Intrusive Thoughts by Adam Rippon

Episode: Noisy Babies, Skincare Hacks & Gay Bestie Problems
Date: September 11, 2025
Host: Adam Rippon
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Episode Overview

In this wide-ranging, unfiltered, and comedic episode, Adam Rippon explores everything from hair care adventures and TikTok imposter accounts to debates on historic preservation, the sadness of bland commercial spaces, and classic listener dilemmas like noisy babies and “gay best friend” stereotypes. Adam brings his signature wit, warmth, and vulnerability as he responds to listener questions about skincare regimens, dealing with haters, and how to redefine relationships with people from your past. All this is delivered with a hefty dose of self-deprecating humor and candid life lessons, making this a highly relatable and entertaining listen.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Hair Care Adventures & Curly Hair Woes (00:07 – 06:00)

• Adam opens with joy over finally having grown out a mullet, navigating comments about whether he got a perm.
• Clarifies he did not get a perm and instead has naturally curly hair, historically tamed with Brazilian blowouts.
• Shares a shout-out to Tracee Ellis Ross's Pattern cream, praising its effectiveness for curly hair:
  • “Huge shout out to Tracee Ellis Ross. I bet you didn't see that one coming because I am using her pattern cream and it does work.” (05:10)
• Candidly describes the “expectation burden” of maintaining curly hair, with daily rituals to avoid chaotic “electrocuted” looks.

2. The Saga of Fake Social Media Accounts (06:00 – 10:30)

• Adam discusses the odd world of TikTok imposter accounts that repost his content and respond to comments as him.
• Instead of anger, he laughs and finds gratitude, jokingly giving the fake account his blessing for doing “administrative work.”
  • “I’m not reporting them ever. Because if anything, if they think that they can do something different with what I'm doing with what I have, I honestly feel like they should go for it.” (09:24)
• Jokes about working “in cahoots with the fake account” and dreams of meeting this mysterious social media twin.

3. HOA Hot Takes & Global Real Estate Rants (10:30 – 20:56)

• Revisiting a controversial podcast clip about Homeowners Associations (HOAs):
  • Adam stands by his claim that HOAs are a “necessary evil,” gently roasting anti-HOA commenters for their questionable garden aesthetics.
  • “You're the reason why we need an HOA, right? You're the reason why there needs to be a little Bit of... Law and order...” (13:06)
• Shares a listener comment from the UK, then launches into a zany, insightful comparison between U.S. and U.K. property regulation:
  • In the UK, Adam argues, the entire country’s historic preservation laws are stricter than any HOA—think 800-year-old windows you legally can’t upgrade.
  • “Your country, your laws are an HOA. That’s what that is. They’ve got you… ball and chain…” (15:20)
• Explores U.S. attitudes toward old buildings, lampooning the “history” of Californian architecture and asbestos.
• Touches on Europe’s superior preservation and America’s tendency to knock things down for convenience—segues into…

4. Why Logos & Commercial Design are Getting Lamer (20:00 – 20:56)

• Takes a hilarious detour into the “Cracker Barrel drama” and the evolution of fun, distinctive commercial signage toward generic, bland “black box” buildings.
• Adam denounces “woke” as a reason for the trend, points to pragmatic leasing concerns:
  • “They're not trying to appease the woke people. No, it's like they're just kind of thinking of an exit strategy in case the Cracker Barrel goes under and it's just not any deeper than that.” (19:45)

5. Listener Q&A Session

Noisy Babies vs. Music Teacher Neighbors (20:56 – 21:56)

• Adam follows up with a listener whose downstairs neighbor (a music teacher) complained about noise from a toddler.
• Expresses appreciation for the absurdity of adults unable to tolerate “pitter patter” from babies vs. their own noisy music lessons.

[Voicemail] Skincare Hacks & Dealing with Haters (21:00 – 34:21)

Q1: “How do you keep your skin so flawless and healthy?”

• Adam hilariously reveals he accidentally used a beauty filter during early episodes, making his skin look “gorgeous,” then went on believing in his “pregnant glow.”
  • “I realized that I’ve had this, like, gorgeous, beauty, flawless filter on, and I didn't know it was on… I was like, I cannot believe that I’ve been, like, living this lie…” (22:40)
• For real skincare: adamant about tretinoin, acids, and “burning some level and layer of epidermis off,” finding a careful balance between aggressive treatments and skin sensitivity.
  • “There's no dead skin on this body, on this face. If there is, it's because I've just blasted it off and it's in the process of removing itself.” (24:55)
• Offers practical advice about managing irritation, shaving, and acid use. Encourages less fear of discomfort for those seeking real results.

On “self-love” and beauty treatments: - “If you want to, like, invest in yourself and do something that's going to make you feel good, you should do that.” (27:44) - “Our strongest soldiers, God gives his best CO2 lasers to his strongest soldiers. And to his weakest soldiers, he gives melasma.” (28:55)

Q2: “How do I deal with haters?”

• Adam reframes dealing with haters as a mental dialogue, convincing himself that “they are weak and I am strong.”
  • “A weak person complains about something that really is… no skin off their nose, right? Weak people complain. Strong people get CO2 lasers.” (30:10)
• Expresses shock at online negativity, but ultimately advises: “Why can't fuck off? Basically.” (32:07)
• Recaps his own practice of “winning” fake arguments and boosting self-pride—often experienced alone in a room, but “I like to think it’s me” [who won]. (32:40)

[Voicemail] Gay Best Friend Stereotypes & Reconnecting with Your Past (34:21 – 48:00)

Ramses from NC: As an elder millennial, asks Adam how to deal with friends or former colleagues who still treat him as the token “gay best friend,” not recognizing his growth or new persona.

• Adam uses this as an entry point for a larger discussion about generational shifts in gay visibility and friendship labels.
  • Shares a memory about a friend who always introduced him as “my gay best friend,” which made him feel like an accessory rather than a “real friend.”
    • “It really bothers me when you call me a gay best friend… It makes me feel like I’m in this weird category… I’m a purse… I didn’t like the way it felt like I was being categorized.” (40:10)
• Emphasizes that the “gay best friend” label was culturally common for millennials, but more direct connection and openness has helped move beyond that.
• Offers tactical advice: share more personal details and deeper life experiences to break others out of old perspectives. Challenge old patterns where necessary, but also recognize that some friends are just falling into old familiar roles.
  • “I think you owe it to them if you want them to treat you differently, that you've got to share a different side of you as well. And I think that if you do that, they'll mirror that.” (45:10)

[Text] Anxiety About Business Permits (52:55 – 61:10)

• Listener starting a business feels consumed by anxiety while waiting for permits.
• Adam shares his own real-world, minute-to-minute anxiety over getting insurance and permits for his new medical spa.
  • “Something that said it was gonna take one second was now like a nail biter down to the, like to the minute…” (58:30)
• Advice: “You’re not in control. Do what you can, then sit back, relax, and wait. Every business owner goes through this, it’s normal.”

[Voicemail] Driver’s License Weights and Fluctuations (62:21 – 70:31)

• Listener Deirdre is shocked that in some states, driver’s licenses still show your weight.
• Adam checks his own collection: Nevada and California licenses both show weight, but not all states do. Confirms the information is, at best, an approximation or “goal weight.”
• He casually brags about accidentally losing 18 lbs (“grew a mullet, dropped 18”!):
  • “I was 173 as of this morning, weighing myself 155. Okay. That's 18 pounds. … It’s because I have two salads a day and a yogurt. Huge salads, by the way.” (65:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On curly hair maintenance:
  “I am burdened with the expectation of if I don't like rinse it every morning, I will look like I have been almost to the point of death, been electrocuted.” (04:15)

• On social media imposters:
  “I think good luck. Like, I'm not reporting them ever.” (09:24)

• HOA hot take:
  “You're the reason why we need an HOA, right? ... I would dare you to post a picture of that front yard because ... you're a month or two away from having a washer and dryer out there too.” (13:05)

• On UK property laws:
  “The windows can't close anymore. They're not allowed to close. And not only that, they're not allowed to close legally. That's really... yeah, you're right, you don't have that bullocks of the HOA in the UK because you can't close your windows.” (16:45)

• On how businesses look today:
  “They're not trying to appease the woke people. No, it's like they're just kind of thinking of an exit strategy in case the Cracker Barrel goes under...” (19:45)

• On skincare and self-discipline:
  “Why can't you have a little self discipline? And put yourself through something mildly uncomfortable to have a positive result. And invest in yourself, bitch.” (28:27)

• On distinctive “gay best friend” labeling:
  “It really bothers me when you call me a gay best friend. It makes me feel like I'm in this ... weird category of like, well, I'll never be a real friend. I'm just like this fun side gay best friend or like an accessory or like I'm a purse.” (40:00)

• On business permit anxiety:
  “You’re not in charge of the permits, you’re not in charge of the insurance. There’s only so much you can do. So just let go and don’t stress out about it…” (59:11)

• On weight fluctuations on licenses:
  “Every license has the weight on here. And it was a goal. Wait, always. 160. Goal complete. ... I was 173 as of this morning, weighing myself 155.” (65:03)

Chronological Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:07–06:00 Hair care, mullet journey, shout-out to Pattern cream
• 06:00–10:30 TikTok fake accounts saga and responses
• 10:30–20:56 HOA controversy, real estate rants, history preservation, logo trends
• 21:00–34:21 Listener voicemail: skincare & haters
• 34:21–48:00 Listener voicemail: “gay best friend” label & reinventing relationships
• 52:55–61:10 Listener anxiety: starting a business & waiting for permits
• 62:21–70:31 Listener voicemail: driver’s license weights & Adam’s weight loss story

Final Thoughts

Adam is at his best this episode: equal parts self-deprecating, insightful, and supportive. He displays an enviable ability to extract humor and practical advice from daily life—whether it’s wrangling his hair, dealing with “haters,” or navigating business bureaucracy. Throughout, Adam normalizes self-investment, acknowledges generational change in LGBTQ+ friendship, and fields every listener dilemma with heart and humor.

For more Adam: leave a review, call or text in at 310-909-9717, and stay tuned for future episodes (and maybe more revelations about salads and yogurt).