Breaking Bread with Tom Papa - Episode 92 - Ari Shaffir

Episode Date: February 15, 2022

Only the great Ari Shaffir could share his insights on kosher baked goods and ayahuasca in a single visit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Hey, it's our goal. Hey, it's time for Breaking Bread with Papa. Hey, don't you know? Hey, it's also a show. Hey. Hey, everybody, welcome to another edition of Breaking Bread with Tom Papa. I am Tom Papa. Thank you so much for being here.

If I sound a little hazy or a little stuffed with cheese or full of fried chicken, You're right because I'm recording this right after the Super Bowl. Oh, what a glorious day. I don't know if you did what I did and went completely nuts so with your food. I didn't make anything, by the way. I let myself off the hook. I was coming back from the road. It's the Super Bowl.

It's time for treats. It's time for fun. Not time for cooking. I literally didn't make a damn thing. The only thing I did was open up. up an IPA with a bottle opener. That was the extent of my cooking, which is I think nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with that at all.

And then roll into Valentine's Day, guess what? Still not doing it. Well, maybe I will. I don't know. Too much pressure, too much candy. Who needs real food? Today, we sit down at the table with the great Ari Shafir. Ari is such a thoughtful, thoughtful comedian.

He came to the studio. I was, it was perfect in the bread schedule. I had this beautiful loaf of bread. And Ari, who is really, he really is, just a very thoughtful, very funny guy. And we got to sit down and hadn't seen each other in quite some time. And it's one of those times when the podcast actually does intersect with my real life in a very real way. Because I had a lot to talk about. I really wanted to dive in and see how he.

ate and where he grew up and how he grew up he's got such an interesting backstory and uh i was able to stop off at a uh kosher bakery near me and brought him some jewish uh jewish baked goods which i mean they're not just jewish but it comes from a jewish bakery and uh and it was really it was just one of those things where all right here is my bread here is the things from your culture let's get into it and let's explore and then let's of course take it even further and talk about comedy and all the rest of the good stuff that's going on you're really going to enjoy it i'm very uh very happy to be able to spend some time with them that's this uh podcast is brought to you by tom papa oh what a nice sponsor this is tompapa dot com for all of my shows i've got a huge show coming up

in las Vegas in may very excited about at the win casino i'm returning very excited to do the show. I also have a big show. Part of the Netflix as a joke comedy festival at the region theater in Los Angeles. And that is at the end of April, I want to say April 29th. Let's double check it while we're here. We can, we have the time. Boom, boom, boom, boom, bum, bum, bum, bum, boom. Yeah, April 29th in Los Angeles. there are still tickets available. And then, of course, the rest of the tour, the family reunion tour is rocking all over the country. Go to tompapa.com and look all that good stuff up.

All right. So we have a good, healthy podcast today with the great Ari Shafir. So let's get right to it. Enjoy Ari Shafir. I baked you some bread. For real? Yes. You want to take a look at it?

It's, it's, I believe you. What did you do? I think you're going to be pretty happy. I didn't know if you were. I didn't know if you were on the road right now. Yeah, sourdough. I don't eat the shit of this thing. All right, good.

Hell yeah. Yeah. You will, it'll be gone in a day. How do you keep it? Just like that. Okay. Yeah, throw towel over it, or you can keep it in the paper bag. The crust keeps it fresh?

The crust is good, yeah. And it's, it came out last night. Okay. So it's like perfect right now. You don't put any preservatives in there, do you? No, flour, water, salt, and yeast. Wow. That's it.

Use a machine, no. No. Sorry. As soon as out of my mouth, I was, I was, this is, sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I've never thrown anyone off this podcast before. No episode today, because something I have to tell you about happened earlier.

No, no machine. And it's a sourdose starter. So it's not, it's, that's the yeast is that living organism. Okay. It's a living yeast. It's called a starter, like a sourdose starter. Don't you keep pulling stuff off a starter? and adding stuff to it?

Yeah, you keep a big chunk of it in the refrigerator in a mason jar. And then when you're going to bake bread, you take it out, take a little piece of it, and then you feed it flour and water, and it starts to become active because it's an active. So it's different than a sourdough? No, that is sourdough. It's all sourdough. Yeah, basically when that starter, if you can manipulate how acidic it is. So like when I feed it flour and water and then it's,

starts to bubble. Now it's active and you know this is the yeast. This is instead of like an instant yeast in a bread, you're going to use this. And it also manipulates the flavor. And if you let it, if you let it, it'll get like peak and then it'll start falling off and then they'll start to get become more acidic. It'll become more sour. And that's where sourdough came from. Oh, wow. Yeah. So I've been for this for fucking two years. Yeah. Yeah. Longer. Thank you. I can't wait. I know. I was very excited to give it. it to you. And then of course, I, um, I stopped at the Jewish bakery on the way over, you know, just to keep it on brand. And, um, I'm aware of what I look with. I know, exactly. And I didn't know,

did you grow up with, with, uh, with Jewish bakeries? Did you grew up with, with my parents and their friends. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, they did. Oh, yeah, for sure. Like all this rogolach and, and, and everything. Yeah. And they would bake it in the house? Yeah. Really? And then, and then, you would give it to each other. There were certain holidays. Was it poor them or circote? And you would just do these gift bags to each other. You send the kids out to like give so-and-so.

And you'd get a bunch. You'd give a bunch. Oh, really? And it was all like mom showing off. Yeah. That's amazing. Yeah. And your mom was good at it?

Yeah. She was okay. She wasn't like, she wasn't like talk of the town. I'm trying to think what she did really well. A good yellow cake. That's actually my grandmother's recipe. Oh, yeah. With all that like the white, like syrupy stuff.

on top. It gets hard. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That frosting that just kind of, like, was that a lemon or just? Yeah, lemon. Oh, God, that's my favorite. Yeah, I love it too. And then you get the bottom with the bottom crust that's soaked in that stuff.

And you're like, that was so good. It's amazing. And that would happen a couple times a year or just one of the holidays. It was either Porm or Sukkot. I forget which one. What are those? I don't know. Shooko is when they get huts.

You see them with the huts outside? You'll see that? No. A little bit like tents. Yeah. It's eight days in. the autumn. Uh-huh.

I don't think it's that one. And PORM is, it's our Halloween. It's our dress-up day. Oh. And it commemorates. What time of year? That's, I think, we're spring.

Oh, your spring. So, Coates fall. Right. I think that commemorates, I know what it commemorates. Some decree to kill Jews. Right. Somebody doing some sly stuff

and got the king drunken off to be like, all right, Jews can defend themselves. He didn't just say no to the decree. He just said, you can defend yourself. Oh, really? I'll let you fight it out So then I'm raised like, well, if they're going to fight back, I'm not going to...

It's like a luster off it. It was supposed to get drunk and dress up like those heroes. Oh, really? It's supposed to get so drunk you can't tell a difference between two characters and so then all these kids are dressed up so you're supposed to be like, wait, which one's which?

Oh, really? It's pretty fun. That is pretty great. And what would you dress up like? Well, you could dress up like any of the characters like Ahashverosh, the nice king, the evil one. The evil one.

So he had a three-pointed hat. And then we do these three-cornered pastries. Hamantasha. Just for that. Habatasha. Hamantoshan. Hamantoshan. Yeah, from Haman.

From King Haman. Right. I just did that math right now. You just figured that out today. Right as I said it. And they're great. It's just like folded up with like jelly in the middle. Oh, boy.

But also then it went from there like dress up like Spider-Man. Do whatever. Oh, really? It's a little bit. ceremoniously and then some just like have fun right right that sounds amazing yeah and where did you grow up where was it Maryland in Maryland yeah yeah yeah yeah a couple orthodox communities Baltimore was the way harder one uh and Silver Spring was like pretty orthodox but not as much as Baltimore not as much like not as many people or not as strict not as hardcore uh-huh they were more

chabadniks they were more like Lebovich right um acidic ones right right and the baltimore at the first kosher you. Oh, really? Before New York. Really? That's interesting. Yeah. It was funny when I was on my way, I was like, there's this place called Cambridge Farms, which is in kind of an orthodox neighborhood. Yeah. And my friend Avi turned me onto it, and I would go there and get like different things, like for my bread, like olives and different stuff like that.

And I was like, oh, the bakery is right next store. It's a kosher bakery right next store. this is going to be great. And I came in and the guy, I don't know what he was, but he was not Jewish. He was like, I couldn't tell if he was like, like, Italian or Mexican. He was just like a big dude with tattoos and he's working behind the thing. And I was like asking him like, do you have this? Do you have that? And he was just like making it up like you can tell. Oh yeah. They'll tell you. The my church. I was so disappointed. I was like, oh, they're going to be so helpful and and they just

it's like when I go to Italian pizzerias in New York and there's no Italians left just the Dominicans or whatever and you're like damn it's yeah exactly I mean little Italy is all just like it's just a mall of Italy

yeah it's like what it should look like right it's like two blocks now in New York it's really small San Francisco's is still big like the north end right by Cobbs oh yeah that's a good The Chinese are encroaching in New York they just keep

pushing further over. Yeah. Yeah. All the Italians also left. And the Chinese, they keep coming. Yeah. Right. It's just like, yeah, it's just going to ship.

It's like Mulberry Street just hanging on. Yeah. Yeah. They're going to rename it. Yeah. So was your mom a good cook as well? Or was it just mainly the baked goods? She was good.

But it was actually most of it came from my dad. My mom was just southern and like conservative when she grew up. She knew how to do fried chicken and briskets and stuff like that. My dad had all the old school recipes. Oh, really? Yeah. Like what? The borsh and like the real hardy shit.

Oh, really? Cholent. Cholent is the best. What's that? Hardy stew for the winter. Hardy, like, stew, stew. Really? Yeah, it's got potatoes, beans, and you slow cook it for a week. No, not that.

Yeah, a good 16, 18 hours. But you wake up Saturday morning and the smell will be all right through the house. So you're supposed to have it for lunch, but you're like, let me have some now. another five hours after synagogue. Really? It was so good. And you couldn't heat up any food food. Anything cooked before you couldn't heat up, you weren't allowed?

Oh, yeah? Too deep a fucking law to tell you. But you could put your chilling on top of it from chicken from last night. Heat up that way. Oh, really? A little side angle. Yeah. Yeah, that's good.

It's got poppy seed in. Kiblisi? Kibisian. Greeks are also pretty close. Yeah. The Greek stuff. A lot of their baked goods is like, we have that. Oh, yeah.

Yeah, I know. It's amazing how much the crossover is. That's good, isn't it? The poppy seed is really good. Like, poppy seed glaze. Yeah. That is really nice. So was it a fun thing growing up?

Did you have a fun childhood? Yeah. Did it seem strict? No, not at all. It's what you know. I saw Culeo once. Remember the old John Stewart show? Yeah.

Before the Daily Show, and the UPN show. Oh, yeah, yeah, on W-R, I think. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And even Culeo, and Coalio made a joke about drive-by or something like that. And then Johnson would do a self-deprecating joke about all he had was like a bully taking his lunch money. Mm-hmm.

The space in your brain, it takes up the same space. You know? What do you mean? That's what you had to worry about going to school that day. Oh. And you'd be at a worry of an 88%, you know? And he goes, my worry. was about 88% of a drive-by.

Right. And looking back, clearly, one is way worse for a child that has to go through. But in their mind, it takes up this much space. Right. So I didn't think our life was strict. That was just what we knew. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it was just your thing. Yeah, there was no question we had to come home Friday before sunset.

Right. So it wasn't like, why are we going to do this? Right. It was like we all did it. Yeah, it wasn't like you were a Christian and then all of a sudden they did it to you at 13. Yeah, yeah, exactly. That would have been way harder. Like, what?

I was like, you get to eat up with food on Saturday. What? I grew up in northern New Jersey. And our town, my high school was predominantly Jewish. But there was no Orthodox Jews in our. Oh, really? Yeah. It was.

Stick to our souls. So I like always had this kind of like this feeling like, you know, all my girlfriends were Jewish. And I was just like I loved their families. And it was like, I really took pride that I knew the culture and it was kind of close to Italians. And I just, I like knew. just liked, you know, the whole thing. And then, uh, then I went to college and dated a girl from an Orthodox neighborhood. And then I was like, oh, I'm out of my league. I don't know. Wilely different. I don't know. I don't know what this is. Yeah. And, uh, and, uh, and their parents

weren't as nice to me. No, they hated you for just being you. And I'm sure at the time, you're like, maybe I'll tell them what I'm, you know, I'm by prospects. I might be a doctor. Like, none of that would matter. None of it mattered. They were just waiting for me to go. It's the craziest kind of racism because it's, you know, it's, you know, I'm, you know, it's not a group. It's all groups except them are equally as awful. Right. No.

It's a non-starter. It looks kind of Jewish. Get the fuck out of here with that. He's not, that's it. What are you talking about? I mean, literally, for her to even bring you around was a huge, like, slap in the face to them. I know. Like, you know you should keep this secret.

And what was so funny was they were really funny, of course, most Jewish families are. And they were like. Like they would, and I was funny. So we could kind of like, I could kind of, I would work hard. Get them. Yeah. And I would be like, and they would kind of react and it would be funny. And we'd all have like this bit of a moment.

And then back to shutting down. Like, like, they could acknowledge, okay, you're not a bad, you're not a bad guy. And then it hit them like, yeah. Oh, but you're not one. You're not one of us. Yeah. That's like, that's fun. I can almost picture that.

It's like when you're like talking about somebody, like you'll get into like Brody Stevens talk, you know? And then it hits you like, oh, yeah, he's not coming back. Right. Right, exactly. You forget. You forget. Yeah.

You forget what the reality and what you're playing in. This guy is pretty funny. You're not just a neighbor, though. Right. He's trying to marry our daughter. Yeah. And they're probably smart enough to not, to not forbid it because that'll push you harder. Right.

Yeah. Yeah, they never really came down. I would play this. Yeah. They never really came down like end this. Yeah. They just kind of let it run its course. Which is what you should do.

Which is really as a good parenting move, yeah. Your kids are dating now? They must be. Yeah, they're 19 and 16. It must be so hard when you're like, oh, this guy sucks. They haven't. You got to see it. There haven't been that many guys that have come through.

And the ones that have are like, they're good guys. Yeah, it's like, okay. this is but it is interesting like you without even realizing it you're your spitey senses up you're just like I'm like I'm not gonna you know they're women they're gonna do what they're gonna do I'm not gonna get in the way I'm not gonna act like you know this big boorish father yeah and then like the kid comes in and you're like huh hey sit down let me talk to you for a minute right no that I said sit down I was just standing up one finger just Just show them your power, your Papa power.

Right, exactly. There was a funny moment where at Christmas we were not, I was taking down the tree, and we have this big artificial tree, and you've got to put in bags, and it's like this big heavy thing. And I was like, my father would have, like, made my, like, my sister's boyfriend's help.

Yeah. Like, he would have made them, like, carry it and everything. And I was like, I just couldn't wait. Like, I was just like, I just did it myself. And then I told him the next day, I was like, yeah, I was going to make you do some shit. But he's like, it's a good thing you did. And my back spent out.

The kid? Really? Yeah, why not cash in on that? Right, exactly. Get work done. I know. Well, that's the thing. Like, it's been, it's all girls where I live.

So it's like, let's have some big lug lug, lug some stuff around me. He's like my back. Every other story of the story of, I think it's Jacob, of waiting seven years to marry Rebecca. Uh-huh. I think it was Jacob. It might have been Isaac. But like, and then after seven years, that's why they had the veil. It lifted the veil.

And it was a trick. It was the other sister. So he had to work another seven years for the father. Like, look at that story. It's like, no way. First of all, no, what is there a shortage on chicks? Seven years. Seven years.

Get out of town. No way. A month. You're like, what do you mean? I'm working for you for a month? So I get married. No way. Yeah.

Seven years was. And then a double cross? You can still get her. Why would I trust you now? Yeah. Why am I still doing business with you? Yeah. Yeah, there's definitely like there's all of these old traditions and rules that seem kind of absurd.

But then when you're in them, it's like, oh, I see where this came from. This is. Do you want your, eventually, do you want your daughter's boyfriend to ask you permission to marry her? Yes. That's moronic. What the fuck do you got to do with it? I have a lot to do with it. I guess.

Why is your permission? This is the problem. You didn't not permission, but it's out of us. I'm not going to say no. Right. Unless he's horrible. Unless he's really. No, no, that balls in your court.

Shouldn't ask. But there is something to that. I was actually just writing about that. Really? Yeah, that there's you, we shouldn't abandon all those dating rituals and stuff. And like when if you're really going the distance, if you're, if you're in, with the thought that this might even, I may enter this family,

it's very wise to form a good relationship with the mother. Yeah, sure. Good relationship with the father. And like these little rituals in this confusing whatever, follow those rules that were kind of set. But they get you to a place where like, this guy likes me. He sees, I respect him. He's part of the family.

Right. We, you know, he's not sneaking around. Like little things. I was like, just shaking your hand and saying hello the first time you meet. All those kind of little things. You know, I asked my wife's father, and he panicked. He didn't know it's coming? He didn't know he was coming.

And he was so great. And he was really worried about what his wife was going to say. It had nothing to do with his place in the family. He was like, I shouldn't be alone for this. Like, oh, well, what are we going to tell? We got to tell her mother. We were hitting golf balls. And I let it, and I took him out to hit golf balls, and I hit him with it.

And I thought it was just going to be like this, you know, ritual, like a, you know, small, whatever. Give me a hug. Yeah, thank you. Yeah, that's very nice. Instead, he's like, nice of you to say. Swings back and launches the club. Like, whoa. He did.

He literally did. He didn't even finish hitting all the balls. He was just like, let's go. But some of your stuff. I was like, I can't think. No, it's great, it's great, but what's what's what I'm going to say? And it, and it was like, it didn't go well. The whole thing was like, but as I'm telling you the story, it was a great indication to me that I was stepping into a family that was.

Big moments. It was chaotic. And it was, and maybe not, you know, not, not playing by certain rules. And it was going to be problematic at times. Damn. Like it kind of was. Like it kind of made me think, okay, this isn't going to be like the traditional route.

My dad had one where my sister had a guy come over. And he was like, I guess I don't even was dating or maybe trying to. But he said something. He's like, where you're working this summer? And he goes, I'm working at a law firm. He kind of laughs. And my dad's like, when people laugh when there's no joke,

that's a sign that I'm nervous. I'm like, damn. And they were like, ah! Right in front of them. Brutal. Way to call it out. It's like Petrice, little Patrice in my dad. Right, exactly.

But then it hit me. I'm like, yeah, why are you laughing? That's not funny at all. You're not even trying to make it funny. Yeah, God. You don't realize how much power you have when you're in that position. I would wield it. Yeah.

I would go. hard. We have started the podcast, right? I did not realize. Oh, yeah, a while ago. I realize now, I'm like, you should have come back by now. Yeah, he did scamper out again,

that something went wrong. I will tell you these, this is the worst part of Jewish culture and Jewish cuisine, the driest cookies in the world. I know. You want your mouth dried out? Eat these fucking crumbly.

Look at it. Oh, look at that. Yep. It's kind of supermarket-ish. I know. That's a standard. Yeah. The cookies aren't that great.

But the pastries are good. Paces are great. Paisesies are good. Blueberry. Not canish. What were they? Rubula, I guess. Ruggler?

Yeah. Yeah. It's not baklava. That's another one. Yeah. More honey. Which is so funny because you go to all this cross-cultural stuff. There's a great Lebanese restaurant near me.

It's off the charts and all the same stuff. It really is. Guys, can you just get together and be cool. I know. Love falafel. Find a common ground. Right, exactly. You're both finishing the meal with baklava and having a wonderful evening.

Yeah. Best falafel place in L.A. It was right across with Santa Monica College. I used to go there all the time. There's an open mic right near there. Oh, yeah. Not kindness of strangers. It was the unurban cafe.

And I would go there, $3. And I would speak to him in Hebrew. Oh, yeah? And he was like, you got the wrong, awful. I get what you're saying? I don't hear it. I don't understand, dude.

I'm a run in. It's amazing. What do you been doing stand-up-wise? On the road again? Yeah. I'm still like pretty excited about it. Yeah. Because of the, you know, zero we went to.

Yeah. It's still like, back on the road, my first heckler, I was like, yeah, all right. I forgot I lived to anger one person in the crowd. It's so fun. It got a nice, fuck you. When everybody's laughing, like, what's going on there on your head, sir? It's just so fun. It's so great.

Yeah. Even the meeting people, once I got COVID too, I'm like, Maine greets. Let's do it. It's on the lips. Yeah, exactly. Because you know, you go on the road, you're trying to find a joint. It used to be like, shake some hands and someone to like slip you on.

Yeah. And then it was like, fuck, now how am I going to find weed in Detroit or something, you know? It's back. It's all back. It is so great. I'm loving it. I'm loving it. I know.

Do you suspect that, this mental kind of freedom and joy, do you think it's going to go away? Or do you think that we've recalibrated and we'll be able to hang on to it? No. Well, I want to hear what you think too. But no. I thought maybe. Yeah.

Because I talked to some Norm Corps people, you know, husbands of sisters and shit like that, work job jobs. Right. Just like how do you feel being at home with your kids and stuff like that? And they're all like, great, great. And then like, that was the first week or two. And then it was like, this is kind of wearing on me. Yeah.

And also like when they came back, like, are you going to have that? thing of like I want to be around my kids more so three or four days a week is enough you know right um why am i working in their office when we've done all the work right you know that kind of shit yeah yeah but then also you're like but i need a job so i'll just go back to doing whatever the boss tells me or am i going to be like hey we all talked about this as workers and we want new things and we can get you done zoom is great you know we can get you done so why are we wasting our lives and commutes right that is the way it's gone what that with that recalibration yeah like i have a i have a My sister-in-law is a, she places people in executive positions.

And she said, if they don't offer some part of working from home, these executives won't even take it. Especially the high-level jobs where they have, they're like, well, someone else will give me this. So this is more important. Or time off now has become more important, you know. So, so. But that means. But I'm wondering how long until they just slip into the old ways. Oh, right.

I'm watching these other comments get ahead. Oh, I got to do that because they're doing it when no one's doing anything. Right. I went to Ecuador for six months during the pandemic. Did you really? Yeah. What was that like? It was amazing and freeing.

Really? Go wherever the winds took me. Oh, God. Yeah, with my dog. It was just a great, it was just a great time. And it was free, but I didn't feel like I'm falling behind. A few people who were on the road, but there was no Instagram of everybody else doing stuff. Yeah.

It was Instagram where you're shut in fucking small New York apartment, you know? So it's like, I'm doing great. Yeah. It's that feeling of being left behind that it's like, it hurts you. I know. Now, let me ask you this, though. If you were to just not deal with social media. Yeah.

I want to be out there more and more. You'd be kind of in that space anyway. Happier. Yeah. Like, what a great. There's some quote they always quote. I think it's Mark Twain. I should find it.

Comparison is a thief of joy. Yeah. And it's like you're having a great time. But you know, like for comedy. It's great. So I had a great weekend. It's like, oh, but that guy's doing a theater? Right.

And it's like, you just had a great time. Right. Exactly. Yeah, you just enjoyed yourself. You had a great time. You met with these people. You know, it all went fine. Yeah, social media.

Why is he in a stadium? What? And then you're like, yeah. Like, I'm enjoying my life. But if you were, and here's a little secret. Uh-huh. Not such a secret as we're saying it on a podcast. But I had that thing too.

And these people I like, people I have no problem with at all. But just the comparison thing. And for whatever, you know. career stuff, whatever. Anything. Your car. Anybody who I look at as I'm scrolling through, which is another thing, don't scroll through.

What a waste of time. Yeah, what a waste of time. But you do see some really funny stuff. Like Amy Sedaris's Instagram. She goes for it. She's amazing. I never even see her. I don't think I've ever seen her face on her Instagram.

It's just funny shit that she's, I feel like she has to have a staff of 200,000. people mining all of media for the rest of time. And she comes up with these funny dance and this funny thing. I mean, it's gold. I wouldn't want to not have that in my life. That's a good thing. But when I see other people, if I have any kind of knee-jerk reaction of, ugh, or I just mute them. Yeah.

You don't unfollow them. I've done that with most of my friends. Most of my successful friends. Because I made a decision a while ago, like I don't want to be that famous. I saw Rogan go through it. I saw Rogan say something once. He goes, I don't want to be any more famous on him right now. That was 10 years ago before the podcast.

And it hit me because I heard, before the podcast. Uh-huh, because I heard C.K. say it at a speech at the actor's something three years before that. Really? They both got massively more famous. Yeah. And I'm like, I got to fight hard to have my life to be able to go to music festivals and get fucked up and lie in the grass. Just do fun things. Right.

And so you make a decision. Like I'm happy at this level. Right. But then you see someone else's, not those two guys, but someone else is nonstop promotion getting them higher. Like, I don't want to do the nonstop promotion. I know. I don't want to be that guy. You don't want to be that guy, but yet watching it.

Right. And you see the result, like, but I want the result. Yeah, but that looks pretty cool. How much money did you make that night? Yeah. Yeah. It's tempting. It changes your head. And it's like, I'd rather say hi to you.

Like, what's going on? It's like, I just talked to Bert. I just did Red Rock. I'm like, wait, what? Tell me about it instead of I'm already on there. Yeah. It's an anger and jealousy-inducing thing on purpose. Yes, it is.

And not just for us. No. It's for every norm core person, everybody. Well, do you think, like, the fans are bothered? The fans aren't bothered by it, right? No, they're bothered by their friends getting a new car. Right. And their friends' kids looking angelic.

And how come their kids never look shitty like my kids? Like, because they're only showing the pictures. Right. And we're there are Amy Sedaris. Yeah, exactly. Right. There's something fun that they're never going to compete with or be around so they can just watch it joyfully. Yeah, if I see a big rapper or some millionaire doing something, I don't feel jealous of that.

It's only the people in my group. I had a very funny moment with back in the day at the comedy seller. I've said this before with Nick Topalo, who were sitting at the table. And it's like, I don't know, 15 years ago. And he was all pissed off because they would do the upfronts in. New York and everybody who had pilots would like be coming through like because they were all on the schedule for NBC or ABC and they're announcing all the new shows and Nick was you know Nick is so acervic to begin with. This was before like he really went hardcore into politics. This is just

generally and so funny. Just surly. Just surly and cutting yeah and he was so pissed at so I don't even remember who it was but he was so angry that someone had success and he was like you know fuck that guy And I was like, Nick, you know, it's in every business. There's some guy in insurance who's watching and that guy's in promotion and he doesn't deserve it. And there's some guy in a law firm and that guy's now a partner and he doesn't deserve it either. He's a hack and the quality guy didn't get it. It happens all over. He said, yeah, but if you're in insurance, you don't have to see that guy's face on the side of a fucking bus.

That's right. That's a good point. That's that to me The most damaging cheating of all time was Brad Pitt cheating on the chick from Friends. Jennifer Aniston. With the crazy one. Oh, with Angelina Jolie.

Angelina Jolie. Because, one, like, not Jennifer Anderson's like, I'm one of the hottest chicks in the world, but like, damn, Julie's hotter. You found somebody hotter and what's successful. And two, they cheated in a movie. called Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

So the billboard was then married, looking photoshopped, and go, well, there's my boy, my husband with the chicky-chitty on the project they cheated on with. Yep. And you know when he packed up to go on that shoot, she was like, you're not going to, right? No. He's never met that crazy a lady before. And no one can say no to that. No, you're like, your head is a blender.

Yeah. She had Billy up carrying around blood on him. That's right. You can't, you can't, you've never met a crazy chick that crazy. She, you'll do what she wants you to do. She is so much more powerful than you. I forgot about that. He had blood, he had her blood.

A blood vial. And they walked around with each other's blood on a necklace. Uh-huh. And that's just like, yeah, we're doing that. I'm like, you're not even hiding it? No, she told me to do it. Uh-huh. It wasn't like a, like, a, like, a cloud, like, hack that people found out about.

It's just like. Yeah. Crazy can get you into a place that you don't see coming. Yeah. What about you? I don't think I've ever known you to be in a long-term thing. I fuck around. You just keep moving.

You just go to Ecuador. Yeah, exactly. They want to hear there. I got partners. Are your folks still together? Yeah. Yeah. They're classic conservative, well, I mean, not conservative Jews, but conservative people.

socially conservative. I'm not like, they're politically super Republican, not Republican, the other one. Liberal? Liberal. Yeah. They sit and watch that shit all day.

They do. I'm starting to, so my brother and I went to Israel. I did a long trip. I'll do Europe. My brother's like, lives in Zurich. He's like, come to do it.

Can you schedule a gig in Zurich? I'm like, for sure. In Zurich? Yeah. At least something small. We can go from there. We're going to go to Israel. Wow.

And then go skiing before. I guess we went skiing before. Oh my God. And then went to Israel. So what do you do? How do you set something? up in Zurich. It's the innovator.

They have, my business, they have agents, personal appearance agents. Right. And they will call. And they can do that? Yeah. I feel like, how are you doing, man? Yeah, but who's going to come in Zurich? They have English speakers.

They do. You don't do Europe ever? Very rarely. Yeah. The only place I've done overseas has been, I really want to. but Amsterdam and then I did Dubai and Beirut. Beirut I would do. Beirut was amazing.

It used to be the center of the academic world. And this was that moment where they really were so hopeful. Like there was, they just felt like they were opening up to the West and it was like this brief little moment where it seemed like they were going to get out of the woods. Yeah, and then it all kind of went back. Yeah. But no, I haven't done a lot of Europe. I love it.

You do? Yeah, just different cultures. Do you feel like they know you from YouTube and stuff? Yeah, it's stuff like that. Yeah. It used to be when I started touring like Australia, it was just like from America. People like, oh, okay, I can see that. And then more and more with the internet.

Now it's like, you're hot fans everywhere. Right. Wait, what was I saying? You were talking about the Syracian, brother. So then we went to Israel and we went to the, so I went to seminary there. My brother went to seminary there. Didn't take for either of us. Right.

But we were only allowed to go to the Jewish quarter. The edge edge of the Arab quarter and the shook and like the in the market you could sort of like look but it's dangerous. They'll kidnap you. Oh, really? That's kind of what they told us. No, no, no, not really. One, they're never going to touch an American. Right.

It's just, we have a just get out of jail free card. Uh-huh. If they think you might be American, it is not worth an American invasion. Right. Right. It feels like that's what happened when I went to Beirut. I went with Whitney. Whitney was on that tour.

Yeah. And they brought a bunch of us over. And it was a little like unsettling. Like you just, because you just grow up knowing about the Beirut bombing and that's all you know. You don't know anything else. Nothing else. You know, you can learn a little bit about the culture, but you're just our media. And I feel like, and then you, of course, you go, your most beautiful people sitting at the sea at the sea and just eating.

Yeah. But I mean. Oh, there were? No. but there's like bullet holes in every building from their civil war. It's just like holes everywhere. And it's like they obviously went through a lot. But at that moment when you,

when the government says it's okay to go, it's and then you've, you know, you're on the ground and you know this way more than I do. And then you go places outside of the resorts and the things. And you're like, this is just, it was just fear keeping me away.

Like I've interviewed some, a couple of people from Mexico. and they're chefs and stuff like that. And I'm like, man, I really want to go to Mexico, but I don't want to be kidnapped. And they're like, well, you'll be fine. Just go to Mexico. Yeah, it's like, don't go to the border town.

Like, where the cartels are. We don't know how to do that of like the country's not every place in the country. Right. But it's like, I remember I came back from East Timor once. I was talking about East Timor War. I think Rogan, maybe somebody else who's like, it's dangerous. I was like, well, last year there were 568 murders. Jeez.

And he was like, fuck. I'm like, yeah. Oh, actually. In a small place. I got that wrong. That's Chicago is that number. And he was like, oh, funny. But I'm like, no, but why is your reaction the same?

Right. I'm telling one city here has that many murders that you were like, what the fuck for the whole country. Right. Of course. And then it's knowable. And then, you know, I was talking to the chef, Patty Hinnich, and she's, you know, just slight and, you know, just a regular girl. and she's like, what are you afraid of? You know what I mean?

That's the city's great. I just went there for the first time. Mexico City? Awesome. That's what I hear. My nephew just went. The food is great. Yeah.

You just got to tell yourself one taco up or stand and then move on. Otherwise, it's okay, more weight than I did. So anyway, me and my brother went and now we're adults. We're not religious. We're like, let's go to the other quarters. Uh-huh. So went to the Christian quarter. Right.

The Arab quarter a little bit. But then went to the Christian. quarter and and what my brother noticed is like hey they're doing you know the stuff we do that you see jews like doing this and shaking back and forth playing with their sideburns he goes the christians do that too they're just off a little bit they're waving a thing with the smoke coming out of it and it's just movements uh-huh and and and doing the whole the cross hand motions right and he goes if you step back from it enough you'll be like this is the same right yeah like no it's slightly different yeah it's like british punk versus orange county punk and you're like it's just punk like that's

if you're in it, you can tell the difference. If you're out, you wouldn't. No, 100%. So same thing with, like, Fox News and CNN. I'm like, you guys are just getting riled up of what you're seeing on there. That's right. And 80% of it was just in the middle, not really caring. A hundred percent. I've been saying that in my act, I've been telling people to turn the news off. Me too. And I said, I said, and I don't care what you watch. I don't care what channel you're into. They are not your friend. No. They're really not. They're getting you riled up. There's only one way to get you to watch 24 hours a day, and that's scaring you and making you angry and turning you against your brothers and sisters. Or like, if this guy did this, it means this and they'll spend two weeks on if that happens.

And they go, turns out it didn't happen. Anyway, next. What was I angry about? And both sides are saying that the country's falling, that democracy is being taken by the other side. They're exactly. They're the same. It's a great point. It's fun when you talk to one too and you're not in their algorithm at all.

They're like, can you believe that? It's pretty clear. I don't even know what you're referencing. Right. I went to a park yesterday and, okay. Yeah, I know. It's so funny. I heard someone say the other day like that this is like this was Biden's.

Oh, I got it. I was in, I think I, not Tulsa, someplace in Arizona. What's not Tempe? Scott'sdale. Scott's, not Scottsdale. Tucson. Thank you, Aaron. Georgia was from there, right?

Uh, maybe. Wasn't Jojo a man from Tucson, Arizona? From Tucson? Oh, yeah, you're right, from Tucson, Arizona. It's true when I was watching the documentary. I was like, oh, yeah, Tucson. Why were they singing about Tucson? Because of a fuck about Tucson.

And my Uber driver was like, you know, this was all Biden's plan. The whole pandemic was Biden's plan. And he has stock in these different things. And this was all, this was all Biden. And everybody. is falling in line to this leader. I'm like, I'm sorry. I just have to interrupt,

but I don't think I've even seen Joe Biden in two months. I'm like, he's not that powerful. He's not pulling. Big Jay said the best. He was like, I love Biden. I was like, what? You're political? No, I just hear way less from him than the other guy.

100%. I'm super stoked. I'd rather hear from none of them ever. I literally, I literally was cleaning up a stack of old stuff I hadn't filed. in my office. And it's just, and I'm, you know, it's from the pandemic.

I didn't even just kept shoving shit in there. And I'd get to the bottom of it. And it was the New York Times. Biden beats Trump was the huge headline. And I was like, oh, right.

That's all we wanted them to do. Yeah. It's all we wanted. That was like, what are you complaining? I don't care about. I was just like, nobody give fuck.

Get this guy, get this other guy who doesn't respect anybody or anything and is turning us against each other. Just get him out of the way. Yeah. I think it's the media.

I think it's them selling stuff once they went for profit. I guess I don't really know exactly how or why, but I do know it's like you watch the news, you stay on social media, you're going to start hating people that you actually love. Oh, yeah. And it's like, yeah. It's not natural. I had to talk to my friends who are all very, they grew up with, smart people, real smart people. Yeah. You know, it's no secret.

Like genetically, that's what we got. Yeah. And we value education hard. And they're just real, so we're talking about this. We're like, yeah. You got to stay informed. I'm like, I don't think you, like, why? Why do you have to stay informed?

And like, come on. I'm like, no, legitimately answer the question. And they started thinking about it. They're like, yeah, maybe we don't. Like, we pull that of Afghanistan. Why do I need to know that? Right. What does it do to my life in any way?

How am I going to, how's today then going to be different than yesterday? Yeah. Like, what am I going to do? I can admire myself in like anger about this or happiness about this thing. Does it affect me? Or I could just like, I don't know. A little ignorant. I don't know.

little ignorance goes a long way. I mean, you don't want to be completely uninformed, but there's a balance. There's a balance, but also like air on the side of less informed. Yeah. You know? It's a short life. It's a short little life. And one of my dearest family members was like so much fun.

And then he just started watching that 24 hours a day and we lost them. Do you see those? You lose them. You're gone. It's like they're dead. They've been sucked into this void. Sucked into a void. And it got to the point.

where I had to be, you had to be so careful about what you talked about. I'm like, all we can talk about is the weather. Guess what? You can't talk about the weather. You couldn't literally say anything about the weather because that would be tied to global warming and all that stuff. Oh my God. And it was like, shit, they, they've,

it was like invasion of the body snatchers. I've started to like, here or there go like, can we change a subject? Like, just, just do that in a conversation. People like, what? I'm like, hey guys, guys, just, maybe if I'm wrong, we can stay on the subject, but I find this always just goes to fights or us agreeing with each other and stuff we already think.

So these subjects are like, and then COVID comes up. That's an easy one. Yeah. People always go, yeah, you're right. Anybody? And you go, I saw a new film like, great. And you just shifted away. Nobody wants, they get sucked into it.

Right. We all do. I find it in my dinner table. It's like, my daughter does not want us talking about COVID anymore. She's like, stop. Boring. And but one mention from my wife or I about anything. Like, so the numbers went down.

Yeah, that's good. Bopopop, Bop, Bop, B, B, B, B, B, B, B, B, B, B Mats, it's different states, all this of this stuff. And you just find yourself. And you see my daughter just glazing over. It's like, I'm sorry, you're right, you're right. Yeah, it's too much. There's got to be ways to fight back.

I'm reading a book now called How to Do Nothing. And it's like, there's like a few questions that like you can see this stuff happening happening from like lots of books. And this is the first one I've seen that says like, okay, here's some methods to fight it. But it's either completely go off all this stuff, which is not. feasible or how do you control your downtime how do you have more of it how do you say like hey me sitting in traffic board is actually like productive okay yeah because this is how I'll get a bit personally for us it's it's bored on a plane where there's no Wi-Fi and you're sitting there

yeah and then it's like I hate this and then 30 minutes later just create a flow right but if you bury that 30 minutes yeah whatever you just never get it I had that moment on the plane the the day where we were landing and I had to, I was taking off my noise cancelling headphones to store them and I, and then I was reaching for my AirPods. And I was like, do I have to be connected to, I was just listening to like music or something, but I was like, do I have to be feeding my brain something every second? Yeah. But it's incredible that you have to, the brain wants that.

It wants these chew toys. It loves working on it. stuff. Yeah. The boredom is annoying. Yeah. But it's so important to. Yeah. Yeah, you got to let it go. Aziz has a special on Netflix now and he

was talking about how this same stuff and that he joined team flip phone. So he doesn't have a smartphone. He's back to flip phone? He's back to flip phone too. I'm thinking you're going back. That's great that he's back on that. Yeah, but without a personal assistant

How are you, like I get to Chicago and get an Uber and check into the hotel and then I have to change my flight. Like, you know what I mean? Like, it made life so easy. Like, so I'm going to walk to the airport and get a paper ticket because I have a flip phone. Like, I don't think so. It's like there's certain things where it's like they make it too hard. If you're a mother to a young child, you have to be on mommy blogs. Right.

You have to be. And mommy groups also. Uh-huh. You know, just like all the mommy's at my school. And if you don't, they're like, you are, you're falling behind on your kid. Right. So now it's like, now they got you on Facebook. Yeah.

Yeah, that's right. And you can be like, can we do this on another platform, just like signal or something where we don't have to like be watched on everything and advertise to? Yeah. Treated like human wallets all the time. I know. I know. They're so good at it too. They break you down.

Like they keep doing this thing on Google where they're like, just give us your four digit code on your credit card. And then we can snap it in. I'm like, no. No. know. And then eventually you're just like, yes once. You hit yes once by mistake. Now I don't know what I did. I'll log it with Facebook this time. It's like, damn it, now it's linked to that forever. I know. I know. I had this bit where I was saying, would I, would I have any of this stress in my life with usernames and passwords if I just had a spiral notebook and a pen? Like, just saying that relaxes

you. Just saying a spiral notebook and a pen. Yeah. Oh. Yeah. I don't have to log in. No one's asking saying, did you forget your past? Just leave me alone. Yeah. Yeah. And why is everything, why is every password? Why is everything so complicated for like the Pizza Hut app?

Yeah. This is data breach. I just want to use the same one for everything. They're like, well then they're going to get it. Like, damn it. Who's going to get it? Who? I have nothing.

I have nothing. I just want pizza. I'm in Des Moines. Yeah. I make a password. Like, why? This is a clear checkout of his guest moment. I read, I was staying somewhere at the.

Hilton and Hilton Wi-Fi. And then before I read it, I was like, wait, I saw how deep it's scrolled. Right. And it's all the shit. It's like, this is what we're going to do with your information. We're going to just use it to other people just to give you deals on Hilton stuff. And like, okay. Also, we'll give it to people who want other travel stuff to market to you for that.

Also, and it just keeps going more devious and more devious. And you're like, no, I just want it on the Wi-Fi. I don't really agree to all this. And if you don't. Then you can't get on the Wi-Fi. you're not on the Wi-Fi. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And you're- Right. Yeah. I know. We got to regulate it.

Somebody's got to step in on the government level and be like, yeah, that's the only way. They're poisoning us. That's the only way. And it's like, yeah, just do it. Just do it.

Yeah, I can't handle it. Yeah, I feel like even, even the worst part is the constant fear and anxiety that we all have to live in now all the time that we're less happy. We can all feel that we're less happy. Right. It's not,

that is the worst. part, but the slight part that I also don't like is I don't like being treated like a commerce is my only value to society. That if I'm not buying, I'm not valuable. I don't have a place here. Like, you should need me like a wallet.

You want to buy this, want to buy that? I'm like, can I just fucking be? Now, do you have the other part where, okay, so you shut all that down and you don't check on, you know, you mute a whole bunch of accounts of people and whatever? Is there a part of you that ever feels like, well, I want to stay relevant.

I want to, should I be completely out of it? That's one way they pull you back. You know what I mean? Is that real? But like, what's the relevant? You ever see a tweet?

Someone will make a joke about something. You're like, I don't know the reference point. I don't know what you're referencing here. Right. Like it's a good joke, I'm sure, from a good comedian,

but like, I don't know what you're talking about. You're like, oh, you're talking about something else on Twitter. Right. Right. And everyone's talking about there. Yeah. But then me and 80% of Americans are not on there.

I know. Yeah, you are relevant. You're just not relevant in this circle. Is it 80%? I think it says something like that high or active users or the like lower. Really? It's like who's on there more than once a month.

Really? A very small amount of people. Isn't that amazing? Yeah. That's really amazing. And then it's it's like, oh, they're trending. And you look at it. That means there's a thousand tweets.

Sometimes I'll do a show in like a theater and it'll be like middle age people. And there's no comment. after the show. Like, they're not tweeting about it. They're not on it. And I really want to be like, stop my show in the middle and go, how did you guys find out? How did you find out? About this.

Because I posted like crazy. And you're not here from all those posts. Yeah. How did you find out? Do you have a newspaper? Like, what is the old timey way that you got when that I was coming to town? Because you're not on Twitter. You're not on Instagram.

Are you on mailing lists? I see who was looking at my. posts on Instagram. It's the same three bubbles, the same three. Yeah, you recognize the two of them are my daughters. You know? Yeah. Yeah. It's also like how much money is happiness worth. So it's like it's like when you were in college. I assume you did well in college. Yeah, I did okay. So there's a cost sum analysis. Like if I, if let's just say I'm a senior and I'm taking a freshman class just to get a core. Yeah. I'm like, I'll breeze through this. Right. I'll get an A. No problem. Uh-huh.

And let's say there's a sophomore class. So now it's like, without studying at all, I'll get a A minus. Right. If I study a lot, I can get an A. Right. Or other class where it's like, without studying it all, I'll get a B. If I say hella, I can go up to a B plus. Like, no, not worth it.

I'll just take the B and do no work. Right. Or if I can do a little work and jump up three points. So like what's the cost of analysis from work to result? And I feel like on social media with all of us, it's like none of us have actually thought like, how much money? is enough for me and how much am I going to give up if I'm not on here at all and is that still over the threshold of I'm quite happy right it's a great point it's a really good point and like what

are you and like what ultimately are you going for like like what do you need at the end when you get spit out and no one wants to come see you anymore and you're in your 70s you are one of the I'll consider like a true comic you care about the product you know you're great at it, but like, you care about at least comedy what you're putting out. Yeah. This, too, is probably another art form, bread. But, like, comedy is what I can, I haven't tasted this yet. So, sure he's out.

You'll text me later. You're a baker. You're a fraud. Oh, yeah, yeah. But, like, so our thing is we're most happy when we put together a great bit and it all comes together. And so it's like, that's all our life really has the value. And then you've got to pay for your kids' braces and shit like that.

But, like, so like. You want to look back and go, I made these seven things. Yeah, I did that well. These specials. And you want enough cash where they're not just taking you and putting you in public nursing home for the last 10. Yeah.

You don't want that shitty time. Or you want so Alzheimer's that you're like, it's fine. It doesn't matter where I am. Right. I still think I'm in high school still. So this is fine. Yeah. There is a thing that I really started to develop from writing books.

Uh-huh. Like I wrote two books so far. I'm in the middle of the third. And I, novels? Essays. Okay. Wow. And I love it.

Like, I'm right now, I'm in the rewriting phase of what I'm working on now. And that's, I forgot that that's my most joyful is looking at the stuff I thought was okay. And seeing all the errors, seeing all the repeated words. Yeah, yeah. Seeing the lack of meaning. Moving shit around. Like, it's so great because you're making it. It's like building a desk.

Yeah, and you're making it better. Every time, right, you're shaving it down and every pass it's getting better and it's so gratifying. And it's something you can just do forever. Like you can keep writing. Like if you have enough people that want to read what you're writing, similar to stand up. People want to come and listen to you. Like you can just keep doing that. And then even if they don't, you can still do it at an open mic level.

And even if they don't read your books, you can still just write them. Emily Dixon died with no one reading any of her poems. Yeah, that's so crazy. Uh-huh. So, like, you can still do the thing. Yeah. And get the joy out of it. Yeah.

It's really, yeah. I mean, what, the, I literally saw a thing. It was a headline. It said, is, is $5 million considered rich? That was like, on the Google thing? Is $5 million considered rich? I was like, what do we talk? Why are we talking about here?

Like how much have you hooked people into the race? Where they don't think that is. Right. Where they don't think that that is. Like that would be a question. Like if you were to do whatever you had to do to get to that point, like you would be unsatisfied. And just as panicked as when you first got out of school and started with 20 bucks in your pocket. We could both live very well for the end of our days in Guatemala.

Right now. Not knowing what you're working. right now exactly i'm telling you right now not knowing you either we're both there we're like sweet get a nice place you know in a modern part of some town yeah yeah what was ecuador like what was i saw a lot of expats that were like our dollar goes way for some people like i get my what's that state run um retirement what do they call it medicare yeah one of those and they go i just use that social security i just use social security none of my investments and that's enough to live on.

Oh my God. And so, like, when we go on trips, we just take them. Really? Everything's cheap. Jeez. Beer's cheap. It's nice. Health care.

I went and got my teeth looked at just to get cleaned or whatever. And the dentist was like, hey, you got impacted gums. She was like, here, here, here, and this side's okay. The bottom right is okay. She goes, the rest is really bad. And this is the last week I was there. So she was like, you should do this. I'm like, thanks.

I'll do it in America. but thanks thank you i haven't been to a dentist way too long it's good to know yeah um but i'm gone in a week so no way and she was like okay and then she like kept cleaning and she was hey you'd be crazy if you did this in america like you'll pay 10 times what you would pay here really i'm like are they qualified here she goes i went to harvard medical school so like yeah they're qualified right like yeah and i'm like oh so like there's a reason people fly there for procedures right for a hotel and a flight and it's still far cheaper.

Really? It was great. That's amazing. What's it look like? Ecuador? Yeah. Three regions. There's the mountains,

which is right down the center. The beach, all the beaches, including I called Galapagos, even though that's like a different region, but I'll call that beaches too. And then the Amazon, which is over the mountains.

So it's really like three countries. Wow. And all the tribes. Did you hit all three? Oh, yeah. Around and around and around again. What was the Amazon like? It's my favorite place in the world.

it's alive. It breathes. It's just like the trees breathe. It's just there's just life there. Everything's living and dying at once. Tree falls. The beetles are there breaking it down,

turning it to soil. You see tracks of animals everywhere. Oh my God. What did you do there? Like how did you hike through? Yeah, well, I went into a lodge once where you take it had to go like three hours into the river like deep, deep into the Amazon to stay in this lodge.

It just opened up from COVID. So it was like a 60 person lodge. It was just me and my partner. Really? Just like, not the dog. They couldn't take the dog deep into the Amazon. Oh, no? Yeah.

And you had your dog with you, though. So what did you do with your dog? There's a place in Quito that watches dogs. A great place. And they train them a little while you're gone. Oh, that's great. Yeah, she loved it. Wow.

That's amazing. Yeah. So you take a boat for... A boat, but so there's Amazon. So for that region, if you have like beach, mountains, Amazon. So there's some cities on the edge of the Amazon. Those are the biggest cities.

And then you go deep, deep, deep. and down that river, and then it's like the native communities. Wow. Some of them give tours. Jeez. Did you get any bug bites? Yeah, everywhere. I mean, I lather it up with that deep.

I mean, still, but still, it's like, they're like not here. There's not going to do shit. Right. Yeah. We're going to eat you. It was great there, but the Amazon cities, the big cities are on the edge, which it's a city, but like, they've just beaten back the jungle for a minute, you know? Oh, really? If they all leave, the jungle's taking over those cities.

Wow. Within a year, you won't recognize it. Wow. But it's just so fun. And the people there are wild. Really? The Amazonians, who in that, sometimes they'll go into the towns, they'll take the boat up and go into town and stuff.

If they don't find a place to sleep, they just sleep on the street because they're like, they're just so tough. Really? I saw a pregnant woman, like eight months pregnant, playing soccer and just hitting strikes across the fucking, it was so cool. They had this stuff, Cheecho,

but they were taking, so they had these, like, games. They had this volleyball-ish game, played with a soccer ball three-on-three. like a high net, which I thought I could play, but they're just way better than me. Right. And we're all playing.

There's a monkey somebody has on a string, and they had this chicha-wasi. Yeah, I think that's what's called. It's this buried yucca. They bury it and ferment it, and each mom has their own. So they come across with a bucket, and they put a bowl in it,

and they go like, here, you just drink this fucking moon-shiny stuff, and it tastes like ass for the first four, and then you start to like it. And you're just getting lit up, watching these things. like toughest Amazonian women playing soccer. The dudes are playing.

So I got a welt because I was used to playing volleyball normal. And they don't do it that way. They hit it all hands. And I'm like, I'll show them how to do it. And they just like, I had a welt like this big. Oh, my God. Six inches. Just bubble of water.

And I was like, oh, shit. Oh, no. And I like, do you want to stop? Like, what else do? I mean, yeah, I think I have to. And they're like, come on. And they had their doctor come over and you just kind of rubbed it down, pushed it down.

I was like, finishing this game. Oh, really? Yeah. That's amazing. He's just stronger than we are. Yeah. What was the buzz like off the yucca? Just drunk.

Just drunk? Yeah. It was hella cool, though. The weed there was way strong. Oh, yeah? Way strong. Really? Like psychedelic strong.

Really? Yeah. I was smoking in the Amazon and sunset and all the birds would come out. You can hear like the changes in the time too. First you'll hear new insects come up. Right. And those birds that hunt them. And those birds go replaced by new insects.

And you just sit there and like, you're like, what? Yeah. But I'm on this weed and I'm seeing these lines form in the trees like, oh, I'm tripping out on weed. And it took me a minute. How much did you smoke? Just a couple of hits. Like, I don't know, I enjoy it. Whatever.

All the math I did was like, well, maybe I'm not used to smoke. I'm like, no, I'm a 20-year pot head. Right. Like I know my way around. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. And for it to shock you.

Yeah. Just dank. It was great. Wow. But I love it. ayahuasca out there. You did? No way. Was that your first time? Uh-huh. No. Have you?

No. You're not a guide. Well, I have. I mean, everything else. Oh, really? Yeah. You do mushrooms? Yeah. Oh, this is so funny. Yeah. Oh, this is so great. What? When I did your show on Comedy Central, which is such, that was such a great show. Thanks. I had so many responses off that show. I know. You did it twice, right? I did it twice, right? I did it twice. Yeah, you were great.

It looked so good. Thanks. It just gave comedians this, this breath to, like, just go a little. To breathe, like, take your time. Take your time limits. Don't worry about that. Tell the story. And what if something's, I got you?

I'm a comic and I'll be in the editing room. Yeah, I got you. It was great. You did so well. It was such a great thing. And then the gift bag on your way out. The last year. The last year.

I still have them. Really? They're still. I never got to them. Wow. And they're in my jacket in my house. That you did that show? Probably.

Have you gone out to them? No, I think I moved it as like a hiding spot. They wouldn't be good now, would they? They'd be so dry. They'd be very dry. Put them in Ziplocs. I usually keep in the freezer and they've gone for years in the freezer. Yeah, and they were okay.

Put them in tea. Yeah, give it a shot. They'd get up a tea and see if you can revive them. They were given in good mental circumstances. So they probably have some good power to them. Yeah, probably, yeah. Do you see that Netflix special on mushrooms? I started to watch it.

It's good. Yeah? Yeah, it's really good. So anyway. So you do those. So I did, yeah. So, but not for a... Same shit.

Not for a while. Same shit? Just way bigger. Just bigger. For sure, the overlap of experience is right there. It's that clarity that you get, that removal of the ego where you can just look at yourself or anything from not your point. Right.

Right. It just does that, like, way overdrive. Hyperdrive? In that you lose yourself or that you... Yeah, you're gone. Gone. Yeah. Shorter though, right?

This was, no, about the same amount of time, about seven hours. Oh, really? I thought it was like a... You threw up and you trip for a half hour and it's over. Yeah, it's maybe DMT. No. No. You might start throwing up in a half hour and then you get really going.

Did you throw up? Mm-hmm. I was fighting it for a while. Like, like, I was like a little nauseous, like, hold it down. And I just wasn't throwing up. I think maybe because of all the deat, to be honest. All the what? The deat.

Oh, yeah? Because they're like, don't put anything in your body for, I think, three days before. Uh-huh. Anything, no drugs, no pork, no sex. I forget, but I'm thinking that deat. I don't know. I don't know. But anyway, it took me a while.

Or it might just be metabolism. Yeah. I was fighting it. And then I was like, oh, I think I'm supposed to purge. Uh-huh. And so then I went to the edge of the hut. This was like, jungle, jungle. And then, like, barfed.

And then it was like, pooh. As soon as you throw up. Yeah, it was already kind of mushroomy where I'm like seeing things like move a little bit in the corners of my eye. Wow. Yeah, I threw up. Why is that? Why is it throwing up? Because I think it needs to purge all the impurities and then they can do its job.

Oh, I see. Yeah. What does it look like? Iowaska, they showed us the root that they gave us. It was planted 80 years before. It's just this big, thick root. I need to chop it down. Iwasas doesn't do shit to you.

It just purges you. And then the stuff you add to it is what gets you tripping. What do you mean? So it's a, it's a, it's one layer of ayahuasca, one layer of grerana. Mm-hmm. No way. My, no way this notebook. Don't maybe.

And then one layer of something else and one layer of something else. Uh-huh. I doubt it, doubt it, doubt it. Oh, really? I thought it was just pure. Yeah. And then you mush it, mush it and boil it. It tastes.

So the other stuff are the psychedelics? Uh-huh. And it tastes ass. It's so bad. You eat it or drink it? Drink it. Drink it. First you have to snort some tobacco.

Liquid tobacco. They've tried to your hands. and you'd like snort it and it's like oh wow yeah it gets you riled up yeah yeah yeah and then uh i never knew i thought this is totally new to me yeah yeah when they explained it i was like oh yeah were you were you like is this gonna be right yeah i mean i can't google it whether this is it or not wow so then you so after you throw it then it just so the guy's there the shaman's son is there and he goes, are you okay? Yeah.

In like Spanish K-12 mixture or whatever. Probably Spanish, whatever. And I'm like, yeah, he gave you some water. He goes, don't drink. Just win your mouth out, spit it out. And then he goes, are you just having visions? And I'm like, not really. It's more like mental.

And he goes, okay, go back, be strong, I think. He's like, suerte? I think that's strong. Svete, yeah. And then that's it. And at that point, he's like, you're going into like battle from what I've read about it later. it's like now you're going into like carmic battle.

Uh-huh. So he's like, be strong. Be strong. Yeah, and they give you a little piece of- That makes you nervous when he said be strong? No. No? Uh-uh.

I was nervous beforehand about like projectile vomiting, projectile diarrhea I heard people get. Uh-huh. I was very worried. I didn't want to like barred with nothing left from just like, ooh, who. Yeah. Or get it on your sleeves. Uh-huh.

Yeah. And you got to deal with that the whole time. Yeah. But no, it was, there was once I'm on it. Like when he said be strong. there wasn't a part of you like what's coming you know if I thought about it it was okay yeah yeah no and then and then it's just like visions and thoughts and clear thoughts and did you go for a walk or you just hang out hung out in there because it's like you're safe in here in this hut this big big

hut I mean the size of this just you um and your friend me and the partner on the other side and they were all like both the way don't so you get the fire in the middle uh-huh um the fire was like here yeah Um, no, sorry, the shaman would be here. Fire's there. You got a log to sit on here and a mat. Uh-huh. And he's got a log to sit on over there and a mat. He goes, do not talk to each other.

Oh, really? You're on your trip. He's on his trip. You're just both here, but these are completely separate. Do not talk to each other. The fire is a barrier. Did you look through a fire and see her? Once.

Yeah. Yeah. Once. Did they, were they doing okay? Mm-hmm. Every once in a while I heard, I heard him go like, a do-de-l-do-do-de-l-do-d-do-do. And I was like, oh, I know what I was, and then back to my own world. They told me later, he was, like, saw himself as a child.

Oh, really? Yeah, he was having a talk with himself. Really? Yeah. So his child's self was, was, like, being playful. Wow. Yeah. Jeez.

This guy, this shama keeps throwing stuff, I think, waxed into a fire. So, like, when you stare at it, like, it creates these shapes and stuff. Right. And you're just, like, tripping out, looking at stuff. And it just, like, takes you in, like, a journey in your mind when it's like, geez. No, we do. during it?

No. In fact, he says don't, yeah, we had to stop before, and it couldn't smoke weed for another eight days after. Eight days after? Before, before in two, he started asking like, what kind of drugs have you done? Uh-huh. Just like, not like grilling you,

but just like, I want to know how to do this for you. Almost like, do you like spicy food? Right, right. Okay, cool, I'll get you something. Right. You know, if you say a little, but not too much. Like, okay, I got you. So we're like, what have you done?

I'm like, cocaine. He's like, uh, quanto tempo, so whatever. How many times? And you're like, here, here, or there. Like, LSD. and like some things he didn't understand so I had to keep trying to search for the words. And he's like, okay, okay. He goes, when's the last time for these things?

He's like, okay, all right. And then he went to prepare. Right. Give you a little piece of ayahuasca around a string. And he's like, hey, any bad thoughts, any like bad spirits come? Like, this will protect you. Oh. Yeah.

And I don't know. I just told myself it would. So anytime I worried about snakes, I was like, no, I'm fine. Yeah. Yeah, of course. It was nuts. But one time I went to throw up again at the edge of the, edge of the hut and I saw this like veil down it and I'm like what am I getting over it's so dark in there

and I'm slowly getting to it and I'm like what's this veil and it's like oh I went right right through it and I'm like oh it's not there but man I could still see it and I'm like I guess it's like spiritually around this hut like a cobweb looking veil like sort of with like a bunch of shapes and stuff but like kind of whitish yeah yeah it looked more like a digital digital doily. Yeah, yeah. And you just go right through. It's not there. But it's like, I guess, protecting the whole hut. I don't know. He didn't tell me about that. But I just sort of saw it. Because you're the only one they could see it. Yeah. It must have been like for him to see people like, we're just walking through the nothingness. Yeah. When you got up to walk to the edge, did they come along with you? Or did they? No, he was just on. When I threw up, he stayed. And then as soon as I threw up, he was just like there. So I guess he'd come over. Right, right, right. And they guide you back? he just said okay go back be strong right whenever you want to like i'm done um you could just go back to a hut where you sleep right and then the morning six a m they're like take a cold shower you're good you're done geez and was the after effects as any different from mushrooms yeah

mushrooms i'm more tired i'm worn out yeah so i had some of that worn out but it's this feeling of of clean that um it's just like there's it's just it's scrubbs you from the inside right so that's that's what jerry garcy would say about doing mushrooms right he was cleans you clean the pipes out wow yeah he would do them once a year to clean the pipes out that's about right yeah i always love that expression yeah but yeah it was just a super clean feeling like nothing's gonna stop you or you just have all the answers and your partner was the same same way. Some people go into it with like, I want to focus on this. I intentionally did no research on it because I didn't want to flavor the experience. I don't want to be like, yeah, I tried constantly

like, I don't want to get travel tips ahead of time. I want to make my own path. Yeah, that's smart. Once I'm there, I might ask a local like, what's a good restaurant, you know, but I don't want to be walking in someone else's shoes. So I didn't want to, let me feel it. Next time I go, I'll know more experience. Right, right. But I just focused on certain things. Naturally, it just happened. Yeah. and then and then uh yeah no scary parts i cried a lot but no yeah no scary parts like i didn't feel anything was coming at me uh-huh it was just like the answers are there it's up to you how you want to proceed but like pretty much it was like creativity is the only truth oh yeah yeah and it's like if if you're if you're doing something really super creative right

um or or i would even say it would lend itself to even crafts If you're a great home builder, not even an architect, just a builder. Right. You know, like the shaker chairs and stuff. It's like perfection. It's seeking perfection in your work. In the doing. It's like that's kind of the only thing that matters in the whole universe.

Right. I don't know if it was because of me. No. That matters in my universe or the universe in general. Wouldn't it be funny if some people come out and they're like, it's only about money, man? Yeah, exactly. Yeah, maybe, right? I saw the light.

I got to get as much money as I can. Five million dollars is not rich enough. And just these perfect moments that you can achieve that you've had, a great comeback, even a five-minute, like, you know, heckler thing where you're just fucking surfing. You know, and sometimes you just feel like shine where you're just like, oh my God, you're just like conducting. Yeah.

Those are those moments that it's like that's what it's for. And it just said like those moments will live on forever and play with each other in eternity. So like, this is. This is your own conclusion? Uh-huh. Interesting. And you see them up there and you see the moments you've had.

They go up and like, what's, oh, and there's like millions of them as far as you can see. And they're all going up there. They're just living on forever. Long after you're dead. Right. You like made something real. Right. And it could be big or small.

Like I say, it could be like the cigar de Familia. Mm-hmm. And like Barcelona is some amazing thing or the never mind. Mm-hmm. Or something as small is, and I'll just give it up. Villagey Cinemas. The dude. You layered the popcorn.

and the butter. It was the best popcorn I've ever had in my life. And you nailed it. And I won't forget it. Yeah. You asked me if I wanted a layer. It was so good. The universe won't forget it. Yeah. It's up there now. That's up there. It's a perfect fucking moment. What did he do to it? He just laid it

so well. He took time. Because we had like 20 minutes before the movie. It was the first time I've ever had plenty of time. I'm like, yeah, make it good. He goes, okay. He made it so fucking good. I had to seek him out afterwards. He was cleaning up. It was like, hey, man, I got to tell you. It's not even a close second.

That was the best popcorn I've ever had in my life. That's the coolest. Yeah, those things do. I mean, those moments, like, why do they linger? Why does a moment like that? Or a meal or a great meal, a chef who really put his all into it, the presentation, all me, like, this is amazing. Yeah.

I can't always tell what they are. So those are like, oh, this is, and there's like, nah, machine made that. I'm like, oh. I can't always tell it to other people, but you know when you've made one. Yeah. Or you just know when you went through whatever experience, it just lingers. Like I feel that way with movies. Like, was that good?

And you keep thinking about it for two days later. You're like, yeah. And some are you're just kind of convincing yourself it was okay. And then you're gone. Like Star Wars episode one. And everyone's like, yeah. And then like a week later, people are like, was it? Yeah.

I know. It was that an annoying lizard. And you're like, yeah. My wife and I were talking about a movie. And she's like, you, and I literally couldn't remember pretty recently. like whether I had seen the movie or not. Really? Yeah, it was so forgettable.

It was just like... You see liquorish pizza yet? No, I just saw the... Balling in moments. Yeah, I just saw the billboard. I'm like, why haven't I come across this yet? I saw it last week. That's where I got the popcorn.

But there's moments in there where I'm like, dude, he's nailing it perfectly. Really? Like a scene that nails Young Love so well that I'm like, I get exactly what you're saying. Yeah. I just start crying. Oh, it's amazing.

Yeah. It's amazing. amazing. He's so great. Yeah. I was like, I was like, do you want to know about? I'm like, no. I remember that guy in the movies. I don't want to do anything. Let's just go. Exactly. I don't need to know. I'm in already. I'm buying a ticket. I know. I feel that way about Macbeth. We are going to watch Macbath. Yeah. And I was like, why do you, why, why? I mean, Cohen, Joel Cohen, done. Oh. Yeah. Anything the Cohen brothers make. And he did this one on his own. And it's like, yeah, anything that

that person makes. He killed all the time. I'm going to watch it. I'm going to watch it. This guy always kills it. I'm in good, I'm in a good, the shaman is going to take me on this little journey. I got you. And it may, I may come out of it feeling different from other ones,

but it's going to be worthwhile. Yeah, even hateful eight, where everybody said that was his worst movie. Yeah. We were all talking about it two weeks later. Right. You know?

Yeah. I mean, Tarantino's worse is way better than somebody's like best. 100%. And five years from now, it's going to be even better. Yeah, you're still thinking about it.

You're watching it again. You watch it again. Wow, that was way better. I remember. 100% 100%. Yeah.

So why then, if we can circle back, why then do you think that this euphoric, lack of better word, way of performing right now won't last? Because it sounds like you also had a kind of a clear vision that kind of supports that. Yeah. So I try to have moments like, oh yeah, don't forget. It's about that, you know? Right. Don't be mad at people.

People like, use it. Make a good bit, you know? But it's hard to remember because there's forces acting to make us to draw us back in. Right. Like, you know, whatever they're called, like engineers working to get us back into that or in this way of life or like the only way. Dude, I still not really know a lot about Alexandria Cortezcoeos Catalsio. And then she said something at the beginning of COVID that everyone's like she's a kook, but I don't know anything about politics. I don't pretend to.

So whatever. Yeah. I don't vote. but she said, everyone's like, we've got to get back to work. That's important.

We've got to get back to our jobs or our lives. She goes, no, no, no, no. The point is not to get back to 60-hour work weeks where we barely have time to spend with our children.

The point is to rethink the whole fucking thing. And so we're working for ourselves instead of some fucking giant corporation. I was like, who's this lady? Oh, I was presented a bad version of who you are.

I like that. What else have you said? Yeah. Let me rethink this. What else are you thinking about? Yeah. And of course, they want to do that.

like summed you up wrong with ideas like that. When you, when I think about, because I'm going through it now on the road too, and I can't even articulate it. Like I was trying to explain to my wife who was a comic. And it's almost, I feel stupid even trying to say it. Your wife's a comic? Yeah, Cynthia, Cynthia Corey. And she was, uh, she was a comedian for a long time.

And then, um, so she understands the shorthand. And, uh, and I was like, it's different. Like, I'm, I'm out. I'm getting on the planes. I'm going to the places. I'm doing the thing. Like all that seems exactly the same. But it's different.

I come back to the room. There's a quietness. There's a calm. Where before it was a rush. It was a... And maybe because we're kind of still alone out there. There's not like a ton of other people in the hotel. Right.

Maybe. I don't know if it's external or internal. But it's different. There's a different... It's almost like a different... wavelength touring right now. It's only about the set. It's coming back and like for so many years, I was like, you know it would be really valuable if you looked at your notes after your show and never would do it because you go out and have a drink or you just be with your friends or

whatever and just like drift back into the room, go check it out, just do it. It's almost like, what's the word monk like monastic? Uh-huh. You know, I mean. So you're doing that now. I'm doing that now. But naturally, not like turned on, not like I have to, not like, hey, this will be a good thing to try. It just. You're still thinking about it.

It just kind of. It's just drifted into that. Yeah. For a year, we didn't perform barely at all. And then more than that to go on the road. And now it's like you're entertaining hundreds of people at once. And you just, it's, we're not thinking it for granted. Right.

So it's like, wow. And then it's like, it's exciting. Yeah. It's exciting again. Yeah. it is but it's exciting without the external rush without the external um distractions in a way what do you mean like that stuff of like coming back to the hotel like i'd be buzzing and distracted and i would focus i'd be focusing on other thing yeah turn on the tv like it like all that other stuff is like

it seems so less important yeah i don't know if it's an age thing or if it's we were away from it for a while everybody grew up during this stuff yeah in the pandemic i already grew up a little bit Yeah, maybe. And so it's like, they all face like, how much do I want to be going out socially with people? Maybe less, maybe more, you know, how much do I want to do that? Or what's important? And it's like, you just see it clearly. You have time to think.

So it's like, I'm not going on a fucking bar. You know, in Edmonton, relax. I do this, you know, two weekends a month. Like, no, I don't have, this is my party week. Right. You know? Yeah, right. Exactly.

Right. I want tomorrow night to be just as good. I want it to be better than what tonight was. Yeah, let me get a good night's sleep. I said no to a radio station. recently. Yeah. Because I was like, they were like, can you come?

I was like, well, I'm coming Wednesday for the first Thursday show because that's another one. I'm like, I'm not coming in day of show. I want to give these people a good show. Right. I'm going to be tired. I'm going to be tired. Right.

And so they could do radio Friday. I'm like, no, but can they do a call in during the week? And they go, no, they don't do that. I'm like, well, how about Thursday? I can give you Thursday morning. Uh-huh. Um, but I got two shows on Friday. I can be waking up at 5 a.m.

No. I'm going to sleep at 8 and trying to like. For what? Yeah. I'm like, does it really get a lot of tickets? Because I'll sell more tickets for you next time if I put on a better show this time. That's right.

And they go, yeah, cancel it. I'm like, yeah, because I'm, these are the people here. I'm giving them the best I can do. Right, exactly. It's this good, new contract with the audience. Yes, yes, that's a good way to put it. Yeah, that's exactly it. It's exciting.

I hope we don't forget it. We don't. I hope we don't forget it or we keep calling each other on stuff. Like, you're still loving it or like, what is it doesn't, is it making you love it? I'll be like, I just scrolled through Instagram. and I did not like what I saw. Yeah. You posted something about you in Edmonton at a bar.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. Me and Shane have this thing. If we ever see each other, take a picture of ourselves with a crowd at the back, like turning. I know. And I'm like, you're on stage.

You didn't get some photographer to get it behind you. You stopped your show in the middle to fucking brag the people who were not there. We're at the end. Fuck you. And Shane and I are both like, if you see any of us fall into it, there's a chance we will. Abliterated. Just no mercy.

I know. I know. It's so dorky. It's so. And it's been done. It's hacky. It's been done a thousand times. Exactly.

Joining in with everybody. That's my thing. It's just like, why do you want to do what everyone else is doing? The first guy to do it was wrong. Everyone else is unoriginal and wrong. Right. Call them out. In fact, I'm not even saying anybody's been there.

You're at home. Call those comics out. You're like, you're not the first one to do this shot. It's hacky, and you mortgage your fucking contract you have with your audience to perform at all moments. I know. Barf. Oh, I'm so glad. You see them do it.

Shut up. Oh, I just feel like I just ate ayahuasca. Really? I've been waiting for someone to call that out. It's so hacky. Yeah. It's just, I said to Bobby Kelly. We were talking about it.

And I was like, yeah, they do that. He goes, I mean, I did it one time. I'm like, no, no. It was different. And they told what it was. And I was like, no, dude, you did it. You did it. And now take your abuse.

Exactly. You have to own it. Oh, man. You should go to take some Iowa ask at some point. I would like to. I would like to. I will give you a very, very off the record how to do it and where to do it. Yeah.

If you're interested in the Amazon? They do them here. Right. But what I really liked is like I was in the Amazon for weeks before. and then more weeks like earlier. So I really felt connected to the place at some point. So doing in some house in Encino is like, I'm sure it'll still get where it has to, but different.

You could hear the crickets. He led us from the hut to the, to the ceremony hut to like or bonk, whatever, to the ceremony. And he stops and he's like, stop. Listen, you hear the river going. Yeah. Because you hear the insects, you hear the river. It goes, that's going to be way amplified. Uh-huh.

So just listen for a second. And we stop and he goes, all right, let's go on. Oh. Yeah, there's something, I mean, the difference between doing it in a place and being in nature. Yeah. Every level of this stuff is like, it's, it just feels like it's from. It's incomparable, yeah. Right, exactly.

And where you're from. Yeah. You know, it's different from the concrete floor and, you know. It took us on a, on a, in the lodge, not where we were going to the ayahuasca, but just where we're touring. Yeah. And we took nature walks and hikes and stuff and showed us all the different vegetables and what they do. Yeah. I could eat some ants real quick and it gives you enough energy.

He's like, let's have a tribe around here that's like, I'm going to kill you. You can't start a fire, but you're hungry. So you need something. Because this will give you 20 minutes of energy. You can get out away. Other things are good for snake bite. But the snake bite one, they're like, it doesn't last. It has to be fresh.

So when you get spit by a snake, you got to go run to where it grows, get it, grind it down and do it. But you can't take it with you. I wonder if the ayahuas is sort of the same way. It's like, it's got to be from right here. Yeah. Now that makes sense. But I'm sure, no matter where people do it, it's fine. Yeah, yeah.

Well, it's definitely intriguing for sure. Let me see if I can get those old mushrooms to work first. All right. That's so cool you do. Well, this was so great, Ari. I really was looking forward to this because we hadn't seen each other in such a long time. Was it pre-pendemic? Yeah.

Damn. And that's two years. Damn. That's the new math. It's whatever you think it was add two to it because you were. in Amber for two years. Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

So, but I was really looking forward to it. I was like, oh, this is such a great way to sit down and reconnect. Uh-huh. So we'll just keep doing it. Did you crush it on my show? It was great. You really didn't know what to expect of you because I didn't run with you that much? No.

I didn't run it at all. I never went to a club to run it. Really? Never. Wow. I was so, I really wanted to be that way. I didn't want to. D.S. did it like that too.

I didn't want to. I wrote it out. in my head. Yeah. But I did not go up on stage and run it. No. It was such a great format. Yeah.

It just made it feel like when you know that a comedian is in the producing of it and the hosting of it, you know, you're going to be all right. You're not going to get there and be, you know, jerked in two different directions or whatever. It was like you just, you can walk in with pretty calm confidence. Yeah. That's good. That's where it's like, trust me? You got you?

Go fly. Yeah. Oh, and it looked so great, too. Yeah. I just saw, I had Roy Wood on my radio show and, and I watched a little of, it just looked so cool. Yeah. It was such a great.

He dressed up. He leaned into it, too. Yeah, yeah. Oh, it was so good. All right, man. Where are you going to be mostly in New York or in L.A.? New York. I barely come back here anymore.

Oh, yeah. It's all New York. You're so cool. It's the coolest. Yeah. My friend, though. L.A.'s cool, too. My friend who moved, yeah, it is.

My friend is back there working and he showed me a picture. He just took a little quick video of the slushy snow into like a rat and like a paper cup. And he's like, it's so nice here. So I sent him back a video of like a cactus down to a blooming flower and my cat just in the sunshine. I wrote same. Yeah. All right. Well, I'll see you in New York in a couple of weeks for sure.

sure. All right. All right. Thanks. Got it, Aaron. Do you hit record yet? That's it, everybody. Thank you so much for spending some time with us. I told you that was a good one. That was a really good one. And I got a review on the bread from Ari and he gave me a review that was like someone writing for food and wine. his description of how good the bread was, was very eloquent and very thoughtful, as was expressed in the interview. So thank you to Ari Shapir. Thank you to all of you.

You guys are the best. Keep your comments coming. Keep telling me where to eat and what to do. And we'll keep the conversation going. Enjoy. See you next week.