Last Podcast On The Left - Episode 383: Q&A

Episode Date: September 20, 2019

On the last day of our UK/European tour we recorded a Q&A episode in Berlin. You asked, we answered.

There's no place to escape to. This is the last talk on the left And just nostalgia nostalgia is you don't know Berlin. Yeah Honestly looking out here, we're right on the line of the wall. This is fucking awesome We're in Berlin right now for those of you don't know. Yes in Berlin, Germany. We are literally in Berlin It's my motherland fatherland. Whatever it is. It's a land No, and it's very surreal to be here our dire travels have brought us here and welcome to the all Q&A Relax fit episode. That's it. Welcome to the show everyone. This is the relax fit last podcast on the left I want to thank everyone who submitted questions

We had many of them and they were all wonderful and we did have I am Ben number one. That's Marcus and Henry of course Yeah, and also thanks to everyone who came out to our live shows. This is our final day of the tour We're recording this on Wednesday, so we have one more show tonight and we cannot wait to perform for the Germans I mean, we have a lot of hecklers in Stockholm, which is fun. We had fun Yeah, you had one heckler who was heckling you about aliens, which was the nerdiest heckle we've ever had to gravity Well, I know I know I know because it's hard because the show the live show as if those of you have seen it No, it's a little broader. Yeah, and our recorded episodes and so it's hard to get to the true nuts and bolts

It was truly amazing. Henry has never been heckled because Henry does an alien segment I do a wrestling segment Marcus does a conspiracy and during Henry's wrestling segment or during Henry's Aliens segment a dude really wanted to make a point about Gravitational pull of UFOs. It was he was obviously it was a correction And it's very difficult to address it Henry just looked at him be like this is not a Ted talk Thankfully he stopped interrupting at that point But anyway, let's get to some of these emails. Thank you all once again for submitting It's fun to think it's fun to analyze ourselves. Isn't it a little bit?

There were some there were some questions where it's like that's triggering There was a lot of like can Ben kiss'll read which was really fun. That was nice. I'm like technically Yes, I can read very very well in order to speak this much. You have to be able to read. It's a bit I Don't want to admit it. I don't want to admit it because technically it's a it's a it's a testament to my amazing acting skills You actually have become more of a shapeshifter. Yes, indeed I did a Boris Johnson impression during the live shows and I must say it is taking the state down Buddy, there's a new actor in town and he's big and he's beefy

My will where you have to do that Boris Johnson at my funeral It is my new favorite thing I think about it and I laugh when I need a little bit of a giggle my baby Marcus I'll be dead long long before you Man, who knows though who knows who knows now with these first questions We want to do so we had many many questions So we wanted to boil down like we've got two more specific questions We want to address a couple of ones that a lot of people ask that we're gonna kind of hit up top Yes, and one that I I mean the first one up which I think we have addressed many times in other mediums

But so many people have asked it be an email that I think that we should just do it real quick Let's do it which is how did the boys meet? That's it. So it's been it's actually kind of an interesting story. We all obviously met in New York City coming from different walks of life Marcus was I was introduced to Marcus by a comedian named Mike Lawrence. You all might know Mike Lawrence He's a great roaster and he's also a great writer. He's a good man at the time Mike was living in my cellar So he introduced me to Marcus because Marcus was doing a program called Portraits of a comedian and indeed Marcus was like Ben You're just fat enough to be on the show and I was like, thank you Marcus Well, it was a cool. It was a show where I would go out and I would record local like New York City comedians live

And then interview them afterwards and I got to yeah I got to interviews like so many like cool dudes that are now like pretty famous like back then it was like You know like Rory Scoble, Camille, Nanjiani, Donald Glover, like those people. Did you ever meet him by then? That was he was I came into the scene right after he broke. He became famous immediately. Yes He became like Michael Che like nine months in interviewed that guy like that There was a lot of cool dudes that are now like pretty big in the comedy world I got to interview back then and Ben was one of those guys

It's completely insane the class that we came up with in hindsight now that we can reflect a little bit on the 15 years Mark Norman as well. Mark Norman when it comes to Donald Glover He was actually actually in a sketch group called Derrick Derrick and it was he and two other three other people two other guys And they were wonderful And we got to meet him a few times and I have to just say he was incredibly nice always and now he is childish Gambino his rap is like he's like unreal talent. No, he's very talented He's like unreal. We didn't understand the breadth of this talent at the time and now you're like I see you're holding back. The fact that he was remotely kind to us is like, ah, well, thank you so much

And so I So you guys met Marcus, but kissle and I had already been hanging out like we were already drinking Yes, we were drinking buddies I I will say Marcus and I bonded over our mutual love of Sasha Gray And and our mutual love of really disgusting horror films specifically cannibal holocaust So we bonded over Sasha Gray and cannibal holocaust and then Henry and I We met because you were in an incredible sketch group called murderfist Yes, and you lived with Holden McNeely who was also like we were all we're writing murder

And we also took over your entire apartment by turning into a rehearsal space and you loved it. I really did Oh, you really did. I didn't tell about the last year because it was about nine years of every night It was rehearsal rehearsal For murderfist, which you guys did rehearse, but then there was also just a lot of drinking a lot of drinks Spoken inside a lot of drugs But we did that inside the apartment But I think that that's a one thing that people talk about on the show being like this is it really did start pretty naturally

It did we were all just comedians And then I quickly introduced to Marcus within that time period because because of portrait of comedian And also just hanging out and getting fucked up and then we it did do the thing of I remember it was one specific night We were watching horror movies at Marcus's house and we were just ripping bongs It was one of those. Yeah, it was butterball. Butterball the best bong in the world Butterball actually ended up getting broke at a party that Marcus had and in this is the perfect Texan revenge He said you can get out of here. You can leave. I'm keeping your shoes You kept them in shoes and made him walk home barefoot because he broke your bong butterball was the perfect bong

It was a gift from a close friend that it had been broken in for years It was the it would like gave the perfect hit every time I love butterball so much back when I smoked weed. I don't anymore, but yeah, butterball was the perfect hit And uh, he was like, I'm so sorry. I was like, yeah, yeah, give me your shoes Fucking shoes that was back when you were true authoritarian. You were strong. You were a strong party leader At that time true, but we were so I I want people like to maybe understand Maybe we haven't explained it's like we were already doing comedy We were doing something to the point where Marcus was interviewing us acting as if we knew what the fuck

Yeah, and I was in radio like I was not in Like for me comedy was just like a path into radio because I never Once like thought comedy was going to be any sort of career path for me. Yes Yeah, it was a dead end. It was a fucking suicide trap No, it is comedy. Yeah comedy was a total accident because I had applied to a uh I had applied to a job at the onion like an internship at the onion on a lark And it just so happened that they were looking for a guy for onion radio news And then through that is where I kind of got put on the track to comedy that eventually led me to fucking Berlin

And for me, I knew so I I would go and visit the apartment that Holden lived with which uh with uh, Carly and uh with our friend cap and I just knew I had to get into that apartment And so a room opened up and I waited six months and I was able to move in and that was the biggest moment of my life Because I just as soon as I saw murder fist. I was like, I need to be friends with these guys But then I was truly we were truly friends It wasn't like a made-in-show business like because we don't schmooze. We're not good schmoozers because we're loud It's called, uh, it's fucked with our careers. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, because we just don't know how to like tell someone that They're not a fucking jackass if they're being a jackass

Um, but that was maybe the biggest moment of my life was getting to meet murder fist and and honestly just learn your process And follow you in your careers because at that point murder fist was the Krim and the Krim the top Sketch group in maybe the country. It was right as con white when you didn't again You didn't have to go to comedy school in order to be in a sketch comedy Right when you just used to be a group of guys or group of a bunch of people would get together And they would look at their influences and try to copy them, which is what we did for years trying to copy mr Show until I got my heart broken by sending sketches to bob odenkirk and he said that I was garbage Which is fun

But all of us have had a moment with some of our idols and we realized that Not always don't always meet your idols. That's all I'll say But I mean I was the same way with murder fist as well like when I saw murder first for the first time Like it was dark weird funny original like it was everything I Always wanted like in a comedy group and I was the same way. It's like for me. It was like I Like I have to work with these guys like I have to do Something with these fucking dudes. It was honestly the antithesis to Saturday Night Live Which was just this you know PG bunch of garbage at that point and it was just so badass. So

But you know this is just a good reminder like it created this this place right where everybody kind of got together And we all became genuine friends. Yeah, like because round table came out of that Original like that first grouping with you guys meeting murder fist energy and that turning into what would become CCR which would become lpn. That's right and round table round table was kevin barnett and I are at p bird luger We love you forever Kevin and I want to do a podcast together. So we approach marcus and we're like, let's do a show and I had all the I had all the toys you did everything as always. We're like, I think you'll do everything if we don't let him know that he's doing everything Um, and then slowly but surely it added we added eddie and then jackie was like

I want to be on the show And then jackie was on the show. No, she didn't say I want to be on the show She said she came in on a gas and then she cornered me in my home and said I'm on the show Which is also the story of me getting on last podcast on the left. Yeah, the zebrowski's fine The zebrowski strong arm. Well, you just understand you have to do the linda b johnson move Like your fly has to be open. We have to press somebody against the wall We're the we're you guys just sort of last podcast and left just straight up as horror movie Just a horror movie podcast

Yeah, because which is where the name came from it's people to ask about that being like it does really just came from You guys technically came up with the name. I had nothing to do with them They came up with the name Yeah, because we were because at that point we were just trying to do whatever we could as far as like doing podcasts It's just like what what are we interested in? Let's do a show about it because we did because top hats older than top hat was the second show roundtable was the first top hat Was the second a marcus was doing sex and other human activities Um, I I had a sports podcast for a second for a second

We were just throwing anything that we could against the wall and the way that last podcast ended up taking off was because obviously Once henry came aboard henry and marcus had a had a mind meld that was brilliant And they were like we're gonna get this shit into some dark territory And the first time I realized how dark it was going to get is episode 50 Um with toybox killer and I was like, I don't know guys. It's getting pretty dark I don't know if this is funny. We really toyed but it was it was it was uh, you guys that really took it to that next place Which honestly nowadays it seems uh, it seems almost, uh Cute because now of course as we were talking about yesterday. There is a home

Flipping show called murder house now. Yep. I think it's murder house flip. Yeah, that's coming out. It's like oh, Jesus We are we have slid into the mainstream It does not make any sense but we actually started that because we realized at some point that there is a there is a um Whole wealth of material in the world that because and that's when I was really truly getting obsessed with coast to coast a Am and we were marcus and I realized like we will then just truly flip the conversations We were having about the subjects we were interested in into the show and then it was a probably around Episode I want to just straight up say I think it was about episode 100 right where we were like, all right

Now we're going to make this Research fucking up to our eyelids show. I had well I I can tell you which one that the research flipped on me Um was it was around the 70s. I think it was like 74 75 the satanic panic episode Yes, when you first time we all sat and read a book yeah for the show Yeah, but like I sat down because we were Henry wanted to do an episode on the satanic panic And I just picked up a book called satan silence Uh, which I was reading and it was like absolutely fantastic and I Wanted to talk about like all this shit on the show because there was so many the satanic panic is full of so many

Weird funny details. It's so much weird shit But in order to really talk about those funny details to give you guys Um to give you guys subjects to joke off like you have to tell the story you have to give context to all of this So that was kind of the first episode that you know, at least I realized like that we needed to like I have to give these guys a Story I have to give y'all a story How long have we had the outline the outline the outline I guess I mean, it's evolved the outline that I use for every episode has evolved over the years But when did we start using one start using one? I think around maybe edgine or maybe long before that

I don't I really don't know exactly when it flipped but I know we were using as far back as edgine Like when we were doing stuff like, you know, bundy and gasey like it was There was like kind of a loose outline but not anywhere near like it was now because back then it was that's part of why we're going to be um Covering all those guys in our book while we're revisiting right in our book because back when we did them We weren't doing the type of like super actual deep dives Right that we're doing now and that was one of the questions actually to answer it very quickly the book's coming out in april It's done like we we've given the the full

Everything for the publisher. It's done and it's it's coming out in april Yes, and this book is going to be amazing and when marcus says outline and this is for the people who want to get into podcasts It's not an outline. It is a full script We just Mormonism part four for example was 24 pages. This is what we're writing in a week So this is what you have a lot because we do get that a lot Be like what's your advice for you know? How do you break through and it's honestly just that much amount of work is required And the way that we've been able to sort of like first of all grow as as entertainers and as people

But we we stay above a lot of the fray because we don't just focus on ourselves. No one cares I always hate that when it's like someone who's like this podcast is all about me and how I feel It's like no one really cares, but that's kind of what I'm almost scared about this episode is that I don't It's very I know like we can do it once every 376 episodes how's about that? But you know if you want to do a podcast have content And then from that so then people can learn and it's not just about you And then people can learn about you through the content

But also marcus and I when we go into producing the episodes a part of it is understanding that the entire either series or the entire series needs an a Act one act two act three, but each episode also needs an act one act two act three needs to move and move into place Which is we're still Working on yeah, and it also like it needs a perspective because like in in the like every single time when we're Working on an episode and especially like when I'm about to start when I'm about to start writing a script because I write At at the very least 15 pages every single week like for the last like I guess 200 weeks or so Like I've written a 15 page script like every every single week

And what at least me and Henry found is when we didn't talk to each other Before I started writing when we didn't like really talk through like what the perspective what Angle we wanted to come from what our percent what our different thoughts were On the subject we would have to re-record episodes because when me and Henry went into that a couple times and it Well, it did It sucks So bad to like write and you go in and you like you record it and it's like an hour and a half It's an hour and a half and then you know it's sucking

You know I have to do it, but you're still doing you're locked you're locked into it the whole time And then and then there was always like we haven't had to do it in a very long time but there was always this Uh routine that we would have to go through we don't have to go through the motions where like we in the episode We're in the middle of it. We know we're gonna have to re-record it. We end it We know we're gonna have to re-record it, but I always have to say like okay I'm gonna go home and I'm gonna start listening to it and then I'll let you guys know Yeah, and then it's like I get 20 minutes in and I send the text. We got to do it again

Yeah, Ben you made too many Ruth Bader Ginsburg references We're gonna have to cut this episode so just to sort of put a button on the question of like how do we meet? Uh, that's basically uh it it was through friendship. It was very organic and you know, this is just a good reminder If you do want to be in the arts Um, don't burn bridges Be open to people find people that inspire you that motivate you don't hang out with because there's a lot of Bitter comedians in like year one. Yeah, like you'll you'll know I remember that I've been doing comedy for eight months. Oh, I hate the grind. It's like we're not even in it yet

Yeah, like we've never performed in front of a crowd. So, you know, if you do want to be in the arts Just surround yourself with people that inspire you that motivate you encourage you and people that truly make you feel Um, good and unfortunately smoking cigarettes is a really good way to make your friends. Yeah, unfortunately Yeah, that's the thing is like I'm I've yeah quit smoking cigarettes like maybe like four or five years ago But I do not regret starting Uh, it's how I met Andy Richter was because I smoke cigarettes. There are things that he learns. Yeah, so many so many things All right, so here's another general question Okay, the general question that it was that mass many times

How do we not kill each other? On the road and in life in general because we do generally have a very We have a very stable Friendship and I think a part of what we do is that we're really we have gotten good at having uncomfortable conversations and flatly expressing The problem that we might be having and then having like and letting it go like yeah, honestly all of the problems that we have I would say one of the bigger issues is I tend to be late Um, which on the road can be a pain in the ass

Uh, but even that's like not the biggest issue. None of us are doing heroin in the bathroom No, our biggest are truly the biggest fight we've had and it was and it was a genuine fight and afterwards You're just like what was about food on the road in various ways So we travel about how Marcus only wants pizza. He only wants pizza. No, I don't only want pizza That's what you guys don't fucking get. I don't only want pizza. No, you're gonna say you want a hot meal I know exactly what you're gonna say and what hot meal I know what a hot meal translates to pizza Yeah, well that's because a hot meal a pizza is the easiest hot meal there is

Just saying a hot meal to me just sounds like a homeless man could take a sheet and bucket and put a sandwich on a meal That's a hot meal, but kissle and I Sandwich people sandwich people because you get you get sustenance. You get bread. You get some veggies some vegetables cheese You never know what you're gonna get with the sandwich. You never know what you get with pizza Honestly, we are now fighting But also I actually because a lot of people I have several questions being like Why are Marcus and Henry always visiting museums and kissles always drinking alone and it's not that's not true I'm sorry kissle and I drink a lot together

Oh, yeah, um, they never said he but I you know what it really is is that we've realized as three adult men Uh, we can't control each other's schedule and the idea of me being like, okay boys We're meeting at the museum at one 35. Let's ruin this vacation Yeah, like because also Natalie has expressed to me because I am one of those. I'm a hyper I'm weirdly despite what you'd think about me. I'm a hyper planner I'm one of those when we go on vacation I was like, did I'm in it here and then I want to go over here and get coffee at this very specific Very specific patisserie because I read about it at my timeout magazine and then I'm going to go over here

And but Natalie show me I have to go more with the flow. You're gonna love Berlin. They're very regimented people as well No, it's a lot better or for worse Oh, so Berlin I'm gonna say a lot of small mustaches. I love Berlin. I think is a I think it's an iffy choice. It's an homage. It's an homage Well, another thing that we've also done on the road that we did from the very Yes, beginning even before we started like even when we were only doing like 50 60 people Like when we were going to Washington, DC and doing the Washington DC podcast festival

Which I'll always always which I'll always love but it was in an office room with For fluorescent lighting to be fair. We did headline. Yeah, we did We did just a piece of computer paper that was hanging off the wall that just said Washington DC podcast Yeah, and our you know in our long time fang like Claude came out like When he was in high school He had his parents drive from all from like six hours away unreal But what we did from the very beginning always Separate hotel rooms separate. It doesn't matter if you're in a motel six

Just spend the 79 bucks Because really, you know, all of us we get along very well because we're all actually very intense people But we're intense in different ways. Yeah, and so it it really is like a perfect marriage And I just can't sit in your shit smell. Yeah, no, I don't want to also that was a question Who fart smelled the worst and I'm gonna say I was the number one candidate But then Henry has taken the mantle but now Marcus. Yeah, it's definitely the minor pretty bad now Yeah, because I had to start taking I don't know what happened to him I had to start taking suppositories from my bleeding asshole that came from stress

Right and the suppositories one of the side effects is extreme flatulence because back in the day like I'm talking like This just relatively recently. I went to the bathroom in the green room and you all said I had to go to the doctor Yeah, you did. Yeah, because it was like it was bad enough. It was smelled like the lava of mordor I know what was happening in there. It smelled like the it smelled like the inside of your stomach lining is sliding out of your asshole It was like so basically That's the goal That is the goal and also like on the road like I'm also the type of person like I need alone time Like I've always been there. We all like that

Yeah, we all need castle goes on his adventures I go on my little adventures because I'm the food boy that needs to go to the food Experiences and sometimes people will join me sometime. I do not force anyone to join me. Thank god. You don't force us to do that No, but you wouldn't do it. I do I do I go to record stores when we go to different cities Uh, you the two of you have come with me on record shopping Trips exactly once Well, I don't understand why you don't just buy them online. It does sort of feel like because I do feel bad because it's not like You know like Natalie and I were in stock home at the at the ladies clothing store big bucket

I'm just kind of looking at my phone standing while she's she's doing shop and I felt like that watching marcus I'm just hassling marcus because he's watching me just going Oh, so that's a good one That's a nice one, huh? Me I'm picking up clothes for an alley which has been like this one's nice and she's like yes because there's holes for the tits Yeah, exactly. It's called crotchless panties Henry. I can't wear these to exercise Well, it's because I'm going there not knowing what I'm looking for. I'm looking for surprises No, that's why I don't want to hold I don't want to like harass you

So to just put a little button on that when it comes to friendships just know each other give each other space And again, just hang out with people that you truly enjoy Um, this was for you guys and we just kind of touching on what we spoke about a little bit earlier regarding How we all met and sort of one of our bonding things we we did get a few questions about chaos magic and people are wondering Are you guys still experimenting with chaos magic? Or was that more of a of I don't want to say phase But was that an experiment that you did and is it gone or what do you guys think about that? Let's let's uh get into it slightly

So I I will admit because I do believe because ideas that you lose all potency with magic rituals if you do not Talk about the things you got from them. I do not Believe that our success or what I what's happened to our sex? It does not have not anything to do with some of the works that were done when we Marcus and I were both like fervently into chaos magic So we were really concentrating in for a period of time. It was about 2015 So what were you guys doing in in that time? Well, I put together a whole for I did for heroes reborn I legitimately I tested for heroes reborn. I fasted for two days

I set up a literally like a vision board of what I wanted. I create a sigil I jerked off onto the sigil right and I fired it and I sat and stared at my phone With a heroes reborn like thing that I made in front of me just waiting for the phone call Did you think about maybe making it bigger so it wouldn't have gotten cancelled? That sir is chaos magic But but it also it led to a lot of chaos in my life that that was afterwards It really was true like seeing phantom things weird like literally weird wind Going through the apartment especially because I was in toronto at the time isolated things were really really crazy

But then I met Natalie and all that kind of stuff kind of like things got solidified In my life. I mean for me. I was doing uh chaos magic for mental health Like I was trying to use it like because I was trying to find any way to Break out of my own brain and to try to just to be able to live my life You know in a normal way where I wasn't just fucking absolutely insane all and at the time like I couldn't afford therapy Like I couldn't uh, like I was on medication Uh, but like I couldn't afford to go to the doctor a lot So I was wanting to try anything and I you know was using like masturbation to sigils like I was using it for

um Focus, uh, I was using it to just try to not lose my mind on a daily basis And it did mess things up a little bit It did make my mind a mess for quite a long time because chaos magic is Chaos and I was trying to use and I was for because for me like I was thinking like how do I bring order to my brain? I'll use chaos. I'll try to approach it from that angle And what I I don't do chaos magic at all anymore because I eventually figured out like the best thing For my mental health is therapy

Uh, I mean me too Of course, yeah, there. Yeah therapy and and the right, you know medication Well, although I well, but I because I would also like I would use it for like thinking in metaphor a lot and thinking in Um, like trying to find some sort of path some sort of shortcut Because I think that's what I was looking for at the end of the day I was looking for a shortcut to mental health and that's when I realized like there is There is no shortcuts when it comes to mental health at all like every day. Yes, there's an everyday work It is a long long long process that never ever ever ends

Well, especially when you've got like like me when when you're bipolar when it is a medical condition that Like I'm going to be dealing with until the day I die and you're very responsible Very that's honestly why you're saving lives because I mean in the mean greets Henry you can attest to this Marcus gets people who are Constantly like thank you for telling me it's not my fault, but it's my responsibility And like you are really helping people and that's so powerful But now I'm realizing Because because of the work that we have done because of my experience with chaos magic And because now of our like deeper and deeper reading as things could be deeper

Can't stop it. No you can't um, no we did this to ourselves actually he did this but uh now I uh I am now truly starting to starting to understand that chaos magic it is easy And that's kind of what it is and it's a really good introduction But actual magic works are a lifelong commitment to discipline That was a part of why and I'll reveal this too where it's like I I added working out into my life and work during things specific things into my life to create Discipline things that I need to stick to because I things I started reading about the idea of wanting your words to have more

More magical potency is that you you need to develop a dependability to yourself Like you can't lie you can't say make promises you don't mean like like try to really Hold yourself accountable for the things you say you're going to do and if you're going to and like try to do what you can To honor the things you're saying because if not your words hold no meaning and then literally they will hold no magical power And I think that the real Thing is the right hand path magic. That's the actual the other side, which is an actual deep commitment Which one day I will get to do and that's as simple as if you say you're going to go somewhere go there I mean or just be honest with yourself and say I don't want to go if I don't want to go say I don't want to go

but as a uh But now like knowing that like walking around Edinburgh like seeing this dude's been like Maybe one day I can retire to the uk and just become a fucking wizard Like just become one of these guys as he's shambling around covering ruins. Yeah, of course And no one will ever confuse you for like a little leprechaun. You don't have to be like I know i'm a wizard I'm not a leprechaun. I ain't got me gold and I keep my gold in the bank And for me personally, I didn't do so much chaos magic But uh, you know me I'm not much of a religious person because I grew up extremely religious and organized religion

I think is uh one of the massive detriments of humankind But uh for me it was secular humanism that I got that I really fell in love with and that's sort of If you look at satanism, there are tenets of satanism that are basically just secular humanism satanism is fun That's it's why it's the fun one. It's the fun one But so for me that was it where you realize like you're responsible for yourself You're in control But because you are in control and you are responsible you also have a lot of responsibility Um to make sure that you are you know heading down the right path

And it's not a god telling you this or that or what how to be it's you And so it's about taking personal responsibility Which I think is a a tenant of chaos magic as well It is all that's kind of what it comes down to and same thing with satanism It seems all kind of boiled down to these ideas of like you're you are in charge of yourself in your own territory And you were also responsible. Yes, exactly. That's really what it's about. It's like you're getting whatever you put out So understand that intrinsically that is what always happens So that's why I don't feel like I feel like that people get upset

I think we're in a we're in a time period right now where it seems that uh people The bad guys are winning a lot. It feels like they're winning with your anger as well. Yes I mean, obviously you have to be upset when you see things you disagree with But don't let anger take over your life because then you're paralyzed as people who are entertainers We've had a lot of friends who just had to stop entertaining Because they were so angry and it's like you have to be stronger than that Don't let the anger take hold you can continue to do what you do and that's how you beat the evil Well, you also just know that you when you give them that energy they feed on it. They love it

They get theirs I do believe that people live in a world of a hell in a hell of their own making all the time Well, we might go visit the bunker where hitler offed himself speaking of getting there. Yeah, man Look at throw down some yeah, it is a parking lot. We'll so throw down some peace signs if I can cool as shit You're gonna hip-hop shoot right in front of it. It's gonna be great. Absolutely Well, Marcus, I kind of want to ask you this question Obviously, we had a massive death in the music industry. Daniel Johnston died So we have a question here. What is everyone's opinion of the late great Daniel Johnston?

And I will just do what I have often done in my life. I will co-opt Marcus's opinion on this So whatever he says, I agree with you will co-opt my personal memories of Daniel Johnston. Yes, I will because now they're also mine Daniel Johnston means a lot to me and for a lot of different reasons like Daniel Johnston was the very first live show that I ever saw Um, my first concert was kid rock, but my I mean naturally you got to that's where the girls are honestly. I would have gone to that now Go to that right now. Yeah, kid rock power man 5000 was a fucking great show. That's awesome. Yeah, but my but my first like show Like in a club was Daniel Johnston. It was totally by accident

like I was on 6th street in Austin when I was like 16 17 like my because my dad is also I got my love of music from my father and so when we were like we were out on in Austin and he just took me out on 6th street and back in the late 90s If you were on the street with your dad Uh, you could just go up to a bouncer and say this is my son And let's can we come in and nice the bouncer would say yeah, of course. He's your son. You could do whatever you want You're obviously a good father. Come on. Hey, get in there. He's having a good time. We're beer in a set It's 1 a.m. On a Tuesday night. Let's go. Why not? That was still when you could go like your dad could give you 20 bucks to go

Buy him smokes at the store. Oh, yeah, that's what I always said. I went to mr. Moon I'd come back with a whole sack load of cigarettes sounds weird from the 1950s, but this is relatively recent history Yeah, I go get stuff snuff from my dad all the time Um, but but it wasn't like, you know, he was out there and like giving me a beer or anything like that It was just like he loved live music. He knew I love live music And so it's like let's just go out and just go and see some cool shit on 6th street And back then like 6th street was pretty still pretty fucking cool because you still had emos there And so we went to emos down 6th street in red river and just walked in

And it was Daniel Johnson just happened to be playing with Danny and the monsters Which was his project in the late 90s Uh, and I had never seen anything like it in my entire life. Like it was such a strange affecting personal performance Was this back when he wasn't playing guitar? It was so amazingly raw when he wasn't playing guitar. He was just singing. Yes Yeah, yeah, he just had a uh, he had a little music stand in front of him where he was like reading the lyrics He was going like it was also during a time when he was going a little more intense a little like he was screaming A little bit more, uh, and then like after the show

He just went over to uh, his little table and I went over and I got to talk to him I got to meet him and he was just he was the nicest guy I was because I told him it's like I can't believe like this is so cool. This is my first show I've never seen live music really before Uh, like it's so cool to see you and he was just like, thank you. Thank you so much and that's awesome And I bought his cd, uh, and I still have that cd like to this day like that he had printed off on a computer Like it wasn't on a labeler or anything like that Uh, and so badass like getting to see him and like and knowing absolutely nothing about it because I remember

Uh, and I still like left thinking like man, I saw somebody that nobody's ever heard of before And it was like a year later. I was watching mtv Yeah, like mtv 2 Uh, and it just so happened like that there was a daniel johnson like because you know, he was on mtv back in the day Uh, and they showed like an old clip of him and I like called my dad. I was like dad daniel johnson That's actually a guy. That's actually a dude. Like people know who he is That's so cool And then when I got to college and got to like college radio like I found out about like I heard like fun in

1990 and all these you know fantastic daniel johnson albums and then when the devil and daniel johnson came out Like when that documentary came out where he talks about his bipolar disorder what he went through and mixed with schizophrenia Like that like because it was that documentary came out A little bit before I got my diagnosis for bipolar disorder So it was like it was very helpful for me to watch that movie and to see somebody else go through it Were your parents able to understand what that was bipolar disorder? Yeah, we're god. Yes. It was the family No, it's a it is a it's a hereditary thing. So I could see that being difficult to try to tell your texas rancher father Be like, oh god. No, no, no, no

No, no, no that that is no that that I think that would be a stereotype my family is Extremely understanding of mental health and it's very serious. Like we're very serious about it I think if I told my father how I was feeling he'd be like, that's dumb I know if I did literally I remember calling my dad when I was like 19 I was just like, I don't like the way I was raised and literally my dad was like go to therapy and I was like, thank you Okay, I guess we'll end this conversation It was my father who recognized it for the first time because I didn't know what the fuck was going on I didn't know what I was going through but it was it was my father who recognizes like, okay, you need to get help

Like it's it's like it was one of those things like Unfortunately, you got it. Like your brothers didn't get it. You got it. So now you got to take care of the shit It's also segues into a really good question that someone asked about how do our parents relate and and react to our work My mother will text me if she sees someone in our shirt. Yes. Yes, and my mom got a free car wash. Yes She was really excited. So I guess the best way to say it is they don't listen They don't fully get it, but they're proud. My parents love it. They listen to every single episode Like they your mom is a true fan. My mom is a true. Oh your mother's lover. She's Love your mom is a city gal. She is a fucking hoot. Yeah, no, my parents have been extremely supportive of me like for

For my entire life like there there's never been a moment where my parents were like, uh, I don't I don't know about that They're like, all right. Is that this is what you believe in? This is what you're passionate about good. All right Let's let's cultivate my parents. I would not be here without them. They've been extremely supportive Well, none of us would be here without our parents Because they had to boink Yeah, they fucked each other But I will say just an extension of what Marcus was talking about with Daniel Johnston Um, the fact that you thought he was like, this is just my dude

Yeah, this is my guy get that reaction at live shows where like when we first started doing tours We get some people being like, I didn't know that like other people listen to you guys. Yeah Yes, which is really just a testament of being able to actually make a true connection with someone. Yeah, I hope so Yes, yeah, I got to see down in Johnston Uh, four times. Yeah, I got to see him that one time get saw him. Uh, I ended and began a South by Southwest one year With down Johnston performances and I got to see him, uh, in new york ones. It's so cool Yeah, and he was and he was amazing every single time I saw him He was so good and at one of those austin shows I got his parents were running the merch booth

So I got to buy a tea and like got to meet his parents and and got to uh, yeah It was very it was very sad when he died It was very very sad because after we found out we were in barmingham And so yeah after after we did the the meet and greet I went back to the hotel room And I listened to down Johnston all night and read comic books and had my own in texted with my friend james A nice little memorial I did all my work pretty much in a vacuum because my parents really couldn't uh understand it Well, I grew up. I was a bit of homeschooled

And so my mother had us do theater and I was cast as a tree two times. I really was How do you would have been a big angry tree? It was a talking tree So I've been talented for a long time. Yeah, I kind of did um, my mom started. Yeah, this is yeah It's a long story. I can't even I'm all good. Let's move on Um, here's a good series of more general conversation. Um, can we explain the process? How do we pick schedule topics and how much research do we generally do for each episode? Uh, well pick and topics usually yeah, me and Henry have a uh, large spreadsheet

Of god, I think right on the spreadsheet. It's got like what 60 or 70 topics on it Yeah, and then we'll just kind of randomly pick it's also like if something peaks our interests at a specific time Yeah, and then we have ones that we know that we want to hit that we also need our We know we're going to take a lot of time to put together then we have simpler episodes that we know that are easier to put together If we're in a really bad time crunch, especially with touring all the time And the book was also like pretty pretty difficult to juggle the book and the the weekly podcast schedule But you know, we but we've still got like these like Mormonism is one that like we kind of waited until we had time to go into it and now also like we have um

a great team of research assistants now like people that really help out with that and that That helps us to do like bigger series and it helps us to do like more in-depth shit Yeah, uh, where those those the research. Yeah, Joel and Rachel have been fantastic Uh lately and I will say we've had a lot of research assistants throughout the years But those are the those are the ones that are that are working with us now and they've they've helped out a ton They're awesome, and I will say it's a you all do a great job of keeping them Um shows alive with different content. So after this Mormonism series We're all going to take a breath and we're going to talk about aliens

Yes, and I was speaking with some fans about you know, it's like the when we do these really intensive Like Scientology or Jonestown come back with something like aliens and it's strange now to even say this But like now our lighter episodes are about serial killers sometimes because It's like serial killers are by far the easiest episodes because it's like covering these cults like the children of god cult I'm still traumatized by that series People Maybe could understand that we have to come up with a spin or our perspective on the topic So with serial killers, it's a little bit easier because you're doing a character portrayal

So you can kind of find the distalt or whatever it is that what you want to talk about What's like the main drive of this person from our perspective and it's kind of easier to boil down But something like Mormonism like we're we are truly at like I I've seen some like little critiques of our show That they say you guys just read a book and talk and it's like well Actually, it's not true like most of the time. It's several sources There's normally like a main source that we'd like to direct you towards that we used But also so you could buy the book and you can also Do your own fucking research because I think that's super important, but still like Mormonism. It's not just

No man knows my history. It is also like countless websites people's testimony Everything that we can get on the internet that I can fucking fold into my brain Try to read the book of Mormonism try to do all these kinds of same thing when we did Scientology It's not just like yes, it's a book about L. Ron Hubbard But then it's also the book that's Like it was the the book that was debunked about L. Ron Hubbard It's the from the perspective of Scientologists onto L. Ron Hubbard So you could see how they look at him

So you can also incorporate that because all of it is fodder for material Well, and that goes to another question that we received about Henry's characters So how much do you pre-plan when it comes to those because obviously, you know, your Israel keys your uh, that's final truth Like all of these characters are very iconic now starting with detective popcorn I think that was the first one that really took over with BTK and the hot dog squad But that was that was improvised But what what do you what's your process of finding the character and you know, sort of how do you interpret the people? I don't know what you do kissle

But sometimes when I get because Marcus will send me the first draft of the script and then what I'll do is I'll normally I have already been building either a character depending on whether or not I have decided because certain characters and certain stories the main character Will be something I will play and certain stories the side characters are more important It's right to develop like almost like a stupid Mini and nanny and hh homes for example. Yeah, where I didn't really play I did hh homes But mostly we are setting up the environment around hh homes Where like L. Ron Hubbard, I was doing a little bit more of an exact impersonation of L. Ron Hubbard that I was working on

But then something like Joseph Callinger when that episode came out. I came up with the voice I mean, obviously it was a complete ripoff of bernie made off. Uh, what's it bernie sanders a mixture of him and Larry david and Larry right because that's because Henry will sometimes like when we're working on the episode like Henry will Talk to me about like kind of like run by the carrot Like this is what I'm thinking about doing with this character and and we'll you know We'll discuss it like in the week leading up to the episode went up to the actual like recording And I have my own series of notes

So I'll start at notes and there I will start a series of notes And I will definitely write down jokes that I think of as I research through the week And then I when I get the first draft I will sometimes take those little bits that I come up with and I'll place them Into where they would be right and in accordance to the research that I've done on my own Because then I come it from one side and then marcus comes from it from the more official side And when it comes to the book just to plug that book it'll be out in april. I think it's a perfect Uh Interpretation of how we actually do that in the in the live show because marcus has the bulk of the um

Uh chapter and then we kind of come in with our little jokes for me Obviously I read the outline But I just like to be totally in the moment and I like to listen and then I like to make my little bits and skits When I feel like it's getting a little bit too heavy And what part of that question then the the ubrow is like what do me and you think is the most uh underrated Henry Zabrowski character and I would say for me it is helen Uh from the black widows episode I love those episodes. I love those episodes. Helen Helen the old the 65 year old los angeles woman who uh

um Do what is it murdered a series of homeless men in an insurance scam because that's right That was a great one. That's another voice that like I'll just kind of think oh halla. I'm halla. Yeah Yeah, I love doing that like that that that is my favorite underrated character Um, why hasn't there been an lpotl episode where the research was conducted solely by kissle? We did a little bit with benoit. Yeah, and then with um with uh west memphis 3 You did know a lot about that. Yeah. Yeah. I know a lot about true. I know a lot about criminal justice reform and stuff like that Um, I don't know. I mean, I think it's because it would probably not be up to snuff for marcus

Well, I think if you want an episode that's entirely researched by ben, that's called abelinkens top hat. Yeah I mean, honestly, I do know a lot about politics. Yeah, that's what that's my passion That's ben's passion. That's what ben knows ben those politics and you get a whole show for it Yeah, so you guys ready for a question and it's gonna probably get us in a lot of trouble Let's do it. What's your opinion on the death penalty? Do you want to do that? I'm against it. Okay, I'm against it. I've been against the death penalty since I was a child I'll never forget my dad asked me what I thought about the death penalty when maybe I was 11 years old And I was like, I'm against it and he's like why I was like, I just don't trust the government

I don't think they should put people to death and then that's it. Yeah, too many too many innocent people Get murdered. I was actually speaking with someone in sweden about who is from norway Yeah, and from oslo as a matter of fact, so I was like with brevic I was like so that dude as a matter of fact this was at the airport Mm-hmm. Just so happened to be sitting next to a fan and he I was like, but brevic is gonna get out in 21 years Right, like he doesn't have life But apparently he's like no he won't because they do have a clause where it's like if he's a public risk They stay in jail for life. Yeah, but I was like, but he's still getting treated pretty well

And it's like, yeah, this was a chance for norway to prove that everyone is treated equal under the law He's horrible, but he still gets treated humanely. Now, of course, this is we're very testing Because it's like he's a horrible horrible piece of shit monster Um, you did horrible things, but I think that um, there's something I Very good about that because in the u.s. We live in we don't have a justice system We have a straight-up punish system. Yeah, and there is no reform. There is no rehabilitation We just want to see people suffer and a lot of these people are in there for reasons that uh, all right You know of circumstance. I am deeply conflicted only because I believe there are some people that are literally monsters from

Is it life or death sentence? I mean, I just feel like birthdays are for the die I know then rolls. Yes. I but I'm just saying like why what's the point of the government going in there and be like I'm gonna inject you with this fucking needle. It's like you're going to die Look at the world that we live in now. These a lot of these characters get built up I feel like it's almost just their sheer existence of still being around allows them to sort of I it's weird because magically I believe in the idea that you can house them and watch them wither, right? And like the way that a btk just sits in jail and withers and you can write him a letter But you have to fill out his

You have to have a pre-interview with him. It was easier to get dead accurate on the show We're so that's the kind of thing and then I'm very conflicted because there's certain people where it's like, you know I I think that they should just be exed out like the people who do certain crimes They should just be fucking like you don't deserve to be around anymore Just your sheer energy being in the world is a bad thing But then it's also who we expect like who is the person that's allowed to be the judge of who should live or die I mean these judges are maniacs because you're starting to get to like a series of degrees here because what you're saying is that there is What that gets to is if like you can only execute someone if you're like a thousand percent sure

That they're guilty, but you can't execute execute someone that you're only a hundred percent sure that they're guilty Like it has to be equal protection Under the law because that's so many so many innocent people get murdered by the state every single year It happens again and again and again. There's so many there's been so many cases that have been proven Guys who have been executed that have been later exonerated through DNA evidence or through, you know cops saying like yes I lied on the stand, you know that the people that have been put away by like false testimony It is just you know humans a human justice system is Not infallible. No, I have never a robot justice system. I don't know

Um, but yes, if you do want to hear more about the justice system I talk about that quite a bit on abling and stop at and yes the we live in a very vengeful vengeful society Well that I do agree with I do believe the idea is that it's expressing but then also is it not good to purge The inner violence of that's a movie. I mean, but I'm not talking about the purge But is it not good to sort of do a ritualistic purging? I don't think violence is ever the way to cure violence. I don't know. I've been doing it for forever. It's not working I don't think it helps. I don't think it helps at all like it used to be a willing person We used to sacrifice up to the to whatever you oh my god

Would we your anthropomorphism version of the universe whether it's like the Mayans and the asexual people remember that when we were They were chosen to be sacrificed that you lived a great life Or maybe we should actually do that where actually it's the best of society They should choose to be sacrificed to the universe for the ongoing welfare of us as a species I think we've moved beyond that. Yeah, I think we're super superstition. Oh, I know we've moved you want to be sacrificed No, I'm me. I'm not one of the best of society Malala, so it's funny to go to yes, great. I went to the Swedish history museum Yesterday, uh, and it was really funny that like their section on like Christianity like the Christian iconography

section that they had was I mean some of those beautiful things because I'm I love Christian iconography and like old 15 16th century artwork Right, uh, and what's funny about Sweden is like they were talking about Christianity like it was in the past Yes, well come to America these things that did that be used to believe in here in Sweden And it's like, oh no, there are a lot of people who still are very much into shit We had a meeting or straight up meeting in Sweden with with We had a meeting and the first things out of them one of the first things we're like, well, this is a godless country Like the whole thing and I was just like So refreshing we cut off your johnson. Thank you

Um, here's a silly question. Can mr. Fantastic satisfy galactus sexually? No, why wouldn't he be able to? I don't believe that galactus as he exists now has a sex drive possibly before when he was still a man He didn't have a fucking the Mormon god The galactus origin story is very messy and not many people have a and not everyone has agreed on exactly what it is But I do not believe That galactus has a sex drive and if he did have a sex drive Then the silver surfer would have taken care of it Oh, it was like his slave, right? No, well, he was his herald

What do you mean, mr. Fan what using the ultimate nullifier? I don't understand that wrapping around his cock That's who's saying that he could be able to stretch and he'd be fit around his dick and Fit around his dick. Yeah, I don't I don't believe that the galactus is a sexual being at the at this time as well He might get it back if he was a massive viagra before when he was still a man Yes, or not a man wherever whatever planet he was from Do you think galactus's penis though would be if he did have a penis would be strong enough to tear through the Whatever mr. Fantastic is when he's stretchy No, because uh nothing as far as I know nothing has been proven to tear through mr. Fantastic

So it wouldn't tear through so it might he's just gonna wear him as a condom Yes, well, I'm sure that mr. Fantastic is not infinitely stretchable. I'm sure he has some sort of breaking point Interesting. Yeah, although unstable molecules the material from which the fantastic fours uniforms are made are theoretically Uh infinitely stretchable. Well, this is sort of a question that has to do It's kind of sexual and well, this is a sexual question. Um, are any mass shootings out there sexually motivated? There's a people that this is an interesting series of questions because they want to say like what is it some Is it a form of sexual release? I think in america it has become

This is obviously just fucking my opinion from what I'm looking what we've read and what we've seen It is now just becoming a way to get heard and then it's actually the closer to it's it's missionary killing It is a it's about making a point It's not like a serial killer who views a lot of times a serial killer Well, we've good if you know like obviously the again have been but like a serial killer It's a private series of rituals and almost artwork. It's a personal expression Where a mass killer is doing it on purpose to be picked up by the news quite a bit What about someone like an elliot rogers? Obviously he wasn't hard driving around there, but it was certainly

Sexually motivated because he was an insult. I feel like the gun actually replaces it. It does replace the the cum Yeah, we've mentioned this on stage during our live show as well. I think it comes from a place of anger But you know what you're talking about like serial killers versus mass shooters like serial killing Is defined by you know, three or more killings with a cooling off period because it's about A release and distinct mo. Yeah a distinct mo. It's about a release and it's about something that can be replicated That's the thing about serial like serial killing is something that has to be like they replicate it over and over and over again That's why some of these guys take trophies why some of them return to the scene of the crime because they're trying to replicate that feeling But mass shooting is a one and done deal like it's an explosion. It's literally cum

It's an ejaculation of violence. Yeah, and I'm sure many of those guys are hard as the dickens You think so entire time. Yeah the virginia tech Um sung cho sung cho man just the it's the uniform It's also dependent the way they do it too I think and I think that now we're gonna see now that we have so many different flavors and shades of mass shootings And then you can really see but they they seem to all kind of go along the lines Which is they have now they believe that they are that this is their shout to the world Yeah, but I mean, I but I don't believe Howard Unra was sexually motivated in any way

No, he was completely he had just um, I think the term is cuckoo for cucko puffs. Yeah, I think that was it. No He's just angry. Yeah, he's a very powerful. He's angry. He's narcissistic that because that's the other thing too about these guys Is that it's it's a large streak of narcissism where they do not care about anybody else but themselves They want to put their pain on you. It's an insanely Selfish act and it's also people who literally view the world through television or through the internet and they don't actually experience Reality so they don't have any connection with human beings And they really do believe all of the bullshit that's spread out there that all humans are horrible And they're the ones who are going to purge purge the society of the evil ones

That's what you see if you see a dude with a Heath Ledger Joker shirt on buy him a cup of coffee Like honestly just buy him a cup of coffee try to say hello try to befriend these people I'm very excited for Joaquin Phoenix's Joker. By the way, I've been looking into it even more My controversial opinion is that I fucking don't want to see I want Batman. No, it's not a I know I don't understand this about you. It's about the bad guy. It's about the Joker But it's too it's king of comedy, but without Batman. It's just king of comedy. You know what I mean? No, it's Batman. Batman's gonna be be somewhere I hope he at least shows up or they talk about the Batman

No, because it already shows in the trailer that he is talking to Thomas Wayne Which is Batman's father and so if Batman's father is still alive That means that Batman is either Bruce Wayne is either either had been not born yet Uh or Batman has not been born yet. Yeah, Bruce Wayne has that night in crime alley After they watch after the Wayne family went to see a late night showing of mask of Zorro Oh, did they not think that that was going to be a wonderful night? Yes They did and then unfortunately in the alley joe chill took down Thomas and Martha. I thought it was jack napier

That's well, that's a different that's a whole different check that beer. No, no, no, that's just for the movie That was just the movie. Yeah, Joe. Yeah, Joe chill is the in the official canon in the comic books. Joe chill is the guy that killed It's also why don't like Gotham. I don't need to watch fucking Batman Muppet babies All right. I want I don't like Gotham. I don't like Gotham. I don't know all these people without Batman. No, I understand that but this is the Joker. This is peckle Joaquin Phoenix is going to be untouchable. He's going to be great. Obviously that is that He's a no brainer my friend. I agree. I agree. You know what I mean All right. Well, let's see. We do have one question about my punditry. Do you guys want to answer that?

Oh, yeah, sure. So how we feel about you going on fox news. Yeah, what do you think? I think I get a lot of reaction to that. I think you can do whatever you want I'm glad that you don't produce for them anymore because I think that that made you it was Put you in a different frame of mind in a different set of thinking and you know that That was like a part of when you have to fully generate content for the channel Well, it wasn't to be fair. It was the comedy show red eye, which was like, you know, it was a little bit different And it was so dumb and not dumb. It was so light. It was just it was dumb. It's goofy. It was but then of course Trump changed everyone's I saw I had a lot of really good friends of mine who I knew were conservative

But I was like, all right, at least they're not like stupid. Yeah, but then Trump Got it changed a lot of people's brains. Yeah, and then it became extremely difficult To sympathize so after trump won that election. I was like, I can knock on a news core Uh in this fat in this way, but you know, I don't know the question is the question is for you guys though But I I mean, I love going in there and arguing honestly I love it because it's like my favorite thing in the world But when I want you to do your hits, I know that you are you are unfortunately the you're the reasonable one Like when you go in there, you're the one that actually is

Like so they need people like you to be able to go in there And you you have to be on foxes. I just want I also just don't want to represent like people who are a little bit left Leaning like such an elitist like such elitist assholes Like you can be cool. That's the funny thing that you know, you're on uh on fox news like you are the crazy liberal you Yeah, yeah Like ben kissle is the crazy liberal. Just not a racist. Yeah, that's all it means. That's it. I mean, it's like of course like, you know Like I I appreciate you going on there and like given a different perspective, but I mean personally I mean, I do think that fox news is uh genuinely evil

Yeah, I think they're evil. I think that they are evil in the most cynical way in the world where it is manipulating people's brains and many manipulating people's thoughts and emotions in order to make money, which is one of the most evil things I think People can do is manipulating people's emotions and thoughts and not caring about the consequences Of doing that just because you need a bigger paycheck is I think and you don't do that I know you don't know. I would also say the fox news has been doing that on a daily basis For decades now television lives. They have ruined families They have changed people

irreparably Forever and I I truly believe in in the future people I mean, I know people look back and look on it now like this But in the future, I think people will truly look at fox news as a truly Evil force in the late 20th early 21st And there's a great documentary about that as a matter of fact something about like how fox news changed my dad or something like that Because you actually you really illuminated something for me when you really started working there at first before trump You were really it's true. It's like

All people on all channels on every one of these new channels. They are essentially actors There are they're all actors. No, they're all actors. No, I I agree with that But the problem is just having the wherewithal to know it like my my dad has sucked in a vortex of fox news Because he just watches it and he thinks trump is funny You know, I'm like it's that kind of thing where we had the idea of the blending of entertainment and facts has become so insane I mean, you're talking to three people. We you know, we do edutainment. That's what we do but a part of it is trying to really

Draw the line between well, these are the facts These are our funny opinions about the facts and these are jokes like what do we do to we I feel like it's a constant Balancing act that's why I don't go on fox news as a comedian because I don't think politics are very funny And if you listen able against top that probably notice that I'm a funny guy, but I'm not like trying to tell jokes or be satirical I'm trying to actually provide information because these are very serious things Um, but I will say working seeing how the sausage is made of television news Was was fucking fascinating. Yeah, and no one please god do not get your information from tv news You can pick up tidbits every now and again, but it is 100% entertainment

It is not real the way that the frame everything look no further than the lead up to the iraq war If you want to see how the fourth estate has been bought and sold 10 times over So please do not get your information from television news, but watch it for entertainment, it's editorializing and maybe you can learn something along the way But if that's the only place that you're getting information, this is why we have donald trump and I also loved I've loved hearing the inside stuff from you when you were like really doing it like one of the most Illuminating things is when you said you were about to go on the air with a guy and he was he was telling you his actual My god, I was so pissed that he was telling you his actual opinion and then he went on

This was about torture. So I was doing Kennedy's show. It was on fox business And You know, so this guy who's a general he was telling me he's like he's like, of course Waterboarding this torture. It's like the worst thing you never go through. I was like, oh, cool So I'm watching in the green room and he got on television. He's like, no, it's not torture Anyway, it's just like got like drinking water too fast. Just making jokes and I was like you motherfucker you just lied to the american people and That was another realization and if saw it happen on hln also

Um, where people say one thing in the green room and they go on television and they just blatantly lie and uh, you know It's weird. I've met a lot of conservative politicians and meeting them is very bizarre Because they are different people in many ways and they all look like me same little bodies Yeah, which is unfortunate for us with godlike bodies. Of course. That's what cherub like gods But anyway, so that's a little bit and if you want to watch my fox news clips you can go to ben kissle on youtube I got a whole channel arguing with people. Okay. Here's another good one Do you think that we've ever been properly investigated by the cia or the quote-unquote men in black? Do you think that we are on like legitimately?

Do you think that on some level we are on a list anywhere? Well, there was a period of time when me and you henry were talking about 9 11 episodes around the 9 11 episodes there was a period of time when every time me and henry Would call each other uh on the phone to talk about the the episode where we would hear a click the series It clicks like we would hear a click at the beginning of the conversation And then the second we started uh the second we were done with uh the 9 11 stuff and started having like friend Conversations like just about like our lives. There would be another click Uh and they and I had never I did not hear it on any other phone conversation that I had with anybody else

Uh, I and then it abruptly stopped. Yeah, because now we don't it's later because we don't hit as much That I can see yeah, that was the one I mean besides the fact that I get pulled by security at the airport It's because you're a maniac, but I am I am don't you couldn't visibly tell I'm a maniac. Yes, you can Why because you look like a maniac. I do dress outlandishly But I get pulled all the time Yes, because you got frazzled hair. It looks like you're just ready to blow up a plane But we also don't do the same conspiracy heavy stuff that we used to do no because it got too fucking real

Because once alex jones became mainstream it ruined conspiracy. It's not being fun. Yeah. Yeah, but uh, I I I really mean this was when I I would like to get back to it when things are different Let's put it that way when people can still have fun with it and play with it Yes, then I would like to go back to discussing those topics, but I would say you look at co-intel pro you look at a cia Um operations over the years. I have a lot of friends who are democratic socialists They all firmly believe like half of them are Who knows but you look at public that's one of my whole things like I'm not like I I don't I think there's a massive invasion of privacy It's happening at all times especially it's more obvious honestly in european countries

It's way more obvious the cctv shit is way more obvious coming in out of customs You can do the the fast express where you just get your picture taken, but i'm a professional entertainer I love getting my picture taken and I also there's a list where you can find online where I'll be At any time whatever so I will just be I am I live in public Yeah, we all you know, I'm not worried. I mean I think we quite possibly have a file somewhere But I would also I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't like I wouldn't be surprised that the cia doesn't give a fuck about us That's the thing and honestly though, but people You got to remember like the patriot act is very real and the government has a lot of power and a lot of ability

To track you and so don't pretend like they're not because they definitely are yeah get a vpn folks Yeah, yeah, perhaps I mean I actually feel truly bad for actual introverts for people who do really want to to be left alone Because it's not possible anymore. All right What would you say one of your most formative life experience has been like just a one that is either for good Or for bad. What is something that you you ran into? that was like Oh, oh no, or oh, yeah. Well, I mean for me. I think you guys probably already know this answer When we started doing foster care when I was 12 years old

Immediately grew up all my toys were had to be given away Which is not even close to the worst thing that happened our first two kids were both molested by their father So I immediately realized that like dads fucked their children and that was quite an eye-opener for a 12 year old Ben kissle Um, so I saw the worst parts of humanity. I remember one girl we had she had a bunch of Burned coils on her butt because her mom used to sit her on the top of the stove when she was crying That didn't stop her from crying. I'll tell you that much. No, and I was like, why is that happening? So that for me was like

Shit dude people are evil And that's probably why I have a very dark sense of humor and probably why I started drinking at 12 years old Yep Just to relax. I've literally I was I was a hager detective by 12 I would say uh One of my fairly recent I guess something that just comes to mind. I guess if we want to relate it to the show Uh was a live show in baltimore Uh about I don't know like three four years ago something like that the very first time we did a bigger show

Oh my god, that was awesome because like I'm not a live performer like I've been in radio for almost 20 years now But I had uh, but I got in a radio specifically because I wanted to do entertainment I liked doing entertainment, but I didn't like people looking at me. Of course and radio was perfect for that um, but Doing live shows was like a something that I definitely had to ease into and get used to over the years Uh, but going on stage in baltimore at auto bar. That's right. I love auto bar. I love baltimore and all that Uh, but you know, it was the first time going up in front of like 300 people and the fear that I had Walking out on stage was like nothing I'd ever felt in my life. Like I have to go out here. I have to not

Fuck up and for me. It was always like I don't I I can't disappoint you two guys Like I can't like but you know, that's why we yeah, I know but I was like yeah, but you're always safe We they're doing it. Yeah, but I can't let but I just know of course I understand like I can't let these guys down like You know, I depend on them. They depend on me like I can't let them down Uh, but jazz but with comedy. It's about the words you don't say that's right And there's like a list that we you can't you can get fired if you say like a lot of those words Yeah, but it was about like, you know, just being up on stage and being able to like breathe in and breathe out and getting through That intense stage fright and like just saying like I don't even know what I said

But like I said one thing that got a laugh and it was like Okay, yeah, I can do this like I can I remember you said Why do we drive on the park ways in park on drive way? How do you know if yogurt's gone bad? Oh, mr. Warnke What about you, Henry? All right, let me do two. Are you I say bad slash neutral was I had a bad trip when one new year's eve Right. I just ate too many mushrooms and

It under I understood because by then I'd already been Experiencing hallucinogens quite a bit, but I end up like I thought I was dying I got into a car. I tried to leave this party We had all burnt our shirts in a bonfire and then we were cold And then I I remember Eddie had a Santa hat on and he was like some people gotta go He was like being real easy writer It was like one of those nights where the music was too loud and everybody was getting way way way too fucked up Like mixing a lot of drugs

And then like I tried to go home and then I remembered like I was like I'm straight enough to get in the car and then the car was too big And I was like way too small and like I got home and I had a full on like Scream cry inside of a shower thing that the shower was gonna make me better And then I ate a couple of zany bars to try to pass out and then I woke up gurgling on my own blood I had a full nosebleed in my sleep and I woke up like oh, I could go spin up all his blood And it sent me in a downward path for about six months But it showed me just like the power of the human mind sure

You know like it was so it is it's important. I kept doing hallucinogens now now it takes good prep I'm happy that you didn't stop. Yeah. No, no, no, but you feel because then you learn also that's a part of this Right, which is weird. It's a weird lesson you get Well, I had a positive mushroom experience that I know like the first time I did mushrooms It actually connected me to humanity for the very first time Oh when I when I fucking I remember because I was literally I was reading Heinlein I remember writing a note in like a totally grok what grokking is now like immediately I was like listening to the don ellis orchestra like watching purple notes come out of my uh fucking

Speakers eating some fucking pop of johns because I was delivering for pop of johns Fucking you're not supposed to be behind your own supply though. Yeah, I know bro, but I did anyway two pies a night Oh, yeah, bro. That was when you were chunky. Yeah, I was a little yeah I was about 40 pounds heavier. Yeah, I didn't call it. Yeah, but I just fucking listen to that shit I went to a libertarian meeting like I wandered into a libertarian eating that'll do it like a fucking trippin balls And like fucking gave like a big speech to silence Just like a big speech like mech what I think the first podcast That is amazing, dude. This is what I this is what I think human free will is all about

Okay, let's get into it fellas and then I just like gave the speech and then just fucking like Hit the table real hard and go well I'm out boys It was a it was a very fun afternoon at tech terrace It was afternoon. Yeah, it was a Friday afternoon. I love it. What was your second one, Henry? Honestly getting married getting married was a very beautiful part. I didn't realize what it was. How positive I was good Like not that it was wonderful, but it's like it was nice, but it brings to your life It's like a human ceremony. That was nice to be a part of and of course

You had two weddings and the second one was at a castle and it was very sweet It was second was a party the second one was a party. Um, all right. We got one more question Let's do a goofy one and wrap her up. Um, have you guys ever received any bras or underwear in the mail? No, we don't and the only thing yesterday on stage in Stockholm, Sweden What you know, neil diamond gets bras thrown on stage Yes underwear is thrown on stage to all david copperfields of the world literally had a man two books A man threw two books on stage. That's what we get it said books UFOs in the third rite

And it was just a book with a huge swathe stick on it They just like flipped under the stage and it was just like this great great. Thank you. This is what we just about to go into Berlin Yeah, perfect I actually do have a question that I wanted a question that was for me that I wanted to answer Yeah, please. It was a hometown question. What are what are some things you missed most about Lubbock? And I would say the only thing the only things that I miss from Lubbock is I miss My friends and my family

Yeah, because I have a lot of family still in Lubbock and I miss my friends and I miss my comic book store I miss I miss star books and comics that they have since moved from avenue q over to indiana I haven't been to the the news story yet But if you're in Lubbock, please go to star books and comics for all of your comic book needs I worked there for a couple years. I went there for like five six years like star books and comics is one of the most important places in our lives in comics star books star books Yeah, star books and comics none of that the owner helped me through some very very difficult times during my first mental breakdown And uh, yeah, I miss star books and comics and the other question

What was your favorite restaurant in the city and why is it tie pepper? Tie pepper was not my favorite Oh, tie pepper was too sweet to be recognized if my favorite place was chuchai over on 19th street. It is traditional Thai food. They do it in the spicy Thai style that like fucking hurts That's what I like. It's where I love it. It's where I developed a taste for spicy food. Chuchai is fantastic I also still love calzones from one guy from idly the third Lubbock question Were you ever in one of the lo-fi Ralph's records commercials? No, I worked at Ralph's records for a period of time still no Ralph Ralph is a good man

But I was never in one of his commercials because Ralph likes the spotlight Also, they were real quick. Someone asked me UFO books for starters You wanted to take out honestly, uh, Richard Dolan's UFOs in the 21st century and watch read Jacques Valet's passage to megonia I think they're both very interesting and also just read the foundation series by Isaac Asimov All right, there it is. Well, thank you all so much Uh for sending in your questions. And yeah, we'll do this once every 370 episodes. So we'll be back at you in about 11 years Um, thank you all so much for listening to this. Honestly, we love you all so much. Thanks for coming out and seeing our live show

Uh, we absolutely adore being able to travel the world together. So, um, I guess that's about it guys. That's it That's it man. We landed during the harbor as we always do. I wonder what we said. I don't know No, never forget. Hail yourself. Hail Satan. Helgien. Magus deletions Mormonism part five coming your way. Oh, yeah, can't wait the dirty dirty life of Brigham Young This show is made possible by listeners like you Thanks to our ad sponsors You can support our shows by supporting them for more shows like the one you just listened to go to last podcast network.com