The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Neal Brennan - “Neal Brennan: Blocks”

Episode Date: December 12, 2022

Writer and comedian Neal Brennan and Trevor Noah discuss the origins of their friendship, how his Netflix special “Blocks” addresses the ways in which he doesn’t fit in, his “sunnier” outlook, and advice for coping with anxiety and depression.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. A lot of people don't know how many of the stories in this building started outside of the building. You know, we worked together on this show, but I've known you, how long have I known you now? I think it's 13 years. Yeah. We met. We met.

We met. We met. We met. We met at the comedy store in LA and I remember watching you and I was like you are a very funny person and I'd seen your Twitter at the time that's when people were still telling jokes on Twitter. Yeah and I was like man I was like you you're Neil Perrin and I was like you're really funny and we spoke a little and you were just like you the to the to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the to the the the the to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the You just, you know? But you weren't mean, you were just confused. And then we chatted for a little bit. And then I said, oh, I'll follow you. And then I followed you on Twitter. And then I remember

the next time we spoke, you sent me a message because you said, hey, who the hell are you? Because I have a whole bunch of exclamation marks and their, I, I Because I remember because one of my friends followed you, Polisa and you're like, that doesn't, that's not possible. Yeah, I can't even say that. And that's actually how we became friends. Yes. I brought Africans into your life. Yeah, thank you. I never met one before you.

All right. So no, the story I like to tell them is, so, so, so, th, th, th, th, the, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th thi, th thi, th thi, thi, thi, tho, tho, tho, tho, the story, tho, thi, thi, I, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, the story I like to tell is, so 10 years ago, we worked in Denver, you were at the improv. No, I wasn't. Where were you? I was at, it was called like a funny bone or it was a. So not even an improv. I've never played the, I'd never played any of the premium clubs.

We were there for the weekend. We were both getting 300 bucks a show. Yes. And I, and you were like, I'm pretty big in South Africa and Europe and I was like, get out of here. Like, literally get out of here. And he got out of here. He literally left. And then, and then, because I told, I told. But you're not doing a service though. You're not doing, Neil makes it sound like he's like grumpier than he is. What happened was, we didn't know we were both in town. And then the the th. And th. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Nea. Neat. Neat. Neat. Neat. Neat. Neat. Neat. Neat. Neat. Neat. Neat. Neat. Neal. Neal. Neal. Neal. Neal. Neat. Neat. Neat. Neat. Neat. Neat. Neat. Neat. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. Ne. N. N. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. both in town. Yes. And then I saw a post and I was like, Neil's here, you know, I was like, oh, let's meet. And then we met. One of your South African friends, like, you know,

I was in Denver, yeah. And so then we were like, let's meet. And we're gonna grab some food. And we're both getting $300, and you still have to pay your own airfare, and it basically equals nothing when you get back home, right? And then you said to me, I don't get why you're doing this because you're huge back home. And I thought, yeah, but I love this. And you're like, you're delusional. And then you said, what, America doesn't tolerate people with accents on TV,

so you should leave. And at that time I was correct. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Okay, in my defense, once Oliver started doing good, I literally called you and said, I will never forget that call. I'll never forget that call. Oh, man. I'll never forget that call and now the thing people don't the thing that people don't know is three months I called you

and was like all right that's enough that's not truth you've been here from the beginning you know what I've loved about your journey because it's not about me it's also about you is you know a lot of people know Neil as one of one of the, funniest people you ever work with in the comedy industry, has worked with the greatest comedians you can imagine. You know a great comedian, he's worked with them in some way, shape or form. He is slowly turning into, in my opinion, one of the most unique and funny and original comedians that are out there. And like I I've watched your journey. Your new special on Netflix is phenomenal

because you're not just doing comedy, but you're creating different types of shows. You're enjoying it, you're playing with it. And your new special blocks. I've told you this person, but it's amazing. It's funny. People have commented on how heartbreaking and funny. thrown how it's, toe, how theiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, thi, thi, thi, you, thi, you's thi, thi, you thi, you thi, thi, you're what it means to be a liberal, how you try and identify yourself, how we as people don't communicate anymore,

what it means to grow up in a household where parents didn't know how to love you, what abuse was, it feels like it's such a vulnerable. It sounds hilarious. That's my point, but that's my point. But that's my point, like who would think, yeah, that's the show that I'm going to make, and it will be hilarious. Yeah, it worked out pretty well. The, the, the, I'm the final guest on the Daily Show, so that's pretty cool.

No, it worked out. I, I had the idea for the show and it is about the ways I don't feel like I fit in. Even like recycling, I don't know how to do correctly. Like whenever I throw something away and it's in one of those garbage cans, got like a garbage hole, a recycling hole and a compost hall, I do my best, but afterward I'm like, I don't think I did that right. Like that happens kind of across the board in my life. I'm not married. I don't have meat. I'm kind thaaaaa tha tha tha tha the tha tha the tha thi I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind kind I'm kind I'm kind kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind thioliolioliolomea'a'er. I'm I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm kind I'm an thii I'm an out out out out out out out out out out out out out thi. I'm an out thi. I'm kind of an out thi. I'm kind of an out out out thi. I'm kind of an out out out out thi. thi. I'm kind of an out thi. I'm kind of an out thi. I'm not married, I don't have kids, like I don't eat meat, I don't drink them.

I just, I'm kind of an outlier in a lot of ways. But I figured out, but I am very funny. You're today, but yeah, but I figured I would synthesize it into a show. Your new, can I talk about your new Netflix special? Oh, well yes you can. Now I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I th. I th. th. I th. I th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I th. I, I, I th. I th. I, I, I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I than. I ta. I ta. I took, I took, I took, took, took, I took, I took, I'm took, I'm th. I th. you're here. Yeah, no, I told you I thought it's one of the probably your my favorite special viewers. Yeah, which you never say. Yeah, I'm a no, no, and I mean this in a good way.

You're not one of those people who just says words like favorite best, I like. Amazing. No, you don't. No, you very much. It was hard for both of us because, and not just us, many comedians, many touring artists, many, like everyone from people who were running, you know, building the stages, everyone was struggling because of COVID. Yeah, people couldn't go to offices, etc. But touring was decimated.

Everyone we worked was going to be the us gone. Building a show was really hard. I wonder if you went through the same thing because I was panicking about whether or not I'd be able to make the show what it was and then you were also building a show when everyone was wearing masks. No one could even sit together. Was that hard? Was that hard? Well, I didn't know. Well I didn't know how much to talk about it. Do you know what I mean? Because I couldn't. Because I couldn't. Because I couldn't. Because I couldn't. Yeah. Because I couldn't. Because I couldn't. Yeah. Because I couldn't. Yeah. Yeah. Because I couldn't. Because I couldn't the the the the the th. Because I couldn't th. Because I couldn't th. the to to to to to to to to to the the the to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the show. the show. the show. the show. the show. the show. the show. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. I was. the. I was. the. the I would do over don't say anything, but what is your joke? Yeah, but go ahead. Yeah, so I had a couple like fast jokes up front and and and then I would just get into the show Because I think people want you to acknowledge it, but they don't want to harp on it to bumps them out I'd love to know from the first time you and I hung out on the show and spoke about the thua. th. th. th. the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thin I thi. thin I thi. thi. thi. thi. thi their their thi. thin' thin' thin' thin' their their their their their to to to to to their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their th. th. th. th thin. thin. th to to to to the. to the. to to the. to to to to the. to to to the. to to the. to the thr-I to to thr-I the. hung out on the show and spoke about depression, we spoke about you know anxiety, we spoke, you know, the stuff comedians talk about. I'd love to know if you feel like you've healed a lot more, if you've grown a lot more and for people who've been on a similar journey to you, what's some of your best advice for

them to be? I've done a tonnea today. I did a to'aminen, than, than, than, than, than, than, than, than, thineine, thine, tho, tho, thinininininininin. I tho, tho, tho, thi. I'm thi. I've thi. I've thi, thi, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, I tho, their tho, their their thi. I'm the stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff, th. I'm thininininininin. I'm thin. I'm thinin. I'm thin. I'm thin, I'ma-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-toe, I'ma''eeeeeeean, than, than, thin, theeeeean, theeeeeeeanan, the. I'ma, tha, than've talked, I did a thing called TMS, trans-crano-magnetic stimulation for depression that was really helpful. I did ketamine, did you, you, the ketamine therapy? Ketamine therapy? I didn't just do it at a club. That's what it sounds like you did. I did caremine, I got drunk, I got lit, I got turned. Yeah, I got drunk, I got drunk. It got drunk. I got drunk. I got drunk. I got drunk. I got drunk. I got drunk. I got drunk. I got drunk. I got drunk. It got drunk. It got drunk. It got drunk. It got drunk. It got drunk. It got drunk. It got, I got, I got, I got, I got, I got, I got, I got, I got, I got, I got, I did. I did. I did. I did. I did. I did. I did. I did. I did. I did. I did. I did. I did. I did, I did. I did. I did. I did, I did. I did, I did. I did. I did. I did, I did. I did. I did, I did, I did. I did. I did. I did, I did, I did. I did. I did. I did. I did, I did, I did, I did. I did, I did, I did. I did, I did, I did, I did. I did, I did. I did. I did. I did. I did. I did. I did ketamine. I did ketamine. I did ketamine. I did ketamine. I did ketamine. I did ketamine. I did ketamine. I did ketamine. I did ketamine. I did. I did. I did. I did. ketamine, TMS, Iowaska, I just, I'll do, not like I'll do anything, but Kyle, like, I'll do anything. And, but I feel like you've done stuff also. This is another way in which we connect. I think therapy's amazing. I think you should always be working on yourself.

But like, you've always been the person who's gone, I'm a tortured soul and there's no hope. You say that in your comedy, right? And I feel like over the years I've seen a glimmer of hope that guys. I'm a little, I'm a little sunnier than I used to be. I know. I know. I know. It's pretty cute. It is. Got a burgundy suit. Come on. What do you want? So to to to to to to to to to be. to be. to be. to be. to be. to be. to be. to be. to be. the the the to be. the the the the sun. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. the thi. tho. thoen. thoen. thoen. I'm the the the their. I'm their. I'm their. I'm a their. I'm. I'm. I'm. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. Ia. Ia. Ia. Ia. Ia. Ia. Ia. I'm the. I'm to. to. to. tooooooooo. to. to. to. the. the. I'ma. I'm the? So, so to that, not to be too mushy, but to that, Neil Brennan, who's sitting out there right now and goes, I'm anxious, I'm depressed, I don't think anybody in the world loves me, I don't think there's any future for me.

Like, what do you say to them? Just keep saving your money, and, um, Invest in a Roth IRA. Just keep trying. That's the thing is, because it is, the thing with depression and anxiety and all these mental health things, they don't really know what does what. So you have to keep trying and not get too discouraged about if one thing doesn't work, then you're broken or screwed or whatever. Like, you know, you just try another thing.

It's like stand-up, where you just do a joke and it's like, oh, you don't like that? All right, we'll try another one. Yeah, and just go on and on and on. Do I worry for you? Yeah, I have some worries. I worry what's going to happen when you wake to the to the to to to to to to to to to to the to to to the to to the the to to to the to the the to the to the the to the the the to to the to thoomorrow, thoomorrow, the thi, thi, tho, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tha. tha. tha. tha. I'm, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try try try an try and try and try and try an try an try an try an try an try an try an try an try an try an try, try an tomorrow at one in the afternoon. Do you realize that you're not going to be the host of the Daily Show anymore? Yeah, you're just going to be a best-selling author who does comedy and sold-out arenas around the world. So buddy it is my great honor on behalf of everyone here and at home to give you your flowers.

Oh, thank you to you. Thank you. Thank you so much for theat. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Also, as someone quitting a job in America, you're about to lose your health insurance, you should probably sign up for Cobra. I brought all the necessary forms.

Love you, buddy. Trevor Noah, everybody. He'll burn me, everybody. Thank you, so much. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Ears Edition. Subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and stream full episodes any time on Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast.