Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out - 52. Randall Park: His Superpower is Turtle Figurines

Episode Date: August 29, 2021

Randall Park has brought his one of a kind comedic approach to Trainwreck, Fresh Off the Boat, Veep, and the Marvel Universe. Randall reveals how he and Ali Wong scored the Keanu Reeves cameo for their film "Always Be My Maybe." Mike shares a dark version of the children’s joke “Why was 6 afraid of 7?” and Randall explains why collecting turtle figurines is indeed a skill. https://www.kulturecity.org/

Hey, everybody. It is Mike for Bigly, and we are back with a new episode of Working It Out. Can you believe it? We are very excited. We got a great guest on today. I got my big fall tour coming at you. Chicago, we just added a show in Boston

on that Thursday night. We added one in Milwaukee, Madison, one in Denver. All these shows require proof of vaccination. We're doing this as safely as we know how. And thanks, everybody, who listened last week to the Jim Gaffigan episode. A lot of new listeners. We're glad you're here. If you like the show, listen to all the back episodes. Listen to Sarah

Silverman and Bill Hader and John Mulaney. There's so many fun episodes and throw us some stars on Apple Podcasts, a little user review. Tell us if you enjoy the show because it boosts morale around the working it out water cooler. Today's guest is an

actor and comedian who is the star of the ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat. He was on The Office. He was on Veep. He's in the Marvel Universe. He co-wrote and starred in a film that I love on Netflix with Ali Wong called Always Be My Maybe. And, of course, he and I met years ago as part of a large cast of Trainwreck, the film by Judd Apatow, which is where we begin today. Enjoy my chat with Randall Park. Randall, it's funny because we've had a lot of Trainwreck cast and crew on the show this summer.

We had Judd Apatow, we had Bill Hader, Brie Larson, you, me, I think that's five of us from that movie. I mean, there were like 40 people, like well-known people in that movie, so. It was a real, that's a great comedy. It's funny because it's like, that was sort of a romantic comedy of sorts. Your movie, which I loved, Always Be My Maybe,

which you and Ali Wong co-wrote and produced. It was on Netflix and is so funny. And I almost, one of the things I enjoyed so much about it is there's a scene, I won't give away what happens in the scene, but there's a Keanu Reeves, there's a group of Keanu Reeves scenes but there's one in particular that's so funny that I don't honestly I don't remember laughing so hard watching a movie scene in like years yeah like that's nice to hear that's incredible oh okay that's great it's like well so here's what you here's one of the things you and I have in common

we have a bunch of things in common which we'll get into one of the things is I asked Keanu Reeves to be in my movie Don't Think Twice because I wrote him into the script similar to the way you wrote him into your script except he didn't even take the phone call

like we couldn't get past we couldn't get his agent even take the phone call. Like we couldn't get past, we couldn't get his agent to take our phone call. Oh, really? And you got him. You wrote him into the movie and you got him in the movie and it's like vintage. It's classic Keanu.

I don't know. It just kind of all worked out perfectly. And I'm sure it rarely works out like that when people are trying to get him because he's probably working all the time. And you're trying to convince her sort of that she shouldn't want to date celebrities. And you go, first of all, like, celebrities are all insane. One time I saw Glenn Close, she ordered a pineapple sandwich. And I love that somehow I agree with you, that that would make you insane. Right.

What if I saw Glenn Close, you ordered a pineapple sandwich? That's right. That's right. Was that based, you co-wrote the movie, was that based on like someone seeing Glenn Close eat a pineapple sandwich? No, no.

That was, gosh, I think we were, I think that was actually Nanachka Khan, our director, who's brilliant, who pitched that joke to us and we were like, yes, that's it. That's so funny. I was listening to an interview

where you were talking about when you went to college and you sort of found your people, like your theater sort of community and how you were like, I think you said the first time you performed in front of a live audience, you just felt like you were like floating. And I related to that so much.

I had the same experience in college where I was like, oh my gosh, this is like, how come I haven't been doing this my whole life? Yeah, yeah, for sure. For sure. I mean, it was, you know, growing up, I was extremely shy, you know, very shy. But amongst my friends, I was pretty out there, you know, and, and, and I'd make them laugh. And, but outside of that circle, I was, I was very quiet and, and, and studious and, you know, and, but I felt like once I was in college and I found this, this group of friends, I felt like, and we, and we actually

got to be fun and funny and boisterous and absurd, like to the world, or at least to the folks in that theater, it felt like, oh, this is like, I get to be that, not just around my friends. I could be that around everybody. And that was like, so it just unlocked so much for me. And yeah, I remember, I felt like I was floating out of that theater after that show. Yeah, I remember. I felt like I was floating out of that theater after that show. That's a really funny way of looking at it. It's like, if you become an actor or a performer or a live performer, it's like you're able to do in public what you previously were doing in private.

Yeah, yeah. Well, it's funny because I was listening to you in an interview years ago where you were talking about how you you did a theater exercise once where you stepped up on stage and people you know if it's a handsome person people go like what say the first thing you think of is like handsome tall cool awesome or whatever and you got up and it was like, handsome, tall, cool, awesome, or whatever. And you got up and it was like a scientist, nerd, or whatever. You just felt like it was like the stereotypes of what someone would sort of perceive you as and you sort of strived to be like,

no, no, no, I want to be cast as something else. But that's, to me, when I saw Always Be My Maybe, it felt like maybe you would achieve that. Yeah, yeah. I think, I mean, when that happened, it was actually during a class. It was one of the classes in L.A. that you had to take if you were about to start acting.

Everyone took this class from this teacher. And so this class had been built up as this was going to be a game changer. And it was in order to take the class, you had to start out at this weekend intensive, which was just

like the weekend, two days, full days, and by the end of that full day, they do this exercise where you, yeah, you stand up, you turn around, and everyone honestly just say what they think. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And, you know, I had come from this theater company in college where I got to play everything and be everything. Right, right.

You know, and be the lead, be the sidekick, be the, you know, comic relief, be the right you know and uh and be the lead be the sidekick be the you know comic relief be the you know yeah and and then here uh i stand up on the stage turn around and it's just all these stereotypes and offensive things and and they were just being honest they were doing the exercise you know but it was a real kind of like, oh my God, like, I, I mean, I knew what I was getting into

in terms of the industry, but I, but to, to see peers, people who I liked, my friends, you know, saying all these things,

it was really disheartening and, and it bummed me out. It's so strange. It's like, I, it, there's so many things that are so disheartening

currently, but then one of the things that is heartening, like I was talking to Sam Jay on this podcast about how there is increasing representation by black and Asian people and all types of people in movies

and TV right now, and ultimately, it's going to lead to better movies and better TV shows and things that actually, I think ultimately, like dig deeper and go further into the human experience. Yeah, yeah, I think, I hope so. I hope so. I mean, right now it's, uh, uh,

it's definitely, yeah, you could feel, feel the shift. I've never felt a shift like this ever, you know, in my career. Uh, uh, folks are, I think, I think folks are, are recognizing not just the storytelling opportunities, but even the business opportunity. Sure. You know, that comes with telling these stories, you know. And so, yeah, hopefully it gets to a place where just we could see the gamut of perspectives within a group, you know. I mean, you know, we're all,

every group is just so different, you know, within. And I think we're getting there, but, you know, I also have no different, you know, within. And I think we're getting there, but, you know, I also have no faith, you know. No, no, of course, of course. No, I mean, it could go away in five minutes. Who knows? Yeah, yeah, yeah. One of the things about you

that I've always admired as an actor, because you're in so many things, is, you know, whether it's Veep or the Marvel films or Trainwreck or Fresh Off the Boat, is you really have a very, I would almost describe it as a signature Randall Park subtlety to your performances. And I'm curious, like, is that based on, and that's the kind of acting that I'm drawn to. Like, I find I want to zero in on when actors are playing stuff really in a subtle way. Is that based on actors who you admired growing up? I think, I don't know if it's based on that, but it definitely is a, you know, but it definitely is a, you know, I love, you know, I love folks like Jack Lemmon, you know.

I love Steve Carell. Oh, yeah. There's like certain actors that I just am naturally drawn to, and I think that they tend to have an everyman quality about them, but there's a real kind of, I don't know, I think a sadness to them, you know? Sure, that's hilarious. That I really identify with and I'm drawn to, and I find it really funny.

But also I think it just is a natural kind of place for me to come from, you know? It's funny you should say sadness because sometimes people really lock into my solo shows and sometimes they do not. And when they do not, the standard thing they say is, it's too sad.

I mean, that's what I love about your work. I mean, I'm drawn to that. And I feel that from your work too. There's definitely like, I don't know, like there's definitely a sadness there, you know? But to me, and maybe to you, based on what you're saying, it's like, to me, that's part of the spectrum of being alive. And if you're repressing that, if you're just all laughs, all energy, all whatever, you're actually not expressing the range of human emotion.

You're just doing a sort of a two-dimensional caricature. Yeah, yeah, true, true. caricature. Yeah, yeah. True, true. But I feel like the sadness is the one that I think if people are going to leave one aspect out, I feel like it's often sadness. Oh, that's interesting. Why do you think that is? Yeah. Because it's sad. Yeah, yeah. you know, we're also kind of, you know, pathetic and sad. And, you know, and I think that that's, for me, that's like, that's the thing that, yeah, we all are, regardless of if we lead with that or not, you know.

Stepping away from my conversation with Randall park to send some love to my favorite sparkling water spindrift sparkling water and i don't throw that around there's a lot of sparkling waters out there and uh i don't know i love it it's it's uh this i read up on it it's the first sparkling water made with real squeezed fruit and and that's it. Maybe that's why I like it. There's nothing artificial, no natural flavors, added sugars or artificial sweeteners. There's 11 real fruit varieties. My jam is a raspberry lime. That's the one I drink a whole ton of, but I like pretty much all of them. I think I like 10 out of 11. I'm not going to say which one I don't like.

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So this is this thing we do called the slow round, and it's basically just like memories from childhood and things like that. Do you remember a smell from childhood, either like really good or really bad smell? Yeah. Yeah. I distinctly remember, and it's a good smell, but that brings about mixed feelings. I like this answer already.

I remember the smell of my public school, elementary cafeteria yeah yeah uh and it being everything being like laced with this strong kind of maple syrupy uh scent no matter what they were making it was like they put a little bit of maple syrup in everything. Government maple syrup, you know. That's a riot. Yeah. Why do you have mixed feelings about that? I think because I associated, especially with the beginning of the school years, because that's when, you know know throughout the summer you're at home and you know out and

about with your friends and your family and then all of a sudden you have to go back to school and I hated the beginning of school oh my gosh yes like I would the night before I would cry and this is like well into middle school.

Wow. I was, like, for some reason, it was very, like, traumatizing for me to have to go back to school. Wow. And I remember, like, literally screaming and crying while my mom was, like, dragging me into school, you know. And I'd be holding onto her leg and, you know. Oh, my gosh. school, you know, and I'd be holding onto her leg and, you know, I remember telling the teacher, like every year, the first few days telling the teacher that I felt sick and they'd take me to the nurse's office. And it was my way of hoping that they'd call my parents so that they could

take me back home, you know? Yeah. Yeah. Did you, do you have a, do you feel like you have a skill that no one knows about? I mean, I wouldn't say it's a skill, but it's something that I think a lot of people don't know about me is I collect turtle figurines. Is that a skill? I'm going to count it. We're going to count it ding ding ding

okay thanks thanks yeah yeah first of all my daughter would love this my daughter's six and is obsessed with all kinds of

animal and dinosaur and all things like fish birds dinosaurs turtles yeah yeah

I mean I collect turtle figurines how'd that start? collect turtle figurines. How'd that start? The turtle figurines, well, I love turtles. I think turtles are, like, amazing. Well, turtles, my daughter and I were talking about this the other day. The oldest living animal in the world, as far as I understand it, is this 189-year-old turtle.

Yeah, yeah. Which is insane. I think his name's Jonathan the Turtle. Oh, wow. And in relation to the new show I'm developing, which is called The Old Man and the Pool, and it's all about mortality and aging and all this stuff, I've actually been thinking about all these animals

that have these long lifespans. But turtles are fascinating. They have these insane lifespans. I mean, I think it... I mean, I don't know scientifically anything, but my guess is it has to do with their pace. Yeah. They do things at their own pace.

They don't care. They don't care. They do things at their own pace. They don't care. They're going to take an hour to chew a piece of grass or whatever it is. And then they'll walk slowly. It's like they do things at their own slow pace. They have housing built in.

They have housing, sure. They have housing. They they have housing sure you know they have housing they've got an apartment they always have an apartment a place to sleep in and they could like literally physically hide within themselves which is like

and just get away from the world which is I think all those the combination of those three things it's yeah you would live longer I would think do you think that's why you collect the figurines? because you're interested in these sort of like

fascinating beings? yeah yeah I think so also like in Korean culture turtles are they're good luck in a lot of ways and they represent like longevity and a good life. Oh, interesting.

And a good life. Yeah, yeah. What do you think, because you do so many things. You produce, you act, you write. It's like, if you were going to plan your next 30 years, like what would your career look like? Oh, gosh. Oh, gosh. I don't know, but I think in an ideal world, it would be where everything I do is fun.

Yeah. Just everything is fun. Yeah. I never feel like it's not fun. Yeah. And I guess that would mean working a lot with friends. Yeah. And people who I like. Yeah. And also people who I maybe not know, but they're just lovely.

Yeah. And to really be completely detached from the outcome, to really just be about the process. And as soon as the process is done, let it go and not think about anything in terms of how it's received. Do you feel like you've gotten closer to that? Because you and I are about the same age. Do you Do you feel like you've gotten closer to that? Because you and I are about the same age. Do you think in middle age, you've come closer to that? For sure.

For sure. I mean, do you? Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Things that I... It's funny. I actually wrote this down as one of the things that...

It's not even a joke, but I wrote it down because I was like, maybe I'll write an essay about this for my next book or something. But I wrote this thing down this week, which is, it's like, I used to be jealous of other writers or comedians. Like this person's getting more awards or attention. Yeah.

At a certain point, I realized that creativity is just like running a marathon. And I couldn't name for you a single person in history who has won a marathon, but I could tell you all of my friends who have run a marathon. Oh, that's brilliant. Yeah.

Thanks, man. Yeah, sometimes I don't know if you have this. Sometimes I just write stuff down and I go, I don't know what this is, but it's just like how I feel about something. Yeah, that's brilliant. I mean, it's true. That's the goal, right?

I mean, to just not, I mean, really, I think it's about being present because when you're present, all that other stuff doesn't matter, you know, or it's not, you're not even thinking about it because you are right there, you know. But even as an actor, like, my compliment to you as an actor is that you're highly present. And like, that doesn't come, people don't just have that. Like, you have to

like, land at that. And like, was there anything along the way where you arrived at or learned to become so present in your work? I think it evolved as I evolved as a person. Yeah. You know? Yeah. I don't think there was a single kind of breakthrough. But maybe comedy-wise there was. Because I mostly do comedic stuff.

Yeah. Because I mostly do comedic stuff. And I think there was definitely a point where before I worried about the laughs that this would get or that would get. And then after that, I realized it's actually probably better for me to not go for the laugh at all and just kind of be in the moment, you know? Yeah. And if I could be in the moment, and I almost kind of tricked myself into thinking that if I can be in the moment fully and not get the laugh, then I've done my job, you know? That's so good.

Yeah, just don't think about the laugh you know uh john mulaney and i talked about that i think on this podcast is and we definitely talk about it in life is that the moment you start imagining a laugh when you're rehearsing something yeah like there will be no laugh there'll be no yeah you yeah, you're not in it, you know? Yeah. You're not present. You're thinking outside of the moment, you know? So yeah, yeah. I mean, for me, it really hit home during the pandemic. Like back in October, I had never gotten panic attacks before.

Yeah. But in the middle of October, I got hit with these panic, the series of panic attacks. Yeah. But in the middle of October, I got hit with these panic, the series of panic attacks. Yeah. And it was so jarring to me, you know. And I realized how much, you know, I started working with these specialists

because it was so jarring. For two weeks, I didn't sleep. My gosh. At all, because they would happen at night and uh and you just feel like you things were closing in on you kind of thing yeah and it was weird because my like my physically had to keep moving i couldn't stay still i couldn't sit or lay down i i'd have to pop right back up and it would be throughout the night so so i didn't sleep uh and by the end you know by the time i kind of settled i i was so

jarred and shaken by it that i had to kind of work really hard at rehabilitating myself and um and i learned a lot about like presence and and meditation and and catastrophic thinking and and how all that stuff kind of uh uh it just makes for a bad life, you know? And, and I'm, and I realize that the same goes for, for really every creative endeavor, you know, it's like, you don't want to bring any of that stuff to the, to the process because it's, it's like, it's going to take away from, from the joy of it, of doing, but also from the work, I think. Stepping away from our conversation with Randall Park to send a shout out to Bombas Socks. So Bombas is just a company I love.

They have great socks. They're super comfortable. It's the a company I love. They have great socks. They're super comfortable. It's the only socks I wear. And as you know, I'm a very famous sock wearer. I'm the kind of person, you go, Mike Birbiglia, I want to know what kind of socks he wears because he clearly seems very comfortable and he's got that soft cadence on stage with the way he speaks.

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I love those socks. All right, back to the show do you have a memory from childhood that's sort of on a loop but it's not even a story per se it's just a thing that hits you every once in a while yeah um i remember my dad he dad, he drove a Buick, a super long Buick. It was really long. We called it the boat. And it was so long and so impractical. I mean, it was a pimp car right you know right right and uh and i remember laying you know there's the back seat and then there's the upper part that that meets the window it's almost like a little shelf sure yeah yeah and that's where like the speakers were uh yes and i remember laying on that shelf with my face kind of up against the window wow Wow. And just looking at the sky. I mean, it's completely illegal now. Right. But back then you could do that. No one would do that with a

kid now. Yeah, of course. Yeah. Yeah. But I remember just wedging myself into that and just throughout the whole ride, just looking out the window. And that's distinct in my head. I have the same thing with, my mom used to take me on errands and I would be in the way back of the station wagon and it would just be my area and it would just be, I'm looking out the window, just staring at people in the other cars.

Yeah, yeah. Maybe the reason that we go to those memories is that it's like a part of childhood that we're like in control of or something. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. For sure. And I remember also like the bad things. Like, yeah, I remember being at a, being at a, we were in, my mom and I were in this Mexican restaurant. We were picking up food. And I remember this guy hitting on my mom. Oh, my gosh. And my mom was like, I'm married.

Oh, my gosh. And the guy like cursing her out. Oh, gosh. No. And I remember I was a little kid, but I remember being so angry. Oh. Like so angry and wanting to kill this guy. Oh my gosh. How old were you?

Eight or nine years old? Yeah. Something like that. Wow. And my mom rushing us out of there as this guy was yelling at her and saying these racist things. Oh gosh. Yeah. And

I just remember going into the car and fantasizing of, you know, me like crashing through the restaurant window and pummeling the guy as a nine year old, you know. Yeah. And I think about that for some reason, I think about that moment a lot. I had a similar one. It was me, my mom driving me and my friends, Michael Cavanaugh and his brother, Brian Cavanaugh, home from nursery school at the YMCA in Worcester. And we ran out of gas, which to this day, I think about running out of gas all the time when I'm driving.

Because we ran out of gas and we're on the highway. And this guy pulls over and he offers to help. And we're up against it. We don't know what to do. He goes, I'll drive you to my mom i'll drive you over to that gas station over I got to drive the kids. You know, so we drive. Wait, wait.

So he got in the car. We got in his car. Yeah, yeah. This just came back to me because of your memory. We get in his car and he's furious and he's really. He's furious, but he's driving and he's really furious but he's driving that's he's driving us and he's he's cranking he's like he's like he's yelling at us kids like like like don't touch those buttons things like that yeah yeah yeah clearly like did not bargain for

this trip with kids and i don't know what his intentions were, but I would venture to guess they weren't so good. Yeah, yeah. And I've never, never forgotten that memory. I mean, there's something about people being mean, like grownups being mean that sticks with you so hard. Sticks with you. You never let that go. Yeah. I mean, you're young and impressionable. And I remember being, this is another one that sticks with me. I remember there was a liquor store near where I grew up and I was in the liquor store buying candy. It was me and my friends looking at candy and I had a pocket full of change. on the counter yeah and these guys were in there uh you know and they were like they were they were like a little older than teenagers but they were you know definitely rough guys and one of them starts taking the my change yeah just just taking oh my god from the little pile just taking it

oh my god and uh i remember and i remember being so like, of doing or saying anything because this guy was, like, big and scary. Wow. And I remember just, like, offering him, like, more of my change. I was like. Oh, my God. What else are you going to do? Yeah. Yes, yes, and.

Are you good? You're robbing me. I got a quarter here if you want. I remember doing that. But I remember afterwards feeling so ashamed with myself that I aided him in this small-time robbery of mine. And I was a kid. If I stood up for myself, you know,

nothing would have happened. Yeah. But I do remember wishing, you know, a lot of my childhood was like fantasizing after the fact of me doing the cool thing, you know. I think that's a majority of what sort of autobiographical stand-up comedy writing is. Right. Is like, what if, what if I had done this?

What would that be like? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. You know? Yeah. This is what happened. That's sort of the setup. And then what if I did this?

That's sort of the punchline. Yeah, yeah. I actually had a joke that's in the sort of that childhood realm, which is when I was five, I was standing on top of a high chair in my kitchen and I fell over and landed on my head and I started crying and crying. And then I didn't go to the hospital because I seemed okay. And then later that night, my mom is putting me to bed and she's scratching my hair. A lot of times she's like scratched my hair or rubbed my back before bed.

And she feels a hole in my head. And she looks at her hand and it's like a horror movie. It's like bloody, like a horror movie. So she gets my dad. We drive to the emergency room. They put like 10 or 15 stitches in the back of my head. Anyway, I became a comedian. Because oftentimes people ask me,

why do you think you're a comedian? And that's my new answer. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I love that. I love that. A lot of times with jokes, it's like taking the stuff from the slow round and it's like these memories

and then being like, well, what would the punchline be for that? Yeah. Whenever I'd hurt myself as a kid or get into an accident, I would, you know, go to my parents and my dad would get so mad.

He would get so mad because he, and it's weird and I understand it now as an adult. I mean, he loved me. And he'd just be so mad that I'd be so dumb to have done this really dumb thing. Yeah, sure.

But he would get so angry that it was, like, getting yelled at by him for getting hurt was, like, worse than getting hurt. Yes, yes. Yeah. Like, I remember I was playing in the jungle gym at elementary school, and I tried to, like, grab a bar, and I fell, and I broke my my arm and it was just twisted in the

weirdest way. And my first thought was like, how do I hide this? Because I don't want my dad to scream at me when I tell him like how this happened, you know? at me when I tell him like how this happened, you know? That is such a great premise for a joke, I think, which is like, it's like, what's worse, getting hurt as a kid or telling your parents you got hurt as a kid? Yeah, yeah. I relate to that so much. Yeah, yeah.

Because I relate to it even as a dad. Like, the only time I yell ever at my daughter is when she does something that puts her in danger. Oh, yeah. Yeah. It's like, don't touch that lead socket! Yeah. Don't run near the pool! You know, whatever. Yeah. Yeah.

But that's how, I mean, that's, I think that's how it's supposed to work, right? I thought so. Because you're supposed to scare them into not going near the socket again, right? I think so. So that every time they go near a socket, they'll have a little bit of a memory of that scream. Stepping away from my conversation with randall park to send a shout out to uh my good friends at helix mattress helix mattresses uh i've been sleeping on for about a year i've i've

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And now back to the show. Actually, that reminds me of this other bit I was writing the other day, which is, did you ever have Hummel figurines as a kid? Was that a thing? No, I just learned what they are. Hummel figurines, if people don't know, is like, I don't know. It's like a type of sort of, how do you describe it? It's like a type of figurine, like a collectible figurine, the kind of thing that you'd see

maybe on an infomercial or something. It's like kind of like a porcelain kind of smiley. Like, yeah. Yeah. And so I wrote, I used to walk to school every day, to St. Mary's School. And I would walk by this place called the Shropshire Shop.

And they sold these humble figurines, like these fancy glass figurines. And my parents once bought one of them. And it was this little clown that was a glass clown holding a little glass balloon held together delicately with a wire. And then one of us idiot kids, we just popped the balloon. And it's like, talk about knocking down the value.

Like if you took that to the Antiques Roadshow, they'd be like, well, it's got some scuffing here by the base, that knocks you down 5%. And then we'll take off about 92% from the popped balloon so it's worth about 42 cents and you're like I paid $140 for it and they're like sounds like you shouldn't have had

children and then my conclusion for it is I think the people who are truly unhappy in life are people who want to have children but they also want to have Hummel figurines. Right. Because I'm going to venture to say that the value to us kids popping the balloon was more than the enjoyment of my parents looking at the hummel figure

but that that was this that was this new bit that i was writing because it was like this thing where i'm like thinking about these hummel fingerings i'm like what's the joke exactly but i think right that like who gives a shit about these fancy things? It just doesn't matter. Like of all the things that my wife and I do wrong as parents, which I'm sure, you know, just count them up. I'm sure we're doing everything wrong and we're going to find out when our daughter's a teenager. But the one thing that I think that we don't do wrong is

if she breaks something, we do not care. Right, right, right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I think the Hummel figurine, I feel like they're designed to give you the feeling of sentimental value, whether they're sentimental value or not. Yes. There's a whimsy to them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure, sure. You know, so like if you get it, you almost, you're tricked into thinking that this was a, this is a part of your life, you know. That is exactly right. But really it part of your life, you know? That is exactly right.

But really it's, it's, uh, you know. It's just some glass. Glass. Yeah. Yeah. It's not, it's not so special. Yeah. And I mean, it's also generally like white kids, right?

These Hummels. Oh, that's true. Made in China. Yep. Right. Oh, that's true. Made in China. Yep. Right. Yep. That's right. So there's something like weird about that.

Right. Yes. Yeah. It's, I don't know. It's far from sentimental is my point. It's, you know. They're completely manufactured. This was our way of learning

about Chinese culture. Yeah, yeah. That's right. Looking at these little white clowns. Right. And then breaking the balloons. Right. I mean, this is coming from a guy

who collects turtle figurines. Oh my God, that's hilarious. Yeah, which are also like, they're not, you know, they represent longevity to this fantasy version of what my heritage is. That's interesting. But I'm sure like you go to the average person in Korea and they'd be like, yeah, it's a turtle. It's like just a wooden turtle.

It's not a big deal you know well it's funny i haven't and i have an animal joke that i jotted down this week which is like i feel like people like we all use like animal analogies all the time like wake up sheeple or like my friend will be like yeah try your jokes out on me i'll be your guinea pig but i would guess that these animals are pretty sick of being compared to humans and and i think guinea pigs are pretty annoyed that they didn't actually volunteer they're like i was born into torture and hell in the occasional kindergarten classroom, but sure, use me for your fun analogy. That's right. I always feel that way about animals.

I'm just like, we fetishize the animals to this extent. For sure. But it's like, meanwhile, I mean, the turtle that you talk about, of course, we love turtles, but we're like destroying the environment around these turtles. Yes, that's right. That's right. I mean, we're the number environment around these turtles. Yes, that's right. That's right. I mean, we're the number one predator for turtles.

Yeah. I don't think they, I'm pretty sure they don't have predators, those big turtles. I mean, who's eating a house, right? Who's eating a turtle shell house? Yeah. Yeah, I like that. I was, we went to Big Bear during the pandemic. Yeah, I like that. We went to

Big Bear during the pandemic. Yeah, and it was really nice. He stayed in a cabin and in the back of the cabin was this just vast, just, it was all nature. It was all nature and it was so beautiful.

And I was walking with my daughter and there was like snow patches and she was playing in the snow patches. And I'm like, this is like, this is, it's so therapeutic and it's so, uh, it's so, you know, um, I feel like it just brought me back to like how, what the world should feel like. It should feel like that. And then, uh, and then by this like Yeah, yeah. And then by this log, I was about to sit on a log,

and I look over at the log, and there's a condom. Oh my God, of course. Like a used condom. Yes, yes. Right there by the log. It just ruined everything. That's the metaphor for the whole thing, by the way.

That's the metaphor for the whole thing, by the way. That's the metaphor for the whole thing is we're all in this picturesque, we're living in this picturesque landscape and the bottom right corner of the landscape is a used condom. A used condom. Yeah, yeah, exactly. How old, do you have one kid or more?

I have one kid, yeah, yeah. My daughter, does your daughter tell jokes? No, no. She doesn't know any jokes. So my daughter Una recently told me the classic kid's joke, which is why was six afraid of seven, which is, of course, because seven ate nine. Classic.

By the way, the joke, it's a good joke. Yeah, yeah, it's a good joke. Like, you know, people make fun of the kids' jokes. Whoever wrote that joke is a good joke writer. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's a solid piece of writing. Yes, yes, for sure. But it's also sad because 7 probably will eat 9.

I mean, I get that the humor is that the number eight and the word eight are homonyms, but seriously, Seven is a murderer. I've been watching Seven for years. He plays it cool. We think he's safe because he rhymes with heaven. He tries to spread the rumor that he's lucky. Who would start a rumor about themselves that they're lucky?

I'll tell you who. Someone who's about to murder fucking nine. I like that. Me just riffing on my daughter's school joke. Just take those innocent

jokes and just make them dark. The number, this is my other tag, the number seven is a cult leader who's about to murder nine and all of us are just sitting here watching it happen I like that that's great alright I got one last joke

which is it seems like we're in an we have an animal theme today so I feel like this is a good way to close it out. I was at Petco buying food for my cat and I put my credit card into the machine and it didn't work. Cashier goes, you have to answer the question.

And I look at the screen and it says, do you want to help a pet in need? And I thought, that's what I'm doing. And then I clicked no. Yeah. I like that. That's the whole joke. Do you feel bad? Because that happens all the time. Constantly. Constantly. I feel horrible clicking no. And then I'll click yes sometimes. And then after I click yes, I'll walk away thinking, why did I click yes? I don't know where that money's going to. I don't know, you know.

I know. Where's the accountability here? Yeah. Am I supposed to trust Petco? Yeah. So the final thing we do on the show is working it out for a cause. And we basically, if the guest has a nonprofit that they contribute to or enjoy working with, I contribute to them.

We link to them in the show notes. Is there anyone that you want to send a shout out to? Yeah, there is a group that I work with. They're called Culture City with a K culture city. And, um, they're a great organization. And, uh, so my daughter who we, we mentioned earlier, she's on the autism spectrum, which is why she didn't tell jokes. Oh, okay.

There you go. There you go. Right. But she, uh, she's her verbal communication is very limited, and she has high sensory kind of sensitivities, you know? Especially if we go to, like, a basketball game, and it's super loud, it's like she'll have to cover her ears, you know? Or if we're walking down the street,

and a really loud motorcycle goes by, she'll, like, freak out and cover her ears and this organization culture city they basically work towards making the world more accepting and accessible for people with these what they call invisible disabilities. So they work really hard at like in certain venues, like arenas, sports arenas, and they'll create rooms that people with sensory needs can go to if they need a break. And not just sports or concert venues,

but any public venue they come. And they also train the staff. And so I've been working with them and they've been just really great. That sounds like a great organization. I'm really glad to know about them and I'm going to contribute to them and I'm going to link to them in the show notes. And so more people can know about them and contribute themselves. Awesome. I appreciate that. Well, Randall, this has been such a great time. I'm so glad that we got to know each other. We kicked around

some jokes, and I can't wait to see what you do next. Your next movies, your next live show. Thank you. Thank you. That was fun. Well, thanks a lot, Randall. That's going to do it for. Because there's no hope. That's going to do it for another episode of Working It Out. I love that Randall Park. I hope that he and I will be able to work on something someday.

Because he is just a fun, fun person to talk to. And he's so talented. And I couldn't recommend more highly his movie on Netflix with Ali Wong, Always Be My Maybe. Our producers of Working It Out are Peter Salamone, along with Joseph Birbiglia and myself, consulting producer Seth Barish, sound mix by Kate Balinski, associate producer Mabel Lewis, special thanks to my consigliere Mike Berkowitz, as well as Marissa Hurwitz and Josh Upfall. Special thanks to Jack Antonoff and Bleachers.

They have an amazing new album out right now. As always, a very special thanks to my wife, the poet J-Hope Stein. Our book, The New One, is in your local bookstore and it's coming out on paperback in the first week in September. Get yourself a paperback. A paperback, you's, it's less expensive. You can just write in the margins. You can, you can, you can jot down your own ideas. The, uh, we're very proud of the book and we appreciate everybody, uh, you know, reaching out to us on social media. Jen is at jhopestein, at jhopestein on Instagram. I'm at atberiggs, and we appreciate all of the Amazon and Goodreads reviews of our book. We're very proud of it.

As always, a special thanks to my daughter, Una, who created this radio fort of pillows. Thanks most of all to you who have listened. Tell your friends. Tell your enemies. We're working it out. See you next time, everybody.