having Lionel Richie play at your party: is “moon” status enough if he doesn’t show off?
• “Just because you were on the moon, that in and of itself doesn’t hold enough weight. Unless you got a moon rock in your pocket.” – Pete [08:32]
• Comic logic: even walking on the moon can’t get you an airport lounge biscuit.

3. Beef Jerky & Road Food Snobbery

[12:04–13:47]

• Sebastian goes on about his new love for Maui venison jerky and tosses in a not-so-subtle plea for freebies.
• Pete’s response: graphic mental images of eating “deer meat” straight off the animal.
• Pete: “If a deer is standing there and you were to bend over and take a bite out of its fucking back…That’s not a snack.” [12:27]
• Reminiscence of life on the road and the slow transformation into snacking snobs.

4. Book Talk & Survival Instincts

[13:32–16:46]

• Praise for John Petrelli’s book and Pete’s (allegedly short-lived) reading comprehension.
• Hilarious analysis of their own lack of survival instincts in emergencies—“I’d die,” “Me, too”—referencing drowning and car accidents.
• Sebastian: “I just go down. That’s it, we’re done.” [15:42]
• Their default: If something goes wrong and requires quick ingenuity, “I’m dead.”

5. Tom Cruise, Rudeness, & The Art of the Polite Clap-back

[16:51–21:22]

• Pete relays his Twitter musings (“Tom Cruise makes you want to be a better person”) and subsequent trolls.
• They dissect a viral Cruise interview (“That’s incredibly rude. You’re a jerk.”) after Tom is squirted with water by a prankster.
• “He made jerk cool. You know what I’m saying? He’s like, ‘You’re a jerk.’” – Pete [19:40]
• Comic admiration for Cruise’s composure, and joking temptation to sign up for Scientology.

6. Brush with Death: Does It Change You?

[21:31–25:13]

• Pete tells of an acquaintance who almost died and now has a rejuvenated outlook—asks if such brushes with mortality have lasting effects.
• Sebastian: “It wears off. It would wear off.” [22:55]
• Comic back-and-forth about how quickly gratitude for survival fades (“A week? A day?”).

7. Southwest Airlines “Couple Trick” & Middle Seat Game

[25:36–29:36]

• Pete’s travel rant: ends up crammed between a clandestine married couple pulling the oldest trick—pretending to be strangers to save a middle seat.
• “Do I want to look at Chris’s socks all night? No!” – Pete [52:29]
• Sebastian suggests turning the tables on these “cheesy losers.”

8. Relationship Dealbreakers & Idiosyncrasies

[29:36–33:57]

• Debates on what can “ruin a relationship”: from farting to hypochondria.
• Pete: “I could do it to Jingle Bells if I wanted to.” (on passing gas) [30:16]
• Sebastian: “These little idiosyncrasies…is good entertainment fodder.”

9. Canine Indulgences: Eggnog, Jerky, & Pet Guilt

[34:15–37:34]

• Is it cruel not to let dogs try holiday treats?
• Pete: “You see it click in with them...they look over like, ‘What the fuck was that?’” [34:49]
• Admiration for their pets’ zest for snacks, and musings on “dog life.”

10. Nap Guilt & The Masculinity of Rest

[38:59–42:28]

• Pete’s confession: sneak naps in his office, afraid his daughter might lose respect if she caught him.
• Cultural commentary: “Guys I grew up with, friends of mine who have seen their dad nap…they don’t have the level of respect that I have for my fucking dad because I’ve never seen that.” – Pete [41:44]

11. Frank Sinatra’s Backstage Rider: Manliness of the Past

[43:36–47:58]

• Hysterical reading of Frank Sinatra’s greenroom rider: TVs, pianos, a bar’s worth of booze, cartons of unfiltered Camels, and...cherry Lifesavers.
• Pete sniffs Ivory soap “like it’s cocaine” [47:22], marvels at Sinatra’s diehard ways.
• “Sinatra was such a man. This guy’s drinking hard liquor, showering with Ivory soap. He’s probably using it as shampoo.” – Pete [47:58]

12. Plane Turbulence: Re-shoeing for Survival & Morbid Memorabilia

[48:28–51:24]

• Sebastian’s ritual: puts his shoes back on mid-turbulence “in case there’s a crash.”
• Pete: “If I saw Billy Joel’s feet, I wouldn’t even go up to him...” – connecting public persona to mystery [71:59]
• The dark humor of memorabilia: “I got one of the sneakers…from the night the plane went down. What do you get on eBay for that?” – Pete [51:01]

13. The Great Slipper Debate: House Guest Etiquette

[51:36–55:44]

• Bring your own slippers to a friend’s house? Good move or weird?
• Are sock appearances as sensitive as showing bare feet?
• “I think you should have brand new socks if you’re required to take off your shoes at somebody’s house.” – Sebastian [53:55]

14. Does the Pope Have a Salary?

[56:00–59:56]

• Comic ponderings on papal finances: “If the Pope wants to buy a Nintendo Switch or an iPhone, where’s that coming from?”
• Internet misinformation abounds; Pete and Sebastian riff on Vatican perks and the possibility of firing a Pope.

15. Re-entry After Touring: Family, Fun, and Dad’s Role

[60:18–68:11]

• Pete and Sebastian compare touring to “returning from space,” admitting adjustment struggles and “fun thermometer” dad dynamics at home.
• “I feel like my wife and my daughter, like, if I’m even an ounce of not myself...they’re like, ‘What’s your problem?’ You know what I mean? Because I’m the thermometer.” – Pete [64:01]
• Superman analogies abound.

16. DIY Culture: Pride, Saving Money, or Both?

[73:32–78:33]

• Reflecting on the deeper motives behind home improvement and "do it yourself" projects.
• Pete’s father-in-law: “Why get a guy? We’ll do it ourselves.” [75:08]
• Sebastian wonders if DIY is “another name for cheap.”
• Both acknowledge the pride in a completed project.

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• Buzz Aldrin at the Lounge:
  • “I am Buzz Aldrin. I was on the moon.” – Sebastian [05:35]
• Survival Instincts:
  • “I just go down. That’s it, we’re done.” – Sebastian [15:42]
• Tom Cruise Being Polite After Prank:
  • “He made jerk cool...” – Pete [19:40]
• Dealbreaker Confessions:
  • “I could do it to Jingle Bells if I wanted to.” – Pete [30:16]
• Pet Treats:
  • “They look over like, what the fuck was that? And do you have any more?” – Pete [34:49]
• Sinatra’s Manliness:
  • “Sinatra was such a man. This guy’s drinking hard liquor, showering with Ivory Soap. He’s probably using it as shampoo.” – Pete [47:58]
• Home Life Metaphor:
  • “I feel like my wife and my daughter...if I’m even an ounce of not myself, they’re like, ‘What’s your problem?’ Because I’m the thermometer.” – Pete [64:01]

Episode Highlights

• Rapid-fire classic riffs on signature Pete and Sebastian topics: family quirks, celebrity culture, self-deprecation, and the pride & pain of blue-collar roots.
• Comedic honesty: Both hosts embrace their personal foibles and childhood influences, especially as husbands, fathers, and working comedians.
• Holiday spirit: Frequent asides about gift-buying, eggnog, and family “togetherness” (and the comic stresses thereof).

Suggested Listening Points

• [04:42] Buzz Aldrin/Moon Card Story
• [12:04] Beef Jerky Snack Debate
• [15:10] Survival Instincts Discussion
• [16:51] Tom Cruise Politeness Breakdown
• [21:31] Almost Dying, Does it Change You?
• [25:36] Southwest “Fake Couple” Middle Seat Story
• [34:15] Dog Treats/Indulgences
• [43:36] Frank Sinatra’s Backstage Rider
• [51:36] The Great Slipper Debate
• [56:00] Papal Salary Riff
• [60:18] Family Dynamics after Touring

The Pete & Sebastian Essence

Warm, confessional, gleefully neurotic post-modern observational comedy with a blue-collar edge and plenty of heart—plus all the small, strange rules that hold life together (or drive everyone nuts).

For uninterrupted banter, subscribe on Patreon. Happy holidays from Pete, Sebastian, and Kansas!