The Pete and Sebastian Show – EP 687: LIVING IN A FANTASY

Release Date: December 30, 2025
Hosts: Pete Correale & Sebastian Maniscalco
Podcast Network: Studio71

Overview

In this lively and characteristically candid episode, Pete and Sebastian riff about the chaos of family life, aging, and the daily comedy woven into parenting and marriage. Along the way, they muse about generational differences, discipline methods, the oddities of celebrity life, and the surreal experiences fans can now buy, like fantasy camps with famous musicians. The banter is as sharp as ever, with quotable lines and self-deprecating humor on full display.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Technical Difficulties & Old-Guy Moments ([01:18]–[06:30])

• Episode kicks off mid-technical difficulties, with Pete and Sebastian failing to get their audio equipment to work properly.
• They joke about feeling old and needing help from "Patrick," the ever-patient tech helper.
  • Memorable Quote:
    “He has the patience level of a monk… no frustration in his voice. I couldn’t believe it.” – Sebastian ([01:49])
  • Both hosts agree on not wanting to use each other’s used earbuds, sparking a tangent about the ickiness of sharing personal items as adults.

2. Parenting in “La La Land” ([06:35]–[08:58])

• Pete and Sebastian discuss their kids' epidemic lack of focus, especially in the mornings.
  • Sebastian’s frustration: Kids act surprised that school is happening every morning; routines don’t stick.
  • Pete’s comparison: Reminiscing about childhood, when “nothing was your problem.”
  • Memorable Quote:
    “Every morning, it's like a surprise over here that we got to go to school…” – Sebastian ([08:43])

3. The Consequences of Flakiness – Discipline & Frustration ([09:00]–[13:24])

• Sebastian tells a story about his daughter forgetting to let the dog in and having to manage the fallout—family chaos even before the day starts.
• Parallel stories about kids getting distracted, eating decorations, and the frantic pace of getting out in the morning.
• Both hosts vent about having to discipline their kids, lightly touching on how their own upbringings were stricter.
  • Memorable Quote:
    "Stuff has consequences, bro. All right." – Sebastian ([07:51])

4. Generational Shifts, “Old Guy” Vibes, and Self-Image ([10:00]–[11:47])

• Pete defends himself, insisting he isn’t old, and cracks about his style to prove it.
  • “I'm not getting old, guy. Look at my outfit. I got a dangling chain. I got the date. I'm looking, cool guy.” – Pete ([10:41])
• They reflect on how age should bring a deeper, slower, more authoritative voice—and how they feel they’re veering the other way.

5. True Crime, and the Menendez Brothers ([12:06]–[13:24])

• The hosts touch upon a news story of a son killing his celebrity father (Rob Reiner fictionalized), discussing if such events are more common now or just better publicized.
  • “Now you got to be worried about your kid killing you.” – Sebastian ([12:41])

6. The Dinner Dilemma: Waiting and Punctuality ([14:27]–[18:46])

• Sebastian vents about his family being late to a dinner reservation, his annoyance stewing while his wife chats at school.
  • Sebastian’s Law: “Punctuality is the prince of politeness.” ([16:53])
  • “I feel like my whole life with Lana, I’ve been waiting.” – Sebastian ([18:46])
• Pete offers the “therapist” perspective, noting that wives get caught up in social logistics, and he defends the mom-network dynamics.

7. Discipline Nostalgia & Modern Limits ([20:38]–[24:23])

• Sebastian ponders whether to start “throwing shoes” (not at the kids, just theatrically) to scare his daughter into getting ready—a comedic nod to old-school parenting.
  • “Get in the car or I'm going to start throwing shoes.” ([21:46])
• Pete takes it up a level: “Find an old lamp you don’t want … Smash that. … Oh my God, you're lucky it was just a lamp.” ([23:42], [56:01])

8. Celebrity Realities: Being Rushed in Restaurants ([26:03]–[29:17])

• Sebastian, despite his fame, still waits for tables and gets bumped—prompting observations about age, respect, and “youthful” hosts at LA eateries.
  • “Us Weekly. Cover the magazine. I gotta be out by 6:30.” – Sebastian ([27:55])
• Pete laments, “You’re literally a superstar in my opinion … and you’re jostling me in and out like a suburban dad.” ([26:28])

9. Family Restaurant Orders & Anxiety ([28:05]–[29:32])

• The anxiety of trying to quickly order food for the table when on a time crunch; Sebastian escapes to the bathroom because his wife is still asking the server for recommendations.
  • “We’re doing recommendations? … Get the rolls and let’s go.” – Sebastian ([28:57])
  • “I couldn’t watch it. I couldn’t. I left the table to go to the bathroom.” ([29:17])

10. Marital Adaptation & Acknowledgement ([31:28]–[33:12])

• The hosts grumble over how hard it is for spouses to change (or even admit problems) as marriages age.
  • “It's not that I have changed. I have recognized my flaws… I just wish Lana would say, I know I’m late and I’m working on it. That’s all.” – Sebastian ([32:05])

11. Christmas Eve Mass at a Private House ([33:04]–[39:36])

• Pete describes being invited to a Christmas Eve party where a priest performs mass in the living room, muses about the logistics and the priest’s “look.”
  • “If you’re gonna dress as a priest with the whole garb, you have to have a priest winter look. … You can't put normal clothing over the holy garb.” – Sebastian ([35:52])
• Questions circulate about tipping the priest, mobile masses, scheduling, and whether this “private mass” counts for real.
  • “Is there a tip involved in that?” – Pete ([40:42])

12. Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp – The Price of Nostalgia ([41:27]–[53:18])

• Hilarious confusion over a video of Billy Joel’s old band doing “Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp,” where fans pay to jam with legendary musicians.
  • “You can't go up there dressed like you just got back from a barbecue, all right?” – Sebastian ([44:09])
• Pete wonders about musicians' motives: Are they doing camp for money or love of music?
  • Sebastian reads camp prices with disbelief: “Six grand, be a headliner … They're soaking people raw here, man.” ([53:14])

13. Pete’s Future Side Hustle

• Pete jokes about charging people $500 to have an espresso with him when he hits his 60s ([53:18]).

14. The Baffling Fame of Scott Bakula ([54:01]–[55:54])

• Pete humorously interviews random people to see if they know who Scott Bakula is. No one does, despite Bakula’s long TV career—another example of fleeting fame.
  • “For the past hour and a half, I have pounded the LA streets … I asked 11 people, and 11 people have never heard of Scott Bakula.” – Pete ([55:10])

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Parenting & Discipline:
  “My father would lift his fucking hand up and that was it. … I said I was. I didn’t say I was going to throw shoes at you. I said I was just going to start throwing shoes.” – Sebastian ([21:46])
• On Modern Restaurant Etiquette:
  “We’re doing recommendations? … Get the rolls and let’s go.” – Sebastian ([28:57])
• On Waiting for Lana:
  “I feel like my whole life with Lana, I’ve been waiting.” – Sebastian ([18:46])
• On Celebrity vs. Reality:
  “Us Weekly. Cover the magazine. I gotta be out by 6:30.” – Sebastian ([27:55])
• On the Price of Fantasy:
  “Six grand, be a headliner … They’re soaking people raw here, man.” – Sebastian ([53:14])
• On the Rage Lamp:
  “Find an old lamp that you don’t want … Smash that shit. … Oh my god, you’re lucky it was just a lamp.” – Pete ([23:42], [56:01])
• On Forgotten Fame:
  “For the past hour and a half, I have pounded the LA streets … I asked 11 people, and 11 people have never heard of Scott Bakula. Never heard of the man. I’m floored.” – Pete ([55:10])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | | ---- | ---------------- | | [01:18] | Technical Difficulties, Old Guy Vibes | | [06:35] | Parenting & Morning Chaos | | [09:00] | Flakiness, Consequences, Family Discipline | | [12:06] | True Crime & Generational Worries | | [14:27] | Family Time Out (Restaurant Stories) | | [20:38] | Old-School Discipline: “Throwing Shoes” | | [26:03] | Celebrity Life: Still Waiting for Tables | | [28:05] | “Order Quickly”—Family Restaurant Anxieties | | [31:28] | Adaptation in Marriage | | [33:04] | Christmas Eve Mass at Home | | [41:27] | Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp—Buy Your Fame | | [54:01] | The Search for Scott Bakula’s Fame |

Tone & Style

The show is off-the-cuff, irreverent, and rooted in the everyday absurdities of adult life, parenting, and marriage. Pete and Sebastian’s chemistry is electric—full of quick jabs, vulnerable admissions, and the kind of banter only lifelong friends can pull off.

For First-Time Listeners

This episode is prime Pete & Sebastian: hilarious, revealing, and full of relatable frustrations, from wrangling kids to being put on a timer in a sushi restaurant as a celebrity. The discussions bridge observational comedy with real-life woes, and the memorabilia about discipline and old-school parenting is both funny and telling for anyone navigating adulthood or parenthood.

Skip to [26:03] for relatable celebrity frustrations in modern life, and [41:27] for one of the best breakdowns of the ludicrousness of “fantasy camps.”