The Comedy Cellar: Live from the Table - Ariel Elias

Episode Date: July 8, 2022

Ariel Elias is a New York based comedian who mixes her unique personal stories with witty, wry observations. She was selected as a 2021 New Face for the Just For Laughs Festival, performed warm-up for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and has been featured in the New York Times, described as, “a sly young comic.” 

🎵 This is Live from the Table, recorded at the world-famous Comedy Cellar, coming at you on SiriusXM 99 Raw Dog. And on the Laugh Button Podcast Network, Dan Aderman here. Noam Dorman is not here. He's the owner of the Comedy Cellar, and usually he is the host or the co-host with me, but he is in Greece, and he is elected not to Zoom in. It is midnight there, and perhaps he's tired.

We don't know, but he's not zooming in. So it's just me. So we can expect a less politically oriented podcast than usual, but who knows what topics we might discuss. With me as always, Periel Ashenbrand, the producer. Although Noam has some issues with that designation, doesn't feel she's a producer per se, but she is what she is. In any case, welcome, Periel Ashton Brand. Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. is Ariel Elias, a New York-based comedian who mixes, according to her bio, a unique personal stories with witty, wry observations. She has done warm-up for the marvelous Mrs. Maisel and the New York Times described her as a sly, young comic.

That was Jason Zinnemann, our friend at the New York Times, who's always writing comedy articles. What does he mean by sly? I know what he means by young. Young would be under 35, I think. Thank you. In the comedy world. In the world of modeling, that would not be young.

But in the world of comedy, that's quite young indeed. But sly, I don't have a handle on. In terms of what is a sly comic. That's a great question. I'm not entirely sure, but I assume he meant it in a positive way. It sounds good. I like that. A sly.

I think it means, if I had to guess, and I cannot read Mr. Zinnemann's mind, I don't know if I've ever met him, in fact, I think he means, we don't see you coming. Here's this Ariel Elias. She looks innocent enough. You know, she's got that disarming smile. And yet she comes on stage and says things you might not expect to come out of her mouth. I've got a real sneak attack.

It's like a Pearl Harbor sort of a comic. I love that. Yeah. I think that's what Jason meant. Well, Sly is having. I don't care what the dictionary has to say about Sly. I care what Jason Zinneman meant in this context. Well, one would imagine that he meant what the dictionary means,

given that he's a reporter for the. But when you're talking about a comic, it's a Sly comic. It's a very specific context. But that's what i assume he means i'm a sick girl i have body dysmorphia which if you don't know body dysmorphia is this condition where you are a woman and so i have that i have woman it's weird my eating disorder spiraled way out of hand the second we locked down. And I wasn't expecting that.

I didn't realize how much I needed to see other people to feel good, right? I didn't know how much external validation I needed to feel good. She said into a microphone. Jesus, Ariel, like think for one second. I found myself trying to remember times where I felt good. There was one time I was sitting on the subway next to a Hasidic man,

and they're the curlicue Jews. I'm Jewish, so everything I'm about to say is fine. They're not allowed to touch women who they're not related to or who they're not married to. And he's sitting next to me, and the train did what the train does. It rocked. And when it rocked, he touched me. And when he touched me, he recoiled away.

It's like he felt warmth for the first time and got as far away from me as he possibly could. Looked real upset. Started praying under his breath in Hebrew. And I knew the prayer. I was like, oh, this dude's just gonna do the Shema next to me? Okay. That's the sexiest I've ever felt. Hands down. Just like, oh,

I'm about to violate this man's religion today. Okay. Still got it. Still got it. Ariel, we've been talking the past, here and there anyway, about social media and stand-up comedy because really that's where everything is headed. And I just started posting on TikTok recently. And I must say, it's slow going. You, I noticed, have about some number of followers. An impressive number, I think. Oh, gosh. I think it's very modest.

Maybe it's a sly following where suddenly it will burst. I think that might well happen. What is it? Are you up to 10,000? No. Nowhere am I up to 10,000. I'm around 6,000 on everything. Well, I'm at about 170 on TikTok.

170,000? 170. Yeah, unfortunately not 170,000. Do you find... Now, we've been trying to figure out what the trick is. If there is a trick, what videos of yours have you noticed that get the most views? Front-facing videos get much more views for me than stand-up. What do you mean by front-facing?

It means you have the camera. It's a selfie video? A selfie video, and you're just saying your joke into the camera. Those have been the most successful for me, unfortunately. But you're doing your act or you're saying other things? No, I'll say like a joke. Sometimes it's just like, it's not necessarily a joke from my act. Sometimes it's just a tweet that I am now basically reading.

It's all stupid. I hate it so much. And yet it is necessary. But that's good news i think you said unfortunately and to me that's good news because this way you can just do it at your leisure i don't have to worry about did get i got to get the tape from liz from the comedy seller i got to make sure the audience is good that night the lighting whatever this way you do it it's you control it so it sounds like good news it's that it's also double the content because you can post you doing the joke on stage. And then you can also post again of you saying it into the camera.

So you don't have to write as much. But don't your followers get outraged? And don't they put up a stink? No. Nobody really cares. You're also not really trying to engage your followers. You're trying to engage people who aren't your followers to become your followers. Right?

But you also want to keep your followers happy, I guess. Yeah, but people just... And keep them on board and keep them on the Ariel train because they're the ones that are going to hopefully come to see you. Of course. But people just want content. It doesn't matter necessarily what the content is. Isn't that upsetting? Well, look, all I know is that no matter what I do, no matter what creative energy I put into a post,

it's not going to get more likes than a cute baby or a cat with a voiceover. Maybe you should start doing cat with voiceovers. Well, maybe I should. What about the book reading ones? They didn't do very well. Those are niche. I do love them, though. Isn't niche like a big thing on TikTok, though?

Yeah, but you're like intellectual niche, which is not as big on TikTok. Hashtag intellectual niche. TikTok, like there are these weird things like you'll have a dog, and everybody will use the same voiceover. So there's a dog saying, I'm a dog. I identify as a dog. But my mother says, I'm a little baby. And those get like... That literally makes me want to toss myself out of the window.

Have you seen that? No. They've got millions and millions. I mean, if you post something like that and it's a cute dog, you'll probably get at least 10,000 views. And my biggest video got 7,000, my most popular. Which one was that? That was when I did in Israel.

It actually took some doing because I had to do it in three parts. First, I posted a picture of Tel Aviv and I said, here I am in Israel. I'm about to go see a movie. Then I posted the marquee in Tel Aviv of the movie Top Gun Maverick. And I said, I'm going to see Top Gun Maverick in Tel Aviv. There's a long line, which there wasn't, but I said that.

I said, this is a very popular, this sequel is very popular in Israel. Of course, not every sequel is very popular in Israel. For example, and then I showed a picture of the New Testament. It's a good joke. Yeah, so, yeah, anyway, so. That is a good joke. It was a joke that I thought of and said, well, this might work as a video. So, and that got 7,000.

I wonder how that would do if you took Ariel's advice and just said that straight into the chat. It might have done better, but I thought that. You can still try it. Yeah, why don't you still try it? Do it now. I'll do it right now. But i thought that pictures from israel would generate some interest because people like to see pictures at different places i thought you know video rather than meet my stupid face and

but it's not okay you're thinking i think the way that you're thinking about this has to change a little bit because it's not about what you think people will like unfortunately it's about what you think the algorithm will push forward. And the algorithm is more likely to push forward your face than scenery of Israel. By the way, I think the reason that, and the only reason that got a lot of views, I think, is because I hashtagged Israel.

And every other view was, Yitzhak Shapiro liked your video. You know, Shlomo dubbed, and there were some free Palestine comments. Yeah, if you can get people arguing about Palestine and Israel in your comments, you will gain at least 200 followers. That is hilarious. Well, there wasn't a lot of arguments.

It was just some Palestinian flags and very little arguing going on. But you're saying that the algorithm would favor my face to scenes of whether it be Israel. I'm going to Aruba in a couple of weeks. I was excitedly thinking, oh, won't the algorithm love a beautiful tropical beach and turquoise waters? No, they don't care. They just this. And won't viewers want to see interesting things like that rather than seeing the same old me, my face or a comedian's face telling jokes. But you say you don't think that's the case. I don't think

that's the case. I'm also not great at it either. I'm not great at social media. You've got to talk to Eric Newman and we have. Okay. And what did he say? But he said, no. He said what I'm saying? He didn't say anything. He said, I don't know. He said just No, that's not what he said. That's more or less what he said.

He said post shit and then who the fuck knows some shit go viral, some shit don't go viral. He said just... No, that's not what he said. That's more or less what he said. He said post shit, and then who the fuck knows why some shit go viral, some shit don't go viral. Yeah, but he also said that it is imperative that you are consistent. Yes, he said that, but Ariel didn't say that. Well, I'll get there. She was going to. Is Ariel's

analysis of the algorithm does not seem to be in accord with Eric Newman's analysis, which is just... I think you should go with him then, because he's doing much better at it than I am. Why do you think that is, Ariel Alive? If I knew why that was, I would... Is Eric Newman good looking? Now, you're a young girl. You look at Eric Newman and say, yeah.

I already told you he was good looking. I want a second opinion. All right. How good looking is Eric Newman and say, yeah. I already told you he was good looking. I want a second opinion. All right. How good looking is Eric Newman? I think he's objectively symmetrical. Okay, symmetrical, which is usually good. He's adorable. He's adorable.

But do you think that's a factor? Do you think he's good looking enough to, is the reason why he's getting a lot of? I don't know. No, no. Do you think that's a big enough to, is the reason why he's getting a lot of? I don't know. No, no. Do you think that's a big reason or a big thing? No. I mean, it never hurts, but no.

I mean, there are plenty of guys who aren't objectively good looking who are crushing it on social media. I understand that, but we have to take it. I can give you names. Stavros Halkias, am I pronouncing that? Is he the Comptown guy? Yes, he is the Comptown guy. I don't know what that is. Well, look, everybody that crushes on TikTok does so for different reasons.

So for some people, it might be good looks. For some people, it might be content that people love. No, no, it's not a mystery. You're funny. You're smart. You keep doing it consistently, and it'll hit. Oh, you mean like my stand-up career? Yeah.

Yeah, I'm not hitting yet. Well, according to... 29. I mean, we've had this argument many times. You know, according to many young comics, you're living the dream of a successful professional comedian. You don't have another job, right? You're not doing

something else in your other time in order to be able to perform stand-up. Of course, there are other people who are more successful, making more money. I'm sorry, am I interrupting? I got a text and I have to look at it because otherwise I'm paranoid the whole time. I'm wondering who's that text? Did somebody die? How do I know? I got to look at it because otherwise I'm paranoid the whole time. I'm wondering, who's that text? Did somebody die? How do I know? I've got to check that text. Well, don't you think if somebody died, you'd be getting like...

Also, what if they did die? What are you going to do about it? How does that... But if I... Well, I'll... Maybe if somebody's dying and you're the only one who can save them, I understand the need to check. Yeah, but it's going to be in my mind.

Okay. So what you're the only one who can save them, I understand, the need to check. Yeah, but it's going to be in my mind. Okay. So what you're saying makes perfect. But that's like people who say, why worry about what you can't control? I don't know, but I do a hell of a job of it. Anyway, do you understand what I'm saying? You're killing it. You're saying build it and they will come. I'm saying I don't know that this is the case.

Especially in the TikTok world. She's also saying that you're doing better than you think you're doing. A lot. Your perception of yourself is very different from everybody else's

perception of you. He always, he's a really glass half empty kind of guy. Well, and you're missing out on enjoying. Well, it's tragic, isn't it?

It's a little bit tragic. Anyway, Ariel Elias. Ariel, I've met Ariel about two months ago. Is that who we met? Yeah, two or three months ago is when I started working. And I must say she's a very agreeable young lady. Oh, thank you. Very pleasant.

That's so nice. Which I don't know if that's a good thing in this business I think it's a good thing in every business I mean she doesn't strike me as somebody that'll walk over

walk over your corpse to get ahead no it's why I only have 6,000 followers you know but we certainly wish her the best of luck nice people

that sometimes do win what is your what is your by the way if no one were here I wouldn't be having this conversation because he would be getting it. We talk a little bit about Ariel and about social media and then, but Noam would insist on talking about political stuff. Well, I would probably be having a fight with him about abortion. And we'll get to that. You can fight me with it.

No, he's, no, he's, I think, I'm sure, horrified by what's going on. But anyway, more about Ariel. We'll get to what's going on. But I just want to know where Ariel is looking to be in the comedy world. Do you want to be going on the road, spending weekends in towns across the country? Or do you want to be a writer? Or do you want to be a podcast person?

I don't know. You tell me. I don't know if you get... And I'll tell you how to get there. And I'll be wrong, but it'll be interesting. I don't know that you get to choose one. Like, you have to do everything now. And just see where it... I agree with you, by the way. But if you have to do everything now. And just see where it...

I agree with you, by the way. But if you had to... What I love, I love being on the road. Oh, God. I don't get it. Okay, go ahead. I love a long car trip.

I love driving for long distances. I love seeing a new town. I love, like, performing in front of new people. You know, I just don't understand this mentality, especially for a woman. I mean,

what does that have to do? It just feels like a woman alone in a strange town. Um, it's just, well, I'm learning how to perform abortions. So that's part of, I'm just from town to town. No, I don't know. I think I like, uh, I think in a different, you're not alone. I mean, you're not, you're, you're married. I know you're not bringing your husband with you.

No. So you're all by yourself away from your husband. I'm not always by myself. Sometimes I'm featuring for somebody who, who needs me to drive. And sometimes I'm bringing somebody. Um, sometimes.

And these towns are not necessarily exciting towns, but I don't need a town to be exciting. New York is too exciting. You know what I mean? I love a town that has one feature, one attraction, or even just a fun fact. Okay. That's all I need. By the way, that's good news for you because that's...

That's a lot of the life. That's what it is, you know. So I like that. I also very much want to write for something. Have I written a pilot to get there? No, no, no. But I'll have a packet. I'll have a homework assignment.

So that's what I'd like. Well, okay. It sounds to me like whatever you get, because as far as being a comic on the road, that, I can't guarantee you'll be a writer, although I think if you make enough of an effort, you will. But I can guarantee

you can be a road comic. I feel like I am already, I don't know if I would call myself a road comic, but I would say I'm partially, I'm 50% a road comic. Yeah, so,

I mean, you know, if you enjoy that, my God, I mean. Yeah. What do you want i went out i don't know what i want i you know what i got into this and we've been uh we've discussed this in other episodes but i thought it was going to be like seinfeld like you do comedy you get good you go on the tonight show and they give you a sitcom that's what i thought as crazy

as that sounds uh because i didn't see all the people that that did not happen before. I just saw the five, six, you know, I saw Seinfeld and Tim Allen and Roseanne Barr and all these people. They had their five minutes on Letterman and I said, I think I could do that. And then they got sitcoms and they got, you know,

whatever, but that's what I thought it was. And then it wasn't. So, you know, stand up I don't love. I never really did. Really? No, no, not really. Okay. That's hard.

Yeah. Yeah. And I've, you know, whatever. So, yeah, that's what I thought. But that's what I was hoping for, you know. It's not too late. No, it's not. It's not.

But it's late. It's not that late. It could be's not. It's not. But it's late. It's not that late. It could be prime time. Well, we'll see. And, of course, the whole world has changed because this sitcom, as we know it, it doesn't really – it does exist, but not as much. And there's other things around, like Netflix and Hulu and this and that. So there's a lot of content out there, but the network sitcom

that, you know, the kind that Seinfeld got and the kind that Roseanne Barr and all that, that doesn't exist anymore, but that's okay. There's other things. But isn't it in a certain way better than it's ever been because you really have the ability to create your own... Yeah, in that way, well, and that's

what I'm trying to do, you know? It is hard, though. really have the ability to create your own. And that's what I'm trying to do. It is hard, though. You have the ability to do it, but you also have all the pressure to do it. And there's a lot of people doing it. There's so many people doing it. So no longer can you hold a lot of people's attention. Right. It has to be fast.

Yes. And there's a lot of people out there competing with you. Yeah. Which is... And there's a lot of people out there competing with you. Yeah. You know. But there are also like billions of people that you can reach, which is incredible. Yeah, you just have to learn Mandarin. Ha ha ha. Ni hao ma.

Maybe you should start putting Mandarin subtitles. Oh my gosh. You should. That's not a bad idea. I don't know who can do that for me. Nicole? I'm not fluent, but Google Translate is at our fingertips. Yeah, but Google Translate. I can't trust Google Translate with my jokes.

I mean, jokes are a very, very, very, the hardest thing in the world to translate is a joke. Yeah. Well, I don't know. Dante's Inferno is probably a... Well, jokes... That's chock full of jokes. Jokes rely on... I don't know much about the Inferno,

but jokes rely on... First of all, jokes rely on hearing the intonation along with the joke. So that makes it hard to begin with. And then there's wordplay, there's subtleties, certain words that just don't hit as hard, don't work as well. I would venture to bet that you could find somebody. You probably

could, but you'd probably also lose something, even with the best translation. Yeah, but you're losing something already just by posting it. You know what I mean? Just by the very fact that you're taking a joke that was on stage, it was recorded, and now you're putting it into a 30 second clip.

Like you're already losing something. Are you? So why not lose a little more? Oh, it's not, look, it can't hurt. I'm just saying when you're finding it, looking for a translator, I'm not relying on Google Translate to translate something that would require a very, very, very competent translator. Can I say something? I just thought of something.

I think one of the things that Eric does really well on social media is that most of what he posts is crowd work. And so it's really... Let me ask Arielle Elias. If crowd work, have you found that crowd work works better than

regular jokes? In your experience. I don't think I have a sample size large enough to say. I don't think I have a sample size large enough to say. One, I'm not like a crowd work comic. Like, that's not ever my go-to. I really only am good at it

when I have like an antagonist. I'm very bad at being like, what do you do? Where are you from? I'll make it funny. Also, why would you necessarily want to say, what do you do?

Where are you from? When so many other people are already doing that? I don't feel an overwhelming need to say what do you do where you're from. Well, it's banter. Unless it's leading me

into a joke that I already kind of know I'm going to do. It can lead you into a joke or it can lead you into your style of crowd work and being funny.

I don't think there's anything wrong with asking the same questions. It's like, why would you do a joke about airplanes? It's like, well would you do a joke about airplanes? It's like, well, but if you have your take on it, your spin on it, like who cares if a million people have done it? I no longer do airplane jokes in Manhattan, but you're absolutely right.

And maybe I should, but I don't. And I think asking crowd work questions like where are you from, what do you do is the same concept. Fair enough. But I don't really do that very much unless I'm hosting and have to. And have to turn on the charm and charisma and energy. So the times where it happens is usually on accident. And half the time I don't have the tape of it.

Right. I don't have... Well, but if you're at the cellar, you do have the tape. Because every show is taped here. All you have to do is ask Liz, can I have the tape? Yes. So you're saying you don't have a sufficient sample size. you do have the tape because every show is taped here all you have to do is ask Liz can I have the tape yes see but so you're saying you don't have a sufficient

sample size but I also have only been working here for a few months I'm definitely not comfortable enough to like do anything

other than my set unless I have to during you know what I mean like that's especially like all the advice

that I was given about the seller is like do your like killer 15 for the first six months don't deviate and that'll like drive me crazy so i'm like mixing it up a little bit but like i would never just be like all right let's take a risk where are you guys from like i just won't do that here for a while now now eric did eric say crowd work works better or No, no, it's just an observation. I'm just thinking about, you know, watching what he does. But do you feel that crowd work is more engaging? I think that watching Eric do crowd work,

watching anybody who do crowd work who does it well, and this is what Stavros does, too, and I mean, I don't know him. I watch him a lot on social media, and he cracks me up, is crowd work. And the banter is really funny. And it's also enjoyable to watch comics sort of crack themselves up. And that's something that, and you're really quick and you don't really,

but you should. I don't do a lot of crowd work. Maybe you should. I prefer just to you don't really, but you should. I don't do a lot of crowd work. Maybe you should. I prefer just to do jokes, but Maybe you should. Also, because I don't have like, the problem with crowd work is you just, you don't know. I'm an anxious guy. I'm not, I'm not. You know. I know. I'm not.

Check your phone again to see if somebody's died. Good idea. I'll Google. I will say, one benefit also of crowd work is that you're not burning material. Right? You have sort of like an infinite supply if you have that. Did you really just recheck? I was kidding around.

Oh, okay. Yes. A lot of people do crowd work for that reason is that you're not burning material. And for that reason, I try to write jokes that are topical right so that these are jokes that i won't use anyway in three months but i can use them on social media so this has given me like a a motivation to write jokes i normally i wouldn't write a topical joke because it's like in two months it's still right but if i can do it on tiktok or instagram, then now I'm motivated to write it. The joke that you saw the other night that I did about potheads that are pro-life is a joke I never would have written if it weren't for TikTok.

Because I just wouldn't put that energy into writing more abortion humor. What's the joke? And I posted it on TikTok and it got like 1,500 views or whatever, you know, and then maybe 1,800 on Instagram. It didn't kill it. The joke is, and this joke has been working on stage, and Ariel, you had mentioned it to me. I don't remember the joke.

It's like, you know, I think all the states that make abortion legal, that there's no restrictions on abortion, are probably the same states where there's no restriction on marijuana, because you don't see a lot of pothead pro-lifers, you know, like, hey, man, you remember that 10-year-old that got pregnant by her uncle? It's God's will.

So that's the joke. It's fun because it's also like, I don't see you do so many act-outs. Yeah, that's funny, right? That's funny. So why don't you do that front-facing? Yes. And see how...

Do it again front-facing. And put captions. Not the generated ones. Like, actually make your own. What's the difference? So you can, like, hit the auto-generate button, and it'll just, like, auto-generate captions for you. Right, yeah.

But I think what works better, because it's more eye-catching, is you like write out the captions and then have it timed. Oh, but yeah, I do it auto, but then I manipulate it so that it's timed better. No, but that's still different. I'll show you after. I'll show you how to do it. Okay. I'm really, I want to throw myself into traffic.

It's awful. I like, I did not want to do any of it. And then I think I hit a point where I was like, oh, right. You mean the captions or just all the shit in general? No, just posting anything. I don't scroll anything. I'll post and then I don't. You post and run.

I post and run. I don't look at anybody else's stuff. Really? Oh, that's good. I don't either except for this little baby who's so cute. Baby Laratica. Oh my god, you gotta see this baby. The only thing I ever scroll is Reddit, and I'm usually just

looking for a fun video to send my sister-in-law because she just had a baby and I know she's up at 2am. That's all I do. That's so good. I play a lot of Spider Solitaire instead. That's good. Yeah, so this is the baby that I'm currently following on. Hold on a second.

This is insane. This is good podcasting. I mean, could you die? No, I don't. Could not be less insane. It makes me really uncomfortable, I think. And they have like little songs, like little, you know, music behind her. We're just like frying dopamine.

That's what I just read. I mean, look at that. Yeah, I think babies don't do it for me anyway. Oh, okay. Just in general. I agree. Babies don't do it for me either. Okay.

But anyway, yeah, I don't look at videos either too much. I'm going to try to stop doing that then But I do wonder why the parents are posting the photo of the baby You wonder why? Well, it's for attention, but are they trying to make money? Is there money? They can make money Can their money be generated?

Oh, yeah, of course Make a lot of money Yeah, they got like a million followers I made $500 last month Really? Yeah From TikTok? From Facebook.

You did? Yeah. Well, how do you do that? Facebook Reels. You're kidding. Mm-mm. Not Instagram Reels? No, I don't have enough views on Instagram.

There's something separate called- There's something called Facebook Reels? Yeah. Are we turning this podcast into- Now, how do you do that? Is it the same thing? You just sort of, you take the- You have to turn on professional mode on your Facebook Now, how do you do that? Is it the same thing? You just sort of... You have to turn on professional mode on your Facebook profile,

and then you have to get 100,000 views in 30 days to qualify. And then for every 1,000 views you get after that, you get 40 cents. I will beat that. Up to... And then it caps. And you're using the same videos that you use on TikTok? Yeah, but you have to take the watermark off. What, the TikTok watermark?

Mm-hmm. No, so you're using the same... Yeah. The same videos that you to take the watermark off. What, the TikTok watermark? No, so using the same videos that you make, you post on Facebook. Yeah. I will be darned. How come I've never heard of it? How come Ariel's the first person? We had Eric Newman, TikToker to the stars

or TikToker star and Zarna, another big TikToker. Because they're doing well on TikTok. I'm not. I'm doing better on Facebook. Yeah, but it sounds to me like if you're making $500 on Facebook, then Zarna, she could make $10,000. All right, that's rude to me. Zarna is a big TikToker.

Zarna, are you listening? Right? I mean, Zarna is a big social media presence. By your own admission, you've only got 6,000 people on TikTok. So there's nothing against you. I've only got 170. But the fact is Zarna... 1,000?

All right. The fact is that Zarna has a shit ton. So why isn't she on Facebook? I don't know. Ask her. I know, really. She's not here. The point is, why is this the first I'm hearing about it?

I don't know. But I really, as the producer, I'm going to really advise you to, we're not going to turn this into like social media 101. Well, I think it's interesting. And Nicole will back me up on this. Nicole? Interesting.

She's monotone, by the way, so don't read too much into that. I have a question for Ariel. Ariel Elias? Yeah, do I have permission to change the subject? How drastic a change of subject are we talking? As drastic as possible. It would be appreciated. I mean, it's a turn, but it's on

brand. Give me the topic. I wanted to hear about Mrs. Maisel. The warm-up for Mrs. Maisel? It was a two-day gig in 2019. Or maybe it was. Yeah.

And then we'll talk about abortion. Okay. They had. There was a couple of days where they were shooting a scene that required like 400 extras. So between takes they wanted to have a couple of comedians come and like do stand up to keep them. Because it was you know it's like a scene where she's performing for the troops. Okay. So they like wanted to keep them... Because it's a scene where she's performing for the troops. So they wanted to keep the troops engaged

and still in a funny, laughing... Wait, what do you mean by the troops? The extras that were playing soldiers. Yes, I did quotes. Well, we can't see... You showed me a TikTok of a baby on a podcast. I think it's okay if I do air quotes. I described the baby.

I don't think you did describe the baby. I said, couldn't you just die? That's a description. Well, she also said extras that were supposed to be true. No, but I'm talking about the quotes. All right. Okay. So, so it was that, it was two days, um, in Long Island. Oh, wow. Uh, it was like, it was one of the, at that point I was like, this is the coolest thing I've ever done. Yeah. I think it still might be. It sounds amazing. It was very neat. And all of the extras were just like, he's like 23 year old guys dressed in uniform. It's like, well, this is the hottest thing I've ever seen. And so in between takes you would do. Yeah. I would just do however long that was the hard the hard part. I mean, I think with any warm-up, they don't tell you how long to do.

So it's just somebody being like, okay, go now, and handing you a microphone. We're like, okay. And then how do you know how long to do? Until they say, all right, that's a wrap on the comedian, and then you get off stage.

Well, what if you run out of material? That crowd work. That was my fear, but it didn't happen. Where are you from? Yeah, exactly. That was my fear, but it didn't happen. Where are you from? Yeah, exactly. This was 2019, so we're going back a little. How long have you been doing stand-up?

10 years? 11 years, yeah. It's going back, anyway, to 2019. Has this led to further warm-up gigs? No. No, it hasn't. But it might. Who knows?

I mean, that's a good source of revenue is warming up. I mean, look, like, I would never, like, count myself out for anything. I think I'm, like, qualified and down to do whatever. I do think, like, generally, if you're thinking of, like, a warm-up comedian, my style and energy is probably not the first person that would come to your mind. So why did they choose you for Maisel? Because they wanted, like like a Jewish comedian. Like my stuff is like very Jewish.

Yeah, what do you do? What's your style like other than sly? Are you dirty? Not really. I do like some dirty. I try to be as clean as possible. Why? Is that just you feel more comfortable

or it's just like who you are. I think it's like, I mean, honestly, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because like, I'm trying to make an, I'm trying to do my first album and I want it to be as clean as possible because the revenue is better. Um, cause you can get on, on, on, uh, on radio. Yeah. You can get played on more stations if you're clean. So I'm trying to have like as clean of an hour as possible.

Okay. Knowing that it won't all be clean because I'm trying to have like as clean of an hour as possible. Okay. Knowing that it won't all be clean because I'm also doing the road and like people want you to be fucking filthy, especially like a casino or whatever. And I think especially when they see women on stage, they want me to like, it's such a double-edged sword

because like on one hand people are like, women only talk about their pussies. And if you don't talk about your pussy, they're like kind of upset. So interesting. So I like talk a little bit about my pussy. Only at the end. You have to stick with me if you're like.

45 minutes of totally clean humor. And if you stick around, you'll get a little bit. Wendy Liebman doesn't talk about her pussy. I don't think. Now, make of that what you will. But maybe she would have a bigger career if she did. I don't know. No, I don't think it's a requirement.

Do we know any comics that work here at the Salad that do not talk about their pussies that are female comics? Yes. Of course. Judy Gold. That's correct. Yeah, she talks about her sexuality, I guess, a little bit. Yeah, but she's not, I mean, she's not.

Rachel Feinstein is not a big, like, character. Yeah, Rachel Feinstein is pretty clean. Yeah. Rachel Feinstein is pretty, so does that ruin your theory, or do you? I don't think it ruins my theory. I think, like, I think, at least in the case of Rachel, Rachel is, like, so so charismatic so good at voices so is Ariel Wise

I don't okay thank you but I think but you don't do voices I don't do voices I'm a bit more like I can pretty confidently say

and I'm okay with this fact I am a much better writer than I am a performer I think that's I think that's a fair assessment well which is not to say I'm a bad performer. I'm just a really good writer. But there's different ways of performing. Being good with voices and dialects

is one thing, but there might be other things that you do in the performance area. Would you say that Mitch Hedberg was a good performer? Now here's a guy that didn't do any dialects. That was different, though. I don't think Jess talks about her pussy. Can we stick to the topic? I'm just answering your question. Your answer was that's a difference. I'm saying that Mitch Hedberg, would you regard him as a good performer?

He's a guy that didn't do dialects. He just had that one tone but it worked for those jokes. I don't know. I've never really thought about it. I don't know one way or the other how do you define a good performer? is it somebody that does the dialects? I don't know

Woody Allen, is he a good performer? he does one thing but he does it well and it works perfectly with his jokes so David Tell is David Tell a good performer? David Tell doesn't do dialects he doesn't do characters I don't think you have to Tell. Is David Tell a good performer? I mean, David Tell doesn't do dialects. He doesn't do characters.

No, I don't think you have to do that stuff to be a good performer. I think it's about, like, what's your comfortability on stage? Yeah, what are you good at? People are good at different things. But I'm trying to define what being good at performing means. I think you just said that. I think how you just defined it, I agree with. That you're really good at what you do.

You perform it very well. Like Woody Allen. He good at what you do. You perform very well. Like Woody Allen, he did one thing, but he did it really well. I agree with that. I have to watch Arielle again. I haven't seen her. I watch, I see, because I don't want, like you are with TikTok. I am with stand-up. I do my thing and I go.

So I haven't seen a lot of Arielle Elias. I have to revisit Arielle. And then I will... We'll have her back. I'm pretty good. I know you're killing and you're working here consistently and getting a lot of spots. So that's a certainty.

What's less certain is you say you're more of a writer than a performer. I didn't say I'm more... I said I'm a better writer than I am. I'm better at writing than I am at performing. And that may well be, but I want to see for myself. But she also said that she's not saying that she's not a good performer. She's just a really good writer. I understand that.

I got it. I got it. I got it. I got it. Okay. I got that. Yeah. I think the two are so inextricably linked sometimes it's hard to separate the two.

Well. I think the two are so inextricably linked sometimes it's hard to separate the two. Well, you know, I like like, you know, like with Mitch Hedberg, I like with David Tell. Like if you if you had anybody else saying those jokes, especially a tell, I think anybody else saying those jokes, it wouldn't work. Yeah. So that's that's right. But does that mean he's a great performer? Yes, it does. Yes, It does. Yes. It does. Okay. But also, I, as you know, have been writing for, you know, I don't know, 15 years.

And I only started performing about five years ago. So I don't, I had to make, it was a real jump. So like you're saying, it's inextricably linked. I mean, doing stand-up is very different than writing. But now you, but you were writing novel, you were writing memoirs. Now you're writing stand-up. But I was writing, I mean, it was all humor. I mean, it was, it was funny. Like it was all stand-up, but within your stand-up act, the two are very tightly linked. Have you found that since you've started performing, your writing has gotten better? I just think that the economy of words with performing is so different than writing.

Well, also, in stand-up at least, a joke, a laugh is generally expected every whatever it is, 30 seconds. It's not the case when you're writing a memoir. You can have scenes that are tragic. You can have scenes that are tragic. You can have scenes that are emotional. And then you can throw in something funny. You can't really do that with that. I mean, Chappelle sort of does that. And Hannah Gadsby has done that.

So people are doing that. But generally speaking, especially if you want to keep working here at the Comedy Cellar, you better get a joke. You better get a laugh. Yeah. Every, you know, whatever it would be, 30 seconds or a minute.

I mean, it better be fairly frequent. I thought it was like every 20 seconds. There's no rule. I'm just saying it should be pretty frequent. So that would be very, very different than when you were writing your memoir, in which case you could go 10 pages, 20 pages, even the whole memoir. Right, but I'm saying that's not the kind of writer I am. I mean, I was writing,

it's funny, like it's meant to be. Well, I haven't read it because you haven't brought me a copy. I know, I told you. There are two of them, though. You bring me the one that you feel

is the most appealing, or would be. They're both appealing. Me. I did want to, I think this is an interesting discussion. I know that Nicole is in full accord.

Nicole is a, she's from Binghamton. That's how they are. They don't, they're not expressive. Long winters, you know. I think that I wanted to, we were talking about vaginas, and I thought that might be a nice transition into something Macy Gray said recently on Piers Morgan. She said that

you know Macy Gray? Yeah, I remember Macy Gray. Vagina like a lion. That girl. And she's not a good performer, she says. She never said that. That's right. She said that just

because you change your body parts doesn't make you a woman. Igniting a firestorm. Quite frankly, I didn't know Macy Gray was still out there doing shit, but in any case, she's stirring shit. She said that on Piers Morgan and got a fair amount of backlash and at the

same time a fair amount of support. She got both. Obviously it's a controversial thing to say. So what do we think of that? Well, I know what Perrielle thinks of that. Perrielle believes that you're a woman if you identify as such. I agree with that.

I mean, it's ridiculous. Who cares? Yeah, like Macy Gray can think whatever she wants. Like, it's fucking ridiculous Who cares? Yeah, like, Macy Gray can think whatever she wants. Like, it's fucking ridiculous. It's like, no... Gender is not fixed. I mean, it's just, she can think whatever she wants, and that's fine, but she's wrong.

Well, here's my take on it. It's the same take I've had every time we discuss it, but I think it's worth repeating. We can always get back to talking about, you know, stand-up. But my opinion is that it's the stupidest argument that we can have because words are man-made things. The word woman is something that a human being at some point invented. Okay.

And we get to assign definitions to words. Okay? The moon means the moon because we've decided that's what it means. The moon means the object in space that orbits the Earth because human beings have decided that that's what the moon means. So what does a woman mean? A woman means what we've decided that a woman means. And what have we decided that a woman means?

Right now, different people say different things. And I don't think any of them are wrong, because the word woman... Some of them are wrong. Well, who's wrong? If you're somebody who believes that in order to be a woman, you must have a vagina, and only those with a vagina are women, and all those with a vagina are women, then that's wrong.

Or that you also need to have ovaries in the uterus. Right. Because there are lots of... But why? But again, given the fact that we define that the definition of a word is nothing more than what human beings decide those definitions are, if a large portion of the English-speaking world defines a woman thusly, then how are they wrong? Well...

In other words, say... I don't know. Say 70% of the English-speaking world defines a woman as somebody with XX chromosomes and female genitalia. That's biology, though. That has nothing to do with being...

With the concept of a woman. But the concept of a woman is what we, as speakers of the English language, have decided that's what a woman is. Right, but this is... And right now it appears that that definition, which 100 years ago probably was the definition that you articulated, more or less.

Now things are changing, but it's still like, you know, not everybody... I don't think it's that important an argument anyway. I think what's more important is how we treat people. If somebody has breasts and a penis and wants to be called a woman,

fine, I'll call them a woman, but I don't think that's important. I think what's important is how we treat that individual. Well, it's not important to you. It's not important to you. Well, I don't think it should be important. I think what should's important is how we treat that well it's important to you it's not important well i don't think it should be important i think what should be important is how do i treat you well do i treat you with respect and dignity well not and i'll certainly call you a woman if you wish and as far as i'm concerned i i i think woman when i see you when i see somebody that presents as a woman i in my head, I'm thinking woman, but I don't think you're wrong if you don't. Right, but you're not taking into account that if you don't even acknowledge the gender that somebody wants to identify as, it's not

important to you. Wait, let me just finish. It's not important to you, but like actual people get killed for that very reason. Well, I just said that's what's important is how we treat people. Obviously, if you're killing people, that's not treating them very well. Right, but if you can't acknowledge who they are, then you're not treating them well. I acknowledge who they are. Not you. I'm saying one.

All right. Well. Our language is also designed to evolve. Yes, and it is evolving, but it hasn't completely gotten there yet. And there are people that wouldn't... What about somebody that does not present as a woman? What about somebody that's a man but says,

I am a woman, I haven't transitioned yet, but it's somebody that looks like we would imagine a man to look. But if they tell me I identify as a woman. But do you, when you see them, do you think yourself woman? I don't, I don't, every time I see somebody,

I don't think like woman or like man. Like I don't, I don't, I'm not saying I'm like gender blind or whatever. I'm just saying that's not like the most important thing to me about each person that I meet. So like, I don't, if they, if that's something that somebody thing to me about each person that I meet. So like, I don't,

if they, if that's something that somebody says to me, but it's probably, I just say, if somebody tells me, if somebody that presents, if somebody tells me, I see a guy that somebody that presents as a man,

but identifies as a woman. And I feel to me, that's a man. I, I can't say they're being transphobic. I can say that unless they mistreat this person, if they mistreat them, then they're transphobic. If they, if they don mistreat this person, if they mistreat them, then they're transphobic. If they don't mistreat them, but they say to me, that to me is a man, I can't say they're wrong.

But isn't not acknowledging, if somebody's telling you they're a woman and somebody else is saying, no, they're presenting as a man, then isn't that not treating them with respect? Well, if you do it to their face and you upset them, then you're not treating them with respect. But if you're telling me in private I really consider that individual a man, then I can't say you're wrong. Well, you can say that if the person identifies as a woman.

By that definition. But other people have different definitions. Okay, but the gender binary is a social construct, right? Like, that was made up. Every English word is made up. So I'm saying to you, how do we define a woman? Do we define a woman along physiological lines or along psychological lines?

And why is one more valid than the other? Well, people get to define their own gender. But people don't get to dictate the English language. Yes, they do. Of course people do. Individuals don't. The collective does. The language, if I say the moon is not the moon, I'm wrong.

But if everybody starts calling the moon something else, then we have a new word for the moon. Okay. Start here. There's a small child at school that is... Are you going to give me a sob story? No, I'm presenting you with a situation to try and get you to see what I'm articulating here. There's a small child at school in kindergarten who is a biological male, but who has been saying for several years that she is a girl so and she used to present as a typical male traditional male what you would consider male and now she dresses like a girl and she has long hair and she wears pink and purple and she changed changed her name. And so now everybody... All right, what's your question?

It's like, how does that work with what you're saying? Like, the argument... What's your question? My response to that would be... I would... I don't think I had a question. I think I was... I don't have a question.

Okay. Anyway, Macy Gray, tour on tour. Tickets available. I think like the real, the crux of the thing is like, I don't think it really matters. Ah, that's what I said. That's what I defined. Yeah, but you brought it up for a discussion, but it's like, so obviously like you care a little bit.

What matters to me is, is, is that I think it's a silly, I think, I don't think any, I think it's just a silly discussion. Well, I think it's a, I don't think it's a silly discussion necessarily because you're invalidating a very important part of a lot of people who feel very strongly about, like, their gender and how they present and how they identify. So I don't think it's silly to care about it. I think... But I don't think saying to them, well, I don't consider you a woman, I consider you a trans woman... Okay, trans women are women.

By a certain definition. No, by every definition. Unless you're somebody who is... Nicole, what do you think? Please leave me out of it. Again, Binghamton. That's how they are. It's funny that you brought this up.

They were neutral in the war. Are they Switzerland? Oh, yeah, that's right. Which war? The war against the French Indian War. All right. I think we've made, I think we have, both sides have presented their case, and we'll

leave it to the good people, the good listeners of Raw Dog and the Laugh Button Podcast Network to decide with whom they agree. It's like TikTok. You gotta come around to it. What's like TikTok? The way that you view gender.

You've got to evolve. Well, again, I'm fully aware that some people, different people identify as different, but different, you know, that somebody that's biologically male might identify as female. I understand. The question is, is that a woman or is that a trans woman? And my answer

to that is, how do we define these words? And definitions are based on how speakers use language. Yeah, but that's like saying, like, is that person a woman or is that person a white woman? It's like, it's not either or. Like, white women or

women, trans women, you know what I mean? Like, to say, are you a trans woman. It's like it's not either or. Like white women are women. You know what I mean? Like to call to say are you a trans woman or are you a woman is transphobic language. Right. You're saying that trans women are not women. Well, that's the implication. The implication is that some would define it that way. How would you define it? It's really not necessarily up to me to dictate how the English language works, but when I see a woman that presents as a woman, that, to me, I feel is a woman. But if they present as a man,

I probably wouldn't feel like that's a woman. But can you accept the premise that we are the ones who are individually in charge of deciding what our gender is? It's like how you feel. Well, if that's what a gender, if you're telling me that gender is by definition what you identify as, then yes. I don't know that that's the definition of gender. I guess that, I mean, I got to look that up. You know, if that's what it is then sure

I think we've made a lot of strides yeah we've made a lot of progress I don't feel I've made any progress I feel I have a similar position as I had 15 minutes ago when we started this discussion who died nobody died I'm just checking the time I mean somebody certainly died

people die all the time. Oh, okay. I mean, somebody certainly died. Somebody somewhere. People die all the time. So you're doing, Ariel, you mentioned an hour. You said you're going to do an hour. We call it a special. That's the term of art in the comedy. We call it a special. And you say you're working on one? I'm working on an album.

I'm trying. Oh, not a special, an album. Not a special. A special connotes video. Right. There will be video. I don't think that that's what I want. Like, I'll have it. I'll have a video, but probably

to cut up into clips. You won't post it on Mike YouTube? I don't think so. I don't think that's the route. Maybe I'll tune to my mind. I don't think that's the route that I want to go. Um, no shade on anybody who does. I think it would not necessarily be very beneficial for me. That's all. Um, but yeah, I, I like really like just started headlining in the last couple of months. That's awesome. Good for you. Thank you. It's very difficult. I have, um, immense amounts of respect for people who do that every weekend It's a long time

But I Now featuring feels like Running without the weights on Where you're just like, oh 25 minutes So that's what I'm I'm working on that And right now it feels like I have 45 minutes of jokes,

but I want it to feel like a complete thing. That's awesome. Good for you. Like a, like, here's who I am kind of thing. So I'm working on that. Here's who I am. And here's my pussy. And your main goal in this album is so you have clips for the radio.

Yes. Tracks. Yeah. Which is a very good source of revenue for comedians. Yeah. I would like to have some passive income. I feel like for the last like 10 years, I was very focused on like, I want my jokes

to be as good as possible. I want to get as good at stand-up as possible. And I am now shifting a little bit towards like, okay, this is a business. I need to treat this as a business. How do I make money? And you've discovered that relatively early on, 11 years, which sounds like a long time, really isn't in the world of stand-up necessarily.

And you've made that discovery, it seems to me, you know, pretty early. I hope so. And it is a business. And so are you trying to, like, get a lot, like, followers? Like, how do you, what are you trying to like get a lot like followers like how do you what are you gunning for a lot of followers on social media so that you can sell out on the road yeah whatever whatever form it takes to have my own following to have people who will come see me so that i don't have to do like awful casinos full of people who hate me.

But who could hate Ariel Elias? Oh, quite a few people do not enjoy me, which I take as a compliment. I should not be for everybody. Well, I agree that the great ones never are for everybody. I love that. That's a good title. I do agree with that. I know him, by the way. Know him for everybody. I love that. That's a good title, too. I do agree with that. I know him, by the way. Know him, and we have this argument.

Know him really does not agree. Know him thinks a good comic should be able to make everybody laugh and that the most popular comic is necessarily the best comic. I think I've encapsulated Know Him's view accurately. He's not here to defend himself, but I believe that that's roughly what he believes,

and that's not what I believe. Yeah, look, there's nothing wrong with being pasta with butter. You know what I mean? That's a crowd pleaser. Anybody will eat that at any age. But I think I'm a little bit more of an olive tapenade, where it's like, oh, that's salty,

and maybe I don't want to eat this, and maybe this is my favorite food. But do you find here at the Comedy Cellar that there are those that don't appreciate you? Or this is your crowd, the Comedy Cellar crowd, pretty much all the time? I mean, there's always, not always, but often enough, there's somebody who I'm just like, you don't like me. You know what I mean? Usually a guy, which is fair.

In general, I think comedy seller crowds are smart and like me. And I would like to continue working. And is there a particular region of the country where in addition to the comedy cellar where you're comfortable like the northeast in general or cities I love a city in the midwest

and south I was just going to ask you that do you like going back to Kentucky and performing I like going back to Kentucky I started stand up in New Orleans I love that I like going back to Kentucky. I started stand-up in New Orleans. Oh, wow. I love that. I'm going there next week, next weekend. I love, like,

I love a college town, which is also, like, I grew up in a college town, so that feels very... So your father was a professor, right? Yes. He still is. Okay. Of what? English. Oh, that's what I studied. Really? Yeah, he's a professor at eastern kentucky university uh yeah i think the places where i struggle the most are like i mean truly

i i really struggle at casinos well casinos are bad for everybody because that because they're there for the casino and oftentimes at a casino the only reason they're seeing the show is they got comped. The casino says, oh, you gambled X amount of money. We'll give you free tickets to a show. You know, casinos like to give giveaway. So they're not motivated to see comedy. They were just. But some people still destroy in that.

Like some people will still like kill. And I watch that. And it's people who are like good comedians. You know, it's not it's not people where I'm just like, that's hack. That's trash. It's people who are like good comedians you know it's not it's not people where I'm just like that's hack that's trash it's people who are like very good

who I enjoy it's just that like what I do just doesn't quite I have to take another look at Ariel a lot I know I really want to take another look at her

because now my curiosity has peaked because I haven't seen that much of her again I've spoken to her I haven't seen her on stage

but now we know that she is allenade, olive tapenade. And that just so happens to be. I'm mad at myself for saying that. I just happen to enjoy olive tapenade. Me too. So, you know, it might be my cup of tea. Sometimes I feel like I have to, like, apologize for, like, hey, I'm so sorry I made you think on your night out. No.

I think that's how I feel sometimes. You should never feel that. Thank you. It's a good thing. Yeah. I think I'm like coming. I'm coming around. Yeah. Yeah. I it's, it's a, it's that thing of like, the more I do it, the more I'm like, okay, I'm not wrong. Yeah. I'm just not forever. Well, you're not wrong. And they're not wrong. Right. Exactly. You know, the audience is not wrong and you're not wrong. Yeah. I'm just not for everyone. Well, you're not wrong and they're not wrong. Right. Exactly. You know, the audience is not wrong and you're not wrong. You do what you do and you'll please who you please. Correct. You know, and I do believe, I do think it's true that if you please literally everybody,

I'm skeptical that you're doing anything that interesting. I mean, I don't want to say that as a blanket statement because there might be an exception, but I would be suspicious of anybody that just hammers everywhere, every time and under every circumstance. Yeah, I've had a few gigs recently where it's like, overall, I would say like

that did not go great, but there will be like, usually like a younger woman who will come up and be like i love that so much there will be like two or three where it's like okay okay okay i'm fine with that then if this is like really resonating that's how i feel too like when people come up and say that it's like you know that you're doing that maybe like you're being true to who you are as a comic, right? Yes. So like, did I just bomb?

Yes, absolutely. Well, there's validity to that. But of course, you don't want to bomb too often. And I never have at the cellar. And I never will. Do we have anything else to discuss? Oh, July 4th. Happy belated July 4th, listeners.

Actually, it's sort of uh we're almost done anyway uh ariel what time's your spot well it's only 6 30 oh i don't have a spot tonight oh you came special for us i sure did oh i will be darned because we usually ask people to come on that have spots anyway no okay but i'm dog sitting in the city right now, so it was not a trek for me. I'm dog sitting in Midtown. How was your July 4th? It was good. I went over to Greg Stone's. We had some white claws.

Wait, just you went over to Greg Stone's? Me and my husband and a couple other people. Okay, okay. And we, very funny comedian, Greg Stone, and we played with his baby. And then I came here and did a spot. And then I went and comforted some very scared dogs. She's married to a comedian, by the way. Okay.

Dan Shacky. Dan Shacky. He's the best. I bring it up because comic, you know, the question comes up. Can two comics stay married without the comedy business getting in the way? Well, we can definitely get married. I mean, I think it's too early to tell if we'll stay married, but I think so. I think it's going to happen.

Well, look, I think the answer is yes, they can. Great. Because we've seen evidence of it. We've seen Bonnie and Rich, who have been together, what together what 15 years or so and they seem to be going strong we've seen tom cotter and kair louise who have been together longer than that and they seem to be going strong and perhaps the best example although they weren't comics per se but stiller and Mira. Sure. Who were together for decades. Yeah. And very much

a successful marriage there. Also, Lucille Ball. Well, no, they had a horrible marriage. I think they were divorced and I think there was a lot of turbulence. They got divorced? I think so. Are they one of those couples that got divorced with Steve and Ricky?

Are they one of those couples that got married more than once? Are they like Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera? Sure, and I think you lost me with the Frida Kahlo reference. You never saw the movie Frida? I never did. That's with Salma Hayek? Sure is. By the way, Boogie Nights, speaking of movies, is on Netflix. If you haven't seen it, please do.

This is a classic of American cinema. It's from 1997. So our younger listeners might not be familiar with it. But this is a hell of a film. Have you seen it, Ari? I have. And? Great movie.

Very long. But great. It didn't... I just saw it. Like, today I turned it on. I saw it was on Netflix. I said, oh, let me. I'll watch 10 minutes of it, you know.

And next thing you know, the movie is over. Passes the Bechdel test. The what test? The Bechdel test. You're making me think, Ari. What's the Bechdel test? You don't know the Bechdel test? No.

You intellectual. It's a measure. It's a way to measure. It's not a perfect system, but it is a way to measure the feminism's a measure. It's a way to measure. It's not a perfect system, but it is a way to measure the feminism of a movie. Are there two or more female characters? Do they have names? And is there a scene where they are talking to each other,

not about men? And do they talk about their pussies? That's mandatory. And so you say that Boogie Nights passes the Bechdel test. Yes. You have, what are the criteria again? And then we'll wrap it up. But I just want to go through this very quickly.

Two or more female characters. Well, they certainly have that. There was Heather Graham. There was a Julianne Moore. There was Buck Swope's wife. No, she needs a name. Both have names. Well, no, those are the actresses.

But they all had names in the movie. No, I know. Their character has to have a name. Yeah, well, all they did actresses, but they all had names in the movie. No, I know. Their character has to have a name. Yeah, well, all they did. Amber Waves. Roller Girl was a name. Yep. And there has to be a scene where they're talking to each other.

Well, there was the scene where Amber, and not about men. And not about men. There was a scene where, well, I don't know if it qualified. It does. Roller Girl and Julianne Moore, whose name I forget in the movie, Amber Wave, are talking to each other and Roller Girl asks her, will you be my mom? In that scene. Okay.

Yes. Yeah, but they're doing blow and she says, will you be my mom? But in that scene weren't they also talking about Dirk Diggler? Or were they talking about Amber Wave's son? Was that... Yeah, I think, wasn't in that scene, was that the same scene where Amber Wave's son? Was that... Yeah, I think...

Wasn't it in that scene? Was that the same scene where Amber Wave's saying, I miss my son, I miss Dirk Diggler, who's kind of like my son? Maybe. In other words, if it's in the same scene, if it's in the same scene... I don't know.

Does it count for the Bechdel test? I don't know. What about that word, Bechdel? It's from Alison Bechdel. She's a writer. I'm wondering if it passes the Bechdel test. Because you're writing a memoir? No, I've written two.

You've written memoirs? Have you ever read Fun Home by Alison Bechdel? It's her memoir. It's also a graphic novel about growing up in a funeral home and also finding out that her dad basically was like secretly, no, but he was like secretly gay and may have been having some like inappropriate aged relationships. Well, I'm wondering, just to get quickly back to the Bechdel test,

I do have to question your analysis. I'm wondering whether Boogie Nights passes the Bechdel test. I might be wrong. I have to rewatch that scene because, again, I wonder if it Boogie Nights passes the Bechdel test. I might be wrong. I have to re-watch that scene because, again, I wonder if it's in the same scene, even if there's a few lines where they're not talking about men. A few coke lines where they're not talking about men.

Yeah, exactly. If they're talking about men in the scene, does it count as the Bechdel test? What are you showing me, Peril? Boogie Nights, Bechdel test movie list. Well, this is according to BechdelTest.com, which I guess is the final authority on the Bechdel Test. And it says...

Do you need your readers? I'm enlarging these friends. You just pulled it away. Yes. This is just... So what does it say? It says it passes. It says three out of three.

Okay, but the combination... The conversation between Amber Waves and Roller Girl, I guess, is what you were discussing. That's what it says here on the website. Look at that. Anyway, I'll have to look at this more later. Thank you, Ariel Elias. Thank you so much for coming by. Ariel Elias, obviously making moves on TikTok and on Facebook.

How can they find you? My handle on everything is Ariel underscore comedy. So it's A-R-I-E-L. Ariel like the mermaid underscore comedy. Yep. That's where you can or you can go to my website, ArielleEliasComedy.com and you can. Prepare to think though.

I'm warning you, if you're not prepared to think, then stay away from that fucking website. I feel like such a dick. What an asshole. But if you like all of Top and Ass. I like to make you think. But you can see like tour dates

and stuff like that and watch me try to put together an hour. Periel Ashenbrand. Yes. Is. At Periel Ashenbrand. That's Is? At Periel Ashenbrand. That's where I am. Okay.

And you know where I am. Well, tell them. Maybe they don't. What if this is their first time listening? At Dan Natterman. But you can just, you know, you'll Google around. You'll find me. At Dan Natterman on all the social medias.

Podcast at ComedyCellar.com. Please let us know, for God's sakes, what you want to hear. Did you like this discussion? It was 90% comedy-ller.com. Please let us know, for God's sakes, what you want to hear. Did you like this discussion? It was 90% comedy-based. There was some abortion talk, as there must be, as there always is on this show.

We barely talked about it. Oh, yeah, sorry. I mean, transgender talk. So let us know. Or do you like the Noam shows, where he takes the reins and goes on

and talks about his things. Thank you so much, everybody. We'll see you next time on Live from the Table. Thank you. Bye-bye. Bye-bye.