#344 Dusty Slay - Moon Landing Conspiracies, Flat Earth, Aliens and the Nephilim

Episode of The Shawn Ryan Show · October 1, 2026 · 2 h 52 min

Comedian Dusty Slay tells Shawn Ryan about his Alabama upbringing, sobriety, comedy career, Torah-observant Christian faith, and doubts about the moon landing and round earth.

Summary

Stand-up comedian Dusty Slay joined Shawn Ryan for a wide-ranging life-story interview. Slay described growing up between his mother's trailer park in Opelika, Alabama and his father's farm, a toddler accident in which he drove a car into a pond, and a youth spent outdoors. He recounted enlisting in the Army at 19 before an arrest for underage drinking and marijuana possession derailed his plans, his years of drug experimentation, and quitting alcohol and cigarettes in January 2012. He explained choosing Nashville over New York to learn to work the road, meeting his Canadian wife Hannah at a New York open mic, and marrying in part because her work visa was ending.

Much of the conversation concerned faith. Slay said a friend's remark around 2009 prompted him to clean up his act, and that he now tries to be funny without being crude. He described reading the New Testament through an Old Testament lens, which led him to stop eating pork and shellfish, and argued that Acts 10 concerns the acceptance of Gentiles rather than dietary law. Ryan discussed his return to Catholicism, his Bible series with Cardinal Burke, and losing a sponsor over faith-based content. The two also debated whether gossip includes criticizing politicians.

Slay discussed comedy craft, including bombing in Richmond, adapting to festivals and corporate gigs, and avoiding jokes about his kids. In the later portion he expressed skepticism about the Apollo moon landings and the shape of the Earth, citing Genesis 1's firmament, and said he believes aliens are spiritual beings, possibly connected to fallen angels and the Nephilim. Both men shared ghost experiences. Slay closed by discussing his Neighborhood Guy Tour, performing at the Grand Ole Opry, and his book We're Having a Good Time.

Chapters

  1. 2:25

    Clean comedy and faith

    Slay explains how a friend's comment led him to stop relying on dirty jokes, and the two discuss quitting cursing.

  2. 9:06

    Sobriety and childhood

    Slay discusses quitting drinking in 2012, growing up in Opelika, his parents' divorce, and the car-in-the-pond accident.

  3. 17:01

    Homesteading and prepping

    Slay talks about raising tadpoles, planting oak and fruit trees on his McMinnville land, and being prepared for emergencies.

  4. 23:50

    Trailer park youth and marriage

    Slay recalls self-consciousness about being poor, his views on staying married, and the effects of divorce on children.

  5. 38:18

    Meeting his wife and moving to Nashville

    Slay recounts meeting Hannah at a New York open mic, choosing Nashville, and marrying as her visa expired.

  6. 49:32

    The Army, arrest, and drugs

    Slay describes enlisting in the Army, being arrested before shipping out, buying back his childhood trailer, and his drug years.

  7. 1:01:57

    Christian living and representation

    Slay discusses imperfectly following Jesus, praying before decisions, and signing with Christian management after Just for Laughs.

  8. 1:09:08

    Old Testament law and dietary rules

    Slay explains why he avoids pork and shellfish, while Ryan discusses Catholicism and losing a sponsor over faith content.

  9. 1:29:34

    Gossip and righteous judgment

    The two debate whether mocking celebrities or criticizing politicians counts as gossip.

  10. 1:41:34

    Family life and food forests

    Slay discusses balancing touring with fatherhood, homeschooling, and his interest in permaculture and swales.

  11. 1:51:38

    Charleston and comedy craft

    Slay traces his start in improv and stand-up in Charleston, his worst bomb, and adapting to tough rooms.

  12. 2:06:03

    Conspiracies: moon landing and flat earth

    Slay voices doubts about the Apollo moon landings and a globe Earth, citing Genesis and CGI concerns.

  13. 2:21:04

    Aliens, Nephilim, and ghosts

    Slay says aliens are likely spiritual beings, and both men share paranormal experiences.

  14. 2:38:10

    Tour, Opry, and the book

    Slay discusses his tour, breaking down country songs, the Grand Ole Opry, and writing his memoir with a ghostwriter.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

  • Dusty Slay

    Slay says he keeps his comedy inoffensive because he wants audiences to leave feeling good about themselves.

    “I want people to feel good that come to my show. I want them to feel good about themselves, which is kind of why my comedy's never been offensive”

    Listen from 4:43 · Stand-up comedy craft

  • Dusty Slay

    Slay says he quit drinking in late January 2012.

    “I quit in 2012, late January 2012”

    Listen from 9:11 · Addiction and recovery

  • Dusty Slay

    Slay says he didn't consider himself an alcoholic until reading the Alcoholics Anonymous book, which described drinkers like him who couldn't stop once started.

    “I'm fine really to not drink, but the moment I have a beer, then I'm like, I'm like, it's like something comes over me”

    Listen from 9:55 · Addiction and recovery

  • Dusty Slay

    Slay argues the key to marriage is commitment to stay through fights rather than wanting out.

    “I think the key is going, I'm in this for the long haul, no matter what”

    Listen from 36:36 · Marriage and long-term partnership

  • Dusty Slay

    Slay says a comedy contact advised him that moving to Nashville would let him learn the road and become full-time faster than New York.

    “Nashville is very centrally located to the country. So you could start working all these other clubs, learning to work the road”

    Listen from 40:45 · Stand-up comedy craft

  • Dusty Slay

    Slay says he reads the New Testament through an Old Testament lens and has not eaten pork since 2013.

    “if we read the New Testament with an Old Testament lens, maybe it's not all done away with”

    Listen from 1:13:20 · Kashrut and biblical dietary laws

  • Dusty Slay

    Slay speculates that shellfish act as water filters and that leaving them uneaten might make oceans cleaner.

    “if we left all of these filters in our water, we might have crystal clear oceans out here”

    Listen from 1:16:53 · Kashrut and biblical dietary laws

  • Shawn Ryan

    Ryan says his show lost a long-time sponsor less than a week into its Bible series because the sponsor does not advertise on faith-based content.

    “We have one canceled because they don't advertise on faith-based content”

    Listen from 1:20:53 · Christianity

  • Dusty Slay

    Slay argues that following the law is not how one gets to heaven but how one should live on earth, with Jesus as the path to salvation.

    “I think the law is how you live on earth. That's not how you get to heaven”

    Listen from 1:22:13 · Christianity

  • Shawn Ryan

    Ryan argues that criticizing politicians differs from celebrity gossip because their decisions affect citizens and future generations.

    “sometimes maybe you have a responsibility to say something”

    Listen from 1:31:35 · Gossip

  • Dusty Slay

    Slay argues Peter's vision in Acts 10 concerned accepting Gentiles like Cornelius, not declaring unclean food clean.

    “he's saying that god has declared this Cornelius to be clean and that I should not be considering other human beings unclean”

    Listen from 1:34:56 · Kashrut and biblical dietary laws

  • Dusty Slay

    Slay questions the moon landing footage, asking who filmed the lander's descent and takeoff.

    “as the ship's coming down, like, we're seeing it. Like, who's that? Who's filming that? And then when it takes off, someone's filming”

    Listen from 2:08:11 · Moon landing conspiracy theories

  • Dusty Slay

    Slay says he doubts a globe Earth because he cannot understand how gravity holds oceans in place.

    “The day that we can recreate a ball that I just see the water stay on is the day I'll go, all right, you got me”

    Listen from 2:13:37 · Flat Earth

  • Dusty Slay

    Slay cites Genesis 1's description of a firmament separating waters as support for his cosmological views.

    “there's a, uh, uh, you know, a firmament, uh, where that it separates the waters from the water”

    Listen from 2:16:04 · Flat Earth

  • Dusty Slay

    Slay believes aliens are spiritual beings from another realm rather than visitors from space.

    “I think aliens are likely spiritual beings. That's what I think. And, you know, probably not coming from space, but coming from another realm”

    Listen from 2:21:08 · Nephilim

  • Dusty Slay

    Slay recounts seeing a shadowy figure at the foot of his bed in an 1800s house in West Nashville.

    “I look up and there's like a shadowy figure at the foot of the bed. And I kind of like move back and then it's gone”

    Listen from 2:22:21 · Ghost sightings and hauntings

  • Shawn Ryan

    Ryan describes hearing footsteps in a Civil War-era cabin during a filmed shoot, with static appearing in the audio instead.

    “we pulled the footage and you can hear static in the, in the audio instead of the footsteps”

    Listen from 2:28:00 · Ghost sightings and hauntings

  • Dusty Slay

    Slay says he has performed at the Grand Ole Opry over 40 times despite not being a musician.

    “I've gotten to do the Opry over 40 times. And I'm like, I love country music, but I can't sing”

    Listen from 2:41:29 · Grand Ole Opry

  • Dusty Slay

    Slay says Simon & Schuster brought in a ghostwriter after he wrote the full book, and he admits he did not enjoy the process as much as expected.

    “I wrote the whole book, and then they read it and they go, all right, let's get a ghostwriter in here”

    Listen from 2:42:39 · We're Having a Good Time: And Other Stories

People

In the conversation

  • Shawn RyanFormer U.S. Navy SEAL and CIA contractor, host of the Shawn Ryan Show
  • Dusty SlayAmerican stand-up comedian and author from Opelika, Alabama

Discussed

  • Raymond Leo BurkeAmerican Catholic cardinal interviewed by Shawn Ryan for a Bible series
  • John CristChristian stand-up comedian and friend of both men
  • Elon MuskEntrepreneur behind X, xAI and SpaceX, discussed in AI competition
  • Stanley KubrickAmerican filmmaker compared to Nolan
  • Garth BrooksCountry singer whose songs Slay breaks down in his act
  • Trace AdkinsCountry singer Slay has spent time with
  • Maria MerolaBlogger whose writings led Slay to reconsider Old Testament law

Topics

More from The Shawn Ryan Show

From the publisher

Dusty Slay is a stand-up comedian known for his Southern, working-class observational humor and is currently touring nationwide on his Neighborhood Guy Tour. Raised in a trailer park in Opelika, Alabama, he went from working regular jobs to appearances on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Comedy Central, and Netflix. He is also a regular performer at the Grand Ole Opry and the author of We’re Having a Good Time: And Other Stories. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: Privacy Isn't Paranoia. Its Protection. - https://theglacierapp.com For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off FOR LIFE, Free Shipping, AND 3 Free Gifts at Mars Men at https://Mengotomars.com Don’t sleep on [@ultrapouches]. New customers get 15% Off with code SRS at https://takeultra.com! #UltraPouches #ad Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get 20% off with promo code SRS at https://shopmando.com! #mandopod Upgrade your eyewear at https://roka.com and use code SRS for 20% off sitewide at checkout. Dusty Slay Links: Purchase We're Having a Good Time: (And Other Stories...) Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1668087669?tag=simonsayscom Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/were-having-a-good-time-dusty-slay/1149525866?ean=9781668087664 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/dustyslaycomedy Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dustyslay X - https://x.com/dustyslay TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@dustyslay Website - www.dustyslay.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on October 2, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Comedy Interviews·Christianity·Personal Journals