Happy Sad Confused - Marc Maron

Episode Date: February 13, 2023

Marc Maron is basically the godfather of interview podcasts so it's a big moment for Josh and HAPPY SAD CONFUSED to join us for this very special live taping. Here Marc and Josh chat about Marc's new special FROM BLEAK TO DARK, grief and loss, and one very memorable AVATAR audition. To watch episodes of Happy Sad Confused, subscribe to Josh's youtube channel here! Check out the Happy Sad Confused patreon here! We've got discount codes to live events, merch, early access, exclusive episodes of GAME NIGHT, video versions of the podcast, and more! For all of your media headlines remember to subscribe to The Wakeup newsletter here! SUPPORT THE SHOW BY SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! BOLL & BRANCH -- Make the most of bedtime with Boll and Branch sheets. Get 15% off your first order when you use promo code HSC at bollandbranch.com. Exclusions apply. See site for details. BABBEL -- Right now, when you purchase a 3-month Babbel subscription, you’ll get an additional 3 months for FREE. That’s 6 months, for the price of 3! Just go to BABBEL.com and use promo code HSC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Okay, it's official. We are very much in the final sprint to Election Day. And face it, between debates, polling releases, even court appearances. It can feel exhausting, even impossible to keep up with. I'm Brad Nilke. I'm the host of Start Here, the Daily Podcast from ABC News. And every morning, my team and I get you caught up on the day's news in a quick, straightforward way that's easy to understand,

with just enough context so you can listen, Get it, and go on with your day. So, kickstart your morning. Start Smart with Start Here and ABC News, because staying informed shouldn't feel overwhelming. Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, sad, confused begins now. Today on Happy, Sad, Confused,

Mark Marin on his latest comedy special on podcasting and nearly ending up in... Avatar. Hey guys, I'm Josh Harwoods. Welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused. Yes, we've got not one but two podcasters for your pleasure on today's episode. Not one but two bearded, juey guys who have movies and food, me and Mark Marin. I think you're going to enjoy this one. It was a live taping through 92 NY, and it was a great night. Anyway, we're going to get to that in a second. That is the main event, though, on the show this week. A couple of housekeeping things and just things to remind you of. We're trying to keep to a really regimented

schedule on when the podcast comes out. And this is more, I'm almost saying this more to myself than to you, but you should know this too, as it voted Happy Say a Confused listener. Because sometimes over the years, I've been a little erratic in when we've posted the podcast. Well, we're dialing it in, guys. We're getting professional nine years into the show. Every Thursday morning, expect a new episode of Happy Say, Confused. We've been doing it the last month or so like that, and we are going to continue as such, and I am just dedicated to just staying on schedule, damn it, for once. So Thursdays, a brand new episode of Happy Say I Confused. But you're saying, Josh, I'm listening to this on Monday. I just downloaded a new episode on

Monday. You're lying to me. I'm not lying to you. This is a bonus episode. So bonus episodes will probably go up on Mondays when possible, that could be a little bit more all over the place, because they're bonus. So this Thursday's episode, the Equestays, the Equestays. quote-unquote regular episode of the podcast will be Evangeline Lilly, star of Ant Man and the Wasp, Quantum Mania. It's fantastic, non-spoilery conversation about her career from Lost and the Hobbit to the Ant Man films. And she is, she's wild in the best possible ways. She's open and honest and I've known her forever. And it's her first visit to the podcast. And it's a good one. So expect that one this Thursday, just in time for Ant Man and the Wasp Quantum Mania to be.

be out. Other things to mention, I mentioned this I think last week or the week before. If you want to listen and watch, one cool way to do it now is on Spotify. I did not know this, but on Spotify, you can now actually also watch episodes of the podcast. So give us a try. Subscribe on Spotify. But that being said, subscribe wherever you want on any podcast platform. We're there for you. On YouTube, you can also subscribe to the channel and watch on YouTube.com slash Josh Horowitz and watch this conversation in all our conversations in video form. And finally, the only other plug I'll mention is the Patreon, which is fantastic, and it's going so well. I got a chance to meet some of our new executive producers at our recent Mark Maron event.

We welcome them with VIP seats. I gave them some cool swag, some free autographed posters, and they seem to have a good time. So join the club, patreon.com, slash happy, say I confused, depending on. the level that you join at, you're going to get early access, you're going to get swag, and at the upper executive producer tier, you're going to get invites to all our events with VIP seating, and you'll get to even hang with me from now and then, and that guys, there's no price tag on that. That is just incomparable. But on a more serious note, let's talk about the conversation this week, or this bonus day. Mark Maron. So Mark Maron, so Mark Maron,

is many things. I came to him really through his podcast, WTF, which was and is kind of, to me, the big cahuna on podcast interview Mountain. It's one I still listen to religiously. He does it his way. He can bring out such depth and interesting takes from all his guests, whether I know them or not. So this was a real treat because I'm not sure if Happy Second would exist in the form it does without listening to Mark Maron for many years. And not only that, of course, he is a brilliant stand-up. First and foremost, that's what he's been for, what, 35 years or something. And his latest special is fantastic.

It's on HBO Max. It just dropped. It's called From Bleak to Dark. And it's getting great reviews, and justifiably so, because it deals with a lot of different aspects of the world and his life now. And I think one part that's going to really resonate with. folks is the grief and trauma he experienced going through the last couple years, not only through the pandemic and what we've all been through, but losing a loved one. And for those I don't know,

Mark was romantically involved with a great filmmaker by the name of Lynn Shelton, who passed away very early in the pandemic, just like kind of a freak random thing. It wasn't even COVID. It was just a random horrible situation. Anyway, he deals with it and talks about it at length in the special and it's really moving. And in fact, this conversation, you know, though 99% very, very, very funny, gets real, gets deep at times. And there's, there's a real heartfelt moment where, you know, Mark tears up towards the end of this conversation. And it really moved me in the audience. And, you know, that, that trauma, that grief is still very present in him. Anyway, the special, yes, it's deep and profound in that, and in those ways, but it's

also very, very funny, of course. Mark can't help himself. He is one of our greats out there. So if you haven't checked out his stand-up and only know him through the podcast, check out, I know it's weird to say because Mark probably does consider himself first and foremost a stand-up. But check out from bleak to dark. It's a great one. It's on HBO Max right now. We also talk about his acting career. He is currently seen into Leslie, which until a couple weeks ago nobody knew existed, including myself, but that is, of course, the film that got Andrea Reisborough, an acting nomination from the Oscars. We talk about that and that insanity, and maybe most amusingly for me in this conversation is Mark's anecdote about auditioning

for James Cameron to be in Avatar, the new Avatar films. Stay tuned for that. There's a five-minute riff on auditioning for James Cameron that had me in stitches, and will make you laugh too. I have a feeling. So this was great, guys. This was a live event. As I said, I was taped at the Museum of Modern Art through our friends at 92 NY. A great audience. They were there for me and Mark in the best possible way. I know you'll enjoy it. You'll feel the energy of that room. One note. The sound, not up to my lofty standards, Mark sounds a little muffled. It's still totally fine. But I just want to note that, that yes, I'm aware. too, that the sound isn't as amazing as I would have liked it to be, but what are you going to do?

I know you'll still enjoy this nonetheless. Remember to review, rate and subscribe, and I mean that, guys, give us a review on iTunes. It means a lot. It spreads the good word. Follow me on social media, Joshua Horowitz, and let's get right to it. Our bonus episode this week, let me take you live in New York City to a night with me, and Mark Marron. Enjoy it. Hey, guys.

Thank you so much for coming out tonight. I'm Josh Horowitz. I'm the host of Happy Second Fuse. This is a live taping of my podcast through. Yes, thank you. I appreciate it. So this is obviously a 92MY event, but we're here at the Museum of Modern Art. I feel so classy tonight, guys. amazing. A very meaningful place for me and a meaningful chat tonight. The gentleman I'm speaking with, look, I do a lot of interviews, and mostly I interview filmmakers and actors, and I'm a little

intimidated because I've been listening to WTF forever, and I don't know if I would be doing my podcast without Mark Marron's podcast. He, of course, is a brilliant stand-up comedian. He's a fantastic actor. We're going to talk about that as well. He has a new stand-up special, on HBO Max that we're going to talk a bit about tonight. It's fantastic. It's called from bleak to dark. Let's give a warm, not only in 92 NY welcome, but a museum of modern art welcome to Mr. Mark Marin. Thank you.

He's sizing you up. Can you feel it? Look at him. Is this what you always do? You're just like. Not quite. I mean, I don't come out like that. I just talk to you downstairs.

I already sized you up. Yeah. And he's still here. It's up in here. Yeah. Good vibes all around. I'll be the joke. It feels good, yeah.

Thanks for doing this, Mark. Sure, man. You got a plan? Not really. Not really. What do you do, Mark Maron? What's your occupation now? When someone doesn't know what you do,

when you're at customs, when someone asks you and is ignorant of the body of work, what do you say nowadays? I generally say I'm a stand-up comic still. But sometimes I just say I'm a song and dance man. That's when you were growing up. That was the dream, right?

Sometimes I've said, depending on who I'm talking to, I've said, I'm an entertainer, which is ridiculous. But usually I say comic. And then they go like, really? From what? Where would I know you from? And then it becomes a horrible interrogation back and forth. And I have to take my phone out and show them clips.

Look, I can honestly say the last. dozen years, outside of the voice in my own head, I've probably heard your voice in my head more than any other. How's that going? Welcome. Welcome to my head. I feel like you owe me money. You owe me something for the psychic damage. It's happening right now, Josh. This is what you get. Yeah, well, okay. That's fair. Do you feel like there is that intimacy? When people encounter you, do they feel like they know you on a cellular level that is uncomfortable? Yes. Some people. You have to deal with that a lot. I mean, addressing parisocial relationship is something that I'm highly aware of. You know, I mean, there are people that understand the relationship because, you know, I know I'm candid and I know I speak, you know, openly about a lot of stuff. And I know that people like you have a relationship with me that is relatively intimate. But I do have, you know, 23 hours in the day without you.

But that's not the meaningful parts. No, I think most people that have known me for years know that it's one-sided, but I've grown to be, you know, gracious around that. Some people, I found it a little odd during the pandemic when I was doing a lot of Instagram lives where I really got the sense that there were people that thought, like, because I'm just on their phone, that we're FaceTiming. And it could get a little weird sometimes. So I've grown to be careful around that stuff and also to try to maintain some boundaries, which there's people in here that I, you know, when you do Instagram lives, it got to a point where I knew some of the people who would show up every day. And, you know, Monica's here, which is nice.

And, and. Amazing. But, like, her and I, I don't know her. She's a fan, right? So what happened, and I'm not saying that in a bad way, but, like, but at one point, like, you know, if you're reading comments while you're doing your Instagram live and you get an idea of somebody else, they don't, they know me from what doing that, but they say something, I misunderstand it, and then I probably texted her. It's like, you don't fucking know me. And then, like, I felt bad that I heard of feelings. And now we know each other by name, and I know her husband, kind of.

So, and that's not, it's, it's nice, but I don't want a lot of that. Right. Little goes a long way, Monica. We love you. What? Speaking of boundaries, you are, you do, you do seem like an open book seemingly, like. Oddly, to strangers, to people I've known for years, they're like, what's in there? It's still an enigma.

It's not really. I do have boundary problems, but I think you know what, you know what's going on. I may I'm an open book, but that doesn't mean you get all the way in, right? Right. Like, it's a book, but there's the middle section where you're like, I'm not sure I got that. Right, right.

Yeah. You get access to the smoked meats, but not the rest of it. We know you love that. Well, I think you get access to a lot of it, but, you know, just, you know, be careful. Okay, okay. Not you, you can do what you need to do. We both have a job to do. Yeah, we do. Are you getting enough out of this

so far? It's so good. So good. It's living the dream. Okay. So before we get to the special, we're in New York. Are you going to watch a special? Yeah, if you want. Easier on both of us, right? Turn it on. New York. Yeah. An important place to you and your growth as a comedian in your career. Also, not some, not the best times here also, right? Correct and if I'm wrong, like in terms of like the battles with sobriety, et cetera. How, how fucked up was I here? Yes, there was some, definitely some years where, where, uh, Yeah, because I was in and out of sobriety for a long time.

Right. But I did finally get sober for good here as well. Okay. Right. But when I first moved here in 89 from Boston, I don't think I was quite sober yet. Wait, there's... Now we're getting summer. Yeah, okay.

We have time. Well, I just remember, like, I was down on the Lower East Side, you know, on second between A and B in 1989. And I was sober for about a year, and it was like this... There's a whole heroin operation down there. You know, it was crazy. Like, they had the whole street under control. They had guys on each side. And there was a doorway right next to where I live where junkies would line up like it was a movie theater to score bags of dope.

And I used to see it, and I'd be like, God, that is so sad that these guys are, you know, tethered to this horrible drug. And I'd see the same people every day. But it is kind of funny to see, you know, 20 junkies dispersed like nothing's happening. if the guy whistles at the end of the street and they're like, oh, I'm just hanging out, you know. So, but the point being like, you know, so I watched that for like a year and a half as a sober person.

And then at some point the day came where I'm like, I don't know what's in that doorway. So it didn't take, but, you know, it was a vomit-filled evening. But I tried. So there was a lot of in-and-outs, and I definitely ran around drunk here for a couple years on and off.

But, yeah, ultimately, I did get sober in New York. And the heart of my sobriety is in New York. So what is New York to you now? Yeah. Shout out to Perry Street. Okay. That's where I go, man. It's like, I'm sorry.

I'm breaking my anonymity. But there's this old... Boundaries, Mark. We're trying to help you. No. There's this old-ass AA clubhouse down on Perry Street. And like anybody who's gotten sober here ever for the last 30-some-odd years has been to that place

and it's like this it's frozen in time and if I do come I will go I'll go sit in there sometimes yeah yeah it's amazing it's always like a meeting

you're like I wonder if there's a meeting you just go to Perry Street there's sad people in there it's like a 7-11 it's just always open the last special correct me if I'm wrong was end times fun

I believe right so do you feel like you were prescient you were ahead of the curve congratulations you knew the end was coming. Yes. And now we are living in the, I don't know, aftermath or just still the wave of it. According to the woman who reviewed me in Vulture today, and she did very good job with it. This is the, this special is the post-apocalyptic Marin. This is post-end of the world. So we're

living in post-end times now. It happened. We just didn't feel it as much as we thought we would. Yeah, it didn't sting as much, just went right through us. It was kind of like one day it was sort of, it's a little different. Yeah, over. Yeah. So what is the threat level? matrix in your head right now? What DefCon are we at in terms of... For me personally or for the world? Oh boy. Well, something is shifting, you know, in my being. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older or what, but like I'm giving less and less of the fuck about the world. Because, like, I think, you know, I've gone through a lot of panic. I'm not sure I'm going to, like I might be here for the fascism, but I think I'll get out before the climate meltdown.

Right. The sweet spot. Yeah. That's as optimistic as I can be. Right. I don't know. Like, you know, I'm 59. I'm not planning on going anytime soon, but like it seems like a certain type of governmental situation that's, you know, disconcerting. And hopefully, you know not full bore you know get on the train time but uh like i'm like there's some part of me that's like has a little faith in in the federalist system that's sort of like my state they won't have trains right so mark maher and a beacon of hope for all of us it's great but i mean I consider this I consider that type of uh like I You know, for whatever it's worth in terms of how I do comedy, like there is in this special, you know, the first 20 minutes are what I believe my role is as a cultural critic or satirist or whatever. There is a type of comic that I've always done, I've always aspired to, that is really the first 20 minutes of this, which is broader cultural commentary, where I talk about fascism, where I talk about Roe v. Wade, where I talk about things in a broad sense so it lasts a bit.

but I don't think any of those things are going away. Right. Feels a little Carlin-esque, like I would say, right? He was never really my guy, but I seem to be compared to him at times. I think that ultimately the special shifts into the personal and then into the tragic and then sort of back into sort of where I'm at currently. I'll take the Carlin thing, but I don't think Carlin showed a lot of himself. No, that's true.

And I think, you know, he was, you know, very, by the book, a very scripted act. I'm not saying I don't like him, but I don't mind to compare it. Look at me like, don't ever say I'm like George Carlin. Sorry, I compare you to one of the greats. Don't ever compare me to one of the best comics. The point being, I know I had a point.

In terms of like the future where I'm at now, and what's happening. between fascism and climate to the end of times you were talking about being prescient and all this stuff and I guess I was but oh here's what in terms of safety and what I think

about where I'm at now is that I know I'm doing material that is going to be deeply offensive to a certain type of person in this country that are relatively dangerous right now I'm not saying that you know that I'm necessarily

they're going to watch the whole thing and be like all right let's get this guy you know I would and there's something kind of narcissistic about the idea where I'm like I don't know I might get killed after this one so

but there's definitely stuff in there that if I got it right people are going to be like this is one of them and you know put them on the list right if I'm not already on those I remember one time when I well they say if you can affect one person yeah yeah yeah I remember one time

there was a you know when I was at Air America it was before whatever's happening now was happening as shamelessly and as normalized it and there was this website of a guy that he made a list of all the Jews in Hollywood, you know, celebrities

and it was an anti-Semitic sort of like these are the ones and I pushed my producers I said if we can just really show this guy just how much these people have accomplished I think I can change his mind And so we got this creep on the phone, and I was like, do you understand what Einstein did? You know, like that kind of thing.

How'd that work out? It didn't turn him. There's a very uncomfortable segment. But I put myself out there, Josh, that's the important thing. Did you have, way back when, did you have, did you try different personas, different approaches to comedy if I had? You're assuming, like, I had much more control over my performance. There was no, like, suspender mark. There was no, like, Gallagher with a watermelon mark.

There was no prop comic mark. You know, there definitely wasn't those. But it's odd because I do, I've watched, you know, over the years. I think my first TV shots were in, like, 89, evening with the improv, and I did a couple of those in 89, 91, and maybe Caroline's Comedy Hour. There's a lot of basic cable that needed to be. be filled with short stand-up sets. And in 89, I'd only been doing stand-up professionally,

maybe about a year and a half. But I've been at it for a few years. So when I watch that, I can see myself still. Like there were times where I was angry. And I think if there was a spectrum, there was a period where I thought that my premature bitterness was not appealing, necessarily, but I really thought when I was in New York in the late 80s or whatever it was,

early, no, mid-90s, and I was down there at Luna Lounge, you know, yelling about this or that, that I really thought that, like, I was speaking for everyone. And if you didn't think I was speaking for you, you just have to go deeper. That everybody got to be as mad and, you know, and self-centered and as immature as me. And that, I'm backloading that. But, but, but, but, they aren't and and so it wasn't so much personas they were all manifestations of I think my what I'm getting at is that my sense of self was never that well structured you know because of how I was parented so so I kind of had to put it together on my own right it's true and I figured out this late figure this out

later so these were really all attempts at at being myself I don't think I ever got into stand-up to entertain people. I thought there was a way to get out some sort of truth up there, and that if you could figure it out, you could be exactly who you are. It's a weird perception, but oddly, my friend Tom Shark playing, I did his show the other night, and he said to me, he said, this special is really as close to who you are

as I've ever seen, it's close to who you are when we're just talking. And I'm like, I finally did it. I found myself. So this special came out of an insane period of time, clearly. Early in the pandemic, you lost a loved one, the Great Lynn Shelton. Yes. And you deal with it in this special.

And that's, you know, that's fraught. That's territory that you got to be careful about. was there could you have conceived of of not dealing with that in the special was there did you give that thought was it like how can I get back and deal with what I'm dealing with without addressing it I don't know you know I I don't know if I could have conceived of not doing it in the special because it was you know I'm a public person she was a public person so like there was part of me that really didn't want people to be like

like, no, it's sad, don't bring it up, do we bring it up? And I'm like, you know, I don't, I didn't want to be that person. Right. And, you know, to have it just sitting there, you know, and I guess on some level it would have been more appropriate just to, you know, not talk about a public, it's tricky because in the special, I, you know, I addressed that, like, you know, what would you think of this? And, you know, in my life, over time, I've learned that talking about that.

talking about other people is dicey because most of the time, like whether it be a girlfriend or personal people in my life, that they don't, they can't respond generally. They don't have a platform. There's not like a competing podcast of my exes. Don't give them ideas. Mark. I know. I know. I'm not suggesting it. You know, just a podcast called We Fuck Dinner. It's got a rotating crew, you know. Five seasons green lit. It's endless. Yeah, yeah.

We're going to need new cast. No problem. So, yeah. But Lynn's dead, you know, and like she certainly can't engage with how I handle it. And I also think about her family, who I don't really know that well because, you know, we weren't. together publicly long enough for us to really establish it so i don't know man i i when i talked about on the podcast like you know days after like that was the hardest choice is that it was some weird commitment to the honesty of whatever the podcast was like brenden and i my

producer you know the the understanding we had the only understanding we had at the beginning of the thing was that we were going to do a new episode you know every monday and thursday no matter what And we have, it's odd, we're weird, but we do it. No vacations with him and I. Thank you. You're welcome. And, you know, and that weekend was, it was all terrible, dude. And, you know, and he's, I'm on the phone with him, and he's like, you know, we don't have to do anything ever again.

You know, we have to do any more shows. Right. You certainly don't have to, you know, do one Monday. And I was like, but this is, this is the real shit here. And it wasn't really selfish. I didn't feel like going on, you know, that day to do what we usually did, which was post the posthumous episode, you know, as remembrance, you know. But I decided to do it because I thought the rawness of whatever I was experiencing,

which was awful, and I've not listened to it since I did it, would somehow be a service. Like I wasn't looking for love or support, you know, I just thought like, well, this is what we do. so let's do it and I don't I think it was an okay decision but it must have been horrendous to listen to but oddly it wasn't a lot of people were like you know thanks for sharing that and I'm like okay but in terms of the stand-up I don't know it just seemed like it seemed like it seemed like it had to be talked about because it's just no dialogue around that the one thing about about COVID and I imagine there's people in this room especially here in New York that probably lost people to COVID, you know, for fuck's sake. And it's just like, you know, you're isolated. And I think

you're isolated in grieving without COVID in a way, but you're more isolated, you know, with COVID. And you're processing this thing. There's nothing more human than, you know, dying. And there's really nothing more human than experiencing grief among other people. But everyone's so terrified to die, that the conversation around grief is just like, you know, don't remind me. So, really, and I think that's the core of it, right? Don't remind me of my own mortality. That's right. Yes. So I, again, I thought, well, you know, this is not, like, I'm not choosing to do what I did around that as like, you know, this will be a great entertaining thing for people. You know, I think there was a way to process it, you know, publicly with enough heart and, and

ultimately, the humor caught up. But I thought, again, that sharing this in a way, and I've said it before in interviews, that the reason that I gravitated towards comedy when I was younger was that these guys were able to take almost anything and make it, you know, emotionally, intellectually, and humorously manageable. Yeah. I mean, that's the gift of it. Is that, like, you know, are you terrified? Are you angry?

Are you sad? You know, are you lost? Well, well, here's a little funny. to shine a little light on that and compartmentalize it in your brain in a different way. So that was the gift, right? That's the gift. So I, you know, but beside that, it wasn't like I was sitting here like, I'm here to help the world. It was like, you know, I'm going to have to address this somehow. And for the first, you know, a few times, because I write on stage where it's a process with me.

and people who witness that, you know, once I'm doing theaters, you know, it's already in some sort of shape. But the shows I was doing were like two hours long, some of them. But at the beginning, you know, when we came out of the pandemic and I started working on this stuff, I was doing a residency at a small black box theater, which is the idea of it keeps coming up. It's a through line of the special, the one-person show thing. But, you know, I would have fans come, you know, with a reasonably priced ticket. It was a little less reasonable than usual, but, like, you know, my agent's kind of, whatever. So, you know, it's one thing, you know, initially when I did those kind of shows, it was a workshop.

And then, you know, somewhere, when somebody gets involved that's making money off you, it's like an intimate evening width. Right. So, fine line, you know. About $20 at least. Exactly, exactly $20. And, but as I was going through that stuff, like, what I do is I'll put my, in a position to be discussing things about my life that I think there's something there that you know I'll get to the core of it and then because I'm in front of you that I will find funny

that's the process right you know I'm not you know I don't write a little math problem joke you know where it's sort of like let's see if this tag works like it's got to be delivered to me so during that process like you know I was crying there was I couldn't handle it talking about it but I knew because of Instagram Live and some other things that the fans that were there were there for that. And the process of discussing loss in and of itself is cathartic for people. So that was, that point, that horrendously beautiful joke

about, you know, visiting her body, which is, it's horrendous, but it's beautiful. Yeah. Like when I finally released attention with the punchline, I would look at audiences, and some of them were like, no, why did you have to ruin the nice, sad thing? We were so close. We were really were.

We were right there at the emotional. It was like, no. Yeah, so. But the process unfolded in that, I think that most of the stuff that I did around it, like the hummingbird thing, like the hummingbird thing in and of itself, which is a real thing, you know, because, you know, when you're shattered in grief, you're looking for continuity, even if it's kind of mystical or spiritual, whatever. So it was a real thing to believe that her energy, her, she was now a hummingbird.

So that in of itself is a beautiful sentiment, and it's kind of sad, but it could operate on its own as a story one would tell publicly, and people would be like, but then like, you know, when I found certain, ways to call back the birds in a comedic way, you don't lose the poignancy of it. But you add this other layer, so there's this odd balance that starts to happen. But in retrospect, I start to think like, you know,

Mark, are you really emotionally dealing with any of this shit? I don't know. I believe I am, and certainly with the grief I am, because the bottom line about comedy is like, it's a good way to keep people to fight. out. You know what I mean? It's a good way to hijack emotions and kind of take them in another direction or throw them off to somebody else and just kind of divert the experience of

fulfilling. So I don't know. But it's still in there. Everything you just said is exactly that. It's like it's there. Dismantle it publicly and make myself doubt my work. It's okay. Go ahead. Well, guys, I don't know about you, but these cold winter nights make me appreciate all the more a product like bowl and branch. These sheets are keeping me warm and cozy all winter long with a set of their buttery soft sheets. They're made with 100% organic cotton threads that get softer with every wash. And they come in a variety of great colors. My wife and I love this product the sheets feel great they look great they make great gifts it just checks all the boxes plus

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what's going on up there and I think it's much better than than stuffing it all but to sort of let it happen like how did you see other night man I mean I don't know why I was in the hotel of two night before last and I was going over you know that you know that last day I had with her and I was going over it beat by beat. You know, I, and I couldn't stop it. And I think there's some investigation of like, you know, what happened that day? There's no wise anything, but your brain will do it. And you just have to let it happen and, you know, and cry or whatever you need to do

as long as it's not like, you know, what did I do wrong? What could I have done? You know, anyway. Well, no, I mean, it's also, there's also this bullshit thing of closure. Like, it's not like you've just dealt with us and it's like over now. Closure is death. Right. The closure is coming, man.

Everything else is integration. Yeah. Acting. Yes. Give me one concrete acting. A tip you've gotten from just like interacting with these greats over the last dozen years. Do you actively try to absorb something? Well, yeah, once I started acting, I was clearly,

asking all of them. Yeah, I noticed, yeah. You know, like, I'm just starting with this thing, like, so give me, you know, like, you know, like, talking to Paul Dano about animal work. Right. But more, which is like just something I knew

from college. You're like, do you do animal work? And he was like, I do a little bit. I'm like, oh, really? Jackpot. Yeah, yeah. But I'm not going to do animal work. I mean, now's the time. It's not going to happen for me.

I get it, you know. But I think that like, the truth is, like, half of these actors between you and me. They're just getting away with something. Seriously. I mean, either you've got it or you don't. You know what I mean?

And a lot of them, you know, get a knack for it. And I think that when you're talking especially like kind of movie star stuff, I think that like 85% of it is just natural talent. And you don't know why someone fits on a screen. And these guys, they learn how to do a thing and whatever. There's no, the deeper actors, like, you know, when you talk to them, they can't really explain anything. You know what I mean? They're not acting teachers because they made it.

So. Ouch, but true. Yeah. Yeah. So they don't know exactly what it is. There's no system. But some of them do, they do have things they do, and sometimes they'll tell me what they are. But most of it, it just seemed like, you know, be present, listen.

You know, some people are into making choices, which I think is smart to make choices before you enter a scene. Don't just be there sort of like, I got no plan, you know. So, but I think it was mostly something that it was the act of the podcast is just to, you know, empathetically listen and to be present for the thing. Right. You know, because if you're just running lines, which you'll, feel happen, especially when you're doing TV or whatever, and I'm no veteran of this stuff, but you repeat something enough, you know, where are you going to find the juice?

Right. You know, and then ultimately they'll be like, we're going to use that one. I'm like, I was asleep during that one, and they're like, it read well. I'm like, yeah, I must be a real actor then. So do you still feel like, do you feel imposter syndrome at this point? Because, like, now like, it's not like a, you know, it's not a novelty anymore. Like now you have like a real acting career with a variety of roles and different kinds of things from. glowed at Joker to your own show. Yeah, I don't know if, like, I, I don't know if I ever felt imposter syndrome, but I felt like

it wasn't my job. Okay. You know what I mean? It's different. Like, because, you know, standups will act and it was always something I wanted to do. But, you know, you're an actor when it's your job. Like, it's the same with standup. You know, if someone's a standup because, you know, they did three open mics and, you know,

they're doing another one. They're like, I'm a comic. I'm like, do you do the job? You know, you got to do the fucking job. Right. So for me, it was like, you know, I did it, and I sucked. I mean, I did my own show, the Amerin, and I knew from having friends in comics get shows that I was going to suck for a while.

It was like Jim Norton. He says, because I had the same experience. Like, a lot of times when you're starting as an actor, you're like, all you're thinking is like, what do I do with my hands? Right. And you're never thinking about your hands. But like, when you're in a scene, you're like, just sitting here. But I knew it would be bad, but I knew that I was playing myself,

and I knew that I would figure it out, at least how to be on set and stuff. But with Too Leslie and with respect, you know, I was making choices, I was doing things that I learned from the guys I talked to. You know, playing Wexler in respect, you know, I studied what little footage there was about him to get that accent. And, you know, doing a, you know, Brooklyn Jew is not a stretch. You know, if you are and he's coached Jew, all the day. dialects live within you.

So, they're just right there, you know. It's a miracle. He's a chameleon. You're telling me. Oh, yeah, yie. So, how was the audition for James Cameron, Avatar? You met with James Cameron.

That was ridiculous. Why the fuck would I want that job, number one? So, look. Set the scene for me. Give me a little bit. What the scene was, like, you know, you drive out to, like, to Long Beach, where he, you know, he owns Long Beach. And, you know, he, it's like, look, he's not, he's not a bad guy.

You know, I don't think. I don't know. But, you know, but you go out there and you go in this office and they're like, you know, I want you to read for this part. I don't remember what it was. You know, it was like a doctor or a scientist who drank. I don't know. I think the guy from Fly the Concord's got it.

Oh, yeah, Germain. Germain, yeah. So, good. So, like, you know, but there's this assumption. Like, you know, we're going to do four Avatar movies. I'm like, dude, I don't even remember the first one. I don't know what this all means to the world, but, like, but he built a city down there. And he had people working and doing acrobatics there all the time.

There were tight ropes and cameras and people flying. It's like, Cirque de Soleil down there. So you go in and he gives you the script. He's like, can I have your, you know, you can't take a picture of this. You can't, you know, this doesn't leave the building, this script. I'm like, okay, man. He's like, go take a look, look it over because, you know, you're here. You mind what his read for this today.

I'm like, okay. So I go in the other room. And he's got like the only cool thing about auditioning for James Cameron. It's got sort of like a museum of James Cameron. Like, there's a room there where you could see, like, the Titanic model and, like, some other stuff from the other movies. Big fan, yeah. And you're like, this is kind of cool.

So that was how you did the thing. All right. So I go read the script, and I kind of, like, and then all of a sudden you're in this free zone with these, like, these people that he just has around down there to read parts and fly and be on dollies or whatever. So I'm on camera, I think. And, you know, I got a picture, whatever the fuck it is, a boat or whatever.

And then there's other people around. So I'm just in the middle of this thing with no, I'm totally untethered. I have no sense of character. I don't know really what's happening around me other than there are several, you know, just unidentified actor people. Right. And acrobats around me. And you didn't get the part.

shocking you knew so much thank god because like you know my my agent here's the fuck dumb thing about me in acting it's like i don't like being away from home you know it's not my bag if you want to act you these guys are sort of like yeah i got to go to morocco for six months i'm like i'm out you know what i'm out like i got anxious just thinking about being there a week right you know what am i going to eat right so but but that was the thing like you know because like you go down there and you get you're almost in a contract when you go down there and my agent who was an old timer at that time that guy he quit being an agent but he was great he's like you're probably going to go to new zealand for four years and i'm like whatever the fuck it was like some

ridiculous amount of time you can have to go to new zealand you know for a you know while yeah and i'm like it's not happening and i have no problem with it i had nothing invested in it other than the experience of like all right i'll go take the meeting right right and And then he sent me a box of cigars because he didn't cast me. And I'm like, it's okay, okay, that's nice. That's a win, yeah. It's all right, you know, like, I don't know, man. I got it.

All right, so we're going to. At this age, I'm like, I have no problem saying no. Seriously. So we're going to cross James Cameron off the list of filmmakers right now. Yeah. Speaking of filmmakers, okay, here's a geeky. But how much is Germain even in it? Not that much.

Not that much. Like, I would have had to go to New Zealand for a year. It'd still be there. And people would be like, I didn't, right, were you in it? Can someone buy me and Mark two tickets to Avatar tonight? We're going to go to the 10 o'clock. And you'll be like, there. You see them?

Yeah, yeah. Okay, speaking of film. But he lives in New Zealand. It was good. It was good. He had family there. It was a no-brainer. What happened to the David Fincher episode of WTF?

You taped. I haven't. No, but you never released it. Yeah, because he's a weirdo. Okay. That's it. No, I mean, what do you want to know? Like, you know, I talked to him for two fucking hours.

And he's like, yeah, I feel like, you know, we're not finished. And I'm like, okay. So like, but it's, what's happening? These are going to be questions. It's okay. It's okay. They've got questions for you, Mark. You okay?

Yeah, I'm all right. You don't seem okay. No, generally like in my experience, when someone rushes on stage in the middle of a show, it's not a welcome event. Even though I saw that woman backstage, it seemed nice. The David Fincher episode is this there. You know, I've talked to Brendan about releasing it,

but like it's one of those things where there's nothing wrong with it. He's just kind of an odd guy that I think he just overthought it. And he's like, you know, maybe we could do more or whatever. But for me, it's just sitting there. And, you know, I think we were going to reach out to see if we could release it without reprisals of some kind. As a bonus episode or something, we'll see. I don't know if we got to, because it was like, it gets set up through a publicist, and it's just funny that those conversations where, you know, we're like, oh, we can't just to put it up as the bonus episode.

We got the bonus episode stuff now. And Brent's like, I don't know, I got to reach out to the publicist that set it up, and we'll see it. And then he's like, I don't even know if they're there anymore. I'm like, well, and then let's just do it. What's the worst it could happen? I don't get into David Fincher movie. That hasn't happened yet. It's probably not going to happen.

So it's, but what have we done with the acting part? We should mention two Leslie, which is a fantastic film at a performance. Well, that's why I want to talk about. Yeah, let's do it. Because the two Leslie thing, in terms of like me acting and people thinking I'm a good actor, which is fine, I felt like I'm doing the work, which was getting out with Wexwear. was that making choices and but like it was so funny because I've told this story like so many times and it does not get the laugh

where I wanted to but we're going to go for it again we're going to do one more time okay so commitment but I don't know what it takes I didn't want to do that movie dude like I was I was sad it was peak COVID right and I get I get this call from my manager and they're like this guy wants you to do this movie I'm like what is it and they send me the script I'm like there's like a a dozen dudes that I could name who could play this guy. What does he want me for? Because it was not me.

This guy was, you know? No, yeah. Yeah. And I just didn't believe the guy really wanted me. I was sort of like, who doesn't want to do this? Everybody? So. But then the guy enlists, you know, Chelsea Handler, you know, who I know, who I know,

and I'm afraid of. And, and Chelsea Handler texts me, and she says, my friend Michael, And I don't even think they're friends anymore. But she says my friend Michael wants to talk to you about doing this movie. And I'm like, I don't want to upset her. So I'm like, all right, okay. So then Michael gets on the phone with me. And he's like, I love you.

I love your work. I love, you know, Marin. I'm like, this guy's doing it. He's talking good. Like, yeah, like the last two years in the Marin, like, oh, he's nailing this shit. You know, so he's like sort of trust the movie I did with Lynn. He's like, oh, thank you. It's a great movie.

It's funny. Yeah, it was something. And he's like, I want you to do this. And I'm like, all right, so, but, all right, so, but I can't do an accent, man. He's like, don't worry about the accent. I'm like, are you sure? He's like, yeah, I just want you to do the part.

I'm like, okay. And then, like, I sat with it, and I realized, like, you know, if I'm going to do this acting thing, dude, you're going to have to try it. I could do an accent. And I just interviewed James Kahn, and because of that, I watched all his old shit, and there's an old-ass James Kahn movie called Rain People,

which was Kofalo's first movie that. Not many people have seen it. And he plays like a mentally disabled person with an accent, and it was not easygoing. And then I realized there's plenty of people you see do accents, and you're like, not great, but still not a bad performance, right? So I'm like, well, fuck it. I'm going to do this accent.

So I didn't know how to do it. So we get hold of a dialect coach, it was a real good one. And she says, all right, there's not really a Texan accent. I'm like, I grew up in New Mexico, and you're wrong. So, but she said, there's a lot of different dialects. She goes, we're going to do Lubbock. And I'm like, okay? And I'm going to send you some video.

And I'll send you phonetics, break down how you say things. And you'll watch your videos. and here's a key to how to say things. And I'm like, great, there's videos to be, that'll teach me how to speak Lubbock. And these videos were just like weird, like not even interviews that were televised of Mac Davis. See, a few people, the right people left,

because they remember, most people have no point of reference for Mac Davis unless you have a certain age. So Mac Davis was this singer and songwriter and actor. He was in North Dallas 40 with Nick Nolte. He wrote, I think, in the ghetto for Elvis. And he was sort of a popular singer in the 70s. Like he had a big hit with Baby, Baby, don't get hooked on me. So my dad had the 8 track in the car.

But to me, that's like the weirdest off the, like, how do you fucking decide? Like, you know, she made, she decided, like, there's only one place to go for the Lubbock. Obviously. Classic Lubbock. You got to pull those Mac Davis interviews. you know, you know, for like the Grammy Awards, you know, whatever. So, but that's that story. So I tried it and I think I did all right.

And I had no idea this thing was going to get this most attention, right? I thought like, maybe no one will see it. And, you know, like, I had nothing. Do you feel like a pawn in this media game mark? No. Because you were just trying to spread the good word of a lovely performance from your friend, Andrea. Oh, yeah, fuck the academy. You know, and fuck the consultants that run these campaigns.

It was all a dividing, conquer, rig thing to, uh, to draw attention that they fucking failed so fuck them but um and i and i and then the academy is like i don't know what we do what do we do there's optics around this you know like and so they like if you want to fix something around the voting on social media just fix it for next time don't you know and i've said to all this already it doesn't matter i've said it all already she is not the kind of actress that gives a fuck about this shit and then she's now of a sudden the one the one the she gets this beautiful thing and it's so toxic and loaded and it's just sort of like she didn't want anything to do with this but but she deserves it the good side is and I'll be

honest I watch a ton of movies it slipped by me and now I've seen it and I know didn't slip by you there was nowhere to see it yeah yeah literally I mean like I don't like I didn't I had to see it at a screening so but all I know is that in the big picture like I know that I watched myself in that movie, and I'm like, I did a good job. I did all right. I'm happy with it. I have no problems. I could have made a couple choices differently, but nobody knows that. So anything that comes back to me, I'm like, all I'm thinking is, like, thank God I didn't suck, because if I'd gotten this much attention and I suck, I don't know if I could live with it. For most of us learning a second language in high school or college was not exactly a high point

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Just go to babel.com and use promo code HSC. That's B-A-B-B-E-L.com, code H-S-C. Let's run through some wonderful questions from our audience. You ready? And whoever's reporting for whatever, you don't have to re-quote me about the two-leswy thing. And then Marin said, so, Mark, how many cats is too many? The one, and three, which I have.

That's the limit. That's the limit. No, like my ex-girlfriend, Sarah had like nine. It was like a little rough. They were all feral. That was crazy. She's okay. Andrea wants to know, how do you prepare for your interviews?

They seem so organic. I'm selfishly curious about this because this is what I do too. Like, what's in front of you? Are there a lot of notes? Do you do a lot of prep? What's the balance? What do you? No, I tried to, like, as time went on,

I tried to at least, you know, watch the thing they were there to plug. Yeah. Because a lot of times, like, They know it's a career, it's a broad interview. They know it's long form. They know what they're getting into. But I find that sometimes, like, you know, people,

maybe I don't know them that well. I don't know their stuff that well. But, like, you know, it's a good way to sort of loob up the conversation when you're like, yeah, I watch the new thing and, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah. And they're like, ah, yeah, yeah. And then you're in, you know. So. But ultimately, I don't prepare other.

than get a sense of who I think the person is right right so and usually I'm I'm kind of off but it all depends on my feelings for the person and then after I see the work like a lot of times I'm introduced to people because I've agreed to talk to them which is great because everything's really kind of fresh you know when when and sometimes I'm amazed that I didn't know more about them so it's really about getting a sense of who they are and then somehow or another there's some weird thing in my brain that like right up until like they come over like there'll be some like weird key or some weird thing that I'll be like oh that's the portal into where I'm going to you know figure it all out and it changes for every person but usually there's this sort of like this moment that I engage with

personally in my mind and I can see a conversation unfolding from it so I hope that helps Yeah. Is Albert Brooks the one that said no the most? I feel like he's the white whale right now. But after a certain point, it's like, fuck it. You know, like I... If you don't want to do it, you don't want to do it. What am I going to do? I can't. I mean, I don't know what his problem is. Like, he... And I've seen him a couple of times. Right. Like, he came up to me and fucking Gary Shandling's memorial, which was hilarious, relax. Kevin Neillan has never been funny. Go find that.

Oh, my God. Hilarious. But it was a big, beautiful thing, you know, and I sat next to a very fragile seeming top petty with his translucent hand skin. So, but like I'm at the memorial, and I'm walking out, everyone's walking out, and I felt like two hands from behind me grab my shoulders, and I turn around,

and Albert Brooks is there wearing a gun. And he goes, let's do it now. Like ran to the trunk of your car. Let me get my equipment. He was making a joke. As a fellow member of the tribe, what are your thoughts on circumcision? Amanda wants to know. I had it done.

And I was given no choice. But I was given no choice. I'm happy about it. I like the way it looks. It works well. But the only story I heard about mine is my mother says, we use your grandfather's, grandpa Ben's moil, and it took so long.

Maybe that's why I'm like I am. I think it's multi-factor. Brian wants to know, what are you eating during this trip to NYC? Well, I'm trying to do, like, I'm trying to stay with the no-meat thing, like, so what did I eat? I had, I had, oh, yeah, Brendan and I went to that dirt candy place. Oh, okay. Wow.

Yeah? Yeah. Okay. I'll put on my voice. Because a lot of times, like, fancy vegan or vegetarian food, it seems like it's, like, it's missing a component. Right. Like, it's trying to be something it can't, and you're sort of like, it'd be nice if this was, you know, meat. Yep.

So, right? But this place, it's like, everything's sort of like, oh, my God, this is so layered and, you know, different. It's brilliant. And so I ate that. And then I went, like, I don't really know how to eat vegetarian, like, thoroughly well. And, like, yesterday I was starving, and I'm like, I can't go. Where can I go, man? And, like, so I'm like, oh, just go to Yona Shimmels.

And so I, like, I went to Yonah Shimbals. I'm like, no one goes in there. You know, like, you walk by that place. It's like, is that even open? You know, like. It has not been remodeled in 90s. yeah and now you can't even sit in there and it's just like a weird counter with no cooking elements anywhere with fucking trays of canishes and I'm like I guess it's open so I go in there

I got a sweet potato condition then a red cabbage condition the guy who goes you want him hot and I'm like yeah and I just seem stick him in a microwave I'm like all right so I'm like so I'm like that's enough with the heat and I just stood there on in on allen street in the park and I just shoved two canishes into my face wow and then I went to hopefully Foods and there were two guys in there this is the fucking beautiful New York thing like they're like yeah at Whole Foods like I go in there and I sit at the table I have coffee because I'm trying to read Tim Blake Nelson's new book and because I had them on and I hadn't finished it and I felt bad about it but it's better off that I didn't finish it

because I couldn't spoil it so there's just two guys who like recognize me but they're just sitting there drinking glasses of water at the coffee shop with Whole Foods and I had a bottle of water he's so in there like they have you tried the water here And I'm like, what are you talking about? And I got a spigot, you know, and they're like, she's best water in New York. And I'm like, what are you talking about? He's like, that spigot is triple filtered

and you'd get sparkling too. And they're like, that's all we come for. We don't even get coffee. And I'm like, do you have to pay for it? Like, no, you just get it. And I'm like, so you guys just come here to drink water? It's like, yeah. And I was like, this is fucking such a New York trip.

I had the water. great water. It's sparkling water right there. You can just have it. They were right, is what I'm saying. Yeah, no. What was the question? I don't know. What am I eating? You're eating. Oh, yeah. So I ate that. And then today I went to Mogadour and had some stuff. And then tomorrow, oh God, tomorrow, going to, like somehow or not, I was going to have a dinner with Lipsite, right? And I ran into Cape Burlant on the street yesterday. And she invited me to her show. And the last night is tonight. So, and she's like, you've got to come to my show. And I'm like, okay. And she's like, Bruce Wagner is flying out tomorrow to come to my show. And I'm like, Bruce Wagner's going to be here.

And Bruce Wagner is a trip, man. So like, so now somehow or another, I'm going to dinner with Bruce Wagner and Sam Lipside tomorrow. That weird culty Indian vegetarian place down, you know the one down on Thompson, Ananda or something? Have you been there? I've been there once with Sarah because she was a vegetarian, but it's definitely a front of some. And I thought, like, Bruce is going to love this. So I'm looking forward to that. And don't show up.

No, no. Monica. Monica. I had a guy do that from Instagram. Like, it was so tragic in a way. For you or for him or both? It's just, like, you know, I must have been on Instagram. I said, I'm going to go hike with my friend Dan now.

And I'm hiking with him. But I knew this guy. Bounders Mark He was a yoga teacher I had Years ago And me and Dan are just hiking up this hill And I hear this guy huffing up behind me You're like, Mark! Mark!

And I'm like, Joe, he's like, yeah, I saw you're hiking So I thought I'd join you, is that okay? I guess it is. But I had to tell Joe, it's quite an inappropriate, Joe. Let's end with this. from John B. What did we get to end? What's going?

I'm up. Okay. Hey. I was punchy and now I'm up. Just get on with it. Let's do it. What, do you have a time limit on your podcast? I want to be respectful of your busy schedule eating all the meats and food of

I can't like 8.30. I mean, I got to eat and I got to sweep. You guys have anywhere to go? We're good? Okay. A couple of people are like, I've kind of had enough. It's late. Rolando wants to know, Mark, would you ever consider?

I thought there was going to be a question about Rwanda. I'm like, maybe we should stop. Rwondo wants to know, Mark, would you ever consider doing a film on your life story? Obviously, you mind material on the TV show, but... Would that be a good movie? I'm asking that seriously. I don't know if it would be. You know, I don't know.

Stephen Fine Arts, the guy who directed this special who did a great job. He's been making a documentary on me for like two years now. Like he's been... Oh, really? Yeah. Yeah, so maybe that'll help you, maybe that will be enough. Like, I don't know, it started with him, but he's like, I just think it's going to be interesting to see how you develop your new hour post-COVID and after Lynn passed away. And now it's like it's open-ended.

He's just going to be with you for life. I guess he's got all. Then he got this gig. I'm like, I guess you should direct the special. You're here. So. What happened? turn to the script that you and Lynn were working on together?

Have you considered going back to it? Some guy keeps bothering about that. And like a friend of hers. I sent a draft, the odd thing, the truth of the matter about that script, you know, the story is good, but it's heavy dude. And it deals with somebody in the script who dies of cancer. And oddly, there are moments in the script that were frighteningly similar to what Lynn went through

that last week and it's too fucked up and weird for me to deal with in that way and because I don't know what that means for you know mysticism but you know whatever so but but the thing is is like that script oddly served you know and this is yeah I think I can say it like she wanted to make a movie with me which ultimately became sort of trust because we never finished a script. But that script was how we built our relationship with meeting to write. So like that script over the years just became this thing,

we never finished, but we were able to spend all this time together. And so it really represents that more than it does, you know, a movie. And that was how the developing the material went. Yes. A sneak peek into the process. Well, then I am going to end with... Right back down again.

No, he's back. He's back, guys. Don't worry. It's a gift. Do you have a... John B. wants to know, and this is a good one to close out. Do you have a good sense for how cool everyone in this audience thinks you are, Mark? When people interview me about my audience, I usually say, I don't have a demographic, I have a disposition.

So I believe that what you're saying is true, and I believe that what the people that come to see me are an extension of my emotions in a way that like, because like I don't, in a very specific leg, like, because like when you're comic of a certain type which is a regular kind of comic. I know my audience represents who I am in a way. So that's a weird boundaryless thing to say. So I know how cool you think I am, but I also know you have problems. And I appreciate it. To, to, to paraphrase, your own podcast. How do we do, Mark? Are we good? We are good, Josh. Good job. Thank you. Thanks. Everybody. Mark Maher, spread the good word from bleak to dark,

H.R. Max. Thank you, man. Thank you. Yeah, thank you. Thank you. And so ends another edition of happy, sad, confused. Remember to review, rate, and subscribe to this show on iTunes

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