Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend

Limp Paddle With Special Guest D’Arcy Carden

December 25, 2025

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The guest, Derek from Mountain View, CA, is a commissioner for the San Francisco Pinball Department and detailed the competitive pinball landscape, emphasizing patience and the 'dead flip' technique. 
  • Derek established three personal connections to Conan, including knowing someone who roomed with Amanda Glaze (a collaborator of Judd Apatow) and a friend of the Sclar brothers. 
  • The conversation devolved into a highly imaginative and explicit discussion about what features a hypothetical, naked Conan O'Brien-themed pinball machine would possess. 

Segments

Guest Introduction and Location
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(00:01:16)
  • Key Takeaway: The caller, Derek, is located in Mountain View, California.
  • Summary: The segment begins with the formal introduction of the caller, Derek, and the special guest, D’Arcy Carden, on Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend. Derek confirms his location as Mountain View, California. Conan briefly recalls visiting the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View.
Derek’s Connections to Conan
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(00:02:38)
  • Key Takeaway: Derek established three specific connections to Conan’s professional circle, including high school acquaintance with Amanda Glaze.
  • Summary: Derek outlines three ways he is connected to Conan, starting with knowing Amanda Glaze, who went to high school with him and is a collaborator of Judd Apatow. Secondly, he is good friends with Randy and Jason Sklar, who have appeared on the show twice. The third connection involves his wife rooming with Kesha (the singer) at Columbia University in 2007, whose professor was Liza.
Pinball Commissioner Role
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(00:06:07)
  • Key Takeaway: Derek is a commissioner for the San Francisco Pinball Department, which hosts 100 members competing at Free Gold Watch.
  • Summary: Derek explains his role as one of the commissioners for the San Francisco Pinball Department. The league competes at a print shop called Free Gold Watch in San Francisco, which houses 50 pinball machines. Competition uses a match play style where points (7-5-3-1) are awarded based on finishing order over five games.
Pinball Strategy: Patience and Dead Flip
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(00:07:56)
  • Key Takeaway: Effective pinball play requires patience, avoiding constant ‘bashing,’ and mastering the ‘dead flip’ to control ball speed.
  • Summary: Derek advises that patience is a key element in pinball, contrasting it with the natural inclination to ‘bash’ the ball constantly. He explains that players can move the table slightly to avoid a straight-down drain, provided they do not trigger the tilt mechanism. The ‘dead flip’ involves letting the ball strike the flipper without flipping, allowing the natural carom to the other flipper or enabling the player to cradle the ball for a controlled shot.
Pinball Conduct and Cheating
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(00:11:27)
  • Key Takeaway: Pinball league conduct rules address distracting players and prohibit physical tampering with the machine, though trash talk is generally tolerated.
  • Summary: Officials in the league can issue warnings or ban players for bad behavior, such as trying to distract opponents or standing on their side during play. Trash talk is present but generally tolerated if it is not malicious, though tournament directors have discretion. Adulteration of the game, like adding balls, is unlikely as it requires removing the glass, which is difficult.
Favorite Pinball Games
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(00:23:47)
  • Key Takeaway: Derek’s competition favorite is the mid-60s game ‘Royal Flesh,’ while his personal favorite is the recent Jim Henson’s Labyrinth machine.
  • Summary: For competition, Derek prefers the simple, mid-60s game ‘Royal Flesh,’ where hitting targets creates poker hands, because it maximizes his winning percentage against great players. His personal purchase, made with his wife’s blessing, is the recent Jim Henson’s Labyrinth game due to its theme.
Conan Pinball Machine Concept
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(00:28:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Derek proposed that a Conan O’Brien pinball machine should feature Conan physically emerging from the machine to greet winners.
  • Summary: Derek suggested that if a Team Coco branded pinball machine were made, Conan should insist on physically coming out of the machine to greet winners and take a selfie. If that physical appearance is impossible, a Conan figure should emerge from the game. The ensuing description of the machine’s layout became highly suggestive and humorous.