Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out - 191. Todd Glass: The Ultimate Comic's Comic

Episode Date: November 10, 2025

Todd Glass was one of the first comics Mike opened for. It’s easy to see how, since then, Todd has become one of the most beloved comic of his generation, revered by comics including Nikki Glaser, Judd Apatow, and Rory Scovel. Now Mike and Todd sit down for a discussion about how coming out changed Todd’s life and his comedy, Todd’s heart attack backstage at Largo, and Todd’s new live show featuring a band. Plus, jokes about peanut allergies and old-sounding names, and the story behind the viral video of Todd vs. a heckler.Please consider donating to Los Angeles Animal Services Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

you have no rules in your show. Like, I remember, is it the DC improv, and you were improvising on stage, and then you reached over, and someone had chicken fingers on their table, and you just start eating the chicken fingers. I would get hungry on stage, it was weird. It's so funny.

Yeah, it's so funny, Mike. You remember, like, I remember once you say it, but then I don't remember it. But the eating, I would always get hungry, and I was like, why are you hungry on stage as you're performing? So I'd be like, I'll eat it like a bit, but I'll eat it because I'm hungry, too. That is the voice of the great Todd Glass.

So thrilled to have Todd Glass on the podcast today. I've referenced Todd Glass on this podcast so many times. He's one of those comedians who people reference him so much. He is just a very extraordinarily unique comic. I met him in the late 90s at the Washington, D.C. Improbably talk about that today when I was working the door, and he just was really inspiring. I talk about it today. I won't give anything else away, but listen to this episode. He's just a super, super smart comedian, and if you're in New York City, you've got to see his show at Second City in Brooklyn.

It is called The Event of a Lifetime, and it's running now until November 16th. It's an intimate stand-up show with a big band and singers. We talk about it. that a lot on the show today. By the way, thanks to everybody who bought tickets to the next jokes and poems show with me and my wife, the poet, Jay Hope Stein. By the way, the feedback to last week's episode has been amazing. I mean, we gave you the email address working at opod at gmail.com for feedback about where to publish, because I had this idea during the episode where I was like, what if we did publish just this one poem as its own book? As if anyone works in that field or does anything like that, send us an email. We got tons of emails,

and they generally just kind of loving, loving Jen's poetry emails, but we really appreciate it. Keep them coming. We love hearing from you. Working at Outpod at gmail.com. We're doing Joe's Pub in New York. We announced it. It sold out really fast. That's why we created a text message mailing list, which if you text Burbigs to 917-444-7-1-5-0, again, text Burbigs to 917-44-4-7-1-5-0, and then you will get the first updates when we have a show like this. In this case, it's 160 seats at Joe's Pub. It's an intimate show. And that's how we're going to let people know. So we love doing these jokes and poems show. We're basically going to do them. I'll let you in. this little secret, we're going to do them every couple months, every two or three months.

So there will be more. So sign up for the text message thing that I just said. Also, I'm going to be appearing on Broadway in someone else's show. This show is called All Out, written by Simon Rich, and I will be in it for one week, January 13 through 18, along with Cecily Strong and Wayne Brady. What a cast. All Out is written by Simon Rich. It's a follow-up to his show All In last year, which was starring John Mulaney and others and was brilliant. So I will be in it for one week. I mean, it's like, it's a wild lineup of people, different weeks. John Stewart, Jim Gaffigan.

I mean, just like on and on and on. So pick your week. But you can get tickets at all-outbroadway.com. By the way, thanks to everyone who signed up for working it out premium. You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts with no ads. That's fun. We're doing a couple more bonus episodes. I think we're doing one this month, one next.

month. So you can go on Apple Podcasts and sign up for that. We really appreciate it. It helps the show. I love this episode today with Todd Glass. Do not sleep on this episode with Todd Glass so much wisdom. We talk about the idea of being authentic to yourself. Todd talks about how he came out many years ago and how it affected his comedy. He talks about how he had a heart attack at Largo in Los Angeles 10 years ago, which he talked about at length, if you're ever interested in hearing the full, full story of that. He talks about that on Mark Maron's WTF podcast. And that's a great episode as well.

I think you will love him. I love him to enjoy my conversation with the great Todd Glass. Oh, working it. You're one of the first people I opened for. In D.C. Yeah. At the D.C. Improvich, a great comedy club. And I loved you because we liked talking about comedy.

And we did, and we did, and we did. and I was in bliss. You were at the box office. I was at the box office. I worked at the box office. I worked at the door. I sat people. And what's funny is I think the way that you perform comedy is unlike anyone else.

I say this to people all the time. Seeing you perform comedy open my eyes to the idea that in stand-up comedy, there are no rules. I didn't understand that. I appreciate you saying that because it's good to remind me of that. Sometimes people that inspire you, you inspire, end up aspiring you back. Yeah. And that's why I say when I, you know, when people say, oh, you like hanging out with new comedians, like I go, well, it's a two-way street.

Yeah. You know, they inspire me. I inspire them. I hope it works both ways. Yeah, yeah. I mean, most people think because I'm the older comic that, oh, I would inspire them. But they forget to go, no, they inspire you too. Of course.

Rory Scoville. He says the same thing. In D.C., you sort of taught me there aren't rules. There's a rules. And then he, and then when I watch. And he's a quintessential example. of that. Right. And then flips it back on me. And that's why the show, like, you know, I've been talking about this stuff with you, Mike, for years. But this show is sort of what I've

been talking about for years and, you know, doing it at Second City. I'm doing it in their little room. By the way, by the way, for people listening, Second City, New York City in Brooklyn. In Brooklyn. Second City, New York City. Which just opened up like a year ago. Yes. And it's really cool. And it's really cool. And they said, yeah, come in early. You know, we're going to put table cloths in the tables. We're thinning out some tables so there can be drink service in the room. And I have a five-piece band playing as they enter. And I've seen this version of your show. I love it. It's going to be something. And this show I have put, I mean, you know, I just try to elongate what a, look, comedy all by itself

is great. Yeah. It's just, what a night out. So when I explain this show, I always go out of my way and go, first thing I always do is go, oh, the guts of it, it's a stand-up comedy show. Yeah. Just so you know. Yeah. But with just to make it more of an event. You know, you know, I always worked hard on my act because I like stand-up, but I didn't really. I used to, you know, you don't learn until you're in it, oh, there's different writing styles. Yeah. And then you hear that, but you don't really know what they are. Someone goes, I write on stage once.

Only about 10 years ago, and I went, oh, that's what I do. I have an idea. But guess what? In the last two years, because I knew I wanted to do the show at the band, everything takes longer than you think. My friend, Daniel Kino goes, don't tour with the band. Tightened your stand-up. So for the last two years, and I never did this.

I never got together with comedians and helped me punch write jokes. Not really write jokes, but punch write jokes. And I realized there's so many more categories when we're sitting down. The one is the one you think. Oh, punch write that, say this word instead of that word. And you know right away when you hear it.

It's so much fun. It's like when your house is already done and built and you come home with pillows or a blanket for your bed. Punch writing is like, oh, I can't wait to get on stage tonight. But the one other category as you didn't realize are because you're working with another comedian he might realize it every night but never say it to you literally yes but he goes oh oh

now when i have somebody with me like like uh daniel keeno or in philly uh chip chantry goes oh when you're doing that joke they think you're saying this or oh when you do that it's not it's just cleaning up a joke the understanding of it so there's so many and then for this for this two years daniel's been helping me just bear my soul a little more like i'll tell him a story he'll be like you have to tell that on stage i go i don't want to because Todd explains who you are and he sells me on it he sells me on go okay just to give you know it's a little more depth as I get older as a comic you know bear my soul a little bit that's part of what was the premise of this exact podcast working it out which is like this thing that comedians do for each other which is they watch each other and they go hey you could do a line where

you go this I saw someone show the other night and I said to the person like I called them the next day. And you have to kind of, if you don't know the person that well, you have to disclaim it. Hey, yeah, yeah, you're a genius. This is 100% great. I had one thought that occurred to me. You could use it or not. Right. Yeah. It's funny we all do that. I always do the same. Yeah, I don't want to, you're helping them, but you feel like you don't want them to think. If you don't want to do it, that's what's great. I always go, hey, the good thing about being doing a stand-up, it's not a group thing. If I love what I have, you use it. If not, you know. Of course. It's funny because, like, I remember years ago,

when you started touring, like, with a band and having more production value, you were like, Mike, you're like, I'm going to lose money with this first bunch of shows, but I don't care because I love the show. And, like, that, if there's creatives who watch and listen to the show, that's kind of it in a nutshell in a certain way.

Like, I had that when I did my first solo show off Broadway, sleepwalk with me. It's like, it's so expensive to mount a show. It's like, you know, set design. and then this and there's producers and there's the you know and it's in the rental of the places bananas it's so expensive but you're doing this thing that where you love it yeah and you want to try to do something different sometimes you bet the farm that's why when I you know I leased a new car my whole because my dad did so when I was 17 I got my first car I leased a car up till three years ago I kept my Prius I have no car payment and I go do you want to have a 600 dollar car payment or do you want to do this show yeah so it was for me a matter if I'd still make money when I went in the clubs, but just a lot less. Sure. And I couldn't, I couldn't, I was thrilled to do it.

I don't even know if you've seen this, but there's like a viral YouTube video of you like taking a part of heckler in footage that existed probably before people were even clocking footage like that. That was in Davis, California. Yeah, I saw it. You know, the only reason I want to take that down because it's so, it's the sexism around that have everyone going, it's always women, it's always women.

And I want to go, no, it's not. No, it's a drunk lady. It could have been drunk guy. Even had some comedians friend go, it's always a woman. I go, no, it's not. You have that in your head, and you need to get it out of your head, unless you don't want to, and I'll leave you alone.

You shouldn't take that down, though, because it's really good. It's a good example of, people should watch it. It's a good example of, you're taking part of heckler, but you're actually, like, in a reasonable way, pointing out that what they're doing is not acceptable. She thought I was a staff member. And what she was so rude to me,

I asked you to be quiet before I went up there nicely. I went over at her table, she was all the way in the back, and I went like this, exactly. I went, I go, shh, give you the little. And she went. Oh, she gave me the finger, wow. You thought I was just a manager and employee. Not that she should do that to anybody.

I mean, that's crazy. I go, you're evil. You're evil, I thought to myself. And I go, as soon as I get the audience on my side, I least learn that. And I went up, I told one joke, and I go, they're on my side. I went, how many people want to hear a story?

But you know what? How many people want to tell us to her? And you told the story of walking up to that woman before the show. I told her. I got them with me. Well, you know, you always say is that when hecklers, when they try to defend themselves, they always go, but we were laughing. It's never that. Or we're not bringing people back here.

Yeah, yeah. Good. Good. You're going to go home and tell your friends. They didn't want us to talk through the entire show. If they have normal friends, they'd be like, yeah, that's the way it happens. Right. And also, they're like, their friends know they suck.

Right. Exactly. They go, oh, we'll go to that comedy club. You can find one where they let you talk through the whole show, and we'll go to the one you got thrown out of. My gosh. Yeah. That is so funny. You've been doing comedy 40 years. Mike, I don't like, you know, my age. Can you say that? Okay. Forty-five. Oh, my gosh. I started at 15. Forty-five. I know. It's crazy. No way. I know, right? It's funny. I talked to Judd Apatow about you today because I texted Judd. I texted a bunch of comics. You know, Judd, do you have any questions for Todd Glass?

He calls me. He's got a hundred questions. He's obsessed with you. Really? And Jed loves you. Judd Apatow said, you came out of the closet years after being in the closet. Do you think it being in the closet affected your style of comedy? Wow. You know what?

Yes. And I, hold on, did it affect my stuff? Yes. I, not only did it make me not talk about. being gay, but it made me not talk about other things that I cared about, like, ambience. Yeah. You know, because that would be gay.

Right. You know, I remember me and my ex would go on, like we, like a lot of people, we had a group of friends, especially when we were younger, like 15, and sometimes 10 would go on a camping trip or rent a house up in, you know, like Arrowhead. Sometimes it would be 15 of us, but we went, me and Chris, like, we had a friend Andrea, and she knew about us.

Yeah. But we'd be in the supermarket, and we wanted to get flowers, because we knew we're all gonna eat in this. Even if it was like a cabin-type place, we'll put them on the, we're gonna eat dinner. And Chris, we go to Andrea, buy flowers, let's say. Or she, we, she lived above me in a duplex. We bought a duplex together and she lived above me,

she lived upstairs. And I would have friends coming in, this is the patheticness of, when people ask who set the table. Yeah, I will go, Andrew, just so you did. Now it's, now, let me tell you something. Now, I think, I go, you're not making this up, Todd, because it seems so sad and absurd.

And one night, I was so fucking mad at her. She goes, she goes, Todd said it. And I was like, you. And later I go, she goes, I don't want to take the credit because it looks so good. But that's where you were at. Right. So it didn't let me be me on stage.

And when I came out, I thought it was just going to be like that element would be easier to talk about. But so many, the floodgates just opened of me being comfortable to be me. And you know what? I just hit a thing about in the last year, which I don't always want to talk about it. Like, you know, the art are coming out. Sometimes I do, and I will. You know, like, oh, this is, but I also don't want to not mention it because I want to make

sure I'm not embarrassed about it or shy or will I lose. So now, and this is like, for me, gutsy, like when it happened the first night, because I knew as it was happening, I talked about, you know, when you're in a relationship and you're doing, I go, no, my ex, he would, you know, that's it just to go they know you know yeah yeah yeah if there's someone in the audience that's maybe struggling with it that or just my confidence but if they're struggling with it they go oh right there's all types of gay people it's just a nod i don't have to talk about it yeah yeah but probably three or four times in my act now that i've come at i'll do that i'll just pass by it with just saying he when i'm talking about relationships so but yeah for me it's like oh life is so much better now

there's so many times i think about it even now it doesn't get lost on me i'm like yeah my comedy's better. My honesty on stage, not mentioning girlfriend every two minutes. Oh, Jesus. That's when I first met you. You had girlfriend in your act. I know, my girlfriend, my girlfriend. You know, somebody once said, they go, I feel bad you had to make up those stories. And I went, oh, it was sad. I had to change it, but the stories are true. It's just about my boyfriend. Which proves indirectly how much relationships are relationships. Yeah, of course. Nobody sat in the audience when I was talking about guy and went, I don't relate with any of the stories. I don't follow this at all.

No, they're going, this is exactly like us, which says everything. It does say everything. It is exactly like you. It's the same thing. That's right. You know? Yeah. But I'm glad I did it. Boy, am I glad. You know, I always thought if I, I used to say if I died, I think people would acknowledge me before I came out. I remember saying this. I would talk to my ex about it and go, I think people would acknowledge that I was a good comedian, but I think they might say it's a shame. He never was comfortable to be who he was on stage. So I'm glad that I got to that point

because life is so much better and new comedians now that are talking about stuff that's why like you know and we can keep it so like doesn't have to go in too close but that's why I'm not mad you know I think a lot of people are mad at like how people identify today or whatever

because they don't think that they could benefit by it right you can be a straight I'll say straight white male and still benefit by being who you are Being a truer version of yourself. Yes, being a truer version of yourself. And I asked my friend that who doesn't want to do any of this stuff. I go, let me ask you a question and be honest. Here's your time.

I won't say her name. Isn't there any way you could tap into this? Even if you called a revolution of people being who they are. Yeah. Isn't there anything? Right. And she sort of looked at me and she went, I go, you're embarrassed that you can't think of anything. Yeah.

I go, well, think of some things. Yeah. And then you won't be just doing everybody a favor. you'll tap in with it even if it's not the intensity of someone who is maybe wants to transition where they're gay and they're acting like they're straight you don't have to have that level of it but there's

things you could join into this revolution and enjoy it yourself no absolutely authenticity benefits all that's what Gary Shanling said is that right? He goes you know comedy might change and do all this but authenticity probably will be something

in music and comedy that he's always around I learned a lot of great Oh, Shanley was probably The phrase of don't feed I don't like the word idiot But in this case Don't be careful Your jokes don't feed idiots

Meaning even if you're not This or sexist or racist Or homophobic Does your joke Now what I always like to preface You don't have to do that That's what's right about comedy You do whatever you want

Yeah I don't want to be like certain You should do this and you should do that No but when I heard it I went I like that No I think that's right Be aware

If you really have that Yeah yeah just be aware Could that joke feed people that are racist, that are homophobic. Yeah. And then if you choose to ignore it, well, I guess I'm being twisted here. If you go, no, I don't want to, I'm not racist, I'm not

sexist, but I don't adhere to that. Don't make sure you don't feed it is. Well, you probably are. No, totally. I had that as an inflection point in my career at a certain point, maybe like 10, 15 years ago where I was like, I don't think I'm going to say men, this, women, this.

Men do this women do this. I'm just not going to do it anymore. I don't judge people who do, but I all, because there's funny comics who do. We know funny comics who do, men do this, women do this. But it's, but the thing is, it's, it's, the reason it's not good to do that. And you know, by the way, I always see the hypervigilant person go, I can't mention my wife anymore, I can't mention my, stop, stop. Yes, you can.

You have a wife. But, you know, I saw Jim Gaffigan do it creatively when it's necessary that he talks about his wife. He has a wife. He does. But there's also other three or four or five jokes where he goes, You know, when you're in a relationship, and you don't have to narrow it down. Because, you know, like I said,

do you think because I was in a relationship with a man because if it's just women are late, do you think we never had that problem? We just always met at the door if we were leaving at 5 o'clock and 5 o'clock because men don't run late. And you think women, two women, just sit at their house all day. They go, we don't have a guy to get us out of here.

You know, we will never leave the house because we have no guy. So, yes, I did it too. I stopped. And you know what? I'd rather get ahead of the curve. On the opening of the show, you know, I used to say,

ladies and gentlemen yeah now it seems like i'm going one way with this but i know where you're going i don't think if i said ladies and gentlemen that anybody even people that don't identify as a lady or a gentleman yeah are going to be offended but what's my goal to wait till no one even judges me there's just somebody in the audience times have moved on they go who's in the booth tonight making the announcement yeah yeah so i just say folks yeah or good in philly we said good evening philadelphia i used to say in my emails my mass emails hey guys because it's a mass this thing. I grew up saying, hey guys. I got a bunch of emails go, hey, can you not say hey guys? I'm not guy. I go, okay. Now I go, hey, everybody. That wasn't, that's not so hard.

It's not that hard. If you're not mad at it. I did it with the band a few times and I caught myself and I said, I go, these guys work so hard. And I, instead of me, go, well, no, guys, I mean, we know you do, but just, it's not a big deal, you know. Yeah. But, so that's why I don't mind joining in because I feel like I reap the benefits of it. Not that you have to reap the benefits to be along for the ride of change but i think it helps a little if you go you can benefit by this too why are you acting like you're doing it for everybody else you know you did you did a rant one of your specials about the kind of you can't say anything comedians yeah that's been around for a while you've been for a while you know what you know it's funny you mentioned that i said on this tour i don't really have a

you know what i don't know where i heard this but in your act if you're doing a podcast you can talk about whatever you want but in your act it be funnier than preachy yeah And I've certainly crossed that line of being preachier than funny. Oh, the people that agree applaud. But the joke that I try to use, I don't do it anymore because it's an older joke, but it really does fall into the category, funnier than preachy, is the peanut allergy where I go, you know, people go, there weren't peanut allergy, I really try to get this into their head

so they can use it as a litmus test to, they don't. But in my head, I want them to, the rest of their life, when they formulating an opinion that seems so real. I go, there's people in this audience. They go, there weren't peanut allergies 50 years ago, and I'll give it to you. That sort of makes sense. I see how it comes to say that.

And you could even have a friend that go, there weren't, there weren't. And people in this audience are going, well, there weren't peanut allergies 50 years ago. So you come to this conclusion, but guess what? No, but there were unexplained debts. Right, sure.

So the next time you think you were coming to a conclusion, make sure that right next to it isn't not what you're thinking it is. It's really funny you should say that because I have a peanut butter allergy joke. I think is pretty funny And I think rides the line This is, okay, this is like a random bit I wrote

That actually is kind of funny I don't think actually Dishonors the point you're saying Which is my daughter's in school And peanut butter's not allowed Peanut Butter is having a hard time When I was growing up Peanut Butter had it made

It was like put it with jelly Put it with bananas and fluff Now it's like peanut butterers kids You're like oh okay I thought I thought put it with bananas and fluff. See, you know what? You know what's great about that joke?

You know what I mean. You'll get the context. You can do jokes. It's just, you know, I don't think that feeds idiots. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because it is true. You can be sensitive to it. No, it's true, but go, oh, my God, peanut butter.

Now it's like, you know, you got to be. And then, like, jelly's like, yeah, I don't know peanut butter. I never met peanut butter. Just disassociated. Jelly's like... I mean, I've heard of it, but I don't know. Jelly's like, I'm actually really close with herbal butter and some butter.

Yeah. Alvin butter. No, I don't know peanut butter. I mean, it's just something for me, but I don't think of it. No, peanut butter's fine. I'm just not, I'm not friends. I'm not for friends with peanut butter.

Peanut butter. And then I go, uh, peanut butter had a run. Peanut butter had some golden years where you could do no wrong. You're just thinking, peanut butter is going to retire on this. Right. And now it's like peanut butter murders, kids. And everyone's like,

Are you sure? Like, we're all like not sure. Not sure. In the beginning, I thought the same thing. I thought that it was like, you know, like, what? You know, and then I go, Todd, don't slip. You know, I always think it's slipping. Like, will I ever slip socially?

Yeah, yeah, sure. Your shows, and this is the thing that Rory Scovel talked about, I feel like Nikki Glazer feels this way about you, Judd Apatow. You have no rules in your show. Like, I remember, I always cite this thing about you. Is it the DC Improv, and you were improvising on stage, and then you reached over, and someone had chicken fingers on their table, and you just start eating the chicken fingers.

I would get hungry on stage. It was weird. It was so funny. And I would see the food. Oh, you can just do that. And what was great is, like, the audience didn't know that that could be a thing. And it was so joyous. And you'd be like, get these people some shots.

And let's get some chicken fingers over the other than, let's get some wings forever. You know, like, you would be very Andy Kaufman-esque. Yeah, I, it's so funny, Mike, you remember. Like, I remember once you say it, but then I don't remember it. But the eating, I would always get hungry. And I was like, why are you hungry on stage as you're performing? So I'd be like, I'll eat it like a bit. but I'll eat it because I'm hungry, too.

That's so funny. Well, that's authentic. And I still love it. I still love comedy more than I ever had before. It's like my biggest joy in life. It's given me, it really has. You know, sometimes, you know, you don't say something because it sounds cliche.

Yeah. Is that the right thing? It sounds been said. But it's comedy. I just try to give it the respect it's given me. You know, it took care of me since I was 15 or 16. Yeah. even by the time I was 17

I was like opening up for like musical big musical acts you know like Diana Ross Patty LaBelle Is that where you Franklin George Jones My God Luther Vandrews

My God Yeah it's 18 19 years old I mean that's crazy It's been kind to me So I try to return the respect Is that where you got the kind of like Well classic show business aesthetic?

Good question That is where everything comes from on this show Yeah. I was opening up for Patty LaBelle in 1984. Whatever, do the math. You know, I was, I think I was 18, 19, at the oldest. Yeah.

It's funny, Patty LaBelle had just turned 40. And I couldn't believe she could dance around like that. Oh, my God. I used to, all my friends were that, I'd turn, and I'd be a side stage, you know, when you want to watch an act in a theater, you just come out and go, how old do you think she is? 40.

They go, what? Because my brother was 16. My friends were, you know, 19, 20. And one night after the show, She had a friend of hers performing in New York. Now, she was at the Minsk Off Theater. It was like 1,500 people. Wow.

She had a friend at a little place, but it was a big deal. It was probably 200 seats. We went, 200 seats, five, two horns, guitar, piano, crossed onto the stage. And we sat down, matri-D brought us to the seat. You know, it was dark, flashlights to the seats. And 200 people, but it was people were dressed up. Yeah, like Goodfellas. Yeah, exactly.

Like the scene in Goodfellas. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And when they started the show, like all of a sudden, the house lights went out, and the band got to the stage and did a one count, like a brum, and then they blew a candle out on the piano. Ladies and gentlemen, good evening, and welcome. Please welcome. And she came from the back of the room with a matrily walking her through the crowd.

She got up on stage, and she got to the mic, and she went, let's do this. And that band came in with horns, like a show you could have done. And that is where the whole show that I could be. In a smaller room, I do the, hey, look, if the show did well enough and I could do it in a room with 400 people, but my dream is not to go, well, if I could get a sell it that. No, my dream is, you know, maybe max 500 people, drinks only to tour with this show. That's my dream. No food, just drinks.

Yeah. So that all came from that night. From classic show business. And I remember talking to my dad in the car because they went to see me. And I was telling him about that show. Because meanwhile, I'm in a room that holds 1,500, and it was cool. I'm not saying it wasn't cool, but that little room as I win, there's something about giving people a, and I'm going to get, I get off on it. Like, they come in, but then they get this larger-than-life show in this little room, you know?

When young people ask me what they should do about getting into show business, I always say that this thing that I did, but I did it by accident, which is I worked the door in the box office at a comedy club. And so I could see all these shows that I couldn't afford to see. I couldn't go see Todd Glass and Dave Chappelle and Kathleen Madigan and flip Orly the comic hypnotist. I couldn't afford to do that. I just worked at the door. It's funny. Our stories are the exact same.

I started at the Comedy Works. And exactly like you, I never thought, oh, I'll do that. But, you know, everybody, Gilbert Godfrey, Richard Lewis, Jerry Seinfeld, Gary Shandling, young Eddie Murphy, Stephen Wright. The list goes on and all. and Roseanne Barr, you know. This was in Philly? This was in Philly.

Really? I started in 82, 81. Wait, you saw Eddie Murphy in like a 200-seater? At a 250-seat room. That's crazy. He had just got on SNL and I saw his check because I worked there at that point, you know, and it was $500.

Me and my friends were like taking it out of the drawer of the office upstairs. We're like, look at that. For one show, can you? $500. Yeah. But yes, see these unbelievable acts. By the way, same thing.

I was working at the door that you see Improv, and I was like, Brian Regan makes this many blank $1,000. I go, that's crazy. I called my brother. I go, Brian Regan makes, blah, blah, $1,000. I'm going to do that. And he was like, all right, but he's Brian Regan. I'm like, yeah, but I'm going to do that.

There is something about seeing someone do entertainment as a job, and there being a monetary transaction. being like, oh, yeah, like, fuck, like, I can get better. You know what I mean? Yes, yes. You're like, I know I stink now, but like, I can be good. Yeah, and you're good. You did it, you know?

Yeah, I remember, you know, years go on you, forget. But even Jay Leno in 80, okay, I started in 81, let's say it's 83. I bet I'm right on the button. Jay Leno came in. He was a special event. I think tickets were $20. Yeah. And you do the math right now.

You know, you take, he did four shows, you know, it actually held 300 because they ended up having two balconies. So, you know, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven and nine, about 1,500 people times 20 as well. A lot. Does $30,000 maybe? I remember my brother once going, like, just, you know, because you don't think you're in this place. No one knows how much a place holds. They come into the little clubs. They go, what's this hold, 80?

No, it holds 300 people, you know. And he goes, how do you make that? But, you know, you do some math. They're like, holy, you know. And that's what I figured out, that I can do smaller venues and do well and have a nice. It's a crazy thing to realize that something that's entertainment can be commerce. And on top of that, similar to you work in a comedy club, watching everybody teaches you everything. Watching comics who are nothing like you.

I probably learned more from watching George Lopez and Kathleen Madigan. and you than I learned from anything else in comedy just not because you're similar to me but because you're different from me and I remember watching a comedian that followed an energetic comedian and he didn't try to be energetic and afterwards I talked to him you know sometimes you forget their names you know because it was so long ago but you remember the story

and remember him telling me he goes you can't try to match the energy if someone went up before you and they were little I would go up and go I got to be energetic but but just like you're saying. And I learned that lesson. It was so much fun to implement these things that you learn. Yeah. I remember Jay Leno when the check came out,

like, just like just like a pilot brings in a plane with accuracy. He went into the crowd. Did crowd work? Because that's the time to do it. Yeah, yeah. For the people that aren't, and then just as that, it's almost like just as the last check got paid,

right out of it, boom, boom, boom. People don't know. No, it's like in clubs, music clubs, comedy clubs, the check will come out probably 10 minutes before the end of the show. And it's hard for the performer because everyone's like, wait, who had the wings, who had the drinks, who had the martini? And they're talking to each other.

Right. And it's hard because you're trying to get them to focus. And that's why. Make people call the check spot. When Daniel said even the good comedy clubs suck. Now they don't all do it. There are clubs that don't do check drops. But like, I want to go like, well, how bad does it affect?

You know, when you don't do comedy, the only way you get graded is how you present it. That's what you're judging you on. You're not the comedian, so these clubs that presented beautifully, you go there, to me, that's the only talent that's not talent. Yeah. If you do a club and you know how to present comedy,

the check is, I always have a thing, and I say it about social issues, but I also say it as this, as anybody, time doesn't equal validity. The amount of time something's being happening, doesn't, I think a lot of times comedy clubs putting a check out is like, well, they all do. it. How bad is it? It's really

bad. And this might sound silly, Michael, well, Todd, you're making it sound worse than it is. For anybody out there that still owns a club and they'll all tell you why they do it. Well, then it's a mess at the end, which it's not. If you don't think it really hurts the show, if you don't think it really hurts the show, then I get it. It's not worth

it. You've got to retrain your staff. I'm really trying to be fair to these clubs that still do it. It's pain at first. I bet it is. There's probably a million things you can go wrong, but eventually you've figured out. But if you think it really hurts the show, you have think it really hurts the show. Well, if I open up a comedy club and I said to somebody

I'm going to give them multiplication tables as the guys in his last 15 minutes, I'm handing them out to all the tables. They can do multiplication tables and if they get them right, they can win something. Because that's what you're doing when you're handing out a check. You're handing out multiplication tables? You think that hurts a show? Handing on multiplication tables? Someone will go, of course it fucking does. It hurts a little, a little bit. No,

a lot. A lot. Not a little. A lot. Hand up multiplication tables. Here you go to the show. Can I hand them out to the audit. Here's your multiplication table. Because that's what checks are. That's what checks are. Everyone's so good at math, fill those out. It's the one time they could serve more drinks, and I don't understand why they don't go for it.

It's the one thing where you could serve more drinks. By the way, you look great. Thank you. I feel good. You had, you've talked about this, I think, but you had a heart attack? I did. About a decade ago? About a decade ago.

Sarah Silverman was the first to arrive? Saras, it was a show at Largo? One of the great, one of the speaking, of no check spots, one of the great performance venues in the world in Los Angeles. When I first saw Largo do their opening announcement, Mike goes to the front of the room with no PA, stands there because I learned, oh, that makes them listen. They all have to focus. So at a comedy club, I still use the PA because I do it from the voice of God, but I stop

music during it. Because a comedy good evening and welcome, keep your laughter to a maximum, but you're, I go, no all the music goes out the lights come down with pure silence you make that announcement but anyway um but largo you had a heart yeah so so it was i felt it a little bit during the show something was happening i ran around the room speaking of you could do anything you want i ran around them shaking everybody's hand before i went up on stage yeah i got up as i couldn't catch my breath but i did 40 minutes well i'm having a heart attack pretty professional would you say yeah sure my time um and then i couldn't catch my breath but i did like i did third

30 minutes actually, I get off stage, you know, and they say collapse, I collapse with a little bit of, you know, I get to the sofa, I go, I can't, I can't catch my breath. I come back in, I lay on the carpet, you know, on the stage, that carpet with beer spilled all over it for the last five years, and I can't catch my breath, I can't catch my breath.

But Sarah had been to a music, a comedy festival with me in Seattle about two months before that. And back then I didn't smoke pot as much, so one time I got too high. and it was the same sort of feeling and Sarah goes, are you okay, are you okay? 20 minutes later, I lifted my head, you know,

we were like at the end of the night, everyone had left the club, and I went, I'm, I feel okay now. I got too high and I felt good. So she was there and I was thinking, thank God Sarah's here because she's okay. She just saw this happen. But little did we know that it wasn't the same thing.

I thought it was the same thing. I'm like, thank God Sarah's here. They're going to call an ambulance. Yeah. So Jeff Ross, you know, I remember him saying, I heard him. He go, hey, call an ambulance. This has to be, you have to call an ambulance. And I remember as soon as I'm not nauseous, I'm going to go, don't call an ambulance.

I'm fine. But I was glad that he did, you know. I was right across the street. I went and, whew, I woke up. I wasn't wake up after surgery. I said to the nurse, I go, I feel like there's blood rushing through my body. My main artery was 98% clogged. Oh, my God.

And right after, I said, I feel like just blood rushing through. my body and the nurse goes, there is. There is. So I quit smoking, and that's the one good thing. If anything, good. I don't think I would have quit. It was too much fun. You look fit, though.

Do you feel, do you have a regimen? Can I tell you something? I eat a lot of junk food, too. I do a lot of wrong stuff. But I also, well, just not smoking. Yeah. I juice five days a week and healthy, not, you know, not candy juices. You know what I mean?

Where you go, it's a smoothie, but it's peanut butter and chocolate pieces. But like celery, carrots, kale, ginger. I always worked out. Even the day of my heart attack, I ran for an hour on the treadmill. But the one thing that I do, Mike, and I try to sell everybody on this, has changed my life.

He's not a stretcher. He's a trainer. But I just said, Moses, all I need you to do is stretch me. Yeah. And it has changed my life. Really? Yes.

And I even, because I think a lot of people, this will help them. You think, well, because he's right there, he makes you do it. Once you're stretched out, you know because I said I don't have to be an Olympian I just want to be stretched out yeah in the beginning it hurt a little you know the leg a little now we're talking I go Moses I feel amazing better than I've ever felt but I feel like we're not you're stretched out yeah but it's not

as painful when someone else is doing it it's easier because as he's lifting my leg up he says take a deep breath and then he's pushing my leg he knows how much to push it yeah he says take a deep breath let it out he doesn't go keep your back straight keep your back straight his knee is on it So, if there's something to spend your money on that you will love once a week for an hour and my life. And what's Moses's number for everybody? He's in California. It's $150.

That's pretty reasonable. It comes to my house. We talk and it's great. So I do a lot right. And I do take care of myself. And I feel great, you know. You remember we did those dates on my college tour like 20 years ago? Yeah.

Yeah, you and me and Malaney and some other folks. You, me, Malaney, and then we did the other one. Like, sometimes, you know, people don't know this. But, like, I wanted to take a tour bus. That's nothing I wanted to do more than anything in my life. And you included me in that. And, you know, sometimes in the business, you get a little, you probably all probably feel this way. We're not included.

Yeah, yeah. You know, and I can talk myself out of it and go, God. Any business, any business. Right, anybody. Right, if you're a teacher or whatever you are. And you included me in that, which really melted my heart. that when I got out of that hotel and I saw that tour bus

and we did a tour bus and a young John Malaney you know And he was like 22 Yeah we had the curtains in the back Because you have your thing And we would do like you know Like jokes and slam the curtain shut

That was our joke You go open the curtain You know slam the curtain And then you I mean I know you remember But I don't know if your audience knows You we did that tour That was pure joy

Remember we would let people It's funny what you remember What I remember We'd let people sign the bus Yeah yeah Because you had material put on it. Yeah, yeah. And then we ran out of places.

Right. So it said, we had a sign on the side. It was two drink Mike, my first album, and it said, and it said, I saw Mike Brubrigley alive, and then people would sign it after the show. So, and then when we realized after the first show, Oh, you do remember it. That it was all filled up. There's no more room.

And we had to wash off people's name. Which seems, seem like. For the next group of people to sign the side. And it could seem cold, but it was nothing cold about it. Like, when they were signing it, we just, we met. people, and we had the time of our life. It was great. Pure bliss. But then I remember thinking, like, what if they saw us?

We're like, no, that was so nice. They let us sign the bus. And we're there with alcohol. Get it all. Yeah, yeah. This is the slow round. childhood you remember well yes i thought about that i thought well come on i don't cut fresh cut grass is nice but i wanted to go a little more unique than that uh and it's a horrible smell but but but i

but once in a while you end up in a hotel like even when i'm doing these shows with jim and we're in a bim fuck town and there's a college and there's literally only the smell of chlorine now no one's smoking in those rooms but it's chlorine and cigarettes yeah and maybe air conditioning yeah I know exactly what you're talking about. And me and my parents, when my parents would take me and my brothers, we'd pull over to the holiday in. We went to the pool. You smelled it in the air conditioning, in the room.

Yeah. But now when I smell it, it's like, oh, intoxicating. Yeah. Oh, you like it. I like it because it makes me think of my family growing up, taking road trips. Oh, that's nice. Yeah, so, but it's not a good smell. Hey, either is I smelled when I was in Philadelphia at working at Next in Line Comedy Club,

during the day they were cutting lawns and of course fresh got grass everybody is but then they were filling the tanks with gasoline and i walked by i'm like oh gasoline and fresh cut grass i was like oh it's a great example of like your smells are the humor from childhood are terrible but like of course now you they're so fond to you yeah um is there a song that makes you cry oh it's a version of it the power of love. You know, the oddest person I saw do it on YouTube, people will go find it. He's like 85 years old, but he did a version of Englebert Humperding, the power of love. Well, he went on, I like to look at performers that are older because it makes you realize

what you can be at 85. And with my mom dying two years ago and a close friend of mine dying two years ago, I heard that song on the treadmill, just came upon it. I go look at old crooners. I want to go, I want to see what these crooners are doing as they get older. And it's the power of love And I thought of It's just somewhere out there

And I thought of my friend or my mom And their energy being out there And that song So the power of love I think if somebody goes Watches it Englebert Humperdink The Power of Love

And he has to be singing About his wife Wow Who had died They were married for 60 years So yeah Do you have any material You're working on that

You want a workshop? I did I did It's simple But some of it you might go But you want me to start? Yeah Yeah, yeah. This isn't even a joke, but you'll get it.

Okay. The other day on stage, I go, I was talking about my uncle, my uncle Steve. I go, folks, his name isn't Uncle Steve, but his name is so old. I have to young myself down. So I'm changing anybody in my past that's an uncle, Uncle Steve isn't. So it was my Uncle Herbie. Ugh. So I go, so I go, I'm trying to think of young names.

So once I set that up throughout the rest of my set, when I mentioned my young uncle, my uncle, uh, my uncle, uh, Trent. You know, names that could be younger. Yeah, yeah. So what names would be? my uncle most likely wasn't that young name. Does that make sense? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

What are names that you consider to be? Oh, they're younger names, mostly. Does that make sense? Right. So, like, in other words, you're trying, the game of it is like... They're going to know, like, oh, he must have made that up, too, because his uncle wasn't named.

His uncle Nate. That's an older. Is that an older? Oh, is it older? I don't know. So you're trying to come over younger or older. Younger. Younger.

So it's obvious. I'm trying to think of any... I'm trying to think of if there is a... an obvious modern name. Like, is Trent one of those or Blake? No, I guess they could be both but like... You're like DJ or something like that like a nickname?

DJ's a good one. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because obviously, but especially because they know the joke up front. So when they hear DJ, they're going to go, I don't think his uncle was DJ. Yeah, yeah. Uncle DJ. That's funny. So the idea is you keep making it a younger name.

Or young, any, Young name. Youngish name. I like DJs are good one. We had, sometimes I said a young name and then my friends go, no, that's an old name. I thought, Blithe, for some reason. But there you go, that's an older name. Right.

Oh, it is? Right. Like By thenner. Yeah. Right. Right. I have another one. Everything, but it's so funny.

I'm looking up at names on the wall right now. Everything is so cyclical. It's like, well. It's like Mabel, one of the producers. That's like back in style, but it wasn't all that. It's like, I'm looking at Margaret. It's like Margaret's kind of in and out, you know. Well, let me tell you something.

As I started to think about it, I go, is my name an old name? Todd is an old name? You know, because there's no more Todd. Or Chet? Yeah. Chet could be. Yeah, old or new. Yeah, yeah.

I dropped the bit. You don't need it anymore. I'm just kidding. Is there anything else you're working on? I do have one other. Oh, yeah, please. Yeah. Because I remember, so I have this bit about the, and by the way, even if you think of it tomorrow, you text it to me.

Oh, yeah, please, yeah. So it's like, I have this cheesecake factory bit. It is based on a silly, true story. We were at the cheesecake factory like seven years ago, and we heard a woman go, I wish they had a cruise ship like this with good food like this. So we're like, this dude would be so gluttonous. And so like, you know, today at three, you know,

you know, every morning at two, we fill our pool with margarita mix, show up early before it turns to hot piss, you know. Rory gave me, we have a mustard buffet with over 50 types of mustard with 40 spices from 8. 88 continents. It's all bullshit, you know. Shove, fudge up your ass

as part of our wellness program. Remember, everything in your room is edible. So we have them, but I'm always trying to think, and it's always based on gluttony. Take a helicopter ride on a helicopter made of chicken wings. Right, right, right. I love that. Right.

Meet the man who invented shiffy peanut butter. You know, they would love it on that. Right, right, right. But I go, I need some new ones. Right, right. I'm trying to think I'm looking around, and it's like, like, it's like

how about a ferris wheel filled with ice cream sandwiches you're just like how many would that be 175 ice cream we don't need that many we need a two or three at the most see that that's that's perfect because it's also who gives us

what is anything they can think of take a ride on a ferris wheel filled with ice cream sandwich sandwich it's it's a school bus made of nacho cheese but it's shaped like a school bus you're like no no we don't need that much we just need one portion we'd love it if the cheese were fresh but we don't care about how much there is that actually might be a funny

runner in it is like they could keep talking about portions being unwieldy and you being like oh that sounds great can we have something smaller maybe a one or a two it's just for us oh get we'll bring a wheelbarre full of mashed potatoes to your room well just a just a little bit It is okay. I don't even have a wheel. We'll bring you a super tank or a hot dog. No, no, no. Do you have like four or five at the most?

It's just us. It's just the family. Come eat a 75-foot hot dog. That's a good one. This is the part I say is like pillows. You know what I mean when you're moving to a home and then you're already done the hard stuff and you come back with a picture or a pillow

or a blanket for the end of your bed? To me, this stuff is so much fun. Oh, I love that. Because you go back and implement it right away. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, totally. 75-foot hot dog. I'm horrible.

You know, it's so hard for me. Like, sometimes, like, I watch other comedians, and I, like, you know, it's hard for me to, like, sometimes write for somebody else. Yeah, yeah, of course. It's like, and I see comedians that do it. And it's like, it's another level of, like, Chip Chantry, like, and watch my act and go, hey, do this or do that. I'm like, oh, my God, that's a great idea. The, uh, I wrote this down, which is I was in the back of an Uber and the driver was scrolling on his phone

while he was driving like scrolling through Instagram and the car was also swerving which is the real life version of scrolling and sometimes this is I was trying to capture as a joke

but it's like sometimes what people are doing wrong is so egregious you don't even want to bring it up because it's too embarrassing. It's too you know, because you don't want to interrupt him from his train of thought, which is murdering you in real time.

You're like, no, no, you should do your thing. You should kill me. It's so funny you say that, that it's so wrong. I was getting a massage once at a legitimate place. Well, they give you happy beginnings, in all things. No, that's professional. Happy beginnings. She was, I saw her texting.

No. And I, like, you just, I was too embarrassed for her to go, you know. Oh, my God. I'll tell you another one, too. I was doing yoga with someone in London. I was doing it in London. And this person came over and you're doing shavasna where you close your eyes.

And I sensed something. And I opened my eyes and she was taking a photo of me with my eyes closed. Oh. I know. Did you say anything? Yeah, I go, hey, why do you do it? Why are you taking a photo? And she was like, oh, you know, sometimes people like that.

I was like, hmm. But I knew that she knew, that I knew, that's what it's for? Right, right, right, right. And you weren't going to say it. I said it. Who likes it? You should have said. Who?

Who? Who does? When you say who, who, you? You like it. People like it. Oh, that's violating. I know, because you're like, oh, I'm bearing, I'm trying to like bear my soul. Oh, I hated it.

And, oh, I have a happy ending joke. actually, because you just said happy beginning, I go, I go, sometimes I think language is the thing that divides us. Like, I go, I think it's weird that all of us in this room all sort of know what the slang term happy ending means. Like, I think that's weird. Because the reason I think it's weird is that in the on-the-level massage industry, when you go for a on-the-level massage, Gosh, there's 2% of your brain the whole time that's thinking maybe at the end of this, the most unlikely outlandish thing might occur. I go, can you imagine if I walked on stage tonight and you're going, oh, his set, this is pretty funny. But there's a 2% chance.

There's a 2% chance at the end of the set. He hops in the crowd and jerks everybody off. I go, you would be. Mike. That's so fucking funny You'd be like This is the worst comedy show I've ever been to And then like three of you would be like

This is the best comedy show I've ever been to But here's where it goes Here's where it goes This is why I think it's worth it I go So that's what some people think a happy ending is And then some people think It's when a fish finds his dad in the ocean

I go You think those two groups of people Are going to agree on health care So it kind of like brings it back to the thing Of like that language divides us Mike I would not do my joke if you do that joke

because that's a better way it puts the onus on you this guy's really funny you think there's a chance you might know it's crazy have you ever done that on stage yeah I've been doing it lately

I work out at the comedy selling New York and I love doing that joke because honestly at the beginning of it the audience does not know what to think of it because usually I don't talk

about stuff like that that's how I'm a little shy too I can be crass but I'm sometimes I go like oh it's too like can I tell you I had this joke

a long time ago and I go, ah, not for an, it was, you know, a hotel, there's a sign that says, towel on the floor means I want a new one, but a towel hanging up means I'll use it again. Now, I hate this word now, but I'm saying it in context, I go, what's a rag with giz on it on the night table mean with a lotion next to it? And I, after doing it, and it got big laughs, but I don't like that word. I don't like that word, but can I come up with a better word? And my friend goes, just say, what's a washcloth on the night table mean with a little lotion next to it.

Yeah, yeah. And then I, then it gets the same laugh. And there you go. But I didn't like that other word. It means I'm sad. I mean, that's what I say. I go, I call down to the front desk. I go, what's it mean?

She goes, sir. And I go, well, what does it mean? She goes, sir. I don't know, sir. It means you're lonely. Yeah, that's funny. The last thing we do is working out for a cause is there a nonprofit that you like to contribute to.

And what we do is we contribute to them. Then we link to that. nonprofit in the show notes and encourage people to contribute you know what there's a an animal shelter you know what i don't remember the name but there's an it's an animal shelter and i'll send you the link does that okay perfect good so we will uh it's a los angeles animal shelter we will link to them in the show notes i will contribute to them and uh tag glass you are one of the greats and i don't throw it around well i appreciate it mike i'm going to put pressure on you and i thought i wasn't going to do this I would, I hope you can make it to a show.

I'm gonna come. You are? It would be in the world to me. It's in my calendar. It's already in my calendar. All right. I don't think you'll be disappointed. I've never been disappointed seeing your shows.

You're an unbelievable performer. Thank you. Truly unbelievable. Thank you. And I appreciate you, you know, sometimes people don't get back to you. Not always, but like, you're a good man and just. You're an unbelievable inspiration. I have so much gratitude for everything you've done on stage and also personally.

You've just been so kind to me through the years. Well, thank you. Working it out because it's not done. We're working it out because there's no... That's going to do it from another episode of working it out. You can follow Todd Glass on Instagram at the Todd Glass Show. If you're in New York City, I implore you to go to the event of a lifetime at Second City, Brooklyn. Until November 16th, I'm definitely going.

You can get tickets for that show at Toddglass.com. Check out Burbigs.com to sign up for the mailing list, the text alerts, all that's... stuff, my upcoming shows. Tonight, I will be performing as part of a benefit for the Woodruff Foundation, the Wounded Warriors Project, which is an extraordinary organization that supports families of wounded soldiers. That's over at Lincoln Center. I'm not sure if there's still tickets available, but you can give it a shot.

You can watch the full video of this episode on our YouTube channel at Mike Barbiglia. By the way, we've had some really cool ones lately. While you're over there, you could watch the one with Nick Offerman. You could watch the one with Questlove. You could watch the one with Leva Pierce and Jane Wickline from S&L. I mean, there's just actually a lot of great stuff over there at the YouTube channel. Subscribe. That actually helps us a lot.

Subscribe, and then you get more videos coming your way. We really appreciate it. Our producers of this show working it out are myself, along with Peter Salomon, Joseph Barbiglia, Mabel Lewis, and Gary Simons. Sound Mixed by Shib Sarin, supervising engineer Kate Balinski. Special thanks to Jack Antonoff and bleachers for their music. Jack Antonoff, of course, received, I believe it was nine Grammy nominations last week. Nine?

Truly unbelievable run as a singer-songwriter, producer, my buddy, Jack Antonoff, and he did the music for this darn show. So look at that. Special thanks to my wife, the poet Jay Hope Stein. Thanks to everybody who gave us feedback on that episode last week. If you like her work, she's multiple books available. One of them is called Little Astronauts, available anywhere you get, your local books. And she also worked on a book with me, which is the new one,

Painfully True Stories from a Reluctant Dad with poems by Jay Hope Stein. It came out in 2020, so it was a little bit under the radar is kind of loosely based on my Broadway show. The new one, which became a Netflix special, and it's kind of, in some ways, I'm plugging it here after whatever, five years after it came out, but it's a real deep dive into... Like, if you liked that episode last week, it's a real deep dive into our marriage and having a child and all of these things where I have a comedic take,

she has a poetic take. I would say occasionally, I veer poetry, she veers comedy. And I think we're really proud of it. So check out that, check out little astronaut. Of course, special thanks, as always, to our daughter, Una, who built the original radio fort made of pillows in 2020. Thanks most of all to you who are listening.

If you enjoy our show, go on Apple Podcasts. You get the premium subscription while you're there and or we have 190 episodes, all free, no paywall. We implore you here at the show to tell your friends and tell your enemies, tell the person who's talking too loudly at the comedy show. I mean, wait until after the show, obviously, but, you know, after the show, if someone's talking too loudly, go, hey, I don't want to start a whole thing, but maybe if you listen to this podcast, I'll Mike Brimigley's a little bit.

working it out, you'd understand how disruptive it can be to talk during a comedy show. You can listen to this podcast on your way to a comedy show, and then you listen to the podcast on the way home. What a night! Thanks, everybody. We're working it out. We'll see you next time.