Ricky's Big World
Welcome to Ricky's Big World, the podcast that blends mouth-watering food, Southern charm, and the unique perspective of Ricky Bartlett - double-leg amputee, radio host, and actor.
Recoded live from Pizza World Iowa's vibrant kitchen, join Ricky for entertaining tales, laughs, and a glimpse into Southern culture. Whether you're a fried chicken enthusiast or seeking a good chuckle, Ricky's quick wit and infectious personality make each episode a joy. Ricky's Big World is a podcast that's as irresistible as a hot slice of Pizza World's famous pizza!
Ricky's Big World
“I Was Almost a Phone Sex Operator?!"
It's season 2 ya'll!
What happens when Ricky gets recruited for a 900-number gig… and turns it down?! In this laugh-out-loud, unexpectedly emotional episode of Ricky’s Big World, Ricky returns to Iowa and reflects on his move to Louisiana, HOA nightmares, auditioning for Mario, and...yes...being offered $2,500 a day to talk naughty on the phone. Roxanna tries to keep the train on the tracks, but from donut debates to Ricky crying about being left out of a wedding, this episode is pure chaos in the best way.
PLUS:
Why Ricky hates HOAs
A sweet surprise about Jennifer's support
The one pizza he can’t stop craving
An inside look at the new Pizza World / Voodoo space
Whether you're here for the tea, the tears, or the ASMR... buckle up.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Ricky’s back! Big emotions & sinus drama
00:52 – Season 2 kicks off + Ricky reflects on the move to Louisiana
03:02 – Missing Iowa… except the snow
04:17 – Ricky can’t find good pizza in Louisiana
06:00 – A tour of the new Pizza World + Voodoo Brewing Co.
08:00 – Louisiana car insurance is WILD
09:08 – HOA nightmare: stalked over weeds?!
11:06 – Ricky’s hilariously polite clapback to the HOA
13:10 – Stepford Wives & cult vibes at HOA meetings
14:45 – Is Ricky part robot?
15:48 – Dream house vs. real-life HOA rules
17:30 – Manifesting that $16 million mansion
19:04 – Ricky goes full dad at Bass Pro Shop
20:51 – Studio Box Voiceover + a Bowser audition
22:26 – THE STORY: Ricky almost became a phone sex operator
24:59 – $2,500/day offer?! Wait, what?!
27:13 – Jennifer’s shockingly chill response
29:05 – Would Ricky do it now? Morals vs. money
30:00 – Ricky’s voiceover audition: “I’ll do the dishes, baby”
31:10 – TikTok reel gold: Ricky’s seduction skit
31:56 – ASMR talk… and a full roast of whisper influencers
33:10 – Ricky wasn’t invited to family events?!
35:17 – Wrapping up: DJ weddings, Pizza World address, emotional exits
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He was almost a phone sex operator, y’all… but instead, he cried about not getting invited to the wedding. Stay weird, stay wonderful, and keep the front light on.
[Intro – Ricky & Roxanna catch up at the new location]
RICKY:
Howdy, y’all! On the next episode of Ricky’s Big World, we’re gonna spill all the tea.
So, I walk into this warehouse—brick façade, chandeliers everywhere—just stunning. They greet me, “Oh Ricky! We’re so glad you’re here!” And I’m thinking... okay?
They start showing me around, and I see people in booths with headsets on, talking into microphones. I ask, “Y’all a radio station or somethin’?”
And they go, “No, we’re actually a 900-number intimacy site.”
I said, “Oh! Y’all doin’ booty calls? Is that what this is—a booty call business?”
[Theme plays]
Back in the Pizza World caverns, behind the test ovens, and right next to the bathrooms—it’s Ricky’s Big World.
RICKY:
Hey y’all, welcome back to another edition of Ricky’s Big World. I’m Ricky, by the way. Forgive my voice—sinus drainage and all that mess.
Roxanna—hi.
ROXANNA:
Hi! Welcome back. Season two, y’all.
RICKY:
Season two. Can you believe it’s been a year?
ROXANNA:
Happy anniversary.
RICKY:
I can't believe I’ve had to deal with you for this long.
ROXANNA:
Thanks. You're welcome.
RICKY:
Y’all missed me?
ROXANNA:
I did… until about ten seconds ago.
RICKY:
So, just so y’all know, we’re recording at the new restaurant right now—before it opens. It's a lot bigger than the old location.
ROXANNA:
Definitely bigger. It feels weird to talk loud though, like we’re in a library or somethin’.
RICKY:
We can talk loud! Ain’t nobody here but staff.
ROXANNA:
Still feels like we’re sneaking around.
RICKY:
So Bob did that—then Roxanna outlined it. Ain’t that pretty?
ROXANNA:
I'm back! Welcome back, Carter.
RICKY:
We missed you. I missed y’all too. For those who don’t know, I moved back South—southeast Louisiana. Jennifer got a phenomenal job offer.
ROXANNA:
You happy to be back?
RICKY:
Yeah, I’m happy. I do miss Iowa though. Spent 20 years here. Made a lot of friends.
ROXANNA:
But no snow.
RICKY:
Nope. Y’all can keep the snow. But I will say—it snowed right after we moved. I was MAD.
They said, “Unprecedented snow in Louisiana,” and I was like, “Ain’t no way.” Woke up next morning—snow. In. My. Pool.
ROXANNA:
That feels personal. Like the snow followed you just to prove a point.
RICKY:
It did! Iowa just wanted me to know it still had me in its icy grip.
ROXANNA:
So, what’s been going on? What’ve you been eating?
RICKY:
All right—real talk. The area we moved to is super multicultural. Food’s great. BUT—I haven’t found a single pizza place that even comes close to here.
ROXANNA:
Still your beating heart.
RICKY:
There’s one spot that’s kinda close. But it’s like… one day it’s great, next day it’s way off. And they use a brick oven—real old-school.
ROXANNA:
Sounds promising?
RICKY:
Nope. Still missing the flavor. Y’all got that buffalo milk cheese, and the dough at Pizza World? There’s just somethin’ about it that nobody else can replicate.
ROXANNA:
So you're starving.
RICKY:
Basically. I can’t wait to eat today. Is the oven on?
ROXANNA:
Carter's just standing there...
RICKY:
He don’t know we’re dying over here! Also, can we talk about how far this kitchen is from us now? Normally we’re next to it—now we’re all the way across the restaurant.
ROXANNA:
Yeah, we’re on the Voodoo side, and the Pizza World kitchen’s all the way over there. The bathrooms are behind us. So you’re no longer podcasting next to the bathroom—congrats.
RICKY:
That’s an upgrade! And we got a jukebox now! The real kind. Takes quarters, nickels, even dimes.
ROXANNA:
We’re still getting some final touches done. Voodoo’s not fully open yet—just Pizza World for now. But it’s coming along.
RICKY:
I love it in here. The echo is wild, though. We had to pick this table just ‘cause it had a plug.
ROXANNA:
Yeah, it’s our podcast table now—too far from the kitchen, but we made it work. Hopefully the mic’s picking you up.
RICKY:
So, we’ve found some great seafood spots—boils everywhere. But traffic? Lord. It’s like Atlanta-level crazy.
Even though we live out in the country, I get it now—why Louisiana’s car insurance is four times what we paid in Iowa.
ROXANNA:
Wait, four times??
RICKY:
Yup. In Iowa, we paid $600 every six months for full coverage. Down there? $2,400.
ROXANNA:
That’s insane.
RICKY:
And I see why. There are wrecks constantly. Everyone’s got somewhere to be, and they drive like it.
ROXANNA:
That’s wild. But yeah, down South you have to drive. Ain’t no subway or corner store—you got cornfields and highways.
RICKY:
Exactly. And let me tell you something else: we bought this house, right? Beautiful home. But I’ll never do an HOA again. Ever.
ROXANNA:
Oh no… what happened?
RICKY:
Jennifer signed us up for the HOA website. I told her, “Don’t do it.” But she did.
We get a violation notice in the mail. They had someone walk in front of our house and take a picture—timestamped and everything—because we had a couple weeds in the garden bed.
ROXANNA:
You have a landscaper!
RICKY:
He missed that spot. And they wrote us this long, dramatic letter like we were criminals. So I wrote them back—sweet as honey.
ROXANNA (laughing):
Oh no.
RICKY:
I said,
“Dear HOA,
Thank you—truly—for stalking us and taking photos of our home.
Without your help, we would’ve never known about the horrifying, life-ruining presence of those few weeds.
It’s not creepy at all. It’s magical.
Thank you for saving us from ourselves.
Warmest regards,
Ricky.”
ROXANNA:
Stop. You mailed that?
RICKY:
Oh, I mailed it. Use it for your next monologue audition.
ROXANNA:
Do you know who reported you?
RICKY:
No clue. We don’t really know the neighbors yet. But we put up a sign—you know those long vertical “Welcome” signs?
ROXANNA:
Yeah?
RICKY:
Ours says “UNWELCOME.” Jennifer added sunflower decorations around it to soften the blow.
ROXANNA:
That’s amazing. You need a camera out front.
RICKY:
The last owner disabled the one we had. So now I gotta get a whole new system to catch the weed police in action.
ROXANNA:
Have you been to one of their meetings?
RICKY:
They invited us. I call it the cult. HOAs are straight-up cults.
ROXANNA:
You ever seen The Stepford Wives?
RICKY:
Yes—and that’s what it feels like. Perfect lawns, perfect porches, perfect everything… or the robots come after you.
ROXANNA:
Creepy.
RICKY:
They host the meetings at this one person’s house. Jennifer asked me to go, and I said, “Absolutely not. I’m not joining your robot cult.”
She didn’t wanna go alone either—worried she’d come back different.
ROXANNA:
I feel like if anyone’s turning robot, it’s gonna be you.
RICKY:
You talkin’ ‘bout my prosthetics?
ROXANNA:
Nooo…
RICKY:
Listen, if AI ever takes over, I feel like they’ll see me and go, “He’s one of us.” I might be the first one spared.
ROXANNA:
No, thank you. No Skynet energy, please.
RICKY:
I get that HOA keeps the neighborhood looking good. Keeps folks from painting their house purple and killing property values.
And I do like that we have a little park, and the entry sign with the fountain is real classy.
ROXANNA:
So you’re saying… pinkies up?
RICKY:
Exactly. I went from the trailer park and the projects to “HOA baby.”
And I hated it. Learned my lesson—I’ll never do it again.
Give me a trailer on 20 acres over this mess any day.
ROXANNA:
Fair enough.
RICKY:
I still love our house though. When my Hollywood money rolls in, I’m buying that $16 million mansion in Chattanooga—isolated, waterfront, peaceful.
We’ll turn the current house into an Airbnb.
ROXANNA:
Sixteen million?! That’s insane.
RICKY:
I know. But don’t say “if” I get rich—say when. You know I’m all about manifesting.
ROXANNA:
Okay, okay—when you’re rich. I still wouldn’t buy something that big though.
RICKY:
Celebrities buy giant houses for tax reasons and security. Plus, I can move the whole family in.
ROXANNA:
No thank you. That’s too much space. You’re just paying staff to clean a house you don’t even live in. Same with yachts.
RICKY:
Exactly. What’d my grandma say? More dollars than sense.
ROXANNA:
A year from now, Ricky, you're gonna have a yacht.
RICKY:
Nah, I’ll have a johnboat from Shields. Did you see that live I did from Bass Pro?
ROXANNA:
You were living your best life. You were looking at fish like, “Is this a wedding venue?”
RICKY:
They were takin’ prom pictures in there! That Bass Pro Shop—Outdoor World—is massive. There’s a restaurant at the top, apartments, the whole thing. It’s inside that giant pyramid in Memphis.
ROXANNA:
Wait, it’s bigger than the one in Des Moines?
RICKY:
Way bigger. That pyramid is something else. If you’ve never been—go. I was like, “I could live here.” Condo right above the catfish tanks.
ROXANNA:
Honestly, I believe you.
RICKY:
But back to work—so this morning, I had a voiceover audition for a Mario Brothers thing. They wanted me to audition for Bowser.
ROXANNA:
That’s perfect with your voice right now.
RICKY (in low voice):
It was all gravelly and dark. Real intimidating. Like a Southern Batman.
ROXANNA:
Some 900-number gonna call you again.
RICKY:
Don’t even joke. That actually happened. Years ago, when Jennifer and I first got married, we moved to Atlanta. I got a job at Ticketmaster.
ROXANNA:
I had no idea.
RICKY:
Yeah, I worked downtown. We lived in Marietta. I’d take the train into work. This was during the whole Pearl Jam boycott—folks were mad because Ticketmaster fees were higher than the actual tickets.
ROXANNA:
Sounds about right.
RICKY:
So this woman keeps calling, ordering tickets. Then one night she goes, “Have you ever considered using your voice for something more… intimate?”
It was late. I was tired. My voice gets deep and slow at night.
ROXANNA:
Oh no.
RICKY:
She says, “My director wants to talk to you.”
So I give her the runaround, but eventually I get a call—from a guy this time. “Are you Ricky?”
I said, “Yeah.” He said, “We’d love to meet you. Just come to this address.”
ROXANNA:
And you WENT?
RICKY:
I was young and dumb! It was in a warehouse district off MLK Boulevard. From the outside? Sketchy. Inside? Gorgeous. Chandeliers, velvet everything.
They show me around—there are people in booths with headsets. I ask, “Is this a radio station?”
They say, “No. We’re a 900-number intimacy service.”
ROXANNA:
Oh my god.
RICKY:
And they offered me $1,500 a day. This was the 1990s.
ROXANNA:
WHAT?
RICKY:
$1,500 a day to talk sexy on the phone. I was like, “I’m married. I can’t do that to my wife.”
And then he goes, “Well, we also have another line—for men.”
$2,500 a day.
ROXANNA:
Stop. That’s acting money!
RICKY:
Exactly. But back then, I said no. I went home and told Jennifer, and she said, “You didn’t take it?? That’s not cheating—it’s acting!”
ROXANNA:
She’s a saint.
RICKY:
They even kept calling me to reconsider. They had my number from the interview forms. I still said no. My principles got in the way.
ROXANNA:
Do you regret it?
RICKY:
Sometimes. I mean, today I’d do it. I’m an actor now. I wouldn’t cheat—but I’d play the role. Back then though? I was all, “I can’t do that to my wife.”
ROXANNA:
Would you have rather done the women’s line or the men’s?
RICKY:
Let’s clarify—I’m straight. One direction.
That said, I’d still have preferred the women’s line. But either way, it felt like cheating. I’ve been with Jennifer 35 years—31 married. I wouldn’t risk that.
ROXANNA:
I respect that.
RICKY (in sexy voice):
“Oh baby, you look amazing. No, you don’t look fat. That dress is so slimming. Let me rub your feet, do the laundry, fix dinner…”
ROXANNA:
That’s honestly what women want to hear.
RICKY:
“I’ll do the dishes. I’ll fold the towels. Don’t worry, baby, I got you.”
I could’ve made a fortune. That’s all they want—someone to do chores and not lie.
ROXANNA:
We should’ve recorded that whole fake booty call bit. I could make a million TikTok reels out of it.
RICKY:
You know I’d be all in. I’d rub some shoulders, cook some dinner… “You worked hard today, baby. Let me get your slippers.”
ROXANNA:
Don’t forget to say the kids are in bed and dinner’s already made.
RICKY:
Oh, we didn’t have kids in that fantasy. That’s why it was peaceful.
(laughter)
RICKY:
Is this mine? This one’s tea, right?
ROXANNA:
Yeah, that’s your tea. Medicine ball. We had a little mix-up during our ASMR moment.
RICKY:
What even is ASMR?
ROXANNA:
You don’t know?
RICKY:
People whispering into microphones and tapping their nails on stuff? That is dumb as hell. I saw one girl chewing food and smacking so loud, I could hear my grandma rising from the grave to slap her.
ROXANNA:
I don’t like the eating ones either. But I like bronzing bead ASMR—little makeup pearls that roll around and make a satisfying sound.
RICKY:
That’s oddly specific. No thank you.
ROXANNA:
I’ll find a good one for you.
RICKY:
Nope. I’m good.
(from a distance)
BOB:
Why is my name being mentioned?
ROXANNA:
He’s yelling from across the restaurant. We’re too far to hear each other now. New location problems.
RICKY:
You went to Oscars this morning and didn’t invite me?
ROXANNA:
You weren’t even in town!
RICKY:
That’s not the point. You knew I would’ve come.
ROXANNA:
We literally just opened a restaurant. You were working!
RICKY:
Okay, but you invited me to your wedding… as the DJ. I had to work to get an invite.
ROXANNA:
You were always invited!
RICKY:
Not according to my soul. My soul still hurts.
ROXANNA:
You got free food and drinks. Be grateful.
RICKY:
I am. But also—pain.
KYLE (from across the room):
He did a great job. He got flirted with the whole night.
RICKY:
I was a hit. But still.
[Final outro – full chaos mode]
RICKY:
Anyway, I’m done with this episode. I’m outta here.
Thanks for tuning in to another edition of Ricky’s Big World.
ROXANNA:
Don’t forget—we’ve got a front light now. And our signs glow red and blue.
RICKY:
That’s fancy. Come visit us at:
ROXANNA:
5100 Fountains Drive, Suite 100, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
RICKY:
Pizza World opens at 11. Grand Opening was the 12th—so y’all better have been here by now.
ROXANNA:
And if you’re ever invited to DJ a wedding… make sure you’re not just working it.
RICKY:
Clickity-click click. We’re out.
