Tom Kelly Show

Tom Kelly
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"Get Back To The Fun" . . . Tom Kelly is a stand-up comedian who has worked with almost every celebrity imaginable. He's a man of a certain age asking deep questions while also sharing unsolicited opinions about news and world events. He refuses to niche down. He's on a quest to be real. But the reality is he's also learned, it's time to be silly, loosen up and get "Back To The Fun."

  1. 4D AGO

    470: Massapequa School Board Candidate - Danielle Ocuto

    Current Massapequa school board member and candidate Danielle Ocuto joins Tom at Paradise Studios in Massapequa for a wide-ranging discussion about: The "Save the Chief" mascot controversy Lawsuits and taxpayer money COVID-era mask debates Parent rights in schools Transgender bathroom and locker room policies Public comment at school board meetings Universal Pre-K And why local school board politics have become national news ⚠️ This episode is presented as a conversation and not an endorsement of any candidate or position. -------- Want To Record A Podcast Or Learn To Podcast? Recorded at Paradise Studios Massapequa - New York https://www.paradisestudiosny.com ----- ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 1:00 – "National politics are Massapequa politics now" 1:20 – Is the election closer than it appears online? 1:37 – "You have to be insane to run for school board" 2:16 – Danielle Ocuto explains why she first decided to run 2:31 – Volunteer work, Girl Scouts & PTA involvement 3:14 – Growing up in Massapequa 🪶 SAVE THE CHIEF CONTROVERSY 3:44 – Tom asks about "Save the Chief" 3:59 – Danielle explains the mascot debate 4:22 – Kathy Hochul's mandate explained 4:30 – Why Massapequa became the district leading the lawsuit 5:10 – Fighting Irish vs Vikings vs Chiefs 5:36 – The financial side of replacing the mascot 7:08 – Tom shares his thoughts on the mascot debate 7:53 – Discussion about Native American outreach 💰 LAWSUITS & TAXPAYER MONEY 9:48 – "How much are we willing to spend?" 10:07 – Danielle pushes back on the $600K figure 10:49 – COVID-related lawsuits included in the total 11:15 – Breaking down the district budget 11:51 – Is there a cap on "Saving the Chief" legal spending? 😷 COVID, MASKS & SCHOOL BOARD POLITICS 12:07 – Cuomo, masks & hindsight 12:33 – "Maybe Massapequa wasn't so outlandish" 13:13 – Tom talks about how COVID changed his career 13:48 – Should school boards take political positions? 14:14 – Danielle discusses student safety and emotional wellbeing 14:41 – "Our kids were exploited during COVID" 15:17 – Why Danielle admired the school board during that time 15:35 – How COVID influenced her decision to run 📧 THE BOBBY BONETT EMAIL CONTROVERSY 15:51 – Tom reads Bobby Bonett's old COVID email on-air 16:52 – "Lowest common denominator of intelligence" becomes a meme 17:06 – Should school boards fight state policy? 17:50 – What about parents who disagreed? 🚻 TRANS POLICIES & BATHROOMS 18:35 – Parent rights discussion begins 19:06 – Schools not informing parents about gender identity changes 19:43 – Danielle explains state guidance on gender identity 20:22 – "Keeping parents out is not fair" 20:45 – Tom asks about the bathroom lawsuit 21:03 – "We don't want to hurt any students" 21:27 – Biological sex vs gender identity policy explained 22:20 – Who sued who? 23:02 – Federal vs state guidance conflict 23:35 – Gender-neutral spaces & accommodations 24:14 – Tom asks about Bobby Bonett's "changing booths" idea 24:29 – Danielle responds to the proposal 🎤 SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS & LOCAL CHAOS 25:10 – Facebook groups & public outrage 25:45 – "You should come to a board meeting" 26:20 – Danielle discusses "agitators" disrupting meetings 26:42 – Why meetings were moved into an auditorium 27:07 – When protests escalated 27:46 – Public comment changes at special meetings 28:52 – How other Long Island districts handle comments 🏫 EDUCATION ISSUES 29:44 – Why Massapequa does not currently offer Universal Pre-K 30:33 – Danielle discusses choosing preschool during COVID 31:16 – What Danielle loves about Massapequa 31:40 – Why the community rallies together ⚽ SPORTS & TRANS ATHLETES 33:40 – Discussion about sports participation policies 34:07 – Danielle: "I think it's not safe" 34:43 – Supports for transgender students 35:37 – "We're focused on student strengths, not labels" 36:23 – "What you bring to the world matters" 🎤 FINAL THOUGHTS 36:45 – Tom almost pivots into campaign finance questions 37:03 – Danielle discusses campaign donations 37:17 – Final message to voters 38:16 – Celebrating students beyond college paths 38:33 – Danielle's closing statement 38:52 – Tom closes the show

    39 min

  2. APR 28

    469: Massapequa School Board Candidate: Bobby Bonett

    Tom Kelly runs into Bobby Bonett a magazine publisher running for school board in Massapequa, Long Island. - What follows is a raw, unscripted conversation about: Local politics The "Save the Chief" controversy Lawsuits vs taxpayer money Transgender policies in schools And why school boards shouldn't be this dramatic in the first place ⚠️ This is NOT an endorsement — it's a conversation. :00 – Podcasting from the back of a car 🚗 0:21 – Why this race matters (even if you're not local) 1:17 – George Santos & why local coverage matters 2:09 – "Left-leaning" in a right-leaning town? 3:03 – "A school board should be boring" 3:28 – The 2 biggest issues: Mascot + bathrooms 🪶 THE MASCOT CONTROVERSY 4:05 – History of the "Chief" debate 4:38 – "Save the Chiefs" — Bobby's stance 6:00 – 💰 Are taxpayer dollars funding lawsuits? 6:40 – How much is too much to spend? 8:43 – "We haven't won a single lawsuit" 💸 MONEY & CAMPAIGN QUESTIONS 9:27 – Rumors: Soros? Outside money? 10:03 – "Every dollar came from people in town" 10:44 – Spending $10,000 of his own money 11:44 – Should candidates run as a team? 🚻 TRANS POLICY & SCHOOL ISSUES 14:39 – Breaking down NY's transgender policy 15:08 – Teachers caught between state vs district rules 17:05 – Solution: privacy partitions in locker rooms 19:00 – Sports participation (case-by-case approach) 🏫 BIGGER PICTURE 20:42 – Can the public speak at meetings anymore? 21:28 – Are school boards becoming political platforms? 23:40 – "We're talking about courtrooms, not classrooms" 24:36 – "A school board should be boring" (again… for a reason) 🎤 FINAL THOUGHTS 25:51 – Agreeing to disagree 27:19 – Bobby's closing statement

    28 min

  3. APR 20

    467: Finding Mary Smith - Al Isaacs Finds Out He Is Adopted While Dealing With Parents' Dementia

    What would you do if you found out — in your 50s — that you were adopted? Tonight on The Tom Kelly Show, comedian and author Al Isaacs shares the unbelievable true story behind his book Finding Mary Smith. What starts as dealing with his parents' dementia turns into a life-altering discovery… and a search for the truth about who he really is. This episode has everything: A shocking revelation from a doctor A decades-long family secret DNA tests, dead ends, and breakthroughs A cross-country search for biological family And a live, emotional surprise ending It's funny, raw, and deeply human — a story about identity, family, and what happens when your entire life suddenly makes more sense. Stick around to the end — the twist happens live. ⏱️ CHAPTERS (for apps that support them) 00:00 – Opening & setting the stage 00:20 – The premise: finding out you're adopted 03:50 – The doctor call that changes everything 05:00 – A Christmas story that defines Tom 07:20 – Identity crisis & growing up "different" 10:45 – Why Al never told his father 12:40 – Dementia and realizing something's wrong 14:25 – Beginning the search during COVID 19:30 – DNA tests & ancestry surprises 20:30 – "Gray market" adoption explained 23:00 – First major breakthrough 26:30 – Reaching out to a possible sister 27:30 – "I've been looking for you for 20 years" 30:50 – Discovering his real parents 32:30 – Finding his mother online 34:20 – The message that changes everything 36:20 – Reaching out (and the fear of it) 37:25 – Life after finding the truth 39:30 – Why he wrote the book 40:20 – Q&A and audience stories 48:30 – Live surprise ending 49:25 – Emotional reunion 53:10 – Advice for others in similar situations

    57 min

  4. MAR 29

    465 : Long Island Identity Crisis - Colbert End

    Tom talks about his continued identity crisis as Stephen Colbert ends his talk show and Long Island Real Estate agents start mimicking his Long Island content. Plus: some behind the scenes scoop on the end of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert and what goes into the show's production!

    21 min

  5. MAR 9

    Sunrise Mall Is Officially DEAD 😳 | Justin Timberlake DWI Drama + Apple Watch Tracking Your Sex?!

    Comedian Tom Kelly reacts to breaking Long Island news: the final store inside the Sunrise Mall in Massapequa is closing, officially ending an era for one of Long Island's most nostalgic malls. Tom dives into the memories, the controversy over turning the site into an Amazon distribution center, and why the death of malls says a lot about what's happening to communities across Long Island. Plus: Justin Timberlake's Long Island DWI arrest drama Why Timberlake is trying to block the police body cam footage And the weird discovery that the Apple Watch may track your sex life 🤯 Classic Tom Kelly ranting, storytelling, and Long Island nostalgia.

    17 min

  6. MAR 3

    463: Long Island Favorites Things - Bars, Pizza, Malls, Clubs & Bad Decisions

    Podcasting from a loaner car on Sunrise Highway, blinded by golden hour like a true Long Island poet, comedian Tom Kelly and producer Steve Burger break down the ultimate list of Long Island's favorite things — past and present. From legendary bars and extinct malls… to pizza spots, chain restaurants, and 90s club stories that probably should've stayed in the 90s. If you grew up on Long Island, this episode is basically a time machine. Show Notes: Lex Burger's New Movie Strangers To Strangers

    22 min

  7. FEB 23

    462: New York Electronic Chains Past And Present

    Electronics Stores: PC Richard, The Wiz, Circuit City, Best Buy, Crazy Eddie and . . . Tower Records (which did not belong on the list). Tom Kelly and comedian Steve Burger discuss electronic stores past and present. What went right? What went wrong? And how did we miss Radio Shack? - Plus: Tom Kelly will be swimming in a shark tank at the Long Island aquarium to promote People's ARC a non profit that helps children and adults with special needs. - Tickets For The Shark Tank Showdown https://www.peoplesarc.org/event/shark-tank-showdown-2/

    24 min

  8. FEB 16

    461: James Vanderbeek Remembered and Bad Bunny Half Time Review

    The final review of the Bad Bunny Superbowl Half Time Show that you didn't want to watch. Did caucasians miss out on some of the important nuances of Bad Bunny's performance because he performed in Spanish? Did Tom benefit from a translator? Plus we promote: the People's Arc Shark Tank Showdown fundraiser at Long Island Aquarium. - ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 Welcome to The Tom Kelly Show 0:20 James Van Der Beek & Bud Cort discussion 0:41 Dogma, Harold and Maude & Kevin Smith connections 1:02 Dawson's Creek nostalgia & comedy bit origins 2:09 Stand-up joke about "looking like Dawson" 3:00 90s theme songs vs. today's TV 4:27 Jason Kelce comparisons & bushy eyebrows theory 5:44 Super Bowl party setup (Catholic house, mixed politics) 6:46 Bad Bunny halftime show in a divided political room 7:25 Cultural context behind Bad Bunny's performance 8:16 Comparing it to The Weeknd's halftime show 9:21 Puerto Rico & political commentary discussion 10:30 Was it better on TV than live? 11:04 Kid Rock alternate halftime review 12:26 Super Bowl gambling pools & changing fan behavior 13:52 When one guy wins every box (classic Bob) 14:37 People's Arc "Shark Tank Showdown" at Long Island Aquarium 15:21 Supporting developmentally different adults 16:09 Mermaid tail fundraiser idea Links: ---------------- Socials: @TomKellyShow Website And Podcast: https://tomkellyshow.com

    17 min
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5
out of 5
180 Ratings

About

"Get Back To The Fun" . . . Tom Kelly is a stand-up comedian who has worked with almost every celebrity imaginable. He's a man of a certain age asking deep questions while also sharing unsolicited opinions about news and world events. He refuses to niche down. He's on a quest to be real. But the reality is he's also learned, it's time to be silly, loosen up and get "Back To The Fun."

Information

  • Creator
    Tom Kelly
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    300
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 and beyond! All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Tom Kelly Show

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