Breaking Bread with Tom Papa - Sam Morril: Why Happiness Hurt His Stand-Up

Episode Date: September 29, 2026

Sam Morril sits down with Tom Papa for a conversation about the Knicks, unforgettable bombs, classic film noir, and taking creative risks for the right reasons. They also get into Sam Morril's new Netflix special and the movie he spent two years making on the road. Sam Morril's new Netflix special, Incorrect, is out now. His tour mockumentary is coming to Netflix early next year. This episode is sponsored by Monarch. Start a free trial, and get 50% off your first year of Monarch Core Tier with code PAPA at monarch.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Your Nick's journey during that was so joyous to watch. I've said it before, but it really hurt my comedy because I was so happy. I was just always in a good mood, and it's just not good for your act to be like, what's the deal with God being real? This is crazy. I was so happy, but it was, yeah, it was a ride, man. It was such a ride. When did you get a feeling, like, how far into the season did you realize, like,

I mean, you're always kind of believe, but when did it start to like? The playoffs. Once they annihilated the Hawks in that, in that decisive game, I was like, oh, this team, if they turn it on, so I started collecting the New York Post papers at that point. And I have a giant frame of all the covers on the run now. Oh, nice. Because I just had a feeling. And then, you always have a feeling. But yeah. Yeah, when they turned it on, I was like, it's over, dude. Once they swept the sixers, I was like, we're fucking good. And then it was the calves and it was like, yeah. And then I was like,

is it going to be like 99? Are they going to lose again? But you're kind of like, they're really good. And also, they just didn't have a guy like Brunson in 99 who, could just, yeah, it was, it was, it was insane. The city was on fire. Yeah. And how many of the games? Did you go to all of them? I went to a lot. I flew to a road game in San Antonio, which was an adventure. That's cool. That was pretty wild. It's breaking bread. Good to see you. Good to see you. It's nice seeing you in Los Angeles. It's, I'm in and out. Yeah, it should be. I had, I had dinner last night here in L.A. with Dave Hill. Oh, cool. And that was another one. It was like, yeah, you got, you got to get out of here. Yeah, we're not, you can just look at us and you're like, that's not an L.A. person.

No. You just tell. We don't look like it. So, yeah, it's, I like it, I like a short trip here, though. Yeah. Yeah, come in, see your friends, do some pods. But you must miss New York a little. A lot.

Yeah. Yeah. That's why I, uh, that's why I do come to Papa all the time. Yeah. Keeps me coming in every month. Yeah, I like it out here. It's just, you know, I like it brief. I don't, I'm not equipped.

I'm not a driver. I'm not like, you know, No. But there's a lot of stuff I like to do here. Yeah, but it's, no, you, yeah, you wouldn't be, you wouldn't be on a billboard for California. No. There wouldn't be like, you with floaties. I'm not part of the sales pitch. No.

That guy looks really grumpy for how nice the weather is here and how spacious the apartments are, yeah. And I would probably live in downtown L.A. just so I could walk. I'm just not an L.A. person. I was just in downtown doing some podcast the other day. And every time I go down, I'm like, this is like, it's been here forever. We should live down here. And it's just so filled with chaos. And the homeless, like, mentally ill, just like, there are so many streets of so bad.

And it's so glaring because that's all that's there. It's not, like, mixed in with a bunch of other stuff. And then you're like, no, I should live, like, in the valley. Yeah, they put me up there once because I did that show, Is It Cake? and they were like, we'll put you up. And I'm like, oh, cool. And then I get there, I'm like, this is where you put me up. A lot of a heroin foot needles around here.

Not the best place to stay. But you don't have any money. You're just Netflix. Thanks. The hotel was nice, but then you walk out and you're like, this is crazy. No. But I'd still take walks. I mean, you still got to get out.

How we have to go. I mean, you set it up for how's New York doing right now. but your next journey during that was so joyous to watch. I've said it before, but it really hurt my comedy because I was so happy. I was just always in a good mood, and it's just not good for your act to be like, what's the deal with God being real? This is crazy. I was so happy, but it was, yeah, it was a ride, man.

It was such a ride. When did you get a feeling, like, how far into the season did you realize, like, I mean, you're always kind of believe, but. When did it start to like... The playoffs. Once they annihilated the Hawks in that decisive game, I was like, oh, this team, if they turn it on, so I started collecting the New York Post papers at that point.

And I have a giant frame of all the covers on the run now. Oh, nice. Because I just had a feeling. And then you always have a feeling. Yeah. Yeah, when they turned it on, I was like, it's over, dude. Once they swept the Sixers, I was like, we're fucking good. And then it was the calves and it was like...

Yeah. And then I was like, God, is it going to be like 99? Are they going to lose again? But you're kind of like, they're really good. And also, they just didn't have a guy like Brunson in 99 who could just, yeah, it was. It was insane. The city was on fire. Yeah.

And how many of the games? Did you go to all of them? I went to a lot. I flew to a road game in San Antonio, which was an adventure. That's cool. That was pretty wild. Yeah, we had a crazy experience. I was sitting behind a guy and I was like, man, that kind of looks like a little bit of a chubbier Chris Tucker to my friend.

And I was like, but, but. it's not, you know? And then I see NBA posts like, I'm like, Chris Tucker's at the game. I'm like, holy shit, I was in mind Chris Tucker the whole game. I love Chris Tucker. But did you wear your colors on the way in? Of course. I was decked out. And I will say the Spurs fans were pretty classy for the most part. They've won a lot in life. They were an amazing franchise. Yeah. But so they'd ball bust and I had people come up and like take a pick, but then be like, Spurs, let's go Spurs. And I'd be like, yeah, all right. That's cool. But they were like funny about it.

Yeah. But we had a row of Knicks fans. It's just so happened. So we were kind of high. There's a part of us on TV just like hugging like a family, my friend and I. We're just hugging a family in line. And I got so many texts. They just showed you.

I was like, I'm going to live in, you know, forever. Game one, the Knicks won. Yeah. Runs and hit that dagger. And there's a few people on the walkout. The funny part is you're leaving the Spurs arena. All these Knicks fans just come together and we all just start like hugging. It's so great.

Highfiving. but a few Spurs fans. They were like, beware for like, there's a type of Spurs fans. And they were like, don't let us find you outside, man. We're like, all right, all right. We're celebrating quietly, one of you? But, yeah, I mean, it was joyful, man. It was so great.

And just knowing how much it meant to you, because, I mean, you had been, you know, the whole time I've known you, you've been chanting Nix. And it's been, it was pretty bleak for it. Since I was like four, dude. I don't know why. I mean, I do know why. The 90s Nicks were so gritty and cool that you just, there was no way to, not to love them.

And every kid loves Starks, as he kind of was childlike. Yeah, yeah. He had the big cheeks. Yeah. He looked kind of young. Yeah, the baby face. He was temperamental like a child, kind of.

He was exciting. Yeah. I mean, I fell in love with John Starks as a kid. And E. and Oak and Mace. Harper, I adored that team. So really cool intro. My brother was into it, so that helped.

How far did they get at their best? They made the finals. They did make the finals. They lost in seven of the Rockets. So that's like my first sports memory. I was seven. Wow. And they got to game seven?

Yeah. Jeez. Stark shot 2 for 18 famously. Really, really rough. But it's like, you know, shooters are going to shoot. So it hurt, but I always love Starks.

Yeah. And I met him a few times, and he's so nice. Oh, yeah. He's such a cool guy. Yeah. And he watched me bomb an NYPD thing I had to do. At the Garden.

I'm performing at the Garden. What happened? It's a tough crowd. It's like all cops. And like, a lot of them are just like, you know, they're just like, yeah, We're just out. They don't really care.

They don't care. And it's mixed comedy and music, which is always tough. I watch John Fogarty not get what he deserved. And I'm like, all right, if you're going to kind of be like whatever to CCR, then it's like, all right, I'm in good company, I guess. But yeah, I went up and I was having kind of a tough, you know, I'd get pops where I get him, but then it's like, it's hard to hold a crowd that big that's not your crowd. That's not particularly a comedy crowd. Yeah. And then Chris DiStefano went on after me and was like, you guys are heroes.

I'm like, you bitch. The second account stage of you, you pandering little bitch. And he's like, I was scared. I didn't know what to do. But Starz, after he saw me, he'll like hug me. Oh, that's pretty cool.

Like, I love him. How long do you have to do with that gig? Too long. Yeah. Like five would have been like good. I did like 15. It was too long. Yeah.

Yeah. Like Fat Joe went on. Yeah. You know, but Cindy Lauper did a song. I'm like, this is like a stacked lineup. Like, they don't want to see me. Yeah. You know, so it was...

It's always hard. I'm happy to do it, but I was like, wow, this is not... Yeah. My set's not great. There's a... I was talking to Sarah Tiana the other day. And there's this Yankees gig, like, for the Yankees. Baseball players are the worst crowd.

The worst. They're the worst. Everyone I know that did it. I love the Yankees in it. I'll never take that gig. Dude, did I tell you when I bombed a MLB gig? No. I did the Gold Gloves dinner for Rawlings.

And it's at the plaza. I've never... I'm a native New Yorker. I've never... I've never been to the plaza. Like, I was just like, let me just go. This is cool to be in. Yeah.

And it's gorgeous. And I'm like, I'm in there. The people couldn't be nicer with Rawlings. And they're like, dude, like, we're so happy you're doing this. You're going to crush into my head. I'm like, the second they say that, you just know you're cooked. And they're like, it's a great room for comedy. I'm like, it's like cavernous.

It's like there's like chandeliers. I'm like, this is not a good room for comedy. But like, I prep for it. Chandeliers. Oh, dude, it's not. And I even wrote jokes for it. Like I wrote, I was like, let me sit and write baseball jokes. They got a prompter for me.

Yeah. Those jokes killed. Out of the gate, I'm killing. They want me to do 25. Which I'm like, 25 minutes in the middle of a dinner? Yeah. And it's all the gold glove recipients. The only one who didn't make it, thank God, Yankees pitcher Max Fried.

I'm like, I don't want to bomb in front of, not just a Yankee, but are like a really good Jewish player. How many of those do we get? We get so few. So, but everyone else, holy Christ. crap on bombing. And so for the first 10, I'm killing. It's going great. Joe Piscopo hosted. He couldn't have been cooler. He's in the wings laughing his ass off once I start losing the crowd. And I see Bob Costas, like, I'm killing it first. I see Bob Costas in the crowd like this. And I'm like, oh, shit. Costas just toasted me. And then it starts going south. Because at 10 minutes,

I'm like, all right, well, I'm out of baseball jokes. Let me just go into my act. And it starts, it's okay. I seguaded in all right, but it starts kind of, and it was like during the mayoral campaign too with like, this is where we celebrate the nastiest hands, too bad Andrew Cuomo couldn't make it. You know, jokes like that, I'm like zinging, I'm killing. They're all getting pops. And then I finally have to do my act. And it's like, after like 12 minutes, they're like, everyone's like, why is this guy still talking? Like the baseball's that was fun, but he's still talking.

And I'm just like, uh, anyway, and then this happened. About your life. Oh, all your own stuff that no one cares about. It's bombing so hard. And I see Bob Costas after the toast. He just looks at someone like, oh, I lost Costas. And then I'm looking at the crowd.

I'm looking into a crowd of like baseball royalty because it's not just the gold glove recipients. I'm like, that's Dave Winfield. That's Johnny Bench. Oh, no. And the right, I was like, that's Don Mattingly. He was my hero.

He was like my first baseball player that I was like, he looks like a baseball player with a mustache and the eye black and the sunglasses. And he was so, I kind of got into baseball at the end of his run.

But I was like, Madingley was so cool. cool. The coolest. And I still got a picture with him after because I was like, I did that sad thing with it. Like, will you still take a picture with him? And he was like, yeah, we're in it.

That's the start. I got to remember this. I got to remember this night. Yeah. Good or bad. But yeah, I felt they were shocked because I think they were fans. So they were like, how did that go so badly? I'm like, you can't ask me to do 25.

And they were like, Chris DeStefano did it last year. He did really well. I was like, shut the fuck up. I texted him. Chris was like, I pandered. He's like, they were all Trump people. I just was like, Trump, Trump. I was like, you bitch.

You have to in those situations, though. Yeah, yeah. I really, I was, it's at this point in my career, it took 30 years to realize those kind of crowds with accomplished people, they don't care about your life. Totally. They don't care about your apartment. They don't care about you and your dog. They care about themselves. Exactly.

And if you joke about them, you're going to survive. So you just got to be like. That's why I should have, I did like 10 on. them. I'm like, I should have done all of it on them. I should have just had someone help me. I should have just not done it myself. But I'm like, I felt so bad leaving. And I was in the back. And it's like, I'm like, I get me a Manhattan. They bring me a drink. I had an agent there. And she tried to walk out. I go, where are you going? You're not leaving me to drink alone. Order a drink. She was like, okay, she came back in. I had to just watch me get drunk.

Colin made me laugh recently with one of these. We were talking about like corporates that go south kind of thing. And he said he had one recently where when he came in, they were like, greet him, you know, and the woman was just like, oh my God, we're a huge family,

he just love you so much, and it's going to be a great night, it's going to be wonderful. And then he just went down in flames. And then as soon as the set was over, she was like, your car's outside. Yeah.

Oh, it's brutal. It is, because they don't know, we can sense it. We know it's going to be a tough gig. So that's why I'm like, please, like, hey,

yeah, it's just, it's like this, this nice banter is based on you assuming I mean, I'm going to kill. Right. And it might not happen.

Like, these are, they also don't realize we're not set. Like, how many of these gigs do do are they just are like, uh, so you just go out there? I'm like, you're not going to introduce me? Yeah. I mean, like the smallest thing they don't think of. It's like, I look like a crazy person. I just grabbed them like, hey, guys, what's going on over here? It's like, what?

We're eating dinner. Um, yeah. I was in, uh, somewhere in Massachusetts, maybe Great Barrington this summer. Yeah. And it was like, I was just waiting for my car. And there was the, uh, the, uh, the, uh, the, uh, breakfast at the, you know, the whatever sweets, you know, like little roadside restaurant. And people are making waffles and, you know, doing whatever.

And there was an older guy there and he was talking about the Knicks. This is in Massachusetts. And he said, I'm telling you, we haven't felt this good in so long. This is going to last a couple of years. He's like holding court. He's not wrong. But he really. Oh, I feel that way.

Right? Well, it's like a release. I'm a Giants fan too. So when they beat the Patriots that first time, I was like, yeah, I think I'm good for life. I know. I really feel that way. I'm kind of like, yeah, that was so cool that I'm kind of like, yeah, I'll still root and everything. But that was, that's kind of how I do.

That was enough. It was enough, dude. It was like. But I would say, I would argue the Giants have been so bad for so long now that it's, they've made us suffer for a while. We're ready. And they could be cool this year. They could be fun.

They could. But yeah, that got a lot of, that was a lot of goodwill. And I think... In the city, just in general. It was insane. And then the World Cup after in New York, I mean, it was an insane summer. It's joyful. Yeah, I'm one of those people that never leaves.

Terrible for comedy, indeed. I never leave the city in the summer. I mean, maybe for an occasional gig or stuff. But I'm never one of those people, you know, who leaves towns. And I kind of like it, that it's a little dead. Yeah, exactly. You know, all these people, I'm going to Hampton, I'm like, good, go. I get a quieter city.

I can take, sure, it gets like, it does remind you to do the right thing every once in a while where you're just like, yeah, this is brutal how hot it gets. Yeah. There's a reason people leave. That movie nailed humidity on screen. We were just like, yeah, this is so hot. So I went to a Yankees game this year and it was 102. It was a heat wave.

And I mean, it was one of those things. It was so hot the subway didn't work. Right. It was like, I don't know, I guess heat can affect it. I don't know. But we get on the platform and a woman collapsed. I was like, people shouldn't be out. She was all right.

But we were like, why is in this line moving? Everyone's piss. And then you get there. She's like, and you're like, ah, God, we're bad people, I guess. You immediately feel terrible. But you're like, you shouldn't be outside in 102 in Arizona you can handle. Yeah. But in New York, you're like, this is like, people die in this heat.

That's why they say be, you know, be indoors. Yeah, exactly. Don't go out. Crazy. And then I kind of, but I kind of like it. And I kind of like the winter too. I just kind of like weather shifts. Yeah, I know.

You get used to it. Did you have a hard time with the winter? Everybody was complaining how hard the winter was. I love it. Yeah. I like seasons. I like cold. I'm a big fan of when you have too many drinks in a bar and you walk outside in the winter and the wind just hits you in the face.

It kind of soberes you up for a sake. You're like, whoa. There's something about that. So I like cold weather. I like the winter. Yeah. And yeah, you mix it up. You have your wardrobe for everything.

I got my jacket for the winter. It's the coolest. Yeah. Your clothes are so much cooler in New York. You dress cool in New York. In New York. You dress like noticeably like I'm like, not a lot of dudes could pull off the hat you wear. Not a lot of dudes can pull off like the scarf and the jacket.

You have like a style. Oh, thanks. Well, you could have been on Mad Men. And I get really excited to be in New York and be able to wear it. When you're out here and it's 80 degrees. You're a mass shooter if you're dressing like that. Yeah. Completely.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But you have a noticeable and the martini. It's like a cool, you get a cool style. Oh, thank you. I appreciate that. Out here, it's like if you're not in a Tommy Bahama,

the whole objective out here is trying not to end up in Tommy Bahama. True. That's true. And not only that, it's like, it's funny because there's like this darkness in L.A., but everyone dresses so nice because of the weather. It's like, you're always in like a Hawaiian shirt, but I'm like, there's like a dark underbelly to this city. Yeah, there's a grid.

There's like the homelessness you were talking about in L.A. and all the problems with the city. And, uh, but, uh, but the clothes, it's funny that you were like bright colors, but you're like, bit of a shit's bad. Right. You know? That's what it's always weird to me, like, if you, if you ever get like a cold or a flu, and you're looking outside at a palm tree.

Like, that doesn't make sense. That's so true. You see a guy in like a nice Hawaiian shirt and then he, like, walks into the tent he lives. And you're like, that shouldn't be. It shouldn't be how it is. So sad. But, uh, yeah, I mean, the homeless is here is crazy. You guys always hate your politicians.

I guess that's normal for a lot of places. Yeah, it's too sprawling. Like in New York, you know who your mayor is because you're in this tight space together. You're right. And, like, he's going to make appearances and it will all relate to where you were during the day. Here, it's really like five major cities

that this one mayor is in control of. It's so disparate, and you just don't know. There's no connection to it. Yeah. So it kind of leaves you a little adrift. I mean, do you feel like the comedy scene is like that too where it's like, because I know there's that new room the upstairs, right? And then there's like the laugh factor.

You have all these rooms that's like, is like, is it kind of represent the different parts of L.A. or not? A little bit. Because you said Largo, right? Like Largo is more kind of like. They're distinctly different. Yeah. That's like a little more hip.

And then the comedy store is a little more like the cellar. Like more rugged a little bit. Yeah, a little rugged, a little tourists and locals. Yeah. kind of a thing. And, yeah, Laugh Factory is just kind of loud and sunset, you know, boisterous. And they all definitely have their own identity. Yeah. But again, like the way that L.A. is spread out, the comedy scenes a little spread out, you know. Totally. You know, like, John goes and does like open mics and stuff like that. And that's a whole ecosystem. I wouldn't even know where

he's running around. Like, it would be a whole different city and a different experience. Yeah, commerce are coming to town in New York and be like, where are the good open mics? I'm like, how badly do you think things are going, right? I'm like, it's been a minute. But then the funny thing is, I'll be like, I'm not keeping track. Yeah, I'll be like, bad slava. Is that still a thing?

And they're like, it is. I'm like, holy shit. That's what we used to look for open mics. I guess some, yeah, I mean, no, I mean, I, I remember those New York open mics for like, do you ever do the ones in the comedy clubs? Those were wild. Yeah, that's the only ones I did. We used to pay, but people would listen.

So that was like the nice tradeout. But then you go to like the pit and they'd be like two minutes. Oh, God, in all comics. All comics. Or people just with mental health problems. And those are brutal. I always found those in the beginning so unhealthy that I just wouldn't do them. Yeah, because you're pretty well adjusted for a comedian.

I mean, you're like, you're pretty, like, you don't seem like you have any glaring mental health problems. Yeah, nothing glaring. Definitely not what a lot of people carry. We all have stuff, but not like that. Yeah. You, everyone has stuff. But there's people with those things where you're like, they're wearing it on. sleeve and some of them I'm still friends with. That's a crazy part. Yeah. We'd like to thank the good

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Yeah, I saw. He might be here at the studio. Write your own money story with. Monarch. Use the code Papa, P-A-P-A-P-A at Monarch.com, to get your first year of Monarch core half off at just $50. That's 50% off your first year at Monarch.com with the code Papa, P-A-P-A. Thank you, Monarch. I was open micers with Mike Lawrence, and then we were writing a show together. So it's like crazy to... Mike is phenomenal. He worked on your show, right? Yeah, I gave him his first writing gig. He's such a good writer.

I gave him his very first gig. I worked with him in San Francisco, I think, at Cobbs. And then I got this pilot. I was doing this pilot, and I hired him. He's a machine. He's a machine. Everyone calls him a machine. I just happened to run into him, and he was young, and it was like I got him a gig.

But I really carry it with me because he's so good that I just love that I was able to help him in any regard. He's really. He's so fun to work. special brain. He really is. And he's also like a great dude. But yeah, I have so much fun riding with him. It's so good.

Yeah, he's so good. The big crazy beard. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. No, I had all these. And he's so unhealthy is all, like, I have, my fridge is just stocked full of soda because he was coming over to ride with me. My girlfriend's like, why do you have so much soda?

I was like, it's from Mike. Mike likes soda. You know? She's like, you don't drink like regular Coca-Cola. I was like, Mike, that's what he, he just pounds him. It's such classic comedy writer just being unhealthily just guzzling soda. I know. I was talking with a friend of mine and I was being like kind of bitchy about, I can only have coffee up until like three o'clock and then I'm really up all night.

And he's like, it's all about getting through the day though. Oh, I know. Comics are like truckers. We will pound black coffees. Yeah, up until like a nine o'clock show. Yeah, I have it in the green room usually. I'll just pound. Yeah.

It's not how it's like. It's not how because your sleep's going to be really shitty. And your stomach, too. But the most important thing is the show, so whatever's going to get you through the show or through the writing day, you kind of should do that. You can't be planning on good sleep.

Yeah, you've got to do. You know what I mean? What's more important, having a great set or just a really good eight hours? Some really, some really lame comic. The shows were terrible, but I slept like a baby. Yeah, no, I'll do whatever, yeah. But the worst is when you're like,

way early on when you're doing like morning radio and you're up at like 6 a.m. And then you have those night shows. You're like, this is brutal. Really brutal. I'm just not coherent. But you figure ways. You just keep pounding coffee and then you. Yeah.

You and your friends did a really good job of a morning press. Oh, we just, we just love it. You guys really went after it in a very funny way. You know what I heard a quote where this guy was talking about Michael Jordan and he was like, How did you get good of basketball? And he was like, he thought he was going to be like, I worked harder than everyone. He just said, I learned to love the shittiest parts. And I was like, that is applicable to anything in anyone's life.

Because I hated the radio and I hated morning TV. Not because I hated doing it, because I was like, I don't want to be up. I'm tired. Yeah. I'm a night person. And sometimes they would just never do research. You're like, what if I, what if I, what if I trick my brain into enjoying this? And then I just, you know.

And then by the time I liked it, they were like, none of them will have you on anymore. Because you're ruining this. She's rooting every segment. I'm like, but now I like it. You were really good at it. You would really just throw them. And I always loved, my favorites were the ones when two of the three people were horrified and one couldn't stop laughing.

There was always one that was happy. And there was occasionally me like a morning show guy that was just like, who thought he was like Will Ferrell and Anchorman. He thought he was, he was like, I'm the man. I'm awesome. Like a real life, Ron Burgundy. Yeah. And everyone hated him.

So when I'd like mess with my get off and the camera guys would be like, thank you so much. But it was like a bank robbery. It felt like I felt like I was in like a movie, you know, you need an Uber like it's a getaway car because you walk in and like, thanks for coming. The second you know, they're like, get out. They hate you and you're like, all right, you just run to your car.

Yeah. And it probably helps sell tickets because people are like, oh, finally. That's when I realized, the time I realized it helped was in Pittsburgh. I was just on one and they just, they were just asking every corny question. You knew they didn't care or know anything about me, which is fine. But they were just like, have you always been funny? And I said, no, but when I was young, my uncle molested me and he was funny.

So it was like Spider-Man, right, like caught the bug. And they were like, okay. And I got tagged in it so much. I was like, oh, I guess this is moving tickets. And then the club loved it because they were like, yeah, this is moving tickets. I'm sure they were not thrilled on some level because they were like, yeah, I think they won't have our axon anymore. Because that's what would happen is like, I have. I had a publicist at the time who was booking me on that stuff.

And she'd be like, they won't get my other clients on your show now because of you. And I was like, give me a break. They won't remember that it's you. And I was right. There was one in Columbus where I kept making up that there was a huge human trafficking epidemic. I just kept being like, you guys got to do something about that. It's crazy. And the guy was like, what's happening?

He was like, I'm so angry. And then she hit up the Columbus show about another one of her clients a month later. and they're like, okay, but we had a guy last month who kept talking about human trafficking. And she was like, that's terrible. I was like, I told you they wouldn't remember. So it didn't, you know, they wouldn't remember as her at least. Your special's really great.

I got to see it early. Thanks. Really good job. Thanks, man. It's hard to keep doing this. It's hard to keep having new thoughts or new. What number special is this? I don't even know because it's hard to count some of them

because some of them were, like, my first one was like a half hour, but then I gave an hour of audio for Comedy Central back in those days. Remember doing that where you're just like, here's an hour. Yeah. We'll air this much of it. Right, exactly. You're like, those are hard to write. And air it once.

I think I gave like a 55 minute one for my second one. And then they were like, they air like 42. And you're like, so I just lose that 13. And that, yeah, so I did those two. I did a, I did a YouTube one. I got this. And then I did a Netflix one. and I did a one on rooftops,

which was kind of like a half special. That was a good special. I remember that one. That was really good. It was fun. It kept me from going crazy during COVID and lockdown. So I was on roofs. So it kind of like,

then I did one on Amazon. So this is like six or seven, however you look at it. Oh, wow. That's a lot. Yeah, too many for how little I have to say. It's really like, it's too much comedy. But, you know, I'm on the road all the time, and I just get sick of jokes.

And you get sick of saying the same stuff. And the audience wants, new stuff. I, yeah, I think people hopefully like it. Yeah, it's really funny. It's a little darker. Is it? A little bit. Which parts were dark? I don't even remember. Talking about your relationships. Yeah, I guess that's always a little dark in my life. I mean, it's all very funny, but yeah, there was a little bit of, maybe dark's not the right word. I don't want to say edge. But, I mean, you were always kind of in that, area anyway.

Your jokes are always a little bit that way. I'm trying to think of the bits. Yeah, there's a story about a one-night stand that went wrong. There's a story about rats in my... Yeah. There was a rat in my apartment. That was crazy. That was awful.

Yeah. That was a crazy, crazy... Because, like, mice is like... I can deal with mice, but a rat, you're like, this is insane. And the guy that comes over. Oh, my God. Yeah, true story, guys. Three exterminators came over with hockey sticks and beat and murder the rat.

I was like, this is insane. So, yeah, luckily, luckily that, when that happens, you're like, well, this sucks at, you're like, at first, you're like, a rat, why me? And then you see the hockey sticks. You're like, oh, okay, I'm going to get a joke out of this. All right. Comedy is a weird way of whenever something bad happens, as long as it's not like, you know, someone dies or something, you're like, okay, I can turn this into something.

This is going to be worth it. Yeah, it was. And the crazy part is another rat came in after a year. after, I'm like, I don't need a follow-up to that bit. So that happened again, and they got rid of that. And they found a hole. It was like a little hole. Oh, they just kept company. Yeah. It's crazy.

I had that in one of my places out here. In New York? No, out here. Yeah. L.A. is a lot of rats. A lot of rats. And they're in the, they're all in the ivy and all the stuff outside. And a hole like this is what they're looking for. Everyone's got rats here. The exterminator, yeah, just to like kind of close that up. I told Adam Sandler about this.

go, he goes, yeah, we eat, I'm like, Adam Sandler has rats? No one can escape this. I know. He's like, yeah, we wanted to jump on the kitchen counter. I was like, what? One time, we had one of those pool vacuums, you know, that kind of like goes through the pool, and it was stuck. And a lot of times my kids were little at the time.

They had these little toys that would get stuck in there all the time. And they're like, I'm like, I'll get it. And my family's like sitting on the, oh, I hate where this is going. And I dive in and I come out. And there is a rat. ass out, tail out, halfway sucked into the thing. And I was like, ah! I got out of the thing, I pulled him up.

As soon as he came out of the water, flies just descended. Like the smell of death just, they just, and I had to pull it out, and it felt like squishy like it was going to split. Oh my God. Like it was going to split in two. You had to grab the rat with your hands? No, I used like a bandana and just like a rag and just like a rag and just. like, oh, and thankfully it didn't split in two.

That is crazy. Oh, so disgusting. Yeah, it sucks when you have to be a man. It sucks when you have to do stuff like that. And you're like, they're watching. I have to do this. Because that's what happened when my girlfriend from the second rat, I was like, I had to go to every room with a baseball bat.

Like, God damn it. I don't want to be this guy. Yeah, I'm like, I have to. She's watching. The second she leaves, I'm like, let me call an exterminator. But it's brutal, dude. The rats are like. Yeah.

And then once this happens, everyone tells you their rat story. Everyone's got rats. And then you're like, they're like, come here and you're like, I had a friend. She told me she'd a rat in her L.A. home. And she had two. One, she's like a young actress in L.A. Yeah. A rat.

She saw a rat. She's like, oh, my God, I'm freaking out. It's running everywhere. She, like, somehow falls on her back and a dresser falls over and the rat runs behind it. And she just kicks the dresser and smushes the rat. And I was like, that's like an action scene and something. You're a badass. And then another one, she had in a glue trap.

This is a way less badass death. She found a rat on a glue trap, and she just picked it up. And she was like, oh, my God, oh, my God. And she had a communal apartment, like, pool. And she just dropped it in the pool. And then came back, like, 20 minutes later. I'm like, that is crazy. The pool that everyone uses?

I guess. I guess not anymore. Disgusting. I mean, yeah, rats. We had one rat came in because we had it. Our cat was like a real hunter. That's awesome. But they're not all that way.

Some cats are just like... This cat was a badass. Yeah. And he would just go out and like, he would tack everybody. He lived in different homes. He was just, he just ran around. And he would bring live animals in just to play with them some more. And he brought a rat in.

And it went behind my daughter's toilet. And it was just back there hiding. And we had to like coax it out and stuff. And we finally got him to come out. and it's like the next day and my daughter goes to put on a shower cap and she's just about to do it and it's like kind of a little heavier

filled with rat piss she was this close to putting it on her head what's the film you made I made a movie about my tour that was it'll be out early next year on Netflix And it's a mockumentary. It's not a real movie. It's not like a sincere tour documentary.

It's a fake tour. Like, I'm playing a horrible version of myself. Gary Veter plays a horrible version of himself as my opener. My tour manager plays himself, Brian. And then a lot of crazy shit happens on the road, and someone's trying to murder me. And it's crazy. Stavros plays a detective in it. Santino is my agent.

They're great in it. Lauren German, the actress from Lucifer, is hilarious in it. Julian Edelman, the football player is hilarious. So many great... A tells in it, Norman, all these great cameos. Rachel Feinstein, all these fun cameos. And it's Keith Robinson. It's really crazy and fun.

So I'm pumped for people to see it. Still editing it. Oh, yeah? You're all done filming? How long do you take you to film? Dude, honestly, like two years. Because it was so disorganized and I financed it myself. Right.

Which, wow, all these things you pay. for that you're like, I have to pay to make sure this wasn't a title already. I have to pay to make sure, like all these dumb things where you're like, oh, this is, this is seven grand here. And you're like, what the fuck? Before you know, you're like, oh, this is why movies cost a lot of money. But I will say the one cool thing about this is I've had so many projects and I'm sure you've felt this as well as most people in our field feels. You know, this has been in development for three years. When you, when it's your money, it just happens. You're like, we're like, we're shooting tomorrow. and everyone was like, okay.

Right. So that's cool. And, you know, everyone did it for SAG minimum since it was my money, which was awesome, you know. And, you know, because everyone just knew that I was paying for it and wanted to help. Where did most of the filming take place? All over. All over. I mean, we filmed the scene with Gaffigan in Birmingham, Alabama, because I want a minute and we just happened to be in Alabama.

I was like, can we film it here? And he said, yeah. Oh, wow. So we filmed it with him. And then we did a lot on the road. I mean, we had two cameramen on the road for a lot of it. and it was on a tour bus. So you paid to put the, oh, it was a tour bus.

Yeah. So I did, the second time I did a tour bus and I loved it. I just loved the lifestyle. I loved it. You know, you just, you do your show, you get in the bus, you watch a movie, you drink some booze, you have a good meal on the bus, and then you just pass out and wake up in the next city. Yeah.

I kind of love that. I love that it eliminates, because travel is the worst part of our job. How many people are on your bus? Gary, my tour manager, Brian, a cameraman James. And then for the second run, we brought a cameraman Brian as well. Another Brian, they're all great. So it was like good vibes, good hang. And yeah, we shot a lot on the road.

Some crazy, some really, some scenes I hope will shock people in a funny way, like really funny. Nice. Gary goes all out. And then he does some crazy shit. Nice. And yeah, I hope people like it. I don't know. That's great.

It's hard to know when you're close to something. You're like, we'll be laughing so hard. And then you kind of pause. You're like, are we making a piece of shit? I don't know. Like, it's hard to know because you keep having to rewatch it. And you're like, this isn't funny to me anymore. And then you watch another again.

Like, oh, that's funny again, all right. Yeah, yeah. How deep into editing are you? Well, it's not audio lock, but we pretty much, you know, I got some guys to score it for me. Oh, good. And because, you know, I love a good movie score. Yeah, yeah. Well, you're a big movie fan.

I love movies. Yeah. I think about you a lot when I'm looking for film noir stuff. It's my favorite. Yeah. Well, you kind of like, you have that old-timey style. I love turn to classic movies and just the language of those films is so great. My favorite dialogue ever is like double indemnity or out of the past.

One of my favorite lines ever is out of the past where she, you know, she murders everyone. And she goes, you have only me to deal with now. And Robert Mitchum goes, well, build my gallows hide, baby. Just so many cool lines. Mitchum's so cool. He's another line that movie where he goes, you're like a leaf that flows from one gutter to the next. The dialogue, I'm like, this is fucking poetic dialogue. It's so cool.

I saw this Bogart film the other day, and I forget the name of it was. Anyway, it was like a lonely place? No. That's my favorite one. Maybe it was, you can't get away with murder? I don't know that one. He was like from the 30s. Oh, old school.

Yeah. But I don't think this line was from then. This is just a great line. It was a party scene. and, you know, from the 30s, a big party, you know, going on. And the guy's, a middle-aged guy is there with his wife. And the party's going on. And he says, I'm too old for these kind of events.

I always have been. That's great. That is so good. Isn't that great? I always have been. I always have been. That's so good. Dude, I love, those movies, the scripts had to be so tight.

Especially the ones that are like 90 minutes. There's a great one called Murder My Suite, which is. just with Dick Powell. It was based on the book Farewell My Lovely, but Dick Powell was like a song and dance man, so they're like, we got to put murder in the title and no men will see it. So they call it Murder My Sweet.

It's really good. And they redid it at Farewell My Lovely in the 70s with Mitchum, which is also really good. Oh, wow. But in Murder My Sweet, there's a line I love where she's talking to him and she goes, I find myself very attracted to men. And he goes, and I imagine they meet you halfway.

That's such a good line. So good. Second I heard that, I was like, Oh, he's so cool. The best. It's like stand-up, or it's like one word, one word this way or that way, the line doesn't land. Yeah. And it's just, it's like ridden like a joke, but it's said sincerely.

Yeah. And it's just like the, just distilling it down. Yeah. Just like the pure, the bare minimum to be effective. No, so I love movies. So I think I'm trying, Mark and I are supposed to film one in October. The director dropped out of that one. So like literally the one-yard line.

so we met, we're meeting with directors right now. A film with the two of you? Yeah, it's a really fun script. And I, you know, so I hope we film that. It's like, you feel silly talking about some of this shit because you're like, who knows if it ever gets made? Like, the show I've been working on with Mike Lawrence. It's been three years.

Yeah. But I love writing dialogue and characters. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's the best. I'm passionate about. Good for you. I mean, that's the thing is like you're actually doing it. I'm doing it.

You'll find a way to make this stuff, but it's like you just have to be unconventional and realize that, like pitching it is is almost a dead end sometimes and just find a way to make it. I was talking to some guy I was working with over the weekend Willie Simon, funny comic, and he said he wants to make this movie for like 10 grand, whatever. And I was like, do it, you can do it. You can find that.

The more contained, you see all these movies now that are just contained that. There's this really cool movie Bunny on Netflix made by Ben Jacobson, and it's all in an apartment. There's another one called Bad Shabbas. It's all about a murder in an apartment. It's like, okay, you found one location. You just write a story around it. There's ways to do it. You just got to figure it out.

Look at what Kevin Smith did with clerks in the 90s. Yeah, right, exactly. There's a movie called Laws of Gravity in the 90s. It was 38 grand in like 12 days. And it's like, all right. You can do it. You made it, and there's a story. Yeah, yeah.

You could totally do it. Did you script this one out, the one that's going to come out on Netflix? We did a 60-page treatment. So we wrote scenes out, and we wrote loose dialogue. and then we were like, this is how, so Mike Lawrence and J.P. McDade helped us write this out with them and me and Gary Veter. And then we, certain scenes were like,

let's have a script going in. Because, you know, certain people you know can really riff and certain people are like, we'll see if they can riff. But also I found that like, you knew where the scene was going to go in terms of the structure, but then, yeah, I liked having a scene written. And then once we get,

so then we kind of wrote the treatment and then like a few days before, like, let's write a scene for this. Because we know what's going to happen, but let's script it. And then sometimes we didn't like it and sometimes we loved it. Some people just were like, you know, some people you think would just try to riff the whole time. We're just coming knowing their lines.

No, I like the lines. Yeah, yeah. And then some people, you know, would just riff and you're like, that was amazing. Keep that. Right, right, right. Yeah, I mean, it was pretty, it was a mess. It was my first movie. I made a lot of mistakes.

Yeah, yeah. And there was stuff that I had to reshoot that I was like, oh, we did a horrible, that doesn't look right. This doesn't read right. We thought it was funny in the room. I don't like how it looks, so I had to get people to reshoot stuff sometimes, but they were really cool about it. Yeah, yeah.

Oh, that's great. Good for you. It's fun. Yeah. Fun making stuff. And it's going to come out? It'll be on Netflix. Yeah, I think first quarter of next year, it looks like.

But I got it. I still got to make everything work, but I feel pretty good about where we are. But yeah, it makes me want to just keep making stuff. It's so fun. And also, like, it makes me miss stand-up. I want to do stuff where, like, I don't want to ever get sick of stand-up. And even if I'm doing stand-up wall, I'm like, oh, I miss doing this type of joke. And you're like, oh, this joke doesn't work right for stand-up.

It'd be funny in a scene. Uh-huh. You know, so. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I just, I love stand-up in movies, so as long as we can do it. But, man, it's really hard with all these, you know, like to keep cranking out new jokes. And then, you know, you build a bar that you're like, this is how good the joke should be. And then you're like, man, that's a hard bar to hit after a while.

Because, you know, maybe. I don't know, maybe this one special I was like really, I think my best special was like probably 2020. That special I did, I got this. And it was, I had no other shit to do. It was, it was podcasts weren't really a thing. And they were, but not like they are now. Yeah.

And you, you didn't get, I wasn't working on shows. You're not creatively burnt out. You only have like four hours a day, really, of like, I'm locked in. And it's all going into the act. Yeah. And it really was. And I've, and I think this one I toured with a lot. And I took a little extra time with this one because I'm conscious of it and I don't want it.

I don't want people to be like, it was okay. Yeah, yeah. But it's, yeah, I mean, you have to take a little longer because your reps will always be like, it's ready. Always. And you're just like, nah, that's not. They always think you're ready. You can do it. Yeah, you can film this tonight.

I could. It would be a pile of shit. Yeah. But yeah, they always think you're ready. Your friends are usually honest with you. You're like, yeah, I could use a little more. Right, right. who are who are those guys veder because he's on the road with me all the time gary uh joe list

mark norman any of my close friends like they can be like but i ask less and less it's usually the people who are with you night tonight who see it the most yeah yeah my tour manager will like give me a heads up yeah yeah yeah what do you do like well how do you know when you're when it's you don't want to overcook it but how do you know when it's yeah uh it's i've been on like a two two and a half year schedule has been about the time that it takes and yeah and you know you just know it just starts getting tighter and tighter and you're like yeah you know and you can see like the difference between like that first year when you have it and you start touring with it and then what happens to it after another year

you know you add a line here sometimes you're telling a joke one way for like a year and you're like yeah that's good and then you just one line hits you like 18 months and you're like how the fuck was I can't believe all these cities heard that joke without this line. Yeah. They were deprived of that one line that brought it all together. There is the thing, too, you know, you are different at different times. I know. And sometimes you're super creative and have a bunch of stuff.

Sometimes, you know, you're in a spot where it's taking a time to find what you want to talk about. And I think that's natural. Yeah. You know, I think like a band or anybody, it's like there are times when, you know, you should take more time to fill it up or find it or, you know, we're just different.

You're always changing. This is your whole adult life as being a comedian. You have, you are, right? Your whole adult life. It is. And you're not that, you're not the same person. But look at who are like musical artists

you like that you look at and you're like, well, this person's catalog is so, like, look at a guy like Tom Waits where you're like, wow, this album's so different from this album. This one is like, you know, Or then you look at anyone throughout, you know, oh, this album is from this band sounded so different in the early 2000s and now like, you know, they go through phases. Because, you know, music especially will, like, there'll be like a sound that becomes popular.

And some people are able to maintain what's cool about them and adapt that sound. And some just completely pivot in a way that compromises what was originally cool about them. You know, like with auto tune or something and you're like, well, that's just, you had an original voice and now you sound like shit. and everyone else. And then there's people like David Bowie who could kind of adapt while being kind of still them. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I think it's, I think you have to be kind of at it for the right reason, right? It's like not to, not to try and do what you did before, not to try and, you know, get good numbers. It's just, this is what I want to do right now.

That, those people, that's when it really works. Yeah, when you just are like, this sounds cool. Yeah. Yeah, right. And for a comic, it's like, this is where I'm, it's just what I want to talk about. Movies are the same way, though. I just listen to William Freakins' audiobook. It's really great, especially because he reads it. And he talks about how his first two movies that were big were

French Connection and The Exorcist. And, you know, they're pretty dark movies. And, you know, French Connection even has kind of a very early 70s dark ending. And then he made this movie sorcerer. And I think it's an awesome movie, but it completely ruined his career because it came out a month after Star Wars and the palette of people had changed. They wanted like something hopeful and cool and uplifting and sorcerer's bleak as fuck. Right. And it's like it's a, now people see it as a great movie, but when it came out, they were like, what the fuck is this? Right. It's like, well, basically what you've been watching the last eight years. You just saw something that, you know, changed your, change the vibe. Yeah. Yeah. So you don't know what people want and you don't know

when they're happy changes. No, exactly. There's no way you can figure. any of that out. But it's interesting that, like, you know, you really have to take a chance, and that could, it could be great for you or it could really hurt his career. Yeah, right. I know, because there is that, you know, everyone always talks about when Carlin, like, went from, you know, being the buttoned down, you know, TV comic to being the hippie, you know, talking, drug using, you know, truth seeker. Yeah. And how that just, like, changed everything for him. And he became great and was like, it was such a moment. I'm sure there are people that we don't know who decided to pivot in a big way and go do something else.

And it wasn't the right choice. Oh, yeah. You know what I mean? I used to write jokes. Now all I talk about is vaccine. You're like, oh, cool. Not a great act. Yeah.

No, you're right. People make a pivot and they take a risk and it doesn't always pay out. But then you also can look at people who do, I mean, look at Rob Reiner's career. Like that guy took some fucking risks. Like to jump around genres like that, that's wild. And nail each one of them. It's so cool. Some people can do it and some people you're like,

I don't, you know, I don't know if this is right. But it's also cool if it doesn't work sometimes because you figured that out. And you're like, if they're making it for the right reason, if they're really like searching and wanting to grow and more power to you. It's when you watch people make these pivots

because they sense there's an audience there. They sense that there's going to, they're going to get a reaction if they change politically or something like that. You can just... It's short money. It's short money. It's not going to last. Because...

And you know the other thing is like when your whole audience now, you're just pandering to and they know what you're going to say, your act becomes predictable. And you're not really growing comedically. You're not really... It's not about the jokes anymore. It's about the message. And that's like, that's not what you got into it. It's about response.

You're pressing up. button you got addicted to the dopamine rush right of getting likes yeah and it's like it's a trap like look everyone's obsessed with the engagement now and i think when we started like when twitter started it was all about like jokes and wordplay and silliness and then one day people realize you got engagement by saying something shocking or nasty and that you know yeah and their numbers went up for way up yep and then but how long what kind of career is that well a lot of them lose a lot of friends i've seen a lot of those people where they're just like, this is what I'm going to do now. And it's like, okay, well, now you're just like shit talking people because it's getting

engagement. And now you're playing, it's like you're playing to the fans, but you're not playing, this is stuff you're supposed to say kind of in private. Right. You know, like now there's no here. It's, it's all for them. And it's like, oh, now you're like a rat or something. You know, so, and it's like, if I don't like you, I'm probably just not going to talk about you. I'm not going to go scorched earth and be like, you know. fuck this guy it's not just not that important i don't i don't want it to take up real estate in my in my head i don't i don't want people to so i kind of just like oh they're like to me apathy is the move there like don't even give a shit yeah and if i love you i'll i'll talk about you i'll promote

yeah i'll yeah i love this person you know but if i don't i don't it's not it doesn't do me any good yeah what's the what's the objective right you know what i mean the objective i guess is to get trigger likes because, right? Yeah. But it's, I don't know, it's just a waste of time creatively. Yeah, and I hear people shit talking and stuff and I'm like, go make something. Yeah. That's because it's easy to shit talk, but to make something is vulnerable because you might fail.

And to look inward is vulnerable. And it might be bad, but at least you tried. Yeah. And that's a cooler way to be remembered then. I was like, he thought everything sucked, this guy. Right. You know? Yeah.

Yeah. I always think about that with Bill Hicks, because Bill Hicks was such a brilliant comic, and he would have such great time. But then he would have these runs where he was just like going after like pop stars. He was just going after like Britney Spears or whatever. Yeah. No, they did not overlap. Yeah. I wish he lasted that long. Yeah. No, it was like Billy Ray Cyrus or something. Yeah. I forget. Like it would just make him so angry. And it was like, it was pop culture commentary. very. He was at his best when he wasn't super self-righteous, in my opinion, because he was so funny. He could make the point with a joke. He didn't need it to just be like, this person should kill himself. Right.

You don't need that as a punchline. You were so good you can write a better line. Yeah, yeah. And him at his best was unreal. I love Bill Hicks. Yeah. Yeah, he would get a little carried away with the... Yeah, like the pop culture.

I mean, some people who are good at that. But his was confusing to me because he wasn't that, but he was dabbling in that. Like, you know what I mean? Like a Kathy Griffin who would. who would just go completely at pop culture. There was her world. Yeah. You know, I get it.

But when you're like... I want to see the Bill Hicks Bravo special. Yeah. I was at brunch the other day. These fucking people. No, he would... He would have been so interesting, you know, to see him go like further and older

because, like, does he become really angry? Or does he kind of mellow out a little? Like, you know, because he was... Did you ever overlap with him? Do you ever see him? No. It was before I was a... but I was watching him and Dennis Leary at the, like, when I was in school.

Oh, wow. Like, that energy, that, like, real, like, the energy of both of those guys. I wonder where Dennis got it from. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, he was, uh, Bill Hicks was amazing, man. I mean, it was, I just remember him watching him in, like, a Caroline's special. Like, it was like a Caroline's night, whatever. And just seeing him, like, with a cigarette, like, leaning in someone's face.

Yeah. in the front row. And I was just like, who is this? It's like Outlaw comedy. Yeah. But then there was all those people doing Bill Hicks, and you're like, ooh, this is kind of rough.

Yeah. Are the people doing Kinnison? You're like, you're just doing the sound effects. It's just like, like, roar! And you're like, all right. But, uh, no, but Hicks, like, those one night stand specials were so cool.

And, uh... I've been talking about this shift for 15 years. Let me buckle up. I loved it. And give you another, plaster smile on my, plaster smile on my face and go through, through it one more time. That's how he opens a special.

When he did those Flying Saucer tour albums and he's in the middle of nowhere, and he's just so rude to the audience, it killed me. I'd be laughing so hard because I was like, oh man, I played rooms like this and I felt the same way. And I said it, but I didn't say it in this funny way. Right, without letting him off the hook. He was such an

asshole to them. It was so it was funny. To tell what I always say about Bill Hicks that like a lot of these comics now, like they do that type of stuff, but they're just playing to their people, whereas Bill Hicks would do it. Like, he'd be running that through the South. Right. And he'd be playing places that did not agree with him. And that's so cool.

Yeah. Because now it's like, you know. Safe. It's safe. Yeah, you got, yeah. Because you know the reactions. Like, he would, like, get, I mean, in defensive people now, like, Bill would get, like, a reaction maybe, like, from some guy, like, walking by, as you're walking to the bar.

at the end of the night or whatever. Yeah. Now you're going to hear it nonstop in your face on your device. They're going to come for you nonstop. Yeah. And also in people's defense now, like who the hell wants to perform for people who hate them? I feel like those crowds will find me anyway.

I don't need to schedule them. But because I feel like I bomb all the time still at the seller just because I'll just try new shit and it just doesn't go well. And Liz, the seller manager, will forward me every bad email about me. Oh, she will. Oh, she loves it. It'll be like great show tonight. Samarrell sucks.

And I'd be like, thanks, Liz. But, yeah, I mean, look, you're gonna bomb. That's just part of it. If you're doing new shit, you're gonna bomb. So it's fine. It's just, you feel guilty. Remember when Damon Wayans used to come into the cellar and with the intent of walking everybody?

I don't really remember that. Just walking everyone. Damn. You just didn't give a shit. Yeah, and it was like him and his friends would kind of like enjoy it. But he would just push. it and go as offensive as he could. Was it funny or was he just trod? Yes, a lot of it was.

He is really funny. But then it was like, you know, then it was just to see. And I guess I was pushing barriers and like trying to see like what the line was or how far you could go or whatever, but couldn't, was not happy until everyone was gone. He's very, I mean, he's, his early shit, I remember being so funny. Yeah. I mean, yeah, he's. It's a different, it's a different brain. Yeah. That is comfortable with ruining everyone's night. Yeah, I feel bad about it. I really do. I mean, I... Well, you're trying stuff. You're not trying to walk him. Yeah. And I'm not saying that his thing was wrong. Like, it was just a unique thing.

People dig in different areas to find what they're looking for. And that's, like, that's his process, I guess. But yeah, it's tough when it's a showcase show and someone's, like, waiting to go on after you. And they're like, did you just... That's what happened to be the night I auditioned at the comic strip. I remember it was like, you drew a lottery and six comics. after the regular show. So it was like three hours into the night already. You're like, there's already gonna suck. Five people left. And then, yeah.

Well, it started with like, 80 maybe, which I'm like, this is fucking great. I'm gonna, I'm gonna get to go for 80 people. Wrong. Five people, five open micers in front of this open micer. And the first four, it's like whatever.

It's like, it's not good, but not awful. The guy who goes on before me has a full-on nervous breakdown. He walks the whole room. I performed for like eight people. at an 80, because they were just like, this is, he was just on stage like, I fucking suck at this. This is going horribly.

What the hell am I doing? I'm in there like, this is my career is, it's just gone. It's gone in front of me. And I went on for eight people and I think the owner took pity on me. Oh, yeah. It was Richie, Tinkin. And he was just like, you didn't look phase. And I'm like, in my head.

I'm like, well, perform for eight people a lot lately. Yeah. But, yeah, you just played those eight. And he's like, he's like, I'm going to pass you. Oh, that's great. Yeah, but. Yeah.

No, it's always rough. Well, I know you got to get to the airport. Yeah, this is fun, dude. Yeah. This was really good. We could have done another hour. We'll do it again. We'll do it again.

Yeah. And you've got to come back on ours, but. Is your pug still alive? No, it was my ex's dog. Oh, it was your exes? Yeah, yeah, yeah. The last time. I love pugs, last time you came on, you brought your pug and I was going to bring my pug today,

but your pug was such, it would just like a loaf of bread would just sit there on the table the whole interview my dog would be running around he's still not at that stage i love something about pugs man i think about you all the time when you're just like they're just great comedian dogs they are they really are there's something about that face and yeah friendly yeah they're really great dogs they're friendly but over it they're just kind of like well congratulations on the special you did a great it's on netflix it looks great and uh it's really really funny as always thank you dude and uh i can't wait to see your ninth. I'll be done before then, I think.

I think that's it. You'll be a filmmaker. Next time I get to interview, you'll have a beret. I want to do stand-up forever. Stand-up's the best. But yeah, movies are fun. Yeah, that's good. Good on you.

You too, man. I can't wait to see your new one. All right, yeah. Yeah, I got to film it. I don't know what to wear? You always rock a suit, don't you? Yeah, some version of a suit. I know.

I was thinking black t-shirt, but then I saw you did that. It was like dark blue. Yeah. I only know that because Tan France from Queeride just sends me what to wear. Oh, really? I'm like, I can't pay. He's like, you do this. I'm like, all right.

So if you think I look like shit, blame Tan France the fashion expert, okay? All right.