Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out - BEST OF WIO: Please Don't Destroy

Episode Date: September 2, 2024

Please Don't Destroy: SNL's Three Sad Virgins(Recorded February 2024) Mike welcomes Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy, aka Please Don’t Destroy, known for their wildly popular shorts on SNL. Mike is determined to get Martin to talk more than he did on Pete Holmes’s podcast. The group shares what they like and dislike about each other, and break down what it’s like to be both sketch writers and filmmakers on SNL. Plus, what it’s like to work with Bad Bunny in a Shrek costume.Please Consider Donating To: Meals on Wheels

Do you, the three of you, have to pitch in the larger pitch writing meeting, or are you a separate island? We do everything with the show. We write sketches for other cast. Oh you do? Yeah, yeah. People will sometimes be like,

oh you guys play writers on SNL, right? Yeah. And I'm like, no we are writers on SNL. Wow. This sounds humblebraggy, but there's a lot of times when somebody goes like, you guys are the only thing on SNL that I like, which is like not true, but there's a lot of times when somebody goes, you guys are the only thing on SNL that I like, which is not true, but they'll say that.

And then immediately you go, we write a lot of sketches. Welcome back to Working It Out. Those are the voices of Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Hurley. He's known for SNL fans as Please Don't Destroy. We are excited to re-air this episode from earlier this year because this week I'm going to improvise with the guys from Please Don't Destroy at the Improv Asylum. Wednesday, September 4th. We had such a great time here on the podcast. We said, let's just throw together a pop-up show and just improvise.

Just see how it goes. So we're doing that. Super excited about that. You can just follow my Instagram or their Instagram to find out info on how to get tickets to that. Thanks everyone who came out to my show, Mike Birbiglia and friends at Largo in Los Angeles. We raised a ton of money, about $20,000 for the YMCA of Greater Los Angeles.

Thanks for everyone who bid on the original note cards from the old man and the pool. We just made an announcement that a bunch of people suggested, what about a poster, a print of this? And so that's what we did. We made a print. It's a limited edition print, a few hundred of them. I signed, 40 bucks a pop on birbigs.merchtable.com. All the proceeds go to the YMCA of New York.

I'm so glad we could give back to the YMCA after I've made fun of them for so long. I'm so excited to be back on tour this month. I'll be in Red Bank, New Jersey. I'll be in Portland, Oregon, Philadelphia, Madison and Milwaukee, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Asheville, Charleston, South Carolina.

This is my all new show. It is currently called Please Stop the Ride. I think it's gonna end up being called The Good Life, but right now it's Please Stop the Ride. It is all new material. I'm having a blast doing it. And it looks like I'm gonna film it in March. And so we're getting towards the end of this tour

and we're gonna announce more soon. Sign up for my mailing list on birbigs.com to be the first to know. So glad you tuned into this episode today. We got John, Martin, and Ben from Please Don't Destroy. We talk about SNL, we talk about doing creative work with a team. They share a funny detail about their video they did with Bad Bunny where he appeared in an elaborate Shrek costume. I love that sketch. I love this chat. Enjoy my conversation with the great Please Don't Destroy.

So I was listening to you guys on Pete Holmes and I just wanted to make sure it was better. Like what we do here is better today. So like like, what would we do right off the bat? Like, when you guys walked out of the Pete interview, what were you like, that was annoying for this reason? I think we felt an immense wave of relief leaving that podcast. Because we were, like, very in our heads about how personal his podcast is. And how, like... Because we don't do that many interviews.

I guess we have more lately, but like... We haven't talked that much about our real lives. Martin, let's talk to you about your real life. My real life, yeah. The... Well, actually, no one has ever done this. Let's start by... We're going to be immediately starting on the this. No, let's start by... Okay, let's start by this.

We're gonna do it immediately starting on the defensive. We're gonna start with... We're gonna start... All right, we're gonna go around the room. We've never done this before because it's four voices. People are used to two voices in the pod. So, Martin... Yes?

Say your name, where you grew up, and then something that identifies you as being different from these other guys. Martin, Ridgefield, Connecticut, and glasses. Okay. Ben. Shit. No, no. That was really good. That was really good.

Ben Marshall, Savannah, Georgia, and I'm tall. Oh, there he is. Yeah, going with just surface level physical attributes. You guys are blocking already. Joe. There he is. than the other two, and Montclair, New Jersey. Yeah. Wait, so yeah, we have this odd thing in common, which is that you and I both were in A Man Called Otto. Fuck yeah, dude. Oh, yeah. Otto Brothers, dude.

Yeah, we're Otto Brothers. You guys were doing A Man Called Otto. What was the vibe on this guy? Wait, dude, I have a question. Were you invited to the premiere? Yeah, I was. Oh! It's interesting? Yeah, I was. It's interesting. Wait, I wanna-

That's interesting. Wait, you didn't get the email? Yeah, I got lost, I think, in- Oh. No, I didn't get invited. Oh my god, so you didn't get invited to the premiere? No, but I don't think that they remembered I was in it. So, that's okay.

Well, they had a list, probably, with your phone number and your email and your address. Yeah you're in the call sheet. They had all the information. Yeah, kinda hard to guess who you were. Right, can't miss, can't miss. No but you had a part part. Yeah sort of but like you and I both worked with Tom Hanks.

You worked at the store and I was like this kind of evil real estate man. But like. It was funny seeing you as a dick. Thanks. Like it felt so, you did a great job. It was so not you. It was like acting.

And as Mark Forrester wanted from the party, just he's like, wouldn't it be fun if I got someone sort of funny and nice? Yeah, yes. And asshole. Like, great job. Thanks. And you too. You're great. But like, but we both. Yeah. Working with like Tom Hanks and.

Compliment from Mike. Wait, wait. Are you guys both like burning him on taking the compliment? Yeah, working with like Tom Hanks and... Compliment from Mike? Wait, wait, are you guys both like burning him on taking the compliment? He looked in the lens. He looked exactly the same. Because I got a compliment from Brubig. It's all good. No, but when you work with someone like Tom Hanks,

I don't know about you, but I have to actively not be in my head about it. Yeah. But it is funny at SNL with like other shorts we've made, having an incredibly like famous and esteemed actor, who you're just like on zero sleep and you need a certain thing out of them. So you kind of just like forget who they are. 100%.

Hey man, can you just do one where you're just not trying to be funny? Oh my God. Can you just do one straight, please? And you were talking about Bad Bunny. Well, Bad Bunny didn't mean anything. Bad Bunny was another two takes. Yeah.

It was perfect. And Bad Bunny actually was asleep during part of it, because it was so late at night. He was so tired. And it so helped. Yeah. It helped his performance. Because he so tired. And it so helped. For real? And it so helped. It helped his performance.

Because he was just like, it would be like, hey, Benito, and he'd be like, yeah. And it'd be like, just one more take, and you'd enter the room, hi. And we were like, perfect. Like that level of not commitment to it, and his Shrek costume was perfect. What's the thing from the personas of Please Don't Destroy

that is an exaggeration of the reality of who you are and your dynamic as friends? And what's like Capodon? That's a good question. I would say that sometimes I'm like sassy in the videos or like in the movie and I think I'm kind of sassy in real life. Yeah. So I guess that.

So it's like a double sass? Yeah, double sass. You up to sass in the vids and the movies. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like you're the outspoken one. Yeah. Yeah, I would say that. And then kaput, I don't know.

Nothing, I fucking put my life on the line. Isn't that what you said? Something that's kaput? No. What did you say before something that's kaput? No. What did you say before? Just hold kaput out of it. I thought you said something that you exaggerate then something that you don't.

That's like a put on? Oh, I said kaput. A put on, yeah, yeah. Martin had to call you out on that. Yeah, yeah. That was kaput. You really misheard that. Yeah, yeah.

No, and I don't let that shit slide. No, not bad. Thanks for getting in there. Yeah, no problem. Because I know you would have done it if I didn't do it, and I don't let that shit slide. No, thanks for getting in there. Yeah, no problem. Because I know you would have done it if I didn't do it. Something bad is happening where you guys are teaming up. Yeah. And we're like, oh my God.

A line is forming. I like it. We're even going to get a separate dinner after this. Oh wow. Oh my gosh. You know what's funny about you guys is like, I remember messaging with Jon a while back and my first's funny about you guys is like, I remember like messaging with John like a while back and my first impression of you guys was just like,

you don't mess. With your shorts on SNL. I'm like, you don't mess. And I'm like, it's baffling to me because you guys are aged 25 to 29-ish, right? And it's like, when I was 25 to 29, I missed a lot. No, nope, nope, nope. When do you miss?

Do you miss in high school, college? Definitely missed in high school and college. No doubt. But I think we still miss. And we just, a lot of that shit gets cut out or doesn't like air. It gets shot down at some point. That's kind of a lucky thing.

Like people talk about like, is there anything that you guys so badly wanted to get on the show that that just wouldn't wasn't quite working, you just couldn't get on? And it's like, not really, because if it's not working, it's like kind of embarrassing. Like you don't want something to go through really. That's like.

I don't think we've ever had something that didn't do well that we've been like, fuck them, like we're right. We're nearly always like, and you've said this before, Mark, but we're nearly always like, yeah, no, you're right, that's suck. Especially when you're coming up with that.

Martin always points that out. Like, dude, how stupid we are. Stop! Yeah. Why is he... Jeez. Pretty observant. Martin and I have decided that we're gonna break off from the four person sketch comedy group that we have

and do a duo. You guys really do... I feel it. What if you guys did like confessional storytelling together? Nothing could make me more uncomfortable. Well, it's funny, Fallon, Jimmy Fallon, he's my friend, was the person who told me about you guys. And when you guys were like hired on the show. And he was literally like your dad.

Higgins' son has a sketch group. And they're fucking hilarious. And I swear to God, in my mind I go, yeah, they're probably not good. Yeah, of course. Totally, yeah. So I go, this is my exact experience of this. And then I watch the show, I'm like, immediate convert.

Immediate convert, I went total 180. Wow. Do you feel like coming in, you were in your head about that? Because your dad is a bit of a comedy legend. Yeah, I, not in your head because... And your dad is like a chiropractor? Yeah, yeah, that's what we're telling people. I don't think that it was so in my head

or in all of our heads that it almost wasn't because they're just like, oh, there's no way that you're going to... If I heard that about somebody else, I would be like, fuck that shit. Yeah, that's just what you do. But then, so it's just like, you kind of accept it and understand how lucky you actually are

and it's kind of just easier to process and then to just keep working, I think. So it was like, you think about it all the time, so much that you don't almost. If that makes any sense. Not really, no. Martin? Yeah, I mean, we work a lot, I think.

And so it just like, is something, that by the way is like our favorite thing. Like finding out that someone didn't like us upon hearing about us and then watched the shit and liked it. You want to flip people off. That's fucking best. That's better than like people not caring.

That people hating us and then liking us. Yes. It's like literally as a stand-up comedian, it's my favorite thing. You walk into a room, person dead faced, and by the end they're just like losing it. There's nothing that feels better. Yeah.

So when you guys, do you guys, is your goal to put one on every week? Yeah. We write one every week. You write one every week? Yeah. Do you, the three of you, have to pitch in the larger pitch writing meeting,

or are you a separate island? We do everything with the show. We write sketches for other cast. Oh you do? Yeah, yeah. A lot. Oh interesting. People will sometimes be like,

oh you guys play writers on SNL, right? Yeah. I'm like, no we are writers on SNL. Wow. This sounds humble braggy, but there's a lot of times when somebody goes like, you guys are the only thing on SNL that I like, which is like not true, but they'll say that. And times when somebody goes like, you guys are the only thing on SNL that I like,

which is like not true, but they'll say that. And then immediately you go like, we write a lot of sketches for this show. We are also the other stuff. Yeah. That's really funny. It's supposed to be a compliment. And it's like, well, we're there.

Yeah, well it's funny, like Seth Meyers always says this thing because he wrote for the show for so many years and hosted Weekend Update and everything. But like, it's all like SNL, and I think this is true. It always has some great sketches, some bad sketches, and some okay sketches. Almost every episode in the history, the Farley years, the Chevy Chase years,

it never was 100% by nature of what the show is. Sometimes I'm like, I'm gonna go back and binge watch SNL and just like go through like seasons of full episodes. Full episodes of SNL are exhausting. Yeah, of course. Totally are. Like back to back, it's like, oh my God,

this is like tiring. How are these people like watching a full episode live and, it's like, oh my god. This is like tiring. How are these people watching a full episode live and then tweeting, like, hasn't been good since 75. You just watched that whole thing and then came to the same conclusion you walked in with? Yeah, I would never. By the way, great point, Martin. Thank you.

This is ridiculous. I really appreciate that. No, I mean, I just feel like the two of you blabbering on and on. I really appreciate that. I feel like the two of you blabbering on and on, meanwhile Martin barely says anything. And I cut in with a perfect observation that no one's made before, by the way. No one has ever criticized the people who say that SNL hasn't made good since the 70s. No one works at SNL. No, no, no. So you guys came up with this crazy class of Iowa D. Brie and Rachel Sennett and like all these people

who were at NYU were great. When you were there, and like more, right? Yeah, yeah. Chloe Trost. Chloe Trost was on the show, it was great But like, when you were there, did you know? Were you like, nah, it's good. We're like, this is better than other college theater programs. A little bit.

We kind of did. There was that energy of like... I remember us going to... Because John and I were on a sketch group called Hammer Cats at NYU, which was like... I know, I remember when Donald Glover was in it. Yeah, he started it. Wow. When I was coming up at UCB with my group Little Man,

Donald Glover used to improvise at UCB with Hammer Cats. That's so crazy. And was great, he was like 20. We're all like, Donald Glover's really good. Like, this is crazy. And now he's like an international phenomenon. Yeah, so you were in Hammer Cats. We were in that, but we would do college comedy festivals

at like Skidmore and Brown and stuff. And the vibe from everyone else was that they hated the NYU groups for being like, pretentious, like, we're in the city, we're doing comedy for real. Like, I think there was like a snobbiness to that, like, we're doing it, we're in the city, I don't know. I feel like, because I came up, like I cast Nicole at Georgetown Improv, and Nicole ended up casting John Mulaney and Jacqueline Novak,

and there's a handful of other people who are from that universe. And I feel like, I have one friend Chris, and don't think twice, my movie, there's a character who leaves show business, leaves comedy, and that was my friend Chris, who I'm still friends with, I talked to the other night, and we were like, he's the best.

And then he just left. I literally said to him, after a show at UCB one night where I'm at the Manus Bar, like on 19th Street, and I was just like, I go, Chris, you don't understand, we're gonna make it. Like he was gonna move back to Naperville, Illinois, with his girlfriend and their kid, and you don't understand, we're gonna make it. Heerville, Illinois. With his girlfriend and their kid and... Like you don't understand, we're gonna make it.

He was like, I don't care. He literally said, he goes, you might be right. He goes, but I look around and it was like a room full of like literally like SNL cast members and people like that. And I look around at the people who've made it and like, nah, I don't want their life. God. You have anyone like that at NYU where you're like, you don't have to name names, but it and like, no, no, no, I don't want their life. God. You have anyone like that at NYU where you're like,

you don't have to name names, but where you're like, I can't believe they left it. Wow. Yes, definitely. You do? Yeah, I think so. I mean, I don't want to say it specifically. No, I get it, I get it.

I'm 45 so I can bring it up now. Yeah. I'm thinking of specific people who are so funny that just like... Yeah. But they don't need it, and then you envy that so much more. They're like, oh yeah, I have,

I know I'm super funny and I don't need people. The affirmation. Yeah, the constant reassurance. You ever try and talk anyone into staying in comedy? No, because I know that it's not like, I'm like good for you. I know, I'm like jealous. Right.

Yeah. Anybody who is like, you earnestly feel that they're like, no, it's just, I love being funny and doing shows, but I don't want to go through that hell of trying to find a career. It's like, that's amazing. Like, it's so cool to just bow out on top in a way. Yeah.

Yeah. That's great. That's why we're leaving the industry next year. Yeah. Yeah. Cause we reached the top. I was at the taping of one of your specials. Were you really? Yeah, I was at.

Which one? Thank God for Dose. One of the ones. Thank God for Dose. At BAM? I think it was Thank God for Dose. BAM Harvey. At BAM and it was with the lady cop guy.

Yeah, I remember seeing you in the footage. No you don't. As you were saying it right now, I remember seeing you in the footage. No you don't. Are you in the special? Is he, do you come to the audience? I must be, I remember seeing you in the footage. No, you don't. Are you doing this special? Is he, do you cut to the audience? I think you are.

Wow. I didn't realize until he's saying it, but you know, when you edit, as you know, you guys edited a movie, you spend so much time with the footage. You're literally spending like 65 hours with the footage. So I was like, yeah, I remember you. Wow.

I think what I want Ben to do is just reference this in more of his interviews. Yeah. So when I was first coming up and I was a featured extra in Mike For Bigly's Thank Up For Jokes special. Were you in college? I think I was in college, yeah. Yeah, yeah, because it was 2016.

Yeah, yeah. I was just, because it was 2016. Yeah, yeah. I was just a fan. That's so nice. I am not anymore, but it's so cool to... Why would you, maybe we're gonna cut that. But thanks for being here, guys. Yeah, of course, of course, man. No, no, but you talked about this on Pete Holmes,

but we're gonna to break it apart in a sort of a more elegant way on this podcast. You did stand up before. Yes, Martin and I did. We did, yeah. They did. And what was that like? I only did it for probably like two years.

But yeah, it was great. Do you think you'd do it again? No, I don't think so. I think it'd be, I would like to, like as a thing, it seems like an exciting way to write and perform, but I would be so embarrassed at how bad I would be. Like starting again.

Starting again. Martin, I'd like to mentor you. Whoa. Dude. I hope this isn't weird. It is. I'd like to mentor you. Yeah? I'd like to't weird. It is. It is. I'd like to mentor you.

Yeah? Like to take you out on the road in the off season. Not during SNL. That sounds good to me. I mean, we have plans, but we can push them. Yeah, I don't know if you were going to do another movie next summer, but... I was touring with Sebastian Maniscalco. I'm gonna go with the I'm gonna go with the I'm gonna go with the I'm gonna go with the

I'm gonna go with the I'm gonna go with the I'm gonna go with the I'm gonna go with the I'm gonna go with the I'm gonna go with the I'm gonna go with the I'm gonna go with the

I'm gonna go with the I'm gonna go with the I'm gonna go with the I'm gonna go with the I'm gonna go with the Do you think that's what you are? No, that's my character. What's your burnin', like in real life, do you guys make fun of Jon for being Johnny Showbiz? You know what, they make fun of me for, I say words wrong a lot. Like the Caput was an example of that. Wait, what did you say earlier today?

Wheels for meals. Oh yeah, we're talking about that. Wheels for meals. Wheels for meals, I'll do that constantly. Versus Meals on Wheels. Which is our charity. Wheels for Meals, that's an exchange program where we exchange cars for food.

Yeah, no it's oil. Yeah, it's oil. Meals for Wheels. At the end of the day, exchange for oil. So wait, then what's the burn on you? What's Ben's burn? It's not as, I don't. So wait, then what's the burn on you? What's Ben's burn? It's not as, I don't think that it's... What's the real life one?

I would say I make fun of John for going to Paris all the time, and I realize that ultimately that's making fun of me for not living my life that way. Do you really go to Paris a lot? As much as I can. John will like on the Sunday we get off of SNL for a hiatus, he's like, I gotta go, I'm leaving the country. I just zip out of here.

You really do go to Paris. Do you speak French? Nope. This is absurd. It's really not. He's just like a bit. You wanna live big, live well? Yeah, I get it.

You can do it. Say no more. Yeah. Oh, and then what's Ben's? What's Ben's? It's not, I don't know. Live big, live well. This isn't even what you were asking, but I was listening to the John Early episode, and it was, what is something that you like about yourself, something that people find annoying about you or whatever? And I thought of the most annoying thing that I do, which is when you guys or any group of friends is like shit-talking somebody,

I have this horrible urge to go like, yeah, but he's a pretty nice guy. And then everybody's like, why do that? Do you guys notice that? Not really. Really? No. I don't think you've ever stood up for anybody.

Oh, man. I was like, the worst quality about myself is standing up for people. That is? No, I meant like, you know when you're like, When you're like, ruining a, like, Or ragging on someone in a fun way, No, we know. And then it's like,

That's funny. I have like this superstition about like, You have to be like, Talking bad about somebody behind their back will like, Fuck you up. I don't know, cut this whole part out. Fucking idiot. No, I think it was circle take.

Can we just delete that? I don't know. Jeez, we love it. Wait, so who takes the lead on the pitch? We each pitch. I think it was circle take. Can we just delete that? Geez, we love it. Wait, so who takes the lead on the pitch? We each pitch. We each have to do it. Oh, you do? In Warren's office.

You're talking about that, like the Monday meeting with the host? Yeah. Yeah, everybody has to do it. But when they come... What about when it's the video? Oh, they come to our room separately. Usually on the Monday pitch meetings, we're not pitching real ideas. More just like something to make our room separately. fucking pitch again. And it's just like the worst feeling.

Because you have to think of like five real ideas and then you're like, I forgot I have to think of a fake idea. Yes, exactly. Yeah. So like with the bad bunny dressing up as Shrek, for example, which I love. What, is that separate with bad bunny kind of thing?

That one we just wrote. Yeah. Like one in the morning or whatever, and then we read it at the big table read with everybody, but we didn't pitch it to Bad Bunny or anybody verbally before writing it. What was the kernel on that? It's Martin.

Oh, it is? It's your buddy Martin. It is. It's your buddy Martin? Well, I want to say, I want to compliment Martin basically on everything you do, I want to say, I want to compliment Martin. Basically on everything you do. But specifically when it comes to the bad bunny being track sketch,

it didn't get me at first. I was like, come on. And then I'm crying. I'm crying by the end. That's so funny. What switched you? Okay, here's what didn't get me at the jump. Okay. He's in the costume at jump. Yeah.

Right? So you're like, all right, can you follow the costume? Yeah. Kind of thing. Yes. And then I think it's when you're dressed up as Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson! Yeah.

Yeah. Wait, so Martin, let's focus on you. Of course. No, like where did it come from? I think that the kernel part that you didn't like at the beginning, that I think was what I brought. That was your idea. And then how has it developed from the kernel to what we see?

Because basically for the listeners, people can watch this really quickly on YouTube, but it's like Bad Bunny basically comes to your office and is in a Shrek costume, fully garbed, like a guy at Disney World kind of thing. And you're like, so you want to do something like a sketch or something? And he's kind of like, no.

Like he just plays a straight man and says like, no. He's being really coy. How much, he won't admit how much he loves Shrek. Even though he's in the full costume. Okay, let's start from square one. You love the Shrek movies, not really. Yes, yes. I think honestly, like what kind of got us

into that attitude for him was like, he is not a native English speaker. There were a lot of rumblings of like, oh my God, this might be a challenging week. Like having trouble a little bit communicating with some people. People were pitching him ideas and it didn't seem like he was totally getting them or whatever. But he still had this very mellow energy of like, yeah, I'm down for whatever. He was an amazing guy. and it didn't seem like he was totally getting them or whatever,

you can't connect with him. You're like, you wanna do something with him. And he's like, a little bit. Exactly. He's also very cool and aloof. And it was hard to parse what was like, he didn't understand me or he's not reacting because he's like... Such a cool guy.

Yeah. Well, I think one of my favorite things about your shorts is like, the way you guys act is so real to how it would be if a guy showed up dressed up as Shrek. Like it's like, and there's something... The performances, I don't want to dwell on performances because it's just like one of those things.

It's like you either lock into someone's performance or you don't, but like I really lock in because I'm like, this feels so grounded. Do you ever direct each other, like, hey Ben, let's do that one again, just take it back. You know, take it down a notch. Big time.

All the time, yeah. And we can be very direct with each other. Yeah. I do one way smaller. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And if anyone else said that, I'd be like, hey, come on. Totally. But with you guys, it's just like, hey, smaller.

And if anyone else said that, I'd be like, hey, come on. In terms of burning each other, you can say to somebody, hey, do it where it doesn't sound like shit this time. You laugh and you get it. I'm on the team of trying to make this thing great, so it's not going to hurt my feelings if that thing wasn't good. I said to my wife Jenny, I go, what would you ask the Please Don't Destroy Boys, which is what Sarah Sherman calls you, boys. Yeah. You don't mind it. It's what we are. Boys. The please don't destroy men feels a little... Yeah....aggressive. It's like a gang. Right. Right. Please don't destroy men.

So yeah, John's slogan. So please don't destroy boys. So please don't destroy boys. I said to Jenny, I go like what would be your thing that you would ask? What would be your burning question? And I thought it was really cool. She goes, it's like that you guys are all together today. The four of us are just here in this room. And it's like, in a certain way, it's a moment in time. Right?

So it's like, you look at Lonely Island, like I'm friendly with all those guys. It's pretty hard to get them all in the same room together. They're all, they all have families now, wives and children. Like they live on different coasts. And it's like, do you guys ever have this moment of like, oh, this is it. This is the moment in time.

Jake Nordwind, who's a writer at SNL, will constantly say that these are our salad days. And he's like doing it as a bit at this point of like when everyone's like miserable and stressed, And I think that's a good point. And I think that's a good point. And I think that's a good point. And I think that's a good point. And I think that's a good point. I've dreamed of having and doing it with my best friends is really cool. Yeah. It's... Especially SNL where it's like...

You only have so many hours and it's so... You can like forget how like... Fun it is with how stressful it is. But every Saturday after the show's over, there's this writer, Gary Richardson, who's the best. He's in Don't Think Guys, yeah. The funniest dude. He's like the best dude. I used to improvise with him a little bit.

Yeah. When we were getting ready for that movie, we would improvise with him. He's so funny and has a really good, kind of like, regarding this, he has this idea of like, Saturdays or whatever. He has a good vibe of just kind of like hanging out and having fun and this idea of like Saturdays or whatever, he has a good vibe of just kind of like hanging out and having fun

and you can see that he relishes in it. And he does this thing, we do this thing called Writers Good Nights, where it's after the show. It started as a bit of like when the cast is all hugging each other on stage, we were in the writers room going like, should we just go down there? Like the writers. And then, but it turned into a thing where Gary gives

this like pump up speech about like what we did that week and then what we're gonna do for the next week. And it's all very ironic and stupid, but it feels like this is the most fun you could ever have. Like, yeah. Beautiful. Yeah, it's great. Okay, slow round. This is called the slow round.

Martin, what are people's favorite and least favorite things about you? Oh man, oh I know, maybe least favorite. Maybe there are things that people just like more about me. But I think I can kind of, if you can believe it, sometimes I can ramble. Sometimes I'm very like, this is not true at all. Dude, I'm very like, is this not true at all? I'm shocked by this answer.

Really? Are you doing a bit? No, do I not? Cause I've been really worried about this. Ben, you need to respect Martin. I do. No, no, if it's not a problem. That's so funny.

No, I just thought you were doing a bit about how like you're the quiet one. No. What people don't like about you is that you ramble. I feel like when I'm explaining, I'm so worried about a point getting misconstrued that I like, am really, will like, really double back and like, go over every detail of what I'm saying.

Which is why all of your answers today have been whittled to perfection. And I thank you. Oh my God. You guys, the two of you. Oh my god. You guys, the two of you. I hate this dynamic. Yeah. It's the first time we've had four microphones,

four chairs, we had to decide, originally it was like gonna be three of you on one side and just me on the other. It's like the principle. Yeah, it doesn't make any sense. It is weird. That is a bit of a dance off, you know? That we always do with like, when we were on late-night shows,

or even photos getting taken for a movie, it'll be like, great, so we were thinking, John, if you just come up front here in the Ben and Martin, you guys, just back up a little more. So funny. A lady did that on our movie. And we were like, yep, just back up a little more. Okay. Yep So and what's your people's favorite thing about you Martin?

Yeah, I don't know I fuck Keep it all in keep it all in keep the air keep the air in I think maybe I really enjoy writing. I think maybe... I really enjoy writing. And I think I... Oh, fuck.

I really enjoy writing is what people like most about you? I don't know. Martin, Martin. You got a big problem there. Just say something. Hair, hair, hair. Ha ha ha! There you go. That's it.

Oh boy. I really enjoy writing as your answer. I really enjoy writing as your answer. You're so, Martin, I'm sorry, I just feel like we're so close at this point that I feel like I can tell you that you're just blocking out the compliments of your life.

Why don't you guys save him then? What's your favorite? Mine is that he enjoys writing. Oh, what I meant by that is, mine is that he enjoys writing. I think sometimes I'm a fun vibe in the room. Hey, there you go. You love, I feel like people-

That's a real answer, Martin. People, I wanna war that out of you. People who don't, who just know you from like, your work wouldn't know that you were like, life of the party a little bit. Oh. Can be, in certain situations. In a writing interview.

No, come on. Can we cut all of this? No way, this is literally the best part of the whole interview. It's the only part that's been good. All right, you go. That's good though. I think he did admit that he's a good vibe.

Yeah, for sure. And then you guys affirmed that he's a life of the party kind of guy. No doubt. Unexpectedly, in contrast to his on-screen persona. It is an intense question, in a good way. I like it. What's yours?

What are people's least and most favorite things about you? I tried answering this earlier before you even asked it and it didn't go well. Remember? The shit talking thing? Yeah. Okay, favorite, wait, ask me the question one more time. What are people's favorite and least favorite things about you? I think I can be a...

It is hard, isn't it? It's really hard. Oh, God. It is hard, isn't it? It's really hard. I think I can be like a calming presence. Yeah, that's nice. When we blow stuff up, you'll be like, let's just think I'm level-headed sometimes. This is, I'm doing, I enjoy writing. I'm doing that, aren't I?

I enjoy writing! I think I'm funny and nice and, you know. All right, funny and nice. What am I supposed to say? What is yours? Oh, I don't know. I think that, uh, what people like about me often is that, um, I'm open emotionally, and I think in my comedy,

I try to do that, I try to be open emotionally. God, that's a good answer. Uh, I think that- People like that about you? Yeah, but I think it's a double-edged sword. It's a- Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha think it's a... Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. You just do a double-edged sword to the lens? No, no, no. No, I totally think that that's...

But then it's a double-edged sword because I think that I also sometimes cannot shut it off. Where it's like I'm reading in to the emotion of a situation to a degree where I'm like, this is too much. I'm kind of unbearable. Can I ask you a question? Yeah.

And not try to deflect. Deflect from you being the third person of this question. And then I'm going to go again. If you go again. Do you, when you do a podcast, is a good podcast to you one that is more emotionally resonant or one that's really funny? Well, it's interesting.

The, you know, recently, like, you know, John Early was on and the emotional parts of that I found to be most interesting. He was talking about, like, missing a sexual prime and we kind of, it's a joke in his special, which is hilarious, but then we're kind of unpacking that a little bit and I think that's, in some ways, that's the part I love. I love funny people opening up.

That's kind of what I'm into. Look at all of our body language right now. Is this like guys who have been opening up? I'm opened up. Is mine open or closed? I'm not, you're both. You're both, you're both. I think it's both.

Can you all say it about each other? It feels like that's better. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So what's yours about John? My favorite thing about John is that he is the life of the party. Oh, that's nice. Always. I think people love being around him.

That's sweet. And count me as one of those people. Whoa, that's nice. That's super nice. John is the ultimate like friend. Oh. Everybody feels like John is their ultimate friend. Everybody feels like John is their friend.

He's very good at connecting with people, making them feel special. That's super sweet. and I can seem obnoxious or mean, and that's my least favorite part about me, through trying to connect to somebody. Like in other words, you're doing a bit with someone and it kind of goes too far. Yeah, like especially in college, like making these guys laugh would be like my goal,

so then it would be like, I would just be like, crazy at a party or something like that, like let's steal these beers, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, I was thinking about that recently, where like, I was like, oh, I remember in college being in class sometimes, and then I remember being in a shopping cart on M Street. Yeah.

At three in the morning. The things you remember are just not what you choose. Do you guys remember, it's so funny, I always ask this question on the show, what's an inauthentic version of yourself from your life? A lot of times they're like, when I do myself, it's like, when I'm your age. You know what I mean?

It's weird talking to you guys, because it's like, do you guys have that from when you're younger, or do you sometimes now go like, oh my god, I'm actually living a thing that I'm going to be embarrassed of later? Oh, I think about that all the time. I am embarrassed of every previous embarrassed of later. Oh, I think about that all the time. I am embarrassed of every previous version of myself.

Me too. And it's on such a short timeline too. In like two months, if I listen to this tomorrow, I would be like, I hate this guy. I think that's just the nature of growth though. You're changing and growing as a person and then you look back and you're like cringing at who you thought you were. Yeah. I think that the goal is that those like,

it gets smaller and smaller where it's like, I look back on a version of myself in college that I'm like, I don't even know who that person is. Like I would wear a tweed blazer because I was trying to be old. Like there's so much of that stuff. who that person is. and that matches what you're wearing, like entirely different versions of yourself or something. You know what I mean? Can you remember a time in your life where you were so afraid you ran away?

I almost got mugged and ran away. From where to where? It was in, I think it was in like Lower East Side, maybe Chinatown. I was like walking around on the phone really late at night and like these two guys on bikes seemed like they were gonna mug me. So I ran.

And then I stopped, that's fine, I haven't thought about this. I stopped a couple and I was like, these guys are on bikes and they thought I was on drugs. Because they were like, we don't know what you're saying. We're not on the same side. We don't see anyone. You seem. Yeah, we're not on the same side. We don't see anyone. You seem like the dangerous person to us right now.

Well, they're just on bikes. Yeah. They were just two guys on bikes. Even according to your story, they're not malicious in any way, shape, or form. Two guys on bikes. But they were like, we, they were like, they said stuff. They were talking smack to you.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He said, hey, how's it going? It's like, no. They said stuff. They were talking back to you. Hi. It's like, oh. No. Evening. Martin, have you ever run away from doing? You know, I briskly, that reminded me of a time that I briskly walked away.

When I was talking, it was night, I was in Central Park, I was talking to a was night, I was in Central Park, I was talking to a stranger and for about 20 minutes and then I looked down and he was jerking off. Oh my God. Didn't even get a run out of Martin. Didn't even get a run out of Martin. I said, oh, I remember that.

He started following me and then I went into a lobby of a building that I didn't live at so I could wait out. Slowly we realized Martin is the man. Yeah. Was there a group that wouldn't let you in when you were a kid? Hammer Cats, the sketch group they were talking about. Wait, they did not let you in?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So your college sketch group that you guys were in, Martin wasn't in? Yeah, but then we later that year, my freshman year, started working together. Just off separately from the group? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wow, is it because you were just friends?

That you didn't get on? No, that you started working together. Oh, oh. You just were like buddies from school? Yeah, we were. We were doing stand-up. And then he knew John through Hammer Gatson. But I didn't really know you when you auditioned.

No, that's what I was going to say. I didn't know Martin when he auditioned. So he's just some random guy with a bad audition you don't think twice about. Just kidding. No, it was terrible. I was so scared and so like this like low energy Kind of the way that I am now

But it's weird that what the end result is that you're the best one in the group Yeah, isn't life funny that is funny damn it's also whimsical What was the group that you guys did then that you didn't get let into? I don't know, I guess I remember asking my friend when I was in grade school if he could help me become popular. And I remember that feeling like, you're a part of something I'm not a part of.

Not a real group, but just, I'm a little bit taking liberty with the question. No, I like that though. That's a good initiative you took. Did you go like, dude, can I talk to you about something? For real. Fully. I was probably in like third grade.

Oh, oh, oh. Right. I thought it was high school. Oh, I'm from high school. So you're like third grade. Oh, right. I think I thought it was high school Identify that there's a social group you're not included in but you'd like to be a part of it Yeah, and you cut it seems like kind of a grown-up thing to do just be like hey help me. Hey, I'd like to be a part of this It is such a perfect innocent third- third-rater thing to do. I'm just like, I notice you guys are all... How can I enter that? There's something to that, though.

Yeah. Yeah. Like, I remember him one time threatening to tell everybody that I had asked him that. And I was like, fuck. Damn. That sucks. Yeah. That's... Yeah, that's um.

Go ahead. What's his name, where does he live? Address. No, but there's something to that because I will say like, one of the best pieces of advice, and we always ask this in Slow Round, is like what's the best piece of advice you and we always ask this in Slow Down, is what's the best piece of advice

you've ever been given that you used? And for me, it's like, tell people what your dreams are. Tell people you care about what your dreams are. Because otherwise, there's two things that could happen. One is, they support it. The other one is, they don't support it. Yeah, yeah. And either of those is actually fine. Because the only though they don't support it, the other one is they don't support it. And either of those is actually fine.

Because they don't support it is, it's a little bit embarrassing, but who cares? The show business is embarrassing anyway. The good case scenario is you tell them your dream, they go, oh, you know, actually my buddy's doing a sketch thing and maybe they'd want to have you do something. Like Martin.

And then you're working with Martin. But like, I'd actually, there is something to your third grade self that like had, I think, the right idea. Hey, I'd love to be considered part of the group. What about you? What about you, John? I wasn't made fun of at all until freshman year.

This is like, kind of like Ben's answer where it wasn't a group, just like a cool group of people. And I was finally made fun of and bullied my freshman year of high school. And I was, because of videos and stuff, which Ben has a similar story to, of making YouTube videos and people shitting on them. Yeah.

But then I sang a Katy Perry song at a school talent show people shitting on them. But then I sang a Katy Perry song at a school talent show and I won them all over. Because everybody knew that I was being bullied. I had to go to the dean about it and stuff. That's also a good instinct. Yep. Yeah. Johnny Showbiz was born. Yeah. You three are real winners. Like your answers are even like,

they represent like a good instinct even when you're younger. Like you're the loser in the story, but actually you're victorious. Yeah. No, you became the king. Yeah. You won everybody.

It was literally awesome. It was probably hilarious. It was the bit of, if became the king. Yeah, it was awesome. You won everybody over. It was literally awesome. It was probably hilarious. It was the bit of, if it was in a movie, it would be earnestly like, I'm just going to sing anyway. And I had that emotion as I was singing, do you ever feel like a plastic bag? And people were like, oh, he's making fun of the fact that we made fun of him.

Wow. Yeah. Humble Braggie's got a good voice too. Wow. Thank you. What? Wait, what? Well, not, well wait.

I know. Maybe we'll try to end on best piece of advice you've ever used. That you've been given, that you used, either in life or comedy or anything? I'm curious to hear Martin's answer. Or John's. The first thing that comes to mind is when we were starting, Carmen Christopher was really, really good to us.

He's a comedian who's like hilarious, really funny in LA. And he... There was a time where we were talking after a show and I told him that I didn't like performing and he was like, you should just keep doing it. And like, trust me, like just keep performing and don't just like write or whatever. And I was like, you know, it meant like the world to me

because he is like the funniest dude still, and at that time, and I'm like 18 or whatever, like that was sick. I love that. Yeah. Wow. I mean, it's very similar to like when Young Comics asked me like advice, I just go, the best thing you can do is keep doing it.

Yeah. Like when I witnessed the trajectory of like being in stand-up comedy for 25 years, it's like the people who endure are the people who keep going. And like literally their careers go like this, of being in stand-up comedy for 25 years, is the people who endure are the people who keep going. And literally their careers go like this, and they just hang on.

And a lot of times they get really good. and you're like, the person's kind of a hack, Yeah, man. Dude. You really hung on. Just keep going. What about you, Ben? Two things, and I don't know, I guess that it was kind of from a bunch of people, but just start your own show. So you can book people, you can meet other comedians, you have a consistent place to

perform. Yes. That's like the biggest thing. Start your own show. And by the way, people listening anywhere. Seattle, Cincinnati. Find a bar. Dallas. Yes. And by the way, people listening anywhere.

Seattle, Cincinnati, Dallas. It's like, yeah, find a bar, be like, hey, can I split the door with you? We do a Monday night, you stand up. before like the TikTok or Twitter stuff. And we mostly did live shows every week. We did a weekly show and we did that for so long. And I really think like doing comedy live, even if it's sketch or improv or whatever, really you can see the difference between just internet people

and people that have done comedy live. I think it's like important to keep. Just get on stage. Yeah. comedy live. What's that? Wheels for meals. That's not one. Wheels for meals. No, it's not. John, is that yours? Yeah, that's for oil and stuff. Wheels, okay, so we're going to contribute to wheels for meals. Wheels for wheels. Is that how it came up?

Is that you were like, what's our working out for a cause going to be? That is 100% how it came up. Okay, okay. This is completely ridiculous. This is the most full circle that working out for a cause has ever been. This is the most full circle that working out for a cause has ever been. This is the most full circle that working out for a cause has ever been. This is the most full circle that working out for a cause has ever been.

This is the most full circle that working out for a cause has ever been. This is the most full circle that working out for a cause has ever been. This is the most full circle that working out for a cause has ever been. This is the most full circle that working out for a cause has ever been. This is the most full circle that working out for a cause has ever been. This is the most full circle that working out for a cause has ever been. This is the most full circle that working out for a cause has ever been. This is the most full circle that working out for a cause has ever been. This is the most full circle that working out for a cause has ever been. This is the most full circle that working out for a cause has ever been. This is the most full circle that working out for a cause has ever been. I was gonna guess that is okay. Okay. Yeah Completely ridiculous This is the most full circle that working out for a cause has ever been

You made fun of John for like five minutes about this earlier You didn't mention know what the context is gonna wrap it up in the end your motherfucking. Please don't just Please don't destroy You do not fuck around Oh, bro Geniuses, all of you Every last one of you Thanks for coming on you guys We love you

We really do Genuine, huge fans for a long time This is really cool Working it out Cause it's not done Working it out cause there's no one. That's gonna do it for another episode of Working It Out. I love those guys.

So much fun. Such a great time. Again, you can watch the whole thing on YouTube. I think you'll get even more out of it. You can check out their short films every week on SNL. You can follow them on Instagram at please don't destroy. Our producers of Working It Out are myself along with Peter Salomon, Joseph Berbiglia, and Mabel Lewis, associate producer Gary Simons. Sound mix by Ben Cruz, supervising engineer

Kate Belinski. Special thanks to Jack Antonoff and Bleachers for their music. Special thanks as always to my wife, the poet J-Hope Stein. Special thanks of course to my daughter Una who built the original Radio 4 Band of Pillows. Thanks most of all to you who are listening. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review it on Apple Podcast. We've worked really hard on it. We're proud of it. But we thank you, the listeners, for coming on this journey. And if you like the show, tell your friends, tell your enemies.

Let's say you're in a comedy sketch group with your friends and you're pitching ideas and you get an argument over what's funny, and then that person becomes an enemy. So here's what you do. You say, hey, let's not fight about what's funny. Let's take a moment. And we could share a pair of earbuds and listen to a Working It Out episode

with Please Don't Destroy. And then maybe you'll stop arguing and you'll start collaborating. Thanks everybody. We'll see you next time. We'll be right here working it out.