The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi - #202 Naughty Colonist Syndrome with Brittany Carney

Episode Date: April 23, 2024

Comedian Brittany Carney shares the downsides of growing up in Japan, love hotels and why they’re necessary, the shocking progressivism of Japanese children’s cartoons, how robbing a CVS is the mo...st American thing you can do, and Russell confesses why everyone in his middle school choir should be canceled.  You can watch full video of this episode HERE! Join the Patreon for ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and MORE. Follow Brittany on Instagram, Facebook, & YouTube See Brittany in a city near you: https://brittanycarney.komi.io/ Watch Brittany's new special, That Is My Horse: https://youtu.be/vBkpX4TIi3w?si=AtqjZ2zosRZnAglm Follow The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi on Instagram Get tickets to our live podcast recording in NYC on May 13 https://www.showclix.com/event/the-downside-w-gianmarco-soresi OR come to our live podcast recording in LA at Netflix is a Joke Fest on May 3! https://thecomedystore.com/the-downside-with-gianmarco-soresi/ Follow Gianmarco Soresi on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, & YouTube Subscribe to Gianmarco Soresi's email & texting lists Check out Gianmarco Soresi's bi-monthly show in NYC Get tickets to see Gianmarco Soresi in a city near you Watch Gianmarco Soresi's special "Shelf Life" on Amazon Follow Russell Daniels on Twitter & Instagram E-mail the show at TheDownsideWGS@gmail.com Produced by Paige Asachika & Gianmarco Soresi Video edited by Dave Columbo Technical production by Chris Mueller Special Thanks Tovah Silbermann Original music by Douglas Goodhart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 This episode is brought to you by A Real Pain. From Searchlight Pictures comes one of the buzziest films at Sundance Film Festival, A Real Pain. Written, directed, and starring Oscar nominee Jesse Eisenberg alongside Emmy Award winner Kieran Culkin. Witness a hilarious and moving story about two mismatched cousins as they tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the pair's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. See A Real Pain only in theaters November 15th. We are good? We're not too loud? Yeah, oh, that's perfect. Yeah, all right, Chris, you good? All right. Okay. Welcome to The Downside. My name is Jamarcus Oresi. I am here with my co-host, Russell Daniel. Hi.
Starting point is 00:00:45 Just looking over my notes. I'm looking at your notes trying to guess. Yeah. Yeah. It says penis. Don't give anything away. Okay. Okay.
Starting point is 00:00:55 I know the thing I wanted to tell you the night of, my guests, we were both at the Todd Berry birthday party. Oh, right. Am I allowed to speak? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. You're in this. You're here. Yes right. Am I allowed to speak? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. You're in this.
Starting point is 00:01:06 You're here. Yes. Well, I'll just do it now. Brittany Carney's here. It never works. I have this fantasy of like, there's your talk, and here's how I want the listener to go, ooh, what's that third voice? Who's that person?
Starting point is 00:01:18 Do I recognize that voice? Oh, my God. A little intrigue. I think I've heard that voice on Comedy Central. I think I was, well, sure. I understand that fantasy. And I feel like I, you know, I wasn't sure what your guys' system was. And then I was happy to, what do you call that?
Starting point is 00:01:35 Like nod. Like nod presently. Sure. And then like come in where it felt appropriate. But then. I know, but that's what awkward. Because it's like we sometimes we've tried it and the guest
Starting point is 00:01:48 never comes in, never comes in for the whole episode. Then they leave at the end. Wow, what a great episode we just had. And then remember in the beginning I had the concept of like the guest would just sit there until we got to it. Yeah. And then like sometimes we'd go too long and they would sit
Starting point is 00:02:03 and it was awkward and uncomfortable. So, but yes, you're part of this. Thank you. We were both at this party and what I want to say to- Oh, the party, right.
Starting point is 00:02:13 And the podcast, for now. Yes. Yes. And a star-studded event, Todd Berry birthday party. And- I didn't get an invite,
Starting point is 00:02:24 you know? Yeah. We had him on that podcast once. We did. He doesn't have your new email. That's so true. Yeah. So I'm there and I,
Starting point is 00:02:33 I don't think I'm speaking out of turn cause it's so brief, but Jim Gaffigan, who I've talked to once in my life, love to have him on the pod. We've tried. He's busy forever. Yeah. It's a calendars book for the rest of my life
Starting point is 00:02:45 and uh he he we saw each other made eye contact we've talked once at gotham we had a nice conversation we were talking about um gad you know the french comedian gad no he's he's like he's like the seinfeld of france and then he came oh yeah now is actively performing now in the u.s or he was he was like doing this whole he had netflix show about he did a whole thing like and He came here. Oh, yeah. Now is actively performing now in the U.S.? He was. He was doing this whole Netflix show. Yeah, he did a whole thing. And then he just was like, never mind, don't like it. Moved back to France, where he's extremely famous.
Starting point is 00:03:14 Okay. And there was a lot of videos. I guess he stole a tremendous amount of full chunks, not just little lines, but because this is in a different language, I think this happens more often. Oh, where it would be like a whole Jerry Seinfeld bit, but instead of,
Starting point is 00:03:32 why do you get in the train, but on the bus, it'd be like, okay, I was going to try all of our French fans. Yes. And, uh,
Starting point is 00:03:42 so we had a conversation and Jim was like, really still. And I was like, you said from who? And I was like, from, from, from you honestly. And he was like, really, he stole it? And I was like, you said from who? And I was like, from you, honestly And he was like, oh, I didn't know And he was like, hot bucket And
Starting point is 00:03:53 So that's all, and this was like three years ago And so I see Jim Gaffigan And we He's like headed out And he just grabs me by the shoulders and goes The anti-Zionist. And then leaves the party. And I was like, what?
Starting point is 00:04:11 Oh, my God. And I just wanted, I called you immediately. Wait, that is so funny. And it wasn't angry, per se. It wasn't, it was just like, there he is, the anti-Zionist. And you had not spoken since, or you interacted since the French conversation. Sure. I sent him, every day I sent him a text that said, from the river to the sea.
Starting point is 00:04:37 But this is The Downside. One, two, three. Downside. You're listening to The Downside The Downside With Gianmarco Cerezi That's what's so crazy, that's so funny Because I don't feel like you're like that Do you know what I mean?
Starting point is 00:04:56 That's how I feel like the barometer is kind of crazy He's on Twitter, I think the bottom line is If you're on my Instagram You're like, wow you're on my Instagram, you're like, wow, he has no political opinions. If you're on my Twitter, you're like,
Starting point is 00:05:11 he's a radical. And if you're on my threads, yeah. Yeah. That's, I just, there's a certain degree where whenever something's authentic, it feels weird to do it across platforms.
Starting point is 00:05:24 Do you know what I mean? Because it feels like... Oh, like it's a brand. Yeah. It's like, let me just say it in... Let me just say it... Yeah, otherwise it feels like you're promoting it. I understand.
Starting point is 00:05:35 It's like if you wrote like a loving anniversary post and then you do it on Instagram with all the pictures and then you recreate it on Twitter and then you recreate it on threads and then you recreate it on Facebook. Yeah, that and then you recreate it on Twitter and then you recreate it on threads and then you recreate it on Facebook. Yeah, that feels bizarre. Then who is it for? I see. So that's also me just being a coward and I don't want to get
Starting point is 00:05:51 hate mail every day on Instagram. Lose followers, etc. No, I don't care about losing followers. Never. Well, we're here with... What were you about to say? Well, I have a question please
Starting point is 00:06:07 but it's not related to that that's fine it's more like material so well you had asked me if I wanted a drink
Starting point is 00:06:16 and I said water would be great oh my god did I not get you a water well no no you did no no John Marco first you got a water bottle
Starting point is 00:06:23 or it could be yours my question is this. Whenever you just rolled under the couch, so for maybe like three minutes I was eyeing this water bottle and I was like, oh, is that mine? And then John Marco talking about Gaffigan rolled it under the couch
Starting point is 00:06:39 and I was like, I don't know what my in is here or whether this was yours all along. No, that's yours. I got it for you. Oh, or whether this was yours all along. No, that's yours. I got it for you. Oh, thank you. I'm so sorry. No, it's okay. I'm not offended.
Starting point is 00:06:50 I'm really curious and I wanted to clarify that before we moved forward. No, I think that's an ADD thing. Oh, sure. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because I like fixated. No, no, no, me. I wasn't saying to you. I think that's a mental illness that you wanted water after asking for it.
Starting point is 00:07:10 I meant that I think I had the thought to get the water. Oh, sure. And then I thought, oh, here's what I'm going to talk about. And I forgot about it completely. Oh, trust me. I understand. And I know that life. And I thought you meant that it was an idiot thing and that I I like was hyper focusing on the water bottle and I couldn't like.
Starting point is 00:07:29 You had every right to focus on the water bottle. I'm humiliated. I'm embarrassed that Russell didn't say anything. He just sat here. I got two water bottles next to me. I have all the waters. To your credit, it's like not in your eye line. It's like nothing you were thinking about.
Starting point is 00:07:44 Right. No. To Russell's credit, he never gets to guest anything ever. Yeah, that's so true. What a critic. Yeah. To my credit, I'm not even in the title of this show. I love any time there's a thought.
Starting point is 00:07:59 It's the downside with John Marcos Rezzi. Who the fuck is that guy who's in every episode, too? And on all the posters. Yeah. No, I know. All the posters and the sticker. I know, and it's because we had one conversation years ago,
Starting point is 00:08:10 and I said, no, leave my name out of it. But that's fine. You're the backbone. That's true. No, are you? And I get that a lot from a lot of guests.
Starting point is 00:08:18 They say that. Wait a minute. Is Jim Gaffigan Zionist? Or is he just like I don't know Being a little cheeky I think he's a little cheeky I don't know what his I don't know what his
Starting point is 00:08:33 Bottom line views are But I think I think anyone Most people of that age They're not gonna be quite as Right I understand They're gonna take some radicalization. So again, listen, I think anyone who was really upset with me
Starting point is 00:08:48 would not have come up and said The anti-Zionist! That's the anti-Zionist! You didn't find out either if he because you had mentioned he sent you a message at one point. He sent me a message? Asking if you liked to drink. He said, do you like alcohol?
Starting point is 00:09:05 You thought he was hacked. You thought he was hacked. I thought he was hacked. And then I thought, oh, maybe he has a new brand of something. And he's going to send, like, I thought he was going to send me something. Because then he said, what's a good address? Like a Gaffigan, what's, Gaffigan is an Irish name? Yeah, I guess so. Gaffigan whiskey.
Starting point is 00:09:21 You gave him your address, though. For my new, I have, I started a, not a P.O. box, but something like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I would give him my real address though. I would trust him.
Starting point is 00:09:31 What's not a P.O. box? Like a, P.O. box, there's like certain things that don't, it's at a UPS. Oh, I see. So it's safer like from,
Starting point is 00:09:40 you know, you can send it. So it's like a different channel. Yeah. It's, instead of like where you would put apt it's pmb interesting what does pmb stand for um that's that's producer chris helping us with with trivia hear those thumbs and after that what's the efficacy of the vaccine for COVID. I know that one. Do you have ADD?
Starting point is 00:10:10 Oh, yeah. Diagnosed? Yeah, since I was little. Really? Yeah, like really bad. What age did they decide to test you? Well, like four, like three or four. Wow.
Starting point is 00:10:25 I was at the time, I was at, I'm laughing because basically I was in a Japanese preschool and my mom was, obviously I don't remember this, my mom was telling me that like, the teacher was telling them that I was having trouble following directions and then my mom thought they were just being racist. But actually, and then I, then they put me, ultimately it put me into like an English language kindergarten and then I was getting the same feedback. Wait, so you you said no this was like preschool pre-k yeah so then they put you into kindergarten my dad this is like separate but basically ultimately when i was like five they put me in a english language kindergarten in japan okay but that was more like my dad wanted me to speak english well so you know or like didn't want me to get
Starting point is 00:11:05 bullied blah blah blah so for different reasons they like put me my parents then moved me from japanese preschool into english language kindergarten but i was getting the same feedback about like paying attention and direction i see yeah so i was little yeah so and you you were born in japan yeah so So were you, like, did you learn Japanese? Did you truly learn both languages at the same time? No, I learned Japanese first. And then I learned, well, my dad, I had a nanny from the Philippines who spoke to me in English. And my dad spoke to me in English.
Starting point is 00:11:40 And apparently I, like, responded to them, but not in English. And then in English. And then, um, and, and then in, uh, I was four. My mom says that I started to switch. Really?
Starting point is 00:11:55 Yeah. But I, cause I was around or when they put me into that new, when I put the, when they put me into the new, uh, kindergarten that I started to want to like be like the other kids sure yeah and kids are weird like that they're like malleable yeah so i mean it that's it's it's
Starting point is 00:12:12 as someone who's never been able to learn a second language not that i've given it a real try since you know high school i'm so angry that uh my parents didn't take advantage of my brain being more the sponch that it was. I'm like, why wouldn't you teach someone two languages at that age? I'm teaching that kid Russian, even if
Starting point is 00:12:38 it has nothing to do with anything Mandarin. I mean, I don't know. I think it's like, yeah, that's like when you plug it, you upload into their brains. Do you ever have any other language? What language did you take in school? I took Spanish for like, you know, the middle school, high school. But not.
Starting point is 00:12:55 You can't do any of it. Yeah. The main words I can recognize, but not like if someone were to talk for like 30 seconds, I would, unless it's simple phrases, I'm not going to get it. You know, that's like, we're right.
Starting point is 00:13:08 I mean, did your parents speak other languages? No, lame. I think it's like, I don't know. It's just, it doesn't occur to people like naturally.
Starting point is 00:13:16 Yeah. And I think it only, it was a part of my life because of my, the specific context. Did your parents, when you, do you remember at all? Like,
Starting point is 00:13:24 did they, do they primarily speak Japanese to each other, to each other did they alternate english because my dad speaks japanese but like he learned as an adult so it's pretty um you know like it's less natural to him are you better at it than he is yes that's crazy that's gonna be so crazy to watch your kid so funny come better than you. Because they did it when they were four. Right. And they were like, I learned this better at four than you did.
Starting point is 00:13:52 There's no other skill that you learn at four that you become better. Yeah. Like you're not like a, you don't like, I don't know, play baseball and your four-year-old is better than you? Yeah. And then, so they speak English to each other. And that, I mean And that must be tricky. So you were taking that class, and your mom... Is your mom Japanese? Yeah, my mom is.
Starting point is 00:14:13 She's half. I just grew up there. Half Japanese, half... Black. Okay. Yeah. And so she thought that they were being racist. Yeah, because that is something there in japan people are really
Starting point is 00:14:26 close to america where there's no not a problem yeah yeah we've solved that 50 years ago so um yeah like you know they like apparently i had one really nice and like supportive preschool teacher then there was another one who was less patient with me and like was complaining about me or just giving reports about how i was in the wrong direction. So then my mom was like, oh, she's just being, she's discriminating. But actually, yeah. Were there any other kids when you were in school in Japan that were black at all? Not to my memory.
Starting point is 00:14:58 I mean, definitely, I mean, not when I was, actually, no, no, no. When I was in English language school, yeah, there were a few. But yes. So like when I was little, little, I no, no. When I was in English language school, yeah, there were a few, but yes. So like when I was little, little, I don't even remember, but definitely not. Like the pictures of that are just like me and a million Japanese kids. Sure, yeah, yeah. And then when I was a little older and I was in the kindergarten that was English language, I remember this kid.
Starting point is 00:15:27 I don't like – I don't really like – he went by T-Rex, and and he was a his family i don't know why they're japanese name yeah and he um was this like little black kid and i remember that and you know my mom took me to his like they were like uh hey if you want your to have your daughter's hair braided we know this lady because there's like a network of black people even in the late early 90s right so that that we're like doing that kind of thing like maintenance so uh my mom said that i cried had cried and cried for hours because i just wasn't used to it so anyway i remember that that's like my memory about this one kid but i feel like then when I was older at grade school, I don't remember that many black kids. There are many mixed Japanese kids, but, um, no, I don't think I had any at my, in my grade,
Starting point is 00:16:16 at least when I was older, like first through third grade, I don't think I was friends with any black kids that were at my school. They went to other, like there was like another, there was like the American school in Japan where there were more black kids. I don't know if this question has any real answer, but how, is there any difference between the way racism is expressed in Japan versus America? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:16:41 Yeah? Yeah, yeah. Tell me, Russell. Russell first. Oh, no, I was saying that's a good question. Yeah, that's an interesting question. Take a guess. What do you think, just based on what you know about Japanese?
Starting point is 00:16:52 I don't know. I don't know. I'm going to take a stab at this. Five minutes. We'll set a timer. You keep talking for five minutes, and then if you guess, it will extend into ten minutes. I have a lot of feelings about it. This. One is like, okay. And we'll extend it to 10 minutes. I have a lot of feelings about it. It's this.
Starting point is 00:17:06 One is like, okay, obviously in the United States, we have anti-discrimination laws because of, because we had to like out of necessity, that system or like that didn't exist, that does not exist in Japan because it's relatively mono, what's the word I'm thinking of? Like everybody essentially is similar ethnically, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:17:33 Mono, I don't know. You know what I'm talking about? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like people, like obviously Japan has diversity in terms of like the indigenous communities and stuff. But essentially Japan is a small island, island nation where a lot of people are very similar ethnically. And,
Starting point is 00:17:51 um, therefore Japan went through, obviously some things in the 20th century, but not like a big social upheaval over race. Like obviously the U S and like our specific relationship to black white relations shaped our laws like you so in america obviously you can't be like you can't come into this bar in japan they bar foreigners from bars and stuff like that typically these days it's like if it's like a bar you know late night It may be like a strip club Or like a
Starting point is 00:18:25 A small Kind of mom and pop shop And they frame it like Oh we don't We don't have an English menu You know Oh they find like Kind of like
Starting point is 00:18:34 Excuse passive Yeah But that is Like that's I don't know If I'm wrong Forgive me But I think that's
Starting point is 00:18:41 Not illegal basically Sure So if I'm getting it right Like because America Was more multiracial, frankly, we had more systemic racist policies that then had to be corrected or adjusted or new laws made. But in Japan, there was never a need for either side of that. So it just is kind of like just as you go. Like, and then I, yeah i yeah exactly so that i have two thoughts about that one is like i remember um i have a memory of this i was like 10-ish so i was
Starting point is 00:19:14 with my dad and my filipino babysitter and we tried to order these like chicken grilled chicken sticks from a truck and the woman said no and then served it to somebody else so i have a memory of that and that was like pretty explicit like maybe just i don't think she even said anything just kind of like waved us off or whatever but when people are they'll say like no or like um and that's not like that's pretty frowned upon obviously but it just happens and it definitely happened in the 90s yeah but um and now i think it's like the stories i hear about that are more like let's say like a bunch of like drunk british guys go try to go into a bar really late and the owner just doesn't want to deal with it so they're like you know no english no english yeah but um so like have you guys heard of love hotels no oh yeah i think that's like you know where you put in a quarter and the bed shakes oh yeah yeah okay yeah yeah those you've you've like it's like if you're lucky fuck motel
Starting point is 00:20:11 yeah yeah really common in japan oh they are okay yeah i mean used to see them in like 90s movies yeah like when they were like it's a joke going to like a cheap motel yeah and i've always wanted to see one in real life you never brought your wife? I don't know. I mean, I'm sure they exist. They don't seem like they're that often around here. I don't know.
Starting point is 00:20:30 Is it? I don't know if it's such an American thing. Have you been to one? I, it's in my dreams. Yeah. No,
Starting point is 00:20:36 but you have the heart-shaped hot tub. Right, that whole, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like in the bed,
Starting point is 00:20:40 you know, shakes. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you got the impression that the shaking was one of those,
Starting point is 00:20:50 it doesn't really do much. Yeah. it's cool for two seconds yeah and then you're like okay this is yeah it's not like it's just it sounds dizzying honestly but that is yeah you're like exactly that whole thing where you put it well it's like in japan the whole idea is that people uh maybe they live in apartments within walls or they live in a multi-generational home so oh is that part of it that oh wow like hook up with a co-worker or whomever or whatever or you like meet somebody out it's way more common in cities in japan than here to my knowledge just a love hotel they're everywhere but my god if you had to go to a hotel every time you made love oh my god well they must be not that expensive, right? No, yeah, right, and you can get it for a few hours. My point is that I know that they're, like, Japan's pretty secular, and I would say in
Starting point is 00:21:32 terms of countries, and East Asia is pretty good about LGBT stuff, but the certain ones don't let in two men or two women, you know? Oh. They're just like, no. But like that, sure, you might see that. You know what's funny about that is that here in America, I feel like the people who are anti-LGBTQ are usually Christian or some kind of religion.
Starting point is 00:21:54 Yes, yeah. So they would never own a fuck hotel to begin with. Right, exactly. Fuck generally here. If you operate any kind of sex place, I don't think there's many sex places in America, and I could be wrong, that are anti-LGBTQ. Because like sex and religion and religion and homophobia are also tied together.
Starting point is 00:22:12 Yeah. And I think Japan's relationship to homophobia and like patriarchy, whatever that means, in this context is different. I just love the idea of a bet like this and they're like, sorry, get that gay shit out of here. Get that. Come put that quarter in here. There's like a Hello Kitty curtain and, you know, a pirate ship. Like they're all, that's the funny thing is they're all pretty elaborately outfitted or some of them can be. Also, isn't there like machines with panties?
Starting point is 00:22:36 Yeah. That's a whole other conversation. But yeah, in Japan. Yeah. I think Japan is pretty like everything's evolving. japan is pretty like uh everything's evolving but like historically is a society that has to pay a lot of attention to social protocol or like societal protocol like and that to my earlier point is like it's not about faith it's about like like confusionism like the l we have to respect the elder or the man or whatever so there's an order to society and uh and that's
Starting point is 00:23:06 it's also like pretty collectivist it's like we all collectively follow the way that society has to be so then so like sexuality i think in japan is nuts because it kind of is the it's like an it's like the reason the comedy there is really slapstick and zany it's like people running around with like butts on their heads. You know what I mean? Like the game shows, it just embodies a part of, it represents a part of Japanese society and culture that's like, I think it's like a reaction
Starting point is 00:23:33 or something. Rebelling a little bit against the structure. So the panty stuff and the fact that there's so many kinds of sex surfaces and this is separate from love hotels which are just kind of like, oh, I have a crush on my coworker. We went out drinking and we went to this hotel, which is like pretty. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:23:50 Relatively like ho-hum. I think the sex services in Japan, like where you can buy panties or like or yeah, like people. OK, so they covered all this in kindergarten. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Right.
Starting point is 00:24:04 This was a Japanese language curriculum before. Okay, but can I ask, so, because you talk about honoring the elders. And I think, and again, I feel like in America, the whole panty vending machine or anything sexual, I know we were talking about race in Japan, and Russell said, panties machine. But, but. I feel like you just mentioned on a recent episode. That's why I was thinking of it.
Starting point is 00:24:30 No, no. I was thinking about it. I said, save it for after the racial conversation. On the last episode, you mentioned the vending machines in Japan. So let me just say up front, I'm going to Japan soon. You are? Yeah. I'm just going to do shows. Where? Just Tokyo. I'm going to be in australia yeah comedy bar and i i grew i i was really into uh manga and
Starting point is 00:24:52 anime and at a weird place where like even though it was the boom in america no one at my school was into it oh really so it was like a very like private like i watched like subtitled dragon ball gt uncensored and like and even that moment you you got to see uh the way sex was treated differently because i'd be watching what is it what is a kid's cartoon and um master rishi who i just got a wash up watch of uh i like you know balma would show boobs and blood would come flying out of his nose he'd go flying backwards and i was so, you know, I was a seventh grade,
Starting point is 00:25:27 eighth grade, and I had a piece of paper on my desk and like every time Goku said fuck, I would like make a notch because I just thought it was fascinating.
Starting point is 00:25:34 Every time I saw Bulma's titties and I just had this sheet for no one, like an American censor. They should have hired me to censor for the American version. But I was,
Starting point is 00:25:43 I was, it was so thrilling to basically see a different world that didn't have the exact same values and I could enjoy this thing. Interesting. Well, you'll have a feast. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:25:57 Animated titties everywhere. Do you know where in Tokyo you're staying generally? The neighborhood? No, not yet. I'll write you before. It's not until August. Oh, awesome. It's going to be hot. I've heard.
Starting point is 00:26:09 Sweaty. I've heard it gets hot. But there's air conditioning. But the honoring of the elders, is the sexual stuff just not considered dishonoring them? Because in America they go, your grandma, you're buying these panties in the vending machine. Your grandma would be ashamed of you. I think it does exist. I think it is.
Starting point is 00:26:30 I think being like a deviant, sexual deviant or whatever is or like partaking in services that are also pretty out in the open fairly like advertisements
Starting point is 00:26:46 for them at least um i think that is disrespecting your elders because but maybe it's like a different kind of disrespect it's less about like it's more about like decorum i don't know maybe that is also pretty western but like decorum and like privacy then or something. Isn't, I don't think it's just the stereotype, but porn is the blurred, the candles are blurred. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:27:13 You ever click on one of those and go like, no. I don't click on them. You don't click on them. Oh, I'm wasting my time. But that's like, you got fuck hotels, but you got the porn blurred. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:27:24 That's why it's, we got, yeah. There's like a weird, it's like uh you got fuck hotels but you got the porn yeah yeah that's why it's we got yeah uh there's like a weird it's like uh they these elements conflict like for example like japan yeah like so the blurring i feel like is because of a certain level uh i know you know people dress people obviously wear a lot of short skirts in toky and Japan, but in general, people dress a little bit more conservatively. Like you won't see someone wearing like, like a crop top or like their nipple showing through a t-shirt in the, like in the West or in America, in an American city, you might pretty like, you don't really think of it, right? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:27:56 People like in Japan, it's like, you don't have a bra strap showing cause that's indecent. But then, but then, and that's like probably what the blurring is about. Like some idea of like how to hold yourself and what is appropriate to be out in the open and what is not but then at the same time like i don't know i'm like uh yeah the most common well people often dry their clothes instead of put them in a dryer like on on their balconies. People are stealing panties like all the time. It's just, that is also like people laugh about it.
Starting point is 00:28:28 People are aware of it. Right. I don't know. Uh, cause that's like, I just remember that from, from the anime or there's a manga I was into called GTO. And it was just like the main character,
Starting point is 00:28:39 the whole thing is he's like a pervert. And in a way that, especially in a post me too world, it would just be shocking. The things i was his antics yeah right stealing panties and just be like please let me see a peek of your panties please or like or like the cameras under the skirts was like yeah you rascal right right you rascal in fact uh that is like okay there this one, maybe it was out, maybe the eighties or it's a, um, it's one that I've just discovered on YouTube since it's called Obochama-kun and it's like for kids, I think, but you're like swiper, no swiping, but it's the panties
Starting point is 00:29:15 off the street. Yeah. Right. Right. Right. And it's like this, there's an episode, it's like a little rich kid basically, kind of like a Dennis the Menace, but in this like really, really like cursed and inane like anime context but it's really fun and so the point is that uh this one kid the main character he like uh his he he loses his penis because he he's sick or something or
Starting point is 00:29:41 his penis he takes something and his penis gets really big. And so all these Chinese medicine doctors come and they feed him something and it gets smaller and smaller but then it disappears. So then the answer, and this is all like, just, it's like,
Starting point is 00:29:55 you know. Are you seeing it or is it just like in the pants coming? No, you're seeing it. His like nude little flesh child body. When he gets bigger, does it get like,
Starting point is 00:30:03 pink? Is it like adult, like it's veins? Oh, I think it's, no, does it get like pink is it like adult like it's veins oh I think it's no it's just like pinkish like big balls and then
Starting point is 00:30:10 then they retreat they look like they're receding into his body and then everyone's like oh and then and then it just disappears
Starting point is 00:30:18 so that you see nothing it's just flesh right like a Ken and then like the matrix when the mouth closes yeah like that exactly it And then, and then like the matrix on the mouth closes. Yeah. Like that.
Starting point is 00:30:26 So then, um, then the, the logical, like what happens in the episode is that everyone's like, okay, well from now on we must see him as a girl. So then his,
Starting point is 00:30:38 his father is like, well now you're my daughter. So for the rest of the episode, he's like essentially in drag. If you did that in America, there'd be riots in the streets. But what is, how does the kid feel about all this?
Starting point is 00:30:50 He's just, here's the thing. It's like not, it's like, he's like, okay, I'm a girl now. I'm a girl.
Starting point is 00:30:56 And he's like wearing makeup. That's, that's something different. That's like not very American. I don't really know what that is. And Shapiro would shoot himself on film. Yeah. I mean,
Starting point is 00:31:03 it would be, it would be, you would never hear it. We would never hear the end of it. Disney has two girls kiss and they write a documentary about it. That's what's crazy. It's such a weird mix of like, we're so weird and conservative in some ways. And then like, it's funny to have a society that's a little bit more conservative in some ways, but then like.
Starting point is 00:31:24 Right, right, right. Wild. Because like, exactly. to have a society that's a little bit more conservative in some ways but then like right right right wild exactly so in this episode what happens is that then boys that he was friends with start like developing like crush
Starting point is 00:31:31 like it's one kid it's like oh I have a crush on him still a little heteronormative yeah oh true true true but then like right now that he's
Starting point is 00:31:39 a girl anyway at the end if it wasn't one of the boys would be like oh I miss I miss that big fat cock you had two episodes ago.
Starting point is 00:31:47 No, I'm assuming this is all one episode, though. Yeah, it's one episode. And it's relatively contained. At the end, he gets his penis back. But it's like you see it all. And he's wearing a big skirt. And his panties come off because he's coming out of an airplane. You know, whatever.
Starting point is 00:32:00 Of course. This is a kid show for sure. I think. Or at least it's like 14. Or it's hentai. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But this stuff is just so out in the open. That's wild.
Starting point is 00:32:11 And in many ways, Japanese society is very conservative because it's like you have to – first of all, it's not very tactile. People don't really – it's not a really big hugging culture. Couples hold hands and stuff, right? I think per your point about the people in the Midwest, they'd be having their tits out or their stomach showing. It's kind of like, well, every society is fucked up around sex and creates like these incredible things that don't make sense together, but it just becomes custom. The same way that in America, you know, they're super sensitive about certain things. Right.
Starting point is 00:32:45 And then you go to a football game and you see cheerleaders landing with their crotches in their faces. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, well, that's crazy too. Yeah, it is crazy. It's all just a crazy...
Starting point is 00:32:55 I think it's like, that's an interesting point. Society's in different ways obsessed and trying to navigate like the body and how we feel about insects and I think that. And looking at it from afar,
Starting point is 00:33:06 you're like, you guys are insane. Right. You could look at America and go like, this is insane. Yeah. Wow. Wow.
Starting point is 00:33:15 I'm intrigued by this cartoon though. Yeah. That is, that is wild. I'm like, just want to know what other episodes are like. Cause like, that's just one episode.
Starting point is 00:33:24 They all have nuts. I just imagine that writer's room. They're nuts. That's just one episode. Nuts. They all have nuts in their eyes. I just imagine that writer's room. They're just like, what if this little boy. His butt is always out and you see his penis a lot. Wow. Because one of the animes I liked growing up was called, I think it was called Ranma One Half. Oh.
Starting point is 00:33:38 And it was like whenever he got water on him, he turned into a girl. And like a hot girl. Oh, yeah. he got water on him he turned into a girl and like a hot girl a hot girl and then we go water the other way around and not girl woman and man yeah
Starting point is 00:33:50 and you know the show was like filled with it's just so it's so crazy to look back and be like
Starting point is 00:33:57 well of course I never really questioned if anyone wanted to be trans I grew up just because of anime and manga
Starting point is 00:34:05 with like very progressive views about gender or just like yeah the matter the water magically changes it and the whole show was like when he became a woman everyone wanted to fuck her and then we became a man that he would fight and it was interesting anime and manga we're fluid well you're gonna have fun yeah How long are you there for? I feel like it's sadly only like five or six days And one day I'll do like a two week trip But I just felt I was in Australia And I've always wanted to go And you can die any day
Starting point is 00:34:37 And I was just like I'm going to do it Yeah Are you like Is that your layover in Japan? Or do you have to stop somewhere else on the way to Australia? No so I go to a couple dates in Australia. We'll link to all of these in the comments. And then I go to New Zealand for like two days.
Starting point is 00:34:50 Oh, awesome. And then I'm going to go to Japan. It's cool, but it is like this is what I did in Europe last year where I was in one day in each place. And I'm doing longer this time, like three. But it's hard on the body. Sure, it is. But by the time I get to Japan, I think my clock will have adjusted a little bit. And I'm just going to eat.
Starting point is 00:35:09 Yeah. And I'm just going to like, I'm just going to do things. Isn't there like a really cool like show with robots? Oh, yeah. It's a bit. Yeah. I don't know if, it's a bit touristy, but it could be really fun. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:35:22 It's in Harajuku, which is a really interesting area to walk around. I think you'll like it though yeah I think you might like it and you should go to a bookstore it's so far it's so different that the touristy stuff will still feel
Starting point is 00:35:31 cool yeah and I also like it's really fun to lean into that yeah and that area has a lot going on like you know
Starting point is 00:35:37 street interesting street fashion and interesting little places to explore was anime and manga any part of your childhood? um honestly just in that the ones that were on TV.
Starting point is 00:35:47 Like, I don't think that I had a particularly, like, expert. Like, I didn't, like, dive in any way. It was just what was available to kids in Japan in the 90s. So, like, you know, like, Doraemon or Doraemon, the, like, blue cat without ears. Okay, I've seen i i know that figure like sheen chun is this other little kid yeah like that it's just like stuff that was on tv um so when did you move yeah when we finally moved to the u.s in when i was in ninth grade oh wow
Starting point is 00:36:18 that's so jarring what was it how did you feel was bad. Were you sad? Like, when they told you, did you cry? I, like, cried. That's so, I mean. Yeah, sorry. Middle school and, like, you had friends and then to be, like, oh, we're moving to a different, like, so far away. I was not happy. Like, also because it was also at a time where a lot of people, obviously kids are becoming more independent. But because of the timing, and I'm pretty shy, even though I was like very, I had like a very, I was like loved by my friends at my school in Japan, which is English language,
Starting point is 00:36:52 like small international school in, you know, middle school, early high school, like early ninth grade. But then when we moved, I just felt really emotionally dependent on my parents because like I didn't have, I didn't feel like i felt so thrown out of my comfort zone sure and so i uh yeah i would like yeah i would like cry beg them to did you beg them to stay was it a work thing it was my mom's work thing i don't think i begged them to stay but i remember that we were supposed to leave the summer before ninth grade and then for my mom's work stuff we had to stay another half year so So then I got to like have an awesome, like first semester of ninth grade in Japan with my friends.
Starting point is 00:37:30 And in Japan, Tokyo, you have a lot of independence as a teenager because you can just like take the train everywhere and people do this all the time. Sure. And then I, we went to get like suburbs of Philly. It was a big public school.
Starting point is 00:37:39 And I like was really, um, like I cried during lunch and I would like sit in the bathroom and like, oh, you know. Oh, my God. Did you when you left? Did you do the thing like we do? Was there any sort of were you trying to keep in contact with friends at all? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:37:57 That worked. Yes. You know, here people had aim. Yes. I feel like aim is like the standard, like the U.IM. Yes. I feel like AIM is like the standard, like the US standards. Like,
Starting point is 00:38:08 MSN Messenger is the metric system because everywhere else had MSN Messenger. Sure. Oh, sure. So yeah, anyway, I used MSN Messenger.
Starting point is 00:38:16 Got it. And so I would be up at weird hours messaging with my friends in Japan. Speaking of MSN Messenger. I know. Isn't that sad?
Starting point is 00:38:23 I turned out. It's matching into that public school being like, where's your panty v in Japan. I know. Isn't that sad? I turned out. It's matching into that public school being like, where's your panty vending machine? I know. Oh, man. That new school thing is so jarring. Did you move?
Starting point is 00:38:33 But I moved like 30 minutes from where I went to middle. I'm elementary school and then I moved in middle school. So it was like my first day of middle school. Oh, yeah. That's rough. I have such a vivid, you know, you like don't remember certain things, but I have such a vivid memory of that first day in a new school and being middle school and being like, Oh, you don't know anyone.
Starting point is 00:38:51 And it's middle school too. So it's a big deal all of a sudden. And, and it just is. Oh, was there anyone there from Japan? You know what? Yeah. Sophomore year, there were two like international students. And at that point I was like starting to feel more settled because of theater. So I like, I like my little, you know, that was like probably my saving grace. But anyway, around that time, yeah, there were two Japanese girls that were there. girls that were there and then um so i like talked to them and hung out with them and there is this one korean student and we really bonded like extremely bonded and then my junior year there was this uh japanese student from osaka who was doing like an exchange program and we became super close so at that point i was feeling more settled anyway. But yeah, there was a sprinkling. Were your, would you bring lunch to school?
Starting point is 00:39:48 Yeah. Were your lunches like Japanese? Yeah. And I would make them myself sometimes. Yeah. And did the kids go, what is that? Well, I think they just thought I was, or like, I think it's like they were kind of like, not rude about it, but they were just like puzzled or like, like, oh, the what? Oh, that's so crazy. Wow. Like that kind of like not rude about it but they were just like puzzled or like like oh the what oh that's so crazy wow like that kind of thing yeah yeah and my closer friends were just kind of like
Starting point is 00:40:11 oh wow you do this i don't know my mom we would go to i think it was called daruma is that is that a japanese word daruma maybe yeah yeah i wasn't to add the accent, but because I was into, it's so, it's so just crazy. The intersection of, of the culture where I was so into Pokemon that I was, I wanted the Japanese cards, like, cause they were,
Starting point is 00:40:33 they were of Pokemon that were not released in America yet. Oh, cool. So like, and it was crazy. I collect them. I never played this game, but I collected them,
Starting point is 00:40:40 put them in a sleeve and it was like, it was cool with a couple of people at school. And, uh, we would go to these Japanese markets And we would always get raw fish This is why I got a lot of shit on an episode recently Because every time I go to a comedy club My writer, I ask for sashimi You do? I do
Starting point is 00:40:56 That's your writer? That's my writer, it's sashimi Whoa, but it probably varies in quality That's what I said That's what they said That's what they said That's what I said, depending on where he's going. Where you are.
Starting point is 00:41:06 I'm like, you might not want that everywhere. What about landlocked? That's what we said. That's what I said. Not that the food is bad, but it's a crazy thing to ask for in certain places. Do you think it's an energizing food for you? I kind of understand that. I just feel like, and again, I've always almost purposely, and because I have trouble remembering
Starting point is 00:41:23 it all, avoided thinking about nutrition. I just go, I've always almost purposely and because I have trouble remembering it all, avoided thinking about nutrition. I just go, I eat healthy. And for my money, I'm like, raw fish, this is healthy. And I've never looked into that claim. I just assume it is. It's got enough meatiness to feel filling. And in my head, I do that thing where I go, fish don't feel as much pain as a cow. This is good.
Starting point is 00:41:48 This feels like something a rapper does. Yeah? You know what I mean? I hope if I saw Eminem and he was like, sashimi? Is that sashimi? Not Eminem necessarily. He's always the first rapper he goes to.
Starting point is 00:42:00 He's always. No, like, you know what I mean? Uh-oh. Sorry, that was my headphones No you're good Oh I don't know if Eminem Is the vibe
Starting point is 00:42:09 What rapper were you thinking of Lil Dicky I don't know No I like every time a rapper comes That I only list white White rappers I don't think white rappers
Starting point is 00:42:18 Are I mean maybe they're ordering sashimi I mean like Actually I wasn't even thinking About women at first But like somebody like Megan No Maybe I can see Meg the Stallion at first, but somebody like Megan. No. I could see Meg the Stallion.
Starting point is 00:42:27 It feels like it's high to luxury. If I'm in, why not go bigger of a home? But I'm curious because, wait, do you eat it before you perform or after? I usually have some before. I usually get like, here's my order recently in San Diego. That's your thing on stage? Like Chappelle gives out cigarettes. You have chopsticks.
Starting point is 00:42:46 I got a two-show. It's a little time sensitive. So my order, when I have a two-show day, I get like a big order. I get edamame and miso soup. I get like two big order I get edamame and miso Nice Soup Oh I get like two rolls And sashimi And I usually Before the first show
Starting point is 00:43:09 I keep it light I'll do the edamame I'll do the soup Okay perfect And then maybe one roll And then I come back Have some sashimi Sometimes I leave a couple
Starting point is 00:43:16 Pieces of sashimi For after the show If I have a little hunger Put it in the refrigerator Or you Leaving it right on out there Leaving it right on out there Yeah
Starting point is 00:43:24 Sure Okay You know It can stand a little bit Sure I have yet to get sick leaving it right on out there. Leaving it right on out there. Yeah. Sure. Okay. You know, it can stand a little bit. Sure. I have yet to get sick. I was going to say, there might be a moment.
Starting point is 00:43:33 Listen, one day I'll get sick and I'll go fight. I'll have the wings at the fucking club. Or you'll put them in the, there's usually a mini fridge. There's usually a mini fridge.
Starting point is 00:43:40 That's just laziness on my part. Interesting. That's really interesting do you are you able to get your your fix of japanese food do you do you wish there was new york is great for that because there's so much where we were um like because we moved to the suburbs of philly out there there's obviously japanese stuff and there's like a whole uh there's like a big japanese there's like a not big but it's like a beloved and like really well stocked Japanese supermarket near us that also does a lot of like programming.
Starting point is 00:44:10 And my mom is really involved. My mom is like on the, she's like one of the board members. She's like the, somebody she's like newly has some kind of directorial role of the board of the Japanese society of greater Philadelphia. So there's a lot of stuff where there is like that I've been, I've had to attend where there's like Japanese food or good Japanese restaurants. But the reality is that there's just more Japanese
Starting point is 00:44:37 people in New York city and also in Jersey. So more Japanese restaurants in New York are owned and run by Japanese people as opposed to in Philly. It might be like Koreans run it, you know. I remember when sushi was, I feel like in the 90s and maybe I'm wrong because I was a kid. But sushi, the way that a bad comedian would talk about you with your kale and your avocado toast. Yes, yes. That's what it was in the 90s. Let me get some sushi.
Starting point is 00:45:04 Oh, sushi. Oh, Mr. Fancy Pants City Man. Jerry Seinfeld going like, the chopsticks. What's with the chopsticks? Here's a fork. I always start with the chopsticks. I always start with the chopsticks. What do you mean? I'll eat with the chopsticks and then I go,
Starting point is 00:45:21 this is taking too damn long. Well, you'll find in Japan. Yeah? It's like most custom in the elevated ways to eat it with your hands. Really? Yeah. Oh, I fucking love that. I love eating with my hands. Me too.
Starting point is 00:45:36 I love eating with my hands. I remember I went to, what's Knights of the Round Table? Renaissance? Renaissance. No, no, no. Medieval Times. Medieval Times. And I went to a high school in Canada and they
Starting point is 00:45:47 give you that chicken bun. They don't have any silverware there. You went to high school in Canada? No, no. I did a chorus thing in Canada. And there was medieval times. There was medieval times there. I've only gone to the one in Jersey, but I didn't know it was a global establishment.
Starting point is 00:46:03 I should go see it. I'm getting really back into wrestling and entertainment, but in a meta way. Not ironic, but I'm interested in the spectacle of what this is. And also, it's role...
Starting point is 00:46:19 So, you know what kayfabe is? No So kayfabe, and I'm going to get this definition sort of wrong But it's kind of like the world of The fake world that wrestling purports itself to be Is kayfabe So the idea that like The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin Hate each other
Starting point is 00:46:38 That's like the kayfabe And there was like a time where I have a question Please What are you saying? Kayfabe? Like F-A-B- Please. What are you saying? K-fabe? Like F-A-B-E. What does that mean?
Starting point is 00:46:48 Like the K-fabe is Does it stand for anything? I don't think so. Could you look up K-fabe? K-fabe? I feel like Spell it. When you hear somebody
Starting point is 00:46:55 and you're like having a stroke Yeah, spell it. I've never doubted my pronunciation more than having two people stare at me like No, but just spell what you're saying. K-A-Y-F-A-B-E. Oh, kayfabe. Yeah, okay.
Starting point is 00:47:08 But that must stand for something, right? No, it's the concept... That's the name of the world? Yeah, let's get the exact definition from producer Chris over here. Okay, so Wikipedia. Although coined in the late 20th century, the origin story of kayfabe is uncertain.
Starting point is 00:47:26 Some believe it is carny code for be fake, as mentioned in the above quote, whereas others consider it an alteration of be fake that was formed in a way similar to, but not keeping with piglet. Great. Thank you. So great.
Starting point is 00:47:41 I'm glad you found out the origins of the word. So here's what it means. So then what happened with, I read this book about Vince McMahon. Okay. so great I'm glad you found out the origins of the word so here's what it means is so like so then what happened with I've been reading this book about Vince McMahon okay and what's so funny
Starting point is 00:47:50 he started WWF and then WWE oh got it I mean he didn't start he inherited from his father he's a bad guy right yeah he's he's not a good guy
Starting point is 00:47:57 he's out now he's out of this plane or the WWE of the WWE of the WWE he like he's always had lots of like things,
Starting point is 00:48:05 but, but he basically, there was, I say allegedly since I, I might get it wrong. There was like a woman and she worked for him, but then he was like kind of passing her around
Starting point is 00:48:14 and like, do this, do that. And very vulgar texts. I believe it. Anytime I saw him, he looked mean. He looked mean.
Starting point is 00:48:21 Okay. I trust your judgment. But so, so there was a time where, where some people thought wrestling was real. They're called marks, and then there's smarts. That's how they label people. A smart knows it's fake. A mark actually believes it.
Starting point is 00:48:34 I think you could say the same thing about church, frankly. Like there's marks and there's smarts. Or Borat, like satire. Sure. Or like I did a prank today. We're taping this in April Fools. And like there's some people who think it's real and there's some people who think it's fake. And they're both on the same world existing.
Starting point is 00:48:53 So what happened is Vince McMahon, he didn't want to pay whatever fees you have to pay when you have athletics. Like you have to pay a certain amount of money to make sure there's a doctor on site because it's athletic, it's dangerous. So he actually, in order to get the rules changed so he didn't have to pay this fucking cost or this tax to the state, he said to them, hey guys, this isn't real athletics, this is entertainment.
Starting point is 00:49:18 And because of that, it was revealed and there were like New York Times articles saying, wrestling is fake. So suddenly the fake world kind of went away and the acknowledgement that this was all bullshit came to light. However, recently, and I think with the advent of social media, there is this new kind of what I would consider kayfabe of like the people, it's like reality TV,
Starting point is 00:49:47 where it's like, is it real or is it not real? Or is it kind of real? And The Rock recently, after he had some troubles with, they say he wanted Black Adam to become this big thing and it didn't succeed,
Starting point is 00:49:58 his movie, he basically hit kind of a rut. And now he's going back into wrestling. I think he's kind of trying to fix whatever happened with Vince McMahon. So he suddenly, on his twitter where he promotes his real human life projects and donating to hawaii he like is now writing sometimes in character as the rock and he's posted a video where you know he's like hitting someone with a belt and it's quits fake blood and it's it doesn't really hurt and it's it's acting you belt and it's fake blood and it doesn't really hurt
Starting point is 00:50:25 and it's acting. You can tell it's acting. But he's pretending it's real for a second and in the comments you see some people who think it's real again and some people who know it's fake and it's like... So they're part of the same kayfabe
Starting point is 00:50:41 or no, the people... Kayfabe is the phenomenon or the community i think kayfabe if if it like again i i haven't but but my understanding is it's like kayfabe is is the imaginary world that that person wrestling exists that yeah like that the rock is fighting with someone in real in that world so people like, so some people are tapping, they're like tapping into The Rock's kayfabe. He's also presenting it as if it's real again. Right, yeah.
Starting point is 00:51:13 But that's mixed in. It's from his human being Twitter account where he also, someone commented, it's so funny to think after he hit this guy with a belt and was like, fuck you, keep the cameras fucking rolling, that he then went to go record voiceover for Moana 2. Yeah. Wait, is The Rock going to fight people again? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:51:34 How old is he? He's going to get back in the ring. Oh, yeah. He doesn't look any older than he did in 1995 anyway. That's an interesting... Sometimes he looks so big where you where you're like he doesn't look quite as mobile as he once was i don't know what happens when you get that big and you get older i saw some videos like it was like a world-class uh weightlifter guy and he's he's old and he still
Starting point is 00:51:59 has all this muscle but he's he walks like this like feebly he's yeah feeble but he's huge interesting i don't know how do you how do you reduce the muscles you get older so we're a wrestling podcast now yeah um so medieval times well okay wait so i see so it's like as you're becoming more drawn to like the magic or like the mystique of wrestling, et cetera, something like the medieval times is appealing. Yeah. I mean medieval times is like – I think like kayfabe for medieval times would be like if after the match the guy came out and he was like, I really slew that dragon, didn't I? Right. But I think it's more interesting because i think social
Starting point is 00:52:45 media which we interact with so much yeah is becoming its own kind of kayfabe in that you don't know who's telling the truth on social media what's a character what's real is logan paul really mad at this guy or are they friends outside of it it's an imaginary world we don't even know and like influencer stuff so there's this expensive chic you know like cool deodorant that i'm like oh yeah that totally got me right yeah oh yeah yeah i'll be you know all my problems will go away if i get this like leather scented deodorant so there's this like leather scented oh yeah like leather a woodsy you know smell like a dead cow yeah yeah right and it's like um like this girl who's like very attractive and talking to the camera and wearing a matching workout outfit.
Starting point is 00:53:29 She's like, this is so crazy, but I finished my workout at the spinning gym or whatever. And then this woman tapped me on my shoulder and she was like, oh my God, what are you wearing? What's your perfume? And she was like no it's actually my deodorant and then i was like wow this is so cute that they had these people do these like little anecdotes and then of course like a week later there's a different there's like a different girl you're like wow you know and i remember i saw this commercial And I was like Oh my god There was this leprechaun And he
Starting point is 00:54:06 Right Everyone wanted his lucky charms Wow But that's But that is Yeah And advertisers Take advantage of that
Starting point is 00:54:15 There was a thing Where I guess All these There was some podcast Where one of the women Had slept with Matt Rife And so they talked about it And then she does
Starting point is 00:54:23 This live stage show Where she About the solo show About Kind of where at the end she brings out like six other women who have slept with matt rife and the crowd is going fucking nuts and it's like wrestling what on earth this is a pocket of culture and the internet that i don't even know but it's but like what's so it's like they don't all necessarily hate Matt Rife like for all I know they like
Starting point is 00:54:48 Matt Rife texts them like hey good work like you're helping we're both helping each other out but it's the drama and it's a little real the same way in wrestling two people might hate each other
Starting point is 00:54:57 but they do the match okay what do you think about those restaurants where the waitress they're mean to you you know like those kind you like that yeah of course you mean like like those kind of, you like that?
Starting point is 00:55:05 Yeah, of course. You mean like an Italian kind of restaurant or like a dim sum? No, but like it's like their thing is like that they're rude. Not like they're actually rude. You meant like just rude Italians. Oh, yeah. Not like a New York place that's existed for a long time and they're actually rude. You know when they're rude?
Starting point is 00:55:21 You mean like the Wapkini Dago's where they're always. It's the point of it. It's again that thing where it's like you go there it's like medieval times but it's just a normal restaurant
Starting point is 00:55:30 but the hook is that the waitstaff is mean and they're like Oh that just sounds like They throw their food down and they're like yeet at your fat pig.
Starting point is 00:55:38 I mean yeah people are into that right? That just sounds like I want to bring my dad there and not tell him. But you can do that. It is my fantasy. That's tell him i feel like you can usually tell it'd be it's more impressive if they were like actually like making you feel bad i saw a video with an older woman and like she's like oh is our table ready and she goes yeah she picks up the menus throws them on the
Starting point is 00:55:58 floor follow me oh yeah that's awesome oh my, my God. It's amazing. Oh, my God. My dad, unfortunately, I'd be like, this is fun. And then he'd punch someone. I'd be like, all right, I should have told you up front. He punches you. He punches me. That's interesting. Well, that sounds lucrative for the servers, depending on.
Starting point is 00:56:20 Yeah, I wonder if it's fun for them or if it's like kind of like sometimes that's a lot of energy. Yeah. I'd rather just like serve the food and if it's like kind of like sometimes that's a lot of energy. Yeah. I'd rather just like serve this food and not have to be like put on a performance too, you know? That's fascinating. That sounds like something Japanese. Like it sounds like something really crafted. The first time I did it, I think it was like in Walt Disney World. There was a place that had that.
Starting point is 00:56:40 In Walt Disney World? Yeah. But it was like they couldn't be crass, but they could kind of like make fun of you can you imagine walt disney made a roller coaster based on that children's cartoon from earlier and it was just like it's like whoa this gets bigger and then you get sucked inside i just that's i just think about especially with those entertainment conglomerates we're like i'm sure disney Disney Plus is in Japan or they want to be in Japan. And they're like, well, do we add this? Because then someone chose that cartoon with the Disney Plus logo.
Starting point is 00:57:10 But now it's kind of chaos because when I go to Disney Plus, I get my Hulu through there. It's kind of like the FX. So it's all kind of mixed in already. They're all... It's like... I don't know. They're all... It's like... I don't know. Yeah, they have the combined forces and ways I don't understand
Starting point is 00:57:28 what to subscribe to. I just feel like back in the day, you'd only see those Disney ears off wholesome, all for the family. Yeah, but they have Indiana Jones. They have Star Wars. I mean, they have everything. No, is Simpsons on?
Starting point is 00:57:40 Yeah, I think Simpsons is on. I think that's a little more subversive. Celebrate all the little moments of cheer and togetherness at Starbucks. Pair your peppermint mocha with a cozy game night. Sip your chestnut praline latte at a holiday movie marathon. Or take your caramel
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Starting point is 00:58:17 And my stocking's looking good. Shop holiday deals early on Amazon now. So you have a master's in history. Yes. Do you think growing up in Japan, and I know you've been here since. I mean, have there been any longer stints back in Japan? Or have you pretty much been in America?
Starting point is 00:58:39 Junior year of college, that's it. Yeah. I was back, yeah, but basically as an adult. I've been in the U.S. Do you think having lived in a wholly different place, you can see how slanted history is towards the people writing it? Like, do you think you have – I just feel like so much of getting older is realizing how all the history i was taught was light propaganda right okay okay uh that's an interesting question i don't know if i've ever thought about this i think that something about so a lot of a lot of when you're studying history at an academic
Starting point is 00:59:21 like graduate level is that you're essentially becoming like a diplomat of information right you like learn you're trained how to read like a primary source or a letter or whatever or like a or um an article about a primary source and then kind of analyze that and dissect that with as little bias with um as possible like that's the work of the historian and then you like refashion that into some writing and like that is a literal work of the historian and so i guess you're like you're like considering things from both sides if you write a paper obviously the best way to write it persuasively and professionally as a historian is whether you consider both sides so um i don't know i think maybe being in japan
Starting point is 01:00:06 maybe like like you have you're forced to like consider things from different perspectives i guess when you were studying were you were you studying anything involving japan or like what was your focus no because when i was in college and this is when i was becoming interested in going to graduate school for history just senior year year. In college, I studied stuff related to Japan, like East Asian, whatever, like literature and contemporary politics. But then the classes that got me interested in history as a field, the one specific class, this was really random because I was in Hawaii, which has nothing to do with the French Revolution. But I mean, I could find six degrees. But the point is like there was a class that was like really hands on about the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. And that was making me excited about how programs can like make history come to life and make it relatable and help people connect to something that has nothing to do with their world.
Starting point is 01:01:03 and help people connect to something that has nothing to do with their world. And so then when I went to graduate school, which was in D.C., what happened was that because of like – I got really interested in like colonial history in like the 16th and 17th centuries. And part of that was being in Hawaii, sure. Sure. Is that when Hawaii happened? Well, yeah. They were British.
Starting point is 01:01:23 So to speak. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like 18th century. 18th Yeah. Hey, 18th century, 18th century, 18th century. Definitely in the 18th century, a guy named James Cook, um,
Starting point is 01:01:32 like brought essentially British subjects. Like, yeah, it was like the, there was British military presence in the Island of Hawaii. And ultimately it would obviously join as an American territory after the revolution. But the point is that in the 17th century, Hawaii was like a British colony or there was presence there. Sure. So that stuff and like learning about the monarchy
Starting point is 01:01:54 there, even though that was later, like in the 19th century, learning about the Hawaiian monarchy in relationship to America caught me kind of interested in oh like empire or whatever so like really interested in so then when i was just so uh uh kamehameha yeah is that he was part of that right which is goku and dragon ball z the big move is kamehameha really oh yeah so funny and i and i just always remember seeing that name in school and being like, what the fuck? Yeah. There has to be something that – Yeah.
Starting point is 01:02:28 Yeah. That's so interesting. And, like, Japan's obsessed with Hawaii and, like, using – like, yeah. Like, that makes a lot of sense to me, basically. Sure. I would use his name. So then, anyway, when I was in DC and I was in graduate school, the focus that I chose
Starting point is 01:02:47 in my program was US1, which is early American history, like the colonial period. Like, so like, like Puritans through
Starting point is 01:02:55 the Civil War, like the first half of, and that's like my shit. I like, I get really excited about early American history. So the point is to answer your question, like maybe initially in the beginning, but I don't think so. Like maybe like Japan and the Pacific and the histories of those empires are what drew me to history. But my favorite thing to read about and write about and what I like learned to write about in graduate school is like colonial American history. What's one like general overall thing that a marriage that you would say
Starting point is 01:03:33 specific that you wish or that Americans don't really seem to understand about our, our founding. Oh yeah. I love this. Okay. So this is also, I think part of it Is that it was pretty Exotic Relatively like Like I didn't grow up Learning about all that
Starting point is 01:03:49 Like necessarily Sure You didn't have like The same base level myths That we had of like Like you know When I was a little kid It'd be George
Starting point is 01:03:56 George Washington With the lie and the trade Yeah Yeah like Right That All that Like all that like
Starting point is 01:04:04 Kind of like Sort of Quaint like, kind of, like, sort of quaint, like, lore stuff. Like, you dress up as Frederick Douglass. I mean, he was later, but you know what I mean? Yeah, that was the Halloween costume here. Except, wait, wait, wait, brief aside. So when I was in third grade at Tokyo, Sacred Heart Tokyo International School, there was a black teacher who was a music teacher, Mr. Hendrix. And he had us for a recital for choir.
Starting point is 01:04:28 He had us sing Wade in the Water, which is like a Negro spiritual. And we would dress – everybody, everybody, not just me, everybody dressed up as like an enslaved – like a girl. It was an all-girls school. English language. What was the outfit? Like rags. Whatever you – yeah, whatever you use. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 01:04:46 Like bandana. And this I don't think would fly even there today. Yeah, sure. This was. Not makeup. No, no. No. So just the outfit.
Starting point is 01:04:56 Just the makeup. And then a bunch of little Japanese girls going. Mixed white girls. Uh-huh. You know, brown ones. White girls too. Jesus Christ. Black, white.
Starting point is 01:05:06 That, you got to get that class photo or something. That could ruin a lot of careers. You could blackmail a lot of people. That's where the term blackmail came from. They would do that all the time at music festivals. Not dress up, but we'd all the time
Starting point is 01:05:21 be all white choir singing spirituals and some of them the lyrics were referencing directly there's one I have memorized because it's so crazy that I had to sing it that I can't sing it now
Starting point is 01:05:38 what are the lyrics can you say them um uh no come on say it. We'll put quotes around it. I can't think of it now, but there's too many songs going in my head, but if I think of it, I'll say them.
Starting point is 01:05:56 But it's literally, remember having to do it and do the motions? Like we were working? It was like they made yeah like shovel like like we were like you know what i mean like oh like and and there was not one it was upstate new york there was not there was maybe one or two black people but like that was it it was mainly white children and just like everyone watching that no one one being like, what? Stop. Stop. Like in the audience, parents should have been raising their hands, being like, stop doing that right now.
Starting point is 01:06:29 Stop. Oh my God. Oh man. Um, that's so funny. Yeah. I don't know. Do you think of any lyrics? I will.
Starting point is 01:06:37 I'm going to say for just a minute. Um, oh wait. So to answer your question, like also because my dad's from Philadelphia, we went to Philly every summer. So I was, like, aware of, you know, like, kind of sort of whimsical Benjamin Franklin stuff, right? Like, when I was a kid. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, we'd go to Philly and we'd go to the museum.
Starting point is 01:06:54 The kite and the key. And then you find out he was, like, he was a real whore. I love that about's this, there's like a sort of like a knowledge gap. Because basically when we're studying American history, we learn about like the Mayflower and 1619 when a ship brought Africans to Virginia and, you know, like pilgrims and all that. And then, and like Salem witch trials, like, and that's in the 17th century. But then there's this kind of gap between, and then it's like, oh, and then the next big thing is the American Revolution,
Starting point is 01:07:36 which is obviously that was like unfolding in the 17, like the upper 1700s, right? Like 1770s. And so the point is that there are all these like interesting forces that are happening in that gap, like colonies that were British colonies in North America becoming its own entity, like Virginia becoming Virginia, Pennsylvania becoming Pennsylvania, Massachusetts becoming Massachusetts because each colony had a different like crop situation and a different relationship to the crown based on whatever, how much money they were making for the empire, whether it was sugar or tobacco or like cod, like in Rhode Island or whatever, which they didn't get any.
Starting point is 01:08:24 a Quaker colony, which meant that there was more distance between them and the crown. And they got like no. So this is kind of funny. Like when the British Navy started to crack down on the North American colonies, there was like little naval protection in the small colonies like Rhode Island or like North Carolina. And so anyway, anyway, so all this stuff is really interesting to me because what you see is local governments that would soon become, you know, eventually become individual states as a state of the United States of America. The local colonial governments kind of like being like, well, they don't know how what's happening here. Like we want to get free indigo from pirates. Like they have no say. Sure. They're happening here. Like we want to get free Indigo from pirates. Like they have no say.
Starting point is 01:09:05 Sure. They're not here. And you know, and then like we want to engage. Yeah. Like we want to, we want this cheap shipment of whatever, like we'll aid and abet pirates.
Starting point is 01:09:14 Yeah. Like, so I call it the naughty colonist syndrome. It's like when, and that is like how you see the, the British hold over the American colonies start to unravel. And this is something like you don't really talk about in sixth grade civics class. Sure, sure.
Starting point is 01:09:34 No. It's like my favorite. And you see this in different ways. And one avenue is piracy. And so every place had their own like, they don't fucking understand this. And then one day they gradually were like, hey, if we all band together. Right. I, because what I always loved, like the Boston Tea Party, I tried to make a bit out of it,
Starting point is 01:09:53 but it was one of those where I haven't, Boston Tea Party was taught in schools as like this, this big moment of, of freedom. This is one of the big American myths, I think, is that the idea that it was just about like freedom, like a deep spiritual freedom. This is one of the big American myths, I think, is that the idea that it was just about, like, freedom. Like, a deep spiritual freedom. And it was like, no, it's about money, and it's about wanting to hold onto money, which is fine. Right. But it's about that.
Starting point is 01:10:13 It's not about, like, the way George Bush said, they hate us for our freedom. Like, it was, it's that, like, that, that, yeah. So, the Boston Tea Party, at least what I read, it's taught in schools as, like, this moment of Americans becoming Americans. Yeah. So the Boston Tea Party, at least what I read, it's taught in schools is like this moment of Americans becoming Americans. Yeah. And when it happened, George Washington called the Boston Tea Party people looters and rioters. And there's there's some deep degree of like that's so funny.
Starting point is 01:10:41 It's yeah, that's it. There's something so funny about it. That's so funny. Is there something so funny about it where I'm like, guys, the literal myth. With a little, like, when we're removed fully, we can be like, wow, that's amazing that people stood up and they said, fuck that, blah, blah, blah. Now somebody feels like deodorant at CVS.
Starting point is 01:10:54 No, this is not the time, not the time. Don't confront the president at his fundraiser. No, you know what I mean? Like, fuck off. Robbing at CVS is the most American thing you could do. That's funny yeah there is a parallel there yeah
Starting point is 01:11:08 are you still doing the bit no I once in a while I'll throw it in there like here's the twist that was like
Starting point is 01:11:14 so preachy and awful was it's just back then the people in authority were wearing red and now they wear blue and it was and like
Starting point is 01:11:22 boom you know first of all it's preachy yeah it's not that funny it's just and not everyone remembers that the british wore red coats oh sure yeah and and the it's just a lot yeah and it used to be the worst version i did was oh i'm embarrassed to say it but back then the authority wore red and now they wear blue and they only protect the whites. Oh my god. A full on just a real
Starting point is 01:11:50 smug you can see me going as I wrote it down. Red, white, and blue. Take that Erica. Sadly I thought of the lyrics. I did remember them. Great. I'm so happy. Okay. I'm going to say them. I'm not going to sing it. And remind you I I did not.
Starting point is 01:12:06 This was when you were a child and you were, I was in, I don't know if middle school, but it stuck with me because I remember thinking we should not be singing this. Okay. Here are the lyrics. Sun up to sundown, picking that cotton.
Starting point is 01:12:21 Sun up to sundown, chains and shackles. Sun up to sundown, work for the master. No more auction block for me. No more auction block for me. No. There was motion. There was dancing with it. There was swang.
Starting point is 01:12:38 And it was maybe, again, maybe one black child in the chorus. Mainly white kids. And I just, it was never a conversation. It was never like, hey, should we, you know, none of us raised our hands. And also, I'm older. Shouldn't we be singing from the master's perspective? But crazy But crazy. Crazy. Also, you're like that music teacher
Starting point is 01:13:08 in their minds thought they were doing a good thing. Yes. Because in their minds, they're like, oh, we should be talking about this and they're not wrong. We should be talking about it.
Starting point is 01:13:16 But it's like a crazy, it's just like that's where people's heads were then. Right. About like how we can, you know. So it's hard because you're like how we can, you know, so it's hard because you're like, I don't know.
Starting point is 01:13:28 Don't you think it's hard to know? I'm certainly not saying that was a good thing, but like you, in the process of like getting people to really see things, do you not have to awkwardly, clunkily,
Starting point is 01:13:44 looking back embarrassingly? Yeah. Engage them. Maybe that's what happened. Maybe that is. I mean, that's, it's,
Starting point is 01:13:52 it's just one of those things. Cause I laugh about it now. And I remember thinking this is weird, but I'm also like, you know, uh, that area where I grew up is pretty racist. And,
Starting point is 01:14:03 and like, and again, there's not a lot of black people in the area, uh, where I grew up. And, um, so you're like, I don't know, maybe this is like people there were like, what is this? And I don't know. I don't know, but it is, it is awkward and it's funny. And you were like, that's so funny. No actual block for me. I think that, yeah, maybe the, it's like from the teacher's perspective they were like well this is how we honor the different voices in american history yeah i can see our liberal people at your school being like this is important yeah to it though oh my god that is where it tips to be really weird you know because i remember i remember doing this you know i like, we were doing this.
Starting point is 01:14:46 Which, is that how you pick cotton? I don't know. You know what I mean? You're like, why were we digging? Do you know what I mean? I don't know. But I guess that's a more stronger dance move. Than crouching in the grass.
Starting point is 01:14:58 For the shackles. You're hurting your hands. I don't know. Oh, God. Oh, man. Also, I remember no other songs hurting your hands. Oh, God. Oh, man. Also, I remember no other songs from like all the kind of
Starting point is 01:15:08 all county area, all state kind of like things. That's the only one that I still remember the tune and words to because I was, I just was like, this is crazy.
Starting point is 01:15:21 We're going to go into our next segment. Chris, just so you know, if you ever, if you ever like in that moment, you're like, I can download that song really quick
Starting point is 01:15:28 and play it as the next music. You have my full permission to do so. But this is, this has got to stop. This has got to stop. This has got to stop. Okay.
Starting point is 01:15:38 Do you want to go first? Do you have a this has got to stop? I have a this has got to stop. Tell us. Should I go first? Sure. Okay.
Starting point is 01:15:46 And so if I'm, this is, if I'm, uh, if I'm reading the assignment correctly, it's like essentially a gripe I have. Yeah. Essentially. Okay. So when, you know, when you, um, let's say you like apologize for something relatively trivial, like you, you, you like don't notice that you have to hold the door open or something like that.
Starting point is 01:16:03 Yeah. And, or whatever. And then you're like, oh, sorry. Or even something more involved that you're like, oh, I'm sorry. I misunderstood. But then the person's response is, uh, oh, you're good. That really aggravates me. The semantics of it.
Starting point is 01:16:20 And it's like, no, I'm, no, I'm good. I'm not asking for your uh for your blessing i'm good because i'm apologizing i see i i you know i'd way prefer like uh oh no worries or i understand you're good is like bitch i that's not really like yeah yeah yeah like that's okay or uh no worries okay it's describing like a like a feeling to you where you were just you're they're saying that you're you didn't even need to do that and like kind of being like but like they're like oh you don't need to be i mean maybe okay so they're like by saying you're good it's like um no i wasn't asking whether i was good i was saying
Starting point is 01:17:01 oh i acknowledge that i was in your way in the hallway. Yeah. This isn't a matter of my morality. Sure. It's just like a thing I... Is all good okay? Is it the your? If someone said all good... Because all good is like,
Starting point is 01:17:15 oh, all good. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, you're good is like... I don't like when someone doesn't acknowledge your apology for something because I've had that too
Starting point is 01:17:25 i've redacted an apology one time to like a stranger because because because i tried to apologize twice because well they ran into like i ran into them or something happened on the street and i was like i'm sorry and they were like and then i was like i'm sorry because they seemed annoyed and then they didn't accept the second one and said never mind i take it back i'm not sorry and i because i was like i it just was like so annoyed that I was like, I'm trying to give you two genuine apologies for bumping into you. And you're being a bitch about it. So never mind. I take it back.
Starting point is 01:17:53 That is funny. I'm redacting that apology from you. That sounds like a curve. I know. But I was like, it made me so mad. I was like, fine. Never mind. Never mind.
Starting point is 01:18:01 We don't get it. So now that's what I feel like happens a lot in New York. We were like, it's like, you're also like, I'm, you know, it's, it's, we all get run into. You just be like, you're like, oh, no worries. Or, you know, some kind of acknowledgement of that. That's interesting. I like that.
Starting point is 01:18:18 Yeah. Like a gump. Well, I'll do, that's my policy now too. I'll give you two genuine apologies. And then after that, I'm like, no, never mind. You don't get it. When you first brought this up, I was imagining this was like an email back and forth with like a colleague. No, no, it's strangers.
Starting point is 01:18:34 No, I would. Three emails in a row. Sorry, sorry. I can be much more direct with strangers than like people I know. Oh, right, right, right. Yeah. I'll let them in all over me. I like that, though. Yeah. Do you have this? Got, right. Yeah. I'll let them run all over me. I like that, though.
Starting point is 01:18:46 Yeah. Do you have this? Got to stop. Yeah. Okay, on Twitter, when every so often we reevaluate old TV shows to the end of time, and there's nothing that we can enjoy anymore,
Starting point is 01:18:58 ever again, and it's just this cycle of like... You're specifically talking about the Curb Your Enthusiasm tweet. No. No? I did see that, too. But just one of those things where it's every show that exists in like the history of time where in 10 years we're like actually this is why this show is a reflection of this time you're like yeah everything is a reflection of its time and you can watch it with a thoughtfulness of being like oh wow that was made
Starting point is 01:19:26 in 2011 and represents a lot of the issues in 2011 and still enjoy it on some level it's just this thing where it feels like what's the end it doesn't uh with the rest of my life we're going to be re-evaluating things from 10 years ago and being like, that's bad. And being like, okay. Do you know what I mean? Russell only watches the 30 Rock blackface episode. No. I'm just saying. That's all he watches. I'm saying.
Starting point is 01:19:53 No, I know what you're saying. And I'm also saying. It is pointless. It's done. It was made and it's aired and some people will revisit it. And I'm like, there are definitely like, when it first started happening,
Starting point is 01:20:05 you're like oh yeah oh oh wow Friends was blah blah blah like oh initially and I feel like
Starting point is 01:20:12 we've moved past that now where it's like it's just like it's just a way to be like this thing you enjoy it's bad and you're like it's just not interesting
Starting point is 01:20:21 because everything that we're watching now in 10 years we'll be able to say this is bad because of this. Or like this was performative even. Yes, yes, yes. I think it's like, you can remark on it,
Starting point is 01:20:33 but I think it's more like it's bad as opposed to you can share old clips of friends and be like, Jesus Christ, the whole episode was your fat and that was the plot. That's crazy. You can go, that's crazy. Isn't that silly? Jesus Christ, the whole episode was you're fat, and that was the plot. Yeah. That's crazy. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:20:48 You can go, that's crazy, or isn't that silly? Yeah. But to go like, that was bad. That was. Yeah, that's what everyone did back then. Yeah. It's more, look at it like a history piece. Yeah. As opposed to like a current moral failing.
Starting point is 01:21:00 Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I dig that. My This Has Got to Stop, I took, I had a SoulCycle class. I'm not going to. My, this has got to stop. I, I took a, I had a soul cycle class. I'm not going to go on my soul cycle rant this episode, but I have something for the next one.
Starting point is 01:21:10 Uh, uh, big problem. Soul cycle. They should let people take off their shirts, but they, they don't, they don't,
Starting point is 01:21:16 they don't know nipple policy. Um, that's, that's not anywhere on the board. Listen. So they did a, they did happy someone. It was someone's birthday.
Starting point is 01:21:26 And I feel like we do birthdays sometimes and you don't know the person. And we need to make a birthday song where in that third line, we're not saying the name. Because what happens is you do it and it goes like, happy birthday to you,
Starting point is 01:21:40 happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear. And then the energy of the room, it vanishes. You go... The most important part of the song, happy birthday to you happy birthday dear and then the energy of the room it vanishes you go the most important part of the song happy birthday to you we all need to to adjust where we do the happy birthday happy birthday happy birthday to you i don't remember the name that you said one time before i knew we were going to the birthday and it just it's And it's always just like an awkward where the song is deflated and weird. And it never reaches back to the energy you started out with.
Starting point is 01:22:11 Yeah. It just peters out. So that's why this has got to stop. Yeah. In general, if it's a public setting and you don't all know each other, we all need to go to the happy birthday, happy birthday version. Yeah. Huh. Right.
Starting point is 01:22:23 That's like a choice. Happy birthday. It's like a safety net. Yeah. Like a code. Yeah. Huh. Right. That's like a birthday. Happy birthday. It's like a safety net. Yeah. Like a code. Yeah. If you just sing that version, there's no awkwardness. Does anybody laugh about the moment? That's the thing. It's one of those where it's like you look around
Starting point is 01:22:38 and you go, huh? That's so sad. We don't fully know. It's just one of those. I mean, there's so many. I remember in school, there was a long time and I'm sure I was, I was doing it too where you go, happy birthday to cha-cha-cha.
Starting point is 01:22:51 Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh God. I know that. You've never did the cha-cha-cha? Where does it come in? Happy birthday to you. At the end. Maybe at the end.
Starting point is 01:23:00 Happy birthday. No? I feel like there were different, there was some version where people added this thing or then they had a second thing that they added onto the song and then? I feel like there were different, there was some version where people added this thing or then they had a second thing
Starting point is 01:23:07 that they added onto the song and then some people were like, well, let's do the other version. Happy birthday to you. I don't like
Starting point is 01:23:13 any of the additions. What is, in Japan, what is happy birthday? What's the song? Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. It sounds like
Starting point is 01:23:22 when you do it in a Japanese accent to make people laugh. Let's go to our final segment. You better count your blessings. You better
Starting point is 01:23:36 count your blessings. Russell, you got a blessing. We had a Debbie Downsider come to Titanic this weekend. Jolene from Philly. So sweet and supportive and kind. And just a special shout out to Jolene from Philly. That was very nice.
Starting point is 01:23:54 And I'm glad that you saw the show Titanic. It was very nice. Someone came up to me. My blessing. Someone came up to me After a show in San Diego And they said They had seen me the year before With a friend of theirs
Starting point is 01:24:09 Who had recently passed away from cancer And they said that They said they were like And you This my friend was watching Your videos You know even in her final days Really?
Starting point is 01:24:23 It was very Oh my god It was very... Oh, my God. It was very... It's so... I think what's jarring about it is, like, it's like it feels... I wouldn't say good, but you feel like, oh, wow, that's...
Starting point is 01:24:36 It's one of those things where, like, I make my art for selfish reasons. I make it because I want to. Right, right, right. And then when you hear someone retroactively being like, you saved my life. You're like, well, to be honest,
Starting point is 01:24:54 if making my art made you kill yourself, I'd still make it because that's why I'm doing it for myself. So it's this weird feeling of like, this is nice, but I don't deserve your praise, but it feels good. Yeah, I was going to talk to you about this because do you ever, or both of you, do you
Starting point is 01:25:10 I was thinking about this the other day. I was like, there's no part of me that does like when I'm on stage for Titanic, there's no part of me that gives a shit about like making someone's day better. There's no part of me that's like,
Starting point is 01:25:26 God, that's why I do it. You know, people say that. They're like, this is why I do it. And I'm like, there's no part of me that's in bed being like, people need me today. Like, you know what I mean? Like there's like, they don't need me. It's fine.
Starting point is 01:25:37 It's a nice thing, but I like their laughs and that makes me feel good when I hear their laughs and I need them more than they need me i think i i think and i'm i think um but like i just don't believe people a lot of times when they think that they're doing it like as a performer for the people i think it's more it's i think what happens with like celebrities sometimes is they hear enough times like you helped me through cancer you helped me okay i kill myself and they start going like wow i am important where it's like you have to remember they could have found someone else yeah but at the same time it is it
Starting point is 01:26:16 what the the part that i do try to like take in is i'm just like, oh, wow, you, this meant something to you. Yes. And this moment where you're sharing this with me, it means something to you. And I'm able to, for a moment in this very selfish work world, like in this moment, make you feel good. I try to take it in. I try to take some smidgen without going, I'm important.
Starting point is 01:26:43 Yes. But still taking it in and still going, that's so cool. That's amazing. And I do this thing that, yeah. But to that person who came up after the show, I appreciate you sharing that with me.
Starting point is 01:26:58 You know, I'm glad. Well, the one that I was considering initially does not have as much gravitas that's okay that's okay we don't need it doesn't need to be that i think i have like one and a half ones okay is that okay yeah so well this is just like a like basically my half one is that uh I live really close to my train station. And I won't say which, but I live like so close to it. And it really is a blessing. It makes my life so much easier.
Starting point is 01:27:32 If I get home late from spots, I just have to cross the street and go home. It's like made my experience of New York a lot easier. And it makes me feel grateful for that happy accident. And then the other thing that's like more meaningful, well, this is cool. It's just like a cool thing. Basically, I was in Idaho. I was in Idaho for a few days for a festival. And then by essentially an accident, like one headliner in the festival, I was headlining some small rooms.
Starting point is 01:28:03 And then Marc Maron replaced whoever was doing it before then. And then I was asked to open for Marc Maron and I had never met him or even seen him live. And so I got to have a cool experience. That's amazing. Where I got to meet him
Starting point is 01:28:19 and see him live in the same night. And it was so fun. It was so like exactly how I i guess i imagined and i later learned that he had picked me actually so yeah yeah so it all felt like such an accident but a real blessing that made me feel really like energized and like i had been like um like a few years ago i would not have been ready to would not have been ready for the opportunity necessarily or as comfortable in a big theater yeah yeah i feel would not have been ready for the opportunity necessarily, or I was comfortable in a big theater. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:28:46 I feel like I have become so over the past year or so. And in this moment I felt really ready for it. And that felt great, like empowering. And we talked for about 10 minutes before the show about like migration patterns to the Midwest. Really? Yeah.
Starting point is 01:29:02 And then, uh, yeah. And then, yeah, and then, you know, and so then he, he did this cool thing where I guess he like, likes to bring on,
Starting point is 01:29:13 he likes to be the voice of God. So he likes to bring on the opener. Yeah. You know, and he's like, hey, it's Mark. He's going to come.
Starting point is 01:29:19 I don't know. He's like, he said, hey guys, it's like a huge, beautiful theater. He's like, Mark's going to be out in a second.
Starting point is 01:29:25 Blah, blah, blah. So then he, beautiful theater. He's like, Mark's going to be out in a second, blah, blah, blah. So then he introduced me. And then after my set, I've had to like be like whisked off to do, because I was headlining like a small room somewhere. So I was like taken to do my own thing. Oh yeah. And then I was kind of bummed because I was like, oh, I'd like to shoot. I wanted to see.
Starting point is 01:29:41 Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then the guy, the producer was like, well well he might do like 90 minutes if you want to do 20 minutes instead of 30 that's fine with me like cause I that's so cool oh nice so I got to do
Starting point is 01:29:51 a shorter set and then come back and I thought that maybe I would see the last 10 or 5 minutes I think he did I think he did 2 hours damn
Starting point is 01:30:00 not a lot of him so it was like a cool you know cool comedy night that's so cool and those nights always feel so cool where it's just like you're like, man, I'm booked. I'm so booked that I'm like I'm doing a set and then I'm coming back.
Starting point is 01:30:11 You just feel so artistic. You feel a lot. And then the whole next day, like 50-year-old white people in Boise were just like noticing me around. Oh, yeah? Yeah, they were cute. That's so funny. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:30:22 So that was a real career. That was very cool. I think they do that intro thing where they introduce people because, where they do the God Mike introduction. Because I've heard other times where the audience feels like the opener is blocking me from seeing the person I came to see. So they, like, do the voice to be like, hey, guys, this is how I want the show to go. Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah. I think sometimes they go like, fuck, this opener wants to do time.
Starting point is 01:30:49 But that's why I think they do it. I love it. I think it works. It feels cool. It makes the audience. Yeah. Because the hard thing about, you know what it is too, is like when, like I open for other people where it's like, I can feel that that and you know depending on what the environment is
Starting point is 01:31:06 like they're kind of like okay we want to see like who are you we'll it's harder to get them immediately because they're like we're excited to see goldman you know yeah and then if the person if they have a little sliver of the personality that they came for before the opener. It makes them feel included and they have control too. Yeah. Oh, yay, Mark's here. I've been with this person for a moment.
Starting point is 01:31:34 So this is coming out on April 23rd. This podcast. This podcast, yes. You have a special that is out now. Yes. Yes.
Starting point is 01:31:48 It will be. Yes. Out on YouTube. It is called. It's a half hour and it's called That Is My Horse. Brittany Carney. That Is My Horse. Full half hour special.
Starting point is 01:32:03 Please watch it. Check it out. Please. Listeners half hour special please watch it check it out please listeners please please watch any of our guests watch their specials
Starting point is 01:32:10 I'm sure it's fantastic where did you film it? in Raleigh, North Carolina yeah oh yeah that's it's
Starting point is 01:32:17 I've done the club there and it's a great great audience this was at King's which is like a big punk venue perfect and the audience was so fun. And it was such a – speaking of blessings, like, you know,
Starting point is 01:32:29 I don't have an audience there. It was kind of like an experiment. And it really – I was really impressed, and the audience was really fun. I mean, the clips sound great. Oh, thanks. Yeah. Hopefully – yeah, I'm like – yeah, anyway, half hour. Check it out.
Starting point is 01:32:43 That is my horse. Link will be in the description that's my horse Russell yes Instagram at Russell J. Daniels and also
Starting point is 01:32:50 Uncle Function will be in LA Friday May 3rd for Netflix is a Joke and also the Downside Live Friday May 3rd Friday May 3rd
Starting point is 01:33:00 you can do a full they're gonna sell out it's not not huge venues so Friday May 3rd we got the Down a full, they're going to sell out. It's not, not huge venues. So Friday, May 3rd, we got the downside at seven, seven, seven. And then, uh, if you want to do a double, double dip, you can go straight from there. You can give us a ride, give us a ride to the outside, to the function that night. Um, uh, Oh, my headphones went out. Can you hear me still? Oh, great. Here I am. I got, let me pull it up.
Starting point is 01:33:25 Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. Russell, sing that song real quick. I got a text from someone saying, I had a really weird random question for you. And someone I don't usually get texts from. And I'm like, what? I hate that. And I'm like, just then say it.
Starting point is 01:33:40 Like, whatever it is. Because now I'm like, and I hope it's something innocuous, but just like. Like a favor? If it was something big, they'd say it. They I'm now I'm like, like it could, and it could, I hope it's something innocuous, but it's just like a favor. It was something big. They'd say it. They'd say I'm dead. No,
Starting point is 01:33:49 but it's just like, is it really weird? Or is it like, do you know what I mean? Like, it's just one of those things. Like, uh,
Starting point is 01:33:55 I have no idea. I have no idea. I said, yes, that's annoying. And now I'm like, and now I'm like, let's go.
Starting point is 01:34:02 What is it? It's like personal. Like, like that would be like if you were single and there's some of you hooked up with, it'd'm like, let's go. What is it? That's why it's like personal. That would be like if you were single and there's someone you hooked up with, it'd be like, do you have an STD that you didn't tell me about? That's like what that thing is.
Starting point is 01:34:14 Guys, join the Patreon. I forgot to plug it. Patreon.com slash downside. You get one bonus episode a month with me and Russell. You get a live episode, the full episode. Patreon.com slash downside. Link in the comments. And I will be in Boston May 10th and
Starting point is 01:34:27 11th. Gonna be big shows. And then after that, I'm in Arizona May 16th, May 17th and 18th. And then I'm in Denver May 19th. First show's already sold out. We added a second. Could be sold out by then. But get those tickets.
Starting point is 01:34:44 And then Japan! Listen, the tickets, they hit out we added a second could be sold out by then but uh get those tickets and uh and then japan listen the tickets they hit eight sold and then it stopped i don't know if japan you buy a little closer to maybe that's the culture you die if you buy the day of and i shouldn't be worried but please japan if you know anyone in tokyo how many how many tickets it's not a lot but i want to add shows. Yeah. So Japan, please, if you have a friend in Tokyo,
Starting point is 01:35:07 please, dear God, tell them and send me Rex. I'm so excited to go there. And this is The Downside. One, two, three. Downside. Downside. You're listening to
Starting point is 01:35:21 The Downside. The Downside. With Gianmarco Cerezi.

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