The Pete & Sebastian Show – Episode 689: BEST OF 2025 – PT. 03

Date: January 13, 2026
Hosts: Pete Correale & Sebastian Maniscalco
Podcast: Studio71

Episode Overview

In this “Best Of 2025, Pt. 03” episode, comedians Pete Correale and Sebastian Maniscalco wrap up their look back at the year's most hilarious and memorable show moments, highlighting the quirks of everyday life, family sagas, social etiquette, and the subtle absurdities of modern living. The episode offers classic comedic banter, observational stories, and a few recurring theme callbacks for both longtime fans and new listeners catching up on what the Pete & Sebastian Show is all about.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. The Anatomy of a “Best Of” Episode

• [00:33 – 02:16]
  Sebastian and Pete explain the decision behind releasing a “Best Of” series, acknowledging a spike in new listeners and wanting to get everyone up to speed on the show’s trademark humor.

  “After 13 years, it’s getting hot, it’s on fire, and everybody's coming on. Play catch up.” – Pete (00:52)

2. The JJ Watt Glasses Mix-Up & Rumors of Death

• [02:17 – 04:16]
  Pete recalls a mix-up from the past year about NFL star JJ Watt’s new look: thinking his glasses were his "new thing", but they were for a CBS promo. This launches into a story about Pete and Sebastian both mistakenly believing a fellow comedian had passed away, highlighting the comedic responsibility of “getting the facts straight”.

  “You're busting my balls about Watt’s glasses … Meanwhile, you're sending condolence death certificate for guys that are still alive.” – Pete (04:03)

  “Irresponsible text, more than any other text you could possibly send, as far as I’m concerned.” – Sebastian (04:19)

3. Quirks of Homeownership: Squeegees, Toilets, and Cat Doors

• [05:43 – 09:48]
  Pete and Sebastian debate the ethics and economics of deep-cleaning a new home—getting rid of items from previous owners (leftover squeegees, cat doors, old toilets), and the extremes some new homeowners take.

  “Some people even say … they take the toilets out and get brand new toilets … they don’t want to be sitting on used toilets from another homeowner.” – Pete (06:28)

• Sebastian discusses his disgust at inherited fixtures, particularly a kitchen door with a cat flap.

  “The door would be in the garage or in the garbage and I’d be sleeping … That should just be an open space right now.” – Pete (09:35)

4. Shark Attack Preparedness at the Beach

• [10:26 – 13:49]
  They riff on over-the-top beach warning signs—emergency phones, severe bleeding kits, and shark activity graphs—critiquing the logic and the city meetings that led to these safety installations.

  “Like, how do you not know? This is the problem with you sometimes; you don’t take it in … you gotta go beneath and start looking at what they’re providing you, man.” – Pete (11:17)

5. Embarrassing Grammar with Rocky

• [14:22 – 16:58]
  ‘Rocky’ (in character) hosts a recurring “embarrassing grammar” segment poking fun at Pete’s and Sebastian’s malapropisms:

  • “Vinmo” instead of Venmo
  • “Relative” vs. “Relevant”
  • “Ivy League” confusion
  • Eva Longoria mispronounced
  • “Wikipedia” booking confusion

  “He has been in a fight with this word his whole life. Keep punching, pd.” – Rocky (15:24)

6. Sleep, Routine, and Adult Bedtimes

• [18:29 – 23:33]
  Pete shares how cutting off phone use after 7pm (“no blue light”), quitting alcohol, and getting to bed by 9pm has transformed his sleep and health—baffling Sebastian.

  “Nothing is that pressing after 7pm at night, where you need to reference your phone for anything.” – Pete (19:18)

  “You go to bed at the same time as the kids. The whole family’s going down at the same time.” – Sebastian (22:26)

7. Tipping Etiquette & Social Situations

• [23:45 – 28:08]
  A classic tip debate: how hard do you press when someone refuses a tip? Pete offers his philosophy on presentation and intention, with Sebastian poking fun at the dramatics.

  “If you want someone to have a tip, they need to take this tip … I am coming back to the car with less money than I had before.” – Pete (25:09)

8. Baseball Manager Visits, Theatrics, and Casting

• [28:20 – 32:21]
  Pete questions the purpose of baseball managers' mound visits. Sebastian suggests it’s mostly a stalling tactic. The discussion veers into which famous managers Pete could play in a biopic—with much laughter about prosthetic bellies and Italian heritage.

  “You could morph into Tommy Lasorda better than you could Tony La Russa. And he’s famous and he’s Italian with the belly, bro, that could be your Oscar.” – Sebastian (31:50)

9. Vatican City Observations & Comedic Aspirations

• [32:21 – 34:36]
  Awestruck by the daily life inside Vatican City, Pete and Sebastian dream up a comedy special there (“Live from the Vatican”) and half-seriously imagine befriending the Pope.

  “There are people lacing up their sneakers, putting on their headphones, and jogging the streets of the Vatican.” – Sebastian (33:56)

10. Airplane Etiquette: Bare Feet, Noise, and Public Decorum

• [35:11 – 39:57]
  Pete rants about travelers with no self-awareness: clanging silverware, bare feet on seats, and blow-drying wet hair in the cabin.

  “What are you doing on the plate that there's this many dings?” – Pete (36:14)

  “You’re not coming through … you’re not cutting through the hallway to get back to your bedroom, Cindy.” – Sebastian (39:11)

11. Halloween, Kids, & Costume Commentary

• [39:57 – 45:01]
  Discussing how trick-or-treating became less personal and more awkward, with kids barely making eye contact and the dangers of any complimenting ("I like your ears"). They reflect on teenage exuberance, odd costumes, and boundary-pushing “interaction.”

  “When I was 13, I wouldn’t ask a grown man if he liked a Snickers bar.” – Sebastian (44:15)

12. Meeting Counting Crows & Neighbor Drama

• [45:14 – 49:17]
  Pete schemes ways to meet Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz, but his plan is thwarted after a spat with his neighbor over yard waste.

  “I finished my yard. I’m exhausted … I’m just gonna blow [the leaves] up under her bushes … She yells at me … I go, you never nice. You’re never nice.” – Pete (46:47)

13. Parenting, Bee Stings, and Building Grit

• [49:30 – 52:09]
  Pete beams with pride at his son playing through a bee sting at baseball practice—contrasting "old school" toughness with today’s softer, more “woke” parenting.

  “Anybody else on that team would have got a bee sting, they would have been out on a stretcher.” – Pete (51:38)

14. Gas Station Lotto Observational Comedy

• [52:54 – 56:19]
  A dry, pained bit about the sadness of gas station culture, buying lottery tickets, and the impossible odds of repeated big wins. Bonus: Pete attempts to cheer up the clerk, with deadpan results.

  “Are you gonna be a ray of sunshine in the Shell gas station? … Let me step outside the castle and walk amongst the people.” – Sebastian (55:12)

15. Social Decay: Dancing, Parenting, and Discipline

• [58:43 – 61:54]
  The chain reaction of bad parenting and social breakdown, riffing on viral videos and discipline gone soft in America.

  “That kid's parents failed in parenting, and now it’s society’s problem.” – Pete (59:20)

  “You need a license to fish, but anybody could have a kid.” – Quoting comic Rich Voss (59:48)

16. Family Rituals: “Ten Questions” Game & The Importance of Nighttime Routine

• [65:59 – 68:47]
  Pete details his bedtime ritual for connecting with his kids, using trivia questions and real talks about their days.

  “If you need to tell me anything, you’ll – you’ll never get in trouble, anything going on in your life?” – Pete (68:11)

17. Life, Aging, and Vanity in the Social Media Era

• [63:15 – 65:59]
  Both joke about making viral videos, body image, and the weirdness of modern fame—videos garnering more views than movies.

  “Apparently more people see the dancing videos than they saw the movie about my father. That’s where we’re at in entertainment right now.” – Pete (63:44)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Pete (04:03): “You’re busting my balls about Watts glasses … Meanwhile, you’re sending condolence death certificate for guys that are still alive.”
• Sebastian (04:19): “Irresponsible text, more than any other text you could possibly send.”
• Sebastian (22:26): “You go to bed at the same time as the kids. The whole family’s going down at the same time.”
• Pete (25:09): “I am coming back to the car with less money than I had before [to tip].”
• Sebastian (31:50): “That could be your Oscar … he’s Italian with the belly, bro.”
• Sebastian (33:56): “There are people lacing up their sneakers, putting on their headphones, and jogging the streets of the Vatican.”
• Sebastian (39:11): “You’re not coming through … you’re not cutting through the hallway to get back to your bedroom, Cindy.”
• Sebastian (59:48): “You need a license to fish, but anyone can have a kid.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:33 – 02:16: Intro & “Best Of” rationale
• 02:17 – 04:16: JJ Watt glasses and “false death” text stories
• 05:43 – 09:48: Deep cleaning and moving into new houses
• 10:26 – 13:49: Shark attack preparedness at the beach
• 14:22 – 16:58: Rocky’s “Embarrassing Grammar”
• 18:29 – 23:33: Pete’s phone, sleep, and bedtime routine
• 23:45 – 28:08: Tipping etiquette and philosophy
• 28:20 – 32:21: Baseball mound visits and movie casting
• 32:21 – 34:36: Observations about Vatican City
• 35:11 – 39:57: Airplane/misbehavior etiquette
• 39:57 – 45:01: Halloween, trick-or-treat, and generational changes
• 45:14 – 49:17: Counting Crows story and neighbor trouble
• 49:30 – 52:09: Parenting, grit, and bee stings
• 52:54 – 56:19: Gas station lotto-buyer culture
• 58:43 – 61:54: Parenting, discipline, and social decline
• 65:59 – 68:47: Bedtime rituals and “ten questions” game
• 63:15 – 65:59: Social media, dancing videos, and fame

Episode Tone & Final Thoughts

The episode showcases the hosts’ signature blend of storytelling, observational humor, and candid conversation. The humor is punchy, observational, and at times laced with a nostalgic yearning for past social norms, set against relatable slices of middle-aged life. Pete and Sebastian keep the banter sharp, riffs running, and, even in recapping, the show feels spontaneous and engaging for both new and longtime listeners.

End of Summary