We Might Be Drunk – Ep 254: Kevin Ryan & H. Foley w/ Mark Normand & Sam Morril – "Are You Garbage"

Release Date: October 20, 2025
Hosts: Mark Normand & Sam Morril
Guests: Kevin Ryan & H. Foley ("Are You Garbage" Podcast), Big Jay Oakerson, Luis J. Gomez, Joe List

Overview

This high-spirited episode of We Might Be Drunk welcomes Kevin Ryan and H. Foley from the Are You Garbage podcast for a balls-out, multi-guest comedy hang in NYC. Joined by frequent collaborator Joe List, Big Jay Oakerson, and Luis J. Gomez, the group shares stories of the comedy grind, road antics, brushes with celebrity, debates about sports fandom, the evolving face of comedy, and of course, classic bits about drinking, bodily functions, and the peculiarities of New York life. The conversation moves between nostalgic, poignant, and riotously unfiltered, offering a look inside the camaraderie and competition of stand-up.

Main Topics & Discussion Points

1. Comedy Road Stories & Celebrity Encounters

• Joe List at Chappelle's Compound:

  • Joe shares a surreal story about a Midwest diner experience and getting invited to Dave Chappelle’s "shack" (a literal barn-bar with a DJ) after a sold-out theater gig in Dayton, Ohio.
  • He nearly misses the invite due to overthinking his text to Chappelle and because he double-books himself with a bar show. Ultimately, he parties with Chappelle, smokes cigarettes to fit in, and learns Chappelle is a fan of the pod.
    • “He was like, ‘I’m in the cut.’ And I don’t know what that means, but he’s just cool. Turns out it’s just his wife’s birthday.” – Joe List, [06:04]
    • “That’s some real Midwest shit. So I get a photo with all of them. I smell like hash browns.” – Joe List on the Fred's Diner encounter, [03:32]

• Celebrity Name-Dropping and Awkwardness:

  • The comics riff on their own brushes with legends (e.g., Joe’s regrettable "Jonesing for that hang" text to Jerry Seinfeld) and struggles with networking anxiety.

2. Sports, Fans, and Celebrity Culture

• Armchair Analysis of Celebrities at Sporting Events:

  • The crew bemoans "celebrity row" at the US Open, questioning which celebrities actually care about tennis, sports fandom hypocrisy, and shout-outs to Ben Stiller and niche picks like Jack Nicholson.
    • “Anyone who’s a Yankees and Lakers fan, it bugs me a lot.” – Mark Normand, [16:54]

• Fandom, Money, and Aging Gracefully:

  • The group riffs on celebrities embracing age, with Jon Bon Jovi noted for aging well versus those who chase youth with surgery.
    • “Guy aging gracefully.” – Luis J. Gomez, [15:20]

• Scandal Commentary:

  • Hot takes on public shaming, the perils of social media, and the viral video of a millionaire grabbing a kid's souvenir hat at the US Open.
    • “My thing is, if it’s a little kid, just let the kid have this.” – Mark, [66:49]

3. Inside Comedy: Nepotism, Social Media, and Changing Landscape

• Famous Folks Cutting the Line:

  • Debate about streamers and influencers (e.g., IShowSpeed) being given stage time at clubs, and old-school comics’ feelings about "cutting the line."
    • “If you have huge followings, you get to cut the line… but are they going to have the drive to tough it out?” – Big Jay Oakerson, [33:09]

• Navigating Industry Changes:

  • The hosts joke about the transition from hustling in clubs to being leapfrogged by celebrities during the Crashing HBO shoot era.
    • “[We] were standing on the corner barking… and Pete Holmes was 13 feet away shooting an HBO show about barking. He’s like, ‘Are you guys barking right now?’ We’re like, yeah, man.” – Big Jay, [36:25]

• Work Ethic & Humility in Stand-Up:

  • Discussion of how growing up with privilege contrasts with the grind required for success in stand-up.

4. New York Living vs. Suburbia

• Life in NYC:

  • Touching nostalgia about the unique energy of New York – all-night hangs, stumbling out at dawn, encountering the city’s constant momentum.
    • “You like you’re passing a baton in a race. I’m goin’ in for the night. You pick it up.” – Mark, [78:55]

• Weighing City vs. Suburb Living:

  • Jay and Luis talk about spending summers in the suburbs for family sanity but never being able to walk away from the city’s pull.
    • “I can’t explain it, but I’m part of the city. I struggled here for so long.” – Big Jay, [77:44]

5. Peeves, Toasts & Bodily Function Bits

• Peeves:
  • Mark: Annoying long texts that end with “thanks” (implied as passive-aggressive) and long-winded voice notes.
    • “Thanks is a substitute for ‘go fuck yourself.’” – Mark, [45:10]
• Toasts:
  • A recurring segment where the group raises a toast to the "little things":
    • The magic of a clean, healthy poop or a "one-wiper" ([47:03])
    • Cancelled plans ([100:19])
    • The first sip of coffee in the morning ([105:49])
    • Not having to type in a password again ([100:07])

6. Pop Culture & Comedy Lore

• Comedy Movie & TV Recs:
  • Recommendations for underappreciated New York movies, Force Majeure, High Maintenance, and shout-outs to classic sitcoms.
• Comedy History, Legends, and Cautionary Tales:
  • Absorbing discussion of the Louie show’s realism, the mentorship of legends, controversies (Arnold Schwarzenegger's affairs, Cosby’s hypocrisy, assisted suicide in comedy).
    • “If someone is too outspoken about something, they're hiding something.” – Joe List, [96:23]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Overthinking Texts to Comedy Legends:

  • “I’m just jonesing for that hang, Jer.” – Joe List, [05:00]
  • “If you’re really tight. But you weren’t… I was trying to force the tightness, which is really bad.” – Mark & Joe, [05:34]

• On Mark’s Roast Joke for ‘Crashing’:

  • “Pete, Jesus isn’t coming back and neither is your ex-wife. They both got nailed and are in a better place now.” – Mark, [39:05]

• On Arnold Schwarzenegger:

  • “Of course he’s gonna fuck the nanny. The intro to his movie was about coming!” – Big Jay, [24:33]
  • “He must have really slayed through LA. Just the gash he was inhaling…” – Joe List, [25:43]

• On Cancelled Plans:

  • “Canceled plans is a biggie.” – Mark, [100:26]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:32] — Joe List’s diner story, meeting Fred and his sons (“real Midwest shit”)
• [06:04] — Joe’s story about nearly missing Dave Chappelle’s invite
• [11:08] — Chappelle complimenting Joe’s gay heaven joke (Stanhope episode)
• [16:54] — Mark on sports fandom hypocrisy (“Yankees and Lakers…”)
• [33:09] — Conversation on influencer/legacy acts cutting the line in comedy
• [36:25] — Jay recounts Pete Holmes shooting ‘Crashing’ as comics bark for real
• [39:05] — Mark’s roast joke that made it to HBO (but his scene was cut)
• [44:49] — Mark’s peeve: “Thanks” in emails/texts
• [47:00-47:52] — A “toast” to a one-wiper, Mark and Joe riff on ideal poops
• [66:49] — The US Open hat-grabbing debacle
• [78:55] — Classic New York energy: “Passing the baton in a race…”
• [96:23] — Joe List on Cosby’s hypocrisy (“If someone is too outspoken…”)
• [105:49] — “A toast to the first sip of coffee in the morning.”

Notable Pop Culture Mentions & Recommendations

• Classic Movies/TV: Louie, Crashing, Seinfeld, Family Ties, High Maintenance, Force Majeure
• Comedians’ Career Paths: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Adam Ray, Tony Hawk, Ben Stiller, John Reap
• Random Life Bits:
  • Smoking in bars in the 2000s NYC
  • The myth of clean vs. dirty comics and professional bitterness
  • Coffee as both ritual and coping mechanism for stand-up life on the road
  • The ever-present smell pitfalls of travel and touring (planes, hotels, taxis)

Language & Tone

The language is raw, conversational, and packed with inside jokes, fast barbs, and the easy camaraderie of comics at the top of their game. The tone rotates from sentimental and self-deprecating to gleefully filthy, with a frequent undercurrent of camaraderie, frustration with the business, and deep appreciation for the shared struggle.

Closing Thoughts

This episode is a representative hang of NYC stand-up, balancing war stories, advice, and ball-breaking. It’s a must-listen for anyone curious about the life, hierarchy, and friendships formed in the trenches of comedy – as well as the nostalgia, grind, and small pleasures that keep comics coming back for more.

Tour Plugs

• Are You Garbage podcast’s fall tour: San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Boston, Atlanta, Raleigh, Philly, Toronto, and more ([118:14])
• Mark Normand: International tour including Carnegie Hall
• Joe List: Various comedy clubs in the US and Ireland

For fans of inside-baseball stand-up podcasts, road stories, and the peculiar joys/trials of NYC living, this is a rich and raucous listen.