Giant Bombcast 961: Thumb Parry

Jan Ochoa (0:22)

Hey everybody, it's Tuesday, October. Sixth, 2026 Welcome to the Giant Bombcast. I'm your host, Jan Ochoa. Joining me as always, co-captain of the ship, rolling blackouts cannot turn this man's engine off.

Dan Reichert (0:44)

Jeff Grubb.

Jeff Grubb (0:45)

No, you wanna hear something really sad, Jan?

Mike Minotti (0:47)

Sure.

Jeff Grubb (0:48)

I just looked up if the Earnest movies had any popularity outside the United States, and it basically had zero popularity. Can you imagine living your life and not knowing about what you know what I mean, Vern? Come on.

Mike Minotti (0:59)

If the Earnest goes to Africa, I will frequently just-

Jeff Grubb (1:02)

That would do it all right in South Africa, which again, they speak some English there, so that makes some sense.

Dan Reichert (1:07)

I've mentioned a lot how I don't really watch YouTube, but there is an exception, whereas I will frequently put on the giant two-hour highlight reels of all of the Earnest commercials from the mid to late 80s. It's like Mellow Yellow and stuff and local car dealerships. Those are good.

Jan Ochoa (1:23)

I'm sad that the Earnest IP is not strong, but you know what is?

Dan Reichert (1:28)

The franchise, Dan Ryker.

That's me. I am taking Vern. Vern is mine now, Chat, and you are all Vern. Hello, Vern. Know what I mean.

Jan Ochoa (1:38)

You are all Vern, RIP to Vern Troyer as well.

Dan Reichert (1:42)

No, no, no, no. Hey, wait, change it. My new nickname?

Get rid of the franchise. I'm the new Ernest.

Jeff Grubb (1:47)

The new Ernest.

Dan Reichert (1:49)

That's right. You are the new Ernest, Dan Reichardt, yes.

Jan Ochoa (1:52)

Don't worry, YouTube. You will be turned on ever so shortly. Maybe the power is out over there. Maybe I had to go.

Dan Reichert (1:59)

Maybe I had to watch some Ernest montages.

Jeff Grubb (2:01)

Yeah, I get it.

Jan Ochoa (2:02)

Maybe I had to go sign a check and perhaps, I hope they can read my penmanship if it is in cursive. Speaking about cursive, we have the cursive dirtbag, Jeff Bakalar.

Jeff Bakalar (2:16)

Hey, hey, hey, what's going on? I'm writing in script and you can't read it. Ernest, Jim Varney died at only 50 years old. He loved smoking.

Jeff Grubb (2:27)

I mean, the candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long.

Jeff Bakalar (2:30)

Yes. I mean, that's just, yeah. He smoked so much. He looked like a cigarette.

Jan Ochoa (2:34)

Yes, he looked like a pack of The gray skin and everything. Probably never wore sunscreen either.

Jeff Grubb (2:40)

The genre of man we don't get a lot on the TV these days.

Jan Ochoa (2:43)

He looks like beef jerky. He looks like a Slim Jizz.

Jeff Bakalar (2:45)

Yeah.

Dan Reichert (2:46)

Did I start dressing like Ernest?

Jeff Bakalar (2:48)

I'm sorry?

Jeff Grubb (2:48)

You're close. Shit, I should be Ernest.

Dan Reichert (2:50)

Wait, no, I can't be Ernest. I have a big beard. I wouldn't look like Ernest. I'm trying to think of, there's a Halloween party and I don't really have an outfit. And of course, I could just do a Play Club outfit.

Jan Ochoa (2:57)

You're the new Ernest.

Dan Reichert (2:59)

I'm new Ernest. Yeah, I'm not gonna say improved. I don't wanna disrespect Jim Burney, but I'm the new Ernest.

Jeff Bakalar (3:04)

Well, you don't smoke, so that's already an improvement. I'm gonna start cracking. It's in your blood.

I do think, but he does have that iconic grease ball hairdo, which, look.

Dan Reichert (3:17)

He had a hat on all the time.

Jeff Bakalar (3:19)

Yeah, but you saw it a lot anyway. Yeah, but he was poking his hat off.

Jeff Grubb (3:22)

You know, he would hold it like this when he was entering a place of reverence.

Jan Ochoa (3:26)

I didn't know that he was Slinky Dog.

Jeff Bakalar (3:28)

Slinky Dog.

Jan Ochoa (3:30)

In Toy Story, that's cool.

Dan Reichert (3:32)

And Three Ninjas High Noon on Mega Mountain?

Jeff Bakalar (3:33)

Yes. He's the bad guy.

Jan Ochoa (3:34)

I remember him in that for sure.

Jeff Bakalar (3:36)

Yeah. Three Ninjas. Very formative.

Mike Minotti (3:38)

He's the cook in Atlantis, the Lost Empire.

Jan Ochoa (3:41)

And folks, that voice you hear is the Cleveland streamer, the bad boy of games, Mike Menotti.

Mike Minotti (3:54)

Matt's me.

Dan Reichert (3:58)

Bring in the energy. Here we go.

Jeff Bakalar (3:59)

Oh my God. All right.

Mike Minotti (4:02)

Here I am.

Jeff Bakalar (4:04)

Save some for the rest of the show, Mike.