Are You A Charlotte? - Catching up with Friends: Aasif Mandvi

Episode Date: May 6, 2026

YOU DON'T BACK UP? He uttered these words to Carrie and Aiden,  “You’re not compatible.”He was a PC guy and she had a Mac. And, then everyone was stunned that Carrie didn't back up! You loved him on the Daily Show and now The Miniature Wife, but first he was working at Tech Serv trying to fix Carrie’s laptop!  Aasif Mandvi shares with Kristin that they filmed this at the real Tech Serv and he reveals why they HATED him there!! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Cliford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard but celebrated. So let's get to it.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hi, I'm Kristen Davis, and I want to know, are you a Charlotte? You guys, awesome Monvee is here. I should have said that right away.

We're on now. It's very exciting. We're totally on. There's no action. There's no action on podcast. It's weird, right? It is weird. Yeah.

You're just... You're just... You're just rolling and no one says anything. It's kind of cool. He's here. And you guys, he's here because he's on my motherboard myself, which probably you all know, and we're going to discuss it. But also, we have some other things that we have to catch up on.

Because number one, he went to Cynthia's birthday party, which I miss, which I'm really sad about. So we were catching up about that. But then I was hearing about the fact that number one, you were on Broadway. Yeah. Which is insane. And tell me again about it because it's incredible. Your cast is incredible. Yeah.

We're doing Fallen Angels, and it's on Broadway. We just opened. Amazing. And it's Kelly O'Hara, Rose Byrne. They're hilarious together. Tracy Chimo, Chris Fitzgerald, Mark Consuelos. Amazing. It's such a brilliant, wonderful cast that I get to work with.

Yeah. And it's an old coward. And so it's all the British farce. Love that for you. And it's super fun. And it's all like, hello. blah blah da da da and I never get to do that you know I grew up in England and so I didn't know that yeah yeah I grew up watching all of those British sitcoms and and those sort of like hello Vika and all that kind of thing and upstairs downstairs but I never get to yeah exactly I at least like that was the you know the original downtown abyss exactly you know and so I I never get to play those parts like like that upper class British and satirized that work.

Fantastic. So it's really fun. And we were also saying that you should really be on Gilded Age. I should be on Gilded Age. If they listen to this podcast, I want to know, I will put it out right there.

Hopefully someone will. Yeah, I want to be on Gilded Age. So personally, I also will die to be on Gilded Age, but I don't think I'm going to get to be because Cynthia's there. And once one of us is there, then the other one can't be there. Yeah, it's weird if you're both on the,

and then if you have scenes together, that's really weird. totally strange. Yeah. But sometimes in my mind, because of the wigs and the costumes, maybe,

maybe. Yeah. But then probably no. Yeah. So I just like watch it with such envy, you know? Such envy.

And like there was a time that her character had this King Kevler-Charles dog, which I used to have in the show. Right. Right. And I was like, this is killing me

in so many ways because also Cynthia's not really a dog person, right? And she had to have, one whole episode was about if her, her dog ran across the street and she had to take to the fainting couch.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is so surreal and bizarre. But whatever, I think the dog survived, but we haven't seen it lately, which is interesting. That's interesting, though, right? What you say, which is that, like, if you're on a hit show with a group of actors like you guys were, then you can never be on another show with any of them ever again. See, that's why we keep coming back. Yeah.

Because we want to work together, but we can't do it. in any other way. Yeah, it's crazy. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah, exactly. But what about you

and the daily show people? Oh, we, yeah, we don't, we don't like each other anyway, so it doesn't really, we don't want to work together. It's like the last thing I want to do. You know, that is not true.

There's work with those guys. No, no, I mean, I would, I would, you know, it's not,

I think, I think that has been, uh, it might be weird. I don't know. I'm trying to think, I think, like if I, well, they, also they come, like John Oliver and Sam, I just did Sam's podcast actually.

And that was great because we had like a reunion sort of thing, you know. Yeah. But I don't know if, like, if I was to do a show, maybe it might be fine. I don't know, like something like Jason or somebody like that, you know. Yeah. That'd be so good. Yeah, yeah. And the thing that I love about your career is that for me, that's how I came to know you.

What do you love about it? because tell me because I need to know. I'm going to tell you because also you're on so many things now because we didn't talk about the show yet or the next thing you were about to tell me that I said to wait. But like I knew you originally as a personality or whatever you would call it on the daily show. Right?

But now I feel like you've really fully transitioned into like a fantastic acting career. Yeah, yeah. Well, what's weird about my career in a way is that I always started as an actor. Like I never was a comedian or something. stand up in that way. I never, so me getting on the Daily Show was a bit of an anomaly in my, in my career.

Right. Because I was doing, like I went to school, drama school and was doing theater. Right, me too. Yeah, yeah. Wow. And I was doing all, you know, every actor in New York does. Right. I was doing like law and order and I did sex in the city.

Yes, thankfully. Yes. And, you know, all of those little things. And so I was always just like a working. sort of jobbing actor. Right. And then I got this just an audition for the daily show. No way.

Just a regular audition. Yeah, they just called and said, come down and audition for the Daily Show. And it was originally a one-off. Wow. And so I went in and did this. And I just literally just walked in audition with John Stewart. Wow.

And got the job that day to be on the show that night. Wow. Right. And anyway, so I do the show. Did you love it? Oh, well, I watched the show. Right. So you were a fan.

I was a fan. I was like, oh, this is great. I didn't know what I was doing. I just came down. I mean, I was a little snooty about it. I've told the story before. Like, I was a little like, because John said to me, when I walked in for the audition, he said, have you ever performed in front of a live audience before?

Because, you know, the show tapes in front of a live audience. And I was like, I've been on Broadway. and he was like oh okay alright so anyway so I do the thing it's on that night and I was the first

non-caucasian correspondent on the Daily Show so they so there was a whole what year, it was 206 got it and there was a whole article in the LA Times the next day about how there was this brown guy

on the Daily show and it was like and they had me like reporting from the Middle East and, you know, sadly, that that story could apply today, you know? Absolutely. Yes. So, but anyway, but the point is that, like, I did it. It was a one-off. And then John just liked me.

And so he said, do you want to come back? And so my weird sort of audition trial process was that he just kept calling me back and doing one-offs for about three or four months. And I was shooting a TV show in L.A. the time called Jericho with Skeet Ulrich and a whole bunch of wonderful actors on that and so I was going back and forth and it was like I was living the dream at the time because I was like I got to see I'm doing the show and then they call me in for the daily show every now every couple of weeks or whatever they're just coming and do us a bit on the show and then after about three or four

months of that John said we want to offer you a contract amazing you be a regular correspondent did it hurt your acting career. Daily show? Yeah. No, it helped. Amazing. No, you know how this works. If you are in a show on a show that is part of the zeitgeist. Yeah. And what I've realized about this business is that sadly, it doesn't matter how many people watch your show. It matters who watches your show. It's a good point. You know what I mean? Yeah, I do. And the Daily Show did not have a huge audience, but in terms of like, like it wasn't like getting, right? Like American Idol numbers, you know what I mean? But it had a huge impact.

But it was being watched by all the people in Hollywood and New York. For sure. For sure. The urban centers. Yeah. Yeah. And so it actually helped my acting career. Amazing. That's great. Yeah.

Thank God. So let's talk about the miniature wife because I just saw a big, I love Elizabeth Banks. Yeah. She's in it. She's great. Okay. You live confused for a second. I was like, is this the right show?

No, no, no, that's right. No, I gave you a blank stare, which made you. I was like, wait, am I wrong? No, no, that's totally right. Because I saw a big billboard. I'm a little behind it. It's so hard to keep up, right, with the things. Yeah.

But I was very excited because on my Instagram, I saw that it is, I think, the most watched show of like last week maybe. Yeah, yeah. It was number one on peacock. Wow. And it's on peacock, which is amazing. Yeah, which is great. And what is it? What is it?

That's a good point. I'm super confused. So it's literally about a guy who miniaturizes his wife. It's not a metaphor. It's about Matthew McFadden. He's amazing. He's a succession and all of other, lots of other things. Incredible.

Mr. Darcy, you know. Beyond. And all that. Yeah, don't get any stories. And so he plays a scientist who has come up with a formula or a way to miniaturize crops. Okay. So that they can miniaturize them to combat climate change. Oh.

And so you can grow a whole field of corn on a tabletop. Wow. Right? Amazing. Okay. It's all. But can you eat? the corn would be my question.

Well, the point is what he hasn't quite figured out yet, yet, is how to reanimate the corn so it's back to normal size again. Okay, okay. So he hasn't figured out the B side of the equation. Okay. And anyway, he and his wife, Elizabeth Banks, have a very, very dysfunctional and an unfulfilling marriage, which is, they're very volatile together, let's say. Okay.

Anyway, they end up having... Miniaturizing her helps? Huh? Does it help that she gets miniaturized? Well, it certainly helps narratively. Okay. Sure, and it gives a story, so I'll leave her, so to speak. So it doesn't help their marriage at all.

No. Okay, okay, okay, okay. So she accidentally gets, they get into a big argument. She doesn't know what he's doing because he's being very secretive about it. And she gets... It's on purpose? No, she, it's accidentally on purpose? kind of thing. And so that's a big sort of like question.

Okay. Is it an accident? I mean, fascinating. It's interesting in the show. Like it's not completely clear. Like it may be both. Maybe it was a bit of an accident and sort of kind of almost accidentally on purpose sort of thing.

I feel like Matthew McFadden's very good at things like that. Yeah. Yeah. So it's like he he's like anyway, she basically, not to give it all the way because I want people to watch it. Right. She gets miniaturized. Okay.

And now she's living in the dollhouse. He's trying to take care of her. He hasn't told her. What on earth? But he miniaturizes everything so it looks like she's living in their house. Oh, my God. So she feels she has her laptop and she has her, like, you know. I need to watch this.

Yeah. I'm, wow. It's crazy. And Elizabeth spent the whole time, like, working with giant, like, you know, Hershey's kisses and stuff. Wow. Wow. And it was crazy. By herself?

Well, she had to do all of that by herself. Okay. And then Matthew was, is, is, is, So it's like, it's like he's a huge. And so he's talking on a green screen. When they shot it, he was talking, she's not there, obviously, because she's miniaturized. So they were in separate rooms, I guess, you know, because he's talking to a cardboard cutout against a green screen. Oh, my God.

Are you your full size? I'm my full size. And actually, weirdly, when we got there, the rest of the cat, there was one day we got there. Because Matthew had spent the first, like, month just working by himself on a green screen. My nightmare. And then we got there. And it was so funny because he was so funny because he was like, oh my God, this is so great. I get to work with actual actors.

I mean, yeah. And this feels like a real show now. He was like, I really was just sitting in a room in a green screen for like a month just talking to a cardboard cutout of Elizabeth Banks. And then she was doing her own version of that. Oh, my God. But it's really, it's a very clever, fun story. that goes where you don't expect it to go. Okay.

It does have like a lot of twists and turns. Well now I'm very excited to see it. It's kind of fun. Yay. You know when you're making something and you're like, oh, this is going to be, this is fun. Like this is just like I would watch this show. Cool. So let's use that as a segue to sex in the city.

So I did not realize that you did this before the daily show because in my mind, time does not really exist. Yeah. Right. You know what I'm saying? Like everything is condensed, whatever. Yeah. So you're an actor.

You're in New York. You're doing Broadway and auditioning and doing one order and whatnot. And you come and you audition for us. I think it was an audition. It must have been. Yeah. You wasn't getting offers back then.

So I was probably out. Yeah, I came in for an audition. What did you think? Like, what was your... I was like, oh, it's sex in the city. I mean, I was aware of the show. I didn't watch it all the time, but I watched it. Right.

And, you know, this was... What year was it? It was like season four? Yeah, so it was like 2001. 2001? Yeah, before 9-11. Yeah, before 9-11. And so you guys were-

It aired July 15th, 2001. Oh, wow. So you guys were giant at that point. No, I mean, I mean, like, I'll tell you what I mean. Like, it was a giant show. It was a big show. And I come in, I auditioned for it. We shoot it.

it's great. We do it at this place called TechServe. The real Texer. You read the real Texer? Which doesn't exist anymore. I know. We had the writers on yesterday

and we all had a moment of silence for Texer. I know. So you were really there. Yeah. Oh, you had the writers on? We had Julian and Lisa on. Yeah.

Yeah. And yeah. So the weird thing is that like when I did it, my take, I had never been to Texer. That was the first time I had ever gone there.

It was the beginning of the thing. Now you just go to the thing. Now you just go to the Apple store. Right. You go to the genius bar. Right. Back then, it was like, if you had a Mac, this is where you went. Right.

Right. Right. And it's so funny. Like, I just watched the show the other night. And it's like he's got the old Mac. You know, it's like that old. When Aiden holds up the gift. I mean, he's like, it's like a purse.

I know. I don't even think that young people, young people will be like, what is that? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But he's so proud. Yeah, yeah. And so anyway, so that was, that was Texer. So I played it and we shot it at the real Texer. Amazing.

And the real people. that work there were there. No. So like the people in the background and the extras and stuff that you see are really the people that work at Texan. And so when I was shooting it, I played it because comedically

him being very dismissive and sort of like a little bit snooty with her. Like did you back up your work? Like you know, like kind of like was funnier. Yeah. Than if I was like really nice and very helpful. Also I thought it was very accurate.

Well, the thing was that the people who work architects who got really mad about they were like watching us and they were like, why is he doing it like that? Like we're, because they were like, this is, we are very nice and we're very helpful and we help people. We're not jerks.

Wow. And this guy's pretending like we're all acting like we're all jerks. And of course, comedically for the show, it was better. Yes. So they were not happy with the portrayal. Who knew? Of how they were portrayed. That's stressful.

And then afterwards, I heard that when you got, so when you went to Texas, you went up in the elevator and you got off and there was a lobby area and then you went in. So in the lobby area, there was a, after the show aired, there was a picture of my face and a huge circle and an X through my face. And it said, we are not this guy. That's so mortifying. So when you got out of the elevator and got to Texas, you just saw a picture of me. Sexen City. It's like, we are not this guy. That's so crazy.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversation. with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment,

and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here. unpack what went down and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill,

waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. Then you're finishing that sentence. Yes.

I don't think there's a more important year for Black. Black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the

thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keel. gains is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan,

so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far far away, such as the biology of ton-tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Now, obviously, much time has passed since this. And tech serve doesn't exist anymore, which is kind of sad.

But, like, to me, I thought you were kind of nice compared to some experiences I've had. Yeah, I mean, I think that, yeah, I mean, look, look, who knows how, realistic their impression of themselves was. 100%. Right. Because in the beginning, we were all very,

very clueless. I mean, I'm still very, very, very clueless, right? But, like, you know, they are literally like, what do you mean,

you didn't back it up? Like, you know, I mean. Yeah. Well, now it's funny because, like, now everything's on the cloud.

Right. And even the idea of backing up is now, like, not, I mean, now you just put it on, I mean,

yes, hopefully. Right. But you put it on the cloud and it's all just kind of there. And now if your computer crashes, is, you know, you can pretty much retrieve everything. I don't know. I still have, like, so much anxiety about this.

I know. I know. I've had this happen to me. I just recently had to go to the Apple store. I made an appointment. It's such a long story that I won't get into all the details. I took my daughter. It was relating to my daughter's first laptop that she got during COVID, died. You know when it dies and like the screen goes halfway? Sure. Yeah. Yeah. It was that thing, right? But she, she, I mean, I have the cloud and she signed into it, but that's it. There's no backing up. She's 14 years old. Right.

So we go down there. I have an appointment and everything. We go down there and there's this lady who's like the wrangler like at the door, right? And I'm like, we have an appointment. No, no, no. And she goes, well, what's the problem? And I said, oh, look, you know, her laptop, dive. She was like, no, no, no, you need to go home.

This is on the cloud. You're going to deal with it at home. I'm like, no, no, no, I have an appointment. She was like, no, no, you're going to go home. You're going to call Apple support. I'm like, but what? I'm here. Like, what do you mean?

It was so bizarre. Are you Apple support? Exactly. In real life. Right. So she sent us away. It was devastating. My daughter was devastated, right?

Wow. Right. So then it's our nearby mall, right? Our nearby Apple store. So then I was like, Timor, we're going to try again. We're going to try again. We're going to go back. So I go back and I'm like, please, it's a different person.

I'm like, hopefully that lady won't be there. And it ends up being this really, I make an appointment, right? I make an appointment. I'm like, please, we can't figure it out at home. They send us away. We tried everything. Please let us stay. They were like, what do you mean?

They sent you away. Oh, no. I know. And they were like, you're Charlotte. And I'm like, I am. Sometimes it's super helpful. Sometimes it's helpful. I know.

I was like, thank God people like Charlotte. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you. Thank you, God. So they helped us and we got it done. But I mean, it's a totally different world in terms of support. Yeah. I mean, I'm getting anxiety just listening to you.

Right. Because now I'm like, I need to go home and make sure everything is on the cloud. I know. I know. Because if it's not, then you're just your whole life. And then we're going to move on, but I did also just recently see something on Instagram. I don't know if it was because we've been watching my motherboard myself, right? Because my, you know, your phone hears you.

This lady said, I thought everything was backed up on the cloud. And so I thought I would clean out my photos. So I did. And it erased all the photos because your cloud is synced to your phone. Wait, she erased her photos on her phone? and it went away from her cloud. This is what the lady on Instagram said. That's so crazy.

Isn't that upsetting? Maybe someone professional could help us on the Instagram. You know what? I'm going to have a word with Chad GPT about this and find out if like if this is real. See, I'm afraid of chat GPT. Are you? You do that and let me know what it says. Okay.

Because I'm scared and I don't want it on my phone. I'm scared. I know. I know. I should. The, it's not, the politics of it is not good.

But I do, I have used it, and I do use it sometimes. Is it helpful? It does give you information that you need sometimes to like not have to be on hold on some, you know what I mean? Yes. Yes. You know what I found it's really helpful is like sometimes when you're like if you need like medical advice, like in terms of like. You can just ask and then it'll say like these are the questions that you should ask you a doctor.

I like that. I like that. Because sometimes you don't need to do that. You can do this. Right. I like that. This is an alternative. I like that. I'm very neurotic about medical things, so that might be helpful.

Then I talked to my doctor and I was like, I'm like, look, what about this? And my doctor's like, you've been on T.L. That's funny. The thing that scares me is when people are like, I told CHPT my dreams in life and asked it what I should do in the next five years. I was like, are you insane? Like, what are we coming to? You can't go to it as a therapist. No.

Yeah. Although people, I'm sure people do. They're definitely, I mean, in depth. I'm scared. I'm so scared. I'm so scared. And I just don't want it to take our jobs, obviously. Obviously, yes, yes.

Very scary. Okay, so take us back again. I love to hear people's feelings and thoughts. So you're on the show. You're at the real text or if they're upset with you. They put this picture, which is super mortifying. You're with Sarah and John Corbett's there. You guys shoot.

Did you shoot all night? Was it cuckoo crazy? It was not all night. It was like, it was, I seem to remember it was actually, I think it was in the daytime. Oh, good. And we shot it and it was great. I mean, they were really nice. I'd never met either of them before.

Got it. Got it. And they were, you know, really sweet and really. And what I was going to say is, like, it was, it was so interesting because at that time, I watched sex in the city occasionally, whatever. Like, but it was, it was obviously like. a huge show among women, and women watched it all the time. I mean, they were following you guys, you know. Yes.

And the day after it aired, I walked down the street, and females, women were literally like, oh, my God, it's the guy. Was that enjoyable? Was it good? Well, it was great, because it never happened to me my whole life. No way. Women never turned their heads that way, you know, when I walked down the street. So, you know, I'm not, you know, John Corbett. So you know what I mean?

Yes, you are. You're your own version. You know what I mean? So it was like very, and I wasn't even like, I wasn't even like famous or anything. You know what I mean? So I was just like a guy who like did a couple of scenes on this TV show. And it was so weird because that was my first moment of like, oh, this show is like, because I'd done law and order and all that stuff, you know, and all the New York shows.

Yeah. But there was something about Sex and the City at that. point. Oh, yeah, it was the height. This was the height. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you must, you know, but like for me, it was like, I was just like this actor who was like on the show and then literally the next day, I remember walking down the street on the Upper West Side and people and women were just like, people would stop, that's the guy. And it was enjoyable. And it was just because it was, it was great. I mean, you know, look, as an actor, I'm like, oh my God, they were, I'm famous now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, that's the joy.

you know, of having a success is that you get to share it, you know, and bring great people on. Yeah. So it was great. And, you know, and so, like, it was a little taste of that. And then, and then when I got on the Daily Show, it was a whole other level of. And also, you were yourself on the Daily Show theoretically. Technically, yes. Right.

Yeah. I mean, it was like, it was a character who, you know, the guy on the Daily Show is much smarter than me and has a lot of really funny writers that, you know, right for him. But it was essentially a version of me. Right. And what was interesting about that was that people, and maybe we all experienced this in some ways as actors, where people think you're the character.

Yes. So, like, when I would go to things, people would want me to be the snarky guy on the Daily Show. Oh, no. You know, like, they'd be like, well, aren't you? Oh, they would say things to me to provoke a snarky reaction because they were like wanting to engage it was like a they were fans yeah but they kind of wanted to well it's it's funny because i so i i different things i you know like like one

night i i i was um coming home from a party and it was very late it was like two in the morning or whatever and uh i went into this is not this is i'm not proud of this but i went into like a deli and got like, you know, that sushi stuff that you get, it's like in the deli. Like, it's not. That's questionable, like, sure. Yeah, probably not a great idea. Right.

But it was late at night. I was starving and I like got, and I got, and I'm standing in line at this like, deli to get the sushi, like, and the woman in front of me turns around and she's like, probably not a great idea to get that right now, you know? And I was so taken aback because I was like, I was like, you don't know my life?

Like I was like, but then I realized like, oh, she recognized me. from the show. I didn't realize that because I was just like in my work. Of course you're in your skin. And she's being, she's trying to engage with me.

So people would do that. Or like I went to a party at the Republican National Convention once and there was a woman there at the party and she was just like talking to me and then she was like say something snarky. Like you know what I mean? And it was like we

so there was a little bit of that where people thought I was that guy and I was going to have all these quips and things. Understandably because the way the Daily Show presented you guys. you had your names. You weren't obviously playing a character. Yet there was a heightened element.

Yeah, there was a heightened element to it. Yeah. Did that dissipate? After the show? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Okay, that's good.

I mean... That seems like some pressure to me. Yeah, yeah. No, it was, you know, like when I was on the show, it was very prevalent because it was, because also like we were on the show, like that time when I was on with Jason and Sam. and Wyatt and John Oliver and all those guys. We were, it was, it was every night people watched it. It wasn't like now.

I watched it every night. Right. It wasn't like now where people sort of just watch it on YouTube or whatever. Different times, yeah. But it was, it was, you know, people came, 1130 every night. It was on. We needed to laugh. Yeah.

I mean, as we do now. I know. Yes. And so what happened was that people really, Like, it was like, oh, you're, you're the guy, you know, the people were watching it in real time. And we were, we were so, so there was that feeling of like we were there in people's lives and talking about stuff that they wanted to talk about, you know. And I think for me, especially like being, like I said, like the first non-Caucasian correspondent, the first Muslim correspondent. Wow.

Wow. I did not realize that. There was this huge sense of like from within my own community, like people going like, oh my God, like nobody has been on TV talking about that. Important things. But from the position of, I always thought of it like as like I had this unique position on the show, which was like I was an insider and an outsider at the same time. So I could stand on the fence and talk about America as an American, but also. as an immigrant and as somebody who like, like lived in both of those worlds.

Right. And it was really like, you know, especially when we talked about like the Middle East or like foreign stuff or whatever world politics, people would come up to me like and they'd be like nobody is talking. Like it's amazing that you have that you're on talking about. And it wasn't it wasn't me. It was it was the position that I was representing for people.

Yeah. And so that was really satisfying. It was really satisfying to think that like, oh, there was a person who looked like me talking about the things that so many people out there wanted us to talk about and to satirize and to criticize. Yeah. You know, and it was like 2006 I started on The Daily Show. So we were in Iraq at that time. America was in and the Bush administration. Yes.

It was all of that stuff going on. So it was a lot of. it was very tense, you know what I mean? Yeah. It was that post-9-11 decade, which was really fraught. I remember. Yeah, I remember.

I mean, it's, I'm not going to go into now very much, but it's interesting because when we look at now, that seems kind of tame. I know. Which is so crazy. But did it feel for you to be in that position? It's great that people would say to you like, it's amazing that you're there.

But did it also feel scary and, like, pressure if you were out in the world, if people, would people disagree with you and want to engage in that way? I mean, not, I don't think, it's so funny how people loved the show even when they didn't agree with it. It was weird. Like, when we went, one of the most, like, eye-opening things for me was when we went to the, because we would go to the conventions. And so we go to the, the Democrats. democratic national convention and we were like the Beatles. It was like, I mean,

I bet. When we went to the DNC in 2008, the year that Obama was on the ticket, was the nominee, it was the, you know, the, it was literally like we could not walk. Wow. We were, it was the fan, because that was our base. Yeah. That was our, those were our fans. Yes. DC, Democrats. Wow. Yeah, yeah, I do. And it was like all those people in. And journalism, all the journalists, all the Washington folks, they were watching the Daily Show. Of course. All the time.

Right. Then we went to the Republican National Convention and it was all very different. You know, the Democrats was, the Democratic National Convention was like a keg party, you know. And everyone was just like, yeah, it's great. You know, like I'm drinking out of a keg and Anne Halfaway is over here. And it was like, and it was like, and then you go to the Republican Convention and it was like ice sculptures. and everyone was like in, it was like a, you know,

a debutante ball, right? Oh my gosh. And, uh, but we went to the parties. I remember like, people were still fans. Interesting. They were like, we watch you guys all the time, blah, blah, blah, blah. I mean, we don't agree with you, but we watch you. Wow, that's cool.

And so it was like kind of crazy. A win is a win. A win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clever Taylor the fourth. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football

or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me

or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs?

Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so, y'all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. So, you're finishing that sentence. And yes, I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black

people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests.

I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on Earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way.

Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your. your podcast. All right, let's talk about the show for a minute because since you are a straight guy, okay. I want to ask you a question. I don't know how you're going to feel about this. Making assumptions, but all right. I mean, you mentioned your wife, which is the only reason I'm saying that, right? Right. I would never make it a full assumption without clues. I don't have that many straight guys on. And I love. Interesting. Yeah. I mean, if there are actors from the show and I can convince them to be on like right now, I can't

convince Corbett's being on and I can't convince Igenberg to be honest. So if you run into them, please put in a good word, okay? I will. I've tried really hard. They have their issues, whatever. Eugenberg doesn't want to watch his work or talk about it. Corbett's a complicated being, but whatever, I'm still trying to get them. But I am so curious. Like, when you watch this show, as someone who's happily married, I'm just going to make that assumption. What do you think about Aiden and Carrie. Because I love to hear straight men's perspectives. Oh, that's so interesting. You know, give me a second here because I haven't thought about this before. But, you know, I found that so when the show was on and my female friends were watching it, they all loved Aiden.

They all loved Aiden. Did they? Got it. it and not big. But they understood why she was like, attracted to big. Chasing the elusive. Yes. And, you know, that is kind of, Aden was, you know, the guy who was dependable and reliable and all that stuff.

And there was so many times in my life, like I've, you know, over the year, all through my single years, like the conversation that would have, it was funny because the conversation, I had a lot of female, I've always had a lot of female friends. And the conversations I would have with them when they were going through relationships were always like kind of like that. There was a guy who was just reliable and stable and blah, blah, blah. And then there was this other person who like was on a motorcycle. Do you know what I do? And they would like end up like sabotaging the, you know, I mean, I have a friend who was always, she was always like, I can't find a guy in L.A.

Like, there's no, you know, like that guy. And I was like, no, you need, you know what? You need to go to Kansas. You need to go to like Oklahoma. Right. Because the guy that you want is not in L.A. Right. Because only certain people go to L.A.

Just like certain people come to New York. Right, right. You know, like you need to go and find a guy who like, you know, is working a real regular job. Right. and like has a thing and he's just a good one did she? No she didn't but she actually ended up she actually ended up finding a really great guy

Oh thank God. So it was all, it all worked out. I'm glad I'm glad I'm glad I'm glad. But that conversation so I think Aiden was always represented that guy who was 100% Like the salt of the earth like just good guy Always trying to do but but sometimes a little clueless like in in a guy way

Right right like he doesn't understand that she doesn't want a brand new laptop. Right, right. Yes, like exactly. Right. And we've all been there. All like even, you know, every guy. Yeah.

Has been there where it's like I don't, what is it that you want? Like, because I'm trying to give you the thing that you want. But it seems like I can't, everything I'm doing is disappointing you. So what is it that I need to do? And that conversation also I've had with a lot of my male friends, which is like, I'm, I don't know, I'm trying. Like, I feel like I'm, but somehow, like, she's just not happy with, and, and, and, and, I think it's like, you know, it comes down to, like, sort of, we operate differently in terms of what we, what we need sometimes, you know? Yeah.

Like, the traditional sort of model of it is that men are always trying to fix the problem and women want us to just listen. Right. And, you know, and that can, and that. And those traditional sort of male, female roles are talked about a lot. But, but I'm, but we also flip. We're not, we're not, we're not all just in one category. You know, there are times with my wife and I, where, you know, my wife is a very sort of accomplished person who, like, has done a lot of things and

run organizations and has been like, you know, and she's, she's a, she went to law school and, you know what I mean, all that stuff. So, yeah. So, and I'm like a creative. person, right? And so sometimes, like, I will just circle the drain in terms of my process. It depends, because some of it has to do with just who you are. And if one partner is like, I just need to process through this thing and, like, I'm having these feelings about all this stuff. And the other one is like, well, let me give you the answer. And you're like, I don't want

the answer. I want to be able to, like, have you listen to me, process it. And sometimes that takes skill on both sides because we're speaking different languages sometimes, you know, or sometimes she wants me to just listen to her and not try to solve it or or judge it. Right. Or you know what I mean? Like she just wants me to be like this thing and she's, you know, kind of just talking out loud. And we, yeah, you know, so I don't know. relationships

relationships are not easy they're not easy they take work every single day I found it's much easier to be a dad than it is to be a husband wow that's amazing

that's so interesting because when you're a dad it's like you know exactly what you have to do you just have to like take care of this person I mean I'm not saying it's easy like it's a cake walk I'm just saying It's clear.

It's more clear. My kid is young right now. Got it. And it'll get, it is going to get complicated. Yes. How old? He's six.

Got it. That's fun. That's fun age. He's little. That's fun age. And I recognize that right now is like the best dad time. It's awesome. Yes.

My objectives are very clear. Like I just keep them from walking into traffic. You know what I mean? Yes. Like I. Do whatever activities he enjoy. I got, you know, like, and his needs are very clear. And as he gets older, that's going to change.

The teen is the, you know, obviously, there's a pretty big shift. Yeah. Although my son who's six has already discovered the whatever, he's already doing that. And it's six. So I'm like, I can't imagine what he's going to do. Get ready. Because he's already like, whatever, dad, whatever. People tell me, I have a 14-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy,

and people keep telling me that it's harder with girls in teen and that the boys are going to be easy in teen. And I'm like, I pray to God that that is true. Oh, wow. Because my daughter's doing great, right? I mean, there's a big shift and you have to, you know, like adjust in your mind, right? That like, okay, this is that thing where they need space. Yeah, yeah. And kind of what you were talking about before, too, because I do want to fix the things.

You know what I'm saying? Yeah. But you're getting to the point where they have to navigate the friendships and the things themselves, right? You can't just, I want to be like, I'm going to call that person's mom. Yeah, I know. I know. And the instinct is there. Right, right.

But you have to be like, no, I'm going to listen. I'm going to be like, okay, how did you feel? You know, like that, right? Like, calm. I'm super calm. I'm not going to get, like, emotionally involved. Do you find that, because I know, like, my son, you know, like, now that he's in kindergarten, it's like he's going through, like, they're all sort of, the social things are happening.

Yeah. Yeah. And kids are being mean. Yes. Yes. We hear about this. Yes. There's some teasing going on.

or even a little bit of bullying happening in school. Let me ask you a question because my 8-year-old boy also talks about bullying and I'm like, tell me what happened. And then he tells me what happened in my head. I'm like, see, that is not bullying. Like, we know real bullying. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I mean, but, you know, like there is the kind of way in which you start to realize that like clicks form. Yes, yes, yes.

And like some kids, and my son is, is, I think he's like a sensitive, creative kid like I was, you know, and so he's hyper-reactive. And so, like, what happens is that like the, you know, the kid, you know, and so, but you get, I think the difference is that, that, because it's your child, you get, like, emotionally invested in a way where you're like, I'm going to call their parents. 100%. And you can't do it. Or I'm going to tell that kid. 100%. Like I see the kid at school and I'm just like,

that little kid. I know. There's still kids I'm mad at from when Gemma was six. Do you know what I mean? And I know their parents and I have to just feel like, I'm going to hold it in.

I'm not going to say anything about something that happened on the playground 10 years ago. It's hard. And sometimes it's like their parents are really nice. Their parents are so sweet. Yes.

And their kid is a nightmare. And you're just like, you're like, your kid is like making my kid's life miserable. I know. It's so difficult. It's so difficult. It's so difficult.

I know. You guys, this is so much fun that we are going to have to have a part two. So join us later in the week on RU.S. Charlotte. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My mother-in-law spent years sabotaging our relationship until Karma made her pay for it. All right, Sophia, tell me about how we started this story. She moved in for two weeks, lasted five days, left a mess, and then pressed her ear against their bedroom door and burst in screaming. When kicked out to a hotel, she called her son-in-law's workplace, pretending his partner had been rushed to the hospital by ambulance.

faked a medical emergency. And spoiler, that was just the beginning. To find out how it ends, listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun,

thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of Tontons and Wampas on the Ice Planet Hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to bowl your mind on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying.

Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations. with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.