Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out - Fred Armisen: Is He Joking?

Episode Date: July 6, 2026

(Recorded August 2025) Having recently toured together with John Mulaney, Mike and Fred sit down for his first in-studio appearance on Working it Out. They discuss Fred’s SNL audition, his best sketch writing advice, and the manners of navigating video exhibits in museums. Plus, Fred borrows Mike’s guitar to demonstrate how cultures around the world play the acoustic guitar. Please consider donating to: Letters Charity  Mike's tour dates: https://www.birbigs.com/tour-dates Text BIRBIGS to 917-444-7150 for updates Find Mike: Website: https://birbigs.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/birbigs/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/birbigfans TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@mikebirbiglia Find Fred: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sordociego/ Hosted and Produced by Mike Birbiglia Producers: Peter Salomone, Joseph Birbiglia, Mabel Lewis, Gary Simons Sound Mix: Shubh Saran Supervising Engineer: Kate Bilinski Video Consultant: Graham Willoughby Special Thanks: Marissa Hurwitz, Josh Upfal, David Raphael, Nina Cwik, J. Hope Stein, Oona Music: Jack Antonoff and Bleachers Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What's the strangest thing that gets served to you video-wise in your algorithm? Plain crashes. What? Plain crashes? Film by civilians. Oh, God. I'm like, nope, stick to musicians and people making weird art and stuff. So all of a sudden, by the way, it's been happening a lot.

Oh, God. And they're all this. Like, hey, she got the way. Oh, no. Oh, shit. Whoa! That is the voice of the great Fred Armisen. We are re-airing one of our favorites today.

Fred Armisen, so funny. I was on tour with him recently with John Mullaney in Oregon and Colorado, and it was a riot. Fred is like literally like one of the funniest people on the planet. We're so lucky to have him on the podcast. This was his second appearance on the podcast. He just released this really fun album of sound effects called 100 sound effects. He, of course, has a special on Netflix called Stand Up for Drummer's, which is singular and hilarious.

He was on Saturday Night Live for many, many years, arguably one of the greatest cast members of all time. Love this episode. We work out a bunch of jokes. Fred has a very yes-and spirit. By the way, thanks to all the working-it-out premium subscribers. If your least favorite thing about this podcast is the ads, have we got a plan for you? It's $499 a month. You get no ads, and then you get bonus episodes.

We had Pete Holmes, we had Liz Allen talking about improv. There's an episode where we work out your jokes. There's other episodes where we work out more of my jokes. Also, it's worth noting that this full episode is on YouTube. The video is also on Spotify. And apparently, the video is also coming soon to Apple Podcasts as well. So stay tuned for that. If you prefer the video version, check out all my tour dates on berbigs.com.

I'm actually going to be in Kansas City with Fred in support of John Mulaney in August. Oh, that should be a really fun one. Check out all my tour dates on Burbigs. Sign up for the mailing list. Text for Biggs to 917444-7150 to be the first to know about upcoming shows. I think you're going to love this chat with Fred. I, of course, have been a huge fan of his work on SNL on Portlandia, which we actually talk about quite a bit today. We talk about music, punk rock, where music meets comedy because I've been trying to write more comedy songs lately.

Fred talks about his audition for Saturday Live. He also plays Uncle Fester on the show Wednesday. We talk about that too. Fred is an absolutely singular comedic talent. I love talking to him. Enjoy my conversation with the great Fred Armisen. I was thinking about Portlandia, because I was just such, like, I remember when Portlandia came on. I remember where I was.

I lived in the Upper West Side with my wife, and I remember seeing it just going like, nothing's like this. Oh. Nothing is like this. Thanks. And I was thinking about it today, I was like, it must be related. in some way to your punk rock roots. Because you were in punk bands before you were even in comedy.

Yeah, yeah. And I feel like, correct me if I'm wrong, but punk rock, a lot of the basis of it is, like, what if we didn't follow the rules of anything? Yeah. And also, like, there's also an element of, what if there's no big goal? What if there's no, like, we have to do this to do that?

What if it's just this is it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So with me and Carrie, like, let's just put this online, you know, and then from there it graduated to let's put this on IFC, but there was no feeling of like, we're gonna. It's more like, let's just see how far this gets. So that's how it started? Like, you were just like, let's just make some sketches. And then did you put them online? Yep. We had it up on a website that was like, I think we called it Thunder ant because there was, we wanted to call it Thunder Egg, which is like an Oregon

reference. And there was a band called Thunder Egg. And, um, we asked for their permission or it didn't work out or something. It was really important that you get Thunder Egg. Like why we're concerned. And then we just put it up on a site with no, there was like no monetary system for it. It was just up. But for us it was a thrill.

And I was already on SNL, so it was a kind of nice diversion. What's funny is one of the questions we ask on the show typically is, did your life go as you planned or as you thought it would? Yours is a great example of like you couldn't have. No. It was a huge, amazing surprise all the way through.

Yeah. Like a gift. It makes me amazed at life. The life turns out that way at all. I'm like, and it keeps unfolding. Like, things keep happening where I'm like, I cannot believe this is happening. Right. And I don't mean it like, because I'm just a guy from the streets or like, I don't mean it like that.

I just mean that like the space. specificity of the heroes that I had and, you know, the ambitions that I had. That's what, it's just really nice. You think there's a guiding principle behind it? The principle for me is to let go. Yeah. Like, the more I wrestled with music, the more we got nowhere. And the more I sort of started to let go.

Yeah. Then there's the things kind of. But there must be an interplay of letting things go, but also showing up. showing up. Sure. Like it's got to be a push and pull. Yeah. It's the showing up part.

Or it's sort of like openness and the kind of, you know, acceptance of the way things are like for S&L that it was an audition. I was like, well, I got to get ready for this audition. I can't totally be a hippie about it. What was your audition? I did two characters and two impressions. Yeah. I did a self-defense expert. I did Fadicito, this Venezuelan Timberian.

Bali player. Yeah. I did. You played drums for it? I did. You brought a drum? Yep. Timbalis.

First thing I ever did. So drums are always like, I love that they were in my life. Yeah. Then Sam Waterston from Law & Order. Oh, yeah. Vin Diesel was like a last minute one where I was like, I'd do someone different. Or in pop culture, in the real like, you know.

And the Zichies. Yeah. Can you do that again? What would that be? Oh, I've been Diesel. He had a vocal quality that I... And I didn't say very much. I just did a couple of things.

And, yeah, and then, you know, my life changed. You and I are doing shows this week with John Mullaney, Nick Kroll. Yeah. And you and me, and that's the lineup. Yeah. If all of us don't show up except you, would you do an impression of all of us? Oh, my God. I could do Nick pretty well.

Yeah? I guess you do Nick doing bits. He's very, you know, like, hey, I'm your agent. You know, he's like, he kind of leans in to you. And I very much cannot do John Mullini. You can't? No, and I've seen people do them. Yeah, I've seen it too.

And I'm like, I don't have that muscle of the Malini's whole thing. I'm like, I don't, I'm not there. Your version of me is you do me counting off things, listing things. Yeah. With the third thing being a surprise. prize. So it's kind of like, we bought milk. We bought bread. Bricks. And then the bricks, you're like, what's... There's like a sort of, sort of, you know, like a surprise. That's your whole thing is like, you think it's going one way. You think

it's going one way. You think it's again. And then there's like a surprise. Yeah? Yeah. How do you key in when you do impressions? Like, you just try to find one, do you try to find one thing that sticks out? No, I think of the overall, like, it's like a Polaroid. So it's almost like if I was describing you to someone, it would be like that. And someone was like, what is Mike Papigli alike? And I'd be like, he does that kind of thing where he's like, and with the lists and stuff. Right.

I saw a haters impression of you. It was great. And it was different than... It is different. Yeah. His is... But it was my car. Which, again, my wife does.

Yeah. for me sometimes. The way you enter a stage, it's a good trick where it's like, it's almost like you were already talking. You enter, you enter, you enter. It's like, it's almost like saying, I haven't started the show yet. Right. To me, you're like, and then you're sort of in it already.

As opposed to, you know, there's some performers who are like, you know, someone once told me a story that if, If it's not that entrance. Yeah. It's almost like you're like, hey, we know each other already. We already know each other. It's interesting. I never thought about it that way specifically.

But I think that that's part and parcel with how I do think about the show, which is that when people show up, I know we're on the same page. We all know what we're doing here. Yeah. Yes. You saw some of the other specials. You maybe heard the podcast. We can just kind of get into it. don't have to go through the niceties of it.

Maybe I'll say thanks for coming. Yeah. Yeah. You know? Yeah. Do you have that, though, with your crowds? Like, when you're, you're probably like, oh, yeah, you know what we're doing. Majorly.

Like, it's, it's, that is definitely, that's, you know, that is a, a given. Yeah. Um, but I still, when I begin, I still try to act as if they've never heard of me before. Mm. I don't know why. It just serves this, like, I like a beginning. beginning that's a little, like, alien. Yeah.

Or to make it, to take away that, you know, description, I would say that, like, I copy David Byrne. The way David Byrne is sort of like, hi, I'm not from here, you know. I try to do that sort of like, you might not know who I am. Yeah. You know. That makes sense. It helps me just sort of greet everyone and say hi, you know, when I start. but I'm not saying that like it's a home run

I'm not saying like hey I know how to enter a stage I'm saying for the shows that I've done I try to keep it a little like that God Malini is great when he goes on too geez he goes big yeah okay we're gonna get right to it immediately yeah yeah I remember he played Madison Square Garden and he texted him I was like

what is that what are you doing what how does how do you hold a microphone what do you do and he said he stays very still. It's like your instinct is to really move around to the third stage and he was like, you know, how about I didn't give that away? If you're a comedian out there,

yeah, please credit. If you're about to play Madison Square Garden, please credit John Malini. If you're about, if you're watching this podcast, you're moments away from playing Madison Square Garden. And you were about to like run around the stage and you stay still. That's not Fred and it's not Mike.

That's John. That's John Malini. What would be your advice That's your stand-up comedy advice. What's your sketch comedy advice? Whoa. People are writing a sketch. They're at home, wherever they are.

They're in Tulsa. They're in Santa Fe with their sketch group. I would say, like, let go of things that you've heard before. If you think it sounds like sketch comedy, that might not be good. Yeah. You know, I mean, that's said, for every bit of advice I could ever give, someone's going to have, you know. That's great advice, though.

What do you think is a quality in the collaborator that you enjoy? Oh, man. It's the best feeling in the world. Yeah. I love when someone comes up with something that I never, didn't occur to me. Yeah. And it just haunts me in the moment. Yeah.

Like it just keeps, you know, I'm like, oh, man. And like, this sounds like such a, almost like for something for like a book about SNL. But this really did happen. for the Californians, I was like, I just want something with like directions where people are talking to each other and they're talking about directions and that's like the crux of it.

And James Anderson, who I wrote it with, was like right in the moment, it was like, what if it's a soap opera? And then it's like this, it's in front of my face. Like, oh, man. Yeah. Damn it, that's exactly right. So that's where it came from.

Something with directions? Yeah. Something I was like, we'll just sort of like every time I go to L.A., it's always a lot of, you know, there were many things that fell into it. And like I would always do at the table and read the sketches, we would actually be like,

it was just in L.A. And little by little joke around about like, it was over on Barham. And Bill Hader would chime in and Andy and Keenan. So we would all do this as a kind of bit. So it just came from that. Yeah, yeah.

And then for someone to say, what if it's a, I never would have. Yeah, well, what if it's a soap opera? Never. Right, so you're basically saying, you're talking like in this accent, California-ish-ish accent, about directions. Yeah.

And then someone's like, you could take that, and what if that's in a soap opera? Yes. It's like a mash-up of two ideas or feelings. And without much thought. So James wasn't like, let me think about your idea.

Yeah. It really was midnight, and I don't know, what if it's a soap opera? It's almost like, let's be done with this. But how do you know when you're in the room there? Because you didn't do it in front of an audience.

No. Before you did it in front of an audience, we're like, is it going to work? Were you wondering? Or were you like, nah, it'll work? No, you wonder all the time. In fact, you lean more towards like, look, this isn't great. But the table reached tomorrow.

Yeah. And I don't have many things. So, like, let's just do this. And then we'll be done. It's almost like I'll have something for the table. But are you stressed? You have some level of stress of like, ooh, I'm worried about the Californian sketch. No, no, that happens like sort of after if it gets picked to go into production.

Then you start to worry and go like, is there enough? Yeah. But for the table, it really does feel like, will my friends at the table find it entertaining? Is Bill going to like it? Right. some of the writers. It's kind of more like that. Because it's a long day.

And it's more about, let's just get through this table read. Let's make this entertaining for here. Right. We're performing for these people. Absolutely. Yeah. Because the show is for these people. These people at the table.

Yes, because when the writers and the cast members on SNL. Because when the opposite happens, when you've written something that's like death, it's your friends and they're like all sitting there. Devastate. And it's so long. It's like there's. There's a stack of sketches, and it's just not nice. Right.

And I feel terrible. It's like 11 pages probably, a sketch. We got to a place where we had to keep it at 10. Yeah. And even then, you started to feel it. And earlier in my time at SNL, I remember putting people through sketches that were, like, too long, and I'm like, why did I do this? It's a real lesson of, like, cut it down. It's so funny, we never had a beginning to this, but we just got into it.

But then here we are. But should we start now? We'll start now. Hi. Yeah, we're going to start. Welcome. Welcome to the podcast, working it out. I'm your host, Mike Barbiglia.

And I'm Fred Armisen. Here we are. So we're not going to use any of that. No, we were just chatting. That's also my tone when I chat. When I talk about SNL, I'm at this volume. This is like a whole different version. I wonder if it is.

I wonder if you go back and look at any interview that I've done about SNL. If my volume and tone, I bet it does. You pitch. You pitch up. Also, because it's such a big institution, but I can't be making, like, big statements about it. Just because there's so many people involved. So I have to have this sort of like.

So let's play that. So, Fred, when you did the Californians, was that an idea you came up with or someone else? That was James Anderson and I. Relax. We're going to take that again. Okay. Just relax.

Because I noticed this thing, whenever you, whenever I talk about S&L, you always get a little uncomfortable. So just try to relax like we were earlier. So when you were cast on S&L, what did you audition with? I have a bunch of stuff. This is too low. That's it. I wish I was that disconnected. I don't know.

I don't know. Just some stuff. I didn't know and realize I was doing it that day. One of our producers saw you at Largo a few months ago, and you did a bit about how every culture in the world plays guitar. Yeah. Can you do like one or two for me? Sure.

Let's see. So strumming around the world. Australia. Australia, they play really hard. And they go from minor chords to major chords in quick succession. So Australia's like... Australia. Canada's like...

In the forest. I'm going to leave you a lay on the vestibule. And then Korea is like... USA is... Dun-da-dun-da-dun-d-dun-dun-dun-d-d-d-d. Major chords. I noticed that Americans like to pretend like they can't sing a note. Okay.

purposefully off the note a little bit so it's like I told you I was wanting to dance a walt again again and again let's see central America oh my day on piano okay that's great can you play any of wine and cigarettes can you remember it I think that was on piano oh it was on piano okay That's right Standing that dressing I forgot the next quote Wow I forgot the next point is

But yeah That's the beginning of it Wine and cigarettes Something like that That's great Yeah I want to play I want to play

I play guitar I play guitar on my first special 20 years ago And then what happened is I got really intimidated because I reached a point where I was like, like embarrassed.

I was like, what am I doing? I'm not a good enough guitarist to be playing on film and on recording. Sure you were. No, no, but you know what I mean? I got suddenly self-conscious. How odd? Yeah, but I've been doing it lately again.

I've been playing, I haven't done on stage, but I've been playing a lot on my own. Okay, good. How good do you think you have to be for a comedy song? Not, don't worry about it. Really? I think all instruments is like,

they're supposed to be for fun. Really? Yeah. this whole thing of like, I've got to be good. Screw it. But what if you're not striking the chords clean and like the audience, it's like got to be painful for the ears of the audience or something? Yeah, but if it's, you know, working for the joke or whatever,

or for the bit, I'm like, there's just so many guitar players who weren't great who were such a big part of our lives that I'm like, you know. Yeah. That makes perfect sense. Yeah. Right. Not everybody's ideally in handling it.

Right. And so then the ones who, like, can't do all that stuff, we still love. Yeah. And it's just an instrument. It's just supposed to accompany you. So I think sometimes we look at those guitarists, you know, whether it's Hendrix or Van Halen or someone like that, where the gymnastics of the fingers are so crazy. Right. That you just go like, well, what?

What am I doing? Yes. Or flamenco players or stuff like that. Yeah. Can, yes, be discouraging. But by all means, please. So you are on the show Wednesday, which just dropped the next season. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Do you feel nervous about it? Excited about it? Excited. Yeah. It's without a doubt the biggest thing I've ever been a part of. It's huge. Huge. And I could feel it.

Yeah. And you play Uncle Fester, and it's like you're nothing like that, knowing you. No, but it still fits. Like when I have the outfit on. Yeah. it really, it makes complete sense to me. What's the part you relate to to Uncle Fester and what's the part you don't relate to to Uncle Fester?

Oh, wow. The part I relate to is that he always seems to be kind of like giggling, you know, like he's sort of laughing at stuff. I'm like, yeah, I feel like I enjoy life like that. But he's like, he does like bank robberies and stuff. Like he's a criminal. Yeah. That's implied.

Right. And I'm like, I was always scared of doing something. stuff like. Of bank robberies. Yeah. Of doing bank robberies. Because as much as we've all thought about bank robberies, like they have cameras. Yeah.

And since you're, you know, it's a violent act. And I'm against bank robberies. I just got to say. I'm against them. It's violent. It's not your money. Yeah. And it's right.

These poor people working at a bank and also the customers. Yeah. You're ruining. You're getting in the customer's way. You think I'm stopping in a bank because I have extra time on my hands? You're stranded on an island with Steve Bouchemey and Jenna Ortega

from Wednesday. Who would you team up with to get off the island? Do I have to... Yep. You walked in the door. You're on the podcast. You have to answer.

To get off the island? To get off the island. Who do you team up with? Who's your alliance? I got to say Jenna, because Steve and I probably think of, like and that could be our demise.

We would get in our own way of like, well, you can't go on to this kind of, I think that, like, our limited sort of like, I don't know. Too neurotic. Too old. Too old. Both of us. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, no.

And then you need someone young to be like. You need some young energy. And, yes, to a different brain. Okay, this is the slow round. What are people's favorite and least favorite thing about you? I think people have told me that sometimes they don't know if I'm joking. And it comes off as insincere. How do you feel about that?

I always think it's so obvious. I'm like, this is clear that I'm doing a joke. Right. When you're doing a joke, you wink, for example. I wink. And I say that was a joke. The thing about you, not people not knowing whether there's something that's a bit or not, is definitely my experience with you,

or I don't always know, and I'm trying to make sure that I get it right. I know. I'm like, are we in a bit or are we not in a bit? I know. I feel, that's on me that I didn't make it clear. No, it's not. It's fun, though.

It's fun because you don't always know. It's fun. I've known each other long enough that I'm like, if it, you know, if messages get crossed, yeah, great. Then we see each other next time and go, well, this is what I meant. Yeah.

You know, I like that I've known you this long. Yeah. So long, probably 20, 25 years. Yeah. Yeah. So then it's, I'm not, you know, I'm not dismayed by that. I'm like, oh, we'll figure it out. You ever have it where you're trying to be sincere with someone and just like,

no one understands? And you're like, this is pretty high stakes for them to not realize. Or they are like, that sounds so fake. And I'm like, it's not fake. Right. I, you know, love your record or whatever it is. Mm. Do you have that with a specific vanity you don't want to say?

Oh, no, no, no. I'm usually with like sort of demo with the equivalent of demos. Oh, right. I'm going to send you the song. And I'm like, I do something, you know, most of the time I think, oh, great. You know, you put a song together.

And it's never long enough for me to be like, oh, this is horrible. Yeah, yeah. You know. Who are you jealous of? This is going to sound like a joke. And this is not a joke. sometimes Seth Rogen.

Because I love, I am very happy with my wife in my career. And I'm like, man, he gets to do really cool things. Right, streaks, acts. Yeah, I'm like. Does it all. He does it all. And like, jealous is a hard. That's a tough word, you know, because I don't mean like jealous.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But when I see Seth Rogen, I'm like, man, And he just really like, his projects are complete. Yeah. They're not like, I don't know what I'm doing. And I hope they're all like well presented, thought out. And I'm like, that's great. I think this is the second time we've had Sets Brogan as an answer.

The other one was Kumail Nangiani a couple weeks ago. I think this is a recurring theme. Well, that says something about both of them. Something's happening with Sets Brogan. You know what? You know what I think it is? I said this to in Kumail, too. I think there's something about it where he makes this,

he makes a bunch of great movies, you know, he makes super bad, he makes funny people, all these great movies. Some of him he acts and collaborates, etc. But he's in part of these great things. Then he makes the studio, which is completely making fun of him lampooning, the entire system that he's been a part of the whole time.

You're like, oh, you just did it. I know. You just fully did it. But he has a license to do it because I think he's that kind of likable. Yep. It doesn't come off as bitter. Not to me. Yeah.

It's not an angry piece. It's not angry. And then I told them. Yeah, yeah. It's like, wow, he depicted this thing. Yeah. And also, like, he never looks like he's worried about failure. Nothing is like, hey, please check out this new movie.

Please, I'm trying to get people out there. It all looks like. That's what I'm like. all of us are like but something about him I'm like he's it's almost like he already knows the future is like no this one works out great

you're absolutely right he's like yep the studio is gonna this is gonna work and I'm like oh it does work yeah nothing ever seemed anyway no that's a great one yeah I love that I actually kind of love that that's repeated in episodes

because it does indicate a certain thing where like it's a pattern And the pattern isn't because of kind of, you know, it's not because he has massive fame success notoriety. It's actually an artistic envy of like, wow, you really went for it and it worked. Yep. It's artistic, absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely.

That's really funny. I've never been asked that. Yeah. I can't believe I answered honestly. That's the kind of thing you just don't want to answer. answer. And by the way, that's not even saying that like I want to be him or that like, no, of course. It's not like, oh, that's my place. I'm more like, man. Yeah, he did it. Well done. Project after project. I don't know. All taken care of. What's the time you were

caught in a lie? Oh my God. A billion. Um, there have been so many. But I remember one time I worked at a but this isn't a lie but this is bad I worked at a card shop and money went missing and a card shop yeah I was like in down in St. Mark's Place like his posters and cards and stuff

greeting cards yeah or like you know Eiffel Tower and me and this other woman were working and she was from somewhere but the boss spoke Spanish. Okay.

So I told her something in Spanish that was like to the tune of like, just so you know, I did not take the money. It's just sort of like, hey man. And she understood Spanish. She was like, I heard what you said. And I'll never forget that feeling of like, I got really caught.

Yeah. I had no way to defend it or go like, no, is that what I meant? Yeah. That was like. Do you have any relationship deal breakers? Oh, wow. relationship deal breakers you don't have to answer we're gonna do another one no that's all right

because i was gonna say smoking and then i'm like no fully you're good for smoking no no more that like i've dated oh yeah some smokers some smokers yeah for sure um man deal breakers I think anger like if there's like a sort of oh I do know a deal breaker early on uh being mean to the weight staff. Brutal. Being mean, it's happened to me twice, and I remember thinking of it as a deal breaker.

I'm like, I don't like that. It's the worst. And there was one. Let that be a lesson to all. Yeah, or yeah. I'm trying to avoid doing a deal breaker thing. Yeah. I completely agree.

That's a really, it's very, like, unfair. I'm like, what are you doing? And I feel embarrassed, like, sorry. Right. I'm sorry. Yeah, and you're trying to convey it with your eyes. Yeah. Terrible, terrible.

Yeah, that's a good one. Good answer. Are you on Instagram? Do you go on Instagram? What's the strangest thing that gets served to you video-wise in your algorithm? Plain crashes. Plain crashes. Filmed by civilians.

Oh, God. And I'm a little bit like, first I was like, and I feel like I did. don't linger on it, but like. Right, because lingering is how it ends up in your algorithm. But I'm like, nope, stick to musicians and people making weird art and stuff. So all of a sudden, it's, by the way,

it's been happening a lot. Oh, God. They're all this. Like, hey, check out the way. Oh, no. Oh, shit. Whoa! And it's a fireball. A fire, like, really, like, terrible, and I'm a little bit like, Why do you think

Why do you think I don't, I promise you I don't want this and it's been happening more and more. A lot of like... This is too good. And it used to be like this month in Boston, this happened. Now it's starting to go like,

did you know that in 1991? I've just a couple jokes for the material section. Just things that way. Actually, these are early, early first. This is a joke. Because like, I'll show you this is, this is me at the comedy seller this week because I just filmed a special. I don't have any material, really, right?

So it's like me just essentially, people can see this on YouTube, but I can imagine it listening to it, I'm holding up my notebook. This is just a bunch of jokes. Okay. And then me attempting to put them in an order. Okay. That makes some kind of sense. All right.

I did this actually on the Rami episode, and he gave me a tag. And then since then I wrote another tag. So it's kind of like a work in progress. which is like, I think in every relationship, you should have one person who understands heating and electricity and plumbing. And we don't have that. That's great.

Yeah, yeah, we don't have that. And so we're currently seeking a third. That's great. We're recruiting at local technical colleges because we've realized that we need a husband. That was Rami's tag, was we need a husband. And then lately I've been adding this thing, which is, but I'm insecure,

about admitting that to you, the audience, because my fear is that if we find a husband, we may realize we don't need that first husband. Oh, no. Because if this guy is so good with a wrench, he might not be so bad at sex either. Yeah, yeah. He, you know, his shoulder might not quiver when he's on top

or whatever thing might happen to an elderly man making love. So, yeah, that's a, that's a, that's a topic I've been, I've been breaking into lately. It's like that realization of like, what do I have to offer in this thing? It's like we're talking about red flags. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like, well, I don't, what's the opposite of that? I guess is the green flags, but I don't, do I have that even?

Yeah, green flags. Yeah. Do I have that? What's the appeal? I'm way with you. Yeah, it's a weird feeling. I go through the same thing where I'm like, are you sure? Yeah.

It's weird. Yeah. I think we all do, right? Like everyone is kind of saying. second-guessing what their own value is in a relationship all the time. I think that's what, if I'm going to open out the bit, I think that that's maybe where it should go. For me, like, the way that I love the bands that I do, I think could sometimes be, like, really boring. Oh, interesting.

Like, you're such a nerd. Like, you're such a music nerd that is off-putting? It's just boring, meaning, like, because nerd is almost a compliment. Right. I'm, you know. Right. I'm a cold nerd. It's such a predictable suburban, like, the taste that I have is just like this guy from

who grew up in New York. It's like very like, it's this one genre. Right. And I love it so much. Right. And think about it all the time that I turn to my partner and I'm just like, are you, you like this? Right. Meaning me.

I'm like. What are the bands that you would list as your five bands that you think of all the time? I think about the damned. Yeah. Husker do. Okay. I think of The Stranglers. I think of XTC.

Okay. And I think of Devo all the time. Okay. All the time. I knew two of those five. Oh, really? XTC and Deva, yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Devo. Yeah. Okay. I just think it to such a degree where I'm like, this poor person is with me. And like, there's, you know. Okay.

Of those bands? Yeah. Is there an album you listen to front to back? God, yes. Which one? The damned strawberries. Front to back. Okay.

Still do. After all these years. Oh, yeah. I like listening to albums in full. Okay. And it sounds like, it sounds fake. Yeah. But I'd like it simply because it relaxes me.

Yeah. So it's not like, yeah, yeah. It's more like, yep. Yeah. And then the other one that I do sometimes, and I'll probably do it this weekend. I'd usually do it with crowds where the people don't know me. Maybe they came to see Malaney. Maybe they don't know me.

I go, I go, it's okay. Like, it's okay if you don't know me. Like most often when people come up to me, they'll recognize me, but they don't know from where. Okay. They'll go, hey, like the cafe the other day in my neighborhood guy goes, hey, what are you in? I'm like, I'm in the worst conversation of my life. What are you in? Like, I'm in that too.

I'm like, you cast me. Yeah. Yeah, that's good. I try to break the ice with something. Do you have a break the ice bit, like when you feel like they might not know you? No, I just, if it's icy, it's icy, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

What do you do if it's icy? Like, what if it keeps being icy? Then I'm like, I guess it's an icy night. You know, I, sometimes I think, I'm like, I was not my problem, you know? Right, right, right, that's the issue. Like this is what I do. And if this isn't working for you, well, that's how the night is.

Right. Do you have any things you're working on that are kind of half premises or stories or seeds of things? Ooh, I hope I do this sometime soon. I've never done this before. Okay. There is a body language for when you go to an art museum, there is a video room. Like there'll be like a sort of black box room. They're showing a film, sort of 15-minute film.

Right there with you. And every time I go in, I feel intimidated by everything, where I am extra quiet. So there's usually four benches, really pretty, there's usually four benches, really pretty benches. I am so still and careful walking in and I watch the film, and I don't want to disturb anyone. and there's this way that's unnatural that like I can't even connect with the film because all I think of... You're thinking about your own behavior.

And my body and everyone else. And when I'm trying to prove to everyone is like I also understand and appreciate it. So whatever it is, it's like noise like... Yeah. And it's this careful and I want to be invisible. Yeah. And then I leave the same way.

So I hope I can figure out a way to do it. Right. Like it's more like, It's more about you than it is about the film at that point. It's set up that way. Yeah. I was like, no one can enjoy this because we're all terrified of looking like, hey, what is this? Yeah.

So you're like... No, right. You don't want me to be the loser who doesn't get it. No. Yeah. I get it. Yes. Oh, I'm cool.

I'm at an art museum. Oh, I'm going to be super quiet. Yes. I'm going to be super delicate because I totally understand that this is a very important video. This is how we watch. This is how we watch. A video at a museum. The video at a museum.

Very. This, I'm comfortable here. Yeah. This is where I'm meant to be. Yeah. And then escape. I'm supposed to be here. I'm going to leave seven minutes in. Yep.

I'm in. But I know why. Because not good. Yeah. It's not because I don't like it. No, but that's appropriate. Yeah. Also, like, I think maybe it's worth pointing out that whenever there's a video exhibit,

you just go, yeah, I could watch this at home. Yep. I mean, what are we? you doing what are we doing you have an artifact is there an artifact for this no because i don't have the artifact at home but i have the video at home yep and they've got a whole thing set up and everything yeah you could just give me the barcode yeah and then i'll go i'll watch it happy to watch it yeah and i and i'll even do it quietly at home yep just like delicately they build the whole structure and everything i but i do i think that's a worthwhile observation in the mix of like when they show you a video

at a museum, you're like, come on, I have this. Yeah. I have this. Yes, yes. I guess ideally, if I was able to bring props, I'd bring one of those benches. If it's light enough, you know what I mean? Just to say, as part of the joke, like, by the way, it's always these benches. And it's those ones that are like this.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's the rectangular benches. Yep. And there's like four of them in a row. Yep, the half a rectangle bench. it's almost like an obelisk or something. Yeah.

It's like a, I'm trying to think of what you'd even call that. Yeah. That's great. I love that. And then I wrote, this is a half of a thought. When I visit Los Angeles, I feel like I'm the only person swimming in the pools and walking on the roads.

Oh, great. People look at me like, hey, why are you swimming in that pool? I'm like, I thought it was a pool. Isn't it a pool? And I'm like, and I show up at a meeting. They'll be like, I heard you were walking on the road. Isn't that the roads? The roads?

It's exactly that. The whole thing was that they were roads. No, that's really good. No one fucking swims in pools. No. You're the crazy person if you swim in a pool. As you're telling me, I'm picturing you telling me that in L.A., and I'm like, I would, I'd be like, is Mike okay? Did you, would you bring a bathing suit?

It's crazy. And what it is is, I don't know, people, it's at like my hotel when I'm there. People, they sunbathe, I guess. They lunch at the pool? They don't swim. No. It's noticeable because there'll be one person bobbing around maybe. Yes.

Oh, right. And one person in the pool. And then you're like, oh, they want some attention. Yeah. But you're right. Very rare. I don't know what to do with that bit because it's also like a local bit, right? It's like a little bit of Los Angeles local.

I suppose, I suppose. You know? Yeah, I suppose. I don't know. But then if you presented it like you did just now, I said I'm going to do this in L.A. I think people would like it. They'd like the sort of, hey. Oh, right.

Right. We're part of his process. Right, we're going to make fun of another city. Yeah. That's true. Yeah. Yeah. And also maybe if it was a part of a chunk of stuff about Los Angeles.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, they could be something. And then I was, I'm interested in religion. But whenever a religion has an afterlife, it loses me. That's great. Yeah. It just loses me.

because I view the afterlife the way I view the after party. Not going. Oh, wonderful. If it's not going to happen at the party, I'm going home. Dude. I didn't even want to come to the party. I barely came to the party. This is genius.

That's great. That's a really good, I think a lot of people might agree with you. Really? Yeah. The follow-up is, when you get kidnapped, you're never supposed to go to a second location. That's great. That's how I feel about after parties. It's the second location.

Yeah. And after life. Anything can happen. Yeah. I'm not interested. Not interested. It feels dangerous to me. As you're asking me, my answer's already no.

Are you going to like, we're going to have this fake conversation? Oh, maybe. Never. Never, I never go. Maybe. Oh, yeah, maybe. Where is it? It's far from here.

Yeah. Oh, that's all. Yeah. Yeah. We're driving to some other thing. That's a great, that's a great tag. Because it is far. The afterlife is far.

That's a worthwhile thing to point out. Yeah. It's a never. That's where, oh, it's sort of nowhere that you could understand. Yeah, yeah. Somewhere in, yeah. Oh, yeah, afterland. Yeah, yeah.

I think it's far, it's actually further than Jersey. Yeah. You're going, right? Yeah, yeah, I'll probably see you there. I'll see you there. That's a funny. digression for it too is like I don't want to admit to people

I'm not going to be at the afterlife I'm playing it cool yes you're going to be at the afterlife yeah yeah yeah I believe in what you believe yeah we believe the same thing I'll be at the afterlife 2 a.m. Okay that's better oh it's great that's really great

I think there's something there the final thing is just working it out for our cause is there a nonprofit that you like to contribute to and then we will contribute to them and link to them in the show. Oh, that's so nice. There's a charity in Chicago called Letters to Santa. Letters to Santa. And I think it might have changed official names.

Okay. But I'll get you all that information. But it's a charity that raises money for poor people in Chicago. And on Christmas, they deliver cash and gifts to poor families. And I've gone with them. Oh, that's great. deliver these gifts and it's great it's it's called letters charity.org that's the one and it's uh letters charity provides direct assistance to families facing urgent financial hardship that's great yeah it's great we'll

contribute to them thank you we'll link to them in the show notes encourage people to contribute as well yeah and thank you for it armison this has been so wonderful thank you working it out because it's not That's going to do it for another episode of Working It Out. Fred is on Instagram at S-O-R-D-O-C-I-E-G-O. You can get his album 100 sound effects from Drag City Records on September 26th. You can watch the full video of this episode on my YouTube channel at Mike Barbiglia. Subscribe if you're there because we're going to be posting more and more videos. Check out Barbigsvigiz.com to sign up for the

the mailing list and to be the first to know about my upcoming shows. Our producers of working it out are myself along with Peter Salomon, Joseph Barbigley, and Mabel Lewis, and Gary Simons, sound bix by Shib Sarin, supervising engineer, Kate Balinski. Special thanks, as always, to Jack Antonoff and bleachers for their music, the intro and outro music. Special thanks, as always to my wife, the poet Jay Hope Stein, author of Little Astronaut. And of course, our daughter, Una, who built the original radio fort made of pillows.

Thanks most of all to you who are listening to tell your friends. tell your enemies. Let's say you're at a podcast museum. And they're showing video of the Mike particularly working out podcast. You can point out to everybody, you don't need to be at the museum to watch the video. You can go home and watch it on YouTube at your apartment. Thanks, everybody. We'll see you next time. We're working it out.