The Shane Dawson Podcast

Episode: Chili's Conspiracy Theories!
Date: September 7, 2025
Host: Shane Dawson
Guests/Co-Hosts: Rylan, Morgan, Spencer, Jared, Vicki, Chris

Episode Overview

This energetic and comedic episode of The Shane Dawson Podcast blends family banter, pop culture riffs, wild games, and true crime with the show’s signature offbeat takes on “conspiracies.” The gang celebrates multiple Leo birthdays, digs into fast food scandals (focusing particularly on Chili’s), tests out a viral Walmart cookie dupe, and investigates both silly and serious mysteries—including zombie rabbits in Colorado and the case of a real-life “zombie hunter.” Expect celebrity impressions, sibling drama, absurd theories, and, yes, some actual true crime.

Main Segments & Discussion Points

1. Big Leo Energy & Family Dynamics

00:23–11:18

• Intro/Birthday Talk: It’s birthday week for Spencer and Morgan, both Leos. The group riffs on Leo energy, astrological traits, and family quirks.

  • Notable banter about “womb mates” leads to good-natured jokes about whether Spencer and Rylan are possibly related in mysterious ways.
  • The family pokes fun about who’s “fashion forward” and comically speculates on each other’s sexual orientation, referencing Khloe Kardashian.
  • Quote:

    “I do have a theory that Spencer was maybe my womb mate… If it came out that Spencer was my roommate, I would accept him.” —Rylan (00:54)

• Creative Pursuits/Life Updates: Stories range from Spencer’s “marmot” video obsession to Chrissy’s struggles with long COVID.
  “I went camping and watched videos of otters and marmots for about three hours with our dad.” — Jared (01:51)

• Big Leo Energy Game: Shane half-heartedly tries to quiz the group on Leo traits, leading to fun self-analysis (confidence, loyalty, creativity, flair for drama).
  “You have to be confident to have a job on camera.” — Morgan (10:16)

2. Celebrity Dinner Party—Impersonation Game

13:33–38:08

• Hosted by “Steve Hartley” (Rylan as Steve Harvey), the group draws cards with celebrity names and must impersonate them.

  • Points awarded for correct guesses; frequent comedic confusion, off-the-wall impressions, and deduction attempts.
  • Memorable impressions: Adele, Martha Stewart, Wednesday Addams, Lord Farquaad, and more.
  • Quote:

    “If your search history became a Broadway musical, what would it be called?” —Steve Hartley/Rylan (26:35)

  • Fun callouts of TikTok stars, pop culture staples, and jokes about generational gaps (Bella Poarch vs. JoJo Siwa).

• The segment is both chaotic and hilarious, with playful jabs about who’s “out of touch” and in-jokes referencing podcast history.

3. Conspiracy Corner — Fast Food Shenanigans & Internet Theories

41:27–56:05

A. Zombie Rabbits in Colorado

• Shane reveals the “zombie rabbit” scare—infected rabbits with bizarre bacterial growths resembling a horror movie/fungus outbreak (“The Last of Us”).
  • Concern over official downplaying of risks:

    “They keep saying ‘don’t worry’…but then also humans don’t touch them under any circumstance. That feels like contradictory information.” — Rylan (41:51)

  • Family draws parallels to previous discussions about fungi, hinting this could be a warning sign of broader public health threats.

B. Chili’s Conspiracy Theories

• Tip Calculation Scandal: Jared claims Chili’s calculates gratuity on post-tax and pre-discount amounts, charging patrons more than expected.
  “I was at Chili’s the other night…when they gave me the options, something seemed a little fishy. They were overcharging at a minimum $2 for each tip amount.” — Jared (46:13)
• Drink Watering Theory: Suspicions arise about Chili’s famously cheap drinks being watered down. Shane proposes a “content test” using a breathalyzer after rounds at Chili’s vs. a fancy bar.
• Shrinkflation: The chocolate lava cake is now much smaller for the same price—caught in a side-by-side photo comparison.
  “This is what it looked like one year ago…Now this is what it looked like six years ago.” — Shane (50:14)
• Soup Rip-Off: Evidence that paying to “upgrade” a soup at Chili’s gets you the exact same amount of food in a different container.

C. Walmart vs. Crumbl Cookies

• The group does a live taste-test of Walmart’s new “King Crumb” cookie (alleged dupe of viral Crumbl).
  “For a prepackaged cookie, it’s fantastic…But the frosting doesn’t compare to Crumbl.” — Rylan (55:02)

4. Theme Park Mishaps

56:05–59:43

• Reports of Cedar Point’s “Power Tower” ride cable snapping, leaving riders stranded. Group jokes they “manifested” this happening since they discussed the ride last episode.
  • Quote:

    “My fear is getting stuck at the top and it not coming down.” — Rylan (56:57)

• Bizarre segment with people being evacuated from a stuck ride, with video reactions from the cast.

5. Cutting-Edge (and Terrifying) Tech—Robot Surrogacy

59:43–63:36

• Discussion of reports from China about a “robot surrogate” (AI humanoid carrying babies for $13,000).
  • Group reflects on the ethics and emotional implications: “What if the robot feels like it’s their mom?” — Shane (60:43)
  • Pervasive unease and jokes about what happens if a robot goes “rogue” or the child faces stigma as a “clanker.”

6. (Silly) Garth Brooks Serial Killer Theory

63:36–67:18

• Spencer introduces a viral TikTok conspiracy that Garth Brooks might be a secret serial killer, citing his alter ego (Chris Gaines), “creepy” Facebook videos, and overlapping tour dates with missing person cases.
  • Quote:

    “You think they're all buried in low places?...What if that's his whole thing?” — Shane (66:25)

  • Clearly presented as an absurd, tongue-in-cheek theory, but the group runs with the riff.

7. True Crime Story—The Phoenix Canal Murders

67:18–73:54

• Vicki details the “zombie hunter” true crime case:
  • Two women were killed and dismembered in Phoenix canal system in the early 1990s.
  • The killer (Brian Patrick Miller) remained uncaught until DNA advances decades later; he was ironically known locally as “the zombie hunter,” driving a gory, zombie-themed car to community events.
  • Miller was caught after police tricked him into a job interview at Chili’s and collected DNA from his water glass, confirming the match.
  • Eerie details: Miller confessed another murder to his wife, went unreported out of fear.
  • Chilling wrap-up:
    “So the whole time that he's stabbing random people in the back for fun, he's branding himself as a zombie hunter?” — Morgan (73:12)

8. Rylan’s Absurdist Recap

74:22–76:55

• The show wraps with Rylan’s satirical, rapid-fire newscaster summary, touching on all major episode themes: Leo birthdays, Chili’s scandals, shrinkflation, family coming-out drama, zombie rabbits, robot surrogates, and the day’s true crime.
  • Quote:

    “Breaking news out of Colorado. Rabbits with tentacles are running amok…Who can believe them? Really?” — Rylan as newscaster (77:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Shrinkflation:
  “Fuck you, Chili. Wow…That side by side is crazy.” — Rylan & Shane (50:29)
• On Zombie Rabbits:
  “We’ve been on this planet for how many years and this is the first time this has happened? Allegedly. I’m not a scientist but now it’s just like, oh, everybody, it’s normal. Look away. There’s something insane going on, right?” — Shane (42:35)
• On the Garth Brooks Theory:
  “You think they're all buried in low places. What if that's his whole thing?" — Shane (66:25)
• On ‘Robot Surrogacy’:
  “If it was just in like a…refrigerator. I’d be a little less…They really gave her a hefty bosom, as they would say.” — Shane & Spencer (62:26)
• On the True Crime 'Zombie Hunter':
  “And so they set up this little meeting to interview him at Chili’s ... what they’re trying to do is gather his DNA.” — Vicki (70:52)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:23 – Leo birthday banter, family drama
• 03:22 – “Big Leo Energy” personality game
• 13:33 – Celebrity Dinner Party impressions game begins
• 41:27 – Conspiracy Corner: Zombie rabbits
• 44:26 – Chili’s conspiracy theories segment (tips, watered drinks, shrinkflation)
• 53:01 – Walmart “King Crumb” cookies taste test
• 56:05 – Cedar Point ride cable snap incident
• 59:43 – Robot surrogacy discussion
• 63:36 – Garth Brooks serial killer TikTok theory
• 67:18 – True Crime Story: Phoenix “zombie hunter”
• 74:22 – Rylan’s recap and outro

Tone & Style

The episode is brisk, playful, irreverent, and heavily laced with inside jokes and sibling-style roasts. The hosts alternate between careful conspiracy breakdowns and absurd comedy, reflecting their comfort as both family and content creators. Even when tackling darker themes (true crime, robot surrogates, “zombie rabbits”), the atmosphere remains comedic, self-deprecating, and stylized by rapid-fire banter.

Summary for the Uninitiated

If you haven’t listened, this episode drops you into the heart of Shane Dawson’s inner circle as they bounce between jokes, internet rumors, conspiracy theories, snack hacks, true crime, and a marathon of rambunctious “impersonate-the-celebrity” games. Fast food chains are roasted for their sneaky practices. Rabbit zombies and robot moms are treated with tongue-in-cheek skepticism. And the show closes with a real-life true crime story as narrated by Vicki. Above all, it’s a hang-out session—funny, chaotic, and densely packed with cultural references and personal quirks.

End of Summary