Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend - Mike Birbiglia Returns Again

Episode Date: June 9, 2025

Comedian, writer and director Mike Birbiglia feels earnest about being Conan O'Brien's friend. Mike sits down with Conan once again to discuss his latest special The Good Life, taking comedy advice f...rom the Pope, and how his father’s stroke impacted his own parenting style. Plus, Conan and the Chums hammer out a succession plan for hosting the podcast in the event of a worst-case scenario. For Conan videos, tour dates and more visit TeamCoco.com.Got a question for Conan? Call our voicemail: (669) 587-2847. Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/conan.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 Hi, my name is Mike Birbiglia. And I feel earnest about being Conan O'Brien's friend. Walk and lose, climb the fence, books and pens. I can tell that we are gonna be friends. Yes, I can tell that we are gonna be friends. Hello and welcome to Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. Sitting here as always with Sonam Ossessian, Matt Gorley. Hi. We have a wonderful team here, works very hard.
Starting point is 00:00:42 An inside source has told me that instead of doing his job, Eduardo's watching football. Are you watching football right now? Oh shit! Eduardo, what are you watching? Son of a bitch. Right, wow. Eduardo, what are you watching?
Starting point is 00:00:53 I thought you were my boy. Eduardo. This whole time. Eduardo, what are you watching? Nothing. No, what are you watching? We're about honesty here. Wow.
Starting point is 00:01:02 Listen, we just wrapped an interview with a guest and I respectfully waited until that wrapped. Why don't you just tell me what you're watching? I'm watching the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League right now. It's a game between Barcelona and Inter Milan. Excuse me, it's Bar-thah-lon. Barcelona and Inter Milan.
Starting point is 00:01:19 Blai, Blai, fuck you, man. Yeah! So listen, listen, listen. How dare you, Eduardo? How dare you? All I do is laud you for your professionalism. I think you're the only professional one here. And then I find out that you're watching Barcelona play who?
Starting point is 00:01:33 Los Estadios del Dandos? Inter Milan, and they just scored. Thank you very much. Listen, let me tell you something. You missed it? Yes. Oh! You missed it.
Starting point is 00:01:42 Who are you rooting for? Barcelona. It's Barcelona. It's Barthelona. Um, por favor. God, we should learn the language. White-splaining. Excuse me?
Starting point is 00:01:53 I am white-splaining. I knew it, I knew it. Eduardo. It's a new term. So you had the gall. You're in the presence of Conan O'Brien. We're making a seminal podcast. And you are watching a football. You were on your fifth bit, and I decided to just...
Starting point is 00:02:10 Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Yay! Oh! Yes! Go get yourself.
Starting point is 00:02:20 You're gonna let him talk to you like that? Exactly! You're gonna let him talk to the folks? You and I are both, oh look at this. We are all channeling the same scene. Goodfellas, Goodfellas and Spider just dissed. Of course I would be. Tommy.
Starting point is 00:02:38 I'd be Tommy. I'd be Tommy. And you're gonna let, you're gonna let him talk to you like that, you're gonna let him talk to you like that. And now, of course, you know where this goes. I start shooting away at you. This is a rite of passage, because this exact scenario happened to me early on
Starting point is 00:02:52 in the podcast as well, where I was Spider, and now you got it. It's a rite of passage, and now you have to be shot in the foot. Very. Then you come back later on with a bandage on your foot, and I kill you. Listen, I know I do a lot of bits
Starting point is 00:03:06 and they seem like a waste of time to you. And I'm sure, football, as you call it, I call it soccer here in the United States. Uh, it's more important to you. But you know what? You do such a good job. I think you should be allowed to watch football. Thank you. Thank you. I know.
Starting point is 00:03:20 I do. I'm just gonna put something on my TV. Put some YouTube on. No. But what would you, first of all, Eduardo, mad respect for your comeback and also for your devotion to the most popular sport in the world. Or as I call it, El Mundo.
Starting point is 00:03:35 Sona, what would you be secretly watching if you were secretly watching while we were doing the podcast? Love is blind. Okay, is that a good show? I mean, I only really watched the first season, really. It's harsh, though, right? It's brilliant. Because people say yes to somebody,
Starting point is 00:03:49 and then they see what they look like? And they turn them down? Some of them do, yeah. It just, you know, I mean, it's... Is Love Blind? Is it? That's a wow. That's a profound question, and it's the title of the show.
Starting point is 00:04:04 Yeah. Are we really down under? What? Above deck. Is it? Is it? That's a, wow, that's a profound question and it's the title of the show. Yes. Are we really down under? What? Above deck. Below deck. Oh shit. And what about you?
Starting point is 00:04:12 What are you watching over there? Oh, I'm just watching Casino Royale as we speak. Oh wow, that's the beginning. This is when we were first introduced to Daniel Craig. Pretty good, huh? As Bond and he killed it. Yeah, he did. He really killed it.
Starting point is 00:04:24 This is the great scene where he's chasing, okay, so that's what you're watching. The parkour scene, yeah. Or I'd watch YouTube. You know what I'd be watching? Huh? Clips of my show. Oh my God.
Starting point is 00:04:32 Classic Conan. Oh my God. You guys would see me not really paying attention and then you'd take my phone away from me. Oh, there's Conan talking to Al Roker in 2004. Not even a particularly good interview. But me going, look at him. Conan's got sideburns.
Starting point is 00:04:49 That just kills me. That's great. Oh, what's he gonna say now? Oh, look at him. He's only 32. Oh my God. Well, listen, you're a maestro at what you do. Thank you.
Starting point is 00:05:01 And I'm gonna turn this back around to a compliment. You're a maestro. And all I think, I think what Blade did essentially was exposed that you can do this job with one hand tied behind your back. Interesting. I'm still pissed. I'm sorry.
Starting point is 00:05:13 I know you're legitimately angry at Blade. Yes, I think that was a foul move. You ratted him out. Well, listen, listen. What did I do wrong? Now fans get to listen for the eventual payback. That's right. The get back. Okay.
Starting point is 00:05:26 And when's it gonna happen? How's it gonna happen? We don't know. But I thought we all had a tacit understanding that it's us against him. And when, Ble, when you feed the beast like that and break the union, you know. Also, can I say this?
Starting point is 00:05:38 It's not only that, it's worse. Because- He's not even on your side and you just gave a- No, no, but listen to me, listen to me. It's worse because- He's not even on your side and you just gave up- No, no, but listen to me, listen to me. It's worse because I check out the occasional Reddit thread. I know what the word is on the street. You do?
Starting point is 00:05:53 Eduardo is one of the most respected people in this room. The rest of us can be fools and goons. Eduardo has this malevolent voice. He knows what he's doing. He occasionally speaks. It's always good. He is the one in this room who is the adult, the cool one. You betrayed the Jesus in the room. Or I'm sorry, the Jesus. That makes you Judas. No, what? I'm the Judas? I'm the Judas. You know what? I think I just wanted people to understand Eduardo is more than just an engineer.
Starting point is 00:06:30 He's a human being. And I wanted to show another facet of- You're going down. You're going down. What do you mean? Eduardo's coming for you. No. And it's going to be, his retribution will be terrible.
Starting point is 00:06:41 Like John Wick, baby. Yeah, you just killed his dog. You killed the puppy. You killed his puppy. I think what awaits you, Blay, is horrific. And I tremble just imagining being you. Oh my God, Eduardo's watching soccer and you're getting mad at Blay.
Starting point is 00:06:56 Can you get mad at Eduardo, please? Add Sona to the list. Yeah. Sona. What the fuck? Oh my God. He's tearing us apart. We can't let this happen. He's watching soccer. Sona. You're on the list. First of all. You watch TV all the time when Oh my God. He's tearing us apart. We can't let this happen. He's watching soccer. You're on the list.
Starting point is 00:07:06 First of all. First of all. You watch TV all the time when you're working. I know. You gotta have. How can you not have sympathy for this? Sona, stop calling it soccer. It's futbol.
Starting point is 00:07:14 Oh my God. You just said it's soccer because we're in America. It's futbol. And I'll tell you something else. Don't say it like that. Eduardo, that's how you say his name. Eduardo es mi hermano. No, I think.
Starting point is 00:07:22 Mi hermano. Si, es mi amigo. Are they pronouncing your name incorrectly. No, I think it's your hermano. It's mi amigo. Are you pronouncing your name incorrectly? No, it's right. Is that because it's not the E? No, it's perfect.
Starting point is 00:07:32 No, it's perfect. Perfecto. Eduardo is above reproach, and I feigned, turning on Eduardo to trick the rest of you to expose what rats you really are. Remember when the studio wasn't working properly? He fucked it up, remember? Oh wow, wow, Sona, what are you doing?
Starting point is 00:07:51 Yes, yes. Sona, what are you doing? I want you to get mad at Eduardo. Why? I just want you to get mad at him. We've got to stick together, you guys. Remember, it broke. We've got to stick together. Something broke. You know what I love? We have nothing if we're not one. Where are the audio, was it working?
Starting point is 00:08:05 Union Strong. Who was here, who was the guest? Sona, Sona, it's called audio. Oh Jesus. Listen, I'm gonna say one thing, which is I want listeners to look at what just happened here. I was given some information by Blay, which I took.
Starting point is 00:08:19 I turned against Eduardo exposing him and embarrassing him. Then through a series of deaf maneuvers, tricked all of you into bickering with one another. Now, and then I became Eduardo's defender, his amigo and the one who says, oh, football and not soccer. And so now I have emerged as the hero of the story and you are the villain Sona as are you, Blay.
Starting point is 00:08:44 You're cool, you're cool, fuckay. You're cool, you're cool. Fuck you, you're cool. Yes. Hey! I am a matador. Yeah, fuck you, Blay. I'll turn against Blay. Very few movements.
Starting point is 00:08:53 I'll turn against Blay. God damn it. Oh, look what he's done to us. Look what he's done to us. This is sad. And Adam, you're being awfully quiet over there. I know, you're just sitting there quietly. And you're the real boss here.
Starting point is 00:09:05 Adam, deep down, you know I'm there quietly. And you're the real boss here. Adam, Adam, Adam. Were you watching? Deep down, you know I'm the maestro, don't you? At manipulating the people around me so that I always come on top. 100%, I'm just being quiet because I'm letting this unfold. This is good content. Let you, yeah.
Starting point is 00:09:15 And you're watching the maestro conduct the orchestra to perfection. I'm loving it, man. Perfect, perfect. You're a good guy too. Eduardo and Adam, you're the good guys in this room. And I'm gonna include this guy too. My guest today is a hilarious comedian, writer, director,
Starting point is 00:09:30 and actor whose latest special, The Good Life, is now available to stream on Netflix. Very excited he's with us today. He is a fine fellow. ["The Good Life"] Mike Ribiglia, welcome. I do feel like we have maybe 110 different ways in which we intersect, in which we have commonality.
Starting point is 00:09:59 Yes. I'm hard pressed to think of anyone else who I have more in common with, who's not in my family, that I have more in common with, because you sir, Mr. Mike Birbiglia, if that's even is your real name, clearly one of those stage names, just to sound cool, you hail from where all my people come from.
Starting point is 00:10:19 Yeah, your people are from Worcester. Worcester, Worcester, Worcester, Massachusetts, and they all went to Holy Cross College, or the Cross as they call it. Which is where my dad went. Yep. Worcester, Worcester, Worcester, Massachusetts. And they all went to Holy Cross College or the cross. Which is where my dad went. Yep. And my dad is a retired doctor. Your parents were doctors.
Starting point is 00:10:30 Yep, yep. But no, my dad was a doctor. My mother was a lawyer, not a doctor. And so that's insulting. You come in here and start. You thought that was insulting. I just thought that was a basic misunderstanding. You're right. I don't know why I went to insult.
Starting point is 00:10:45 That's so weird. But I'm so mad at you right now. You're so sensitive since the Oscars. Yes I am. I feel like, yes. Yes. Since you didn't win. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:10:54 I just wanna hold space for Matt and Sona today because I feel like you guys have really probably been through it with Conan Dego this year. You're not kidding. Yeah. I was under the impression that if you host the Oscars, you get an Oscar. No. Yeah. I was under the impression that if you host the Oscars, you get an Oscar. Oh.
Starting point is 00:11:06 And when the night was out, I was, I thought one of you had my Oscar. Oh. Or David and no one had it. And then they said, no, you don't get an Oscar for hosting the Oscars. And did you see the fucking fit I threw backstage? Everybody heard about it.
Starting point is 00:11:18 I smashed stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You hit Ariana Grande in the face. Well, with an Oscar. I tried to, but she's quick. I took a swing at Ariana Grande. She ducked, went under it, and she came back with two rabbit punches
Starting point is 00:11:32 to the kidney really fast, and I just went down hard. Anyway, you got me distracted on my fight, physical fight with Ariana Grande. We overlap in so many ways. Yeah, I know. And let me begin by saying, you very kindly sent me your latest special, and I'm gonna start with this because I loved it.
Starting point is 00:11:50 And I love your work. And you did a one-man show, and I'm gonna give it a quick shout out now. It'll also get its own special, it's called The Good Life, and it's on Netflix. I will say that for my money, nobody does tone, sustained tone in comedy as well as you. You create this beautiful tone that's very funny
Starting point is 00:12:11 and then occasionally very meaningful. It's just a thing of beauty and you lay it out there and for just tone alone, I think you might be the reigning champ. I will say that. Wow, thank you. Yeah, yeah, and you're hilarious. We've known each other a long time, but I was thinking about you're talking your special,
Starting point is 00:12:31 and I've thought about this before, and we've talked about the ways in which we are alike, but in this special, you're talking about all these things that I relate to a thousand percent. Oh, interesting. Meaning we come from the same part of the world exactly. Yeah. Which is I grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts, but my parents are both Worcester people.
Starting point is 00:12:51 My grandfather was a traffic cop in downtown Worcester. And you talk about growing up with a father who's a physician and how there's a lack of physical affection. Yeah, yeah. And I'm like, you just went through this list of physical affection. Yeah, yeah. And I'm like, you just went through this list of things that I was checking off. You're going through a traumatic thing with your father who you talk about, he has a stroke. This is, tell you're in the hands of a master
Starting point is 00:13:17 when you're talking about something as powerful as a stroke and a lot of other heavy things, and it's hilarious. It's really good. But I lost both my parents this year within days of each other, which always sounds like a murder. Uh, or a motorcycle accident. Literally my dad, uh, my dad passed.
Starting point is 00:13:36 And then three days later, my mom passed. And, um, you talk about trying to wrap your head around your dad's mortality, but also growing up in a family where people aren't constantly saying, I love you. In fact, it's not said, and there isn't a lot of demonstrative physical affection. And then generationally, how you and your wife, me and my wife, every conversation with my kid
Starting point is 00:14:02 starts with, I love you, and them saying, I love you, and ends with, I love you, and them saying I love you, and ends with, I love you, and them saying I love you. Sometimes in the middle of the conversation, oh, and just so you remember, I love you. And I mean, it's just too much. That's my point. Too much I love you. It's too much.
Starting point is 00:14:18 We're overdoing it. We should go back a couple of clicks towards our parents' generation. But anyway, I was very touched by your special and I mean, it's funny. It will be funny to anyone, but I remember thinking, I'm so glad Mike is coming in today. It is Mike, right?
Starting point is 00:14:34 Mike Rubick, yeah. Oh, fuck. Yeah, I mean, he- It says Dennis Leary here. I just wrote a book months ago. It says Dennis Leary. I mean, it's fine. Well, he's also from Worcester.
Starting point is 00:14:44 Yeah, yeah. It just says Worcester comic. Let's just go ahead and do it. By the way. Jesus Christ. No, no, but you, you. Just put up. Just put up with him. I am gonna stop talking now, but. I emailed you the special and partly because I know
Starting point is 00:15:01 we have all those things in common. Like it's an absurd amount of things in common. And then I said, please share this with elite members of your staff, including Matt, Sona, and then I wrote the white stripes and then I crossed out white stripes. Yeah. Well, you know, it's also.
Starting point is 00:15:20 But then they didn't get it from you. No. They were like, oh, Conan. We didn't get that message. We got the link, but they didn't get the message. The part where he calls us elites. And then, who was announced this morning as being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Starting point is 00:15:32 The white stripes. The white stripes, yeah. So it's almost like you foretold the future. Yeah. And a quick shout out to Jack and Meg for that amazing job. The elite is that your gatekeeping praise that came to us. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I don't know. I swear to God, every day I'm on my to-do list
Starting point is 00:15:49 is get rid of Matt and Sona. And then I just don't get to it. Every day? Every day, it's on the list with like more brown sugar. Granola is running low. The problem with that list is that Sona probably goes over the list with you. I do.
Starting point is 00:16:07 And then she's on that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. As being Ax. And then she turns it into Raze for Sona. But never Raze for Matt. No, not just for me. What's up with that? Well, it's a lot of like,
Starting point is 00:16:15 okay, make sure you put this on the list. And I'm like, yeah, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop. But I'm not really doing it. But when you make that sound when you write the list, it's a giveaway usually that you're not, it should be a giveaway. Whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop. Yeah, also you're miming holding the pad here and the pen here so that there's never getting written down. Whoop, whoop, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop. Yeah, also you're miming holding the pad here
Starting point is 00:16:25 and the pen here so that there's never getting written down. Boop, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop. That's how I do it. I think this should be about Mike Birbiglia. And one thing that I- Wow, I don't think Matt was trying to make it to be nappy about that. I don't like it when someone prattles on
Starting point is 00:16:38 with their own voice and doesn't let the guests talk. Which reminds me of a story. In 1967, I wanted a cat. And my parents took me to the Angel Memorial. Oh, well, that can wait. Mike, there is so much crazy stuff that you talk about that I can relate to, but here's something you talk about in the special, which I'm so glad you brought up,
Starting point is 00:17:02 which is our visit, our visit to the Pope. By the time this airs, the Pope will have been gone for quite a while. It will no longer be the top story in the news. But you talk about the Pope inviting a bunch of comedians and we were among that elite squad of comedians that were invited. And it was a, he spoke to us in Italian
Starting point is 00:17:23 and you talk about this in the special, what he said and actually it was quite beautiful. It was about comedy and comedy's place. And I thought you did a very nice job and it's very powerful now that your special's coming out because he is no longer with us. And I was impressed with what he said to us. Yeah, he basically said comedy in these divisive times,
Starting point is 00:17:47 comedy has the power to unite us, bring people together. And when you make at least one audience member laugh, God smiles also. And I just thought it was beautiful. You know what's funny? He spoke to us in Italian, so it just sounded like a waiter was telling us our options. Oh my God. He actually said Tagliatelle at one point.
Starting point is 00:18:12 But then. I find that very offensive as an Italian American. Uh-huh, you should. That's how I meant it. That's how I meant it. No, but that your brain just goes to these sort of Italian food stereotypes. It's like after all we've been through as immigrants in the early 20th century.
Starting point is 00:18:30 Wait a minute, the Irish were immigrants too. Sona came here like six weeks ago. No, I'm saying that. He's not battling Irish people. No, but what I'm saying is he said in his speech, you want the meatballs. Remember that part? I'm sorry, which part of this is offensive? Do you remember the part where he ended it with, God bless you and do you want the meatballs? Meatball! Remember that part? I'm sorry, which part of this is offensive?
Starting point is 00:18:45 Do you remember the part where he ended it with, God bless you and do you want the meatball? Do you recall? No, you know, I don't remember that part of it. It's weird that I remember it. No, no, I faintly remember it. I faintly remember it. Yeah, but it was- I'm trying to make you complicit in my terrible riff.
Starting point is 00:19:08 Don't you remember it? Did the Pope speak, did the Pope say anything to you? Well, they bring us up one by one in a line. True, true story. And we got a handshake and- And by the way, Chris Rock, Conan, Stephen Colbert, David Sedaris, and then the special I point out, I know I'm at the bottom of the list.
Starting point is 00:19:27 Not so, not so. I didn't like that self-deprecating quip. And I'm not a fan of self-deprecating comedy, but it is really funny that the way both of us found out, which is the way I think all of us found out, is that apparently the second person closest to God, other than the Pope, is comedian Jim Gaffigan. That's right.
Starting point is 00:19:46 Because you say in your special, Jim Gaffigan, your mother said you were called by God. And you went, no, no, I actually got a call from Jim Gaffigan. And I'm at my phone- Who was called by Stephen Colbert. Who may have been called by God. But I think, but Gaffigan, I think is like the go-to-
Starting point is 00:20:02 He's in the mix. Vatican guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think Colbert wants to like the go-to Vatican guy. I think Colbert wants to be the go-to Vatican guy, but I think it might be, I think Gaffigan had performed, I wanna say he performed for the Pope. He opened for the Pope. He opened for the Pope.
Starting point is 00:20:16 In Pennsylvania, years ago. Yes, for real. True story. Wait, really? Yes, I'm not joking. Oh, they were doing a bit. No, no, he came out and he opened for the pope. I actually have, I've opened for the devil on the road. Okay, you know what?
Starting point is 00:20:28 Six times. I get so mad at myself when I, cause I believed he opened for the pope. No, he did! Oh, he did! He did open for the pope! Oh, but then you did a joke, so I thought you were making fun of me.
Starting point is 00:20:37 Right, but my joke doesn't negate that truth. It does kind of. It doesn't help. Yeah. Mamma mia, I'm the pope! Yes! Yes! A bit, but now I'm the Pope! Yes! Yes!
Starting point is 00:20:45 That's a bit, but now I'm saying earnestly, earnestly, to you, that Jim Gaffigan opened for the Pope. What? True story. Now that is a true story, and Jim Gaffigan is... But wait, was the Pope funny to follow Jim Gaffigan? Well, here's what I hear back, is that the Pope, that Gaffigan was killing, and the Pope was like, get him off stage, get him off!
Starting point is 00:21:06 Get him off! He's going long! He's going long, I said seven minutes! I gave him a little light! I have a bit about a hot pocket. Yeah. Oh no, he stepped on my hot pocket, Joe! The light!
Starting point is 00:21:17 Because the hot pocket, what's inside it? As a meatball! Oh, God! Anyway, I started this. By the way, he just died, the Pope. I know. You're mocking the Pope with an Italian stereotypical voice. He literally just died, his body's still warm.
Starting point is 00:21:33 No, it's not warm anymore. He's an Argentinian. No, he's not on a frying zone. They don't have the... It's so fresh! He's not on a frying pan, says Conan respectfully. No, I'm saying he doesn't have one of those french fry lights on him.
Starting point is 00:21:45 Doesn't he think it's warm? Argetidius. He was born, yes, he is. Wait, did the Pope say anything to you when you walked up to him, because we had a moment with him, did he say anything to you? Because he said something to me.
Starting point is 00:21:55 All he said to me is, oh, who's a babiglia? And I'm like, he does, it's like a one man show, it's very good, and he said, I don't know if I'm, no, I don't, I just, he did not say something to me. We had an exchange, I just said, thank you so much, your holiness for having me, and this is an honor, and it shook hands, and I got the impression
Starting point is 00:22:17 that it was an assembly line that they were cranking through us, what did he say to you? It wasn't for me, for me it was, you know, it was pretty intense. What he did was he leaned in, spoke into my ear, he goes, you are Jesus. And now he's dead, and so nobody can substantiate this, but it's like, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:22:33 Well, I'm sure, you know what, the whole thing's on tape. Yeah, I guess. I thought maybe he said, let me tell you something, these other guys are fuckers, but you, you really. Oh my God, what an impressive... He was like, I like the Leno. Maybe I'm a Leno guy. He went away and he come back, just like Jesus.
Starting point is 00:22:55 When he came back in the 10 o'clock slot, I thought, is anybody even watching this? It was, I have to tell you... Oh my God, what happened to you? Listen, first of all, can I say something? He was so mad at first. Can I say something? Sona, you are correcting two people for their pope impression,
Starting point is 00:23:14 the only two people in the room who met and spoke to the pope. Oh, okay. We are doing an exact replica of what he sounded like. Okay, okay, sorry. We're professionals. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:23:24 Jesus Christ. We are both boardings. He's not even Italian. So that's what he sounded like. No. Okay, sorry. We're professionals. Jesus Christ. We are both boardies. Even though he's not even Italian. So that's the thing that's really surprising. No, but he spoke Italian. Okay, but he had an Italian accent when he spoke English? You know what? He actually does the voice of it.
Starting point is 00:23:35 It's a me, a Mario. He does, in fairness in the special, I'm guilty of saying, Yippee. Of saying, who's that? I'ma make a pizza on the Eucharist. Which I'm sure if my dad ever sees a special, he will not like.
Starting point is 00:23:52 ["The Eucharist"] Anyway, I'm glad we took care of the Pope, I think. We took care of the Pope. But it was a lovely experience to be there. And it wasn't just American comedians. We were a small contingent. It was comedians from all around the world. All around the world.
Starting point is 00:24:17 And then I met Liza, your wife, I met your son. And then I had a question, which is, because you know, the special's all about what can I teach my daughter, and what have I learned from my dad? Yep. And so my question for you is, your son is great, what'd you do right? What do you think you did right?
Starting point is 00:24:35 I will give, all joking aside, not all joking, I'm sure I'll get back around to it, but my wife is, and you will back me up on this side because you've known her for a long time, but everyone here, she is a lovely person, a great soul, and she was and is such an amazing mom. I think I'm a good dad, but I think she is the stellar parent.
Starting point is 00:25:05 You know what I mean? And so I give her a lot of credit. But I also think you talk about this, which I think is really nice, because I can't stress enough, the special is very funny, but then there are these just great nuggets in there that that burble up of wisdom and thoughtfulness.
Starting point is 00:25:25 And you talk a lot about just modeling good behavior that kids pick up on everything and your kids have watched you and your wife be decent people. And I don't think there's any replacement for that. Do you know what I mean? My kids have seen me be inept, clumsy. They've seen me make an ass of myself in different ways.
Starting point is 00:25:52 They're continually shocked that I seem to have made something of myself in the world, but I don't think they've seen a lot of bad behavior from me. And look, Matt, Sona, you guys have kids. I think that is 90% is monkey see, monkey do. Kids look at their parents and you talk about it in your special that you've kind of tried to just be nice, good people, right?
Starting point is 00:26:23 Yeah, I mean, cause yeah, when I mean, because when I was a kid, I joke and especially what is true is that when I was a kid, my dad was a doctor and his free time, he got his law degree and I go, that's how much he didn't want to be a dad. He's like, what can I do in these slots of time when I would be parenting? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:26:41 Yeah. I go, in fairness, we weren't great kids, We always wanted a dad. And he wanted another secondary degree. Our goals were at odds. But yeah, that was one of the things about being a kid is like my dad was very serious about his job and then he would, every now and then he would just shout. He's just very old school. And I feel like I've always grappled with that. I've always been like, I've always thought if I'm ever a parent and I'm now a parent, I'm just never gonna do that.
Starting point is 00:27:13 Yep. And it wasn't just my dad. I mean, in Massachusetts, I'm sure you saw this all the time, the parents were wild. Well, I recognized this part too, which is my dad incredibly sweet. And when we were kids, he had a temper
Starting point is 00:27:32 and he would uncork sometimes. And it was, I think it was a kind of generational, like my dad, again, you talked in your special about you said your dad didn't, instead of being sent off to fight in Vietnam because he was in medicine, they sent him to Texas. Yeah, to be on a base. To be on a base.
Starting point is 00:27:55 The exact same thing happened to my dad in the Korean War. Oh, no kidding. So he was sent to Texas and he didn't really do anything that had anything to do with the military. So when my dad passed, we read in the instructions that he had left that when he and my mom died, the instructions were like, you know,
Starting point is 00:28:14 he wanted like the full military honors at the funeral, which he's entitled to. And so I gave the eulogy for my dad, my brother Luke gave the eulogy for my mom because it was a double funeral. And I said, first of all, let's get something straight. Cause there's like a big flag on his coffin. And I just said, my dad was in the army,
Starting point is 00:28:35 the way Captain Crunch was in the Navy. And the reason I felt okay with that is I think that would have really made my dad laugh. And when my dad laughed, he grabbed his shoulders and because there was so, you don't wanna express too much, it's not just too much emotion, also joy, everything's kind of bottled up in this Catholic way. And so he would uncork sometimes,
Starting point is 00:29:05 get angry and frustrated. And I remember thinking, it's just generational. I'm sure he had witnessed that with his parents. I don't want my, I just don't ever wanna be that dad. I didn't wanna be angry dad. Me neither. So I think- So one time I said to my daughter,
Starting point is 00:29:25 I go, so I go, when my dad, she goes, one day I was emotional about something. Like I was like, I don't know if we should do the, and then my daughter goes, dad, why are you yelling? I go, oh, this isn't yelling. I know what yelling is. I go, just so you know, when I was a kid, my dad, you know, and I literally said to her, I'm gonna shout right now, this isn't me shouting,
Starting point is 00:29:49 I'm doing an impression of my dad. He would go, where are my goddamn keys? And she was like, oh my God. And she was like, you know, she was like, he's not shouting like that now. And I'm like, you're stealing my jokes. Yeah. That's straight out of the special. And I'm like, you're stealing my jokes. Yeah. That's straight out of the special.
Starting point is 00:30:07 She's really got it. For my dad in the famous Laura and Earth, is there's a special spoon that has a serrated edge for eating grapefruit. Oh really? Yeah, it's a grapefruit spoon. You know, it has a little serrated edge. Oh yeah, I think I know that one.
Starting point is 00:30:20 And there was one in our house and my dad liked to use it to eat his grapefruit in the morning. And one morning he couldn't find his grapefruit spoon. And just listen to the guy narrate the explosion of the Hindenburg. It's a little similar. And so we just clock things and we clock things where we say like, I love my dad.
Starting point is 00:30:39 My dad was an amazing person. I'm gonna try to not do that part. But it's interesting, because no matter what you do as a parent, I feel like what I've discovered is it doesn't mean you're better as a parent than your parents were to you. Right.
Starting point is 00:30:59 You're just ultimately different. Because I was raised very Catholic, et cetera, and so we don't really do a lot of the Catholic stuff. And then we're in the Vatican, and my daughter's looking around and she goes, Dad, who's Jesus? And I was like, oh wow, I have really overlooked a lot of major historical facts in my education.
Starting point is 00:31:23 My daughter. I mean, even just for pop culture. No, really. And she knows the Greek gods and the Roman gods and the Norse gods. She knows the band Jesus and Mary Jane. Jesus Jones. Jesus Jones. But I was like, oh, it's interesting
Starting point is 00:31:35 because that is something that I, since going to the Pope, I have started telling her more about what Jesus taught. Yes. Which I think is generally net positive. With some caveats. I think we can all agree that the core, not just of Christianity, but the core teachings
Starting point is 00:31:57 of many religions, they have this commonality, this beautiful, all in their own different way, but the core tenants of many religions are fantastic. Absolutely. Just about treating, how you should treat other people, humility, there are, and then we of course, over the centuries have added all of this glop to it, and it's turned into mega churches
Starting point is 00:32:23 and virtue signaling and insanity. But if you just go to the basic tenants, they're very beautiful. Yes. And- And Pope Francis seemed to embody a lot of the best aspects of Christianity and Catholicism. I remember, and this is a funny thing to seize on,
Starting point is 00:32:44 but he was a very humble man, Pope Francis. And when he came into the room, I don't know if you noticed this, did you notice his shoes? He was wearing like worn kind of walking earth shoe, like Mephisto kind of. Oh yeah. They were just very, they were shoes
Starting point is 00:33:01 that you would pick up at a very inexpensive store. Like a floor shim or something? Yeah, something like that. They were just very basic kind of worn shoes that a guy would wear on a bus or the guy who's driving the bus. And I remembered thinking there was no sense of the pomp and the gold and the rings.
Starting point is 00:33:20 And I thought that was impressive. Yeah. I mean, he had that one ring, the papal ring. Well, and he won that NBA championship. Yeah. For the Mavs. Yes, Mavericks. Well, I made the mistake of saying Mavericks,
Starting point is 00:33:36 and he said, who's this Maverick? I said, call it the Mavs. Remember that? Oh yeah. You said Meatball. We beat the Nuggets in the finals. They went into overtime. Now I'm doing New York.
Starting point is 00:33:46 What's happening? New York Pope. What we're gonna do is edit out all of my stuff where the Pope is speaking in an offensive Italian and just keep yours in. And then we're gonna post tape me saying things like, please stop, Mike, please, the man is gone. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:34:03 I wanna know about these notes. Okay. I need to know what the notes is gone. Yeah. I wanna know about these notes. Okay. I need to know what the notes are doing. I told him, the two people I've seen in my career who had the most notes when they came out were Gary Shanling and Joan Rivers. Joan Rivers had a lot of notes. And I recently ran into Melissa Rivers and I said,
Starting point is 00:34:21 I remembered your mom, whenever time she came on my show, she was backstage with tons of, and she filled in for me notes. Notes. She said, mom really believed in preparing. So you have brought your notes with you. Well, I just had a couple of questions for you guys.
Starting point is 00:34:37 Because I talk about in the special, did you guys have a sex talk growing up? No. I did not, no. I did. Ugh. But I gave it to my dad. What was it? I want to get me some sex is what you said.
Starting point is 00:34:50 Dad, you're gonna want to be with a woman. No, he just gave me the most uncomfortable right before dropping me off to high school. Like, okay, you're gonna want to try drugs and have sex and just be safe and don't overdo either of them. Have a great day. Wow. That's not bad advice.
Starting point is 00:35:09 No, it was really good. And for that reason, I didn't do either for a long time. And I've been accused of overdoing sex. I don't know what that means. What? Yeah. You overdid it. What?
Starting point is 00:35:24 I didn't have a sex talk growing up, but when I was probably around 20, I was living with my girlfriend for a summer, and then my dad. And she had the talk with you. We're gonna do something soon. My dad was very. It's gonna be scary. My dad was very upset about it,
Starting point is 00:35:40 and he just sort of like, before I left, he looked at me for a little bit and he goes, you're playing with fire. Oh my God. That was the whole conversation. That was your sex talk? Yeah, and I was like, I got a hose. You know what I mean? I don't know.
Starting point is 00:35:54 Oh, that's... So that... Don't involve the hose. I did not get a sex talk and I'm still waiting. Still waiting. Still waiting, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, this is the thing I'll say. I take the Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend podcast premise,
Starting point is 00:36:11 I think much more seriously than the other guests. Last time I demanded to have a real friendship with Conan. Since then, we visited the Pope and we had coffee in Brooklyn. We did. There were two definitive dates. And I am coming on your podcast when I can get my ass to New York.
Starting point is 00:36:28 Yep. And I feel badly cause we walked in and your assistant was here who works with you on the podcast. Yep. And she has an antiquated name. Mabel. Mabel.
Starting point is 00:36:41 Mabel Lewis, yeah. It's not a name you hear all the Mabel, you don't hear Mabel a lot. She's gonna love that. But I, I, um. She has an antiquated name. Yeah. No, and she was wearing a bonnet.
Starting point is 00:36:53 She was wearing a bonnet. She was wearing a bonnet, and she was- She was in a horse-drawn carriage. But she was in the podcast room when I walked in, this very nice young woman wearing a bonnet, and she was working a loom when I came in. It was a loom, yeah. She had an antiquated name said Conan.
Starting point is 00:37:10 I mean, that's the perfect story. I know, I know. She seems lovely and I'll be seeing her at the podcast. Yes. And I yelled at her for even daring to be in here. Mock yelled at her and I said, for symmetry, she needs to scream at me when even daring to be in here. Mock yelled at her and I said, for symmetry she needs to scream at me when I come to your podcast.
Starting point is 00:37:27 But I wanna move my friendship with Conan to a quarterly this year. Oh. Yeah. You mean? Right now we did two meetings in the last year and a half. Let's see. You know what I'm gonna do?
Starting point is 00:37:40 I'm going to be, I think I'm gonna be in New York in June. And that's when this, is it drops? That's when this drops. It's drops, right? Yeah, sure. Yeah. I think we should get together in June and I'll either do your podcast
Starting point is 00:37:53 or we'll meet up for more than coffee. What's more than coffee? A lunch. I think a lunch, yeah. Okay, not a dinner. I won't do a dinner with you. Okay, fair. Next year.
Starting point is 00:38:02 We'll see. So we went to Italy. My daughter was there, fair. Next year. We'll see. So we went to Italy, my daughter was there, your son was there, and so my daughter met Conan, of course just thinks he's another person going to the Vatican. Just this tall, tall man going to the Vatican also, and then we show, when the Oscars come on, we show the Oscars. Like that, remember him? Conan from the Vatican. So that-
Starting point is 00:38:28 How old is your daughter? She's 44. 44 years old. Yeah. She just turned 10, but we showed her the Oscars and we laughed at the Adam Sandler bit a lot. It's like really silly, him wearing a hooded sweatshirt. And the next day I drove her to school and I was wearing a hooded sweatshirt. And the next day I drove her to school
Starting point is 00:38:46 and I was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and she goes, you look like Adam. And I go, Adam who? And she goes, Adam from the Oscars. I think that's the only time he's ever been referred to as Adam from the Oscars. Yes, yes. You know what you said in your special?
Starting point is 00:39:06 And I, which was sweet was that whenever you're out in the real world and someone comes up to you and says, I love your comedy, you had this great line about your kid's response. Yeah, yeah. I go, well, I said to her, cause I was like thinking, I was like, that's so weird for her probably. Someone's like, oh, you're a great comedian. And, I said to her, because I was like thinking, I was like, that's so weird for her, probably.
Starting point is 00:39:25 Someone's like, oh, you're a great comedian. And I walked a few blocks, I go, what do you think when people say stuff like that? And she goes, it's a waste of my time. I was like, that's the meanest thing anyone's ever said to me, and I know Bill Burr. Oh, yeah. Oh, God. No, it's really funny.
Starting point is 00:39:44 My kids have a great healthy disinterest from my shenanigans professionally. And I think way deep down, they're proud of my, if I do some good work, but mostly again, a waste of their time. Yeah, yeah. And I remembered walking through the street once, down the street, and I was with my daughter.
Starting point is 00:40:05 And do you ever, I reuse some lines, and what I get a lot is you're much taller in person. I get that all the time. And so I just learned the thing that always works is people be like, hey, you're much taller than you are on TV. And I say, you're much taller in person than you are on TV.
Starting point is 00:40:20 And I'll say, well, you need a bigger TV. And it always works, it just works. I'll say, you need a six foot four television. They're like, ha ha ha, and we're done. I did that and my daughter shot me a look. This is a bunch of years ago. She shot me a look and she said, you've done that one before.
Starting point is 00:40:35 And I said, you want an original line for every human I meet? And she kind of gave me a look like, yeah. You can't reuse material. Yeah. I'm like, you can when you're walking around a mall. What are you talking about? We really got into it and I started screaming at it,
Starting point is 00:40:52 which I promised I'd never do. I said I'd never be that dad, but that's what we got into it. When you hosted the Oscars, I texted you, I go, Conan, you showed us how it's done. All of us comedians are diligently taking notes. Do you have advice? I was just about to film my special.
Starting point is 00:41:09 Conan wrote back and it was very sweet. He wrote, thanks. Tons of prep, but I ended up having fun out there. I guess that's the only lesson. Yeah, I think that's true. I think that the special is, I think the most fun that I've ever had. Really?
Starting point is 00:41:26 On stage in one of the film specials. There is something contagious about people having fun. Yeah. This special is really specific what the preparation was. It was 70 cities over two years. So I toured and every city was different. Keep making tweaks, keep making tweaks. Then my director, Seth Barash,
Starting point is 00:41:43 who's directed all six of my last specials, he has a theater company called The Barrow Group, and we would have these impromptu rehearsals for whoever was around. It would be like 10 people in a room. I just go, this is the story. It wouldn't be like stand-up, it wouldn't be like people bought a ticket
Starting point is 00:42:05 and I would just do the special you guys saw. Like I would just perform it and you'd see which parts just don't ring true. Yeah. Cause you take away the inertia of like a thousand people in a room going, yay. And it's just like me telling you a story. It starts to be like, oh, okay.
Starting point is 00:42:22 Well, that part's a little bullshit and this part really a little bullshit. And this part really feels like something. That's the part of it that speaks to something I don't understand. There's a almost mystical quality to some of this mass communication or whatever we want to call it, but specifically comedy where, and I mean, and the same thing is true in music, where you can try and over and over and over and over again to get them to like the thing that they don't like or that they don't respond to. And you can keep tweaking it and working it.
Starting point is 00:42:55 But when you find those real things, those nuggets, they just have a palpable weight. They have a, they're, and sometimes you just find them conversationally with your friends or out in the world, you find something, you're like, oh, that's, you know, this is great. This is, I, there's something about this phrase or this story with this, you know, and it's funny
Starting point is 00:43:22 cause we started this and I asked you off mic cause you talk a lot about your dad having this. Having a stroke. Having a stroke and it sounds, you know, like it was a pretty serious neurological event. And this is another thing I can relate to because your dad's a doctor, he starts to try
Starting point is 00:43:36 and take control of his own care. And I watched your special and I went right to my dad 20 years ago having, being diagnosed with colon cancer and they go in and they do the major surgery, not orthoscopic, but they go in and they do the major abdominal incision and take out a section of his intestine and sew him back up again.
Starting point is 00:44:00 And he wakes up after the operation and there are these tubes going in and they're basically anesthesia to block the nerves so that he doesn't feel the pain. And he looked at them and he said, what is this? And they said, well, this is to keep you from feeling the agony of this abdominal surgery. And he said, it will slow recovery, take it out.
Starting point is 00:44:21 And they said, no, no, no, we just cut through you with a buzz saw and took out. And my dad said, take it out. And they took it out. I flew home, cause I was in Los Angeles. I flew home to see my dad thinking on, I said, I'll stop off at my parents' house first in Brookline and drop off my stuff
Starting point is 00:44:40 and go right to the hospital to visit my dad. And this is like that day after the operation, I arrived, because I had to, I wasn't, I would have been in New York. So I flew in, had to do a show, flew in. I don't have a key to the house. I ring the doorbell, the door opens. It's my dad opening the door.
Starting point is 00:44:55 No. Yes. He had had his like intestine removed the day before. Oh my gosh. And he's standing there, white as a sheet. He was like, it is good to see you, son. Oh my gosh. And he's standing there, white as a sheet, and he was like, it is good to see you, son. Oh my gosh. And I can tell he's basically been gutted like a fish,
Starting point is 00:45:13 but he knew that you can recover quickly with no anesthesia or a little bit longer and feel some, and feel comfort. And he did that. And that's when I thought, as there's so much in your special where I thought, yep, I can check that box too. Yeah. There's so much I can check.
Starting point is 00:45:32 It's such a strange thing watching a neurologist, my dad is a neurologist being treated by a neurologist and they're essentially conferring with each other. Yeah. About what has happened. And then your dad gave the doctor a bill. Yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:45:49 Here's my bill and here's my bill. We'll go Dutch. There was a point where, when he was at the hospital early on, where my brother Joe said to me, he goes, I went to see dad today, and he said, in the middle of the night, they took me downstairs, and I got hit by a truck.
Starting point is 00:46:16 And I was like, dad, it's worse than that. You know what I mean? Yes, yes, yes. It's oddly like, yeah, it's a shocking experience what he's been through. And how's his recovery going? His recovery is okay. I mean, a few weeks ago he had pneumonia
Starting point is 00:46:34 and the flu at the same time. Yeah, and it just becomes, I mean, the special, I mean, the special has been an interesting process for me because I wasn't planning on writing about it. I started writing about what can I teach my daughter? And then a year into writing that show, my dad has the stroke. And so then I'm like, okay, what can I teach my daughter?
Starting point is 00:46:56 What have I learned from my dad? And in the process of it, I feel like I've learned to empathize with my dad in this way that I don't think I did when I was younger. I think I just viewed him as larger than life and not quite as a person. And I think it's been very healthy and healing. You know what helped me a lot is when my daughter was born
Starting point is 00:47:23 and then two years later, my son was born. And I remember telling my wife, no matter what we do, they're going to go to a therapist and have complaints or issues because that's just how it is. And if you accept that upfront and you're not defensive about it, we're all doing the best we can.
Starting point is 00:47:39 And that includes our parents and their parents. We're all doing, well, that's not true. There are parents that are not doing the best they can, but most people are doing the best they can. And that's what we're doing. We're doing the best we can. I haven't seen my kids in years. But my manager and my agent tell me they are prospering.
Starting point is 00:47:58 Well, I spoke with your publicist about the modeling that your children are doing. Yes, I got them into modeling. I know you're getting the checks from it. Well, they say that once they turned 18, they're supposed to get the money, but I am fighting that. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:48:13 And this is reminding me of this crazy riff I did once with Bob Newhart, who passed about, I might almost say a year and a half ago, but we were doing something, I might've been doing, he did a podcast for a while, and I don't know if I was talking to him, but we got on this crazy riff about doing stuff for charities,
Starting point is 00:48:38 and we both started doing this thing about how, yeah, and then when it's sick kids, and then you're supposed to give them the money. And it was so great, because Bob Newhart, who's a saint, but he was so dry and he was like, oh, I know, tell me about it. And we were both doing this fake riff
Starting point is 00:48:56 about how we were trying to hide the money for the children's hospital. That's what I love is that when you can go that dark with people who are, at that point he would have been 94 and he can go that dark and wants to go that dark. And you realize, oh, this is just universal. We're all terrible people. No, and this show is definitely the darkest of my specials
Starting point is 00:49:21 just by the subject matter. And it's like, it's been an interesting thing because like there's that joke where I say, my dad had a stroke and it's been devastating, but I will say it has calmed him down. Right. You know? We have a lot of lines like that that get big laughs,
Starting point is 00:49:36 but if you, you're also touching a third rail, which is the whole point. Right. But it's interesting because you just, when people laugh at that and, and, and laugh at that and there was a point at which early in the development I was like, oh, that's a little tense. And then I would say to the audience, I go,
Starting point is 00:49:51 you know, a lot of the jokes tonight are for me. Yeah. Most of them are for you, but a few are for me. This is a coping mechanism and I hope it is for you too. Yeah. I think that that's the thing I've realized in the process of writing this show is that like comedy for all of us is a coping mechanism of some kind. Oh, it's a total defense mechanism, coping mechanism.
Starting point is 00:50:13 I've often said, I just, as a very young child went through my checklist of, you know, I know everyone's given certain superpowers, what are mine? And I went through, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. And then I got, you know, oh, I can, my friends think I'm funny. We're gonna double and triple down on that went through, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, and then I got, you know, oh, I can, my friends think I'm funny. We're gonna double and triple down. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:50:29 Cause it's not gonna be an athletic scholarship. Well, the, the, the, the show, The Good Life is on Netflix. It's your sixth special overall, but your fourth on Netflix. They probably don't want you to acknowledge anything that wasn't on Netflix. True, true.
Starting point is 00:50:43 So, and I believe that's either out now or out any day. It's out. Oh, it's out, okay. It's available everywhere. Watch it because you do beautiful work, Mike, you really do, and there's this, a bunch of these young comedians who come from a generation or two before me, who I really adore,
Starting point is 00:51:04 you and Malaney. I mean, the list goes on and on and on, but just that they do really great work and I watch you guys and it makes me happy. Makes me happy like, oh, comedy is in very good hands. It's time for me to die. And Mike for Biglia needs a friend. Yeah, we have agreed that you will slide right in.
Starting point is 00:51:26 It's official. It's starting now. Yeah, no, wait a minute. What? Okay, we can do it. Give me a couple of months to get my affairs in order. But congratulations on another amazing show and thank you for making it.
Starting point is 00:51:38 It really made me feel very connected to you and also really laugh. This is good medicine for all. And now quick disclaimer, Pope Francis did not speak with that Italian accent. All right, Mike, thank you very much. I'm up in the heaven now. I'm gonna have to listen to this shit. All right, Mike, thank you very much.
Starting point is 00:52:07 This is such an honor. It's my favorite podcast and I just appreciate you guys having me on so much. I'll see you soon. I'll see you in New York. Yeah, we'll see you in New York. Couple of weeks. Yep. Yep.
Starting point is 00:52:15 All right, we do have to address something, which is before the interview officially began with Mike Birbiglia, we start yappin'. And we always do this. And then we don't record on that or we don't usually air that because we start with, ah, my name is blank and I feel blank. But we thought we should stop doing that. We should just start playing this stuff.
Starting point is 00:52:45 Because it was a good area. We had some fun, and it was before the official start of the podcast, so we were just chatting. Sometimes I will take those things and splice them in the interview, but funnily enough, this one was so crazy energy that when you guys actually started the podcast, you both got really sober and somber, and they would never cut together.
Starting point is 00:53:04 I know. That's the thing is I came in hot. Yes. I come in hot sometimes and you were actually worried cause my energy was very high in a good way. I mean, I was in a great mood. Yeah. I love Mike Birbiglia, I'm happy to be here. Nice to see you guys.
Starting point is 00:53:19 I'm kind of jazzed. And then I have the biggest cup of coffee in the world. I know. And you were worried like he's gonna go up from here. Yeah. kind of jazzed and then I have the biggest cup of coffee in the world. And you were worried like, he's gonna go up from here. So I think maybe I came in hot, Birbiglia or as I call him Birbigs, which doesn't really work as a nickname. No, I didn't hear you call him that once.
Starting point is 00:53:39 Never did, I just thought of it right now. I think that's his Instagram handle, isn't it? Birbigs. Oh, is it? Is it? Yeah, I think it is. Oh, it's terrible. I'd go with? Burbigs. Yeah. Oh, is it? Is it? Yeah, I think it is. Oh, it's terrible. I'd go with Burbiggy.
Starting point is 00:53:48 Yeah. If I was him. I'd say Burbigaroney. I'd go Burbiggin. Notorious B-I-R-B-I-G. Well, what was it we were talking about? Cause I can't remember now. We were talking about how Burbiglia is offering
Starting point is 00:54:00 that when you die, he will do Mike Burbiglia needs a friend and take Sona and I on. Yes, yes. Which brings up a very good point. We don't have a succession plan. And we need one. We do. I mean, I don't know when this drops,
Starting point is 00:54:14 but we've just lost the Pope and that's a whole process they go through for finding someone. It's usually a conclave. I don't know if there would be a conclave to find who takes over this podcast, should something happen to me. Who would be in? Well, these there would be a conclave to find who takes over this podcast should something happen to me. Who would be in? Well, these three would be in it. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:54:29 Leigh, Eduardo, and Adam would be in it. Yeah. We're Cardinals. For sure. Or are we in the running? I don't want to... I'm moving myself. I don't think you guys want to host it. No.
Starting point is 00:54:40 You... Let me just tell you something. Host, it's a very high pressure position. Isn't it? And I think you guys get to go like, what, what's he talking about? Eye roll, and then you get the check and it's all nice. To be the tent pole, to be the one who's in the F16 piloting it.
Starting point is 00:54:57 Oh, you think that's what you're doing. Anyway, Sona, he's right. So we should just co-host. Okay, yeah, we could just do that. So who would, who should it be? Will it be Brabiglia? Who will take over this podcast? I think he's a strong contender. Who else would it be?
Starting point is 00:55:10 Who else do we think would be, have the, I mean, very few people, and this sounds like a, I'm thinking it's not even a humble brag, it's just a brag, but who else would have my combination of skills? Oh. Wow, this is a really- I don't know, read off of a paper.
Starting point is 00:55:25 That's so much work. I know. This one just tears out a 1978 Yellow Pages. Let's get this plumber. Oh no, what do I do? Someone gives me the research and then I gotta ask questions. Occasionally I gotta doodle
Starting point is 00:55:40 while I'm talking to people. How hard is my question? How hard is my job? It's so hard. Guys, I know it looks to you like I just come in here and babble like a chimp. Yes, yes it does. And then somehow it's cobbled together.
Starting point is 00:55:53 But no, that's not what I do. I spend hours preparing my body. Oh. Oh. There's a whole regimen of various tubs filled with different oils at a different temperature. There's a whole thing that happens. Oh my God.
Starting point is 00:56:07 So you get deep fried. Various oils. No, I think we should, you guys should be thinking about, Adam, you should be thinking about who would step in. You're the podcast whisperer here. You're the one that thought I should do a podcast and started this insanity. As we're talking about it now,
Starting point is 00:56:21 I'm actually thinking that I've been a little derelict in my duties because I should have a, all the big companies are talking about what now, I'm actually thinking that I've been a little derelict in my duties because I should have a, you know, all the like big companies are talking about what's the Disney succession plan everyone needs to have when their leader is aging. Everyone needs to have like a succession plan. And so I just think it's my responsibility to come up with who.
Starting point is 00:56:40 I was certain, I was certain we were talking about either an accident or me deciding to retire to my pony farm upstate. And what do you mean is aging? How about has aged? What about has aged back? I think it's legitimate. I mean, I overlooked the way you said it,
Starting point is 00:57:01 but I do think. And it should be my responsibility. And I think Burbigly is a great candidate. Although I will say this, every special he has is about his medical ailments. Today we found out that he was born without bones. Yeah. He has no bones.
Starting point is 00:57:15 He uses coat hangers that are strapped to the outside of his body to remain. He doesn't have much time left either. I would worry about Brueghly's health because every special he does is about, oh, and by the way, I have another condition where my gums are growing into my heart. Well, here's the thing though.
Starting point is 00:57:31 I think you should be grooming your successor. I don't like the word grooming anymore. It's got some bad connotations. Training. This brings up the question, is this like a democracy or a conclave or do you get to appoint a successor like a, it seems like the autocrat would be the way he wanna go.
Starting point is 00:57:46 And Sona, you had suggested maybe this, it's more like succession. I'm Logan Roy. You're Logan, you're definitely a Kendall. Excuse me? He is, he's Kendall. He is very, you're a very Kendall. You're very Kendall-esque.
Starting point is 00:58:00 Right. And yeah, it's, you're not a Roman. And you of course, you're Shiv. Yeah, I'm Shiv, I'm Shiv. But you don't think you're a, you're a Tom? Oh, and you know what? You not a Roman. You're a Kandalesque. And yeah, it's, you're not a Roman. And you of course, you're Shiv. Yeah, I'm Shiv, I'm Shiv. But you don't think you're a, you're a Tom? Oh, and you know what? You're a Tom. Blai is the guy, who's the guy who is out in Montana?
Starting point is 00:58:12 Connor? Yeah, Blai is Connor. Yeah, I'm more a Tom than a Kandalesque. You are a Tom. Blai thinks he's gonna run for president and no one takes him seriously. I'd see myself as more of a Greg. That's true, but-
Starting point is 00:58:26 Little bumbly, smarmy. You know what? You are more of a Greg than a Connor. Yeah. And Eduardo's just Eduardo. Yeah. You can't, there's no way to make you someone else. I take it there's no Latinos on succession.
Starting point is 00:58:37 Yo, snap. He's like a Matson. He's more of a Matson. Cool guy, right? No, I think he's, oh God, Jerry. He's Jerry. If I get the same paycheck, sure. As me?
Starting point is 00:58:48 Yeah. There's not a lot of money in this. Oh. I mean, there was at one point, but- Anyway, we don't have any more time to play the clip. Well, yeah, this is- Yeah, play the clip! This is like- Play the clip.
Starting point is 00:58:58 Play the clip. This is like Succession, though, if nobody wanted your job. Yeah, yeah, that's it. Like, it's like, who's not gonna get it? And in Succession, the company was very sought after and powerful. This is very different with, this is people saying, I don't want that.
Starting point is 00:59:12 I'm gonna work at a shoe store instead. All right, play the clip. Okay, here we go. Oh man, oh man. Have we got a lot to talk about? This is one of those ones where I wanna get right into it because we have so much to talk about. This is one of those ones where I want to get right into it because we have so much to talk about. Yeah, I know there's a lot.
Starting point is 00:59:30 You and your special will not come up. Okay, got it. You understand? No, let me just write this down. No promotions. No promotions. No promotions, no mentions of projects. Have you met the, this is,
Starting point is 00:59:47 Sona. Sona. Sona. Sona, Sona, Sona. And Mark. Mark. Sona and Mark. Mark. Sona and Mark. I just like to keep him on his toes.
Starting point is 00:59:56 Listen, I came in a little hot. I apologize, I saw someone who shouldn't be here. Yep, yep. And it infuriated me. Oh, I get it. You know what I mean, right? You don't just let people wander around. First of all, I brought a bunch of, I brought notes again.
Starting point is 01:00:08 Okay. I love how prepared you are. I love this. I got a stack of notes. The last person who I saw bring that many notes was Gary Shanling and he's dead. Oh my God. Dead.
Starting point is 01:00:19 And maybe I think because of the notes. That was one of, that was gonna be one of my notes today. It is when, I just wanna pitch this to Matt and Sona, when Conan dies, and I'm not saying he's gonna die soon. Mike for big lay needs a friend. Okay. Yes. We don't have to wait for that. No, no, and we have.
Starting point is 01:00:35 Yeah. Um. Wow. Or we can pace it up. Before we begin, I have one question. No, no, that's part of it, that's part of it, keep it in. This can't be part of the keep it in. No, that's better to keep it in.
Starting point is 01:00:46 Wasn't clear to me at the end, dad okay now? Yeah. Yeah. Your dad. My dad is okay now, yeah. He's better. He's better. Okay, I just wanted to make sure before we get into it, because I'm gonna really roast him
Starting point is 01:00:57 and I wanna make sure he's okay. Oh, shit. Listen, I think it's what we do in Massachusetts. It is, it really is. Yeah, it really what we do in Massachusetts. Oh. It is. It really is. Yeah, it really is. Yeah. These two California soft little babies sort of vying on. I'm really glad you're in my life.
Starting point is 01:01:13 Croatia, wherever that comes from. Croatia. But, for real, when Conan dies, it is important that you know that you will be the first two people who I want to have on Mike Pervigliano Interfering. True story. Yay. You're just going to make us, you're going to make something better. that you will be the first two people who I want to have on Mike Bribigly and the Interfax. True story. You're just, you're gonna make us,
Starting point is 01:01:28 you're gonna make something. I don't know why. I wanna start, but you guys have created this thing that has to happen first, where they go, how have you been, Mike Bribigly, and I feel nauseous about being in my room. And because we have to do that, we can't record any of this shit.
Starting point is 01:01:45 You created the perfect trap. It's all being recorded. Look at this. This is how an ESP, a guy with ESP does a podcast. That's a funny bit. We're ready to come be on your podcast. Yeah, Mike Berbiglia needs a friend, you said. Okay, we're in.
Starting point is 01:01:57 Colin, let me tell you a few things about television. They're rolling right now. So we can use all of that. It's not television. It's not television. It's not television It's a podcast that's being recorded. Oh my god. I hope there's no caffeine in whatever you're drinking There's a valium in there Oh god Okay over to you Mike whenever you're ready
Starting point is 01:02:15 Yay boo yay boo It's not so fun to do if you like it all again and if you don't you're horrible Oh no I listened to our last episode and Yebu in the comments is beloved. People love Yebu. Oh yeah, well I could sing another one of his tunes and I don't know if we brought that up.
Starting point is 01:02:35 Oh we have, yeah. Oh yeah, boy wow. Okay, let's start it. All right. Okay, fake start and go. Conan O'Brien needs a friend. With Conan O'Brien, Sonam Avsesian and Matt Gourley. Produced by me, Matt Gourley.
Starting point is 01:02:51 Executive produced by Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross and Nick Leow. Theme song by The White Stripes. Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino. Take it away, Jimmy. Our supervising producer is Aaron Blair, and our associate talent producer is Jennifer Samples. Engineering and Mixing by Eduardo Perez and Brendan Burns. Additional production support by Mars Melnik.
Starting point is 01:03:15 Talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Battista, and Brit Kahn. You can rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts, and you might find your review read on a future episode. Got a question for Conan? Call the Team Coco hotline at 669-587-2847 and leave a message. It too could be featured on a future episode. You can also get three free months of SiriusXM when you sign up at siriusxm.com slash Conan. And if you haven't already, please subscribe to Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend wherever
Starting point is 01:03:43 fine podcasts are downloaded. you you you

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