Episode 92 · The GaS Digital / Ray Kump Era
Skin Pocket
Apr 18, 2018 · 1:09:26 · 22 segments, 151 moments indexed
- 1 min
Show open with music and applause, no talk yet.
- 3 min
Spokane Recap: Russ & Daughters Smoked Fish and a Bombing Bar Show
#Tim recounts a last-minute Spokane fill-in gig, a pricey smoked fish outing at Russ & Daughters, and a waitress at the restaurant wanting to try comedy after seeing his flop next door.
5moments
- 1:06Tim filled in last minute for a comedy show in Spokane, Washington
- 1:20Russ and Daughters charges heavily for their smoked fish despite the late hour making the selection excessive
- 1:35Tim tried caviar for the first time and felt fancy, though he acknowledges they charge what they want given their hundred-plus-year reputation
- 2:02After doing a show in the bar next door that didn't go well, the bartender asked if he was the comedian from next door
- 2:26Tim describes a world where everyone just does comedy, even doctors performing surgery on your wife while doing jokes
Russ and DaughtersSpokane, Washington
- 3 min
Red Eye Memories and Twin Peaks Vibes in Spokane
#Tim describes the bizarre mix of comedians and pundits on Fox's Red Eye, then describes Spokane's gloomy Twin Peaks-like atmosphere and a woodchuck he encountered in a park.
8moments
- 3:00Red Eye was a Fox News show at 3 a.m. that mixed comedians with pundits fulfilling contract hours.
- 3:37The panel would have Tim, Bonnie McFarland, John Bolton, and Katie McFarland trying to be simultaneously smart and funny.
- 3:50Comedians tried to be smart while pundits tried to be funny, which didn't work—Bolton cracking jokes while discussing Syria.
- 4:15Tim was called to fill in last minute on Red Eye in the Pacific Northwest, a part of the country he'd never visited.
- 4:41The eeriness of the area felt familiar until he realized it resembled Twin Peaks—desolate with few people around.
- 4:53Tim found a woodchuck he initially thought was a beaver, also known as a groundhog or marmot.
- 5:15Argument about whether fucking a woodchuck to death would harm it, with Tim defending the animal's potential resilience.
- 5:38Spokane was once a major meth town but lost the title when other towns took over the market.
Red EyeFox NewsBonnie McFarlaneSpokaneJohn BoltonTwin PeaksPacific Northwest
- 4 min
Meth Trailers, Cartel Theories, and the Pacific Northwest's Dark Underbelly
#He riffs on Spokane's meth history, speculates about cartels and Breaking Bad, and expands into a bit about the eerie darkness beneath the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, including a tangent on Chinese exploration history.
9moments
- 5:53Landing planes into the Pacific Northwest reveals beautiful mountains and rivers from above, then meth trailer debris scattered through the woods below.
- 7:02Tim describes spotting trailers and trash deep in the forest while flying over and immediately thinking it's a meth operation.
- 7:40The Pacific Northwest has natural beauty at first glance but darkness beneath the surface.
- 7:58Tim questions why Chinese explorers didn't reach America before Europeans, noting they made spaghetti instead.
- 8:42The Pacific Northwest is predominantly Northern European—Scandinavian, Icelandic, Finnish types who look translucent and blue-eyed.
- 9:18Scandinavians landed with sheep and didn't care, settling in cold winters because they're used to harsh climates.
- 9:38Coming from New York, the region feels spooky—more hicks than expected despite thinking Seattle-area cities were evolved and sensitive.
- 9:59Northern Idaho is known for white supremacy and attempted KKK resurgence in the early 2000s when a group tried to establish a stronghold there.
- 10:12The KKK resurgence attempt in Northern Idaho was well-publicized but ultimately run out of town.
- 2 min
Idaho Klan History and 'You Guys Are Fucking White' Crowd Work
#Tim describes northern Idaho's white supremacist history including a failed KKK stronghold in Hayden Lake, then recounts a crowd-work bit where 15% of a Spokane audience cheered when he called them white.
4moments
- 10:33Klan chose Hayden Lake, Idaho because locals were sympathetic to their views, not because they were driven out by opposition.
- 11:01Tim notes that even self-identified Nazis come to comedy shows because sometimes you want to put on your dancing shoes.
- 11:24About 15% of the room cheered and affirmed "you're damn right, we're white," which disturbed Tim even in a large audience.
- 11:48Local media were discussing the North Idaho governor's race and a candidate named Little Rich Little or something similar.
Hayden Lake, IdahoSpokaneNorth Idaho governor's race
- 5 min
Local Morning TV and the Spice Hound Segment
#He describes doing haphazard local morning news spots to promote shows, joking about Idaho's Lord of the Rings-sounding governor race, and the absurdity of a local segment called 'The Spice Hound' where a guy sells homemade barbecue rub.
9moments
- 12:12Tim jokes about a candidate's name sounding like Lord of the Rings.
- 12:32Tim likes morning TV appearances because of how haphazard and unstructured they are.
- 13:00A typical morning show anchor reads national park fees, then pivots to introducing a comedian.
- 13:39People in meth trailers wake up seeing Tim's face telling them to come to a comedy show.
- 14:26Nobody above the on-air talent is paying attention or minding the store.
- 15:09A local news segment cuts from Tim to the Spice Hound, a guy hawking homemade barbecue rub.
- 15:40Tim enjoys doing morning TV without treating it as permanent or dramatic.
- 16:04Local news remains one of the few reasons people still watch TV, alongside weather and alerts.
- 16:27There used to be shared cultural touchstones like classic rock bands that everyone knew.
morning newsCaroline's Comedy ClubHilaritiesButch OtterJoni MitchellSpokane
- 3 min
Joni Mitchell, Local TV's Last Days, and Shared Culture Lost
#A tangent about Joni Mitchell mix tapes turns into a riff on how shared cultural touchstones like music have disappeared, and whether hyper-local morning TV and radio will survive.
9moments
- 16:41Tim compares himself to Joni Mitchell, calling her a failure who never worked in vice or did a sports show.
- 17:23Lack of shared cultural touchstones means there's no common bond anymore — people are going into the woods by themselves.
- 17:46Tim interrupts himself with a sketch about a detective interrogating him regarding a missing woman.
- 18:16He feels like he's on the last leg of doing local TV shows, though he'll probably still be doing them in three years.
- 18:50It would be amazing if in ten years there was still New Day Cleveland, but local morning TV might be the last thing to survive.
- 19:04Every morning radio show features two guys who are buffoons, with David Cross having written a great bit about the format.
- 19:24Story about a Spokane radio guy being called too good for his market — Tim's instinct is the guy is exactly where he belongs.
- 19:42Local radio remains the only place where small businesses like Bob's shellacking service can actually afford to advertise.
- 19:58Radio only exists in meaningful form at the local capacity level, according to Ralph Sutton.
- 3 min
The Radio Guy Who Wants Into New York and Williamsburg's Death
#Tim describes an awkward local radio interview with a guy fishing for NYC restaurant hookups and pizza recommendations, then riffs on how New York's hipster identity has faded into just rich people, including Williamsburg's decline.
8moments
- 20:10Tim explains that terrestrial radio only makes sense if it's hyper-local.
- 20:28Radio station hosts in smaller markets rank differently when transplanted to New York—a nine in Spokane becomes a six in the city.
- 20:47Tim describes a Spokane radio guy who name-drops New York dismissively, then spends the whole interview trying to get him to hook him up with restaurants and clubs.
- 21:26The radio guy asks Tim about the best pizza in New York, then wants to know what they'd say about him at Sabara.
- 21:41Tim's take: to provincial radio people, New York is frozen in a fantasy of pizza, the mafia, and tomato sauce—a reference that hasn't been relevant for 30 years.
- 22:07Even hipster culture in New York is fading; the city is now just rich people, occasionally one with a hat.
- 22:32Williamsburg in 2005 or 2007 felt cool and alive; something was actually happening there.
- 22:45Tim went to Williamsburg today for lunch with a friend and found nothing left.
New York CitySpokaneWilliamsburgLa GouletteSabara
- 2 min
Spokane Brunch and Basic Economy Flying
#He compares a fancy Spokane brunch unfavorably to NYC execution standards, then explains his strategy of flying basic economy with just a backpack.
5moments
- 23:08Tim describes going to a nice brunch in Spokane, finding it fine but unremarkable.
- 23:39Major cities like New York and LA execute things more competently than other places, though the produce is worse because of chemicals and plastic.
- 24:00Tim mocks pre-made crepes being presented as fancy—guys just heating them up and adding apple, locals eating it up.
- 24:26Flying basic economy means no overhead bin, no seat selection, no cancellation, no upgrades—essentially traveling as a stowaway to save fifty bucks.
- 24:46Tim justifies basic economy for short trips since he only travels with a backpack, two jeans, and three shirts.
- 7 min
Trapped Between Two Fat Guys on a United Flight
#An extended story about being seated between two extremely overweight passengers on a delayed United flight, the shared humiliation, a fat guy's fake excuses to move seats, and reflections on being fat himself in public spaces.
12moments
- 25:12Tim boards a United flight delayed due to technical instrument problems the captain overshares.
- 25:53He walks to his seat and sees two large men: one muscular and reading a gun magazine, the other older and nervous.
- 26:44Tim sits down between them and has to squeeze into the skin pocket they're occupying, becoming a three-headed flesh sculpture.
- 27:08The two men didn't smell bad, but appeared as an unending row of flesh like Cerberus from Greek mythology.
- 27:30Other passengers visibly react with shame and disgust at the sight of the three of them.
- 28:11The fat guy on the left tries to move to a seat next to his son, then invents increasingly elaborate fake relationships to explain wanting to leave.
- 29:12Young kids boarding the plane stare at them like they're a spectacle, prompting Tim to feel ashamed.
- 29:34Tim was angry at United for seating three fat people together, nearly screaming at staff before realizing it wasn't the airline's fault.
- 30:20He acknowledges the situation was brutal and moves on to his previous worst plane experience.
- 31:13Tim explains that being fat is never preferable, but he can sometimes play it off as just a big guy unless shoved between other large people.
- 31:50In that position, he's just a meatball people point at, and other passengers feel grateful they're not like him.
- 32:07The plane lands and Tim pivots to a completely unrelated topic.
- 3 min
Craigslist Personals Shutdown and the Raymond Bit
#Discussion of Backpage and Craigslist personals getting shut down leads into an improvised bit voicing 'Raymond' calling a Craigslist ad from a hot dog truck, plus talk of legalizing and unionizing prostitution.
10moments
- 32:21Craigslist personals, Backpage, and Reddit threads for meeting people have all been shut down.
- 32:46Tim used Craigslist back in the day to procure arrangements with ladies.
- 33:14He called a Craigslist number once and someone answered — then the bit shifts to a character called Raymond.
- 33:50Raymond character bit: "Hello, this is Raymond. I saw your ad on Craigslist. I want you to come. It's got to be in my car. I only own a car."
- 34:07Raymond pitches a group encounter at the potato bread warehouse parking lot because his coworkers are tired of fucking dolls.
- 34:22The bit escalates with Raymond making increasingly crude comments about the woman's body and past.
- 34:41Tim lands on the punchline: "Three times a Craigslist lady" — the song callback.
- 34:52Tangent about a woman who used to perform sex acts in a hot dog truck, and the lasting effect of that environment.
- 35:32Discussion turns to Seeking Arrangements and whether the humane solution is to legalize and unionize prostitution.
- 35:43Tim proposes starting a movement to legalize and unionize sex work.
CraigslistprostitutionWendy StarlingBackpageReddit
- 5 min
Craigslist Hooker Calls, Rent Boys, and Amsterdam's Red Light District
#More riffing on calling escorts off Craigslist with impressions, a tangent on rent boys and hotel arrangements, and a story about the producer's trip to Amsterdam's red light district and window prostitutes.
8moments
- 36:01Tim describes calling Craigslist hookers back when women would answer the phone and play along with the solicitation.
- 36:59A guy called a hooker and asked her to pick up Newport cigarettes and snacks; she took the items and disappeared without providing services.
- 38:31Tim notes that most people don't have it in them to solicit sex workers, distinguishing this from his producer's newfound interest.
- 38:45The producer mentions visiting Amsterdam's red light district; Tim dismisses it as pussy shit compared to Craigslist solicitation.
- 39:16Amsterdam's red light district features women in canal-side windows displaying rates by holding up fingers—five for fifty dollars, four for forty.
- 39:40Side streets in Amsterdam's red light district are risky because you don't know what you're getting; main strip features the most attractive workers.
- 39:50The producer explains side streets might have transgender workers; Tim says he finds transgender women charming and likes them.
- 40:17Tim tells the producer he's lucky to be coming home to him after being discriminated against as a transgender woman.
- 3 min
Alex Jones and Human-Animal Hybrids
#Tim talks about a reporter friend who covers mind-control conspiracy topics while Alex Jones profits off similar material, leading into playing and reacting to an Alex Jones clip about human-animal hybrids.
8moments
- 40:54Tim wrote a book on lower socioeconomic children but spent the next eight years researching mind control victims after getting flooded with emails about it.
- 41:16The research is thankless; Alex Jones makes $30 million a year saying outlandish things like people with fish gills while others do the groundwork.
- 42:00Playing Alex Jones's favorite clip about human-animal hybrids as one of the biggest threats to humanity.
- 42:16Jones claims he never told the story on air because it's so fantastical—describing tanks with people with gills and babies clawing at the sides.
- 42:38Jones catalogs the various human-animal crosses: part ape, part monkey, part dog, part insect, part jellyfish, part reptile, part fish.
- 42:57Tim notes Jones is "pro human" and mentions being in a pizza place while covering spider ghosts when they're creating aliens on the planet.
- 43:09Human-pig hybrids for organ transplant could develop into monsters with human brains, and humanoids are gestating.
- 43:21Tim notes Jones didn't used to go into this kind of historical detail when making these claims.
- 3 min
Art Bell, Coast to Coast AM, and the Area 51 Frantic Caller
#A tribute to the late Art Bell and his overnight paranormal radio show leads to the legendary story of a caller claiming to work at Area 51 whose call was allegedly cut off by unknown interference.
9moments
- 43:53Tim pays respect to Art Bell, the late Coast to Coast AM host.
- 44:04Bell lived in the Nevada desert married to a woman from the Philippines.
- 44:31Art Bell was one of the first on radio talking about aliens and paranormal stuff mixed with conspiracy theory.
- 44:54Callers would claim experiences like reptilian abductions, and Bell had to interview them seriously.
- 45:10Bell's most famous call came from someone claiming to work at Area 51.
- 45:28Bell had a dedicated phone line specifically for Area 51 callers.
- 45:45A year later someone called back claiming to be the same Area 51 caller, but sounding different.
- 46:00Tim speculates the government either pranked Bell, held the caller for a year, or killed him.
- 46:25The YouTube description says the entire radio station was zapped off the air as the caller mentioned detailed alien plans.
Art BellArea 51Coast to Coast AMDonald TrumpGeorge NorrieAlex Jones
- 5 min
Playing the Area 51 Frantic Caller Clip
#They play the actual Art Bell Area 51 caller audio clip and dissect whether it sounds real or staged, debating what genuine terror versus performed panic would sound like.
9moments
- 47:00Tim plays the Area 51 frantic caller clip, where a former employee claims aliens have infiltrated the military at Area 51.
- 47:38The caller claims the aliens they're thinking of are actually Jews and dimensional beings.
- 48:56Tim critiques the caller's delivery as histrionic and over-the-top, too theatrical to be genuine.
- 49:41He argues the claim would be more convincing if delivered by someone calm and boring instead of frantic.
- 50:00Tim demands specifics about what these aliens actually look like instead of vague control narratives.
- 50:23Area 51 is likely a code name for a DARPA development site rather than an alien base.
- 50:42The entire alien story may be a cover-up for U.S. defense research and weapons development, not extraterrestrials.
- 51:17Tim acknowledges credible books about aliens exist but finds it hard to believe all these sightings are real.
- 51:28He remains open to aliens but suspects it's more likely just people finding things on Craigslist.
- 4 min
DMT, Alien Theories, and the Government-Did-It Angle
#Riffing on DMT and near-death experiences relating to alien encounter reports, plus a mention of Stan Romanek's alien documentary and kiddie porn charges, and the theory that alien stories might cover for government activity.
8moments
- 51:35Tim argues the US government doing abductions is more likely than aliens, and finds it funny that the government's explanation is crazier than the alien theory.
- 52:13DMT likely exists in the brain and is released when you die, causing hallucinations similar to those from acid and near-death experiences.
- 53:01Stan Romanek claimed aliens kept showing up in his life, but was later arrested on child pornography charges.
- 53:22Tim recommends books like Family of Secrets, The Devil's Chessboard, and David Halberstam's The 50s as credible sources on government conspiracies.
- 54:09Alien claims lack the same credible documentation and cross-referenceable information that genuine government conspiracy investigations offer.
- 54:42The government's known lies about Iraq weapons don't reconcile with theories that aliens are directing policy, unless the government is just acting on its own.
- 55:06Extra-dimensional beings that feed off negative energy made the most sense as an explanation in a longer conversation about alien theories.
- 55:29Credo Mutwa is an interesting figure who claims to see reptilians and should be found on YouTube.
Stan RomanekCredo MutwaDavid HalberstamAlex Jones
- 5 min
Credo Mutwa, David Icke, and the Reptilian Rabbit Hole
#Tim recalls getting deep into reptilian conspiracy content while high, plays a clip of David Icke interviewing Credo Mutwa, and jokes about the absurdity of reptilian bloodline theories versus just rich people being powerful.
7moments
- 55:57Tim introduces David Icke's three-hour video on the reptilian agenda, found while drug-addled and wandering the internet.
- 56:22David Icke interviews Credo Mutwa in South Africa, calling him a genius within minutes of meeting.
- 57:12Tim admits he was high on drugs and perks when he first watched this material and got excited about it.
- 58:33The reptilian rabbit hole is different from JFK or 9/11 conspiracies—you go down the tunnel and can't see out anymore.
- 59:07Tim questions why powerful people have to be reptiles instead of just rich and powerful humans propagating their own interests.
- 59:20Tim jokes that Icke was probably paid to promote the reptilian theory in exchange for a nice beach house and paying for his kids' university.
- 59:44The reptilian theory claims world leaders look human when bombing Syria but shapeshift into iguanas at home.
Credo MutwaDavid Ike
- 3 min
Defining 'Credible' and Chasing Book Guests
#Tim riffs on audience members calling unreliable sources 'credible,' name-drops books he wants guests from (Annie Jacobson's DARPA book, a Russian mafia book) who won't come on, then previews a prior 'human brunch' episode about arresting kids.
10moments
- 1:00:25Tim defines credible: able to be believed and convincing, then dismisses the definition as too loose for booking guests.
- 1:00:52Soliciting listener recommendations for book authors with interesting subjects like aliens or paranormal activity to appear on the show.
- 1:01:06Tim tried to book Mark Galeotti, who wrote about Russian gangsters, but received no response despite Galeotti's busy book tour.
- 1:01:26Annie Jacobson, who wrote about DARPA, won't come on the show despite being friends with Tim's friend.
- 1:01:42Tim seeks credible guests and mentions re-contacting a previous prospect who claimed to have inside stories.
- 1:01:56A Major League Baseball player who knows about doping offered to share stories, but Tim only picked up one sentence of the conversation.
- 1:02:30Tim dismisses the most recent episode as sounding like a homeless encampment being broken up.
- 1:02:54The episode covered arresting children, which Tim acknowledges sounds bad when taken out of context.
- 1:03:15Tim explains he was making a point about why teachers shouldn't have guns, not literally advocating stabbing kids.
- 1:03:38Tim invites listeners to judge the episode for themselves to decide how well the conversation actually went.
- 2 min
Johnny and Ray Bit: Dad's Steaks and Eating a Person
#A surreal improvised two-hander bit between Tim and Ray voicing characters named Johnny and Ray discussing tough steak and eating a person, followed by a jab at a crude ad running before their show.
5moments
- 1:03:59Johnny recommends Dad's Steaks, praising tough meat because chewing keeps you engaged.
- 1:04:11Tim asks if Ray ever thinks about eating a person.
- 1:04:27Tim complains about a pre-show ad that opens with extreme sexual content before the actual episode begins.
- 1:04:55He questions how the show escalates after starting at such a graphic place in the ad.
- 1:05:50News alert: Barbara Bush has died at 92.
Barbara BushDad's SteaksChris Gethard
- 1 min
Breaking news that Barbara Bush has died at 92 sparks speculation about what she knew about the Bush family's secrets and power.
3moments
- 1:06:11Tim on Barbara Bush knowing about JFK's affairs and being complicit in the family's secrets
- 1:06:34She wasn't running the show but she was in it — Barbara Bush as a knowing player in the family dynamics
- 1:06:47George H.W. Bush looks like he's shitting himself constantly yet jumps out of planes
- 1 min
George H.W. Bush's Dark History and Skankfest Plug
#Tim riffs on George H.W. Bush's CIA past, Honduras, and whether there's a shadowy fixer in government, then plugs Skankfest dates in July.
3moments
- 1:07:02Tim lists George H.W. Bush's crimes: overthrowing Honduras and other atrocities.
- 1:07:40Tim plugs Vice Sports and mentions Ted Williams's frozen head in a tuna fish can, a cop beating a crippled guy.
- 1:08:07Skankfest tickets available for July 14th and 15th.
- 1 min
Closing Riff: Apology Letters to the Bushes and Clintons
#Tim closes with a bit imagining writing apology letters to the Bushes and Clintons for underestimating how fragile the country was, ending on Trump's election and a dark joke about Barbara Bush's last words.
2moments
- 1:08:43Tim wants to write apology letters to the Clintons and Bushes, saying he never realized how fragile the country was.
- 1:08:57Trump's election revealed the nation was held together by lies about political assassinations, fragile as a ball thrown carelessly indoors.