Blocks w/ Neal Brennan - Josh Johnson

Episode Date: June 11, 2026

Neal Brennan interviews Josh Johnson (New HBO special: Symphony) about being too nice, working together at The Daily Show, how his fashion sense has changed thanks to a good deed Neal doesn't remember, his prolific posting of standup on his Youtube channel, growing up lower-income, billionaires building bunkers, being present emotionally, becoming an effective communicator, whether or not comedy can change the world or people's lives, why Americans are too comfortable for a revolution, MAGA vs. Liberals, what it's like to be him, and much more. 00:00 Intro 2:00 Too Nice 6:00 The Forgotten Clothes Story 10:00 Working with Neal at the Daily Show 12:40 Prolific Standup Posting 19:09 Sponsor: BetterHelp 21:23 Sponsor: Superpower 24:35 Growing up lower-income 48:18 Sponsor: CookUnity 50:57 Sponsor: Bonobos 53:15 Sponsor: Ultra 55:24 Being Present Emotionally 1:00:00 Effective Communication 1:06:00 MAGA vs. Liberals 1:19:00 What It’s Like To Be Him Thanks to our sponsors! Visit https://www.BetterHelp.com/NEAL for 10% off your first month. Go to https://www.Superpower.com and use promo code NEAL for $20 off your membership. Visit https://www.CookUnity.com/NEAL and use promo code NEAL for 50% off your order. Go to https://www.Bonobos.com and use promo code NEAL for 25% off your order. Visit https://www.TakeUltra.com and use promo code NEAL for 10% off your order. ---------------------------------------------------------- Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan https://twitter.com/nealbrennan https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557 Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234 Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased). Edited by Will Hagle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is a young man who I once yelled out for being too nice. Remember? I do remember. But you did other stuff. No, no, I know. I wouldn't, whenever I wasn't like, I, and that was the info a relationship. But we used to open for me sometimes, a couple times. He's a, we were kind of office mates a little bit.

Yeah. So I was like, I always felt like I was Devon's friend at the day, like, like you and Devon were roommates. Yeah. Devin Eloquante and then I would come sleep on the couch when I was at the, when I was at the daily show once a week once a month for a year in 2017 yeah and then every once in a while uh he's uh he's he's all grown up he's he he puts out an hour of kind 40 minutes of comedy every how often i post once a week once a week and uh people are mad about it um and uh and there's a lot of what is he

doing um and uh and he's got an hbo special called symphony which will probably be streamable when this comes out. And his name is Josh Johnson. How's it going, man? How you doing, buddy? Good to see you. You also got me those clothes. Remember when I was like, oh, yeah, I don't know what to wear? And then you were like, let me set you up.

Did I really? You don't remember this? No. Imagine somebody has a real influence in your life. And then they're like, who are you again? Like, that was such a nice thing that you did. I only remember, here's the thing, it's good and bad about me, is that I'll only remember the worst things I've done.

I genuinely don't remember the nice things I've done. So I walk around. I literally thought someone hated my guts for 28 years. And I saw them two weeks ago. Yeah. And I almost started crying when they said they didn't. That's, because I like, I can paint. Yeah.

like not even grim pictures, but I felt, I felt, not like I felt me, me and James Blake, the singer, you did shows of both of us and we were both like, we didn't buy how nice you were. It seemed insincere. Yeah, yeah. And I was like, what, it was like an intervention of like, why are you so nice?

Yeah, yeah. And then I was like, well, I don't, I don't know what, because this has happened before. So then it's almost, this is, this is the other, others have, others have yelled at you about being nice. Yes. Yes, but then what ends up happening is if you are like too nice, right? Right.

And I'm not even being, this is where we have been beat so badly as people that people think I'm being nice. I'm just being like mildly present. Right. You're being like neutral, upper neutral. If anything, I'm upper neutral. And then the responses are the ones that are passionate because I'll be like, hey, how's your day going? Yeah. Because here's the thing, just to digress for a second.

Please. The whole thing is a digression. When you tell me how your day is, you tell me how a day could be that I'm not having. So then by telling me how a day could be that I'm not having, you open up my mind to possibilities of like what someone's day could be like. Do you know I mean?

So it could be as mundane as like, oh yeah, I poured this, I wasn't paying attention, I was getting ready. I thought I had poured milk and I poured orange juice, so then I like spit out my own milk, but it's not because it was bad, it's because I thought it was orange, whatever. And it's like that's something that is interesting. And then it could be as drastic as like, oh, my dad died.

And you're like, oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry. So when I ask, I'm not asking to pass the time because we're all pretty good at saying nothing now. We're all pretty good just being in our phone. But then the passionate response is I'll be like, how's your day going to a stranger? And then some people are like, you don't care about my day. And I'm like, that's way more energy than how is your day going. So I feel upper neutral, like you said, but I think we're so used to actual negativity that me not, I don't even think I'm being nice. How do you think most people are?

Meaning when people say, how's your day? And you believe you mean it. Okay. I could already feel it. Yeah. I could already feel where you're angry. No, no, no. No, no.

How do you, when you see, how do you think other people are? Meaning like how do you where you go I don't think I'm like that. Okay. I think that there are some like in passing niceties that you're just sort of taught to do, which is social conditioning to do it, but you don't care. But then I would in a world where everyone's on their phone anyway, if there's a question I don't care about, I'd rather not ask it. So it's not like I ask every single person I meet all day, how their day is going.

But if I'm realizing, oh, we're going to be together for the next five minutes. Here's a chance to learn about the person I'm going to be with for the next five minutes. Then I just do that. But that's because I like that stuff. I don't expect it to be what other people do. But I think that people are used to it not being sincere. And so then they almost get offended that I would try to engage them in something insincere. Right.

Okay. And you're genuinely have time to take on someone else's story of orange juice. When I ask. Okay. So if you don't have, if you don't got it, you don't ask. You don't got the energy to the if you don't if you can't actively listen you won't bother I try not to because then what what is that and like now I am doing the thing people think I'm trying to do if I get into an Uber and I'm texting in the middle of a real like texting conversation and I start just talking to this person but clearly not paying attention I am doing the thing that people think that I am doing the thing that's not nice you know yeah so yeah tell me about the clothes the cool okay so I I I guess I guess I I can't believe you don't remember this because you yelled at me about this more than about being nice. You, I came into the office one day in like 2017 and you were like, you don't know what to wear.

And I was saying, I don't know a lot's changed in that, meaning because I'll see, I'll see, I'm like, this kid's getting, making a lot of money at this point. And I'm not saying it like, I just mean like, what, just have, just get one of those boxes that they, that we advertise in these. I don't even go get quince and all my advertisements, but I'm saying, but where are you? Okay, so you, okay, so I said you don't know what to wear. Yes. And then did I say, I wish I'd given you a card, like, go downtown, see my guy. No, you did.

So then what you did, I can't believe you don't, I feel crazy. And I'm almost wondering if this happened. I totally believe this. So this thing, I came in. And then we were, it was you, me and Devin working on a piece together. Devin Delequante, one of the greats. And then one of the best, one of the all-time best. Because what's funny is, in relation to you for the longest time, I felt like Devin's friend.

I felt like, like when I would see you in my head, I was like, he thinks of me as like, oh, here's Devin's friend. Right. Yeah. Which is true. Yeah. But in your case, I knew who you were and I liked your stuff. You were just like a kid, literally a kid who was in Devin's office. Yeah.

And then, but then for you. How old are you now? I'm 36. Yeah. like you don't look it so imagine how young he looked in 2017 yeah but here's the thing so then i walk in and you're like you don't know what to wear and then i was like huh because this is the first thing you said to me so then i was like oh what did i do and i'm looking down at my clothes and admittedly admittedly i could feel the air conditioning because there was a hole in my elbow right so it's not

like it's not like you were a lot of i wore something to death is what I was doing. And you, and you'd wear long sleeve, like, look like, by the way, I own a lot of it, so I knew. I knew, it was their old Navy undershirts. This is what you told me at the time. I'm having like, this is like a Twilight Zone. Yeah. So, and I was saying, and you're built.

Oh, thanks. Yeah, no, I mean, I'm not telling you anything you know, you work out all the time and you keep it. Yeah, except for the wrist. I can't gain weight in the wrist. I know, but who wants it? You don't want neck or wrist. You want wrist.

You want a big old manly drumstick. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Something to think I'm never gonna get there. I don't know if I am either. I think, yeah, I think I've settled in my bones. Okay. So what did I tell you to do?

So then you gave me this card and you were like, I'm going to order you a box. And then it was, you gave me like six months of the box where they ship you the clothes. and then you try on the clothes and then you send back what you don't like and you only pay for what you keep. When I say I don't have any recollection of this, I have absolutely no recollection. I know that I had a problem with your clothes.

I didn't know that I did something about it. This is crazy. You are like if Tyler Durdon only did extremely good deeds. Like you wake up and you're like, huh, I wonder why all those kids are patched up. Yeah. Huh. Hmm. Yeah.

Don't, Neil, don't get any self-esteem from this. And were they good clothes? They were good enough that at the time, so we're talking towards the end of 2017, I came in wearing something that was from that box. You were back, right? You were back and you were like, that looks good. And I almost thought you were making fun of me.

Because I guess then you had forgotten that you did it. Like, this would have been six months later. So I do, I sleep, I do sleep deeds. I like sleep long, but I do. nice stuff for people. I feel like that's, that might be what this whole episode is. You're gonna wake up and be like, what did I talk to, Josh? Well, you know, you had me open for you.

No, that I remember. That was huge. Like, that was one of those things where, um, that felt like a bit of a whirlwind. Cause I wasn't, I hadn't open for Trevor anything. Yeah. Or, uh, I was still like getting my footing in New York. Even though I had been in New York for a little over a year now, whether it was mics or clubs or whatever, I wasn't passed.

and stuff like that. And then when you brought me along, it was like a really huge deal for me. And even you being the one to check with the show. Because then when we were in the morning meeting, you leaned in and you were like, hey, I already asked if you could come and they said, yeah. And even that was huge, because when you asked me

if I was available, I think you did it over text or maybe you just asked me in person. And you probably thought it was about clothes. And I was, yeah. Sure. Sure. I was going to send you to a fitting. Yeah.

But I was like, oh, I was like, oh, I was so stressed out about asking, which in retrospect, I didn't need to be. But by that point, you'd written at the Tonight Show. Yeah. And you'd done the Tonight Show. But I was still new at Daily Show. Got it.

So I was new enough that I was like asking for a day off and I just got here and like, and you know, in retrospect, I didn't need to be nervous because everyone there's always been really supportive. But the fact that you asked and got the yes for me was also huge because then it didn't feel like I was. It wasn't some bum. Yes. Yeah.

Yes. And so those shows were also really good because for a long time in my meet and greets early on before I was like selling out and I was just doing the club weekends I could get, funny enough, that ballroom place we did, you know, in Chicago. No, no, in New York, it's closed now.

Oh, yeah, the Highline one. Yeah. I don't know how, but for whatever reason, all of like, it was almost like a seller crowd there in that the people there were literally from everywhere. So then when I was touring on my own for like a year after that, there were people that at the meet and greet would be like,

I saw you open for Neil Britain. To the point where I thought you had taped it and like put out the whole thing because I was like, wait, you were, I'm in Indiana. Yeah. And you were there that night. I'm in Chicago when you were there that night. It's kind of where you almost need to thank me

if you win something. Yeah, it is. It's getting close. Like more than Trevor? Like of course Neil Brenner Like guys I wouldn't everyone knows I absolutely would not I remember the opening and I'm glad people came to see you

And you were a good opener because you had good jokes And you good energy No thanks Okay and how have you found So basically what happened was And I don't know what when you started posting a lot On YouTube About three years agoish

And what you were like, I don't know, I'll just put out whatever this show I'm talking about. I mean, because the worry is the reason people are mad is because like it's too much material. People are like, what? We have to do an hour a week now? Yeah, but there's no, I don't think there's any competition in that way. I think that in comedy, because the platforms are ever changing, the industry is ever changing, and the way to get to your intended goals are ever changing. Plus, you have to add in, so all those three,

then you have to add in that some people don't know what they want, so they just want what they see their friends get. And then you have to add in that there's different ways to get all of these things. Sometimes we play a game of like, follow the leader or keep up with the Joneses that doesn't serve us individually as comics. And so I don't look to anyone to do what I am doing,

and I don't even think what I am doing is like the way to do it now. I just think that what I'm doing serves what I want to do, which is have a really big catalog I can look back on and be proud and a way to express and share as many of my ideas and as much of my comedy as possible. But I don't look at anyone else like, oh, they only did two hours this year. It's like that would be insane for me to do.

I've chosen to do this thing specifically for myself and it's a way of keeping myself honest, keeping myself writing and trying to get better. Because if I want to, let's say, be whatever the quote-unquote best is, right, then I feel like I am leagues and miles behind the people that I look up to. What's the closest way to close that distance? It's being on stage all the time. And then what is the best way to get the feedback on how your creative is going to share it?

And so I do a lot of that because I'm hoping to close that gap in my lifetime. So what is the HBO Hour? The HBO Hour versus YouTube. So the things I've been posting to YouTube and the things that I do every week are like more topical, more like of the moment and everything. And they're also like personal stories that relate to these topical things. The HBO special is something that is more broad and universal that's meant to be timeless. Like this is the thing that I want and hope people will watch. like decades from now versus if I do a set on hauntavirus,

no matter how impressive it might be to some people that I did it quickly or that I did a lot, six months from now, if nothing happens with that virus, I barely know what the hanta virus is. Yeah. You just said it, I was like, what the, huh? And so I don't expect people for decades. Like, obviously, that would be amazing,

and I would love it if they did, but I don't expect people years and years from now from when these topics are relevant to be watching these, you know, these sets in that way. I mean, I don't know, you've maybe heard me yell about that. I don't think people watch these things after six months. Sure, sure.

Like, Richard, I haven't watched a Richard Breyer special since I heard like 25 years. Sure, sure. So the idea of like, my leg is, I'm like, I just think it's insane that anyone, I'll watch some Patrice clips. Mm-hmm. Yeah. That's about like, and then the old stand-up. Yeah, that might be as much as we can hope for.

Yeah. That's what I'm saying like yeah I don't even even that's more pressure than you need to put on yourself Yeah I just I think that from it's for me as well to Have an idea create that thing and then look back on it fondly is like even if nobody watches it I'm really proud of what We made yeah you create and you angle towards a thing that you hope can happen yeah and if you create from that place then I think that It's it's not necessarily to me as like self-aggress grand eyes and it's like because I'm not saying legacy I'm just saying like catalog like I I look at the things I do and put out as important to me that I did the best job I could

talking about this thing talking about this thing and so it's more I don't look at catalog as like my my legacy is better than yours does that make sense what I'm saying yeah I know you don't want to make garbage you don't you don't want to make garbage and it's the same way that like George R.R. Martin did Game of Thrones it's like did he do that for his like personal legacy and to be remembered as the best writer ever maybe but I think also he had a story that was an idea he had and then he kept doing it and that's how I feel about these so when I say catalog yeah maybe it comes off like I'm saying I don't think it comes off arrogant I just think it's it's someone who's like been doing so you're never watch them even when I'm directing them and they're like I don't like that I'm like you're never going to watch this again ever you're never gonna it's it's it's it's it's It's like you like, like, whenever else, even old clips, I'm like, eesh.

Yeah, maybe it's me specifically, but I also know, like, I don't know anyone. Yeah. Some of it might be you, because I definitely have at least a few moments I'm proud of. No, no, I'm not saying I'm not proud. Yeah. I'm extremely proud of it. Let's be very, let me be clear. I'm both deeply ashamed and deeply proud.

No, but I, it's like, I don't think Trevor's watched any of it. I just know people I know that are, that, we both know. Like, I don't think they're, well, no, no, I don't think I will ever, to your point, gather everyone around and have a watch potty, watch party for an old special. I don't think that that is going to happen. Yeah. But I'm saying that like, in the memory of it and in making the thing, it's like that's, yeah, that's like why we do it is so it can be made and so that there might, I mean, and this might be very specific to me, you'll see jokes that you don't remember you did sometimes.

That's what's crazy where you're like, I don't know. Like if you paused it in the mill you'd be like, I don't know what happens in this joke. That might be. That might be specific to me because I don't know.

No, no. It's not super specific to you, but it would make sense for you because you've forgotten whole deeds that you've done. Like whole good things. What was the name of the, of the, I don't want to give them any,

but I bought you a box program. Okay, let's do some blocks, guys. Guys, this episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. You know, some people like summer. Favorite season, travel pickups, kids are out of school, adventures in focus. For other people, it's, uh, they don't like having the kids out of school. Some people don't like their kids, is my point. I got big plants this summer that I'm not talking about, but there's, I got a lot popping.

And I will say that summer is my favorite time of year. I like, I like warm weather, even though I'm very pale. I really like warm weather and I like not being stressed out. from coldness and like tight and it feels like the world doesn't want you being outside's good you know it's good again pale guy likes it outside and also you get to just walk by yourself and think about you can be be you can contemplate maybe now's the time you you take that you make your move and you start going to take a little therapy this summer huh here's the thing about therapy you will come back from a therapy session with a better understanding

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If you could, and tell them blocks with Neil Brennan to support the show. Guys, we're building something here. I love you. Growing up lower income, talk to me. Yeah, okay. So, you know, we, we had different sets of circumstances from the time that I was a kid. Like, there was a point where my parents were together and we were doing pretty well. And then my parents divorced and around the same time that my parents divorced, like, yeah, we just weren't doing as well. And so I think that there is a world where I might not have even noticed, if not, for. for the sort of reference point I had through seeing other people with access to things that I didn't have or seeing other people living just a very different life than I was. And so I think it's a good thing because it, yeah, it definitely taught me to sort of look deeper.

Look deeper into what? I think that there's, in my opinion, a lazy way of thinking to come across something, whether it's a world event or something local or just something in your life and be like, eh, that's the way it is. And it's like not asking why that is the way it is. Because, sure, it is the way it is as in that's what's presently happening.

And the level of acceptance about that is like the first thing you need to do to change the situation. But not asking why that is, is to me, missing out on all the things that, yeah, all the things that create change. What do you can you when you say that is there a specific thing that you think about so you're talking about analysis right yes and I know what you mean but I'm do you remember one where you were like

oh I'm looking back you're like I don't think most kids were thinking about divorce in that depth or thinking about class or income level or like coms or there was a there was a trip that stuck with me for a long time where it was a field trip when I was a kid and we ended up going over to one of the kids at school had like a like a property not their person but like their parents you know yeah and then we went over there and I had overheard and then heard someone say something about an artist right and they actually had a painting in their possession that was, it was painted by a slave. And they're pretty well off.

And so- So they didn't need to use slaves. They didn't need to keep the painting. They didn't need to, like, that was one of my things where I was like, as young as I was, I was like, I was not weird to anybody that they still own. Were they white? Yeah, 100%. Yeah.

Oh, you thought there was a chance they were black. Well, no, I know, logically, let's think about this. Uh-huh. Would they have, do you think a black family would not have kept a slave from a painting? Is it disrespectful? No, here's the thing. If a family did, it did well for themselves after reconstruction. Sure.

And then either kept in their possession a family heirloom or were able to acquire the, the artwork of a former slave. Yes. Then I think that is different. But I just, I just mean in the story that I'm a little. alluding to, they sound pretty white, I think. Yes, but who, but who knows, sure. I could have had a twist coming. That's what I was, yeah, I was waiting for a,

for a time to kill thing. Yeah, imagine they're black. Now imagine she's white. And my thing is, in being in that room and in seeing how that stuff worked, I didn't have the words at the time, I didn't have the education at the time, I didn't even like know how to put words

into this feeling I was feeling, but just, seeing how they could so proudly show off what should be like a shameful reminder of how they got at least a good portion of their money because they they come from money and so even though they have positions now where they are going to make money regardless it's like their leg up isn't even i'm not i'm not even saying that they should have some like african studies level of awareness. I'm just saying like decently from human to human. Also, I just if you're talking to a black person about it, lie. Oh, be like, we just found this. We don't know. It's from a very, from our white artist.

It was, no, it was outside and just now. You know, we found it. You know how we have hurricanes. It just landed. Yep. Yeah. On our front port. Yeah, yeah. It would be as believable as, uh, the Muhammadata passport after 9-11. One of the major developments that occurred overnight. that officials found a passport belonging to one of the terrorists. That was apparently found a couple of blocks away. No, no, it would be as believable as the idea that that artist family did not ask for that painting. This requires so much analysis. So you think the artist was a, what, do you remember the painting?

Was it especially good? No, it's not about being especially good. It's that, that artist painting, became known, like, their paintings became known. Oh. So the painting was worth something. So now I'm like the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the descendants of the the slave owners have the painting that became worth something that was by the slave.

Meanwhile, the family of the former slave or of the, um, I don't, I don't know if they died in slavery, but like, that family, there's no way they don't see that they're great, great, like, like, uh, grandmothers paintings have become, you know. How old are you? Ten? Maybe, yeah. So I was like... How did it affect the weekend?

Oh, I made it awkward. Did you really? Yeah, because I was like, oh, is that not weird? Like, that's all I said at first, so that's how I felt was like, is this not weird to anybody else? And then, you know, people are like, what do you mean? I'm like, well, if it's a famous painting and it was painted during... Like, doesn't this person have family? Like, wouldn't they want the painting?

and it just got quiet and then everyone just sort of moved on. Did they take you home earlier or anything? Did they? It was just like no it was just like where is this? This is in Louisiana. Got it yeah so you're just doing the logic thing of like huh? Yeah I know I yeah

that's what being like a maybe being a comedian is where from a young age you go like you say stuff and then people are like wait what? Yeah or you just make it awkward yeah yeah but also yeah you just go like can I say something? and then people are like, adults are surprised? Yeah.

Like they've never thought of that. Like, how have you never? How have you never thought to be embarrassed as well? Because that's also one of the first times I came across like the type of racism that's so normalized that you don't even have the... They don't even know it's racist. They're like, no, this is just, this is what it is.

This is just history. And we have a piece of history. And I'm like, oh, you're acting like history and you happen as separate things and that history happens in a vacuum. And do you think growing up poor informed that? Are a lot of them about, were the first ones about class or race or whatever?

Or were they just like, how do you think poverty affected that or two different lifestyles? No, I think that like two different lifestyles as well as the fact that I think that an understanding of class gives you an understanding of unfairness and an understanding of unfairness gives you an understanding of what justice could be. Yeah.

And then an understanding of what justice could be gives you a very clear understanding of how the world would need to change to make a more just world, more fair world, yeah, more equitable, whatever. But the issue there is that along the way, you either, in my opinion, at least, people either get blinded by how uncomfortable that is.

Like one of the things that people are uncomfortable with who even like want some sort of revolution is how uncomfortable and a revolution would genuinely be all the time it's like it's like the reason that i do not have um the fears that some of my peers do about some sort of civil war breaking out is because i genuinely don't believe even in some of the most racist people that i've met i genuinely don't believe that they have no more shake shack in them completely like like i think that the the amount of destruction, the amount of destabilization, and how much we as Americans are used to our nice things, will never allow us to fully engage in the absolute chaos and, like, carnage of a Civil War.

And inconvenience. Inconvenience. And that's not to say that we won't stand by and let atrocities happen, because we do that every day. But those atrocities come at a sort of, like, comfort level. Also at a distance. At a distance. But sometimes at, at, uh, sometimes at a. proximity where you need to make a decision. So like ice is very different than um something happening

anywhere else. Yeah. And so so I think that see actually seeing someone get grabbed and crying that was just trying to deliver Dordash and get like slammed against a van and then thrown in the van like black bagged whatever is a very different experience than like CNN sanitizing that today we bombed a school in another country. And so I think that the same way that the same way, that we have what I find a very scary and appalling sense of what we can just let happen as long as it doesn't affect

us is also why I think we can't do the level of good or bad that changes the world around us because of how it might affect us. Because like there's an uncomfortable thing around we want a revolution, we want to make sure that there can be no

Epstein class and there can be no deep, deep poverty class. Okay, well, everyone's going to have to lose their iPhone. And it's like, it's like when it's put that, when it's forget I said anything. When it's put that bluntly, it now, you can even

see sometimes when you put it that bluntly with people that they might get defensive, but it's like, no, this is this is what would, we don't want any more connection in any way to any sort of what you could call modern day slave wages. It's like, okay, no more Amazon then.

Yeah It's that's what I I've all I completely agree with you It's like the the Like people talk about Afghanistan And like how we held How Afghanistan like basically like repelled Or Vietnam like repel the American military And it's like yeah but you're Americans aren't gonna be able to do that

They think like when the revolution comes We'll hide in caves like you're gonna Use it'll last three days This is the best this is the best The two things I'll say about this Because I have an inkling you might want to move on the two best things that I think sum up this is, one, I am not better than anyone.

I don't even know the ways in which I'm comfortable. It would take. Well, that's what I was going to move on to. Oh, okay. Yeah. And then the second thing is that we know, even I had this conversation with some, with some new friends that I was talking about the whole like, what are we going to do when the water is used up, like, all this stuff.

And they talked about how the billionaires are already planning to like, they all have an escape plan to New Zealand and blah, blah, blah. And I was like, I don't think that's going to work. And they were like, Josh, you don't understand. They have bunkers that are like underground mansions. They have blah, blah, blah. And I was like, I don't think it's going to work. And they were like, what do you mean?

They have. And I was like, COVID. COVID is how I know none of this is going to work. Because really rich people who now had nothing to do but be like alone in their huge houses, lost their minds. You really think that when there's actually, like we're talking actually, actually, so not I'll risk it because I don't believe in it and I'm gonna take my chances

when it's actually the end of the world now and you actually have to be alone in a mansion with your family that you made but you hate. Yeah, but you don't like. I have a that I talked to Scott Galloway about on here which is their head of security is just gonna fuck their wife. Yeah, I mean, I actually think there's a,

you saw was it triangle of sadness? Yeah, okay. I was rooting for the rich people. It was a very different story. line than I thought it was going to be. Like, I really thought that that there would almost be a revenge aspect

immediately out of spite by anyone who was like working the ship or something. And it didn't. It kind of quickly became a sort of egalitarian thing off of what you could do and what you could, like it... What's possible. Yeah. It actually became

fair quickly. But you would think that... But it's unfair relative to what it... I mean, it's fair relative to what it was, but still I'm with you. Do you see what I'm saying? In my head, I still think there was more of a revenge. I, like, maybe I must be remembering it incorrectly if you can believe it. But these people are not civilization builders.

That's, yeah, yeah. Like, the same way they're not job creators. Yeah, you'd have to build, like, you'd have to figure out, like, how to, what sort of laws should we have in this commune? And by the way, no commune has ever worked. But a commune specifically built of people. Built by Mark Zuckerberg, yeah. It's like, I mean, the odds of it working are.

Yeah, because each one of you, every single one of you is used to no one being able to tell you no, having the most money in the room. Yeah. And like when you, Elon, richest man in the world, but like the other top 10 are just like rarely around Elon. And then they're the richest person in the world. Yeah. Like that's all relative to stocks and that's all relative to like what you've last bought and the valuation of it, which is like overinflated to begin with. Yeah. Yeah, it's all paper.

And how are you going to get status? You're going to get, like all the stuff that they wanted. It's what? We both came the same conclusion. How do you, has money affected you? I do my best now to understand it. Like, just because some money comes to you doesn't now mean you understand it. Like your lack of money is not necessarily a lack of awareness around money.

I would actually argue that when you don't have money, you're more. aware of it and then like having some sort of money just lets you be comfortable enough to not think about how much the Uber's going to cost or the groceries will cost, right? But I think that I'm still on like a journey to learn systems better because then I think that outside of the people that would want to block you from helping people, it is much easier to help people than we've been taught because because we come from a of a place of like our basic mainstream media like our legacy media is owned by billionaires and owned by like incredibly wealthy corporate interests we've always been pitched questions a certain way like I think I think when mom dani was running I

remember who asked him but there was someone that was that straight up asked them do billionaires have a right to exist do you think that billionaires have a right to exist and I'm just like whoa like Like what billionaire is like under attack right now outside of rhetoric, outside of just like not being liked? Like what right to exist. Yeah. Is a crazy right to exist is like it. But you're the news.

So right to exist is like it's like if you had if you knew that there was a red dot on your forehead being aimed at you by your billionaire boss. Right to exist is like it's like he's basically been saying we should slaughter him in the street. Yeah. When literally he's just been like, hey, just so you know, one percent of their percent pays for like all the school lunch. I don't think that we should have billionaires. And that literally that's all he said. And they were like right to exist. And so that to me tells me a few things like right off the bat.

And I think that there's more money in keeping people on the subscription services of life. There's more money in making it so people are scrounging as opposed to just able to truly self-determine by means of the skills that they build and what they endeavor to do. I just look at how housing in Los Angeles. It's like it actually doesn't need to be this problem. It actually doesn't because there are people that are willing to build the afford. affordable housing and there's people that are near the where the affordable housing would be that want to block it because it would lower their property value. But then why do they get a say? That's actually crazy. It's like you bought this house and maybe you bought it because it has this view. But if a,

but if a skyscraper can move in and put a thing right in front of you that blocks your view, then some affordable housing should be able to be built. And yeah, maybe your neighbor is poor. But you know what actually lowers the property value of where you live and why you can't sell your house and why your house poor is because people poop in the street in front of you. And so it's like you would actually rather that. You would rather sink the ship you're on than to just offer up building a bigger boat. Well, they just want to get rid of the people. They think just get rid of the poopers. Yes, but that's that's the brainwashing that I'm talking about. That's the like, the like, we are so. So you've gotten money and haven't been like, oh, you're like, yeah, I can.

I can buy a kid a clothing box every once in a while. Sure, sure. I aim to buy kids clothing boxes and forget it as best as I can. That's a wealth level. I hope you get there. Yeah. And you buy boxes and forget six months. And you don't even look at your checking account to be like, what did I do?

What do? What is this? What is this charge? I should probably cancel it. I tried. I tried after the first month and I couldn't. Yeah. Okay, so it's made you real.

Yeah, because I, whenever I deal with rich people and I'll, like, give homeless people money and they'll be like, what do you doing? I'm like, I just made that guy's day, day or week. Sure. If you give him like 50 or 100 and they're like, like, it, I forgot. And he's going to, it means a lot to that person. Yeah. If there's money you forgot you had in your pocket, you don't need it. Yeah.

Like you clearly don't need it. And I think that money, personally, for me, should go based off of need because you see the extreme wealth that we're almost taught. Like, people talk about a rat race and it's like you, you enter this rat race unintentionally. You're just born and then you're part of it. But you decide how like, you decide if like first place means something to you. You can make your own, you should and, well, it's hard make your own rules. It takes like, much like revolution. It does take like constant like, what are we doing?

Yeah. And I think that there is no excuse for the amount that it takes to survive in the country going up. But they're also like we're working on two things at the same time because I want people to be paid a livable wage. And like the thing I've been saying a few times, in a few different conversations is like, I understand like earning a living, but no one should have to earn the right to live. Like there's just, there's,

we act like there's no amount of middle ground between those two things and they're the opposite sides of the spectrum. Like as soon as you say, I work 45 hours a week and I still live in my car, people assume that you want to not work at all and make $6,000 a month. And it's like, that's not what that person said.

They're literally trying to, play by your rules and and they're still getting screwed and so I think that having more uh money now has opened my eyes to like oh this really is a choice by a lot of people for the for the world to be this way like even when I was broke even even as an adult like like I've moved out now I'm in Chicago and I don't have any money right like I don't have any like I'm literally like doing the the cheapest things I can eating the cheapest food that I can and just try to get it. by and I still had and maybe it was me being naive or maybe me being hopeful but I still had a slight understanding of systems that that they were largely constructed and upheld by ignorance and I don't

believe that anymore because there is a level of it's it's sometimes willfully ignorant but you take it all the way back to that painting example and there's a willful ignorance at why this is bad And if no, but also if no one ever questions it, then why would you randomly think, like what person wakes up and then goes, wait, have I been living a completely unsustainable lifestyle? It's like the things that make you ask those questions are the friction that you, that you encounter. And so that's no excuse. That doesn't let them off the hook, but there's like a willful ignorance there. And then I think that there are things in place where I'm like, oh, it was made. it was so deliberately made like when something like housing gets blocked in a place with a homelessness problem it is so willfully uh done and that's something that when i was really young and out on my own for the first time i still didn't quite get so i was even probably the um on the on the bad end of the the stick of that thing and still didn't quite like put that together it's also just how much hypocrisy can either you're not aware of it or you just

have a high tolerance for your own hypocrisy. Yeah. I think people just, you have a real high, like, I, I, I, I, I, you know, I don't feel actively bad about, you know, slave phone and slave sneakers and, you know what I mean? Like, not literally, but, you know, some form, whatever, like, somebody's suffering for a lot of my stuff. And there's also, but there's also this, the aspect that you, you go to people every day and you might tell them that sort of thing, right?

And then they're like, well, all I could afford was the $4 shirt. I know. And so then it's like how much of how much of that call out is them not caring about their own hypocrisy? And how much of it is like we've set up a system now where people know no other way. Also, you're trapped in a lot of these systems. Like Amazon being the Gia Tolentina wrote a thing about it where it's like she tried to not use Amazon. And it was just like it's just a different. set. It's just tradeoffs.

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al after your purchase they're going to ask you where you heard about them they should figure it out from the code but just tell them neal sent you neil and blocks okay take ultra dot com being present emotionally highs and lows with life and career struggle to celebrate wins and or the ability to fully clock out. Who? Is that a thing that somebody has said? Are you in a relationship? Yeah.

And is it, has she complained that you're not there, that you've seemed distracted, that you, is it a thing like, you're to future looking and like, okay, now we've got to do the next thing to? Yeah, I wouldn't say complained, but there's definitely been the, yeah, it's been, it's been like, called out as something she's noticed where she really wants me to like be present for those moments that are highs that are you pulled off the thing that you've been talking about or you you should celebrate. Like this is a big moment or something.

Yep. And I have so few things that are deeply, deeply important to me in regards, in relation to what other people think is important. And so some of that is just a fact. Like, like, there might be a stat thing or something that should be something somebody would celebrate. And- A stat like you've sold the most tickets or-

The most tickets at some place or something. And I'm not saying that I'm not grateful to everyone who came out in for the shows, because the shows are what's important to me, but like that number and that stat when people do that, I'm like, that's great, but that's just until- What are the things you mean? What are the things you can feel? can feel. What do you feel like, oh, like where you notice like, oh, this works. This one's

hating me. Not to. A grand eyes, yeah, but yeah, whatever. But the special feels that way. Sometimes you get labeled nice, right? And nice is a death sentence. It is an example of taking an idea that is more complicated than just me standing there with a mic and delivering the jokes in the right order and making sure the tone is right and the vibe is right for the punches to hit. And it is, can I take this idea that was in my head and execute it the way I imagined it in my head and then have it connects with people the way I hoped it would in my head? Yeah. And that, like all of that together is actually so, so hard to do.

And it's hard to do even if you are just standing there with a microphone. Yeah. But that level of being an effective communicator is so. difficult that if I can do that to a satisfactory level, then that is for, you know, this chunk of time, the biggest deal in the world to me. That is something that I feel like is the best example. Yeah. And so that's not to sound like such a purest or anything, but genuinely, it's like I've been waiting to do this for a really long time and to have it come together and keep coming together. It literally feels like things falling into place,

but in the way of like an addictive Instagram video you keep watching, where it's like everything keeps landing and it's building. To the point where you're like, maybe they did, maybe they're showing this in reverse. Yeah. Maybe it was already built and then they poured all this stuff out and that's why it's looking like it's falling,

but that's how it feels. I saw the one today where the guy cruts through traffic and it like, he misses nine cars somehow. Yeah, yeah. It looks like Mexico. or something, it's like eight, four lanes each way. And you're like, how? So smooth.

Yeah. And I think that those things in life are hopefully not so rare. Once again, one of the reasons I do, what I do on YouTube is to make them less rare for myself. If I can, once again, become like an incredibly effective communicator and I can sharpen up jokes faster, I can tell better stories. To what end? To the end of... Meaning you say, I want to... to be effective communicator and then what and then i because it's somebody who thinks like that a lot

i'm like okay what and then what yeah but there's no then what like you like when you i so i started playing chess uh i play chess to play chess i'm not playing chess to become grandmaster one day in fact i found out that me playing now me starting now too the chances are abysmal i would have to be a like whatever, seventh level, whatever they calculate it, like ninth level genius to pick it up now and end up at like true grandmas. What level of genius do you think you are? I'm kidding.

No, I just, I genuinely play chess to relax, to have fun. And I wanna be a better chess player because I think it'll make games more fun. And it'll put me in different, you know, there's more chess games than there are like Adams in the universe. You've heard that stat and stuff like that. It's like, okay, well then for me to not mostly feel like, uh-oh, what do I do?

Okay, but... I need to be a better chess player. As a guy who's concerned about justice and morality... Okay. Being an effective communicator, you must have some hope that something will come from it. I'm not saying like...

Whatever. But you must, in the back of your head, you must think, if I do this well enough, something might... I don't know. Is there a then what? Is there like, and I don't want to put you on the spot of like,

where do you think you're going? But I, but I suspect you might have a bigger aspiration than like, for the love of public speaking. For the, that's very funny. That's actually, man. Oh, you're a true troll for the love of public speaking. This man.

This man. Man. What you just said. You would think he never clothes. me the way for the love of public speaking. What I'm saying is, no, I hear you. I hear you. You have a bigger motive than your chess motives.

I think. Again, and I don't, maybe don't even say them out loud. I'll pitch you a couple. I'll pitch you a couple. Your next special we called love of public speaking, mine is true troll. For the love of public speaking. It's just me dunking a book. Yes.

So I think that there are. are like actions you can take that are unknowable of the consequence. Like it'll have a ripple effect, right? And I don't think that comedy or my comedy can like change the world, but it definitely changes my world. Like it changed my world from the point where you even met me like seven-ish years ago to where I am now.

It has like changed. It transformed your life. Yeah, it transformed my life. Transform a lot of my perspective. because now through comedy I've been able to travel, traveling, open my mind up for how other people live and like really live, not just like, we're all different. Like, actually, oh, you don't have to be punched in the face

if you need to go to the doctor. Like, we actually do do this wrong. Like, verifiably wrong and it's fixable, and it's just more profitable to not fix it. That's something that you cannot fully grasp, I think. Like, even the most hard line, I don't want to pay for someone else's health care republic, if they go, the places they want to visit do it better.

You know? And it's like there's an irony there. It's like you, you talk about loving going to Europe, but you hate all the policies. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But why do you want to go? You know what I mean? And so I think that becoming, once again,

more effective communicator, better storyteller, I do think that there are opinions that can be opened up. Maybe not like, I'm not trying to be over here, I'm gonna change all the hearts and minds or whatever, but just like opinions that can be opened up and make people go like, huh, I never thought of it that way. And I think you're more open to think I never thought of it that way through a joke. And I think that you are more open to change your perspective through someone else telling their story that you happen to identify

with pieces of than you are by being strictly called out for everything you're doing wrong. And I'm not talking about anything that I'm doing wrong. And so I think that my contribution, hopefully, to a better world is not just when I get money. how I distribute money, but also when I share with people, my perspective on things, it's something where they hopefully don't feel alone and also don't feel crazy for feeling the way that they feel because we're living in a very, like, crazy era.

What do you think of John's thing, Stuart's thing about, like, when he retired the first time? And he was like, it didn't work. Fox News is more popular than it was when it was. I started. Oh, yeah. Do you think he's being falsely modest or you think it's that you disagree? Because I could be, I believe in, I agree with him and I agree with you. I think that there's sometimes to me, and I've just watched this happen to a lot of people in my life, I think a lot of people think that they can bargain their way through good deeds, good intentions and, and right thinking,

having all the right opinions, whatever, that they can bargain their way out of fate and out of ill will. Like, I think that there are a lot of people that are like, if I do all the right things, nothing bad should happen to me or nothing bad should happen around me and nothing bad should happen to the people that I love

because I'm doing everything right. But fate and like luck and chant, like all that stuff like that, don't care about everything right. And I think that there are some mixtures of like combinations of things that can collide together that are too random and too stupid to circumvent all of the

trying to get us out of our own selfishness than you could ever account for. I think all the way back to like the Old West when someone would come to town with actual snake oil, like where we get the term from, and be like, you rub this on your belly and you'll find the love of your life.

It's like, okay, you're now the person, you're now the reasonable person in the town that's like, y'all, I think that's a lie. Yeah. I think that might not happen. Like, I just, I've rubbed my belly before. I've seen the snake. I've smelled it.

I think it's castor oil. Like, I think this guy's a liar. Yes. But it is so enticing that all you have to do is this simple thing and you'll get the love of your life. And it's only going to cost like a nickel. And you have a nickel. Yeah.

So I might as well try it. And then all of that, like all of that therein to me personally, lies like the whole MAGA movement. Like even on top of racism and all the other stuff like that, it's like here's a guy saying he can simply just do it. Completely agree. Then there's people there are like,

I think he might be a liar because of everything, because of look at everything. And then there are people who, you know, this is just this is how I see it. And I don't know if I could be convinced otherwise. So I don't even know if you could call it just my opinion. It's like I've almost held

this for years as like a genuine true belief. I think that Obama made people's lives so comfortable, like not everybody, but some people's lives so comfortable that they actually took their vote and what could happen with it for granted. Like I think that they actually got like so comfortable that they were like, oh yeah, I guess I'll vote for this. It'll be fun. Let's see if he'll shake things up. Everybody who voted at the same thing. They were like, yeah, I just, you know, I wanted to shake things up. It's like, did you? You want to shake things up? You want to shake up the government, the pillar of stability in our society?

Like when you go to the mechanic and he says, should I put new brakes in? Are you like, nah, fuck it? Shake it up. Everything that would lead to unqualified chaos is what they thought would be good to toss a coin over. And I think that no matter how hard you work at comedy, at politics, at journalism, you cannot account for people feeling like that. Like, no matter how much work you put in. So I think that what I do, I'm not trying to like single-handedly or through an entire movement change the outcome of what some people are going to do because we're just going to be so righteous and so correct that everyone will just do the right thing.

I think that's a fairy tale. But I think that I can be a part of improving lives on a local level. And I think I can be a part of improving lives abroad, not just through comedy, but through like actionable political endeavors and through yeah still voting and putting people in place that we at least until

are shown otherwise believe that have very good intentions and have actionable plans like I think that one of the reasons people love Mamdani so much is that he's a thing that you can look at and be like oh it's not all over yeah

Because sometimes it feels all over. It's like a $1.6 billion slush fund for January 6ers. The same week that the attorney general says the IRS is banned from ever looking into Trump's taxes, the same week as you see ICE buying up like, you know, what essentially are being described and like clearly going to be concentration camps. It's like all these things happening on such a big. level it's like yeah I don't know if you can out joke that but I think no I'm not you think I'm asking you specifically it if I think you can affect direct American political change I'm just wondering like do you what I guess it's just the effect overall of of cynicism versus hope yeah I think that if you yeah I think when you talk about cynicism versus

It's like that zero-sum game, if you have no hope, then all the cynicism wins. So I think that you have to have at least a little bit, and some of that hope might be dumb. I personally think there are some people that have hope in a way that is very silly. I think that we've been shown enough of how people behave and who people are, that there's no wake-up call. There's no wake-up call loud enough. There's no wake-up call loud enough, and there's no wake-up call for someone who is awake-up, and trying to do bad things. Yes.

Like there's, I think some people are waiting on and it's a very like, to me, classical, liberal idea of like, well, once they just get shown the way, they'll do better. And if you knew better, you do better.

It's like, no, they know. They don't like, they don't want to do it. Yeah, they do not want to do it. They've been told, hey, if you stop blocking. They're aware of it. They think it will not benefit them. Yeah.

full stop so then that's my thing with liberals all the time it's like so now what yes and and i think that there's a lack of acceptance that now after being shown that for the better part of a of a decade yeah now you have to be uncomfortable enough to fight them on on every uh political level on every rhetorical level, we're done with the whole, like, just don't engage with them, or they're so dumb that no one will believe what they're saying. It's like, we're done with all that. Would you ever run for office, do you think? No, because I think it's a very different thing to, I think that constituents, like, backseat drive. And so I think that some people can backseat drive very astutely. They can, they can be like, hey, you missed the sign. Your best served as a backseat driver,

you think? I think so because I think that there is a here's here's the thing to me. There is support that should be extended to people from every possible angle are doing the things that could benefit people. But I think that being a being the person who calls out when the senator signs the bill that they didn't read or they don't care. or comes from their donor or their lobbyist that, yeah, you need someone to be like, hey, this is a rat, right? And I think that there is a shackle

in politics that you don't have when you're not in politics. And I think that when people say, oh, so you should run. One of the things that we still have not learned as a lesson from like Trump and Trumpism and everything is that just because you like someone does not mean they're going to be effective politician.

The same way that, like, I like you. I don't know what you would be like as a pilot. So then I shouldn't be like, well, you should go to pilot school. Do you I mean? And so I think that public office is something that to me is like a different way to engage.

And I think that my best way of engaging is to be as research as possible on things. But I don't think that just because I can be like, you miss the road sign, that now I know how to do. drive the car. I got you. Do you, I'm just wondering, like, do you think you can, the thing with doing, like, comedy from a left point of view is the, it's like, we change virtually no minds. It's all, it's all, like, folk music for people who like folk music. Sure. And, and so what, that's where I'm,

like, that's where I'm, like, I don't know what the, the, I don't even know if John, I think John might I don't know. I don't know where influence is other than other than like a bit of a pep rally of like hey guys just reminder right and wrong from our point of view let's fight for it. This is wrong. Let's fight. Yeah. I think I think that sometimes influence is like short-sighted into did we did we get what we want from this thing that we did. And I don't think that opinions or politics are like vending machines. Like I don't I don't think. that if you just make a funny enough special about how dumb Trump is that it will lead to a change in the midterms. And so when it doesn't lead to a change in the midterms, I don't know if you can directly correlate that thing with like, well, I guess nothing that we did mattered or worked because it didn't change the midterms. I think that there are people, you know, across the spectrum and some people so heavily on a side that freaks me out. But still, I think that there was a Democratic push in the 2024 campaign to try to appeal to these people in the middle that don't exist in the droves that Democrats want to believe they exist. And I think that the Republican tactic that has worked, it's worked for like two midterms and two presidential elections is to look at the people you don't think you're going to get anyway and be like.

Like, if I could sum up the whole policy, look at the people that you don't need anyway once you count the numbers and actually say, we don't need you. Like, I actually don't care if you vote for me. I don't need you, right? Yeah. Then you talk to the people who are going to vote for you

and talk to them about how you're going to improve their lives. Then the people who you literally said you didn't need see the policy, think maybe that might benefit me and then vote for you anyway. Numbers were up with the people that you that you trash for for or ignore. Yeah. That you trash or ignore. So clearly trashing and ignoring is not actually the the defeatist tactic that it's been that's been pitched as by the Democratic Party.

Yeah. The Democrats are always trying to be like, we should get more people in the Midwest that number in like the 5,000s. Yeah. that have this one job that's never coming back. We should like lie to them that we're going to bring their industry back. Like they basically do sometimes job training. Yeah, it's like they try to do what Trump did less effectively because they're scared to lie. Yeah.

And that is a thing that I think is a tactic that we now know does not work that they should stop doing. And they should double. If we're going to lose anyway, then double down. on what you're going to do for the... Lose honestly instead of dishonestly. Yeah, it's like if we're going to lose anyway, double down for the people who you have and for the people who say you could get them if you did this.

Because that's what, last thing I'll say about this, because I know I'm going on about it for a while and it has not been funny for quite a minute. But the thing that was so infuriating about 2024 is that there were people that as voters, to two Democrats said, I'm probably not going to vote for you anyway, and I don't care what you have to say.

you have to say and there was more of an appeal to try to get them than there were people who are like we care about this one thing that you actually should care about if you're honest about what you care about and they were two leftists and then when the when the loss happened both in media and in just like personal rhetoric a lot of democrats blamed the leftists and it's like you literally extended your hand to people who were not trying to reach for it and then the people who said you've got us if literally you can commit to this one thing whatever that was for whoever you're talking to because we're talking about like three things at least as far as the post-mortem that the media did like trans rights Gaza and then like a commitment that like these people

who are running health care into the ground won't get a seat at the table on how we reform health care because that is that is like you're not redoing health care if there's still this option where someone pays like, you know, $10,000 a month to be able to go get an ace bandage at the ER. And so it's like because of that, if that thing's always there, everything's always going to be angled towards that thing. And so I could be wrong about the actual analysis, but I know that like Gaza and trans rights were a big part of what was ignored and even worried about people protesting at the DNC for.

meanwhile Kamala Harris is out there with Liz Cheney holding hands like Liz Cheney is liked by anybody like that that felt so like I'm I was never a popular kid y'all I was never a popular kid y'all know where to find me but I didn't even lose I didn't even lose my run for class president this bad do you I mean like I wasn't even a popular kid and I knew okay maybe don't align yourself with the person who's out and who the hardcores don't like. The former bully.

Said all that to say, I don't know if I can do much of anything. Just to put a button. You made that clear with the length. Yeah. Yeah. This is good to know. I have a general question,

which is what is it like to be you? You know what I mean? I mean, right now, sweaty. I know. Well, because you work in a studio, there's no air conditioning. No, no, it's fine. I'm not complaining.

Take your sweatshirt off and show the ladies what's pop. Never. Never. Is that true? No, it's stitched on. The, the, here's what's it, how do you like your life? Like, what are your goals for, how do you think you've done and what are your goals? This is the final question of the podcast. Leave it all out on the field on this one. Oh, what's it like to be you? Because that's the, like talking about all this stuff. I'm like, Josh, what's it like, the point of the podcast is like, what's it like to be you in an emotional psychological way? minute to minute hour to hour day to day month to month like what how how do you like it i like it a lot i i'm i'm having a good time and i'm very thankful for everyone that's like that that sees something in me

or is helping me to get to the place i've got to this point and what i intend to do because i think that i've been afforded a lot of blessings i think some of those blessings are like even our encounters like I think that when when I was opening for you and when you were just chatting with me about like comedy in general in the office that that is something I look at as like a real I don't know that's like a real blessing like I don't I don't look back on that time like the advice you gave me I really took to heart and I really listened and then the advice that Trevor gave me that John is given me and all all these things. And so what it feels like right now is that I am like as best as possible, but I think pretty accurately, like living for the thing I was like purpose to do.

I think I was purpose to make people laugh and give people comfort. And I hope to always do that, like whether there comes a day where I'm like much bigger or something, I still hope to to provide that same thing. And so right now I feel really good because I feel like everything has, like I said before, with the special and with me falling into place in a way where I know it's not like fallen by accident. It's not all luck.

Like there's real work involved, but it feels a lot like when you're very smoothly killing it at Tetris. I don't know if you've ever had that feeling where you're like, you flip the block just in time, you kill the whole line, you know? And that's, how I feel and it's how I get to feel each weekend. It's how I get to feel every week when we share the set and it's and it's how I feel with the special and it's how I feel with my family and everything. Like being able to take care of my mom and my aunt and my girlfriend and just being

able to not have to think about some of the things I thought about growing up or worried about when I was in Chicago is like. Like money stuff or safety stuff? Yeah, money, safety. I mean, like, safety is so fully relative. Safety to me is like control. It's like you can pretend to have it, but you don't. Yeah.

You come on now. Yeah. You know I mean? And I think that it's just like a lot of like menial stuff. Like I definitely find myself being less jealous, less like I'm doing as much work as I can to change up those parts of myself that don't serve anybody and don't make me happy. So like I'm, I'm sure I'm not perfect with it, but I really tried discern why I feel things. And so I feel like right now I'm doing everything that I was meant to do. Hopefully not everything, everything, but there's still

more to come, but I'm on the right path is what it feels like. Yeah. And I will say like you're identical to what you were. No, thanks. Like, I still don't know how to dress. You said it. I would never say something like that. I don't even notice.

Like one of those people who doesn't notice color, I don't notice clothes. Yeah. But no, you're identical and it is a testament to your character. Like, I don't, some people, want to act brand new.

You know what I mean? Like some people want to, they want to act, they want to, they want to have, so then I don't have to be decent anymore. Sure. And you seem like you would,

you still have a, it's Al Davis from the rate has had a commitment to excellence and you have a commitment to decency. Oh, thanks. I mean, if anything, now I'm just more worried. Now I'm more worried that like,

oh, I hope, because one thing that being known has created is like the ability to look like you snub someone. I know. And so that's a new thing that I'm trying to make sure I never let people feel

when they encounter me because I don't want to. Like, I may not always have time truly for stopping and chatting. Yeah. But I would like to. And I definitely carry it with me when I don't.

Like I, yeah, I never want anybody to have that bad experience because I know to them I'm like more of an idea than a person or whatever. but for me it's like they are very real. They're someone who has helped to give me the things that I have now,

which is like these opportunities and stuff. Like every time I take a picture with somebody on the street or get to chat with somebody, you know, like that came up to me, I'm looking at someone who is taking care of my mom because I'm taking care of my mom. So I'm getting to meet who's taking care of my mom, you know? Yeah. And that is something that I don't take for granted at all

because it was the opposite for so long. Yeah. You know. But at scale, it's hard to remember. It can be for sure, but it also depends on how often you're outside like that, you know? That's why you only go out five minutes of that, right? Eight minutes.

Eight minutes. Yeah. You stand by the front door, you know, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's boiling outside. I can only last eight minutes. Um, guys, Josh Johnson, the special is called Symphony. It's streaming. Josh Johnson.com.

Josh Johnsoncom. If you go to Joshjohnsey.com, it might take you to, Lord knows what. Check it out. Dude, go to both. Two separate windows, guys. Josh Johnsoncomedy.com.