Favorite on-air Tom moves

[andrew in philadelphia]

I love it when a caller goes into a long and detailed story, Tom starts pressing the caller for more insignificant details.  Usually, the caller is so wrapped up in their story, they don't notice that Tom is poking fun at them.

A classic example of this is not-the-Andrew from Philadelphia's story about packing for his camping trip during the 5/20 show, especially:

"Andrew is still packing, a (seemingly-epic) task that required 40 trips up and down the stairs. Tom requests some additional details about each of these trips. Andrew says he was just carting a bunch of camping gear."

I loved the fact that someone declined to provide boring details about something boring that Tom jokingly wanted to hear more about.  However, Andrew did come through with a very good ending -- the two crazies circling him in prayer to rid him of germaphobia.

that call was a disaster. i was so nervous, which always equals me transforming into captain windbag. i couldn't even listen to it - had to skip over it on the podcast. it was a funny recap though. great, actually. always.

[Pete Velcro]

I've always appreciated the disclaimer "It's hard to find things you like in this world..." You don't get that kind of thing on other radio shows. 

[Spreekemp]

I like when Tom asks the caller "right?" Because it usually follows some weird thing, and not a concept that can be agreed with. 

A lot of callers either ignore it or miss it, but the best is when he asks a second time: "right?"

Speaking of, say, the monkeys in Indiana Jones:

Tom: Those monkeys, right?
Caller:...
Tom:....right? The monkeys?

Like, what does the caller say, "Right, the monkeys"

....I love it.

[iAmBaronVonTito]

i didn't read most of this thread, but just in case it hasn't been brought up yet.



1. When Tom gets extra "righteous" and talks about stuff being filthy toilet stuff.

2. Tom's "fake ignorance".  Naming movies and albums and bands and stuff wrong and misquoting stuff. or pretending to have never heard of something.

i enjoyed the ignorance card this week, especially since Tom had that creep in his car buying the dvds he posted on craigslist/gregslist.

[Steeley Chris]

Tom imaging Spike's method of travel being that of Waldo Jeffers in VU's "The Gift", and then he started "singing" the song - that killed me.

[Josh Fenderman]

Yeah, I love when he mispronounces the names of famous and well-known bands. Like "Jim E. Hendrix". Or the "White Strips". I'm sure there's many other examples, but that's what comes to mind right now.

I was quite disappointed to find that there was no such artist as "Jim E. Hendrix".  I'm not sure what I thought it was going to be but it took a while for me to accept the fact that I wasn't going to find anything under that name.

Along those same lines I remember:

Caller: (Something about) Superchunk.
Tom: What is it? Supertongue?

[emdasher]

Has anyone mentioned when Tom says "I'm sorry" after a caller says where they are from? I'm pretty sure that on more than one occasion this has driven callers to either hang up immediately or get offended and attempt to engage Tom.

I'm from Houston, so undoubtedly this would happen to me if I were to call.

[mokin]

It doesn't happen that often, but occasionally Tom will call someone a pet name while saying goodbye. It always throws me for a loop, especially since he only seems to do it to guys.

Stuff like, "Bye, darling" or "thanks, Sweetheart."

The first time I heard it happen, my girlfriend and I looked at each other and she said, "Do you think he called him that by mistake?"

[Sarah]

I love it when Tom does that.  "Honey" is another one he uses. 

[orangewhip]

can someone link me to the call where tom sings "the gift"?

[Sarah]

Isn't "The Gift" more of a recitation?

[joanna]

I'm from Houston, so undoubtedly this would happen to me if I were to call.

i'm from houston, too! high? five?

wait i guess i should say i grew up in houston. i haven't lived there in... 12 years.

[Steeley Chris]

can someone link me to the call where tom sings "the gift"?

It was like two episodes ago, where Tom suggested that Spike's method of travel was through the mail in a cardboard box ala Waldo Jeffers. That killed me. 

[AllisonLeGnome]

It's only a little thing, but for some reason I always like when Tom announces himself as the host of "tonight's installment." It just adds an element of unpredictability to the only entirely predictable thing about the show.

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

can someone link me to the call where tom sings "the gift"?

It was like two episodes ago, where Tom suggested that Spike's method of travel was through the mail in a cardboard box ala Waldo Jeffers. That killed me. 

YES!  This was hilarious.  But did he actually sing part of The Gift?  I might have depodded at that moment.