The Comment Section with Drew Afualo - THE OCEAN HEALED MY RABIES Ft. Rainn Wilson

Episode Date: July 24, 2024

This week, comedy legend and activist Rainn Wilson is here to help Drew debunk climate change deniers on Tiktok. They also talk about sucking on Broadway, rabies, trick-or-treating as Dwight, toxic masculinity, getting philosophical on first dates, God as a DJ, lycanthropes, try a new improv bit, and so much more. Drew: linktr.ee/drewafualo Soul Boom with Rainn Wilson: https://www.youtube.com/@SoulBoom?themeRefresh=1 Rainn Wilson: IG / TikTok For sponsorships/partnerships, email [e-mail]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I will say it was so much fun driving in L.A. during COVID. Was it? Because there was no one was on the freeway. That's true. 20 minutes. I'm in Glendale. Hey. Now I'm in Long Beach. Woo.

God, it must have been so nice. Bring it back. The traffic in L.A. is truly heinous. We need a new plague. Hey, everyone. And welcome back to another episode of the Comment Section Show, starring me, your favorite. Everybody knows me. Who cares about me?

On to the guest. Today, we have the iconic, the hilarious, the legendary. Rayne Wilson It's me Enough about me Everyone knows me That sounds really familiar People recently have been calling me

As like a compliment They're like you don't understand bro You're legend You're legend It's like I'm not 87 You know what I mean Like I'm not ready for my Immemorial Oscars

Montage The writing your obituary already But legend sounds like I'm old washed up like I was like in television in the 50s or something. Like you were Tom Brady or something. Or no, Greg Brady. That's what I'm thinking of.

Greg Brady. Greg. Tom Brady. Different. Yeah. Different vibes. But thank you so much for coming on the show. It's an honor to have you.

It is. I'm a huge fan of you. It is an honor for you to have me. Imagine if I had no idea who you were. I was like, they tell me you're great. I'm inclined to believe them. That would be awkward. That'd be really uncomfortable.

I'm thrilled to be here. You're doing amazing stuff. I love the conversations you have. have. Thank you. You're mixing it up. You're poking the bees nest. You're making the world a better place. You're pissing some people off along the way and charming a whole lot of others. So I'm here. Thank you. I'm in it to win it. Thanks. I really like going into that Hornets nest and just kind of kicking shit around. You see what happens. I've noticed that. I love it. Yeah. Well, I'm honored to have you. I'm a huge fan. Oh, thanks.

Of you as a Thespian and also as an activist. I know you're a huge activist as well, which I genuinely very much so appreciate. Right on. So I would love to know, obviously I know your lore, but just for those that don't, obviously, I'm sure most people know you as Dwight Shrew from the office,

which is a star role for you. But I would love to know what else you got going on outside of acting. I'm on the comments section. I've made it. Are you kidding me? And now you can retire and call yourself a legend. I've achieved legend status.

This might get me my star on the Hollywood Boulevard. Oh, you can cuss. You can't all you want. Oh, I can really? Absolutely you can. Really? Yeah.

I didn't know. Spotify allows that. Yeah. Spotify is super cool with it. Okay. I mean, if they weren't, they did a really poor job behind me. How about this?

Fuck you, Spotify. Well, see, now you're putting my job in jeopardy. Uh-oh. One of my many. See, I'm pushing the envelope. Yeah, see. What am I working on? I got, like, I'm kind of joining your world.

I've got a new podcast empire I'm building. Soul boom. based on a book that I wrote and this podcast, it's on YouTube and other platforms and whatnot, and having deep, meaningful, probing, interesting, rebellious, soul-changing, life-changing conversations as being done by a former sitcom actor. So that's weird. Hey, I mean, I'm a formerly disgraced, fired NFL worker and not look at me. Yeah, you were telling me about that.

Maybe that's the path. Why did they fire you? I mean, I still don't know. Maybe they'll tell me eventually. But yeah, it just didn't work out. Like, they restructured and laid me off after like nine months, nine-ish, ten months. Wow. But it was, I was very unhappy working there.

But isn't it great how, like, one door closes another opens? Like, at the time, you were probably like, oh, devastating. Yeah, absolutely. I've had that so much. Do you have time for a story? Can I tell a story? Yeah, tell as many as you want. Okay.

We're here for you. I have 15 stories. Here's number one. I got, when I was a young actor, I came out of acting school, a couple years later, I was cast in a Broadway show. Oh, wow. This was a huge opportunity for me.

And I got so tense and nervous for being in the Broadway show that I sucked in it. Long story short, I just was really bad. I was self-conscious and doubting myself and trying to control the performance and hoping people would like me. I bombed, I got bad reviews.

I finished it. I fired my agents. And I was just like, fuck it. I am never going through that again. I'm not going to be this people pleasing, like, you know, actor that I think other people want me to be. I'm just going to be me. I'm naturally just weird and offbeat. And I have to have an authentic voice.

Totally. But it was a nightmare. It was like months. I was sobbing to my wife on the phone. Like I went through hell. I was like, it was really, really hard. but I'm so grateful for it because, and I really true, when I traced Dwight back to the beginning, it's because I got, because I sucked in this Broadway play.

When I came out of that, I was like, never again, am I going to do that? Totally. And that allowed me to kind of be my natural weird self to play roles like Dwight in a way and embrace it. And look what happened when you were able to embrace. Well, sometimes we go through a little hell and then it actually opens a door and we're actually grateful for. for that. Are you kind of grateful you were fired? Oh yeah. I'm so grateful now. I talk about it all the time, especially on here. And even sometimes like a lot of my friends who are really successful creators that have turned their creative, like the niche video content they've made, they've turned

them into businesses and they're doing other really successful things. A lot of them have been fired too. It's like a catalyst because it's like it really puts you up against the wall kind of thing. When I got fired too, I genuinely was like, what am I going to do? Like I think because I, you know, found this out in therapy, but between the NFL and all the work I did in college, I was just constantly working and working towards that goal specifically. When I got there and I lost it, I felt like I realized then after going to therapy that I tied all of my worth and value to my accomplishments, but more specifically my career. So I was like, okay, if this doesn't work out, then who am I?

I'm not, I'm nobody without this. I still suffer from that, though. Yeah, same. So I'm in my 50s. And I still get so much of my self-esteem from whether I'm working or not as an actor. Especially in entertainment, yeah. Yeah, and it's just crazy. Like, why can't I just feel so good about myself?

And proud, especially of you, the legacy that you have in the entertainment world. But also, like, this awesome body and just like all everything I'm working with. I didn't want to say it. I'm glad you brought it up, elephant in the room. That's my, that's my DJ name, DJ Dad Bod. Is it? DJing is one of those things where I feel like. like I look at it with no knowledge at all,

and I feel like I could master it. I think you could, just give me 10 minutes. I think you could take like a 15-minute lesson on like YouTube, and you could be a professional DJ. Me on the ones and twos? Yeah. I'd be killing it.

Yeah. I would be hired all over. I'd be like, guys, I'm so busy. I can't. Sorry. There was a great Saturday Live sketch from like six or seven years ago, where they were like, I forget what it was,

but they were just being DJs and just doing like that, and just getting bags of money, just giant sacks of money for doing shit. If I start DJing, though, I want to be like a run DMC DJ. Like an OG one, right? And everyone's getting annoyed at me because I'm like, I'm doing too many of them. But I'm so skillful, they have to keep hiring me.

That's my goal. If this doesn't work out, pivoting to a DJ. Vegas, sacks of money. Yeah, I'm going to get a high and tight haircut. wear like a way too tight white t-shirt. I'm going to go DJ in Vegas. I'm going to pick up a residency at the win. Who's the guy with the mouse head?

Dead Mow, I think. Yeah, yeah. There's him in like marshmallow. On marshmallow head? Like I would want to just do a math. A big head? What would yours be? It would be a Dwight Shrewd head.

And then they would have no idea. No one would suspect that it's Rayne Wilson under the giant Dwight Shrewt foam head going. That's a genius. That's a genius. That's genius. I'll also do a Dwight Shrut head. And we're built so similarly, I feel like they wouldn't be able to tell them. They would never tell.

They could never tell. I always thought about dressing up completely 100% as Dwight and going trick-or-treating. Because no one would ever think, like, the actor, there's no way. No, they would literally think, like, wow, you look. It's going to be like, oh, that's an older Dwight's-trick-trick-treating. He has an older take on it. Yeah, yeah. I would love to ask you about the office if you're cool with it.

I don't know if you're super, super bored and over it. Sick of it. Sick of it. I hate hearing about it. Before we get into that, we'll do bits first. Y'all, this is our new bit that we've introduced. We're workshopping it, okay? Consider it a tight two episode thing.

You've bit-produced. Yes. So we're each going to pick a little line and then we don't read them to each other. And at some point or another, we're going to work it into the conversation. and they are very strange bits from what I understand from my very talented producer Amanda. Okay. Let us, let's look. What's T in here?

You got a long one. Oh, yeah. That's what she said. It's a real hat and a hat, you making that, that's what she said joke. Did that joke come from the office? No, no, no. I think so. We were making that joke in like the 70s.

Okay, I thought so. The office, like, perfected it. I see. It was a perfect synchronicity between Michael Scott and having an adolescent juvenile sense of humor. Totally. And kind of reinventing it for the modern age. I was curious.

I was curious if that. You know what's funny is when I first started watching The Office, that was when Netflix was on CDs. So my parents and I would just order, they would order all the seasons that were out at the time and they would have the CDs mailed to the house. And we put them in the TV. That's hysterical.

Yeah. I'm an old man like you. Yeah. Two old men together. We'll be DJing together. Together, both in big Dwight Shrew heads. Yeah, perfect. They'll never be able to tell the difference.

Yeah. But I would love to ask you about the office. Just more specifically about your character, because it was something that was so different from what was being seen on television, the character, the aura, the enigma that is Dwight Shrew. And I'm curious how much of that was you, like improv and how much of it was writing, and was it just a perfect blend? Very curious.

Well, there's so many ways to answer that question. I mean, first of all, we had this amazing template of the British office. They only made like 12 episodes, but McKenzie Croke, who played Gareth on that show, it was very different than Dwight, but did a lot of similar things. And it was great to be able to watch his magnificent work and, like, basically, like, steal some good bits from him. I'm like, oh, like one thing I love the way that he did is he would say the most absurd things, the most absurd sentences known to man with just absolute sincerity whatsoever. There was no, like, wink that this is a joke.

And he did that so beautifully. Yeah. I just took that. But, you know, we wanted Dwight to be a farmer, have a farmer background, because I had grandparents that were farmers, Greg Daniels, the showrunner. He had grandparents that were farmers. That's cool. And then I, you know, the Dungeons and Dragons stuff was, you know, I brought that in.

That was part of my background. Yeah. And like, you know, I did a lot of work kind of physically. I actually, in acting school, we studied clowning a lot. Really? Like, not like Ringling Brothers, like big floppy feet falling down with pies clowns, but like clowning kind of like, you know, like Borat. as a clown character.

Like how do you create a, you know, a character that's a little larger than life, but fits into the real world and, and it has kind of very physically, you know, minded. And so I thought about Dwight in a lot of ways as the, you know, the self-serious, officious clown who was also kind of a stuck up, a kiss-ass, you know? So it was a, it's a melange of a lot of things. The writers threw in great stuff. and I did some physical work and McKenzie Crook had his take

and so it all, it's a malange. What was your, like, I guess, like favorite part of filming it other than just, you know, the success of it and getting to, like, work on a show with people you love and everything? Like, was there anything that stood out that you're like, I wish I could go back

and re-experienced that feeling I would want to? Like, was it an episode or maybe something that happened? You know, you could, kind of touched on it in the introduction. Like one of the things, like, I didn't appreciate enough while we were doing it was, like, how groundbreaking it was. Yeah.

And at the time, there were a lot of, like, big, bright, splashy, multi-camera sitcoms, like friends on the air. Yeah. And then we came in, and it was kind of very low-key, weird-looking actors, you know, fluorescent lights, and really odd verbal humor that wasn't quite jokes. And there's never quite a joke in the office. It's just, like, odd, funny characters.

characters and funny situations. Totally. Yeah. I, I kind of wish I had leaned into that more and appreciated that more, you know, what the, what the, especially what the writers were doing. Yeah.

I mean, honestly, because the office is like a comfort show of mine, so that's one that I like watch when I, like, want to watch something. Did you steal the DVDs from Netflix back in the day? I didn't.

I wish I did. They'd be relics now. Yeah. I'd be a millionaire. Yeah. Off your guys's backs. I would have sold them easily. Anyways,

that's besides the point. Enough about my side business. But I think, When I watch it, like, the humor is just like the writing in that show is just unbelievable. Like even when I watch it now as like an adult. When I watch it as a teen, I just thought it was super funny, which it still is now. Yeah. But just the writing is unbelievable.

Like the layers to each episode is just the jokes. The layers to the jokes that are written in that show are just to this day some of my favorite things I've ever seen on television. And I think one thing that people really, the reason it's kind of stood the test of time is that there's, you can watch an episode three times. and on the fourth viewing, see a whole new reactions and hear little lines that you're like, oh my God, I had never even picked up on that before. Yeah. Little Easter eggs and stuff like that.

Yeah, like running bits throughout the seasons. I told my boyfriend this literally probably like a couple weeks ago, but one of my favorite running bits is how Michael is like the way he eats is really gross. It's not something that's ever focused on. It's just like in passing she's like, how many filial fishes did you order? He's like, you know what? Never mind. It's just little bits like from season one all the way till the end.

It's little things like those are my favorite kinds of jokes. I'm a big, big fan. That's great. Huge fan. But I would love to talk about Soul Boom now. Soul Boom. Because I do know, I did watch clips from your episode with Serge Tankian, which I think is incredible. So incredibly fun and awesome.

But I would love to hear more about why he started Soul Boom and why, like what your goal was and all that. True. I'm trying to change the world. I'm literally trying to change the world. I'm not even kidding. I'm not even kidding you. So I wrote this book, Soul Boom, Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution.

Totally. Because I felt like there were a lot of spiritual tools. And I'm talking to anyone who you can have a faith, you can not have a faith, you can be Christian, you can be Muslim, you can be Buddhist, you can be spiritually curious. But in the land and the world of spirituality, there are tools that can make our lives better

and that can make the world better. Not just people think of spirituality sometimes as like, I'm going to do a little meditation and it's going to reduce my anxiety. And that's important. It's a very small piece of it. Yeah, that's a small piece. There's a lot more to it than that. Totally.

So these kind of like, I've always loved working with these big ideas. I had a media company back in the day called SoulPancake. And we did a lot of digital content on YouTube and stuff. And I've always been interested in kind of big ideas and, you know, challenging people is why I wanted to come on this show. and you know we're on the verge of like the most contentious bitter, disruptive, disunified election like in American history and people are at each other's throats.

There's so much, you know, dissension. And we need tools to heal. Totally. And so those are the kind of conversations that I want to have on Soul Boom and be having, and we are having on Soul Boom the podcast. And it's anyone from like stand-up comics, from like Whitney Cummings to Neil Brennan and Bobby Lee. Love Whitney. She's been on the show too.

And yeah. And to like academicians, theologians, you know, deep thinkers, meditation teachers, like, and everyone in between, you know, but kind of having that conversation of like, how do we as humans do a better job? And like move forward. And move forward. And heal. Yeah. Totally. I think that's beautiful. And change systems. change systems that are racist and sexist and materialistic and unjust in their DNA.

And how do we kind of look at kind of big picture stuff? Totally. Not just kind of passing some legislation here and there, but rethinking how we kind of do everything. Yeah, and how we see the world and perspective and all of that. I think that's beautiful. And I'm indigenous. Like I'm someone, so my family's Polynesian. And so we, there's a lot of spirituality in my culture.

And there's a lot of connection to our ancestors. And there's a lot of beliefs and ideologies that we hold. And I feel like a lot of times people ask me like how I became this way. Like someone who goes and antagonizes men on purpose for a living. It's a really long story. But I mean, a lot of times I tell people a big, I think a big factor. And that is my culture and how I was raised. because prior to being my culture being colonized,

we didn't adhere to a gender binary. So there was multiple genders, and there was no gender roles or anything like that. But the very genesis of my culture, it's matriarchal. And so that's how I was raised. That's the family and the environment I was raised. And so my viewpoints and my perspective on the world is completely different from a lot of other people, I think.

And that was made obvious when I started making TikToks. So, like, when I started making videos and showing why I think the way I do, why I move the way I do in life. I think that's why a lot of people started gravitating towards me because they were like, well, actually, I kind of fuck with that perspective. I think that's cool.

And so they started following me and then obviously me just absolutely swinging on men, unsuspecting, was a big sell too. So I won't downplay that part. That's not what you do. That's an unfair, that's an unfair... It's a crude description. It's a crude description.

You're taking on kind of... I hate to use the... I hate the phrase toxic masculinity, but kind of like the... the the kind of masculinity that's making our world a worse place. Totally. And you're taking it on fearlessly. And good, you should.

100%. Yeah, I think it's very interesting when I, especially, because there are many, contrary to popular belief online, there are many straight men who do actually really like my content and enjoy my mission. Rain is one of them, obviously. Sign me up. And so I have a boyfriend that I've been with. this year, seven years. So there are many men in my personal life and everything who understand

what it is I'm doing. And even when I've told people, you know, however someone chooses to respond to oppression or bigotry of any kind is not up to me. Like if something's happening to somebody else and they're being actively oppressed, it's not my, it's not up to me to decide what's the proper way for them to respond. And so some people respond with love. Some people ignore it and some people get mad. And I'm one of the people who gets me. mad. So I think that there should be space for all of us to react however it is we feel suits us best and some men just really hate the anger part. So they would prefer I do it another way. But I was like, but you don't listen either way. So I might as well swing. You use anger as a kind

of cultural criticism and you do it in a smart way in a way that provokes change and is exciting. So, you know, I think it's great. Thank you. I appreciate that. Yeah. And for when You're talking about Soul Boom and like you're, uh, the guess that you've had, like, what are, what are some standout episodes to you that really maybe gave you a new perspective, maybe helped you think a little bit harder. The upcoming Drew F. Wallow episode. Well, I'm really excited about. Well, you're welcome in advance.

I'm going to do your big favor. So I'll be calling that in soon. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I mean, what can I, you know, I don't know. I love all of my babies. I love all my children. Equally. But, you know, I've always just been the guy that always wants to go for the deepest possible conversation and human interaction. I love that.

You know, I remember going like on dates when I was 16 and being like, so do you believe in God? And the girls like, damn, you're one of those? Yeah, and they just want out of there like, what do you think happens when we die, you know? And so, you know, that's freaked people out. And now I get to do it and get lots of people watching and have some jokes along the way and have a good time. So, you know, we've had bestselling authors like Arthur Brooks and Jonathan Haidt, and we've had, you know, stand-up comics, like I said, and there's going to be, you know, actors and weirdos and people that folks have never heard of, and then people that are gigantic celebrities.

Like me. Like... Obviously. Obviously. What's your name again? You should really know the name of the host of the show you guessed are. I should. That's a tip.

I feel free to take that. The problem is, ever since I got rabies a few months ago, seriously, it's screwed with my, it's screwed with my memory. The rabies is really getting to. It's eating at your frontal lobe. Yeah. Or is it like venom? You know how venom? He like sits in there in your pocket?

Am I supposed to say when I used my thing? I'm assuming that's your bit. I'm assuming that's your bit. Okay. Or was I supposed to like let it go? and pretend like anyways. We're workshopping. We'll figure it out.

We're workshopping new bits. I didn't get part two. I don't know. Yeah. What was I going to say? We got thrown off about the rabies thing. Well, I'm sorry to hear about your rabies. That's really unfortunate for you.

But I'm excited to have you on Soul Boom too. Me too. What do you want to talk about? God, I don't know. You want me to do your show too? Yeah. You want me to come up with the idea for yours also? Yeah.

Could you? God, okay. I'll work on it. Can we do your bit bit on my show? Sure, yeah. Let's do it. TM, actually, TM. T.m.

Well, I'll pay a licensing fee. Yeah, there we go. Some royalties. Yeah. That's all right. I'll take those. Right on. I'm sure you get lots of views.

I'll take those easily. I think that there's so many things that divide us. And the thing that mostly unites us is the fact that we are all spiritual beings having a human experience. Totally. And that can be, we're in different bodies, we're different ages, we're different ethnicities, we're all kinds of different genders, and that commonality, the fact that we all have big beating hearts, that we all love,

that we all have fears, this can be what unites us. And it doesn't have to be in some kind of like hippie-dippy, kumbaya kind of way. It can be much more real than that. But we've got to find ways to kind of come together and pull together. Do you believe in, like, spirits and stuff? Good and bad? Do I believe in spirits good and bad? Like, do I believe, like, there's, like, spirits that inhabit things and stuff like that?

Yeah, just that they exist, and they can show you signs or they can point you in direction. I will say, I definitely believe in God, and I don't believe that God is some kind of, like, old guy with a beard. Imagine if you were God? What if you took off the Dwight Shrew Head, and it was God? It was God!

Then what? What if you went to the pearly gates and God was a DJ? Then what? What if I dressed like Dwight Shrut and put a godhead on spinning, take off the Godhead and it's Dwight Shrut is God? There you go. TM. Don't know one take that.

Tell the wind to get ready. You just got the TM? Is that all you have to do is say the word TM and then you get the trademark? That's my understanding of trademarking, yes. Yeah. So I believe that there is a gigantic, all-loving, all-pervasive cosmic force that's within us and without us and manifests itself in all kinds of different ways, including through nature.

Love. And that our souls, as when we get rid of our physical bodies and they decay, our soul or spirit or that spiritual element of ourselves continues a very mysterious journey. Can we commune with past selves and with ancestors? Absolutely, I believe that. So do I think that there is a spirit? in this. You know, I don't know.

That I don't, I don't quite know, but I'm open to it. You know, the universe, the multiverse is a very mysterious place. I know. I think, I agree with that too. And I think everything that you said, honestly, I agree with. And I'm also, like I said, indigenous, so we do believe in spirits a lot. And, like, they manifest in very different ways in different cultures. And, I mean, I'm currently in a book club where we're studying spirituality and also witchcraft

a little bit, but just a little. So like 80% spirituality, 20% witchcraft? There you go. Yeah, that's about our workflow balance. Well, I will say that from what I've read and about a lot of indigenous cultures is like polytheism is not what people think it is. Like polytheism isn't kind of like, oh, I worship this waterfall or I worship this tree or I worship the god of the wind or whatever. It's like all of these different elements are reflection of one kind of divine. reality. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. They're all different facets and different ways to understand

the eternal. Yeah, totally. You can do it through the sun and through time and through the wind and through the water. Absolutely. And through the seasons, you know, like it's a way of understanding, you know, the beautiful metaphoric reality of being alive. Absolutely. And I, it's funny too, because since I'm Polynesian, I feel more, I feel closer to my ancestors when I'm in Hawaii or like any sort of Polynesian island. And so specifically in the ocean, we feel like the ocean is very healing in a lot of ways.

And any time I've gone like back home to Hawaii, because that's another home of mine, if I have any sort of ailment, I'm like, I just need to get in the ocean. Like when I get in the ocean, I'm gonna be healed. I know that for a fact. And like one time I had like a wisdom tooth got super infected and it like ballooned and it gave me,

the flu and everything was horrible. And so it was super, super swollen and painful, but I was like, I really want to go to the beach. So I went and I went in the ocean and it literally went away. Went down almost immediately. But most importantly, I really wish I had saved my rabies

bit for that. For right now, because I could say I had the same thing. You fired off too soon. I had rabies. I went in the ocean and I was healed. And then you came out of full werewolf. And I could have,

it would have been seamless. Inverse. You just went full feral instead. I don't think rabies turns you into a werewolf. I think you're getting... Have you tried? Go get rabies and find out. And report back to us.

Hook me up. There's a lot of... In that alley, like right outside that door. Oh, yeah. There's a ton. There's some serious vermin. There are some real vermin out there. Viewers, this looks really nice here.

This looks really sweet. There's... You have no idea what's... that door. That's true. It's true. Whenever we door dash things, if they drop it off back there,

someone's like, quick, go get it because it gets stolen every time. Every single time. You don't know if it's stolen by a human. Or an animal. Yeah. Or a lichenthrope.

Could have been neither. To be honest, out in the sun. How do you know that word? Likeanthrop? Because I'm a very smart person. You are? I'm not saying you're not a smart person,

but I've never heard, this is the first time in my life, 58 years that someone has used lycanthrop in a sentence Is that in your thing? Is light a throat? No, it's not. It's actually not.

Can you, I was just about to make a joke about, can you, I said, believe it or not, that wasn't my bit? That's just a word I got floating around up here. I've never heard anyone say like a throat. A lichen throat? Really? Yeah. Yeah.

Damn. I just blew your mind. You did. Blown. Okay. Let's go into the topic for today. Okay. So for the topic, we're going to be unpacking climate change deniers, undermining scientific

facts on TikTok. And I know you're a very passionate climate change activist. I am, yeah. And I've been following you on Instagram for a while, so I do know that. I've known that for a minute. You don't follow me, which is really embarrassing for you. But just something I need to throw in there. Partick, make that happen. Just something I had to throw out there to rain steam. You're too angry at men all time. Well, they turn me into a like-inthroat. That's not my fault. They trigger me. Great call back. I call out a call-back. That's called a call-back for new people. Okay, so I'm going to read a couple, describe these things. Yeah, and I just want to set this up by saying, I used to just read climate change deniers and send out angry tweets back at them, which of course does no good whatsoever.

And I realize, hey, if this is something I'm really passionate about, I should probably fucking do something about it. So then after that, like, I joined the board of this nonprofit Arctic base camp and work with scientists there. did it. We shot a show in Greenland. We've done a bunch of like activations, online stuff on the, for, for media to try and like illuminate climate ideas through using, using media, social media. And in the reason that I'm doing this, Drew, is because this is one of the kind of like pandemics that's affecting humanity that we have to take a look at. And it's not simply about passing legislation to reduce CO2. That's an important part of. of it, it's like changing our whole relationship with planet Earth.

Like how long as humans are we just gonna suck resources out of the planet, chew it up, spit it out, throw the garbage back into the ocean. You talked about the sacredness of the ocean. Yeah, absolutely. You know about the garbage patch in the South Pacific, not far from Samoa. Yeah, literally. And you know, we have to shift our thinking about climate, it's not just about climate in terms of like Democrat versus Republican and what legislation are we passing. Well, capitalism plays a huge role. It plays a huge role. And that's capitalism, something else. We have to rethink.

I'm not saying like, oh, that means we become, as soon as you say that, people are like, oh, you're a communist. It's like, no, you just need to rethink unchecked greed. How about that? Could we just kind of consider unchecked greed? Yeah, totally. Well, even like, when you're talking about Polynesia specifically, like in the Micronesian Islands, there are some islands.

They have a very historic birth defect rate in Micronesia. And for a long time, they couldn't figure out. Why? Then they realized it's because a lot of the, some of the islands off the coast of the main islands in Micronesia, because it's a whole bunch of islands in one. But they were doing nuclear testing over there for years. And they absolutely decimated all of their natural resources, including the water. So they already had to leave the island, which they forced them to leave, right, and move to the other ones, which is overcrowding. And it's just a lot of tension, like civilly. But on top of that, they live off the land, like most indigenous people do.

whatever they're farming or pulling from the water is poisoned. And so they had this, that was back in the 60s. And so now, I don't even know, 40, 50, 60 years later, they're realizing it's from that nuclear testing. That's why they have such a historic birth defect rate, which is so upsetting considering how many there are and their birth defect rate is really, really high. It matches those that have populations million times the size.

So that's a huge, like, you know, proponent for why climate change is so important, or at least to pay attention to it. the very least pay attention and see where you can help and what you can do. Yeah. But huge things like that affect all of us, like literally all of us. Yeah, no doubt. And, you know, I know you're going to read some climate change denier stuff. And it's interesting because there's no winning an argument. Yeah. Because they've done studies where people are like a climate change denier and they come in like with scientists and with data and they show them like slide shows and movies and they show exactly how the science works like hey CO2 and methane rise up here and they create a kind of a heat

trapping layer and this is how extreme weather events are tied to that and why the ocean's acidification and so hot so early and so long and how this is all working and why sea levels are rising stuff and they'll explain all this like really and and the and people will be even more entrenched in their view yeah like dig their heels in that it's that it's all a crock of shit even when never So no amount of like showing data is going to convince people. So I don't know how, but we have to move people's hearts in a way and not kind of vilify, you know, Republicans necessarily or Republicans vilify Democrats. We've got we've got to find a way to build a bridge.

But I do think like you can't pick and choose your science. You either are like for science or not for science. So you can't go into your search. who says, hey, we need to operate on this cancerous tumor and say, well, I don't believe in science. You know, I'll believe in that science, you know, but I won't believe in this science. Yeah, it's the same thing when people are like, oh, I don't believe in vaccinations. Like, I need to do my research. And it's like, well, what are the odds you're going to find something that he didn't find or she didn't find or they didn't find?

The research is Googling it. Yeah, that was like, they were in school for 50 fucking years and there are millions of dollars in debt. But yeah, sure. I'm sure you'll find something. Yeah. Like, for climate change, you can't believe in the science that burning a heater and heats your home during the winter. Yeah, yeah.

And not believe it. I'm going to believe in that science. But I'm not going to believe that burning methane and coal and creating, you know, tons and tons of CO2 is going to affect the temperature on planet Earth. Yeah. You can't. You're all that one. Nah.

Yeah. Not that one. Because honestly, it is inconvenient because it would require some changes in how we live our lives. It's going to require some taxation, some legislation, turning to alternative energy sources. Yeah. It's a whole, it's a whole, that's the, the, I probably the most ironic and the most difficult part is that it really is going to take all of us. Like, we really got a band together. Otherwise, like, we can't do it alone. Many on both sides have tried doing it alone and it doesn't work. Yeah. So we're all, unfortunately, we're all going to burn alive

together unless we lock in team. Okay, so I'm going to read some of these videos. This one says in this video Dan Pena a businessman and former president of an oil company is giving a talk where he says 55,000 years ago the world was two degrees hotter than it is now. He's trying to make the point that the Earth's temperature fluctuates

naturally over thousands of years and that's just what's happening now. Right. 55,000 years ago? So this is a very the most common argument is like the weather always changes climate always changes we're just going through a hot phase

right now. X amount of years ago it was this. You know, 200,000 years ago, there was no Greenland ice sheet. It was melted and the oceans were higher. This is just, there's nothing that we can do. But the point is twofold. One is, if you look at the chart and the graph of history, first of all, how do we know that it was hotter 55,000 years ago? We know that because of climate scientists doing research and discovering that it was warmer, 50,000. Like where did we get that information? By drilling into ice cores and doing, you know, rock samples and looking at flora and fauna. Yeah.

So that's number one. Number two, but if you look at the graph of history, there'll be warm stretches with the dinosaurs and cold stretches in the ice age. And it's flowing like this. And then you go like this and then you know what a hockey stick graph is, right? Yeah. It goes like this. We're all of a sudden in the 1800s and in this century it's like, boom! Yeah.

Like that, like never before in history has the climate changed in that way. Yeah, there was not, it was like a gradual ebb and flow. It was not a straight up. And then scientists can prove that the reason it shot up like a hockey stick is because of what humanity is doing to the atmosphere. So this is different. Like, yes, the climate is changing. That climate always changes.

But the rapidity with which is changing, the intensity. Yeah. And the fact that it can be absolutely, you know, corroborated, that it's due to increased heat-trapping gases, that as we've been, you know, burning peat moss and coal and covering up wetlands and creating super highways and bulldozing over forests and chopping down trees, you know, you'd have to just be an idiot to kind of go, like,

well, that's not going to have any effect on climate. Well, I don't think it has anything to do with that. Yeah. I think it may be something else. So that's the most common one, and it's just a stupid and asinine way of arguing. It's strange to even now, because during COVID and during lockdown, we saw, like, unprecedented amounts of, like, pollution drop because nobody was going anywhere. Right.

So, like, like, rivers were cleaner. The air was less smoggy. Like, I feel like even if you don't want to go do more research, you could just look back then and be like, well, there was a lot nicer back in. 2020. Why is that? Because nobody was leaving the house. Nobody was driving their cars. Nobody was going to work. Nobody was doing all of the things that we typically

do mindlessly. I will say it was so much fun driving in L.A. during COVID. Was it? Because there was no one was on the freeway. That's true. 20 minutes. I'm in Glendale. Hey! Now I'm in Long Beach. Woo! God, it must have been so nice. Bring it back. The traffic in L.A. is truly heinous.

We need a new plague. Callback. I know the episode too, but that's on. That's Phyllis's wedding. It's E.T. You're Drew Barrymore. And I'm an alien. Exactly.

Perfect. Okay, I'm going to read some of the comments on this. This one says, yes, it's so bad that the banks will hand out loans to any seaside condo developer who needs it without any climate causes. Clause. And that is just not true. So this is what happens with climate change deniers is they'll state things like it's fact. And it's not fact. Like show your sources.

Yeah. Show me your sources that every time. There are, that there aren't kind of, what did he say again? He said, it's so bad that the banks will hand out loans to any suicide condoms. Like that there's not like bank loans for, you know, environmentally questionable developments along the seashore. And people often say, like, well, the Obama's bought a house on the beach. So why should we believe in climate change? It's like, because the Obamas are idiots. Come on. I'm kidding. But you know what I mean? Like, as if that's proof, like, the Obama's bought a house on the beach.

He's like so case closed. Yeah, there you go. Case closed doesn't exist. But actually, check out insurance because insurance rates all over the country. The insurance companies know. They are not in denial. They know everything before we do. And rates are going up. Just like banks. everywhere and you cannot get fire insurance in huge parts of the West. That's actually very true. My mother-in-law was telling me that they were. Yeah, yeah. And flood insurance.

Try getting flood insurance in Miami right now. They're like, um, denied. Yeah. They're like a sense of flood. What if they were talking about. But for a lot of things, you just, when people say stuff like this, you say, show me your sources. Yeah, absolutely.

And it can't be, it can't be bright bark and it can't be Fox News. Ben Shapiro. And yeah, it has to be. just a reputable, neutral news source. A scientist would be best. Like an actual scientist. This one says, I think the larger point is there were periods on Earth of Extreme Heat,

yet the world's still around. So should we care really? I don't know. Well, yes, you should. You should care because, you know, first of all, if you love animals, a lot of people love kitties and doggies, right? But they're not loving, like,

the hundreds or thousands of species that are dying every year because of extreme climate and weather events. So we're going to lose, you know, there's going to be climate refugees, there's going to be food. You know, we just did a series of videos about how we're going to lose the flavors that we love. Like vanilla is becoming extinct. I saw something about vanilla. Yeah.

And chocolate, coffee, pistachio, all our favorite ice cream flavors are threatened. So we should care. Yeah, absolutely. The ecosystem is such a delicate balance, and I think people forget that, like, how the smallest insect could absolutely decimate an ecosystem if it goes extinct. Like, it's the way it's so intertwined with each other. So people think, like, oh, if bees die, who gives a fuck? Whereas, like, bees are a huge proponent of everything we grow and harvest that goes into our food. And if you know anyone that's ever had lime, one of the reasons that lime has increased is because,

ticks have spread more because the temperature has gone up and they thrive and they don't get killed in winter as much and deforestation and drought has increased the spread of ticks and then more people are getting lime it really is connected to climate so there's all kinds of things connected to climate it's crazy how people turn or try to turn a blind eye to stuff like that as if like we're not all going to suffer like if it gets any worse like we're all going to and it's hard and I understand it because it's hard to know what to do yeah You know, and it is a really, it's a difficult thing because it's a collective action. It's not an individual thing. Yeah, totally. You as an individual, you can drive an electric car, get solar panels on your house, and recycle your plastic, and that's all fine and good. But that's not really going to make a difference. A difference.

But if we all collectively take action in some larger ways, we can make a difference. Yeah, and even one of the easiest ways is to educate yourself. Yeah. That's like one of the best, the fastest and most accessible ways is to educate your sense. so I truly believe that about even like secondary education like I've told people because I went to college and graduated and I know college isn't for everyone but I've told people if you want to pursue higher learning I highly encourage you to do so if you can and you would like to because the way that education just I truly believe makes you a better person like it makes you a more evolved person

a more open and understanding empathetic person and in a lot of ways that affects how you see the climate how you see systemic oppression how you see all those kinds of systems that we should be paying attention to and trying to change or uproot entirely and build the new. I think education's a huge part of that. Part of what college does is it just teaches you how to think. Truly. On your own. And it gets you in a room with people that have different opinions and you're reading books and you're debating them and you're writing about them. And what's wrong with that? Spending a few years of your life early on in your life. Totally. Learning how to think, how to challenge, how to think critically. Absolutely. So many people just see

climate change denier stuff and like oh that must be true or they read a headline that must be true like dig deep think critically think for yourself don't just take what the political left is giving you don't just take what the political right is giving you you know think it think it through do some reading absolutely i'm a huge proponent of that even sometimes like i'll have like family members or like even my mother-in-law like sometimes she'll be like what do you think about this i saw this headline what do you think and i just give her my opinions on stuff and i tell her like that's just how i see see it because I'm thinking for myself, right? Like I

download the information, I look a little deeper, and then I decide for myself what I want to believe. So I feel like it's really that's, a lot of us, of a lot more people did that. That's why I always think, I think it's all the people on the fringe who are undecided either way or they're a fence sitter. I think a lot

of times those are people that we can influence to help and everything. There's more of those than there are like an extreme on either. And I do think that's, that's kind of what I'm trying to do in climate in some of our initiatives is there's people that are never, no matter what evidence they're shown, they're never going to believe that climate change is man-made and fixable.

Yeah. And they're going to believe that the cure is going to be worse than the result of the disease. And there's going to be a bunch of tree-huggers that believe it anyway. Which is another extremist point of view, too, when they're like, oh, we should just get rid of all cars. Yeah. And they believe, like, ban oil. It's like, well, that's not how, that's not going to work. Yeah, we need oil.

We can transition away from oil slowly over decades. Yeah. You know, that's, but. Striking that balance. So, but yeah, the movable middle, we call them. Yeah. Oh, that's a good term. We can sway the movable middle.

Okay, love that. Okay, so this video, in this video, it's Neil deGrasse Tyson explains that eventually when the water is stored in ice packs, ice packs melts due to rising global temperatures, the sea levels are projected to rise to the height of the Statue of Liberty's arm. So entire coastal cities will be submerged in the way, humanity currently exists will have to completely change. So obviously that's not a bad video, but the comments are bad. Like this one says, it's sad.

All these intelligent people still think humans are causing climate change. I just don't know whose fault is it then? Just the world, the earth just decided to turn against us at this time. Again, they don't view it as a that bad. But it just gets so complicated to unpack, because mostly it's, it has to do with partisan politics. So mostly if you're a Republican and you're in your right winger, you view kind of scientists as being part of like academia.

And academia is bad because it's all a liberal conspiracy. And the liberal conspiracy is to have increased government and have more legislation and a bigger government. And if you're from the political right, you want less government. And so anything having to do with like mandates of like how many miles per gallon cars should get and how we should use renewable resources

and limiting coal mining and oil exploration. That's big government overreach. So from a political point of view, climate change becomes the enemy because climate change necessitates kind of collective action and we're going to need some kind of government or government coalitions to effectuate collective action. Totally.

So then it just becomes right versus left. And it's unfortunate, but we are going to need legislation. We're going to need countries to work together internationally. We're going to need collective action, and we're going to need some laws that change things. But, you know, we did it. Like, I remember visiting L.A. in the 70s. When I was a little kid, we went to Disneyland.

And the air was like putrid. It was like yellow. It was like, I'm not kidding. It would, damn. It, the smog in L.A. in the 70s was like so bad.

Really? Guess what? We passed laws and we have emissions standards. Yep. And we banned, like, you know, unleaded gasoline and,

like, we reduced smog and, et cetera. And like, the air in L.A. is way better than it was. Crazy how that works. Yeah.

Do you know what chlorofloralcarbons are? No. So back in the 70s and 80s again, hair spray and like Lysol had CFC's chloroflloral carbons in them. Aquinette. And it was, we found out it was burning a hole in the ozone layer. And it really was literal. And so they collectively all the countries got together and banned chloro-fluorocarbons.

And guess what? We've almost healed the hole in the ozone layer that we caused in the 70s and 80s. So we can do it. It's crazy how it's like we've proven that it is possible that we can do it. Yeah. And I think it's getting, like you said, it's just a really contentious point now. And especially with the access of social media and everything,

it gives people more access to more voices, whether they're for it or against it, unfortunately. And the truth is, I don't know, I don't have the percentage on the tip of my tongue, but a vast majority of Americans think that climate change is manmade and that stuff and something should be done about it. There's a very, very vocal, like 15% that is online on everything and there will be on this conversation. Yeah, totally.

And they'll be saying. And the other thing they're going to say is like, fuck you, Hollywood celebrity, telling me how to act, flying around in your private jets with your giant house and your 17 cars. Like, don't tell us what to do. And I'm surprised that one's not on there. Yeah. Because that's a very popular one. Yeah, totally.

Especially when celebrities talk about climate change. Or celebrities talk about climate change. talk about anything. And it's true. No one, so don't, please don't listen to me. Please go to scientists. Yeah, for real. Do not listen to Rain Wilson, douchebag, weirdo, liberal, former washed up sitcom actor, please go read Paul Hawkin, Catherine Hayho, Michael Mann, all the top climate scientists and just read the data, pour through the data. That's all. Yeah, if anything, I've told people before, like, you know, I'm not an expert on stuff.

Like for my platform specifically, obviously I talk about misogyny and the patriarchy and all the different facets of that. I talk about like, fake news. White supremacy. Talk about racism, all of the stuff. Transphobia, homophobia. And whenever I talk about that, even when I wrote my book, I got a really interesting question the other day. And this person asked me, like, what would you say? Because my book comes out in July.

And so they were like, what would you say? Because my book is, it's part memoir, like manifesto part. It's more sort of like self-help. Aren't we in July? Isn't it July? It's June. It's June girl. Is it not July?

Still Pride Month. Okay. Yeah. It's still June. Allies. You and I were allies. Ally, ally. And so the person who asked me the question, it was such an interesting question.

I love when I get really good questions that make me think. But they asked me, what would you say to someone who read your book and thought, like, this is great, but it's entry-level feminism. Right? would I say to that? And they asked me, yeah. And I said, honestly, I would say, you're right. Like, you're absolutely right. There's nothing wrong with it.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. I said, I am by no... They can go to Bell Hooks and Andre Lord next as part two. And I said, like, I am by no means an expert. I have made that very clear. I'm just a very proud and vocal intersectional feminist. Like, but I am not an expert. I'm not the first person to be a feminist.

I'm not the first person to be mean to a man. That was rude. Like, I did not pioneer any. of those things. I said the only difference is I just I had social media. That's the only difference and I got to platform my ideology. But when if that's their first intro to intersectional feminism and it makes them want to pursue higher learning, I think that's great. Yeah. Please do. Like go seek an expert. Do not take my word and run with it. Like please go seek more. Go look into more. Yeah. There's so many wonderful feminist authors that you could look into from so many different backgrounds

that are actually licensed and have doctorates in this, and I've studied it for years. And I said, the only thing I have is my lived experience as, like, an indigenous plus-size woman in this world. That is the only thing I can pull from. That's what I am an expert in is my lived experience, and that's it. And that's really what I talk about in my own personal ideologies and why, you know, it's very anecdotal in a lot of ways.

So when I was explaining that to them, they were like, oh, okay, like, that's really interesting. But I appreciate questions like that, but like you said, do not listen to me. Don't listen to only me. Like, please go, if anything, we're what we, one of the wonderful parts of what we do. And like, obviously you're way more famous than me, but like to have the platforms. So much more famous.

You are. You are. I will give that to you. That one little thing. The rabies. Yeah, and yet here you are having to come on my show because you need me. Oh, bummer.

I do need you. I need to connect with the young, vibrant generation. Yes. And learn from you. and listen. Yes, absolutely. How old are you? Do you have multiple kids? Just one? Just one. 19, yeah. Oh, yeah. Has he graduated high school this year or last year?

He just finished his freshman year of college. Yeah. Does he brag about having you as a dad? No, he tries to hide it. Really? Yeah. Why? So he wants, when I go on the campus, he'll, he wants me to, like, put on a COVID mask. So people won't, people know, like, the word has gotten out, but he just doesn't want me. It's okay. It's, it's really a challenge. to be a kid of a celebrity.

It's a whole different weird set of challenges. He wants to just be as normal as possible, and I don't blame him. I can't relate to that, personally. You can't. I know, I need attention desperately. And here you are. Yeah, I need it.

You get that. You're an actor. I get it. I've told people, if you're an entertainment, you have to love attention to some extent, even just a little. Yeah, this whole thing of, like, the actor's like,

I still want anyone looking at me. leave me alone. Leave me alone. Please, no. It's like, go be an accountant. I mean, come on. Yeah, for real. For real. I agree with that.

Absolutely. I've told people there are certain aspects to this job for me that, because I was so aggressively normal before this happened, and now this happened, there are certain aspects that make me uncomfortable sometimes. Like the privacy thing is a little bothersome to me sometimes. But like, past that, I'm like, this is great. This is awesome. Do I love the attention?

Of course I do. Hello. Yeah. Look at me. Yeah. I just love to do this a lot. So, yeah. Thank God I can pay the bills.

Otherwise, I'd just be yapping for free. That's great. Which is what I was doing before. Yeah. Okay, let me read some more comments on this. This one says, sea levels were going to rise by 20 feet in 2000, still waiting. Wow.

So no. How do they think 20 feet? I feel like they think 20 feet's like $2 billion. Again, where's your source for that? You know, that's, where is the quote from whatever a climate sign? said that sea level, yeah, show me the Carfax, where that sea level is going to be up 20 feet by the year 2000, where, you know, where does it,

where does it, who predicted that? Yeah. So climate predictions by and large by the climate scientists that have been, that were started in the 70s and 80s are pretty much right on the money. Is it, you know, there might be, you know, Al Gore made some sweeping generalizations in his movie an inconvenient truth that might

not be 100% correct, but they're pretty damn close. Miami is basically half underwater at this point. And one of the things, they won't insure cars now for water damage in Miami. Really? Because they're driving down streets that are covered in seawater from rising sea levels. So, you know, no one said, no one said sea levels were going to rise by the year 2000. So, but, you know, they are going to rise, and we see that in all kinds of flooding that's happening all around the world. Yeah.

This one's a similar thing. It says, I was told this was all supposed to happen in the 80s and then the 90s and then the 2000s, then the 2010s, and now it's in the next decade. And then it says, big grift. I love the idea that, like, this, let's just, like, say that there was this huge conspiracy to just convince people that climate change was a thing, even though it wasn't. And it's just to, okay, make more legislation, more government. Like, who benefits from that? Like, I also live in this country. So, like, if it becomes a more police state, which it is,

if it becomes more policed or more, whether that's through legislation or what, I also suffer because why would I be, why would it be trying to convince you to buy into it if it was also going to harm me? You know what I mean? Well, who were the first, what were the first organization that did the studies that discovered climate change and its effects. Oil companies. Yeah.

The first data came from oil companies, and they knew about the damage that their companies were going to be causing to the environment. They led with it for a while, and then they buried it, and then they had campaigns to try and discount their own evidence that they uncovered in the 70s, in the 70s and 80s. So if you also want to learn more about this, you can simply read the United States' militaries kind of guide

to military preparedness around climate change. The U.S. military believes in climate change and its ramifications around the world. What are increased, you know, weather, hardcore weather events going to do, what a sea level rise is going to do, what are droughts going to do? How is this going to affect, you know,

international relations and how should we be prepared as a military. So people who don't believe in climate change must also not love and support the military. You think the military just bought this? Do you think NASA just kind of like drank the liberal Kool-Aid on climate change? And Exxon and Shell back in the 70s and 80s? Yeah. It's a similar, it's like a similar parallel. It's a parallel in the same way when during,

COVID when people who are actively speaking out against a vaccine and saying COVID wasn't real, we're all getting vaccinated. So it's like they're saying one thing, but they're doing another. So maybe we should be following actions as opposed to like rhetoric and like scare tactics. And like you said, maybe we should learn to think for ourselves and kind of put the pieces together on our own. Like they're saying that, but they're doing the opposite. And when you don't want to think for yourself, that's fine, just do what the experts with

the people that have spent 30, 40, 50 years studying it. Let's just listen to them. That's what I'm doing. Not the one cuckoo oddball in the corner is like, they're all wrong. Yeah, they're like, all these people are sheep and I figured it out. It's like, what are the odds? Like that you're the guy, you're the one that figured it out, that's seen through it all. I think a lot of those people too think, have you watched The Last of Us?

Yes. You know the scene with Nick, was it Nick Offerman that he used? Yeah. Yeah. You know how he was kind of that like libertarian, like living outside no government, all government's bad government. And then the world ended and he ended up being right about what he was. I think a lot of those people think they're that guy and they're not.

Like they think you're not him. Yeah. You're not him. You're someone who dies day one. Do you think you would survive in a zombie apocalypse? Absolutely I would. You think? I've learned enough from the character that I played, Dwight Shrew to, I have weapons stashed

all over my house. I would 100% survive. But you know what comes down. this whole balance between individual freedom and initiative, you know, this American ideal of like, don't tread on me, you know, and every man for himself, you know, live free or die. There's this kind of toxic individualism. And individualism is important. You express it. You love it. But there's also collectivism. So how do we live in better unity, you know, in ever-level. larger kind of more cooperative tribes.

Yeah. This is part of a spiritual journey that humanity needs to make and take together. How do we find that balance where, of course, we don't all want to be sheeple with a big authoritarian state, whether it's from the political left or the political right, telling us what to think and what we can and cannot do? Yeah. But at the same time, we do work together as tribes coming together and cooperating. Yeah, we work better in numbers.

And like I said, it doesn't work unless we're all on the same, at least train moving forward. Yeah. We may not all be on the same side, but at least moving in the same direction. Plus, you're happier when we're in community. We're happier. We're in community. I think that all the time. And that's why I feel like a lot of the most hateful people on the Internet, for example, have no sense of community.

There's no hateful people on the Internet? What do you? Oh, gosh. Wait. But they what? If there weren't, I wouldn't be here, Ray. They have no sense of what? Community.

In their real lives. They have no sense of community. Actually, years ago when I first really blew up, and I got a lot of hate, like, a lot of men making videos about me, whatever. And I had one guy in particular make a video about me that I never forgot to this day. And he actually expressed how he's like, honestly, like, I've seen a lot of the criticisms of Drew and her platform. And I wanted to comment on it. And he was a white guy, a former military member. He was in the service for a long time.

And he said, like, if I had come across Drew's page, like, five, six years ago, I would have hated her too. Like if I came across her years ago, I would have hated her also. And he was like, but I did a lot of learning and growing and evolving. And I read a lot of books. And he's like, I got to a point in my life where I was like, I am so miserable. I'm so unhappy. I hate seeing other people who are happy.

I hate seeing people different from me that are happy. And he's like, when I had that really honest conversation with myself, I started doing a lot of reading and trying to understand like, why do I feel this way. Yeah. And he said he read this story, and I forget the name of it, but it was something about a dog sitting on a nail. And the dog sits on a nail. Rabies. Probably a dog out there.

I can't use rabies right there. Keep going. Yet another missed opportunity. I'm sorry to derail you. Go ahead. You're fine. Just the dog sits on the nail every single day and yelps but still sits there every single day. And so they ask if the dog knows that it hurts, why does it continue to sit on the nail?

And he said, because it doesn't hurt enough. Once it hurts enough, he'll no longer sit there. That's great. And so he was saying, that was me. He's like, sometimes you don't. listen until it hurts enough. And so that's what she does is she hurts you enough to the point where it's going to make you either stop what you're doing entirely or it's going to make you rethink everything. But either way, you're going to stop and that's the only goal she has. Her goal

isn't to change you and that's not her job. And I was like, period. I'm glad one guy gets it. But we can refer that back to climate change. Yeah. Because we're sitting on the nail and, you know, prices are going up, extreme weather events, the hottest year on record last year. But it hasn't been enough. So unfortunately, humanity is going to have to, like, hit bottom and go to rehab in order it starts to change its ways. Yeah, absolutely. We're like an addict. We're addicted to oil and convenience and energy and capitalism and gain materialism. And, you know, and, you know, we're selfish and greedy generally. So things are going to have to, like, really break down before we kind of look in the mirror and go, like that guy did and go,

okay, we're willing to make a serious, make some sacrifices in order to change. Yeah, I agree. And I think, I think, too, that like I said earlier, it's very, to me, I feel like how other people react to things when they're being actively oppressed or harassed or disrespected or whatever is none of my business, right? But that's because that's something that's happening to that individual, right? When we're talking about something as serious as climate change, that's something that affects all of us. So it's important, like you said, like individualism is very important, but collectivism

is just as important and community is just as important. Or more. Yeah, even more so. And I feel like too, even when I talk about, like on my platform, about men and, you know, ones that suck or whatever and how they suck. But I've also said, I've gotten criticism, especially recently, of men saying, like, oh, well, you have a man. That makes no sense. To which I'm saying, like, well, I can still hate the collective of a misogynistic man and still have found one that's not like that. I don't know why that's so hard for them. That math is damn near impossible for them to do.

And when they're talking about that in reference to me, I always think, first of all, to give me credit personally for making all women hate men is crazy, considering we're in 2024. They've done more than enough things, including climate change. That's also men's fault. kind of is yeah everything i made this joke in a video recently where i'm like everything awful you can

think of in the world can be traced back to a man whether it's traffic capitalism war or climate change all of that the genesis is a man yeah so i always think you don't need my help to get people to hate you like the PR you're doing on your own yeah it's killing it keep it up girl the only thing i'm trying to get people to hate papayas i hate those i love papayas do you too much too seeds. Hate them. I love the pie. That makes me really sad.

That was my bit, Rayne. Oh, you did the papaya. Yeah, that was mine. Well done. I got your ass. You did a good job. I fucking got you. I still don't get the point of it, but whatever.

It's good. Does your 19 year old know this joke? Does he know? He probably does. Is that a meme thing? Give him one of those. Give him one of those. Next time he's...

And what does that mean? That's like a train thing. going down, like stop you, like, got you? It's kind of like a boy. It's just a roast. It's a roast. It's a roast. Think of it that way. It's like, boom, you're roasted?

Yeah, yeah, exactly. So if he's wearing shoes, like just any shoes. What if he wasn't wearing shoes? He shows up, you just go, Yeah. Got him. And then after he looks at you, and he looks up at you, you go, got him. That's for you.

You're welcome. Yeah, thank you so much. Rain, that's why, Rayne, that's why they pay me the big bucks around here. They don't pay me at all. I'm just here on my own free will Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's great And I won't be paying you I hope that was made clear

The only reason I came is because I was told Yeah, you know what, we'll talk after Okay You can pay me in papaya Okay, I'll give you all mine, yeah Callback Yeah, I'll call back, that's what she said Nice

Well, to wrap things up I would love to know What would you say is your best of advice for someone who maybe is trying to, whether it's inspire or like move people to want to learn more about climate change or do what they can or like kind of get them to at least care or pay attention to it, what would you say is your best piece of advice for them? I think climate is a tough one because again, like what can we do as individuals? It's so small. It feels so minor and so puny. It's such a giant topic. It's a topic of like 200 countries and 7 billion people. That's who should be having this conversation. So collectively we can do a lot. So find a community, find a group, find people that you kind of can collaborate with and work together,

build community around the ideas around climate and climate activism, and just get educated, get super educated. There's this guy, Paul Hawken, he has two books. Oh, love. One is called Regenerate. One's called. I forgot the name of them. but he says two books and they simplify everything and they break it all down.

Highly recommend those books as a starting place. Love. Amazing. Well, thank you so much for coming on the show. Thanks, Drew. I'm a huge fan. Thanks for having me. We had a grand old time, I'd say.

Will you come on the Soul Boom podcast? Absolutely. Who knows? Maybe tomorrow. Guess we'll see. I don't even know when they're going to see this episode. I guess we'll see. I will be going on that podcast tomorrow, though.

Thank you. Thank you so much for coming. Thanks for having me. I'm sure everybody knows, but where can everybody find you on socials if you have? Van Nuys. You're just doxing yourself? 1421 West Witsitt Avenue. No, that's, I don't live there.

They can find me, you know, on social media. Soul Boom. Follow at Soul Boom on Instagram, TikTok, and the YouTube. Yes, an incredible podcast, which I will. be on. Yes. Yay. So consider following that in order team. All right, consider that an order. I'm doling them out. Thank you, Drew. See, my, the, the country I run in here, it's a dictatorship. Yeah, that's, that's very clear. I rule with an iron fist. Yeah. I'm real medieval in the way I rule my country. You know what I mean? Got a town square. Okay. A town crier. I got gallows,

the whole bit. Wow. Yeah. Got a whole bunch. Wow. That's serious. That's what I got going on. All right. You're doing a great job. I'm happy to be here in your town square. Thanks, right. Thank you so much for joining us on this episode. Thank you so much to my amazing guest, Rain Wilson, and I'll see you next week. Bye.