How to Be a Better Human - How to find the humor in everyday life (with Jo Firestone)

Episode Date: October 11, 2021

When was the last time you really, really laughed? For some people, laughter comes easily and anything can set them off. But for many of us, finding humor in everyday life is something we might leave to the professionals. Jo Firestone is a comedian--and long-time friend of Chris’s--who frequently teaches all kinds of people the art of stand-up comedy. In today’s episode, she talks about how humor can be an act of connection, and how comedy can help us see the lighter sides of life, even in difficult times. Case in point: over the last year, Jo taught socially-distant stand-up to senior citizens over Zoom. Now, her students will be the stars of their very own comedy special, “Good Timing” which airs later this month. Barbara Bova, one of Jo’s hilarious students, also joins to share the comedy tips she learned and to tell some great jokes. Find more about Jo on her website at jofirestone.com and check out “Good Timing” on October 15. To learn more about "How to Be a Better Human," host Chris Duffy, or find footnotes and additional resources, please visit: go.ted.com/betterhuman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Apple Watch Series X is here. It has the biggest display ever. It's also the thinnest Apple Watch ever, making it even more comfortable on your wrist, whether you're running, swimming, or sleeping. And it's the fastest-charging Apple Watch, getting you 8 hours of charge in just 15 minutes. The Apple Watch Series X.

Available for the first time in glossy jet black aluminum. Compared to previous generations, iPhone XS or later required. Charge time and actual results will vary. Whether you're in your running era, Pilates era, or yoga era, dive into Peloton workouts that work with you. From meditating at your kid's game to mastering a strength program, they've got everything you need to keep knocking down your goals.

No pressure to be who you're not. Just workouts and classes to strengthen who you are. So no matter your era, make it your best with Peloton. Find your push. Find your power. Peloton. Visit Peloton at onepeloton.ca. You're listening to How to Be a Better Human.

I'm your host, Chris Duffy. On today's episode, we're talking about comedy and humor. And personally, I rely very heavily on jokes and laughter to get through hard times. I rely on jokes and laughter to get through all times, but especially when things get stressful, when they're uncertain like they are right now. I feel like we sometimes really need to puncture the seriousness and the stress with a good deep laugh. I am a big believer in that. I literally have a piece of paper taped up above my desk that says, laugh hard every day. I love that. I try so hard to seek that out for myself. And I also try really hard in my work to give that

to other people. Now, at the same time, I often have doubts about the power or the necessity of comedy. When there are so many huge problems in desperate need of being fixed, it feels kind of ridiculous to be like, what the world needs now are my little jokes. I am basically a hero. I don't think that that checks out. That's not how I feel. But based on the conversations that I've had with all of the incredible guests on this show, I do think that it's striking that the best humans, they're able to do both. They work on the real problems. They don't ignore them, but they also are able to find ways to laugh and to connect with other people. And our guest today is Jo

Firestone. I think she is one of the absolute funniest comedians around, and she's so good at this. She not only makes me laugh, she also uses her comedy to connect people and to point out the ways that we could maybe be doing better. Jo is one of my first friends that I met when I started doing comedy professionally, and I am a huge fan of her work. Okay, so here's a great example of what Jo does so well. In her TEDx talk, instead of just listing the ways that she thinks people could be better, she instead called her talk, Everything is Terrible, and she lists the ways that she personally is falling short and then asked the audience to respond when they related that they also fell short in that way. It is so funny and so perfect. Here's a clip.

also fell short in that way. It is so funny and so perfect. Here's a clip. So maybe you've never broken a heart or maybe you've never gotten mad at traffic. Maybe you've done some of the following checklist. I'm going to ask, I'm going to show you this checklist and then I'm going to ask you to say check if you've done it after I read it. First one, going through plastic cups like they're made of leaves. Thinking about punching people on the subway. Getting mad at customer service reps even though you're just mad at the product. Buying stuff you don't even need like kitchen appliances that only make pancakes. even need like kitchen appliances they only make pancakes making plans you know you're gonna cancel on being rude to your good friends and family because you know they aren't going anywhere pulling out your phone and important family

functions to check how many likes you got on a mediocre Beyonce tweet I'm at this family wedding like where are all the single ladies at Beyonce hashtag Beyonce and me Who said check You're honest spending whole days watching Netflix when you could be doing anything decent for society Running over animals with your car even if it's an accident Rollerblading as an adult. And toilet

seat hovering. This is bad behavior. Okay, yes, I completely agree. That is bad, bad behavior. In just a moment, we're going to have Joe Firestone here, and we're going to have a conversation all about the ways in which we are currently terrible, but could be slightly better in the future by using laughter and comedy. That is after this short break. So don't go anywhere.

We will be right back. Whether you're in your running era, Pilates era, or yoga era, dive into Peloton workouts that work with you. From meditating at your kid's game to mastering a strength program, they've got everything you need to keep knocking down your goals. No pressure to be who you're not. Just workouts and classes to strengthen who you are. So no matter your era, make it your best with Peloton. Find your push. Find your power with Peloton. Find your push.

Find your power. Peloton. Visit Peloton at onepeloton.ca. The Apple Watch Series 10 is here. It has the biggest display ever. It's also the thinnest Apple Watch ever, making it even more comfortable on your wrist, whether you're running, swimming, or sleeping. And it's the fastest-charging Apple Watch, getting you eight hours of charge in just 15 minutes.

The Apple Watch Series X, available for the first time in glossy jet black aluminum. Compared to previous generations, iPhone XS or later required, charge time and actual results will vary. And we are back. We're talking about comedy and humor on today's episode with Joe Firestone. Hi, I'm Joe Firestone.

I'm a comedian. So you have a new comedy special coming out that's called Good Timing. It's not just your comedy. It's also a class of senior citizens who you've been teaching comedy to. And how did this come about? of senior citizens who you've been teaching comedy to. And how did this come about? So I started teaching like a couple of weeks before the pandemic in person at the Greenwich House Senior Center. Then the pandemic hit and then we were told that the Senior Center was closed. And then we started up on Zoom. How did you decide to work with seniors in the first place? it up on Zoom. How did you decide to work with seniors in the first place? So I've been teaching like comedy on and off for the last might be 15 years. I think I was getting really, really

disillusioned with comedy like to 2019. Like I just thought it was so horrible and it brought out the worst in people and it turned everybody bitter and horrible. And I was like, well, maybe if maybe by teaching a group of people that just want to like laugh and have fun, and they're not like competing with each other and not like, there isn't like that competition in there. It's just kind of a way to laugh and enjoy oneself. Maybe that'll be a way to enjoy comedy and to enjoy, like, use my skills in a way that won't make me feel weird. And so it was like, it was like, I was just like, hoping for some hope and some laughs. And, and then it became, as most things do, it became its own enterprise. I feel very connected with them. And I think they feel really connected with each other. And it's kind of it's just been nice to like, I don't know, have a designated time to like joke around and every week and just hear different perspectives and my own and just see how different people make jokes.

It's just been very enlightening and refreshing. very enlightening and refreshing. Yeah. Well, it's interesting to hear you say that you, this kind of all started because you were feeling really disillusioned with comedy and feeling like it led people to just be bitter and kind of just be looking for like the way to scheme into their next professional opportunity. Um, cause you know, you, you gave this satirical Ted talk about how everyone is terrible and And you're highlighting all the ways in which we're all not so great, right? Like spending days watching Netflix when you could be doing something decent for society. So I wonder, is there a way that like making fun of ourselves or just making jokes in general that help us to be better?

I think that life is really hard for everyone. And I think that life is really hard for everyone. And I think that it definitely helps to be able to make jokes. I think even if you're like, I see this person at work and I don't like them, just being able to make a joke about it feels so much better than saying, like, I don't like them. I don't like them. I don't like them. And it's I think there's I think comedy offers a release that is very important to Valve. You and I have obviously talked about this before of the idea of like, how do you keep the joy of doing this thing when it becomes something that you do for a living and it's professional? of creative people have this issue where you start doing something because you love it and you do it on the side and money's not involved and there's no pressure on it to like be your whole thing. It's just something that you really love doing. It brings you joy. And then you kind of get the

dream, which is like, I wish I could only do this. And when you do that, then all of a sudden there become all these other responsibilities that come along with it. You have to make money. You have to figure out how you're going to, you going to grow and use it for your identity as well. I think a lot of people discover that that can be really hard and maybe it makes them like the thing that they started out with less. But one thing that I've always admired about your particular standup comedy is that you do a ton of crowd work and you do a ton of things that are unexpected where you don't know what's going to happen. So how do you trust that you're going to make something good or funny happen with an audience? I don't, I it's, it's turned bad. It's gone really, really bad. Okay. So maybe then

the question is, so why do you do this kind of comedy? Like, what are you looking for and how can other people find that too? Uh, I think, well, we've talked about this before, but I think the funniest thing to me is the chaos. Absolutely. Yes, that is your word. That's the defining word of Joe Firestone comedy. So I come up with these prompts and like I'm not teaching them stand up comedy. Like, I don't even know how to do stand up comedy. I'm basically just like teaching them to like say whatever.

And then I think just kind of thinking on your feet and showing how you think is so funny especially like if you're if you hear what anyone's thinking it's usually very very funny you know if they're like very comfortable and like I came up with an activity that was so bad the activity was to come up with a way to play your body like an instrument it was so bad and all of them on the zoom were like okay okay like they were like i mean we'll try it but it was and so like you know like they were all doing like these kind of like and like kind of like just playing along and indulging me and indulging each other. And it was very stupid. OK, so so thinking about how a regular person who's not who doesn't already identify as a comedian, how can a regular person incorporate more comedy into their lives or be funnier?

It feels like you've hit kind of two of the big things already there, which one of them is showing your honest reactions to things, right? Saying what you actually think, because we're all so fascinated about like what another person actually says. But then the other is like just being willing to follow the thing that's happening. Well, I think a big part of, um, I think a big part of comedy, and I really do believe this, and I'm saying this as somebody that presents as very uncomfortable, but I think a huge part of comedy is feeling comfortable. And so like feeling like the people, people are listening to you, people want to listen to you, and like what you say will be accepted.

I think a big part of comedy is being comfortable with yourself and trying to get more comfortable with yourself and trying to get more comfortable with yourself as you grow. And then, yeah, I think that like the confidence of just like saying what you really feel. I think that that is I mean, there's also like joke structure and all these things that you can learn that are like you could read a book about. But I think internally, the best thing you can do is be comfortable with yourself and your own thoughts. Yeah, it's interesting.

I feel like sometimes people have this idea of like comedy as truth telling, right? Like comedians are truth tellers, which I'm like, I'm skeptical of because I spent a lot of time with comedians and a lot of what people are saying is not the truth. So I'm not sure that like truth telling

is really the center of comedy. But I do think that honesty is the center of comedy. Right. And there's a difference in between honesty and truth. Right. Like being honest about what you feel in your own opinion, I think, is kind of the center of what makes things funny. And whether that's the truth, you know, you can be honestly wrong all the time.

I am almost 100 percent of the time. Yeah. But it seems like that's a piece of it. So, okay. So here's a piece that whenever people ask me about, ask me about getting started in comedy, one of the big things that I always tell them is like, you probably already think a ton of hilarious things every single day. And the difference between like you and a comedian is some of that structural stuff

that you were talking about. Like, how do you actually like write a joke? But I bet you a lot more of it is how do you document and keep funny stuff so like what's your process when you have a funny thought or when you think of something or like there might be something here how do you keep it this is i'm really uh unorganized and bad at this but i like i've heard other people have like binders and uh zip ties or whatever but i don't think that's true but they have an idea zip tied like locked in like a a little plastic handcuff yeah they're handcuffed to their notebook that i know i i think that like I think if I'm like at my best behavior, I think I would try to write down the joke in full.

And like usually it's like I write down the joke in full or I'll like say something out loud that somebody laughs at. And I'm like, oh, that's a joke. I mean, that part of my brain is broken because it's like you should really just have conversations with people. But like I like sometimes if I'm talking to somebody and like they're laughing, I'm like, that's what it is. OK, I guess I can say that to strangers. And then, yeah, then it kind of you say it at the first show and it goes well. And then you say that second show and it's like really bad and not funny at all. And you're like what what happened and then you're like you just kind of keep saying it out loud at different shows and trying to figure out what exactly well this is the a big thing that i think a lot of

people don't remember at the beginning is like you actually have to it's like a process where you have to do it over and over again and it works and then it doesn't work and you have to just like keep tweaking it until it does yeah Thinking about a regular person who's maybe not like actually going to go and perform at a standup show. Um, maybe that's not what they want out of comedy. If you just want to be funnier, how can people be funnier in their day-to-day lives? Well, so what I've, uh, like during like the dark, the darkest weeks of the pandemic, so I give assignments every week and they would do the assignments and come back. But like, so basically one week I was, I tried, I said like, just look for one funny thing to

happen. And so like, if you just kind of like, if you're like, okay, this whole week, Monday through Sunday, I just have to like, see one funny thing that happens to me or like around me. And like if you kind of train yourself to just be like that, that's such a low level assignment. Right. You're just like I tripped over a sandwich. Just being conscious about like I'm going to look for the funny stuff. I'm going to look for things that make me laugh. Like for me, one thing that always makes me really laugh is like strange signs, signs that are weird and bizarre. And so I'm just, because that makes me laugh and because

I like to share them with people, then I now like everywhere I go, I'm always paying attention. And so I will often be with someone who's like, how do you find this thing? And I'm like, well, we were walking together. I was just looking at every sign, kind of like casually being like, is there a funny one? And then there is a funny one, right? I went to the airport at the Burbank airport in Hollywood, which I'd never seen this at another airport, but there was a big sign outside that said like, no jokes allowed. And I'd never seen that at another airport. It really made me laugh. And I was there with a bunch of people and no one else saw the sign. And then when I pointed it out, they were like, that is bizarre. How did you even notice that?

And I was like, oh, I guess I'm just always paying attention to that. So what kind of keeps you coming back to humor and comedy? Given that it can be really difficult. I think if I was like left to my own device, like if you put me in a cave and shut it with like a rock, I would be like I think I would kind of tend towards being very sad. Right. Like I think probably give it within about 45 minutes. I'd be pretty sad. Yeah, that seems pretty normal considering you've just been shut in a cave with a large rock. Well, yeah. So let's like make it a nicer, it's like a nice cave.

But I think that like, I think that in general, I found that it is a tool that I can use that makes me feel lighter. That it lightens my mood and it brightens my interactions. And I think that laughing with people and hearing other people laugh, and it gives me more joy than anything. When I first moved to New York and was doing comedy professionally or trying to do comedy professionally for the first time, you were probably my first real like comedian friend. And so I've known you create a lot more events and more like silly opportunities for other comedians than just about anyone else. A lot of comedians, they don't have ideas that involve we need 60 people in a car wash.

Right. A lot of comedians are just like, how can I get myself on TV? And that's kind of the extent. Whereas you are like, you know, one time, a legendary one is it was around the holidays. There was so much stress and you were like, everyone's stressed. I need to create a show where there's a way for people to get rid of their stress. So you had a bunch of balloons that people could pop. You had pinatas. And then you asked me and someone else to wear helmets and you let children hit us with with wiffle ball pads to get out their stress. And so I think that like those moments where you're like I was like, oh, I am. I am loopy. I've been struck

by a wiffle ball bat over and over. But I think there's this, you know, you create these moments that are other than, you know, possibly causing a lifelong brain injury. I do think I do think you create these moments that let people connect in an unexpected way and are memorable. I think that's a big part of your comedy, right? Like it's like, it's not just another boring day. I don't know. I think that maybe just that that's what makes me laugh a lot. So it's not like, I don't know. I think just like the chaos of like you going into a room and getting even that's making me laugh right now. It's just you being so down to be, to just like put on a helmet and go in there and then you're being like chased around by children for it. It's pretty funny to me. But I know it's like, sometimes I really wish that I could like,

you know, sing and dance and like be like, you know, tell a joke like that my, you know, grandparents would be like, that's a joke. Yeah. Not like, what is that? And so like, I think that that's something that I sometimes when I get down on myself, I'm like, oh, I wish I was just like I had talent. But I think that at other times it's like that you just kind of that's going back to honesty. It's like, well, what do you honestly find funny? What do you get inspired by? And for me, chaos is my. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. inspired by it. And for me, I chaos is my, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. I've always thought of like a good natured, like kind chaos is definitely your, is what I think of when I think of your comedy. We're going to take a short break, but when we come back, one of the senior citizens from Joe's comedy class is going to join us to talk about their new comedy special and what it is like to learn about jokes from professor Joe Firestone. That is right after this. Don't go anywhere. Whether you're in your running era, Pilates era, or yoga era, dive into Peloton workouts

that work with you. From meditating at your kid's game to mastering a strength program, they've got everything you need to keep knocking down your goals. No pressure to be who you're not, just workouts and classes to strengthen who you are. So no matter your era, make it your best with Peloton. Find your push. Find your power. Peloton. Visit Peloton at onepeloton.ca. The Apple Watch Series 10 is here. It has the biggest display ever. It's also the thinnest Visit Peloton at onepeloton.ca. 15 minutes. The Apple Watch Series 10. Available for the first time in glossy jet black aluminum. Compared to previous generations, iPhone XS or later required. Charge time and actual results will vary. Okay, and we are back. We're here with comedian Jo Firestone, whose new comedy special features her and a class of senior citizens that she has been teaching comedy to.

So, Jo, I'm wondering from teaching that class, what did you get out of it? What did you learn from them? Well, I guess what I like, I learn a lot about like what gets them talking. Like that's been a really cool thing to learn like just in terms of like activities and stuff like what makes them excited to talk about like they have a lot of stories and like a lot of really strong memories and they're also like have a lot of jokes about New York they've lived in New York and they think about New York a lot and they think about the neighborhood and and so like that's always really fun to hear about and like that also feels like another piece of what regular people can use for

finding humor in themselves is like what is it that you have really strong opinions about and what is something that you know more about than anyone else I don't know I really respect everyone in this class and like I can't believe they still come back I can't like I can't believe they're there every week and I can't believe like they're still going and do the assignments and stuff. And I guess I just like learned a lot about their individual quirks and like how charming and lovable each of them is. And like like a lot of them had not been outdoors of their apartment for so long. And the fact that they were like willing to like laugh and have a good time and willingly participate in a Zoom. Nobody wants to be on Zoom anymore and they're still going.

And I think that's it's really inspiring to just kind of like say like, oh, this person really wants to enjoy their life and make jokes. And like that's yeah, it makes you want to make jokes, too. Sometimes there's this concept that people sometimes talk about in comedy of punching down, right, like attacking people who are more vulnerable or making fun of marginalized groups or something like that. Sometimes people think that punching down is comedy. How do you make comedy that does the opposite, that punches up, that makes fun of people who are more powerful rather than less powerful? I don't know. I think what I try to recommend people do and what I try to do myself is kind of base your comedy off of your personal experiences and like what you know to be true.

what you know to be true. And so like, yeah, we weren't trying to make fun of like anything that was happening to anyone else, but just trying to say like, okay, well, here's a joke about the inside of my apartment. Here's a joke about like what my body looks like now. What, you know, these kinds of things where it's like, this is, yeah, this is what you know. Yeah, and I mean, obviously comedy is subjective,

but I personally am always like, it's the funniest jokes are the ones where only you would be able to make that joke that's my personal opinion oh you know the other thing that's kind of like amazing about this group and like it's like a definitely a generation gap if somebody says something that is offensive to somebody else they just say like that offends me And then the person who says it says, I'm sorry. And then they say, it's okay. And then they just keep going. Okay, so what do you do?

Like you've talked about how a lot of times comedy can be a great thing where when you're feeling down or you're feeling low, it can be a way of finding some bright spots or kind of bringing yourself a little bit back out of it. What's something that made you laugh recently? Yeah, no, I mean, I think that, you know, I spend a lot of time at home now and I think the dog, I have a dog who's been pretty quiet. Amazingly quiet. Yeah. Amazingly quiet. This is the longest

I've ever heard your dog go without barking. But yes, he makes me laugh a lot. Like, I think it's like, it's very helpful to have like either a really good show or like a book or a pet or a partner that like really makes you laugh a lot. And my partner makes me laugh a lot too. But yeah, the dog really just makes me laugh all the time. What's the last thing that Loaf did that made you laugh? Loaf is your dog. your dog? Yeah, he really is. He's really clumsy. And so he'll really, he'll walk into things a lot or fall down. He, he's too long to scratch himself. So he tries to scratch himself, but he can't. So then I kind of go in there, you know, he's pretty much classic dog. And so, you know, sometimes he'll, I don't know, like he'll look at me while he's pooping. And that really makes me laugh a lot. Like, I'm like, why, why do you need to look at me right now? But he'll like kind of turn so that he's like making eye contact with me while he

does it. And I always think that's really a unique quality. Okay. Okay. So now we're going to actually be joined by one of Joe's comedy students. This is a comedian who was featured in Joe's new special, Good Timing, on Peacock. We have comedy star Barbara Bova joining us in this Zoom call. I think she's here. I just lost it. No, you're here. Come back.

Oh, no, you're here. What? We hear you. We can hear you. Okay. But we can't see you. But you're muted come back oh no you're here what we hear you we can hear you okay but we can't see you but you're muted barbara you want to try talking barbara oh okay and you're wearing headphones it looks like right yes thank you so much for doing this we really appreciate having you on could i just say i had dental surgery that's why i I'm wearing it. Oh, okay. How did it go? It went well, very well.

Oh, good. You're feeling okay? Yes, thank you. So, Barbara, I wonder, can I just have you first just introduce yourself? Okay. Hi, my name is Barbara Bowman. I'm recently retired from NYU School of Law. I'm a volunteer. I work and I just had a service today with the

Actors Temple Synagogue, which I enjoy very much. And I'm here at the invitation of Joe Firestone, which has taught us so much about comedy and gigs. Barbara, what did you learn about comedy from Joe? comedy and gigs. Barbara, what did you learn about comedy from Joe? Timing. Why can't people tell good jokes? Timing. And just how to look at various things in the room and just start saying things about it.

And then jokes come from that. Just start describing things or naming things. I'd love to dive a little deeper into timing. What's the trick to timing that you've learned from Joe? Surprise them, I think. Yeah. Yeah, like with a punchline. Say the punchline very seriously or whatever.

I like that. And I also feel like the idea of finding anything and then describing it in your own unique way as a source of comedy is very true. And are you going to keep working on comedy in your future? Oh, yes. Thank you. Yeah. Learning so much. I don't want to stop. Yeah. Learning so much. I don't want to stop. What's what's your favorite. What's the funniest thing that's happened in the class with Joe? Some surprises we had on a show that we were doing some various ways people came in and were on. They how they portrayed themselves in our comedy show. Can you give me an example? One guy was almost naked.

You know, like that. Like that. Silly things. Definitely unexpected, for sure. How has taking a comedy class changed the way that you look at the world? Oh, much kind of. Because when you see something, you think you don't like it. You make a joke about it.

You laugh and you're happy. And it's all good. What advice would you have for people who want to be funny? Who are listening? Okay. I'm in a position to give advice. I don't know. It's get into a group and

you know, like when Joe gives where you have to give a sudden answer, do that and you'll learn from that and come up with a gig, come up with a commercial. Joe kind of brings this stuff out in us.

Like I wouldn't be thinking of oh, let me respond to a word and maybe it'll be funny or let me look at an advertisement that's gone awry no but in in the room in the workshop where uh for so joe brings these things out in us that we wouldn't have gotten on our own barbara well you did the bumper sticker. Do you remember what you wrote for the, it was like, we're coming up with new bumper stickers and you said one and everybody could not stop talking about it. Do you remember what it was?

Was it look up from your phone? Yeah, that one, people wanted to make that one. It's a good motto now. Yeah. Well, I would love to hear. Can you share any other of your jokes with us? Any other personal favorites that you've come up with, Barbara? A new name for LaGuardia Airport.

de Blasio. Or Cuomo, only departures, no arrivals. Okay. What's your favorite joke? Oh, I love my, the guy walks into a bar. As a matter of fact, it was my friend, Salmonella. He walked into a bar and the bartender said, please don't go near the food. Incredible.

I love that. I love that. Salmonella. I love love i love the bar joe uh-huh how did you meet sal i'm just kidding i know i got it well barbara one thing that joe and i have been talking about on this in this interview before you got here was the way in which comedy can change the way that you look at the world and do you find that in your own life? And how do you find, how so? Yeah, I believe that's true. There's a lot of tragedy out there. It doesn't mean we have to listen to it 24-7 on TV.

And also, yeah, sometimes you do get sad over things legitimately. But you have to try to get back, if not neutral, funny. Because we could only, our goodness is all good so if we're not feeling good we're not on far we're not even with our true our true inner self in order to be with our true inner selves we have to feel good because we are all good. So comedy helps you get there in a tough world. Have you found that taking the class has kind of helped like build a habit for you where now you look around the world and you notice funny things more than you used to? Yes. Yes, I do.

People on the street, cars. Like what kind of things? What are the things that you notice? Sometimes the way people interact with their dogs. I have a dog and walking on the street, sometimes they want to stop and sometimes they want to go and sometimes they smell all around and yeah, interacting with other dog walkers. Joe was just telling us about how her dog has to make eye contact with her every time he poops. Well, my dog, when I'm walking her and she's ready to poop and I don't realize it right away, she says, Mommy, I have to stop now.

Sorry, I have a question. How does she say that? Great question. Yeah. Like that. Okay. Okay. Okay, Barbara, my last thing is, so Joe is your teacher.

She's your comedy teacher. But if we flip the tables a little bit and now you were teaching Joe about comedy, what would be your comedy note for Joe? If you were like, here's what I think you can do a little work on to, to be funny. Yeah. I didn't say anything. I don't know what I could do with that. I'll tell you one thing that I might do, but it's not, it's not a good thing. I would probably be more would be critical. And Joe is so accepting of everything and so loving of everything. So I would strive to be more like Joe. But I'm not there yet. Well, perfect note to end on.

Thank you so much, Joe Firestone. Thank you so much, Barbara Bova. And congratulations on your new comedy special. Good timing. Incredible. I can't wait to watch it. Thank you. Thanks, Chris.

That is it for today's episode. I am your host, Chris Duffy, and this has been How to Be a Better Human. Thank you so much to our guest, Jo Firestone, and her comedy student, Barbara Bova. Their new comedy special is called Good Timing, and it is available on Peacock. On the TED side, Thank you. walking into a bar of any kind. Ann Powers, who likes her coffee the way she likes her coffee. And Cara Newman, who changes a light bulb the normal way. From PRX Productions, How to Be a Better Human is brought to you by Jocelyn Gonzalez, who asks herself, what's the deal with podcasts? Pedro Rafael Rosado, who makes sure this thing is on. Is this thing on? Is this thing on?

And Sandra Lopez-Monsalve, who will be here all week, folks. Try the shrimp cocktail. Thank you to you for listening. Share this episode with anyone who you like to laugh with or who makes you laugh or just you think would enjoy the episode. We will be back next week. Thanks so much for listening and supporting the show. We'll be right back. Just workouts and classes to strengthen who you are. So no matter your era, make it your best with Peloton. Find your push. Find your power. Peloton. Visit Peloton at onepeloton.ca. The Apple Watch Series 10 is here.

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