Wrong Turns with Jameela Jamil
Episode: Adam Pally and Malik Elassal
Release Date: August 7, 2025

Overview

In this engaging episode of Wrong Turns with Jameela Jamil, host Malik Elisal welcomes comedian and actor Adam Pally alongside an unnamed comedian to share their most mortifying and embarrassing stories. The conversation delves deep into personal anecdotes, exploring themes of embarrassment, indignity, and the human experience of making “wrong turns” in life. As always, the episode revels in the humor found within these uncomfortable moments, offering listeners a candid and laughter-filled journey through the comedians' less-than-dignified experiences.

Guest Introductions

Malik Elisal opens the episode by introducing his guests with enthusiasm:

Malik Elisal [02:10]: "On this show, I bring on my favorite funny people. And the voice you're hearing right now is a comedian and actor who makes shows like Happy Endings, The Mindy Project, and Mr. Throwback. He co-hosts the new hit comedy podcast about men's health called Staying Alive. It's Adam fucking Pally. Yay."

Adam Pally responds with gratitude:

Adam Pally [02:29]: "Thank you."

Malik further introduces the Unnamed Comedian, highlighting his achievements and current projects:

Malik Elisal [02:30]: "We also welcome an actor, writer, and comedian who is named one of the new faces of comedy at the Just for Laughs Festival and one of the comedians you should know and will know by New York magazine. You can watch his new series Adults, on FX and streaming on Hulu. It's Malik Elisal."

The unnamed comedian greets the audience, setting a casual and open tone for the conversation.

Embarrassing Stories and Handling Indignity

The episode kicks off with Malik sharing a personal mishap:

Malik Elisal [01:01]: "I've already had my own wrong turn this morning in having spilled chocolate cake all over my white bedding of a hotel room that I'm in that I knew the cleaners were just about to come into."

He elaborates on his intense desire to appear clean and how the mishap turned out:

Malik Elisal [01:45]: "...I want them to think I'm the cleanest girl in the whole wide. And now it looks unmistakably like there's shit all over the bed."

Adam Pally empathizes with Malik’s situation:

Adam Pally [01:45]: "You don't think they would have figured that out?"

Malik responds humorously about leaving misleading notes to cover up the mishap:

Malik Elisal [02:10]: "...I had to go around making notes saying, not poo, not poo. Not poo all over my bed."

This exchange sets the stage for a candid discussion about dealing with embarrassment and the lengths people go to maintain appearances.

Discussion on Indignity and Personal Resilience

The conversation shifts to the concept of indignity and how it affects the guests' lives. Malik introduces Adam's perspective on indignity:

Malik Elisal [05:40]: "This is a show about disaster. It's a show about indignity. Is indignity something that follows you around in your lives, Adam?"

Adam Pally reflects on his experiences:

Adam Pally [05:52]: "I feel like indignity is kind of something that, like, is similar to beauty in the eye of the beholder."

He discusses how his career in acting and comedy has desensitized him to feelings of embarrassment:

Adam Pally [06:00]: "I'm sure that kind of sensory thing is cut off in my brain, and I don't notice it a lot because I'm just like. Well, I don't know why. Embarrassing."

Malik connects this to personal challenges, sharing his own struggle with diabetes and the accompanying humility:

Malik Elisal [06:35]: "I have like, humbling resistance where I've now I've stopped noticing that I'm being humbled."

This segment highlights how personal and professional experiences shape one's resilience to public embarrassment and personal setbacks.

Personal Anecdotes and Comedic Insights

The unnamed comedian shares his early experiences with public embarrassment, tying it back to his career in stand-up comedy:

Unnamed Comedian [07:25]: "I was a pretty cringe in my early days of the Internet, so I guess. Yeah. And I was like, kind of like publicly a loudmouth in my class, so I don't think I minded being embarrassed publicly."

He also recounts his experience managing past online missteps:

Unnamed Comedian [08:26]: "I was like, really shitty stuff. Like, you know, there's a teacher's lounge. How come there's not a student lounge if I'm get elected president... I kept expecting, like, really horrible things to be there. But what I found was that I was just a really, like, huge and like, public fan of The Big Bang Theory on Facebook."

Adam Pally humorously reflects on his own past fandom:

Adam Pally [11:26]: "I really like 3:11, you know, which is like... It's a ska rock band that, like, is now thought of as, like, garbage."

The trio shares laughs over shared past embarrassments and the universal nature of such experiences, reinforcing the podcast's theme of collective human fallibility.

Adam Pally’s "Wrong Turn" Story

The cornerstone of the episode is Adam Pally's personal "wrong turn" story, recounting an awkward and mortifying encounter during a family vacation. He describes the setting and buildup:

Adam Pally [21:16]: "We rented three cars. And so after dinner, everyone started getting in the cars. And it just so happened that the car that I got in was alone with my wife or my then girlfriend..."

He narrates the incident with vivid detail:

Adam Pally [24:28]: "And Malik, would you say that you have had a humbling life?"

Malik interjects with humor:

Malik Elisal [25:21]: "Right, right, right."

Adam continues, sharing the climax of the story:

Adam Pally [27:02]: "And I remember... like, how do you say baby girls? So, I don't think... I think she went back in that car and was just like."

The story reaches its peak embarrassment when Adam's mother-in-law unexpectedly catches him in an intimate moment:

Adam Pally [26:16]: "I was pulling over and everybody's trying to like, get it together. And in the middle of that, there was like a knock on the window. And I turned and saw my mother in law... We like locked eyes."

The group reflects on the mishap, with Malik expressing the horror of such an encounter:

Malik Elisal [27:52]: "Most people I know can't even watch a sex scene with their family, never mind do a sex scene."

Adam summarizes the aftermath of the incident:

Adam Pally [28:31]: "We got the text, pulled out, drove to the theater, parked, said hello, and never talked about it again."

This segment not only provides ample humor but also showcases the ability to navigate and move past deeply embarrassing moments.

Reflections on Past Relationships and Personal Growth

Following the main story, the guests delve into reflections on past relationships and personal growth. The unnamed comedian shares his experiences with short-lived relationships and the accompanying awkward moments:

Unnamed Comedian [32:08]: "I have something. I didn't grow up... My public eye... I felt like, just give it a shot. I'll try anything."

Adam Pally adds his perspective on maintaining relationships and navigating public perception:

Adam Pally [31:33]: "I wish I had slurred at this point."

The conversation naturally flows into discussions about maintaining privacy and personal boundaries, even in intimate relationships. They explore how past experiences shape current behaviors and attitudes toward embarrassment and personal disclosures.

Conclusion and Closing Remarks

As the episode draws to a close, Malik Elisal wraps up the conversation by acknowledging the deep and personal stories shared by his guests:

Malik Elisal [36:05]: "We are back. Okay, so you've both been a fucking delight, and I feel as though I know you better now. And I feel as though we've all shared parts of ourselves that maybe we didn't intend to."

Adam Pally humorously addresses his discomfort with self-promotion while still mentioning his projects:

Adam Pally [36:55]: "What? It's horrible. It feels horrible to say. I hate that people say, like, actor, writer, podcast host. It makes my fucking skin crawl."

The episode concludes with Malik providing information on where listeners can find more about the guests:

Malik Elisal [37:05]: "Before you go, will you tell everyone where they can find you and what you want them to watch and listen to?"

The trio bids farewell, leaving listeners with a sense of camaraderie and shared human experiences.

Notable Quotes

• Malik Elisal [01:01]: "I wanted to make sure that I'm the cleanest girl in the whole wide. And now it looks unmistakably like there's shit all over the bed."
• Adam Pally [15:00]: "I was like, the worst five minutes of my life."
• Unnamed Comedian [07:44]: "I think comedians go into stand-up partially because they've already experienced so much humiliation that they feel ready for that onslaught."
• Adam Pally [27:22]: "Most people I know can't even watch a sex scene with their family, never mind do a sex scene."

Takeaways

This episode of Wrong Turns with Jameela Jamil offers a raw and humorous glimpse into the most embarrassing moments of Adam Pally and his guests. Through shared stories of personal mishaps and awkward encounters, the conversation emphasizes that everyone experiences "wrong turns" in life. The candidness and humor with which these stories are told foster a sense of relatability and solidarity among listeners, reinforcing the podcast’s mission to celebrate the hilarity in human imperfection.