Overview of Fan Favorite Episode 331: Will Sasso
This episode is a long, fast-moving, highly improvised conversation between Brian Callen and guest host Will Sasso. The bulk of the show is classic Fighter and the Kid style banter: absurd insults, fake threats, movie and TV promotion, wrestling and MMA talk, and a few surprisingly thoughtful detours into media, aging, and the state of comedy.
Main Topics Discussed
Comedy, podcasting, and guest-host chemistry
- Will Sasso is introduced as a guest host filling in for Brendan.
- Much of the episode is built around the hosts riffing on:
- their friendship
- bad faith insults
- over-the-top “gift” jokes
- exaggerated threats and physical comedy bits
- They repeatedly reference the show’s evolving format and the chaos of their “10 Minute Podcast” style of comedy.
Acting, Hollywood, and career updates
- Brian and Will discuss acting work, auditioning, and how Hollywood is driven by perception and access.
- Will plugs Loudermilk and talks about returning for another season.
- Brian mentions various acting projects and his comedy showcase plans.
- They also discuss how actors and comics are judged, how projects get greenlit, and how much of the entertainment industry is based on mood, timing, and branding.
Wrestling, MMA, and combat sports
- The conversation repeatedly returns to:
- WWE and Ronda Rousey’s crossover into wrestling
- injury risk in combat sports
- the spectacle and choreography of wrestling
- the mindset of fighters and athletes
- Brian and Will joke about the line between “real fighting” and performance.
- They use a lot of exaggerated physical comedy to parody martial arts and pro wrestling talk.
News media, politics, and modern information cycles
- The episode includes a serious stretch about:
- algorithms shaping news consumption
- the decline of trusted media sources
- how TV news is more like entertainment than objective reporting
- They criticize clickbait, media incentives, and the way audiences live in echo chambers.
- Brian argues that modern news is driven by ratings and perception rather than truth.
Aging, health, and CTE
- There’s a notable conversation about:
- contact sports and brain injury
- CTE and long-term effects of head trauma
- what athletes “carry” from years of physical punishment
- The discussion is mixed with jokes, but it touches on the idea that repeated contact can affect behavior and cognition over time.
Notable Bits and Running Jokes
The “Best Woman” award
- One of the episode’s main running gags is Will giving Brian a cheap airport gift that says “Best Woman.”
- Brian is offended, and Will keeps escalating the bit by threatening to force him to display it or shove it somewhere inappropriate.
- This becomes one of the episode’s longest and most absurd recurring jokes.
Emotional support peacock
- They react to a news story about a woman trying to bring an emotional support peacock onto a flight.
- The bit turns into commentary on:
- fake service animals
- entitlement
- airport chaos
- how ridiculous public behavior can be
Absurd character/improv riffs
- The hosts repeatedly slide into fake accents, fake movie scenes, and invented characters.
- They also parody:
- British acting
- mob-style intimidation
- travel inconveniences
- celebrity prestige
- anti-social masculinity
Movies, TV, and Promotion Highlights
Super Troopers 2
- Will talks about being in Super Troopers 2 and jokes that he was in the trailer despite having no lines.
- The segment becomes a comedic argument about whether he’s actually visible and how much screen time he got.
Deadpool 2 trailer parody
- They watch and react to an absurd parody trailer, which Brian praises as one of the funniest things he’s seen.
- This section reinforces the episode’s meta-comedy tone and love of pop-culture spoofing.
Other plugs
- Will promotes:
- Loudermilk
- his stand-up appearances
- upcoming travel and shows in various cities
- Brian also mentions his own specials and comedy work.
Key Takeaways
- The episode is mostly a showcase of Brian Callen and Will Sasso’s improvisational chemistry.
- A lot of the humor comes from escalation, repetition, and mock-aggression.
- Beneath the jokes, they briefly touch on serious themes:
- media credibility
- sports injuries
- the value of comedy as commentary
- how entertainment shapes public perception
- The show is deliberately chaotic, but it still functions as a mix of:
- comedy sketch
- cultural commentary
- promotional hangout
- inside-joke marathon
Listener Notes
- If you want structure, this episode is not about one central topic.
- If you like:
- unfiltered riffing
- old-school podcast banter
- wrestling/MMA jokes
- Hollywood and comedy industry chatter
then this episode delivers a lot of that energy.
- The transcript also contains multiple ad reads and promotional segments woven into the banter.