Podcast Summary: Intrusive Thoughts by Adam Rippon

Episode: "Quietly Saying Too Much"
Date: December 18, 2025
Host: Adam Rippon
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Episode Overview

In this episode, Adam Rippon delivers a delightfully chaotic late-night monologue—half whispered, wholly unfiltered—exploring everything from his love/hate relationship with makeup YouTube drama to his deep appreciation for ASMR and Christmas candy canes. Adam sets out to record "quietly" so as not to wake his husband JP or their dogs, treating listeners to comedic asides, relived Internet moments, and a candid celebration of life's odd little rituals.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Late-Night Podcasting & ASMR Vibes

• Setting the Stage: Adam records at 10:42pm, trying to be quiet while venting about JP’s “unforgivable” habit of going to bed early.
• Audio Setup Indulgence: He details the ASMR-like sensation of cranking the monitor volume so high that it feels like his voice is “tickling the inside of my brain.”
• Quote:

  "If I were to speak in a normal tone, I would blow out both of my eardrums...I can feel my own voice tickling, tickling the inside of my brain. That's how loud I have it. And it feels good." (02:50)

2. Confession: Deep Dive into YouTube ASMR & Beauty Influencers

• Guilty Pleasures: Adam confesses to a “sick and broken” obsession with Lily Jean’s ASMR videos on YouTube—even contemplating buying her a better mic so she’d make more content.
• Makeup Tutorial Era: Adam reminisces about the 2015–2018 heyday of YouTube makeup tutorials, listing favored creators (James Charles, Jeffree Star, NikkieTutorials, Tati Westbrook) and the absurdity of makeup looks inspired by movies like Avatar and Minions.
  • Quote:

    "This is so crazy to admit, as somebody who is legally seen by the government as an adult at the age of 36, to admit that I remember...being home alone, being like, okay, I'm ready to watch this because I am so sick. So sick." (22:55)

3. Explaining the "Goodbye Sister" YouTube Drama

• Context for Boomers: Adam explains the phenomenon for “boomer” listeners, referencing calls and texts from a wide-ranging podcast fanbase.

• Drama Recap:

  • Tati Westbrook (an established beauty influencer) befriends and mentors James Charles (the up-and-coming viral makeup boy).
  • Jeffree Star, a former MySpace musician turned makeup mogul and "Internet terrorist," stirs up drama between them.
  • Tati posts an emotionally-charged YouTube video—Goodbye Sister—publicly admonishing James Charles, with Jeffree piling on with unsubstantiated accusations via social media.
    • Iconic moment (as quoted by Adam):

      "'You were sitting at the dinner table talking about sucking dick and sucking dick.' And okay, she, she says that in a way where she's just disgusted. She's disgusted. But it's the most incredible line." (57:00)

  • James Charles finally claps back with No More Lies, a meticulously-documented video that “debunks everything” and flips the narrative.

• Why It Mattered: Adam calls this feud a watershed for Internet fame—"this is when the lines of, like, being a celebrity went completely blurred."

  • Quote:

    "This spectacle that, like, Goodbye Sister, now...If you didn't know that this was happening, you were living under a rock...This crossed the zeitgeist from celebrity. Like, this was—oh, my God—this...I hadn't felt this way about, like, celebrity culture since, like, Lindsay, Brittany, and Paris were all in that car together." (01:12:40)

4. Meta Commentary & Candor

• Podcast Tangents: Adam repeatedly marvels at the randomness of his own topic selection:

  "When I started this episode, I was not going to talk about this at all. I did not even think for a second that I'd talk about this. And now it's going to be the whole episode." (46:35)

• Authentic Revelations:
  • His penchant for face-tuning his teeth during Invisalign is outed as a “lie that would be true later.”
  • Adam admits:

    "Who I really am is someone who's, like, truly damaged." (01:13:15)

5. Desk Chaos & Loving Candy Canes

• Visual Tour of Mess: Adam lists the random items littering his desk—sparkling water, pickles ("ate the whole jar as a snack"), Palmer’s cocoa butter oil, figure skating boot lip balm, a cashed check, candy cane wrappers—which segues into a discussion about the best way to open candy canes.
• Running Joke:

  "The dumbest fucking thing I've ever said is I'm really loving candy canes right now. And I said it, like, I said it so seriously, too." (01:21:55)

• Mini ASMR Moment: Demos glass and fork sounds for listeners, then apologizes if unpleasant.

6. Listener Messages

• Adam shares a text from a listener about Christmas lights, sparking a tangent about Christmas decorating styles and how trends don't appeal to him:

  "Could you imagine being so boring where you're like, what are the trends? This is really trending right now. When things are trending right now, I'm like, what's the opposite of that? I want to do that." (01:35:34)

7. Holiday Episode Tease & Call to Action

• Adam promises next week will be a full Christmas breakdown, with a New Year's episode to follow assuming he gets them recorded before the holiday break.
• He asks for listener stories and intrusive thoughts on both holidays, providing the podcast call/text line (310-909-7717).

Notable Quotes

• On Podcasting During the Witching Hours:

  "I'm not ready to go to bed. I'm going to talk to my friends." (16:25)

• On YouTube Beauty Drama:

  "Jeffree Star is a compulsive liar...I know that because I know Jeffree star from MySpace. Okay? I know that Jeffree Star, and the Jeffree star we know now is the same monster that he was in 2005. And an entertaining monster, yes, but a monster all the same." (25:15)

• On Being a Makeup Drama Historian:

  "I am revealing so much about myself by, like, knowing so much about this. Okay? I don't give a. I don't give a. I want you to know, like, who I really am..." (01:13:15)

• On Desk Disarray:

  "Needless to say, a disaster up in here...I'm living and I'm working on a desk that's covered in candy cane dust." (01:29:30)

• On Christmas Trends:

  "When people are like, I'm seeking the trends, I'm like, please seek treatment instead." (01:35:52)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–5:00: Adam explains recording late at night, audio setup, and "quiet" podcasting necessity.
• 09:30–15:00: ASMR indulgence, Lily Jean obsession, YouTube drama ASMR confessions.
• 20:00–24:50: Recounting the wild days of makeup tutorial vlogging; celebrity culture vs. influencer culture.
• 29:00–45:00: Crash course for “boomers” on makeup YouTuber drama; the lead-up to "Goodbye Sister."
• 57:00–1:20:00: Full retelling of the Goodbye Sister saga, the blurred lines of internet and “real” celebrity, and James Charles' No More Lies comeback.
• 1:21:30–1:30:00: Desk inventory; loving candy canes; candy cane etiquette discussion.
• 1:32:00–1:38:00: Listener question about Christmas lights; musings on Christmas décor, trends, and upcoming holiday episodes.
• 1:40:00–end: Call for holiday episode submissions, Adam’s plans and sign-off.

Memorable Moments

• Adam’s fascination with his own ASMR voice, describing it as “tickling the inside of my brain.” (02:50)
• Admission that he would buy Lily Jean a microphone just for the joy of more ASMR. (13:10)
• *Unfiltered roast of beauty YouTubers as “nightmarish” and “the most imperfect people—and we love them for it.” (36:45)
• Effusive nostalgia about experiencing YouTube drama events ‘as an adult’ yet with the fervor of a teen fan. (22:55)
• His monologue on candy cane opening and candy cane dust:

  "Everything about it is good, but like, how are we taking it off? Right? Like, how are we dealing with that candy cane condom, the ccc?" (01:25:36)

• Meta-commentary on the randomness of the episode’s content and why recording at night is creatively essential.

Tone and Style

Adam maintains his signature self-deprecating, conversational, and hilarious tone throughout—digressive, honest, and openly chaotic. The episode swings between funny anecdotes, memoir, cultural commentary, and late-night oversharing, making it impossible not to feel like you’re part of a loopy, sleepover-style confession session.

Closing

Adam wraps up by encouraging listeners to contribute their best intrusive holiday thoughts for upcoming episodes, teasing deeper dives into Christmas and New Year’s topics, but always leaving room for serendipitous rabbit holes—because, as this episode proves, those are where the show’s magic—and mess—truly lives.

To contribute to the show: Call or text 310-909-7717.
Expect more Christmas chaos next week!