BILFPOD - Murray Hill Boy: Viral Skits, Real Talk & The Power of Being Yourself

Episode Date: August 8, 2025

New Episode - BILFPod x Max Cohen You may know him as Murray Hill Boy—the skit king behind viral TikToks that hilariously call out finance bros, NYC chaos, and the oddly specific struggles of 20-somethings. But behind the punchlines is Max Cohen: a creator who built a brand by doing what most people are too scared to do—be himself. In this episode, Max joins Mara to unpack the story behind his rise, why authenticity is still the real growth hack, and how turning everyday chaos into comedy became his niche. From content pressure to creative freedom, this convo is equal parts hilarious and honest. This one’s for the creators, the overthinkers, and anyone who’s ever tried to turn their chaos into content.Inside the episode: - The skit that changed everything- Building a brand through raw relatability- Why being yourself always wins- Creating from chaos and staying sane doing it - Life beyond the algorithmGet connected: Max Cohen: @murrayhillboy Mara Dorne: @maradorne Follow @BILFPod for more bold convos#BILFPod #BILFPodcast #MaraDorne #BILFEnergy #MurrayHillBoy #MaxCohen #CreatorEnergy #ComedyContent #AuthenticityWins #BuildYourBrand #SkitLife #TikTokStars #FinanceBroParody #ContentWithCharacter #UnfilteredAF #HotMicMoments #BeYourselfAlways #CloutWithoutSellingOut #BoldConversations #PodcastForCreators #DigitalRealness #GoingViral #NYCComedy #RelatableAF #BILFCertified

It's horrible. I mean, the whole point of a parent is to unconditionally love your child. So if your love has conditions, what kind of a parent are you? Yeah, no. I agree. I agree with you. And, you know, as a young person, like, my family's support was so crucial at that time because I'm coming out to my high school. I'm dealing with like... It's an awkward time. You're 16. I'm going through puberty. I'm having my first sexual experiences. I'm dealing with the ignorance of kids my age.

I couldn't imagine going through that and then coming home to a house where that ignorance was magnified by adults. about the day Welcome back to the BelfPod We're authenticity trumps authority We are here with Max Cohen Who is digital creator Social media personality

Oh stop What else do you have under Is there anything else I'm missing? No, that was the entire list Oh, that's it? Yeah, live speaker Baller Yeah

Part of the tribe, Cohane Future model Yes, entrepreneur Voice of young Jewish people everywhere I love that for you You're just everything, a jack of all train. And humble. And humble.

I could tell. I get the vibe as soon as I see you. I love it. So, you know, my girlfriends follow you. And they showed me who you are. Like, we can resignee. We can have a long conversation, a really long conversation. In my past life, I was a Jewish stay-at-home mom with three sons.

They all went to Michigan Ross. And my husband never sees me. I'm dead. I'm dead. But that was my past life. In this life, 25. And a content creator. And a man.

And a man. Okay, well, good. With no kids. Okay, I'm glad that. Single. Single. Long walks on the beach. Yeah, sure.

Short walks, anywhere. And it just walks. We didn't have to walk. We could sit. Okay, I love it. We could sit inside. I'm dead. I'm easy.

I'm easy. So, you are hysterical. Now, where did this, like, schick come from? You like how you schick? I, like, threw it in there. Yeah. No, I mean, it is a schick. Um, it's like the culmination of everyone I've ever met in my life.

I have, like, a very Jewish upbringing. And lucky to have a lot of friends and a lot of friends with parents. And I don't know. I'm just kind of like a sponge. And I just soak in all the crazy people that I meet and just kind of spit it back out in this kind of funny, kind of realistic way. How many years ago did you start this like the Murray Hillboy? It's been a year in a week. And how many seconds?

You know this too? No. But I literally started middle of January of 2024. And just from a culmination of like different just experiences. because being Jewish is an experience. I mean, I was a, I did the school play once a year in like high school and middle school. So I guess I've always had that funny bone, comedic bone in me. But I was working at a law firm out of college as a paralegal and I couldn't stand it there.

And my friends were like, you're pretty funny. Why don't you just make a TikTok video? Everyone's doing it. I was like, no, come on. That's so cringy. And I was very lucky that six videos in. I was going consistently viral. And three months later, I quit my job.

What were they about, though? I didn't know what they were about. So my first videos were just like me talking. And they were going pretty well. And then I was like, maybe I'll do a skit. So I did me in my flex bedroom, like put on lights, put on music in the background. And it was like the worst guy in the bar comes up to you. There's no cuts.

It was off script. I was just making it up. And that got over a million views. And that was my first like skit ever. And I was like, wait a minute. This, this is something. And then about a month. Month after that, I did my first Jewish mom skit ever, and that really blew me up.

And here we are now. And that's kind of my meat and potatoes. I do mom stuff. I do like washed up frat pro stuff. But again, all just a reflection of, you know, who I am in my life. And were you in a frat? Of course I was. Vice President.

Close. One more guess. ZBT. Oh, I should have known that. Should have known. I mean, it's A, A, A, A, A, Pi, ZBT, Sammy, or Tapp, as I discussed in half my videos. But, yeah, no, I was apparel chair. and social share and vice president.

You like literally, how many years were you in college? Four, four, four. But I actually did not get a bid to my frat in my freshman year. Why? It's hard to say, and I hate to speculate. Let's speculate. But it's likely because I was gay. And that's not to say that they were like, oh, he's gay, we're not giving him a bid.

But I went to Tulane. There's only six frats there. Only two of them are Jewish. It's super, super competitive. Lots of nice Jewish boys every year who should get bids at other frats will not at Tulian just because it is so competitive. And I just didn't have enough kids who were vouching for me. I had some kids who liked me, but the ones who didn't know me were like, wait, he's gay.

Of course we're not going to give him. They never met me, but they're like, I'll be give a gay kid a bit. I was the first openly gay person to be in my frat at Tulian. Good for you. I love that. Someone's got to do it. Listen, you got to be the token Jew, so now you had to be the token Jew. Right, exactly.

Exactly. Exactly. And it paid off for them. I mean, fast forward, I end up, you know, running half the frat. So there's a lot of the world. can learn. What'd you go to school for? I was a double major in English and communications, which is basically poetry and Instagram.

But I'll save my comments on if college is a scam or not for another time, but I loved every second of Tulane. Yeah, I think college, I mean, I'll tell you this, my take on college, I don't think college is for everybody. I think certain people can go to college and get life skills from it, and then there's certain people or certain kids that just don't need it. Yeah. I mean, listen, if you can afford it, do it.

Yeah. You know, everyone grows socially, I think especially in the more modern world we're living in, like, I don't know any friends who are like, oh, like, thank God I went to college because I'm learning, I'm using that in my job. Like, it's no one. I've never used it. You learn everything on the first two weeks of your job, and then you learned everything

for your new job from your last job. I didn't even go in my major. I was supposed to be a lawyer. So was I. Of course. You know why. Because we like to argue. That and why.

We look good in heels. Yes, and what's like the only job that we only know? Like, what are our parents saying growing up? Oh yeah, lawyer, Dr. Banker. That's it. Yeah. And I can't do math.

So there goes doctor and banker. Yeah, me. Well, I couldn't, yeah, I can't be a banker. I really can't count. I can barely get to 100. And then lawyer, yes, it would have been great. Just there was no money. And doctor, I don't like blood.

So it wasn't going to work. Yep. And sales, but I do sales. You know how our parents feel about salespeople. Yeah. Not a good topic. Yeah, no. No.

It was like frowned upon. Well, you know how they feel about content creator, so. Oh, God, your parent. My mom's still guilting me to go to law school. Still, to the say. My parents know better than to mention it, but all the moms in my comments, whenever I share my story, all the comments like,

there's still time to go back to law school. And it's like, that was a backhanded insult. But thank you for the advice. Debbie. Nancy. Yeah. Cheryl. Fucking Debbie, Nancy and Cheryl, so true.

So tell me, you, like, the minute you walked in, you can tell that you're, what you see is what you get. Oh, yeah. Like, I don't think you hold back ever. No holding back punch. No, absolutely not. Nothing. Zero, right?

Zero, right? Zero, no. Come on. Life's too short. I love that about you. But are you, you're unapologetically you. You got to be. If you're not, the world's going to chew you up and spit you back out.

So you, and obviously there's a lot of critics. Mm-hmm. I mean, I'm a gay Jewish man posting comedic content in a post-October 7th world. So the critics are plentiful. So how do you kind of navigate through the haters? Okay. One, these apps do give you real-life tools to combat hate comments. Like I have any, you can block certain keywords.

So Palestine, Gaza, genocide, baby murderer, Holocaust, oven, so. bar any negative word you could think of to describe a Jewish person is already blocked. Cheap? Well, I mean, I'll save that because sometimes that could be used in like a, you know, so I can't get too crazy or there'd be no comments on my posts. But so I have the real life tangible tools that Instagram and TikTok are giving me to help with that. But, you know, a lot of people get creative.

They'll spell genocide with a zero. So now it's making it through or they'll just say something that's about me personally. But why would I focus on the three hate comments I'm getting on a post? when that same post has 400, like love this so much. So you have to choose where to put your energy. And what I've learned through doing content is I'm going to pull my energy and what's coming back to me in a positive way. So I don't focus on the negative.

And to the people who don't like me, press the block button. Yeah, why do they? I love that. People, who has time to go on your page? If they don't like you, why are they on your page? And it's so counterintuitive because obviously the algorithm is going to take that comment and then push me out to more people. So it's like they're using me to vent, but they're also helping me.

And it's just like, scroll. scroll, you're on the toilet, moving your thumb anyway. Don't waste your time. Certainly don't waste mine. Yeah, it makes no sense. You know, it's funny. My daughter actually is going to, I'm up here because my daughter wants to go to school up here.

So we're looking at colleges, and she wants to go into content creation. So I want to know for the new, I feel like your generation is very like content creation oriented. Do you think it's for everybody content creation? Or is it for like a certain type of person? Okay. One, who am I to tell you what to do with your dreams? If you want to do it, go for it.

I'm the biggest believer in like take that. leap, take that risk, without that mentality, I would have never left the law from I was working at. It's a difficult space to be in as a woman. I'm friends with a lot of content creators and their comment sections are filled with comments on their appearance and their body and their attitude and their voice. I post the same exact video. No one's going to say that. And it's not because I'm anything special. It's just the world we live in.

But if you think you have something special, you may as well try it out. And if no one sees your videos and it flops, then no one saw your video. you really have nothing to lose. I would just say certain parts of the market are really oversaturated, but so is the corporate world, so no difference there. But just make sure you're bringing something that you're not seeing right now. Yeah, something original. There's always going to be someone younger.

There's always going to be someone better. There's always going to be somebody with more money who has better camera equipment. So if there's other yous out there, find out what really makes you, you. And for me, that was being, you know, a gay Jewish kid who was in a frat, but who likes to make jokes. And as long as you have a really strong sense of self, you'll be fine. So, you know, I love that you're very open about being gay. A lot, look, we think, as a woman, you would think that we're in a very progressive world.

And I'm sure as a gay man, you would think we're not. I feel like we're just not, we've come away, but not like a really long way. So how, you know, people have a lot of opinions, a lot of opinions. So how do you navigate that specifically? So that's the other. half of my world in the internet is right so you got the jew comic and the gay comments exactly god forbid the people who don't like gay jews they're out for me done done they're out for me but um i mean listen gay marriage was legalized in 2015 i was 15 years old so

i remember when that happened i was like wait what it's not already illegal i was like that's crazy um so there are definitely like you know moments in history and in politics that remind me like we're not as far along as we think yeah but again like what doesn't kill you makes you stronger like bringing a new voice into a space that doesn't have it, makes you a really valuable person. So, you know, I think when you grow up, you wish you were the same as everybody else. I hate that I'm so different. I hate that I'm gay. But as I age, I'm like, oh, it's so my superpower.

Like the new perspective I can bring to things, the way that I can kind of communicate with both genders, the way that I can kind of get to like my, all my friends are straight guys, but the way that I can understand them in like other ways that other people might not. I'm like, this is such a blessing and a gift. Like, wow, would I wish it away? But in terms of responding to hate, it's like, give me a break. You think I'm choosing to be gay? Like, what the hell?

Who would choose to make their life so fucking difficult? Certainly not me. I think people don't understand that. That's a big argument I've had with many friends is that, you know, people, gay people shoot. I'm like, why would I choose it? What do you say? I could have a beautiful girlfriend right now.

And my life would be a lot easier. Did you say you're born like this? I mean, it's not, listen, it's up to each individual person, how they want to define it. I'm not going to speak for every single person. Yeah. Surely I was born this way because, one, no one, no one's raising their kids. to be gay. Every children's movies, a princess falls in love with a prince. Everything you learn in schools about street people. So you're not raised gay. You're not choosing to be gay. Like, come on.

Yeah, and why focus on it? Why is everybody so focused on it? That's just a part of who you are. But let's talk about all the other stuff that you're doing. People are afraid of what they can understand. Like, I couldn't tell you. I couldn't tell you. No, people are just, I just think like when I look at society and you think that we're in this progressive 2025 world, we're not as progressive as people think we are. We're not. I mean, listen, we're making stuff. So it depends how you look at it. Yeah, that's a good way. Yeah, I don't think so.

I think we're just kind of stagnant right now more now so than ever before you see how just everything that's going on in the world you see the prejudice of people really come. It's always been there, but it hasn't been so abundantly obvious. It's two steps forward, one step back. I think especially with the way our politics is going, regardless of your views, both ends of the spectrum are getting so polarized. And I do think there is a silent majority in the middle where the majority of people could agree on everything, but we let these voices that are big on social media and news

kind of dictate what we think other people are thinking. But in reality, that's just not true. Those are just outliers who just are talking for profit of their own. I agreed. So my hope, my prayer is that somewhere in the middle is 80% of our country, which is just like not caring about what the person next to them is doing. I certainly don't. Yeah, who care? I, me either. Do whatever you want, it's a free country. That's why I live here. But you know what's really funny, and I think you and I are very similar.

Like if you cannot make fun of yourself, we've come to a society where people are so afraid. Like back, I'll tell you, when I went to school, if you got bullied, like, not that I'm not a fan of bullying, okay? I'm not a fan. Bullying didn't make me a little stronger, but you had to go to school the next day. And then you fight the bully and it's over with. Like, it's done with. We're done. But now everybody, and if you cannot make fun of yourself.

Yeah. It also, it removes the power from the people who are trying to bring you down. When you say it doesn't affect me, watch I'll do it to myself or, you know, just it's, it's really a skill that is a little bit of a lost art, truthfully, as you said. Yeah, of course. But you have to be able to make fun of yourself. And is that where your content create? Like, you just, that where it came from? Make fun of myself.

Make fun of my surroundings. Make fun of my upbringing. I did a video on Bernie Madoff robbing families in 2008. Like, where do you think that came from? Me being sat down by my parents in 2008 saying, we're leaving the country club. Like, yeah, was it traumatized? in the moment, maybe, I don't really know what's going on, like looking back, if you can't laugh

at it, you're going to go through life just carrying around this emotional baggage that A, it's going to be a burden to you, and B, other people are going to pick up on that. Wait, your parents were leaving the country club? Obviously. You have to talk about this, right? I mean, I don't know how much I'm going to get into it, but I'm from the islands and I'm from the South Shore, so there's many, many people. Wait, where are you from? Five towns.

I mean, I say the five towns. I'm from East Rockaway, which is, like, the unofficial sixth town, but no one ever knows what that is. But, yeah, I mean, many, many people knew Bernie Madoff and his family personally and many people invested with them. So it was like a culture shock to my whole world when that happened because everyone and their mother lost all their money. And that was the whole skit. How many views did you get on that?

Between Instagram and TikTok, probably around like 400,000. That is so crazy. What's your favorite? What was like your favorite skit that you did? Oh, it's like picking one of my children. And why did you do it? Tell me your favorite one and like why did why? Why would you publish?

So my favorite one is my first Jewish mom one ever. And it's my favorite because I made that one up on the spot. Tell me about it. I was like home for. Jewish holiday. Me and my friends were bored. I was still like, I very much had my full-time job working as a paralegal, but I was dabbling more in my content creation. And I was like, what if I threw on one of my mom's sweaters with stars on it? And my friends, because we're all home doing nothing, like, recorded me. So there's this like loop we call it in my neighborhood

that has like all the nicest houses. And I was like, let's just walk around the loop. And I'll just say random things that come to my mind. And we'll see if we can make a video out of it. So that one was fun for me because it was so improv. It was so unplanned. And it just kind of organically happens. What did you talk about? I was like, I mean, I made up hypothetical situations that a mom would talk about to her friend on a walk. So I was like, oh my God, did you hear what happened at the Shiva? This bar mitzvah, they cheaped out on the photographer. This couple, the husband's cheating on her and he's sleeping in the Hamptons house now because they're about to get a divorce.

This daughter is getting blood out of Timberlake. Just all the things I've been hearing my whole life. And that went, you know, mega viral. But now my videos are so scripted and so rehearsed. I miss when it was like that. But to maintain the level of growth, you have to keep up in your ante. Yeah, for sure. value needs to increase with my following.

So now what are you focusing on? I mean, all the same kind of stuff. I'm always looking to, I follow the calendar year. So when frat rush was happening, it was all frat videos, and the Jewish holidays happened as Jewish holidays. I did a spring break one because it was spring break. So a lot of my content is what I think will resonate with people when they're actually watching it.

And I'm also trying to always flesh out new characters, get further into my character stories. I have this recreation of my real family, which is like the Coens. It's Lisa the mom, Larry, the dad. Max and Sammy, their kids, and those characters have, like, fully developed backstories now. They have, like, friends. They have, like, problems. So it's been really fun for me to kind of play in that space and breathe life into these

completely fictional people. Where are you going? Like, are you trying to get, like, picked up by a network? Do you have a podcast? Am I trying to get picked up by a network? I don't know. You tell me. Maybe.

Maybe if anyone's watching. So if anybody's watching, Max is available. I'm in a really exciting place in my career, my career right now. No, my career. I'll double down. in my career right now where there's so many opportunities on the rise. I mean, I am, my team can't even keep up with our inbound request. It just, there's more than I could possibly do.

Whether that's brand deals or podcasts or speaking engagements or charitable Jewish work or connecting with, you know, Jewish teens or speaking out about gay stuff, or talking about being a content creator. And there's also people reaching out who are interested in TV or acting or stage work. So where do you want to go? That's the question. I will say, you know, I don't exist in the real world yet. I'm getting into my live speaking appearances, but the majority of what I'm doing is on people's phones.

So when I do make that leap into their real lives, whether it's a bigger screen or a stage, I want to be super, super cautious and intentional with how I make that transition. So right now I'm sort of weighing out all my options, seeing what's going to align best with my values and also seeing what's going to, you know, match up with my career goals. But whether it's stand-up comedy or Broadway or a TV show, I'd be blessed to have any of those come to fruition. I'm fielding. I'm fielding what's out there.

I want somebody who really aligns with all of my values as a person and as a creator. I love that. I think that is the most authentic and intentional answer I've heard in a long time. So you, with what you're doing, you know, content creation, I think, is a great platform, especially if you have a message. So if you had to, and I'm sure you have a platform, like what is your, your underlying platform. What are you trying to get out there?

So before I answer that, I will just openly say, for me, content creation was always an ends to a means. I don't think I'm someone who 50, 50, 10 years from now, I'm still going to be doing content the same way that I am. What's so amazing about the world we live in is with no money, with no team, with no production value, you can use your own talents and cataple yourself anywhere you want to go. Yeah.

So that to me is the most amazing thing about content. But of course it has become this really, really meaningful platform to me. And the message I try to get across is be yourself, whoever you are, you got to be yourself. There's so much value you bring to this world that you don't realize because you're blind to it. But we all are so unique. We all have things that make us different. Whatever that is, dive into it. 100% be you.

And then, of course, especially in the world we're living in right now, be a proud Jew. Be a proud Jew because no one else is going to do it. We all need to count on each other. And, you know, if you're in a place where it's safe and you're able to do that, 100% do it. I think it's hard. I, you know, as a Jewish person, this is the first time I think I've come out and, like, us talking right now. I think that it's, you're more worried about what everybody else is thinking. Because, you know, Jews have this stigma or this, you know, unpopular name right now.

So being a proud Jew, I'm very happy that you said that as a young Jewish person. Because in your generation, and I know with my kids, my kids are not very proud to be Jewish. My son had his bar mitzvah. He's going to be 15, so a year and a half ago. And he was mortified when I asked for the addresses because, you know, we have to send the, you can't do the, you have to send them. You know this. So we sent the invites. And my son did not want to give me his friends' addresses because he was, he didn't want to explain to them the ceremony and then the party.

like he was super embarrassed by it. Yeah. I mean, listen, I understand right now how as a young person and feels difficult to be Jewish, but like this two shall pass. Our people always persevere. And again, I think the majority of people have no issue with Jews. You're just seeing certain voices that are getting highlighted

and blown up online that are making it seem like everyone's out to get us. When in reality, it's a bunch of unemployed people and a bunch of college kids who, you know, are a major in genocide in the Middle East, which is a major that they invented two years ago. Yeah. In, you know, so I'm sorry that your son feels that way. And, you know, I can't relate to it exactly because I just had a very Jewish upbringing.

And all my friends were always Jewish. But it's a shame. But I think, you know, with age comes perspective. And I'm not someone who grew up very Jewish at all. But as I've grown up, I've really leaned in and sort of found that part of myself again. In light of what's been going on, I'm like, this is fucking ridiculous. Yeah. And it's community.

I mean, it's community. I think it's much more than a religion, and I don't think that people understand that either. That's a separate conversation, but it's so much more than a religion. Is it a religion? Is it a race? Is it an ethnic religion? Is it a, but I think community is a good word that sort of hits on every part of the definition of the word. Absolutely.

And that is the biggest thing about Jews is that we are community and we resignate with one another. Look at me on this podcast. It's because you're Jewish. And it's because you're Jewish. That's why. This is literally the first time. I knew it was going to go that way. Yeah, I'm like that.

It's the first time. that I've like talked about like really being Jewish because of the stigma and because I you know haven't made it so I was kind of which is weird because I am a very um I was always I come from a religious family I come my uncle is a rabbi my grandfather was a rabbi yeah yes reformed but religious okay so I grew up this way and not having in when in my kids actually are half Israeli my ex-husband will take some of this be rolled my ex-husband is really. So I love Israel. I've been to Israel many, many, many times. I was there last year in April when Israel was bombed by Iran. So I took my kids there, their grandmother died. I'm very close to my ex-husband.

And before that happened, ironically, like I was sitting here, not even saying anything as this is going on. Everything is going on and feeling like this insecurity. And I've always been like Queen Jew, like not, you know, never ever been at a place. But I'd never thought, you know, Growing up, I saw these Holocaust survivors, and they'd come into the synagogue, and you hear these stories, and you're like, oh, my, like, it just didn't, right, like, you hear them, you know that it happened. But I never thought that in my time that I would have to tell my children, put your Jewish star away.

Yeah. Put it away. Don't advertise that. And my kids don't look Jewish. Like, they're dark. They look Spanish, Hispanic. And never in my time did I ever think that I'd have to tell my kids, do not advertise that were Jewish.

It gives you the context for understanding. how things like the Holocaust came to fruition because you look back and you're like, how did this happen? And then like, I'm not comparing what's happening now to the Holocaust at all. But you can start to see how the seeds get planted and how people who were once neutral are now being, you know, influenced to feel a certain way. And of course, it's all based on lies. And it's exactly what, you know.

I'm just proud that you, that you have come out and that you have said something. I don't know if you saw a gagadot. Did you see her speak? Gaga Dote came out and said, like literally came out two weeks ago. And she was at a conference. She said, hi, my name is Gal Gadot. I am an Israeli and I'm Jewish. And she goes, let me say it again.

My name is Gal Gadot and I am Jewish. And it feels weird to even say that. And I used to be so, like, and now, you know, flipping, I used to be so proud of who I am. Well, you still should be. Yeah, I shouldn't say used to. I am proud of who I am. But the last few years, you become self-conscious of being Jewish.

When before, I grew up with all Jews. I grew up with all Jews. But now you think, like I said, we're in this progressive society, but we have not progressed. People still all these misnomads, all these prejudices have come to the surface. I have seen people that I know personally, all of a sudden their prejudice are really to the service. And you see that we have not moved forward. Since 1946, we have not. And it's a time right now where the world should be united, not separated what's going on.

So I am just saying that I am very proud as a young Jewish person. person that you are so proud to be who you are unapologetically and that you that you speak about it. I mean, for me, it's not a safety concern. I'd sooner die of being a proud Jew than I'm going to live a life hiding who I am. That's just whether it's Jewish or gay or loud or charismatic and good looking, whatever I am, you're getting it 24-7. Where did this come from that? This is the confidence because you got two strikes against you, a gay Jew.

It came from necessity. I was a very, very quiet kid growing up. I was bullied at school. I was bullied at camp. I was in the weird bunk in camp. Weird bunk at camp. And you have a choice. And you're going to let everybody walk all over you or you're going to say something.

Be who you are and shut them up. And I think I learned really quickly that people will respect you more for being yourself than they will for pretending to fit in as someone you're not. Imposter syndrome, 100%. People smell unauthentiful. In every environment I've been in, whether it was camp or my high school or my frat, I found success when I was unapologetically myself. I found misery and unhappiness and isolation

when I was pretending to be something that I wasn't. Were your parents supportive when you came out? Oh my God, they knew from a very young age. I mean, I wrote a musical when I was nine years old called it's okay to be different. I mean, they were like, yeah, no shit max. So they, I mean, were they supportive when I was four years old? I have no clue. But certainly by the time that I was 16, which is when I came out,

which was pretty young, they had obviously rationalized and come to terms with it. But my mom's a psychologist. so she was ready for it, and I'm one of three sons, and our middle son is Jewish, is gay also. So if they weren't okay with me being gay, they would have been in a world for hate when son number two comes out is gay. So I've been very, very lucky and blessed that.

My parents are so supportive in everything I do, inclusive of who I sleep with. I mean, you are, you are very lucky because I do know stories of parents. And it's horrible. I mean, the whole point of a parent is to unconditionally love your child, so if your love has conditions, what kind of a parent are you? Yeah, no.

I agree. I agree with you. And, you know, as a young person, like, my family's support was so crucial at that time because I'm coming out to my high school. I'm dealing with, like... It's an awkward time. You're 16. I'm going through puberty.

I'm having my first sexual experiences. I'm dealing with the ignorance of kids my age. I couldn't imagine going through that and then coming home to a house where that ignorance was magnified by adults because you look up to adults. So it makes you really fearful as a gay person if adults don't accept you. So luckily, that was not my experience at all. Well said. But going back to, you know, you talked about unapologetic.

being you. When was this, and you said you went to camp, but when was the defining moment where you're like, fuck this, I'm going to be me. Bitch, I don't give a fuck what you think, and here's who I am. When was it? Two moments. Two moments. Sixth grade, again, I was the quiet kid. I was like good at art. I literally had one friend. Her name was Chelsea. She was my only friend growing up until I was like 12. Sixth grade, it's the musical. My high school was unique in the sense that a lot of normal kids did the musical. Like, the football kids did it. Everyone did it for some reason. So we're doing Conrad.

We're doing bye-bye Bertie. I get cast as the lead. I'm like sixth grader. So it's sixth grade, seventh grade, eighth grade. I'm the lead. The kids on the freaking musical are bullying me. Like, oh my God, you don't deserve it, whatever.

And I was like, you're talented and you're a star. Don't want anyone else tell you otherwise. And I shut them up with my talents. And the second I hit that stage, silence. No one could say anything. Because if you're good at what you do and if you're proud of who you are, no one can say anything to you. So that was step one.

That was school. Weirdest kid at camp in the weird bunk. Kids are getting bullied out of my bunk every summer. You were the weirdest kid? Weirdest kid. Because I liked musical theater. I couldn't play sports. You know what it's like to go to a camp as a boy and not play sports?

Pick last for every team. When I'm batting for baseball, everyone's like, oh, easy out, move in. They're like, kids would hate when I was on their team. It's like, well, now we're going to lose. So, and again, kids were getting bullied out of my bunk every single summer. There'd be new kids because nobody could last in my bunk. For whatever reason, they'd all get. So I switched to the coolest bunk.

We had four bunk's mage group, and I said, I'm out of here. This is not for me. And my camp owner's like, well, which bunk do you want to move into? And I was like, the coolest one. He's like, ah, I really want to do that. And I was like, trust me, trust me, move me. First day of camp, all of them. I get off the bus.

They're lined up. Fuck you. Slurward that I won't say aloud, but about a gay person. We don't want you in our bunk. get the hell out of here. One week in, all my best friends to this day. My closest friends this day. We were 13 or 14.

One went on should be my college roommate for two years. I'm still very close with four of them. We're all still good friends. I learned so much from them. They learn so much from me. If you're who you are and if you're a good person, people will like you. Yeah, people are just afraid of what they don't know. That's it.

And that's what it comes down to. I mean, listen, it helps being funny. It helps me able to talk to girls. Like, I can't credit all of it, you know. you got to get a little bit lucky, but those are the two moments that I've been a different person. How long did you go to sleepaway camp for? 11 years.

I was a camper for eight and a counselor for three. So I went to sleepaway camp too. I went from the time I was 10 until I think I was 16, six, seven years. So I went seven years. I was a camp counselor also did a whole bunch. Camp definitely redefines you. Oh, for sure. Oh, does?

You're definitely doing what parents don't know what they're really paying for. Correct. And most people don't know what sleep away. Do you ever find this? Like, most people don't know what sleepaway camp is. I mean, it's half the reason some of my videos go viral. That's so funny. No, I'm not exposing, but people are like, wait a minute, what?

And I'm like, yeah, duh. I mean, it's, you're in the middle of the woods with a bunch of, like, teenagers. What do you think it's going to freaking happen? I know, but it's just funny. Like, thinking about it, like, our parent, my mom made me go for eight weeks. Like, she loved. Loved it, like, would go and, like, sent parents, they don't know what it is. So for those that don't know what sleepaway camp is,

it's when you literally send your kid away to a camp, You entrust some people to take care of your kid and you go to a camp that's typically in the woods or on a farm, wherever the case, and you go to this place with, and it's usually co-ed and just imagine the rest. Yep. But parents love.

My mom made me go summer after. I mean, I wanted to. I loved it. I loved it. I mean, as a parent, you need a fucking break. You need to get away from your kids. Go on a vacation. I sent my daughter.

I was telling you, I sent my daughter one year. That was it. She never went back. Never. No, she hated it. She hated everything about it. So did I, but I kept going back for some reason. Happy I did, but my kids will have no choice.

Summers are for dad and dad to do whatever the hell they want. I'm dad. Oh, my kid just didn't play. I'm telling you, I sent her one summer made it horrible. She would never go back. Traumatized her. Listen, it's not for everybody. There doesn't have to be for everybody.

Camp is the best, though, best experiences. Oh, it's the best. I'm the biggest sleepway camp advocate ever, ever. Changed my life. Yeah, it does look. For the better. Here you are. Made friends that I'm still friends with them.

I've been out of camp for 12 years. That's so funny. So as we wind down, I want you to give some advice, give some advice to young people that are afraid to be, for whatever reason, they're just afraid to be who they are. Yeah. Find your people, right? You don't need to be on a floating rock in space. You don't need to feel alone. It's going to be a lot easier to do what you like and to be yourself when you find your people.

And truthfully, I haven't done this yet. I don't really have any gay friends. Through my content creation, I'm making them. So, you know, it's a lifelong journey to find your people. people. Some people stay with you from when you're young. Some people you meet when you're 100. Who knows? So I think having a good environment is really, really crucial. And outside of that, give yourself grace, give yourself compassion, give yourself kindness. You are being a lot harder on yourself than you need to be. In the moments when you are your most insecure, you're most vulnerable,

that is when you need to give yourself the most kindness and the most patience. Don't beat yourself up. Don't get in your head. Breathe. I love that. And I love that you use humor a lot. Why is humor so important in life? It is a lubricant for getting across messages that people otherwise wouldn't want to hear. Yeah. It is the only way I've made it as a gay Jew in the time we're living in right now is through my humor. Humor is also universal.

Everybody can laugh. Everybody loves good comedic timing, good physical comedy. It transcends religion. It transcends sexuality. It transcends age. And I think my following is representative of that. Yeah. smile is the same across the world.

Yes, ma'am. I agree with that. I love that. So if people want to get in touch with you, I mean, you're incredible. I know we're, I love it. Who doesn't need to gauge you, friend? Everybody does.

You can be like my son. No, no, no, no, that's weird. No, like my, like, we'll just say friends. Not fun. That would just show my age. But anyways, so if anyone wants to find you, Max, where would they find you? So right now I'm on Instagram and TikTok

at Murray Hillboy, Murray Hill, like the New York City neighborhood, M-U-R-R-A-Y-H-L-L-B-O-I. I have a personal Instagram, which is Max Cohen, if you want to see how my life is like, and coming soon to YouTube and Facebook. Ooh, I love that for you. You deserve all the success.

Thank you for coming by today. Thanks for having me.