The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi - #214 Screaming at Windmills (Patreon Exclusive Excerpt)

Episode Date: June 22, 2024

In this excerpt of our Patreon exclusive episode, Gianmarco and Russell take a big ol’ dump on comedians kissing the pope’s ass (and analyzing the op-ed on the matter by Simon Tierney: https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/comedians-meeting-the-pope-6408584-Jun2024/). Watch the rest of the episode exclusively on our Patreon to hear the boys' review of the Tony’s, why Cabaret currently on Broadway isn’t as edgy as it thinks it is, and get a glimpse into what we have cookin’ for the live podcast tour. Speaking of which, if you're a fan of the podcast, get tickets to our first East Coast tour! That's right, we're coming to DC, Boston, Philly, and NYC from July 23-26! You can get tickets for all dates here: https://linktr.ee/downsidepod. Join our Patreon for free for 7 days: https://www.patreon.com/downside Follow The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi on Instagram Get tickets to our live podcast recording in NYC on July 1 https://www.showclix.com/event/the-downside-with-gianmarco-soresi-live 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 [e-mail] 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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Shop at Sephora today. Limitations apply. Must be a beauty insider. See terms at sephora today limitations apply must be a beauty insider see terms at sephora.com for complete details welcome to the downside a patreon exclusive but we also release a chunk of it which is the beginning yeah and i wanted to talk about because this is one of the few things we don't record this too far in advance. It's coming out soon. And there's something we've got to talk about. There's something we've got to talk about. What is it? What the fuck are comedians doing visiting

the goddamn Pope? Guys, why? This might be the whole episode, frankly. It's so humiliating. It's embarrassing. All of you should be embarrassed. Who's your favorite comedian? Lenny Bruce, George Carlin.

They fucking would have. They're rolling over in their graves. I want to know why. Like, why? Well, we all know why. What is the incentive? We all know why everyone does anything these days. You just want to raise your profile and get money before they finally decide anyone below a million dollars, you're now an indentured servant.

That's where the society is going. Okay, but who? Yeah. There's people that said no, and they need to come forward and say who they were. Because I know Will Ferrell must have been invited. When you look at the list of no offense to the people on the list, but there were people that snuck in, I think. Who do you think snuck in? They were all pretty impressive.

Pretty impressive. There's one I can think of that. I'm not saying anything. I'm just saying. Join the Patreon because at the end of this episode, we're going to say who it is we think. Can you remember that? Let's remember that at the end of the episode. No, I'm saying like I even like some of the ones I liked.

Let's do the list. I'll say the list. Say the list. I got it here. I need to know the full list. Okay. Here we go. This is.

Here we go. Colbert. Yeah. Jimmy Fallon. Yeah. Here we go. This is... Here we go. Colbert. Yeah. Jimmy Fallon. Yeah. He must have been upset that hat was on him or he couldn't rub his hair. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jim Gaffigan, Whoopi Goldberg, James Martin.

Who's James Martin? You know, I don't know. No offense, James. Well, a little offense. Yeah, you shouldn't see this. I think he's doing a set of the Grizzly Pair tonight. James Martin, Tig Notaro, Chris Rock, and Conan O'Brien.an o'brien i'm just saying we want to work with a lot of these we want to work with all of them but we got to be honest here we got to be you got to be honest we cannot not mention that you're visiting the pope why why did you do it come on this podcast

all of them here is an open invite to come on this podcast and explain to us what benefit for you or the world were you going on and to see the Pope? What is it for? I understand that it's cool. Like culturally, it's cool. It does not. It feels very boring to me. If you were to visit the Pope, like I think it would be interesting to see like what is a mass at the Catholic Church.

No. But not to lend your validation. They're getting so much out of this. The Catholic Church gets to say, hey, we have a sense of humor. Yeah, we think gay people honestly are going to burn in hell for eternity. But we're kind of cool. So keep giving us money. Even if you're gay, give us money.

Not to mention all the crimes historically that have been committed by this church. It's a clear example of just them trying to like make us all forget about let me something clear the catholic church is a union for pedophiles yeah are all of them working no but they're in it together and that's what the catholic church is and that's what you stamped your name on and by the way it's not just america comedians it's like all these big comedians from all over the world which is such a signifier that comedy has uh i think comedy has become so popular that it's now it's now in the upper echelon of like entertainment so it's like let's get all the celebrities you know normally meryl streep might do this kind of thing like the top actors the top

musicians and now it's the top comedians and they do it because they're in the stratosphere of making so much money that they now get to you know have, have a drink with the Pope. Yeah. And they do it because it elevates their profile to the level of, of you're now as important as a head of a major religious institution.

Do you think that the Pope, when they were putting that list together, do you think he was involved in picking that list? And if he was, do you think he's aware of like,

like controversies or like canceled people? Like, he's like, Bill Cosby, like he's like, you know, like people. He's like, Bill Cosby. I'm sure Cosby was invited. I'm sure Cosby was invited. No, I'm sure he might have been on the initial list, but someone in the Catholic Church knew enough to be like,

because Cosby would have gone if he's invited to anything, I'm assuming, these days. I also feel like Cosby, if there's any institution that should still be welcoming to Bill Cosby, it's the Catholic Church. So I, I, I, and,

and again, all the coverage of this in, in American magazines, whatever, it's just like fawning. There's no, there's no thing of like, oh,

this is the power institution that has spread horrible messaging and, and is homophobic. So there was an article in, by the way, I'm super on board with Ireland now. Everything, everything Ireland does is cool. yeah and if they didn't re-elect Claire Daly I really like her too she's the one that always has great

speeches about everything in Israel Palestine oh yeah yeah so by the way okay I got a message from someone before a show, and they said, hey, I want to bring my friend to your show. But they said that you are anti-Israel. And they said, so before I go to this show, I need to ask you, do you believe in Israel's right to exist? Quick, prove it. And I think I wrote back, I said, come to the show and find out. I think I wrote back. I said, come to the show and find out.

But let me make something clear with that big question. Because people always use those questions to completely not deal with the argument that you might be presenting. Right now. I don't believe in America's right to exist. I don't know what that means, a right to exist. Do things exist? Yes. Do I believe that they have a right to? Generally no.

Generally no. I don't know what this logic is. I don't have, for this, do I believe this building has a right to exist? It's not for me to answer. It's not for me to know. Do you know what I mean? Like, why would I be deciding if anyone has a right? What does that mean? Why is it on me? Yeah. Why? You know,

because you've made the decision. I have to make the decision yeah why you know yeah let's let's like go through all the countries and everything does that yeah yeah okay so this was from uh the journal uh this was written by uh simon tierney um it says opinion comedians meeting pope francis is this comedy washing and by the way This is what comedy coverage should be. Right now, comedy coverage is such a constant, oh wow, someone else is taking us seriously.

Guess what? They shouldn't take you seriously because you're fucking comedy. Comedy is not the serious thing. It's the poking fun at the serious. They should be, oh my god, we can't. Oh, we can't invite that person here. They'll make fun of it.

You know, they won't take this seriously. They might put a whoopee cushion under the Pope's seat. Yes. They might like, be like, get up to him

and give him the finger. Yes. You know, but there's no fear of that. They're going to be like, oh, they're all going to go and they'll be like, oh my God,

thank you so much for, for what? None of you like, like, I mean, some of them, I think Colbert is Catholic, like Conan maybe is Catholic. Okay can we do it should be martin short he should be coming on his on his knees and shoes as a little boy and be like oh my god i'm here to meet the bub make a joke yeah and instead what is it it's oh father oh oh and by the way the article the head of the article that like mentioned this thing it said

did you hear the one about the pope francis tells audience of comedians, it's okay to laugh at God. You don't need permission to laugh at the made-up thing holding up the institution. I mean, it's not saying that they were like, oh, thank you. But it's weird. It's a weird. It's so. It's you can't. It's the respect of power. It's the respect of power.

It's the definition of bootlicking. It's just the reason you respect a thing is because it's powerful. Do you think, like the head of any political party and the guy who gets to become pope, you think it's because they were the most moral, because they were the most spiritual, because they were the most religious? No. they were the most moral because they were the most spiritual because they were the most religious. No,

they fucking knew how to climb that slimy ladder and figure out how to properly deal, at least in this case, with the priests who were the pedophiles in a way that made all the priests okay with them. And they said, well, you know, father so-and-so, but they're also so nice.

Yeah. We'll move him over here because they don't complain about it there. That's what it takes to rise to the head of the catholic church yeah i also think that um i i just don't think that i think when it comes down to it all of them just said yes for some like credit on a resume so they could say that one like in that when they're dying oh and i was a big enough comedian the pope invited me to see you it's like being knighted or something by the evil kingdom queen in the UK. It's like this thing where you're like, yes, you can have that credit, but why?

What does it do for you? What does it, it doesn't, it feels so disingenuous. It just feels like you want to be bigger than, you've run out of things to get doing, like shows or yeah right great great new fucking joke i don't know a great new fucking sketch this is an accomplishment you got a picture with just like school like you want to be on the honor roll or something and it's like gross it's

just antithetical to what like comedy is so you know what i think i think no you didn't invite i mean listen a lot of people on this list that i respect no that's frustrating articles should be the pope invites 10 former comedians from america to kiss his ass yeah i mean listen a lot of people on that list i love but i i'm just confused i just don't understand the thought behind and listen if you went there and your your your brief visit by the way it's also strange because like you know when when a fan goes up to a celebrity and the celebrity's being gracious but the celebrity doesn't care they're just going hi yes it was like watching 10 people like do that like suddenly they

were just fans yeah they were fans of this guy yeah now if you went up yeah if you went up ready i'm the pope ready okay? Come up. Hello. What do you want? I came. You invited me. Bonjour. No. I bless you.

And what do you have to say to me? Who is this? Exactly. He doesn't know who they are. Yeah. So I'm going to read this article in full. I think it's so great. Simon Tierney.

This is in the journal. Simon Tierney, this is in The Journal. Simon Tierney, find him. When the news arrived on Tuesday that a number of Irish entertainers had been invited to an audience with the Pope, my initial thoughts moved to the iconic image of another Irish entertainer, one who took a rather more defiant approach to a different Pope on Saturday Night Live back in 1992, when she tore up his likeness on live tv how far we have traveled from a time when our artists had the courage to stand up to rome rather than become a part of the fawning attitude that surrounds this papacy papacy papacy by the way also remember like we're these are american like we don't even have a connection to this shit

yeah okay this is the this is what These are American... We don't even have a connection to this shit. Yeah. Okay. This is the... This is what? Fight the real enemy. That's Jeanette O'Connor. And I want you to... Ripping up a paper. Picture of the Pope.

On live SNL. On live SNL. Where she was like... Blacklisted after. Blacklisted. Back when, by the way, to all the comedians talking about this, that was

canceled. That was being canceled. You ripped up a picture of the Pope. Not you said a slur on a podcast three years ago. That she, by the way, she died recently and not in a great place. That should be known as

that's a badass. That's a badass. And. That's a badass. Yeah. And when you get SNL this year, I expect no less. Every week I'll be ripping up a picture. You have one line in the opening. How far we have traveled. Okay.

The theater of the Vatican, the costumes, the rarefied and secretive world of the upper echelons of the Catholic Church, the overwhelming art and architecture, tends to make celebrities and public figures obsequious. From Leonardo DiCaprio to George Clooney, they all line up to bow at the altar of Catholic dominion. When Katy Perry and Ivanka Trump had audiences, they even wore black veils out of respect. Ivanka Trump had audiences. They even wore black veils out of respect. This Friday, Tommy Tiernan, Ardell O'Hanlon, and Patrick Gielty will join many other figures

in the world of comedy, such as Chris Rock and Jimmy Fallon, for a special audience with the Pope that a Vatican spokesman says will aim to establish a link between the Catholic Church and comic artists. It seems grossly offensive at best that an organization which presided over

and aided in the cover-up of systemic child abuse could have the audacity to suggest it is now time for some laughs. Why would a comedian want to establish a link with an organization which they have traditionally satirized? Comedy has always played a hugely significant role in holding power to account of giving voice to the anguish of the nation. But beyond this, it seems baffling that a group of Irish comedians would want to lend sucker, sucker, suker, great word. Great word. Sucker. Great word we don't know. And validation to an organization which is overtly and sometimes proudly misogynistic and homophobic.

This is a great line. misogynistic and homophobic this is a great line would we give them a free pass if they attended an event hosted by a private company which didn't allow female employees or didn't authenticate same-sex employees who happen to be married no we wouldn't no we fucking wouldn't because it's in italian it's fine yeah because he says the f word in italian it's like so many things that that it's just like well we've always done this or they've always done so what you know what i mean and there's not even a thought of questioning it not even a thought of wait this is fucked up it it's it's i just and by the way some comedians who have made their fucking bread and butter out of out of making fun of trump yet yet going to with a guy whose values align 90%.

I doubt it very much. Maybe 85. But we are happy to give the church a pass because we continue to willingly give them a special status where the same rules don't seem to apply. Sinead O'Connor refused to bow at the altar of papal infallibility after her bold and timely intervention on American

television in the early 90s. She paid for her actions, getting blacklisted for a period afterwards, just like the two hosts of The Downside after their public rant, which should have just been on the Patreon. Quote, unquote, I wasn't sorry. I didn't regret it. It was the proudest thing I've ever done as an artist, explained O'Connor in the documentary film Nothing Compares. They, critics, killed me, but I didn't die.

They tried to bury me, but they didn't realize I was a seed. O'Connor isn't the only Irish entertainer to make a stand. In 2018, during the Pope's official visit to Ireland, the singer-songwriter Declan O'Rourke was invited to perform in the Phoenix Park event in front of Francis on RTE's Lifeline program. He discussed the moral dilemma he faced. I'm not a religious person. No disrespect to anyone's beliefs.

But you know, I feel the Catholic Church is responsible for so much suffering in this country. Ultimately, O'Rourke declined the invitation and took a courageous and important stand. And I want to finish it because we've read so much as it is. But it's, I feel, and I don't know if this has been America always, if this is me getting older and being closer to it. But there's just such a general respect of – or a pass of, well, of course you had to do it. It was a lot of money.

Or of course you had to do it. It was the president. Of course you had to do it. It was the pope. Well, and I'm wondering, and we'll see. I'm wondering if, because sometimes in my head, I think it's like a generational thing. I think that people slightly older than us

still like hold on to those sort of things and don't question it really. They're like, well, it's the president or well, it's a thing. I have to go to this thing that, you know, because in my mind, and I know that not everyone feels this way, but in my mind, stuff like that, it's so like, who cares? I don't know why you'd want to hang out with so many of these people or be validated by them.

I don't respect them. And then you see certain things. I don't know if you saw the news. It was like a week or two ago, that new singer that everyone's talking about, she performed at Governor's Ball, Chapel Roan, turned down the White House's invitation, and she's at the start of her career. So I'm hoping that there's younger people that have not had any sort of,

we've not seen any of the benefits of these institutions. We've not seen any of the good things from them. Went after them and said like, oh, how could you turn down this white house it's like you guys have forgotten like yeah you don't have to just play this game and get your honors and have everyone why would you feed off you why what benefit i mean she's already blowing up and like doesn't need the white house's help do you know what i mean like to it doesn't it doesn't make any sense for her to, like, as a career thing.

I just don't think, because then you're automatically, I don't know, you're just, especially in this time right now. My cynical view is just that it's about class, and it's about, like, look, I don't know. I don't think necessarily people in their 50s are preparing for, you know, areas of the world to be swallowed by

the ocean and global warming, and they want to live in their little havens. But it's a relation to that. They want to be part of just the rich class. So of course, they'll hang out with the president, because one day they might want the power to run for office, or they want the power to run for office or they want the power to to get a stamp of approval so it's so it's so nakedly power hungry to me yeah and i i don't think i think for some of them it's cool but i think for some of them it's like well they get to be part of the conversation of all the winners i just i do think that it's definitely a trade-off because it's impossible to see that sort of thing and to maintain any sort of cool factor. You're such a loser, lame person for doing that thing.

And to be like, I mean, you just imagine hanging out with those types of people. You're like, that can't be fun, hanging out with anyone at the White House or the Pope or whatever. Like, that's not fun, and it's not cool, and it's not, like, you do lose points for, you know. Would you, because the Tony Awards just happened.

Yeah. So you're there. You're nominated. You're nominated. They have a new understudy category. Hillary Clinton goes on. Yeah. The camera goes to a section that you're in.

Your next, your whole cast, everyone's standing. What are you doing? You sitting? You staying seated? You know, I thought about it last night when it happened. Hillary Clinton, she produced Suffs, which is a musical about women getting the right to vote. And as I texted you last night, I think the way it should have ended, you know, it's about, listen, we're pro-women voting on this podcast. We're pro-women voting.

100%. Yeah. But I do think it's funny that this musical celebrates it. It's produced by Hillary Clinton. And I think at the end, they should have projected over the people bowing, all the women who voted for Donald Trump. The number. The number. Yeah.

And the faces. And it would have been perfect. Listen, I... Just to contend with the reality Of the nuances Of you can't just Celebrate everything You can't just celebrate your side I'm also saying This goes for if it was any politician

Coming out on stage That we're expected to Or we're going to give a standing ovation It would be the same thing Anyone They're not going to come out on a Tony stage Ted Cruz does the Crucible Can I be honest I thought about it Anyone. Anyone. I mean, we're Republicans. I mean, they're not going to come out on a Tony stage. You think Mitt Romney's coming out? Yeah.

Ted Cruz. Ted Cruz does the Crucible. Can I be honest? I thought about it, and I thought, do you know what I would do? What? I think because of the program, I would have gone to the bathroom during it. Missed it. I don't think you get a warning.

I think so. If you're there, you know the order of things. You think it says in the playbill, Hillary's coming out? Mm-hmm. I think if i know that okay she's gonna enter i if i know that the suffice performance is coming up i know that they're gonna have her just like would you rather kill your mom or your dad i think i'd i'd go to the bathroom instead yeah that's not the option that's not the option well i'm telling you a real

life thing of how i would have dealt with it probably is leaving so i don't have to deal with it because you don't no one wants to be caught on camera like being like this because then there's then there's no way everyone just assumes you're conservative you're blah blah blah and you you can't be like no i'm radically left and you're like i'm not that radically left i just don't like i just don't i don't get the like thing the hero worshiping of it but i you know how i mean i am radically left to compared to a lot of people but like you don't have ego you took off a shirt he had a vest what if you took off a shirt he had a free pal free Palestine to make it really clear? Oh, interesting.

That's a good thing. Yeah, you stand up, you don't clap, and you have like a ceasefire shirt on. Yeah, yeah. That would have been a dramatic way to go. Hey, if there's anywhere for drama, it's the Tony Awards. Yeah, that's true. That's a great idea. That's what I would have done.

I would have needed to consult you before. But I wouldn't have thought of it Because you just forget that all of a sudden Now Hillary's at every Broadway thing So she comes out You quickly get a pen You go under your shirt And you just write it

Just write it on your bare chest Okay The presence of three Irish comedians Doesn't equate to their support of the Catholic Church Or its practices Let me disagree with this great author. Yes, it does. Yes, it does.

Wait, what does it say? It says being there doesn't mean you endorse or agree with the Catholic church. I think it does. It does. What could it possibly mean? Yeah. I mean, that's why I feel so strongly as I do is like any like pictures with politicians right now that are supporting things.

I think that does mean you are you are endorsing it but this is what they say they and i believe this is true they may sincerely feel that having an opportunity to meet with the pope could lead to constructive progress on social issues that's a that's a childish thought that at the big public grand event yeah that the pope goes like you know what let me let me hear... Also, we saw the footage. They didn't say anything. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let me hear what Jimmy Fallon's thoughts on gay people going to hell are.

They may use the meeting to express concerns or criticisms, or they may be committed Catholics, and this will be the best day out ever. These are valid and understandable positions. Disagree. However, what I do know is this. These three men are public figures in Ireland and are very popular.

They have an opportunity to make a clear stand in the face of an invitation to an event which could be described as comedy washing. For the Pope to be photographed in the company of the kings and queens of comedy, such as Whoopi Goldberg and Stephen Colbert, helps suppress the damage done by this organization. It validates its practices and helps the Catholic Church present itself as pardoned, forgiven, clean.

This jars violently with a history of clerical abuse. Should we all just put on a smile and agree that all is okay now? Or do we require our public figures to take a moral stance and demand that more atonement and reparations are required before we start adding a laugh track. Amen. Yeah. Amen.

Do you understand, by the way, how much money the Catholic Church has? Yeah. I remember when I visited, because he invited famous podcasters a couple years ago and I went. Yeah. The tour guide was like,

if you looked at every piece of artwork, I don't know why I'm giving him a New York accent, that's my only impression. If you looked at every piece of artwork I don't know why I'm giving him a New York accent That's my only impression If you look at every piece of artwork for 60 seconds In the Catholic church It would last a bajillion years And if you sold it There's no price because they're all priceless

We'll figure out a price And fucking sell it And give it to the victims of the pedophiles Comedians should never get too close to power. Where's this? Can we have this guy? Yeah. Someone tell him that we're a big fan.

Or just someone in America in terms of art, comedy, criticism, any sort of thing. Like, take a lead. This is like the kind of, we've talked about this so many times but there's no division anymore and it's like fully like there's there's such there's such again there's such a oh my god someone in power took comedy seriously and oh good for this comedian for succeeding and we like like this happens with with a prominent comedy show where like when everyone's lower level they criticize they criticize they criticize they say this is flawed they shouldn't have this politician and then the moment one of their own gets on that thing they go oh oh my god

so great and i'm like guys you can be happy someone succeeds yeah and still hold them accountable in their new position of power and still criticize that that show for putting them in part of that's that's part of a healthy system yeah it's just this thing of like we need we need um feel free when we we need things in art that can still criticize these people and and hold them accountable and and and and make fun of them in a meaningful way. And so if we're just in bed with them, it doesn't matter. They become even more powerful and the people underneath become less because we've taken away any criticism or any artistic kind of expression of criticizing them away.

And it's very frustrating because then you're like the gap keeps getting bigger and bigger between people and power do you shut up or do you talk like listen if russell and i have some level of success yeah and you see us doing some bullshit yeah you can call us out please please we've probably done bullshit here already yeah we've definitely had times where we've had a thing where it's like oh we should push back a little bit more and then we regret it and we don't. And actually it would be helpful if you let us know because I think that that makes us feel like we can do that more. And we always feel gross about it after. We always feel gross about it after if we don't push back on something that is, you know, shitty.

Comedians should never get too close to power this is why the annual white house correspondence dinner in washington dc is such an uncomfortable affair under a democrat and under a democratic administration yes ireland i love you yes uh it makes viewers queasy to see comedians sucking up to obama or biden because the role of comedy is to hold power to account not become its lapdog yeah well i think what's so frustrating is like is you see the juxtaposition of like that one year we had um you know michelle wolf do it uh for for trump and the year even when stephen colbert did it for bush like there was like you see how like, we could get in there and do that.

And then you see it when we do it for Democrats. And it's like the the illusion that like, listen, I understand the policies of Republicans feel particularly evil. But like the the illusion that somehow all the Democrats and all the people at the top of the Democratic ticket are all good people and good. The good guys. And that Hillary's the good person yeah i mean it's insane yeah it's insane just because they they they uh agreed and by the way they didn't agree with your position until they thought it was popular for their voting for their voting block they didn't until then but the idea that because they agree with you on the one issue that you take very seriously, which, by the way, this is how I this is why I had the I'm with her sticker.

Yeah, because I took I took the gay people being allowed to marry very seriously. Yeah, very obvious to me. But the idea that because they believe they agree with you or have aligned with you on a very slim set of positions does not mean they are good people. No. No. An audience with the Pope, quote unquote, is what will happen on Friday, an expression of astonishing arrogance.

It suggests that whoever is in his infallible presence is the lucky one. But in this case, the Pope is the lucky one. Because once again, the church has found a way to drive its own narrative and convince the rest of us that what they are doing is a quote-unquote step in the right direction. People will say Francis is the least misogynistic and least homophobic Pope in history. This is to celebrate the smallest of victories, the barest concessions imaginable. This is the least he can do when the road ahead is so long.

The bizarre theater that takes place every time a celebrity rocks up to the Vatican for an audience with the Pope demands to be satirized. You're welcome. The fawning over the ancient traditions, the arrival of the big man in his white cassock, the obligatory photograph. But who will satirize it all when the comedians are too distracted by the show? The downside. Simon Tierney is a journalist and a writer.

We will link to this article, even though we have read it. But really great. Really great. But truly um definitely will ferrell was invited definitely john mulaney was invited don't you think had to be had to be i'm not saying i'm not saying they turned down i'm not saying you know john did cocaine sometimes and the pope said i'm not saying they turned it down for i'm not saying they they turned it down for moral thing i'm not i'm not saying anything i'm just i'm not gonna put any words into their mouths but i'm just saying when i look at that list i do feel like

there has to be people that didn't say yes which is good but i want them to come forward and tell us come forward who's gonna be a guest on the downside this is our way to get some really big uh uh we are gonna uh cut it off here now listen you want the rest join the patreon um this is this is ultimately the Patreon. This is where we talk a little bit more out of pocket.

Yeah. And it's only $5 a month for the bottom tier. And you get access to live episodes, full episodes of these once a month and some cool stuff

from the tour. My clean comedy special, The Rats Are In Me. We're going to keep going. But bye-bye to you unpaying listeners. Downside. We're going to keep going But bye bye to you Bye Unpaying listeners Downside

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