Breaking Bread with Tom Papa - Episode 335 - Joe Dombrowski

Episode Date: July 14, 2026

This week we welcome Joe Dombrowski to the table! He and Tom talk parenthood and adoption, putting together a comedy special, and the joys of fishing. Enjoy! Our thanks to: IQ Bar! Text PAPA to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. Factor! Start your free trial and get 50% off your first year of total money clarity using link www.monarch.com/PAPA or code PAPA Quince! Upgrade your summer kitchen. Go to Quince.com/papa for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's very obvious, Joey Dumbraowski is going to be the lead in whatever the drama teacher chooses. Tom Hapha, do you know what she chose? Do you know what she chose? Children of Eden, I played God. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I played him. And it was a little bit of a controversy for out gay God. I was walking around on this robe like this in school and people were like, not. This is blasphemy is what's happening.

The high school teacher from the- It made perfect sense to you. I was just like, because I am. The high school teacher at the other high school was like petitioning against it. No. And I was like, you're a drama teacher. Yeah.

You're a drama teacher. I'm the footprint for your future gaze. What are you talking about? They could be God too. She really protested? Yes, she was mad. She was mad. It's breaking bread.

So this is super in. Is it? Yeah. See like 60s retro with the collar and the knit. Here's the thing that I struggle with. When you wear something like this, the real way to wear it is to wear, you know, like the sleeveless, they used to call them wife beaters

when I was a boy. And did not age well. But that kind, what do they call, what would that be called now? What's the political term for a wife beater? A tank top. A tank top? No, it's different.

I'm sure? Because it's undershirt, like, low. You know what I mean? I would, I would, I would trust me because I'm homosexual. I know, but, all right, tank top. There you go. You're doing great. I just did it.

You're doing great. Now you're the pride for little grand marshal. I don't, but I don't, I don't like that. An A shirt. I don't think tank top with it. Okay. Underneath it. Okay.

Do you think I could work that? I do. You do? I do. Hair is coming off the top. Yeah. Joe Dombrovsky is a very straight name. Isn't that crazy?

It's a very strong name. It's a very strong, straight, maybe Pennsylvania bro. You're there. Joe Dombrowski. Yeah, yeah. In college, I took a, I majored in elementary education. And I'll never forget I was in a, you had to take. a children's lit course to like learn how to theatrically read children's books to groups of kids okay

let me just tell you I thrive those kids must have been so happy it was like I was like honestly you should be paying me to take this class right but I'll never forget the teacher was obsessed with my name because she said I sounded like a Polish mobster and every time she'd have to say my name she'd say Joe Dumbrovsky I'm like all right I'll take it Did you get that growing up? Did you get like... Not really because... I grew up in Detroit.

Okay. And we spent a lot of time in Chicago as well. So like, Polish-ish people or a dime a dozen. Right, right, right. Yeah. It is a great name either way. Yeah. It's really good.

Well, thanks. Yeah, I like it. Your special is very funny. Thank you. I was watching it all morning. And you're such a good performer. but even more than your energy and you're performing, you have so many great, like, turns of phrase.

Thank you. Like, you're very, you're very well written also. Thank you. Yeah, thank you. It was really, you're really good. That's very cool to hear coming from you. I appreciate that. I've actually, I worked a lot of those bits over and over and over again.

And my biggest thing with stand-up period is if I can hear anyone in the audience starting to catch along of where I'm going, how immediately it's out. So my biggest thing is always, like, right, right, right until you have the least common answer. When you go through the run of when you're giving a sperm sample, you had so many, you were so much faster than even their laughs. Yeah.

But it was really like, here's another one and here's another one and here's another one and here's another one. It was between the person getting it and what you were dropping off and all of that was. Do you use local comics ever to like host or feature with you when you're on the road? Not now. But you did. I did. Yeah.

Yeah. I noticed when I was in the process of like fine tuning that hour, I like doing clubs more than theaters. I really do. I feel like you can do it more often. And there's a big payoff with that. And I made a conscious effort to just say to the club like, Hey, just give me your best. I don't care who is.

Just give me your best as long as they're funny. And I would always have, do you have any other, any other way you would say sperm? Just to, like, get a few more. And even if they didn't say it, it would, like, lead me to it. Uh-huh. And I just thought that it was, like, a cool way to collaborate to get as many options as possible. And it used to be too much. I had a dollar back.

Oh, really? The best ones. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, what did you call it, knuckle baby or something? Knuckle baby. Nucle baby. Yeah. High fructose porn.

syrup is another one. That's my favorite one. Yep, that one was fun. Yeah, high fructose porn syrup. Well, it started. So good. The joke started. I kept, I'm wringling like your Italian decor. It's the fake garlic. I baked you this bread, by the way. Can we eat it? If you want to. I will 100% eat it. Oh, shit. Oh, yeah, no, we can. I'm afraid of carbs. You want to eat it now? Are you going to have some with me? I will. Okay, let's do it. Do we have a little plate for olive oil? Oh, my God. I just realized. I didn't know we were. at. Who'd I give them the knife to? I have a, I designed this cutting board with this company called Nambay. That sounds not Italian. No, it's, yeah, it's not, but it's Acacia Wood, which isn't

Italian either. Definitely not, no, no, no, it's not. And there's a new knife with it, and who'd I give it to? Jake Johnson. Was it Jake Johnson last week? Right? Wow. And gave him the knife. He just walked out of here with a loose knife. Yeah. He was with, and he was with his mom. He seemed irritated with her. We got a good liability insurance plan on breaking bread. Acacia wood. Yeah, this is all Acacia wood. That's Nambay.

Yeah, they're pretty legit. This is the flower container. See the acacia wood on the top? Look it. I'm going to be the Martha Stewart of comedians. I'm actually into it. So my other half is Italian. So it's Polish Italian.

So I'm no stranger to carbs. Oh, that's good for you. And love carbs. Oh, that's good. How did you meet? My husband? Yes. Tinder, which is why our wedding song was, I found love in a hopeless place by Rihanna.

But we did meet on Tinder. Now, do you know about like the inner layers of dating apps? I know nothing about them. Do you have a little paper plates? I would have paper. I'm a heathen. I'll just have. is this without a plate.

All right. Yeah, you don't know. Thank you. It's okay. There's napkins. You want a napkin? Show napkins? I'm going to use one of your show napkins.

You know. Now for continuity, I'll put it back. You know, Joe, I mean, it's real things. Thank you. This is a treat. This doesn't happen on a podcast. You come and get your makeup done, and they give you bread and olive oil?

Yeah, that's right. They didn't prepare me for where it was coming. I would address them. And I'm straight. This is unbelievable. We'll have to tell my husband. I was whined and died today, Morgan, my bad. Thank you.

You're welcome. This is great. Thank you. So tell me about the underbelly of... So when you tell heterosexuals that you met on Tinder, usually there's a gasp. Because for them, it's... Yeah, it can be seedy because in that world there's other apps that are more prestigious, I guess. Like I think, would you guys say that Bumble is probably an upgrade from Tinder? Okay.

Are you on the apps? Yeah. But Tinder is your seediest? No, yeah, Tinder's probably. Okay, not. Grindr. Is my, not seediest. Not seediest.

There's seater. There is. Yeah, it's called sidi-y-dier. Sniffies, don't go on it. Sniffies. It's called sniffies. And it's just a map of organs. But the map is where you currently are, like the actual map, the streets and stuff like that.

And then you see one and you meet with it immediately. It's usually probably behind a dumpster around a Wendy's somewhere. And then you leave. Is that true? Because people make jokes about like behind a dumpster. This is real. It's really behind a dumpster. Lean Alley.

It's just an hour away from here. What's it called? Vaseline Alley. Tom. Am I just? I've been married 26 years. Okay. Vaseline Alley's for the gays.

And it's an alley just behind. I don't want to give the full location. But it's where all the outdoor sex would happen in the gays, with the gays. But now it's in Weehoe. Sorry to be redundant. but it, um, now there's, they hired security guards back there. Oh. But, but, but.

It's in the back of a store or something? No, it's in the alley behind stores. Yeah. So you really, when I said dumpster, that's real. So it's real. No, you don't know, you don't know what's going to poke out. Maybe a hand, maybe a raccoon claw, who's to say? It sounds dangerous.

Oh. Yeah. Right? Mm-hmm. Also, this is great. Do you like it? What is it, Italian? It's a sourdough.

The country loaf. Well, good. Yeah, I made it for you. I appreciate it. It's spongy. My favorite thing to watch on the internet is people opening their not properly cooked sourdough. Because they tried so hard.

They tried so hard. They get so sad. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So wait a minute. One time I broke down on the garden State Parkway in New Jersey. And it was at like a tiny little rest area, not like a big one, like it was just like a,

you know, 10 car kind of thing. Uh-oh. I'm 17. I'm just like, you know, and my car breaks down and I'm trying to get help, pay phone, there's no phones, you know. And I'm trying to get someone to come and take my car help me out and the phone rings. The pay phone rings. No.

I'm like, that's weird. So I answered it. And the guy's like, what's going on? I'm like, nothing, I'm at a rest area. It's a rest area.

He goes, yeah, yeah, I know. What are you into? And I was like, still no clue. I'm like, I don't know. My car just broke down. I'm trying to go to the, no, no, no. What are you into? I was like, oh, sourdough.

Wait, wait. Have you written that out yet? No. That's too good to not be on stage. You just jog the memory. Yeah. I mean, if you're not going to take it, I will. That's awesome.

Then the guy comes with the pickup truck to get me. He comes, and he's nervous. And he's like, let's go, let's go. I'm like, well, that's up. He goes, you don't want to be around here. There's a lot of shit going down around here. You don't want to see.

So what adjective did he use before the word shit, though? That's what I need to know. Gay shit. Yep. Gay with an F. That's what he said. On the Garden State Highway in Jersey. New Jersey.

But like why he was so nervous about it. It's not like, you know what I mean? It's not like zombies coming to attack the truck. Well. He just very uncomfortable. That's a good story. I speak that language. I know exactly what happened to you.

I know you were. I had no clue. I didn't know that it like went down that way. There's a word for it. You know what it is? No. It's called cruising. No cruising.

Is it because it is so, is there any, is it desirable or is it all, this is just has to be in the shadows because the world is so scary? I would say now it's more of a, I think I would say a kink. Right. It's basically exhibitionist, like the risk of getting caught, I would assume. Before, for sure, it was like back away.

What we do in the shadows, this is how we meet. Yeah. This is our code. Right. Yeah. This is the total underground, which is the only place we can live right now. Mm-hmm. Right.

And now it's a kink. Which is sad. But which part? The scary part. I guess the good news is the lore lives on. It's like cleaning up Times Square. Everyone needs to stop and do a gay land acknowledgement first. Right.

So wait, you didn't meet on Splish Blash. You met on Tinder. The old-fashioned, the old-timey way. We met on Tinder. And was it nice right away? First date, we both knew that we were going to ask the other person if you saw yourself having kids, do you want to have kids? And we both knew that if the other person said no, that there wasn't going to be a second date. Oh, wow.

And then we left the first date. There was a great first date. And then I awkwardly got nervous and said, I would like to see you again. And he was like, I'd like to see you again. He's being cool. And I said, okay, great. And I turned around and walked away and went to my car. And I was like, well, I messed that up.

And then he, like, text me and we saw each other again and again and again and again. And now it's like 12 years later and we're married and have a son. And it's crazy. Congratulations. Thank you. It is, it is, it's probably the first, one of the strongest times in my life where I, like, saw a vision. Uh-huh. And it, like, all came to fruition.

It's very, very nice. That's how you know. Yeah. Whenever, whenever, whenever you hear people go, you'll, when you know, you know, you know. Yes. And you can kind of talk yourself into knowing, which I've done. But then when you meet someone and you really know, it's like, oh, I get it now. Yes, yes.

Absolutely. And it's fun. We have fun. We're just like enjoying all of it for so long and it's only getting better. I don't know. I'm happy like that. And was he cool with you? Because I know he's in tech and stuff.

So he's not, was he cool with the comedy thing? Well, you were a teacher first. When did you meet? So I actually did stand-up for the first time when I was in third grade for the talent show. What did you do? I stole all my jokes from a magician at somebody's first communion party. And then a few years after that, my parents took me to a comedy show not really knowing who the comics were going to be. and it was a budding Kathy Griffin

who I was like in my mom still talks about the way my face was just like enamored by it all had you you hadn't seen her before this was just no I don't know I don't know if this point I'm nine right like I'm like or 10 maybe but um and I'm like oh my God I remember her act outs were just so I remember thinking like I can see what she's doing and nothing's there and I was I thought that was the coolest

thing. And it was, and then my family was like, he's into this. So we would watch specials together and sitcoms together. And that's just how it was. So then when I got to college, I started to, on top of pursuing education, I dabbled in sketch and improv and a little bit of stand-up. And then when I graduated college, there's not really a strong stand-up scene in Detroit. It's okay. But if you really want to do comedy you got to have your hand in all of it so I was doing sketch improv stand-up right even after my first years of teaching oh okay but the first pop I will say was from a video that had to do with teaching so that's why a lot of people are like you were a teacher and then you became a comedian right right so when my husband and I met he had been to my shows he had seen me as a local performer got you got

you. But he knew, I mean, he probably knew the first date that you're a funny person, but I would hope. But the lifestyle of a comic was not quite there. Yeah. That wasn't a road dog. So he had to, so he had to learn it as you learned it in a way, right? Yeah. Yeah. Which is kind of he had to learn it. He had to learn what it meant to be doing it professionally. Right. He had to learn that you're not going to be around every weekend. Yep. Yep. Yep. All that kind of stuff. But like going on the fact. that I like, you know, it takes a very certain person to not only be with a stand-up comic, but to like be reaffirmed in yourself and with a stand-up comic.

Like that's a different species of people. Yeah. So it took a while to kind of like understand what this was going to be like and how it's going to go. And I was always very nervous and anxious. And I was always like, I'm sorry, I got to go. like, I got to do this. I got to chase his dream.

And then one day he was like, stop. He's like, this is no different than if you were a consultant for a huge tech company. Because if you were, you'd be gone working all the time just as much. He's like, you're working. This is your job. And there was the first time I heard him be like, this is your job. You're working. Right.

He values this as a career as like something to better our situation. Yeah. And then I was like, this is amazing. Yeah. That's great. that too. How far in was that about? We weren't married yet, but we lived together. So that was probably, I would say seven or eight years of being together at this point. Yeah. Maybe a little less than that. Yeah. And that's kind of, uh, that's kind of in my mind always when you start to understand that you're a good

comic, that you become a good comic. Yes. About seven, eight years. Yes. Where it's like, I wasn't doing hack shit at that point. You know, I was definitely like, you start to, right. Right. Yeah. It takes that long. The biggest part is he's got a very corporate way of thinking about career, which is great, because one of us has a stable source of income that is predicted every month or whatever, and, you know, we're arbitrary. How however much you work, how many gigs come in. So we were, I was, and he was also nervous for me to leave my full-time teaching job because of the consistency. Yeah, yeah. And then I was like, okay, I'm going to tour as much as I can this summer and see what happens.

And before that school year was even done, I had enough gigs lined up that was going to double my teaching salary. And he's like, I think we're good. I think we're fine. That's great. Yeah. That's great. And that really was the catalyst. Did you like teaching?

Loved it. You did. Loved it. It was fantastic. I liked. How old were your kids? I taught everything kindergarten in a sixth grade except for first and second. So all elementary and a little bit of middle school.

What was your fave? Kindergarten. Oh, yeah? Yes. That's just so funny. It's not even that. It's just that is like being in the clubs because every neuron in your brain is firing off at the same time because you have, you're talking to 35-year-olds in unison and they're not even getting what you're saying. Right.

You just have to figure it out every day. Yeah. Like whatever the goal is for the day isn't going to happen and you just have to be okay with that, but you're going to be okay with that. but you're going to go from A to B somehow. Right, yeah. It's fun. It's great. My wife was teaching fifth grade.

Your wife's a teacher. Yeah. Oh, cool. Yeah. She was a comic when we met. Uh-huh. And we had kids and stuff. And all these years later, she went into teaching.

And it was so great to watch the bond with these kids. Like, they come in in September and it's like, I don't know about this. group. And then by the end it's like, I love them so much. That bond. Some of them. Yeah. I'm sure there's some. Yeah. But that has, and I remember my friend Chris Voth, who's a comic out of Denver, I don't know if you know him. He, I was, we were talking about my wife just dealing with school and that kind of thing. And he was the first one that kind of clarified it to me that why it's so tiring, not just the work, not just getting up and going every day and doing all the stuff and doing all the grading and all that kind of thing. It's that you are

emotionally invested in all of these people every single day. And that's the weight of teaching. And you take it home. Yeah. It's not another job where you can just like leave your pile of papers and then pick it back up where you left off. Yeah. It all is on your mind until you get back there. Yeah. It's a. It's a. sadistic circle of, I don't even know what to say. It's just, it is that. Oh, man, when you see teachers at this time of year when it's all winding down, they're just like limping across the finish line. It is crazy. And it is crazy, too. Like not being a teacher, I think made me a, being out of the profession has made me a better advocate for teachers. Because now being able to look from the outside

in, I cannot believe what's being asked of teachers for nothing. Where they're looking after America's most vulnerable citizens, children, and we're just like shitting on them left in right. It's insane to me. It is completely insane. So how long have you been out of it? Oh, God. So this is a loaded question. So I went on tour for the first time and left my teaching job in the 1819 school year.

Okay. And that's when I was like, I can do this full time. Then the pandemic happened. And I lost all my tour dates. after only going out a little bit. Yeah. And I was panicking because I was like, there's no money coming in.

So I applied for a job at a school nearby and got hired in kindergarten. And I worked that job half virtual, half in person. Virtual kindergarten? The phrase alone is getting me PTSD. Yeah. So here I am trying to teach these kids who don't even know what school is through a computer

that they didn't even know what that is. Right. And then, but it was all, the name of the game was edutainment. Uh-huh. So you had to do whatever it took to get them to just, just buy in. Right. So I was teaching them subtraction and I ended up mailing them dog treats. And then like you, they would, first of all, real mail to a kid is like, whoa.

I might as well have sent something. I'm carrier pigeon there so fast aided. And they got these doctors and they're holding it. And I would say, okay, you have five dog treats. Throw two across the room. So they would throw two past their computer. And then I'm sitting with my dog and my husband would throw two at my dog. And my dog would eat two looking like it ate there too.

Amazing. They are so excited. And then how many do you have left? And they're like three. I'm like, you're subtracting. And that was just every day of virtual. That's great. Then I get there.

and they don't know who I am. Wow. Because I'm this guy, and I have a mask on. So they're like, you're not him. We want him. Then the first day you take your mask off, this was the best. This little girl goes, you have teeth? Yeah, bitch, I got teeth.

But it's that sort of stuff that was just like, this made the day. Like, I'm, this is it. Right. I love this. Yeah. But you love this, but this is after, and this is after, after you made the mental leap to leave it. Yes, and then that year after things were lifted,

I went back out and it all worked out. But I did go back. Yeah. Which was hard. Tom, it was hard because I kind of had a name already. Oh, yeah. So then, like, parents would, like, try and take pictures with me at pickup. Or nannies would, like, see me and be like, I'm coming to your show.

I'm like, don't. You know, like, I was kind of like, I felt very much like when I went back in outside of virtual yeah I felt like is this okay like I'm kind of a distraction in this building like I don't think this is good for them I don't think was it okay that you were that your material was talking about being a teacher and stuff like were they cool with that that school no no no not no they weren't that school so that was the first time I taught at a private school I had historically taught at title one schools uh-huh It was the first time I taught at private school, and they were definitely not okay with it.

Oh, really? Definitely not. But I was like, I got a bigger thing brewing here, so I'm going to do it. I'll just change their kids' names. I'm fine. Yeah. A lot of what I've done was pushing boundaries to get. A lot of teachers can be very, like, type A rules followers.

No shade is just real. Yeah. And I'm not. Yeah. So I just did my thing and made it work. Yeah. I mean, the material is so great. So rich.

It's God, just these little people and all that stuff is just, how could you not? It's crazy. There's no way. The things they say and do the way they think and they're just so fascinated by everything you do, it's just unbelievable. It's so cool. Now, were you a good student? I was a good student.

You were. But I was mischievous. Right. So all adults loved me. I was very much, not a teacher's pet, but just like a likable child. Uh-huh. At least I think so.

Everybody loves me. So for my understanding, I was fantastic. I know there's someone watching this like, you're a piece of shit. It's not reflective in my grades, but they still enjoyed my company. Right, right.

Well, that's true. Grades, not the best, But I always overcame that by being like, I was probably the kid that teachers were like, he is funny. Thank God for that, you know. Such an imagination. Yeah.

But I was easy. I could con you quickly as a child. I knew how to like work adults to like make what I just did totally fine. And why was that? Because you were good at manipulating your parents? No, that I was not good at that. But I think I just. first of all, I was an only child.

So I very much spent a lot of time with adults as a child. Right. I mean, like even going to parties with my parents and restaurants and things. Yeah, yeah. So I knew how to, like, talk to you like adult, but I'm 10. Right. You know, and I think adults were, like, kind of fascinated by that. Yeah.

But even in high school, I remember in high school, I stood up on a table down a main hallway that everybody had to walk down to get to the next class. And I'm on the table and I see the assistant principal walking at me. And I moon everybody. And she's like, get down here and go to my office right now. And I just looked at her.

I was like, you're not going to do anything. She's like, no, but come. Please. It was just like I knew I had her in my pocket. It was just terrible. You're just working it. Yeah. Yeah.

So you were funny when you were. in school. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. From the start. Yeah, I think I actually understood joke structure way earlier than I should have. Because you were dosing on Kathy. Yeah. Yeah. And everybody else. That's true though. And Ellen was a big one too. Right. It was definitely, I had her cadence as a kid, which is weird. Oh, really? Yeah. I was like an eight-year-old lesbian just walking around the suburbs of Detroit. But it was, I knew how to like, I knew a misdirect and I knew how to use a misdirect in conversation.

Right. But I was so young that I think it was like appealing to people. It's so great. Yeah. Yeah. So did you do stuff when you were in school? Like, did you perform? Yes.

You did? I was definitely a theater kid. Oh, that's cool. And like, like, forensics and debate. And even something if it wasn't performance, I was involved in it to like do the performance. aspects of it. Right, right. So yeah, student council, very big into that. Yeah. Were you popular? God, I think I was not within the popular crowd, but I also wasn't not. And I, if I look back at my time in high school, I was, I was involved in so many different pockets of people. Right. Where even looking back

on that time, I was hanging out with this group of people. And then the next week, like these complete opposite types of people and could just flip from anything. Right, right. Yeah. Is that popular? I don't think that's popularity, though. No, it's not the traditional, like. It grew.

Right, yeah, right. Yeah. But those kids were very, that's still popular. I'll say this. Well liked. When I got called names in high school, I would look at the other person and just laugh and be like, you wish you. you wish you didn't because I knew there was going to be eight girls coming from all angles

to get your ass. Right. So I was just like, nice try. You know? Yeah. That's how it was. Were you out in high school? I came out my, like later in my junior year of high school, which was like not common.

Yeah. Now I feel like you walk into high school and like 20. 20% of them are out. Yeah. Junior high. Junior high even, yeah. But it's to the point now where in my adult life, so many people that I went to high school with have since come out.

And I'm just like, oh, really? I took it all. Sounds good, guys. You're welcome. We could have had a time. Yeah, you're welcome. You're welcome. You're welcome.

Yeah. But, yeah, it was uncommon. And it wasn't, I wouldn't say where I grew up was like overtly accepting, but it wasn't like oppressive really either. Right. But it was not necessarily easy to be gay there. Yeah. But you were,

you felt comfortable enough to not. I have an insane level of assurance and confidence in myself and always have where it was just kind of like, like I think I used to say in high school, don't hate me because you ain't me, which is like, look at I want to throw up thinking about myself saying that. I think I even decorated a ceiling tile in one of my teachers' offices that said, don't hate me because you ain't me, Joey Dumbrowski.

That's great. But that's how I felt. But that's great. Yeah. Yeah. So it was just like, please. Were you a good performer in those things in high school? What was your standout role?

Oh, wow. You're unlocking trauma. Believe it or not, my senior year of high school. My pride and joy role was I played the cat in the hat and susaical. I can see that. I was historically played by Rosie O'Donnell. So I am a lesbian. I, the next year, my senior year, plus I got that role as a junior, which was unheard of.

The lead. The lead. The next year, I am the one. Okay. It's very obvious. Joey Ombrausky is going to be the lead in whatever the drama teacher chooses. Time Bobba, do you know what she chose? Do you know what she chose?

Children of Eden, I played God. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I played him. And it was a little bit of a controversy for out gay God. I was walking around on this robe like this in school and people were like, not, this is blasphemy is what's happening. The high school teacher from the- It made perfect sense to you.

I was just like, because I am. The high school teacher at the other high school was like petitioning against it. No. And I was like, you're a drama teacher. Yeah. You're a drama teacher. I'm the footprint for your future gaze. What are you talking

about? They could be God too. She really protested? Yes, she was mad. She was mad. And did it become a thing? Like, did you have to wrestle with that? No, because I also had a lot of the teachers behind my back, so I wasn't even involved. They all just were like handling it. And you're just looking at yourself in your robe.

In my robe. And I can't sing. I can't sing. You can't sing? This is like an operatic role. Oh. My friends try to pull out the VHS and play it for me. I have to leave.

I'm like, I'm gone. I'm leaving the party. I'm calling an Uber guy. Can't listen to it. Was the Susical one musical? So here's the thing. Dr. Seuss, cat and a hat,

I can just sing-talk this shit all the length of long day. Right. I just did a character and made it work. Right. I was a cat human. No one knows what that sings like.

Right. So I was just doing it, selling it. Honestly, if I was going to watch it back, I'd say that would be a good audition tape for Broadway today. But then the next drawl. God. That's fantastic.

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figure it out. And it's a great way also to support this podcast. So when you start going into your relationship, new thinking off the first day, like you'd have to be interested in kids at some point. What was that timeline like? Because if you have a new one, right? So that's 12 years later, 11.5 years later. Was it just like, let's like live and do our thing for a while? Or let's let's let our career go for a while, or it's just the complication of how you're going to get a baby? Yes. Make a baby.

It was hard to figure all that out, but like we knew we were going to do it. And once we had to lay down the foundation for this even before we got married. So like we knew we were getting married. We were engaged at the time. But we knew if this was going to go along with our timeline, we had to start way early. We actually chose to do.

surrogacy. Right. I'm an only child. There's no other boys on my husband's side. It just fit for us. Right. And it actually took us over a year and a half to be matched with our surrogate. Wow.

So year and a half. And that's, so that's just being matched with a surrogate. Right. Not to say there was also time that it took to make embryos and test those and find out what's viable and what's not viable. And it was just a very lengthy timeline. So we started very early. Right.

Yeah. So how long was that whole process, say? Like I would say probably two and a half years maybe. Right. Yeah. Right. That's not too bad. I guess it's not too bad.

You know what? Everything that we say is it all feels right. Like it all happened at the right time. It all worked out at the right time. Yeah. Like it took 18 months to match with our surrogate. and oh my god is she the most perfect woman period right like how do how is that how does she put her name out there like how's that so there's some people have somebody in their life who just like offers to do it

for you we didn't and so we were in like a pool and there's always more parents than surrogates right and people who are interested in being surrogates have to when you go in you also have to be extreme vetted, medically, mentally, like all of it. Yeah. And then once you're up, both of you are up, it's kind of like speed dating where they will like take your profile, take this other person's profile. If the center thinks you match, you meet. And if it works out, it works out. And who's the center? Like what? It's called, I don't know if I should say. You know, don't say the name, but like what is it, that organization? Is that a, like, through the hospital or is that like its own? Yeah, it's its own. Yeah, it's its own.

It's its own thing. Its own like free business, whatever. Yes, yes. Right. Surrogacy center. How? Matching surrogates and parents. Wow, that's fantastic.

And you knew right away? Was it the speed dating kind of thing where you're like... Yeah, we... But then you've got to be kind of cautious, like, okay, let's make sure they're cool. Well, we were like, we were like, we loved her husband. We were like, oh my God, this is so perfect. And we're just like, I hope they love all. And then like before we, when we hung up the call,

is on Zoom. When we hung up the call, we were like saying that before we even got up, we got an email from the center saying that they were interested in moving forward. Right. And we were like, oh my God, so are we? Yeah. And then it just went there. What is their, like, what would their concern be?

I guess it's kind of the same, right? Yeah. I mean, when you have the baseline of like, I hope they're not crazy. Yeah. But, like, it's interesting. What would her thoughts be? So one of the big questions on the intake form is, do you want to be involved with this person after birth?

And we did. We knew we wanted this person to be in our life and be in our son's life and openly talk about you and get together when we can get together forever. And she wanted the same thing too. Her and her husband wanted the same thing. But some people don't. Right.

Some people do want to do this transactionally. Right. We didn't want that. And they didn't want that. So that was one of her things. Like, I definitely want to have some sort of a relationship outside of this. Right. So they all want the same things.

And she was married. Yeah. Yeah. Do they have kids too? Yes. Yeah. Yes. Yes.

But just wants to help other people. Yeah. Like genuinely. Jeez. Yeah. Aren't people amazing? It blows my mind, especially. after going through this whole like IVF is a lot there's a lot of medications involved there's a lot of

testing involved yeah and birth is yeah a lot so i hear right yeah so i hear so i saw and like to i still can't fathom that this like perfect woman just like wanted to help us out it's amazing i will do this for you i'm like oh my god and we get a lot of amazing we get a lot of weird flack on the internet of people who will say things like you are exploiting a woman. And I'm like, this is weird because this is actually fully her choice and wants. And like, what are you talking about? Right. Yeah.

It's, yeah, it's insulting that you think she has no agency in this? You can't make up her own mind. Right. I'm so sorry if you had a pet experience or know somebody who had a bad experience, but like this ain't that. Yeah. Yeah.

So the internet. The internet's untamed. Oh, God. You're going to see comments on this one on this episode. Oh, baby. They're going to come out of the woodwork to skewer me. Because I'm not wearing a tank top. Yeah.

I'm ready for it. Get them. Yeah, for sure. How do you manage that? Do you not engage? Do you, who cares? Is it, I would imagine it's a small portion of, right? Well, I actually, I call my fans the wolves.

Because if someone comes at me sideways, and I did not train them to do this, it just happens. If someone comes at me sideways in the comments, click on that comment, there are 50 comments underneath going insane of it. Like Swifties, the strength of a Swiftie are my fans. No joke. Really? Yes. Isn't it funny? When you say some backward shit, I feel bad for you because like,

oh, you don't even know what's about it happened. It's the exact same story you told about being in high school. Yeah. It's the exact same story. Oh my gosh. Just times a couple million. That's cool. I didn't even think of it like that.

That is pretty great. Yeah, yeah. Right? But I just, there's, how do I handle it? There's two things that I think of. One, I think that it takes a very specific person to speak to a stranger the way that these people will speak to me on the internet. And I think that I feel bad for you if that's how you want to spend your time.

If you're on the internet and you want to say something hurtful to another person that you don't even know, it's actually on you and I feel bad for you. Yeah, there's something wrong. So I'm heavy on the block button. Like, it's just like you make me feel some type of way. Yeah. This is actually a business. Right.

And I don't need you to be a part of it. Right. So you can go down the street. Go to the store. See someone else. Right. Yeah. Yeah.

Simple. Yeah. What about you? Yeah. Yeah. You know, I don't really, I don't really see a lot of comments. But, you know, when I release something, if I catch wind that people like it and it's going to be positive, then I'll start looking. I need to have a little more of that.

You know what I mean? Yeah. If I post something and I know it's going to start shit, then I just won't. Yeah. Let it do its thing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

But, you know, I think there's also, it takes so long. But at this point, I could care less. You know what I mean? Like the impact of, like when you first show up and. you know, you're able to see people's comments and stuff in real time. It has much more impact than it does now. Yeah. Like now it's like for all those reasons, feeling bad for them.

Yeah. It's silly. I don't even know if this is a human being. I'm all about I know what I'm putting out. Yeah. You know. Well, that's the crazy part too because even given my stand-up timeline that I've told you about. Yeah.

The beginning stages that are still pre-putting clips on the internet. Right. Like even when I was first starting to break, we were still looking at like how Angela Johnson's moved her career on the internet. Or we're still looking at like Dane Cook. There wasn't the low level of like Matt Rife on the internet. Yeah. Things like that. The first ones.

So I do kind of remember being able to like just go to a show and like not have to worry about it. Well, how is this? What's going to happen when this is on the internet? Right. Yeah, it was just in the room. Yeah, yeah. It's really, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's always amazing me. Uh, you know, I do my radio show with Fortune.

Yes. And, um, you know, it's, it's always amazing to me. Like, this is such a difficult thing to do. To be a comedian, put yourself out there and just do that. It's a difficult thing just to meet another human being and start a family. It's very difficult. your story, anyone who's gay, queer, to have any other obstacles put on top of it is always astounding to me.

Like the amount of strength that you need to, which I'm sure is second nature in some ways because it's just your life. But it's the idea that you can make all of this harder is, I don't know if I'd have it me. That actually means a lot. I appreciate hearing that. That is true. And even the way that it goes for me, I know that a lot of people who have whatever the

other obstacle on top of it might be have it even worse. Right. And it is, I love seeing gay people come up on top. Like any LGBT, anything, like when I see that person thriving and whatever it is they wanted to thrive in, I'm always like, yes. Yeah. That's cool. Yeah. But then we had Matt Rogers on and he was talking about how the community can be very mean to each other.

Oh, that is true too. That is true too. We're in the funniest way. That is, yeah, that's real. So a funny thing about my audience is I have more women than gay men. Really? People, a lot of times I'll bring somebody on the road with me. And for the first time. Yeah. And I'll be like, I thought there's going to be like all gay dudes.

And I'm like, no, that's not my demo. I actually have more lesbian fans than gay men in front of fans. Why is that? I don't know, but I love it. Yeah. I love it. It is kind of funny how you just put stuff out and it collects who people respond the way they respond. It's not really, it's not in your intent.

Yeah, yeah. Right? I don't know what it is. It could become actually a really big fisherman. So maybe that's how I got all the lesbians, big time, yeah. Really? Really? Yeah, yeah, big time. And your husband's a fisherman, too?

Yeah. So your son? Actually, our, within dating for a week. Yeah. We went ice fishing in, like, northern Michigan for, with my uncle, and we were fishing for a steelhead. Really? Yeah, just pulling them up. In those little shacks?

Yeah, shanties, yeah. Yeah, it was crazy. That's amazing. It was crazy. That's really great. That's the cool. Higgins like... It's taking you all these magical places.

It really has. Right? And I never thought I would be Seattle. Ever. Here we are. Yeah. Why'd you get Seattle? Oh, because of where he works.

Yeah. Right, right, right. So we went there. Man. Which is crazy because he knew on our first date. That wasn't even laid out yet. Like, he didn't even have an internship. Uh-huh.

And he was like, I'm going to work. I'm going to get an intern. I'm going to kill it. They're going to offer me a position, and I'm moving to Seattle. And I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah. You made it all come true. Here we are. Wow.

Living in the rain, yeah. Yeah, how is that? I kind of love it. You do? Yeah, my dad and I used to, when it would rain in Michigan, put lawn chairs in the garage and open the door and just watch it. Yeah. So I've always appreciated rain.

Yeah. And I love, I like, love that, like, climate in the gloom is like nice. No, I know. It's because I didn't grow up there. Everyone else is sick of it. Oh, right. Yeah, yeah. It's still kind of new.

Yeah, yeah. Right. I know. There is that thing, I mean, here in LA, there's so much sunshine that it. Don't even say this. It spoils you for, like I miss the rain. Like, I missed the New York like that part of it. Oh, you're not sick of the sunshine.

No. Okay. No, I'm actually, it's gotten to a point where, if I don't have a lot of sun, I don't know how I would do. Like, those winters in New York when you don't see sun from February to May. Like that's, that would be, I don't know how I would, yeah. We only have two, this year and last year and the year before that

was different, but Seattle really only has two months of good typically. And the saying is summer starts July 5th. Uh-huh. Like, this is a different year. This is an outlier. But I, when I first move there. I was wearing sweatshirts and long pants until July. I look at my friends in Michigan and I think we'll call him tank tops. Okay. And I was just like, this is crazy that I'm cold right now. Yeah, I know. I know. That's the Pacific Northwest. Right. It is, yeah. Have you spent much time out there? Yeah. It's like a painting. I know. Every day I'm like Bob Ross made this. For the first time, I took the little ferry. Where'd you go? I don't know. Come on. Let's. Let's go. Come on. place with good coffee.

It was like you got off and walked around. If I say a couple places, would you know? Maybe. Was it Woodby Island? Yes. Who was it with? My wife. Oh, there's another comedian who I'll tell you later who recently bought a place there.

And I was like, that's cool. Oh. Yeah. It was cool. That perspective of just getting on the water and seeing the city that way, like coming and going. Yeah. And those views are.

Yeah. When coming into, especially coming into Seattle from Woodby at night unbelievable right uh that's just a can it's garbage day yeah so where are you at now so the special and you're touring specials out i just you want to hear something crazy yeah just wrapped my tour last weekend did a weekend in san diego it was great yeah and while i was on the tour the special dropped and i'm in san diego And I have a clip and I'm like, I don't know if I want to put it out. And I was like, screw it, whatever.

I put it out on TikTok, which I've sort of never really taken seriously. Yeah. I just kind of have it because at this point I feel like you have to. 17 million views on it. What? My agent calls me two days later and he's like, what did you do? And I was like, what are you talking about? He's like, well, you something must have happened

because in three days, you've sold out all of your shows in New York, which aren't until October, all of your shows in Chicago, all of your shows in Portland, Maine. No. We're adding shows for all these cities. You're about to sell out in Salt Lake.

I was like, are you serious? I got on, I got my ticket accounts that day. I was like, from that, one that I wouldn't even think would, I was like, that was just me dicking around. No. So it wasn't even from the special. No, you in San Diego?

It was just me. So that's the thing. My son was born four days after I shot the special. Okay. So I took three months off after he was born. So I, and I just shot the special, so I didn't have time to work on anything new. Right.

So when I went out for the first time, it was with zero and the special was already out. Right. So I was doing a lot of, I was doing like a chunk of crowd work during the show. And then I would tell everyone else. There's going to be some stuff from the special. You're going to see it through a new light, but let's just have some fun. And then in the meantime, I'm posting some of that

crowd work because I don't have material to put out. That's good enough yet. So just putting it out, having fun. I wouldn't call me a crowdwork guy. Yeah. But we all do it. Yeah. And 17 million. It's crazy. In three days? In three days. Jeez, Louise. What's crazy, too, is that it had that impact on Tickets that quickly. Immediately. Immediately. That's insane. Immediately. Wow. Which is like nuts. Nuts. I'm like, whoa. What is it is? What is it? It's called a blessing. It is. You know, they say a baby comes with a loaf of bread under each arm. You ever hear that expression? No. Yeah. A baby comes with a loaf of bread under each arm. It's like when you have enough in your life to welcome a a new life, they will come and the blessings will, you'll be able to provide.

Whoa. Yep. I like that. Isn't that nice? Well, one of those blows of bread just got cooked because it's happening. It's happening. That's fantastic. Give me that sourdough, baby.

That really is fantastic. It's cool. It's cool to see. And it's cool to see too because it's all these people who didn't even know I existed and I've been doing this shit forever. and it's like, but now you're learning about me for the first time? Cool. That's great. I love it.

No, that is the magic of all the social media is that people have no, there's so many people. Yeah. So many places. There's so many people. Yep. Yep. Very cool. Yeah.

Well, this is fantastic. This was really nice meeting you. Thank you for having me. It was wonderful meeting you too. This is really fun. We'll do more for sure. I would love to. And, okay, so you're going to go home.

Yeah. So will you be able to take the bread? I will 100% take the bread. All right. It will be, that loaf will be in me before I'm on the plane. Well, save some because it's going to be even better with a toaster tomorrow. Great. Yeah.

We're a big carbs family. All right, good. And my mom is in town, babysitting. Nice. Yeah, we love free child care. So she will be snacking on this with us. So thank you for that. I love that.

Fantastic. And just tell the people where they can follow you. Oh, my website is Jodembrowski, the Jodembrowski.com. you want to come to a show if there's tickets left. Yeah. And otherwise, it's Joe underscore Dombrovsky in all social media. If you want to give a follow and see what's going on, we'd love to have some breaking bread fans there. Yeah, for sure.

And what was your, what was on the tile? What did it say? Oh, and the specials called Dad on Arrival. And the tile said, don't hate me because you ain't. Which, how arrogant. It's also the title of my neck special. It's actually right on point. All right.

Thanks a lot. Thank you. All right.