Transcript

A (0:00)

I want to let you know that I'll be doing a podcast, taping this podcast before a live audience. It's the only time I've ever done that, and it may be the only time I ever do. I don't know. But that will be with the champ, Iron Mike Tyson on May 5th in Los Angeles at the Wiltern Theater as part of the Netflix is a joke fest. And after that, it'll be on our channel, so you can see it there. You can get tickets@theoan.com t o u

B (0:30)

A (0:32)

Today's guest is a standup comedian. He's a host, he's a podcaster. He's just a. He's a universal smile maker. You know him from his hit show Impractical Jokers, and he's on tour doing a standup right now. Always have a blast with the one and only Mr. Sal. Volcano.

B (1:03)

Stuff. Yeah. We start filming season 13 on Thursday, too. That's another thing. Yeah.

A (1:14)

Wow.

B (1:14)

It's wild. It's been on for. It's been on the air for 15 years.

A (1:20)

And. Have you ever met, like, a child that was, like, conceived during the show? Like, has that ever been a thing?

B (1:24)

Yeah, people. I. Yeah, people. I know people met and got married, and I know people tell me they fuck to it all the time.

A (1:31)

Oh, my God, Really?

B (1:33)

I didn't think of that until one day I was on the. I was standing outside my. Getting a tire, a flat tire fixed. I was standing on a sidewalk, and a guy pulled up at a light and he rolled down the window. He's like, sal, I love you, man. I was like, thanks, man. He goes, I was having sex with my girlfriend last night while the show was on. And I was like, oh, shit. I never really thought about that. So I went on to Instagram and I posted, like, has anyone ever had sex while my show was on? It was like, hundreds of thousands of people. You know, I don't even think of it. You know, one time somebody sent me porn of people, and our show was on. On the TV in the background.

A (2:11)

What?

B (2:11)

Yeah. Not like a professional one.

A (2:13)

Oh, just amateur.

B (2:14)

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Summary

Podcast Summary: This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von

Episode #655 – Sal Vulcano (April 27, 2026)
Guest: Sal Vulcano (Impractical Jokers, stand-up comedian, podcaster)

Main Theme

This episode delivers a sprawling, characteristically loose and comedic conversation between Theo Von and Sal Vulcano. They touch on the enduring success of Impractical Jokers, nostalgia for '80s and '90s TV, the quirks of modern and past medicine, fatherhood, stand-up, collecting oddities, pet grief, hypothetical moon missions, and much more. The tone swings from deeply heartfelt (Sal discussing parenthood) to outright absurd (testicular self-exams, storing deceased fish in the freezer, moon conspiracies), marked by both hosts’ quick wit and uniquely personal stories.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Longevity and Cultural Impact of Impractical Jokers

Sal shares the show is entering its 13th season after 15 years (01:03), reflecting on its status as a universal background show:
- “It's like, background, you know, you put it on anytime. ...People going to go about their business while you think.” (Sal, 02:34)
The odd intimacy people have with the show: fans message Sal that they’ve had sex while it’s on, or even sent amateur porn with the show playing in the background (01:24–02:14).

2. TV Nostalgia: Little House on the Prairie & Highway to Heaven

The pair riff on Michael Landon’s career and faith-infused dramas:
- Theo jokes about “the highway to Heaven” needing “a toll booth now” and riffs on COVID parallels (05:00).
- They react to remakes and cancellations without clear finales, venting about unresolved series like Lost:
  - “I think there's people that died because Lost wasn't—it didn’t do anything.” (Theo, 07:10)

3. Medical Routines and Testicular Self-Exams

Sal discusses getting full medical workups from his childhood friend who’s now his doctor, and the awkwardness of potentially having to “show him [my] body” (08:46).
- Conversation devolves hilariously into wondering how to self-examine testicles for cancer, referencing outdated exam methods and the weirdness of “calling your dad a queer” during a check (09:55–11:26).
- Live, Theo attempts a self-exam while they read aloud standard procedures, referencing “smooth bumps” and “hard lumps.” (15:13–16:58)
- Theo: “I am 400 months behind schedule.” (16:20)

4. The Mythology of Men’s Bodies / Physical Comedy

Digression into if our balls had “pouches” or could hide things “like a kangaroo” (19:31–21:14).
- Sal jokes he’d carry his “passport in my sack.” (21:10)
- “You got gingivitis of the balls.” (Theo, 22:26)

5. Dancing, Brooches, and Letting Go Socially

Sal confesses to dancing for hours at a Motown night (“I felt like my mom in the ’80s”), admits to loving brooches for their “badge ... timeless” feel (27:27–28:11).
Theo describes past joy in dancing, his social anxiety about it today, and how the fear of being recorded affects how people behave (29:34).

6. The Joy and Terror of Parenthood

Sal opens about talking about family on podcasts for the first time, prompted by feeling safe on Theo’s show. He reflects on becoming comfortable sharing his family life publicly and how it changed his comedy. (44:50–45:12)
Describes the “impossible” challenge of expressing love for his kids:
- “I bet it feels like you can’t even let them know how much you love them.” (Theo, 49:24)
- “It’s impossible. I don’t know how to express it.” (Sal, 49:39)
Parenting challenges like sleep regression, setting boundaries, and teaching his daughter to identify her emotions through “color zones”:
- “Dad, I’m in the blue zone right now… I need to get to the green zone.” (Sal w/ his daughter, 52:17)

7. Podcasting, New Projects, and Minouche

Sal updates on old podcasts (Hey Babe, Taste Buds) and new show Minouche, described as “big guest, small talk... absurd… in and out of sketch and real conversation, edited like an old VHS tape.” (34:31–35:34)
- “It's really different… nothing to be taken seriously. ...We’re doing shtick the whole time...” (Sal, 35:02)
Briefs on his executive producer role for TBS’s Foul Play with NBA’s Anthony Davis. (41:02, 43:38)

8. Collecting Oddities: VHS Wedding Tapes & Freezer Fish

Sal tells of buying a random VHS tape labeled “Amy & Stu Shankman Wedding, Nov 25, 1985” in a thrift store and having possession of their only wedding video for 31 years. He invites listeners to help find the couple. (62:17–66:54)
Reveals he’s kept a goldfish (pet) in his freezer for over 15 years, after a “mysterious” death; he opens it on his show Hey Babe. (82:43–83:53)

9. Absurd Sex and Intimacy Confessions

Theo jokes about a fabricated “marble composition notebook” where he supposedly documented 1,050 sexual partners, which Sal recalls years later—ridiculousness ensues. (69:18–71:00)
Theo relates feeling “like a crash test dummy” in the realm of intimacy, describing sex as “an altercation” and recounting his extreme social anxiety. (72:08–73:44)

10. Animal & Pet Culture: Grief, Nostalgia, and CGI

Both reminisce about losing pets, treating “fish like family,” goldfish funerals at Long John Silver’s, and why animal stars (dogs) disappeared from Hollywood—blame of CGI/AI and laments for lost “pet celeb” days. (110:51–113:10)

11. Parenting in Practice: Challenges and Sweetness

Sal recounts the heartbreak and necessity of letting kids “cry it out” to break bad sleep habits and reflects on the difficult balance between comfort and structure (115:27–117:06).
Encourages Theo to consider parenthood: “There’s nothing better. You’ll feel so fulfilled, man.” (119:08)

12. Other Memorable Anecdotes

The dangers of horse riding in childhood; Sal’s harrowing “rodeo” experience in 8th grade (91:13–92:35).
Compassion for “Octomom” and the logistics of raising octuplets (123:06–128:16).
Conspiracies and skepticism about moon landings and Artemis mission; delightful riffing about building the first moon colony (94:45–103:51).
Random facts: Pablo Picasso died in 1973 (not the distant past, as they assumed), kicking off a tangent about the odd overlap of history (61:17).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“People tell me they fuck to [Impractical Jokers] all the time.” (Sal, 01:24)
“It's background ... you put it on anytime ... and it's good, like playing in the background.” (Sal, 02:34)
“Why do we ... talk about [Highway to Heaven]?” (Theo, 04:25)
“I am 400 months behind schedule [on testicular self-exams].” (Theo, 16:20)
“You got gingivitis of the balls.” (Theo, 22:26)
“But I realized loving, it was like—an altercation, you get in it. It has the same energy of like a—like a session. Like a fight.” (Theo, 72:44)
“There’s nothing better. You’ll feel so fulfilled, man.” (Sal on being a parent, 119:08)
“I have a goldfish, a frozen goldfish in my freezer. For over 15 years. That fish is still in my freezer right now.” (Sal, 83:07)
“You hit like a thing and—yeah, I hit like about 30 volts or whatever...” (Theo, fainting goat analogy, 74:56)
“It's like rubbing your belly and checking your balls for cancer. You cannot do the same.” (Theo, 33:11)
“I want a dog, but... you’re really signing yourself up for a heartache...” (Sal, 112:40)
“Dad, I’m in the blue zone right now. ...I need to get to the green zone.” (Sal’s daughter, 52:17)

Time-Stamped Highlights

01:03 – 02:14: Sal on longevity of Impractical Jokers and sexual confessions from fans.
03:11 – 06:01: TV nostalgia — Little House, Highway to Heaven, and their Christian drama appeal.
09:30 – 12:03: Sal’s medical journey with his high school friend/doctor, self-exam humor.
15:13 – 18:28: Live, semi-serious testicular self-exam demo/discussion.
27:27 – 30:06: Dancing stories, social anxiety around dancing, love of brooches.
41:02 – 45:12: Sal discusses new projects, and the comfort/freedom of opening up about family.
49:24 – 54:03: The impossible depth of parental love.
62:17 – 66:54: The wedding tape odyssey; searching for the Shankmans.
82:43 – 83:53: Sal's legendary 15-year-old goldfish in the freezer.
94:45 – 103:51: Artemis/moon landing, space travel anxieties, chip-on-your-shoulder moon jokes.

Topics in Passing

The agony and confusion of series that don’t end properly.
Memories of first discovering porn “in the woods.”
The feeling of community and kinship with fellow comedians and friends who can always make you laugh.
The potential for found-footage TV shows centered on weird, nostalgic, or lost media.

Overall Tone

Cracking, rambling humor punctuated with moments of sincere vulnerability, especially on family life, mortality, and self-acceptance.
Dialog flows from quick-witted absurdity (testicular jokes, flying goats, pet coffins) to tender personal revelations.
Characteristic warmth—both are quick to affirm each other’s quirks and earnestness.

For Listeners

This episode contains classic This Past Weekend story-weaving, featuring Sal Vulcano’s blend of earthy candor and comedic riffing. Perfect for fans of both comedians, for those with a nostalgic bent, or anyone appreciating the blend of laughter and midlife reflection. You’ll leave having laughed (and pondered) about everything from testicular health to the fate of old wedding tapes—and perhaps weighing the impossible fullness of loving your own future family.

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#655 - Sal Vulcano