The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi - #240 Am I Dying Right Now? with Aparna Nancherla

Episode Date: October 29, 2024

Comedian Aparna Nancherla joins to discuss the downsides of angry street performers, the upsides of your dad being an anesthesiologist, taking an adult speech class as a child, boomers in a sketch writing class, and why the war on saying “like” has gotta stop. You can watch full video of this episode HERE! Join the Patreon free for 7 days for ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and MORE. Follow Aparna on Instagram, Facebook, and X Watch Aparna in "The Great North" on FOX: https://www.fox.com/the-great-north/ Read Aparna's book, "Unreliable Narrator": https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622556/unreliable-narrator-by-aparna-nancherla/ See Aparna in a city near you: https://punchup.live/aparna Follow The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi on Instagram 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

Kick off an exciting football season with BetMGM, an official sportsbook partner of the National Football League. Yard after yard, down after down, the sportsbook born in Vegas gives you the chance to take action to the end zone and celebrate every highlight reel play. And as an official sportsbook partner of the NFL, BetMGM is the best place to fuel your football fandom on every game day. With a variety of exciting features, BetMGM offers you plenty of seamless ways to jump straight onto the gridiron and to embrace peak sports action. Ready for another season of gridiron glory? What are you waiting for? Get off the bench, into the huddle, and head for the end zone all season long.

Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions. Must be 19 years of age or older. Ontario only. Please gamble responsibly. Gambling problem? For free assistance, call the Conax Ontario helpline at 1-866-531-2600.

BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. I watched your Don't Tell set today. Oh, thanks for watching it. Object permanence is hard. It's such a good line. Oh, thanks for watching it. Object permanence is hard. It's such a good line. Oh, thanks. Such a good line.

Thanks. Welcome to the downside. My name is Jamarco Sorrezi. I'm here with... Fix the cap on this thing. It looks... Sorry. I'm here with Russell Daniels.

Hi, Jamarco. How are you doing? I'm good. How are you? And we're joined by the great partner, Manchurla. Hello. Hi, Joe Marco. How are you doing? I'm good. How are you? And we're joined by the great Aparna Nancherla. Hello. Thanks for having me. So I've been wanting to tell this story for, I saw an angry street performer and I watched the whole thing.

What? Angry by, like, on purpose or? No. Oh, okay. But for a portion, not sure. Okay. Okay. Okay.

So I kept going like. Where? I don't want to. You don't want to say. I don't want to say. Because it might be a small enough city that then people know who it is. Yeah. But I'm going to give other details.

Okay. And there's no. If a detective's listening, it's possible. Yeah. But I got to share my. I will give his full name and physical description. Well, they can see the date of where we're recording this too. Do we do the date?

Oh, do you have a pen? Do we do the date? Well, they know we're around. It's okay. We're just. So street performer. I won't say where. I like street.

I like street performers because I think it's so interesting. It's so brave. It's so brave. It's so brave. And it's just like art and function. You have to see the things that they have to do to make a stage in the middle of nowhere, to maintain that stage, to maintain an audience, to attract. To break through people just walking to do real things in their lives. It's like doing stand-up comedy and barking at the same time.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. And like, you know, how do you do and barking at the same time. Yeah. Yeah. And like, you know, how do you do that? So I always watch, I volunteer, I'll do the whole thing. Tova and I,

we did it in Australia and it was, it was fun. Yeah. He was having a better time. So, so, so it's me and my opener named Ty and, and we go there and it's,

there's not a lot of people there. Okay. There's, there's just a couple, but, but you know, he's made a stage with his rope and he's like a juggler type. A juggler type.

Especially he does like you have two sticks and you juggle another stick. Oh, yes. Of course. What's that called? No one knows. I want to say devil sticks meets juggling. Oh, devil sticks. Is that devil sticks?

Yeah. I don't know. Maybe. I had them as a kid. There was a phase. Yeah. I don't know. Maybe. I had them as a kid. Like there was a phase. Yeah, there was a phase. Yeah. Yeah.

And I grew up in Potomac, Maryland. So we're close. I know. I was going to comment on that. That's not where this street performer was though. Okay. That would be shocking. That would be shocking.

Yeah. Someone who just went through another divorce. I could see it. So, okay. So first, there's not a lot of people and he's like i can't tell if he's like that his character is like he's kind of rude or mean okay and i like it what's he dressed like um uh jeans i have i have so many videos that i decided but let me like long hair um looks like uh how you would picture like picture someone stereotypically

who's in a dungeon and dragons so there's not dressed there's not fully a costume it's more like no more just like like kind of a cool guy who's divorced divorced dad whoa wait these are all very different i know i'm not seeing a different guy like i feel like that should clarify who i'm seeing but it's getting fun. I won't show, but I will describe. I'm very bad at painting a picture like very like a terrible. I can never write a book like like Tolkien. OK, OK.

So the boots, boots like the kind of boots that someone who like dress like their Dungeons and Dragons character. OK, I get that. How would you describe that hat? Boots, like the kind of boots that someone who like dress like their Dungeons and Dragons character. Okay, okay, I get that. Oh, okay. How would you describe that hat? Oh, okay. I almost think like sort of a biker, but not really a biker. Like if you were going to audition as a biker, like in a biker gang.

Like if I was auditioning. You were raised by bikers, but you weren't of that. You were more of a juggler. I think it's more if I was going to wear a Halloweeneen costume like a biker okay and you'd be like that's not a biker so cosplay biker cosplay biker cosplay yeah yeah leather vest but like over a t-shirt okay of uh maybe a superhero uh brand yes great keeping it it loose. And his social security number was 512. So, so he, like, I'm there,

and my arms are crossed, but not like in a judgy way. Listen, I'm high. It's before my shows. It's my day to have fun. I'm in it. Sure. I'm in it. Sure. And he just goes like, uncross your arms. No one's going to steal your nipples. And I'm like, I like to be talked to. Make me feel.

If you're yelling at me and it's a character, make me feel. I do. I like that line too. Yeah, well, he's got them. He's got a lot of these lines. But then he keeps being that mean to everyone. Someone's on the phone and his line to them is like,

the cops already know I'm here. No need to call. But it's, it's, it has a little anger and it's just a little, he's not saying like you could say those both of those lines and it's fun. Yes. But he's saying it and he's a little like, what I'm gonna say is sometimes I'm always going to be like,

shut the fuck up. And you can feel that it's fun. And then sometimes shut the fuck up and you can feel something's wrong. Yeah. You're like, this isn't about what's actually happening. Yeah. So he brings on three people and, you know, three beats of like this juggling.

One person has a stick. The other person has like a bigger stick. Keep it a fake. And then my opener, he gets picked much to chagrin. And he has like a pitchfork, let's say, because it's what it was. And he does the stick first. then he does the bigger object. And then he does the bigger object and he goes like, you know, I hold four world records in a boat or devils, whatever.

And I was like, he kept trying to, I don't know what the word would be, but like validate his art by telling us his accomplishments in a way where I was like, no need. Yeah. And also how many people are you competing against for that world record? It's great. It's great.

Probably more than you think. More than we think. Maybe. Yeah. But there was just a lot of like, I mean, the number of times about just coming back from Edinburgh and in a way where I was like, we're, it was one of those where you don't-

He's trying to recoup his funds. Sure, but we're there. We're there. Who are you mad at? We're here. No, totally. It's the teacher going, guys, you got to show up on time.

And you go, well, the people who need to hear it, they're not here for this. So he goes one beat, then he does his thing and I'm cheering, I'm wooing. And then he goes, normally that gets an applause Alright we're not gonna

We're not gonna We're gonna try this again In an hour We're gonna try this again In an hour Meanwhile my opener He's the third beat He's standing in the middle

Of the stage with a pitchfork He just goes You can give the pitchfork back So he ends it And I'm like I'm like just do the third beat Just do the third beat You cannot do the third beat

And it's truly like If I was to say Knock knock who's there? Boo, boo, who? You know what? We're not going to do this. I think we'll try again in an hour. Finish.

Wow. That's a funny performance art thing, though. To be like a character that plays like a magician that never does the trick because he's too mad at the crowd. Like the blue balls performer. He always leaves them. He never does the trick because he's is so mad and can't focus on anything else other than how bad the crowd is yeah well by the way i want to make this a stage piece and i want you to do it okay i want to i want to set up a play where it's you think it's a

street performance but it's like really you see a man have a breakdown on stage yeah so he says we'll try again in an hour so i say to ty i say we're coming back in an hour. He literally says we'll try again in an hour. Yeah. So we go back an hour later. We're two minutes in and on stage are three people holding the three things. So he's going now. Okay. But again, he's just, he's just, he's angry.

And he keeps, so much of it is about telling people. I can't believe you went back. Oh, I went back. I went back and I had my phone this time. And at some point he said to me again, he goes, he goes, put your phone away. If you applaud with that, you're going to break your screen. And I'm pretty sure insurance doesn't cover stupidity. And it's like, it's not, the vibe isn't right.

No. The vibe isn't right. And so he has a little girl there and she's going to throw the stick to him. And he has his stick and he's commanding her. so when i go like this you throw the stick don't worry i'm not gonna hit you i'm not your dad and the audience goes and the audience goes and the audience goes and he goes he goes all right listen my dad hit me all the time and i'm fine oh now it's all wrong it's all wrong and and they says fine. Oh my God. It's all wrong. It's all wrong.

And they says, little girl, we know your dad doesn't hit you, right? Say yes. It's just like everything, every beat is wrong. Oh my God.

Every beat is wrong. And he's just, it's constant, just the constant like clap. And I get why he needs the people to clap because he needs the noise to bring more people in.

This is part of it. But he's just doing it in such a way. He goes, guys, stand on the rope. I didn't have to tell the people in Edinburgh that. And I'm like, well, buddy, you're not in Edinburgh anymore. I don't know what to tell you. Why are you mad at us? We're here.

And, okay, so I want to... He keeps bringing up... He has a kid. And he keeps bringing up the kid, obviously, to give him money. You know? Sure, that's great. But he goes like this. He goes, and I have an ex-year-old son. And if that offends any of you, you can leave.

And I'm like, who does that offend? Wait, just having a son? I think maybe as a single dad. Wait, what? Wait, did he say he was a single dad? I think he goes like, I'm a single dad and I have a son. I'm not saying the ages if that matters. I have a five-year-old son.

And if that offends anyone, you can leave. And I'm like, I don't think anyone. Because why? Honestly, I think it was one thing though, both political parties could get behind right now. It's that you have a son and you haven't killed him. I guess. Is that the other option?

And you haven't abandoned him. Also, he has such a weird gauge of what you would be offended by. Yeah. Cause then he also did a joke about domestic violence. He did a domestic violence. And I wish I could remember the other two. He did a nine 11 joke.

And then he did a trans joke. He did a trans joke too. And it was just like remember the other two. But he did a 9-11 joke, and then he did a trans joke. He did a trans joke, too. And it was just like, it was a light one, but it was one of those where it's like, why? Why? Yeah, yeah. Why? It's the juggling of the boat oar. Must have worked in Edinburgh when he was.

People in Edinburgh loved it. People love domestic violence in Edinburgh. All those things that worked there. He's so frustrated. It doesn't work with an American audience. Oh, yeah. Was he American? He was not American.

Oh. Further north. I don't know why that's so important. Further north. Oh, okay. Further Canadian. Okay. Okay.

And apparently someone told me later they said Canadian street performers are mean. I'm sure that's a broad brush. We might have some listeners that are Canadian street might have some listeners. Way in Canadian. I want to emphasize like he was talented. Like what he was doing. Not the joke writing. I wasn't like, hey, let's get you on at midnight. But like after midnight.

But he was, the juggling was cool. Okay. So because the juggling seems like the actual act. Yes. And then maybe the people skills seems like the actual act. Yes. And then maybe the people skills needs to catch up. People skills needs some work. And so then he asked for more volunteers. And I'm pretty stoned.

But of course I volunteer. And he's doing like a thing. There's a bed of nails. Oh, God. And so like we don't. But he also has a chainsaw too. And he. What? And so like, we don't, but he also has a chainsaw too. And he's like,

he's doing a chainsaw juggling and there's this. So I just volunteer and I was scared. I think I got in my head. I got that. Rightly so. I got that stone thought in my head

where basically, ultimately where we were going to go. First, he talked about the bed of nails and he talked about how it was like, he took off his vest and the back of his shirt is missing and it's because it's not because he couldn't afford it it wasn't that he said he said like he said like in india to do this with a shirt on is considered like sacrilegious but he's not allowed to be bare where in the city

that we were performing in. So he does, you know, the half. He did a workaround. But then meanwhile, he says, he says, I've only done this once with a shirt on and it was in some other country where I was the first street performer ever

and they paid me handsomely for it. And when he said that, I said, I said, oh, buddy, mixed messages. You got the sun. We got to give you money. And now you're saying you're paying handsomely. We got to get this act together. I don't know if we needed any of that information.

Like we would have been fine with the half shirt just going through the trip. We don't need the legality of it in that city. And like where it's where it's where it's welcome. But that's the thing. There was there was this constant. He said multiple times he's and this is at the second show. He said, this is the smallest show i've ever performed for and i was like buddy i was at the one that got canceled

no it's not i've seen a smaller show today that you perform for oh man and so we we go up there and we're supposed to like he's gonna lie in the bed of nails and a girl's gonna walk first he had us pick him up and put him onto the bed of nails. You picked him up. Oh, yeah. And I was not ready for it at all. And we couldn't. We got him on there, but I think we got him too far leaning my way.

So we had to like pick him up. What did he say when he said move? Knees over. Knees over. And so then we pick him up again. I'm leaning over a bed of nails. And my shirt's on. And it's apparently sacrilegious.

And so it's very stressful. And then we're supposed to hold this girl. It's her volunteer. We're supposed to hold her hand, arms out. She's going to walk on him. Yes. But before this, he's doing chainsaw juggling. And I have this intrusive thought. I go, he's having a breakdown. We're witnessing him on the day he breaks down.

My arm is like this. He's going to cut off my arm. And I'm stoned. So this thought is, and He's going to, my arm is like this. He's going to cut off my arm. And I'm stoned. So this thought is, and it's very important that my arm is straight to hold this girl over the thing. And I'm having this thought of like, and I lose my arm and I'm like, I'm like planning. I'll dive this way. You know, you're planning. How am I going to get out of this?

He's going to cut off your arm so he can get to your nipples. He's playing a long game so so you know he talks to the girl he does a quick like so you're gonna walk over he doesn't want to give it away he says you're gonna walk over a pillowy substance are you okay with that and he's like clearly doing the legalese language like if she falls which she totally could All these things you remember when you're younger, you're like, oh, it's safe. And then we go, no, it's not. Not at all. Not at all.

And we carried him over. But then at some point we're carrying her over and there was a woman filming this whole thing. And part of me was like, maybe I want footage of all of this. And she's starting to pack up to go. And she's been filming the whole thing. And I need to indicate to her to wait while i'm holding this girl with one arm over the nail bed so i'm just like yeah why is she packing up now i don't know yeah but ultimately girl made it over my arm's still here and i want to emphasize again

he was he was good at what he did just was having he having. He was having a bad day. I don't know, though. Seems like. It seems like. Yeah. We don't know how his Edinburgh trip was. It's a part of his act a little because it seems like it was so in there. He might have had a lot like riding on Edinburgh and then like. Or he's jet lagged.

Yeah. Oh. Gets back and it's like maybe didn't. You know, that's a lot of money and time and effort. I just think there's you cannot win an audience's favor by talking about all your previous accomplishments. No, no. It never works. Well, it's the same thing with comedians, too, when you're like seeing a comedian not do well and they're like they start talking about how like it's your fault and like it goes.

It's other audiences have like. Like that'll win them over. Yeah. And then you were like, well, I don't know what to tell you. We laughed at other people in the lineup tonight. You know what I mean? Like it's just like, it's that thinking that's like, oh, it's never going to work. You ever see Richard Pryor's son perform at the Apollo?

No. So he didn't, he's, you know, he's not a comic. He's not a comic at all? I mean, you know. So he didn't. He's not a comic. He's not a comic at all? He's a comic. He's performed 10 times. But he starts getting booed. He's doing like some rough Trump-Putin material. Okay. Just some rough impressions where you don't have the impression.

Yeah. It's a phone call and it's like, hey baby, how are you? Huge. Just like we're talking rough which one was which I know I couldn't tell can I be honest I started I started as Trump and then I said well I don't have a Putin so I just did two

Trumps I did two Trumps you did two Trumps I was like wait a second yeah and so he starts getting booed I did two drums. You did two drums. I was like, wait a second. Yeah. And so he starts getting booed. And then at some point he goes, do you know who my father was? Oh, no.

This is. That feels scripted to me. Yeah. So bad. You're listening to The Downside. The Downside. Withzi welcome to the downside my name is marcus cerezi if you're a fan join the patreon patreon.com slash downside bonus episodes two every month early access to episodes commercial free and uh uh subscribe to the spotify even if you watch just for fun help us get get those ads. Aparna, I'm so happy to have you. Thank you for having me. I,

I've, I've, you're like, you know, I started comedy in 2017 and there's just like, there's, there's, there's a certain degree of like people I knew as comedians before I started.

Yeah. Who still have that like glow of like, oh my God. Like it's, it's just still is cool. Yeah. And I'm the biggest BoJack fan in the world. Oh.

Does it, is it, because you're in a recording booth alone for most of it. Yeah. Is it a weird thing? Like, do you feel a part of it? Or is it like, I just saw everyone at a couple of press events over the years.

I mean, not even that. Cause I was in New York. Most of the cast was in LA. So I would record just like in a little booth with the director, Raphael, and then cable reads, I would just call in. So that would feel even more surreal. Yeah. Yeah. So I never and I never did any like press or anything. So it almost feels like a weird dream that I'm like, oh, wait, I guess I'm on this show. feels like a weird dream that I'm like oh wait I guess I'm on this show and you know obviously it's a show that a lot of people like love and like deeply resonate with and yeah I'm always

like they're always like hollyhock and I'm like yep sure yeah do I just do does anyone ever record together anymore at all or is that or those days always on another show on fox called um not another show on fox but uh a show on fox called the great north and we just started doing group records again with whoever's available and it's so much more fun so much yeah you can like play off of each other you can just like hear people you love being funny yeah it's just it's a fully different experience than recording alone obviously it's just, it's a fully different experience than recording alone, obviously. It's like, maybe it was Ian McKellen.

I think if he was Lord of the Rings, I think it was Lord of the Rings and he was doing like a bunch of scenes where he had to just do it to tennis balls and apparently he was on set and he started crying and he was just like, this is not what I wanted to do.

This is not what acting was. Especially tennis balls. It's really funny to imagine him in that costume crying. Just like sadly on a stoop. Just like fully dressed like a wizard. So depressed. So you

grew up in McLean. And I didn't realize you were from Potomac. Yeah, it's Potomac sucks. I've never written one joke about Potomac. What do you were from Potomac. Yeah. Potomac sucks. I've never written one joke about Potomac. What do you write about Potomac? There's nothing.

It's boring. It's a bunch of miserable. It's like a proof that money doesn't buy happiness. That should be the slogan of Potomac, Maryland. Have you ever watched Real Housewives of Potomac just for... What I've been told is that no one in Potomac would sign off on that show. So everyone in the show is from Baltimore. Oh. I've heard that there's no one from Potomac on that show.

Oh my God. That's not the Potomac I knew. How far is Potomac, Maryland from like Washington, D.C.? Like a 30 minute drive. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah.

So Baltimore is like, I went to Baltimore three times growing up. Is it the like rich suburbs of? Yes. Okay. Yes. Yeah. Got it the like rich suburbs of? Yes. Okay. Yes. Yeah. Got it.

What's McLean like? McLean is also like a pretty rich suburb, I would say. It's like upper middle class. Yeah. Maybe. Yeah. A lot of like DC people, diplomats. I mean, I like performing in DC, but I.

Yeah. Yeah. DC audiences are great. That's where I started. Yeah. Yeah. So you, you were born in McLean. I was born in DC. Yeah. Yeah. So you were born in McLean? I was born in DC, yeah.

In DC? I grew up in McLean, yeah. And your parents, they immigrated from India in the 70s? Mm-hmm. Wow. Oh, yeah. Where did they, did they go to DC originally? My dad kind of lived all over the US.

I think he was like in Baltimore, then he was in Texas, then he was in Arkansas, and then sort of ended up in D.C. And then I think my mom joined him at some point because he was here first, and then they got married and she came over. He was here first? Yeah, yeah. How long? Maybe just like a year or two. Uh-huh.

And they're both doctors? Mm-hmm. What kind of doctors? My dad's an anesthesiologist and my mom's an endocrinologist. Now, anesthesiology, I feel like, is that something that people make fun of as doctors? Yes. And why is that? Because they have access to a bunch of hard drugs.

Is their, and you may be biased, Is their job just as complicated? Or do they have that, is their main task to put people under before surgery? Yes, and then kind of like make sure. It's high risk. Yeah, it's high risk. Because you're like putting people under and, you know. Because when I was a kid, I sort of thought what you thought where I was like, you're putting people to sleep and that's all you do? Yeah, yeah, yeah. of thought what you thought where i was like you're putting people to sleep and that's all you do like yeah you have to monitor everything to like make sure during the you know yeah thing

that they stay under and then don't go too far under you know yeah yeah yeah yeah i'm familiar with the whole i'm just saying i but okay but yeah there i guess there's a like stereotype that they are all like you know abusing or or is there like a thing i feel like i i feel like i was at it was in college once where it was like people they choose to be that because it's good money maybe it's just like a more yeah it's direct yeah yeah mclean um have you been put under before i've had surgery one time i had had jaw surgery. So that was maybe like a four hour operation. To me, I've had one. You?

Yeah, I got my appendix out. Right. But you were a kid. Yeah, I was 12. It's the scary. It was so scary that I think the second time is going to be a lot worse for me. Yeah. Preparation wise, because it was the most horrifying experience

my tonsils are too i think they do that too for that but did they i think so i remember being asleep and then awake what was the scariest part for you because for me i was just like oh i'm just not gonna wake up again and do i have all my affairs in order sure that part's pretty scary um i don't know if i need more but no no, I'll tell you the part that shocked me. I thought like my friend Rob came, an old college friend. I thought it'd be like, I love you, buddy. All right. One hundred ninety nine. No, it's it's I love you, buddy. Wheel, wheel, wheel, wheel, wheel, wheel you alone. You're now alone. They wheel you into a room. You're just wheeling. And then you look up and there's this there was this this lights like a dentist thing but bigger and it's it's so and you're you're in

a chamber that could be used for torture and there were all there was machines like like something was moving around me but they i started sobbing and a nurse uh and i don't know if she had any other job but she just started rubbing my chest and just like it's okay it's okay yeah and then and then eventually i i'm asleep you know that It's okay. Yeah. And then, and then eventually I'm asleep. You know that you feel it a little bit of cold. Yes. And then, and then that's it. And did you feel like, I felt like I was asleep for two seconds and then they were like, you're done.

Yeah. It was worth to say, I don't even remember. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Did you, if I had a dad who was anesthesiologist, I'd say, you do it. You do it. You, you do it. Wait. You do it.

You do it for my surgery. That's too much pressure. Well, it was my dad's hospital where I had the surgery, but then I was like, obviously you're not going to do my anesthesia. That's weird. Why? Because too much pressure. Too much pressure.

No, the right amount of pressure. No, you want. Exactly. No, you don't want. You need a lot of pressure. You don't want someone nervous. No. Like, oh, this is my daughter. You know, you want someone that's like it's like uh just another day

you know yeah yeah you know just another day i don't want someone like like shaking and like doing it you know it's so much but i do get your point in another way because it is his colleague and it's like you fuck my daughter yeah that's true yeah true But I will say when I woke up You have a little clicker For your pain meds And he kept being like you gotta push this more Oh yeah I was pushing it all the time But he was like

I didn't have one of those And do you feel like you feel the body go Not immediately And it prevents you from like Overdosing I was in the hospital for a week go not immediately not immediately and they it prevents you from like overdosing because sometimes i remember i was in the hospital for a week which is very long time for for appendicitis but um i remember like pushing it and being like there lay would be like you can't like you've had enough you know what i mean like we're cutting you off last call last call i am thankful that i had a 12

because i i was not scared i mean back now, my parents were terrified. Right. And I had no thought in my head that maybe I could die. You know what I mean? Like, sure. I was not. I was like, oh, yeah, this seems like crazy, you know, like, you know. But yeah. I bet you, though, that if you did a study and you said percentage of people who died being put under anesthesiology and you compare that random doctor versus doctor who was partners with the father of the patient

that that I bet you I bet you the number would make you want to throw up because you'd go well this is the only way to have surgery I now need to own I mean truly though no you're right it's not when you go to when you go to a hospital for a long enough time you go oh this is their workplace and this guy's in a bad mood and And this guy's kind of forgetful. There's going to be a doctor like that street performer who's like, when I was at Bellevue, everyone loved what I did. And you know what he probably does? He probably does take your nipples. Yeah. And then do you remember it?

Endocrinologist. Endocrinologist. What is that? That's the endocrine system, which is a lot of glands. It's like your thyroid, your pancreas, a lot of hormonal stuff. Like my mom's specialty is diabetes. But also a lot of metabolic disorders, hormonal disorders. And what does she, does she, is she prescribing stuff?

Yeah. Okay, cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like managing people's conditions. Who's, based on living with her, whose job was harder? My dad's hours are more intense because the hospital, the shifts are just longer. But then my mom had a private practice. So then it's like you're kind of always on the clock because people are like, I need a refill or whatever.

Sure. Yeah. Did you, are you have any hypochondria no because i feel like i grew up where my parents were always like you're fine like i see people who are way worse than you like you're not sick go to school sure yeah how old were you when you got the jaw surgery i was like in my 20s oh okay yeah yeah i didn't have any surgeries as a kid i didn't break any bones I didn't have any surgeries as a kid. I didn't break any bones.

You didn't break any bones? What were you doing? You getting out? You doing sports? I was a scaredy cat. Sure. Yeah. Sure. I was an indoor kid.

What was your first broken bone? I broke my ankle in fifth grade. Okay. I fell down a slide. I was trying to walk down a slide. Oh, yeah. Like being a goofball? Yeah.

And it was at a party where there wasn't a lot of kids. It was like my parents were at a party. They were adults. And I was kind of like me and one or two other kids that were there. And there was a playground thing. And I fell. And I laid there for a long time thinking like. Do you think your parents were finishing a conversation?

And I remember this little girl was like, are you are you okay she asked me a lot of questions i was like i'm in a lot of pain i'm in a lot of pain and she was like finally she went and told the party that you didn't cry you're just getting up no i was like you know when you're in like so much pain you're like you're like oh i've never experienced this kind of pain and you can't stand on something and so uh so just laying there and then so finally she went and told people that i couldn't walk and then they came they left the party helped me we had to go to the hospital man that's gotta suck as a parent so bad to just be like what happened yeah i think i told the story one time though in fifth grade it was right before we'd like

graduated from fifth grade to go to sixth grade so i had to be on crutches and I remember one time we were going to I think like practice like our moving up day ceremony yeah and they'd let me leave early and take the elevator because I was on crutches so it took a long time and I they had just um like waxed the floor and I'm like going down and I get to the elevator and I both crutches went out and I fell on the floor and like was like both crutches went flying in opposite directions and I was just like on the floor and then my whole class like walked by on the way to the auditorium as I was like laying on the floor and she's like Russell Russell. Oh, my God. And like. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I feel like truly you have no dignity as a child.

None. No dignity. So. So you were a shy kid. Yeah. And then. You. You're your mom. Wanted. Did your parents go, oh, you're shy. And then You Your mom

Wanted Did your parents go Oh you're shy You need to get out there I think they just wanted me to be Because I was shy But I was also like Really scared of everything

I had a lot of anxiety So I think my mom Was just always Trying to find ways To kind of like Push me out More into the world Like get me out of the nest

In McLean Was it Was there Were there other First generation immigrants From India Or was it was there were there other first generation immigrants from india or was it it was pretty diverse i mean i think because there's like a lot of diplomats there's a lot of just international yeah that's good yeah um so so you started what you took a a speech class public speaking class. Public speaking class. Yeah.

Part of school? No. My mom just found it in the, like, community center. For other kids? No. No, you're with adults. For adults. Oh, wow.

How old were you? 11. Wow. Did you, were you like, were you like, cool, let's do this? Or were you like, please don't make me go? I think my mom had, like, were you like, cool, let's do this. Or were you like, please don't make me go. I think my mom had like, like some of the other ones, like she wanted me to be an ice skater. And I was like, okay, well, public speaking, at least I like have, have no mobility issues. I can just sit in a room.

Could you ice skate at all? Or was this a total fantasy? Yeah, I took some lessons, but yeah, it was not my forte. Yeah. My dad would have loved it if I did sports. He held on. He kept going like, yeah, you love football. He kept saying to me like, you love football. You don't have a body for football, you know?

You're so skinny and tall. Like it's like basketball. Yeah, basketball. No, listen, we tried. Men's volleyball. Men's volleyball. Oh, listen, we tried men's volleyball. Oh yeah. I don't think we had like, I don't think my high school had a men's volleyball.

We do. Yeah. Volleyball is not, I guess in all high schools. It was like a, I went to a private school. Yeah. We had a private school in McLean. I went to briefly.

I went to weirdly enough, the Potomac school. Really? In McLean. Yeah. Oh my God. Yeah. And that is a, that's a private school. mclean i went to briefly i went to weirdly enough the potomac school really and mclean yeah oh my god yeah um and that is a that's a private school that's a private school and then you went to public after that yeah i went to a magnet high school i don't know sometimes i wish i had gone i don't know there's times i i had like a good theater life because of private school but i also think i was coddled in a way that didn't prepare me for life. Oh.

But I don't know. Was it a very small school? The first was like, yeah. I mean, I think comparatively, probably 60 something kids in the grade. That's tiny. And it was like a school, like great arts and old Christian echoes.

Like we did the Christian prayer and there was a cross at the assembly. But also like, you know, we had an openly gay teacher in it. But there was also occasionally controversy if he talked about it. But it was still good. It was still good.

And then I went to Georgetown Day School in DC for high school. Oh my gosh. And that was like cool, liberal. They did a mock election once and one person voted for Bush in the whole high school. Oh my God.

Wow. That's not going to prepare you for the real world. No. That's wild. No way. So that speech class. Yeah. Did you like it?

Were you, what was it like? I think it felt weirdly, like, I think it was my first foray into like understanding how stand up works, because it is like when you're writing a speech and presenting it to people, there's just like a measure of control you have that I think felt better than like, you know, talking to a stranger at a party where it's like, you know what you're going to say, you know how to deliver it. Like, I like that part of it, whereas it felt like a script for how to deliver it um like i liked that part of it whereas it felt like a script for how to interact with yeah i get that yeah someone someone i did my silver lining show here and someone after commented as i was talking to people after the show they're like you're so good at that and i'm like it's so crazy because if i am i've never been a social person i've never been a party but in that role i know exactly what we're doing. You're here.

I just want you to feel like we had a moment. And I know exactly what's happening. Yes. But socially, I'm a nightmare. It's a disaster. I'm quiet. I'm shy. I'm a phone guy.

Did you have a final presentation for the speech class? I think so. I don't remember what the topic was, but I was a bad student in that. Like I would always write my speech right before class. Was it like pick a point of view or was it like. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It would be like, talk about your three favorite movies or something like that. Yeah.

Do you remember any of the other adults in that class? Do you remember them being like. I think they were all like you know office employees that were told to like work on their presentation skills or whatever like i think they were probably like because my sibling was also in the class they're probably like why are there kids here yeah yeah like i would have been pissed if i was an adult and i was like why are there kids in my i'm paying good money for this why am I going to listen to this kid

my three favorite movies would be really scary and I try to scare the kid out of the class yeah no I mean clearly people need sometimes you'll see someone publicly speak and you go oh I guess you do need a class

I guess yeah well even like now with the election coming people are like you know when you watch and you go, oh, I guess you do need a class. Yeah. I guess, yeah. Yeah. Well, even like now with the election coming, people are like, you know, when you watch certain politicians speak, you're like, oh, this really is a skill. It's so shocking because if a politician does like mid, people are like, oh my God, what an incredible performance. I know, what a tour.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It really is astounding how low the bar is. And then you'll see something like Jesse Jackson and you'll go, oh, how did you not take over the world? You're an incredible speaker. Well, even just realizing when you

have that kind of charisma when you talk, yeah, exactly. You could easily form a cult overnight. Definitely. That's why Trump, he's a good... But I'm like, Like, yeah, exactly. You could like easily form a cult overnight. Yeah. Yeah. That's why Trump, he's a good. But I'm like, is he a good speaker?

I think. Well, he's. I think the thing is. If you make anyone do four hours, you're going to get rambling. Sometimes he's funny. Like sometimes there's like a thing he does that's like, that's funny. But I think that lately, especially, it's like all over the map oh yeah you know it's wild let's like but there's that video where someone just got a video of him he

points to somebody goes and and you see it and you go like i don't know man something about you is really charming like it's horrible to say it's horrible to say but he looks at someone goes and it's it's it's and goes. And it's so. First of all, it's so flamboyant in a way where I'm like, I don't understand how you became the head of this. He's fully a Disney villain. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That and the, like, putting his middle finger to the. Someone flicks him off on the opposite end of the glass.

And he just, like, put his thing like this. What? He put his middle finger on the glass like this. It's so funny but i think that's probably why i think that's probably why it really pops in that atmosphere because that atmosphere is so heteronormative and so there's not a lot of like fun sassiness and then he comes in there and he goes sure i'll take up all your views and fine here's a little sass for you you guys have real been depleted on sass Like is he doing cabaret? Wait I just thought of

The opposite of you taking class With all adults is one time I was in a UCB class and there was an old man Oh I love when there's an older person Usually yes But this guy It was a writing class And all of his sketches were so dark in a way that is like, in a way that like you would see the like a parody of like a real estate show where they're showing the house.

Uh, the whole thing was that the real estate agent wanted to fuck the kid in the house. Like, like, like was a pedophile. And every joke was like ended every like beat ended with like the, the real estate agent being caught,

like trying to like grab the kid. And, and we got to the end of it. And like, we were all, you know, they make the actors read it. They make the people in the room read it.

So we're all reading it and we're all like, there's no footage of this anywhere. Hope no one's recording this. Um, I saw the teacher. What did you play? I saw the teachers years later. I played the little boy.

That was just like no probably the least the best role you could have gotten yeah just the one that just keeps saying no please don't did he play the real estate person no he wrote it so he was just like listening oh my gosh but anyways I saw the teacher years later and I was like

hey I have to ask you if you remember Oh my gosh But anyways I saw the teacher years later And I was like hey I have to ask you if you remember She was like yeah Like before I even like said The sketch of what it was She remembered because it was so disturbing It was so wild anyways I'd love to see that

Think of like when you're a young comedian And you're like you're going for shock value Yes yes that's what it was And he just like didn't find comedy when you're a young comedian and you're like, you're going for a shock value. Yes. Yes. That's what it was. Like didn't find comedy until later, but it's like, Oh no, you know, and she,

and she tried to be like, well, this is just upsetting. Like you gotta like dark is funny. If you can find like what there's like, and he was just like, this is what I want to put. Like,

he was like very, um, he was very aggressive. He's like, this is what I want to put. He was very aggressive. He's like, I will not compromise my vision. Pedophile real estate agent is like, I'm going to die on this hill. I love, I love, I want to see the actor who had to play the real estate person. Just being like, well, this could be a library or the kid fucking room. Oh man, it was so

dark. And it was like he was an author or something and he was trying to... I forget why he was there. But it's such the wrong... When you start comically, you go to that because you need something that's... It's a big turn. It's crazy.

But then you add to that the darkness that comes that's it's, it's a big turn. It's crazy. Yeah. But then you, you add to that, the darkness that comes with being closer to death and birth and being an older person. It's like, you're going to get some of the, the most monster shit you've ever seen in your life. Yeah. Oh,

wow. If you told me my dad like took a sketch writing class, I'd, I'd be like, I'd have to stop it. I mean, who knows you'd stop doing sketches would he would he would your dad want to take a sketch writing class

yeah well he always he always says he has this idea he's like i want you to write this movie it's called my wife's boob job and that's it that's all he gives me and i guess i'm supposed to take it from there and i'm like that's not even a full log line. What about the wife's boob job? But he's like, that's as far as he gets. But he's like brought it up, I mean, for years and years. You're writing the movie about your mom. And so, but like you would call it my wife's boob job.

No, but I don't think, I think it's about my former stepmom. It's about multiple women that my dad has bought boobs for. You're writing it as if you're your dad. Yeah. And it's just like the grievances. It's like portraits of many women through the lens of the boob job. Yeah. Yeah.

That makes it sound a little bit more feminist than I think the final product will be. that makes it sound a little bit more feminist than I think the final product will be. I think it's more like, Oh, you, you, you want, you,

you want the shoes. I just got you the tits. That's I imagine the biggest joke of the movie. Every new character, it starts off like showing who they are and be like, and then after they get their poop job, he's like, yeah,

you know, that's yeah. There definitely is that sequence. There's definitely a job, he's like, yeah. Yeah, there definitely is that sequence. There's definitely a sequence where he's with the doctor and he's like showing like the cup size. He goes, oh, yeah, definitely. Definitely where he puts them in his ego. Oh, yeah. Just seeing the montage. I'm like, this movie writes itself.

He wants my dad. he broke his wrist and i saw him like anesthesia or post anesthesia yeah and he kept like he kept talking about like he loves heels okay he loves heels and he's like he's like a like he always goes like the shoe or like heels like women in heel heels oh no, no. With a shoe. Okay. Love that little little bone. A little bigger on the heel. Can't get enough of these heels.

But then at some point in his high rever, he was like, I'd wear heels. I'd wear, like it just like it opened up and I was like, there we go. There we go. Part of your misogyny is tied to something you might actually like to try but there's no room in this world it felt like I got a little peak

he wants to put on the heels maybe I mean high heels were originally a man's shoe they were for riding horses yeah to hook into the little whatever the where your feet go and then they got off the horse and said, hey, your ass looks really good too. And you go, functionality inspires fashion.

They were like looking really. The Sephora Savings Event is here. World in my hand, I'll take this and that. And that. Ooh, and this. Oh, it's true. Find everything you want on sale at the Sephora Savings Event. It only happens twice a year, and it's on now through November 11th.

Find brands like Rare Beauty, Glow Recipe, Valentino, K18, and more, all for less. Shop at Sephora today. Limitations apply. Must be a beauty insider. See terms at sephora.com for complete details. 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 brulee latte along on your impromptu catch-up. These are sips worth sharing. So come together and find your holiday magic

only at Starbucks. Were you edgier when you started comedy, when you first started? No, I think there's a few jokes that I'm like, eh, probably wouldn't have told that anymore. But I think that was just from doing bar shows when I started and being like, all right, here's one for you guys. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because clearly you do not like what I have to say um but yeah not really i didn't

really go the shock route i think i went maybe overly weird where i was just it's like is it a joke sure just a thought i had that i thought was great and you it's it's i always i started so i i really started comedy like at LL Comedy Club. And so I felt like I, like it just like bad audiences where I just had to learn how to, to kill. Yeah. Or just, or just functionally. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like keep your head above water.

Yeah. And I think sometimes I just go like, I don't even know if I, if, if I would have made it in the weirder world or like, I'm just, I'm always amazed. How do people come from the kind of more alt version to ultimately figuring out still keeping your weirdness, but being functional? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a weird line. I mean, I think sometimes it is like when I do like, you know, certain club environments, they are like kind of like okay but what what like I can tell there's like a little bit lost in translation sure but I think it's kind of like I'm I'm like that's okay like that's okay that I don't fully translate to you guys yeah you're since you I guess you're not on Twitter anymore.

I am like I guess erratically in the way people are like, is she here? I don't know. Sure. She remembers the app once a month. As someone who's so good at Twitter and as text jokes and stand-up, I'm just curious. We don't get too deep into it, but I am curious. What did you, what's the difference between writing a joke on Twitter or a text based tight joke and like stand up? Because I know so many people who are incredible at Twitter and I go like, why can't you just

figure out which ones to string together to make stand up work? But you have the ability to do both. I think I'm not. I think Twitter kind of taught me how to condense stuff because I think I'm naturally long winded or like I overwrite. And so stand up teaches you to do that, too. But I think especially when you have like that character limit, you really have to be like, what is a joke from point A to point B? Like, what's the fastest way to get there? Whereas like, I feel like with standup,

you can meander a little bit more. You can kind of like be a little more conversational with it. So I think I just, they feel like different skills to me. Sure. Yeah. Sure. Yeah.

I'm just always amazed when they're like great joke writers on, on Twitter or wherever now. And it doesn't seem, they can't seem to translate it. And I almost want to be like, oh, let me, let me just show me your tweets and let me try to, let me tell you which ones are going to work or how to rearrange this. Yeah. Where there's a shock to it. Right. I also feel like with standup, you kind of have to have a vibe too. Sure.

Yeah. you kind of have to have a vibe too. Sure. Yeah. And sometimes that's hard when, with comedy writers where it's like, they have a very sharp mind and like really good at crafting jokes. But then when they're on stage, maybe they're not,

they're not necessarily like able to figure out like their vibe. Totally. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, so your first open mic, when was it? What year? I did. I did my first open mic when was it what year

I did my first open mic I think when I was 20 so I think that was actually like in DC at like a Best Western off the Beltway oh wow yeah it was this club called Wise Acres Wise Acres yeah

like wise guys and they just said acres I guess. That's a rough. Just like an open mic night? Yeah. Wow. Yeah. How long?

Do you have five minutes? I think it was, yeah, five minutes. Wow. Yeah. But so. But then I didn't do it again for like, like I performed, performed like maybe a couple times in college at like student coffee houses. But then I didn't really start pursuing it until I was like 26 and had graduated. And you graduated with a degree in

psychology. Was there any thought of I'm going to be a psychologist? I did some like research work, but I really just majored in psychology because it was the only subject I found interesting because you can directly apply all of it. It fun i took ap psych in high school yeah and of any class i took in my whole life it's always the one that i'm always like i remember this thing from ap psych it was so cool yeah and it's like directly relevant to like human behavior you can kind of like notice it everywhere yeah yeah i wish that would have been i should have gone to college for that i think i took child psychology because I was going to be a teacher. Because of that role you read for.

And I remember nothing from it. I remember no part of my brain retained anything in terms of like remembering child psychology. I just love, I love like the marshmallow experiment. And then you read later that like they're all they're all non-repeatable they did it was so we had a psychologist on and it was like there was some meta study recently and it was like two-thirds of all the classic studies are bullshit and you're like well what now what do i do with my brain it's all there i know i know so now i'm like uh now i just don't the bystander effect i go someone will call 901 yeah about it probably wasn't real probably was false yeah um

you you talk uh you know you talk about anxiety you talk about uh depression and all that stuff and sometimes it's like why why do you think you would do stand-up where there's so much anxiety attached to it i mean it's always been a weird line to me because I think it's like what I get out of stand-up is like, I feel like I can connect with people in a way that sometimes I feel like I cannot in everyday life. Like I always feel like I'm kind of behind glass. I'm like looking at everyone else existing in the world. And I think stand-up feels a little bit like a way to get around that feeling. But, but you're right.

Like sometimes I am like, is this the worst thing I could do for my kind of brain? Cause it is like so much, like I still get so nervous before sets and I don't, but like the highs and lows kind of even out. Like I feel like once you've done it long enough, you aren't like living and dying by every set the way. Sure. Yeah.

I think the shock of a good set is like electrodes to my depression. Sure, sure. I will come, I will be in a bad place and if I have a good set, there is at least a moment where I'm like riding high. Sure. And it's crazy.

There's times in my life where it's like, I should just somehow sneak away to do a five minute somewhere. And I think I could come back to this party and be a blast. And I just need to like feel some intense like you're doing well. You're good. You're funny. Something. Yeah. Yeah.

Oh, that would be fun. I know. I'm like picturing like live stream in the bathroom sure well some people would go well why don't you make the people you're talking to have a good time and then get that and i'm like it's not enough i need i need them to stop the talking and i get the full setup and the punch yes yes oh my god i know listen that's that's why we're crazy do you do you ever I mean, you talk so openly about like what medications you've taken, what kind of things. Is there any times you go like, God damn, maybe I shouldn't tell.

There's so like, sometimes like I talk about like my father and I like air dirty laundry of family stuff. Yeah. In a way that I get to because they don't pay attention. They don't care. Yeah. It's lucky. Yeah. And in a way, the person whose permission you have the most to just reveal everything is yourself.

Right. And I think I was reading like, you know, it's funny as sometimes I'll have guests on and I've made the mistake before where like, they've talked about something publicly and I'm like, well, then it's fair game to go into. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And sometimes I'm like, no, you can't do that.

Yeah. But then like this, I read the New York Times from last year. Yeah. And it's just like, I mean, it's fucking, it's all there. Yeah. It's all there. Do you ever go, do you ever go, ah, are you, do you like that everyone knows your, your full business, your full mental health struggles I

guess for me it just feels like not not just that other people are going through similar things but I'm just like it doesn't feel shameful to me like I don't know there's no I'm not like oh no now people know that like you know I I really was in a low for this period. I guess it just feels to me like we're all barely hanging on in so many ways. Sure. Yeah. It was in the article about eating disorders. And I think what's so interesting, I've had a couple of things on Instagram once in a while that they say automatically they take it down. They go, you said this word or whatever.

And one of those is the words eating disorder. Oh, really? And it's so, it's like one of those moments where I go like, this is not, I don't think this is the right way for society to build. You can't say that phrase. And I also don't think like, especially on Instagram where I'm like,

I'll tell you what's encouraging the eating disorders, the picture part of this whole app. I think that's what it is. I know, not the words eating disorder. But it's the same with suicide. And now I can't even tell if unalive yourself is even a progressive word or it's just because of TikTok or it's become mangled. progressive word or it's just because of tick tock or it's become mangled but like there's there's a lot of people that i can't tell if and and just the way that we talk about mental health right because these social media apps which have utterly decimated all of us i know totally and now they're they're gonna do this little action it's it's uh it's infuriating. Well, even like on shows where there's like, you know,

some storyline with suicide or suicide attempt. And then the end, there's just like the hotline. And like, if someone, you know, is struggling, I'm like, this is doing nothing. Yeah. Well, there was, what was that funny example of, someone was telling us, it was like an episode where there was like set in world war two and there was like bombings and like things happening.

And then, but like princess, no, no, it was the crown. It was the crown. And it was later on, but there was like full on like bombings and things happening.

But then it was like, someone had an eating disorder on, um, the episode. So they had like the thing for the eating disorder at the end, but there was like all this like actual violence. And you're like, you're like, I don't know. Like, like, yeah, that sucks that Princess Diana had an eating sorter.

Like, or something like that. Like it was, I don't think it wasn't her, but it was that kind of like. I know it should have been like, if you're struggling or, you know, someone's struggling and then also war is bad. War is bad. Sure. That would be a fun trigger word. War is bad.

Just so you know. Unless it's these three countries that we're currently helping fund. Right. Right. But it's hard because I feel like even to talk about it suddenly you're too many trigger warnings these days. Yeah. No. For sure.

It's one of the where I'm like I don't think this is I don't know who warnings these days. Yeah. No, for sure. It's one of the, where I'm like, I don't think this is, I don't know who this is helping. Yeah. I'm doing a show on Dropout. Yeah. And like Dropout, every episode has a trigger warning thing. And sometimes it's like flashing lights. It's what college humor became.

Oh, okay. I think it's coming out after my appearance. But again, it's more just a conversation. But every episode has like a trigger warning. And I just, I think I go, I don't. I want to meet if there's anyone who read that trigger warning and said, oh, then no. Right. And I think always for me, I go, the things that trigger me are usually existential yeah and

i'm like well where's where's my trigger warnings i think what's hard though is you're like a little bit like we're conditioned to it now so you're just like i'm able to see it and be like whatever and then like watch the show that's true do you know what i mean yes if it does mean something to someone. Totally. Yes. But I think sometimes. It gives us away spoilers. No. I'm like, oh, does she have an eating disorder or just like a really good workout routine? We'll find out.

Oh, she has a Peloton. No, my problem with it is I feel like sometimes in progressive spaces, like let's say I go, I want people to be swayed to progressive things. Yeah. Of course. That's how you win an election. We sometimes make markers right out the gate that are an automatic, I would call it a virtue signaling type thing. And sometimes that virtue signaling will automatically deter someone who could be tricked, one might say,

or just encouraged to just watch something or take something in. And instead we build a wall of kind of indicators. You're entering a liberal land. And so those people will not participate. And thus the division between not just one and two, but everything becomes wider and wider and wider. Maybe we have a setting like you can like in the future, where if you can want any of the trigger warnings,

you can have like a, just like an off, an on button. Sure. And then they'll do a study and they'll say 99.99% of people turn off the trigger sure i think that's an easy way of doing it yeah it's like a google image it's a good google thing you know when you're a teenager you're like google images safe search off yeah safe search off spice girls make it that 0.01% that wants safe search on. Halle Berry Swordfish, safe search off. Yeah, I also feel like if you're, I don't know, like I remember like when I was struggling with an eating disorder,

like you will kind of like go out of your way to like find the information you want to. Like a trigger warning is not going to stop you from like kind of, like if you're already in that mindset, I just mean you're going to kind of get the information you want. I just I remember when I did like. I think like workout culture is always fascinating because like P90X was like a workout thing I did. And I feel like there was a lot of like, hey guys, you know, you're doing this. It's not just to lose weight or have a great body. You're doing it.

They had to like couch all this language. And I wanted to be like at home in my head, I'm going, I'm doing it very specifically to look, like that's why I'm doing it. And I feel like everyone's lying right now. We're not doing this workout for ourselves. I have a pull-up bar. I'm not doing pull-ups at seven in the morning

just for my own peace of mind. I'm doing it for shoulders. And there's just, there starts becoming a thing where it just go like, I'm like, do any of us believe what we're saying? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But apparently there was some book when I went through like my brief existential reading about philosophy phasing college.

There's like some book about how free will is an illusion. Oh, Sapolsky? Maybe. Okay. I think he's the guy who's like free will is not real. Yeah. But apparently at the beginning of whatever this book was, he had what looking back would be called a trigger warning. That's not what he, but he had like a forward saying, if you suffer from depression, I might recommend that you not read my book.

Okay. And I thought like, like I remembered because, and first of all, again, it did trigger me. Yeah. And B, I did read it anyway, because that's not, that's not the, that's not the existential angst is like, oh, well, just don't think about me. Yeah. And B, I did read it anyway, because that's not the existential angst. It's like, oh, well, just don't think about it. Right. Though that is kind of the solution. I always think that with depression,

where I like it, it is like, I'm like, I think we actually see the world more accurately. Yeah. And that's like, maybe it's not a disorder. Maybe it's just like the gift of sight. What's a disorder? I mean, what is a disorder? No, exactly.

It's like you're not in line with what we've decided. If the goal is to smile more than frown throughout the day, then it's a disorder. Yes. If the goal is purely survival, then probably it's better to be that neurotic. To be the one, what's in that bush? I went through like, mine was like an existential

anxiety ocd type thing in college and it was it was just like that's all i could think about was what happens when you die yeah crazy and i i do think part of the solution was literally just just to truly to just stop thinking about it. Right. Like sometimes if I'm high, especially, and it goes there, I just go, and I truly, that's the only, because there's no like logical pulling it back. It is dark. It is fucked up.

I know. And especially if you're neurotic, you're like, I'll fix it. I'll get to the end of it and then I'll fix the thought. But sometimes it doesn't go anywhere good. It just keeps branching out into more spirals

and I think I was so when I was in college I was just so desperate for like a piece of I thought there would be a piece of proof that would put the fire out and it was like there's not there's not ayahuasca maybe for one night only.

For one night only. Or not. Or not. Or not. Or you find nothing and then it's really. Oh, God. God, what I'd do to have just one religious experience. That's all I want.

Just one piece of proof that God exists. Is that too much to ask for? No. I feel, we'll see in that you don't have that, but maybe you have it with comedy. But I feel like if I go to a really great concert, that's like my like closest I can feel to what people who have religion and feel close to something. Sure. I'm like, I think that's probably along the lines of how it feels. Do you ever think about what song or songs or artist you would want to play as you're

fading into death? Oh, I mean, I know what I'd put. I'd put like I could put a playlist together now of different things, but it would take me a long time. And I would like to think that there's still things I haven't heard. I get sad sometimes about thinking about dying in the way that you're not going to hear music. Like you're not going to there's so much music you'll miss.

That bums me out. That's like when I get existential. Would it include any tracks from my 2020 special? Definitely. It's so jarring when you're listening to a playlist and there's suddenly a stand up clip. Let me tell you about COVID in 2021.

I have that thing on my iPhone where I have bought like two albums, but I don't use the iTunes music. But sometimes I press pause or whatever and it plays that automatically. And it's Jay Jordan's album. I hear like three seconds of Jay Jordan's album all the time. That's so funny. I feel like someone that happened to them on a road trip where they were like with friends oh yeah like started playing a clip from their special i once it's like they're it's like their most listened to things from 2023

i don't know how that got in there. When I was first getting into standup, I was listening to a lot of albums and at some point I made, I was going to make a sex playlist and I put like two John legend songs in. And then I accidentally, that's enough. You're like, that should cover it. That's eight minutes.

All set. That's the start, the middle and the end. And then one day I think I put it on and I guess I somehow accidentally put a whole Pete Holmes album onto this. Oh my God. That is

so Freudian. What if I found out No, but that's how I found out that's how I last longer. I have to put on Pete Holmes. That's so funny. Oh my God god that's your baseball or whatever yeah that was always a thing they say baseball and i was like i never really understood that it was a time where that's that's what would a guy's into baseball right right right

i that first of all that certainly wasn't there wasn't enough i my my mental thing was always like grandparent dying. Like I had to go like fucking brutal. I would always think it would be like, think about something really upsetting. It's crazy as opposed to like, let's talk about breathing and maybe like let's confront anxiety.

It's like baseball. Just think about baseball, kid. God, brutal. So how's depression now? It's okay. I feel like I'm managing. I think I've sort of just come around to like learning that my brain just operates in cycles and it's like like I'm going to have weeks that kind of suck. Yeah. Yeah. But now it's a little bit less like, oh, no, I'm going to be depressed forever. Like when it comes.

Sure. Yeah. It's so hard. The anxiety, depression, like that, like knowing that it is a cycle and you're like, I'm going to be anxious. Right. And that eventually goes away. And even when you're in it, you know that that's going to happen. But it's like every time it feels like, when is it going to be anxious right and that eventually goes away and even when you're in it you know that that's going to happen but it's like oh it's time it feels like yeah when is it going

and i am i dying right now when i'm feeling good i always go i go like why do you feel bad ever oh why do you ever feel bad like what if you just were cool just like this because like this i have a good conversation like what if you did this with everyone you talked to throughout your whole life how fun would it be i know whenever i feel good i. I'm like, what if you did this with everyone you talked to throughout your whole life? How fun would it be? I know. Whenever I feel good, I'm sort of like, why do I go to therapy? I've never needed this. And I'm like, what are you talking about?

Look at the receipts. I think I'm, I kind of, I was seeing a therapist for a long time. And then it faded to like, we did twice a month. And we never came back after zoom in person oh okay which was it just felt and i always i always said it's worse over zoom no doubt yeah but it's just the idea of going up to the upper west side for this hour once a week just felt just incredibly incredibly impossible and and then it was like i don't know i think i think we're done i think we haven't we haven't like talked and like we had breaks and I went to Australia.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And there was kind of an open door to come back. And I'm like, I think we ran our course. Yeah, I think that's a real thing. Yeah, but it's weird. Does it feel like you're lacking closure or something? Or does it feel weird just not to have a therapist? It's like a person, and I've had a couple people in my life,

they were like, I can think of two acting teachers where it just faded away, but they were a huge part of your life. Yeah. And you go like, will I, especially with a therapist, because there's such a, I don't know a lot about my therapist. I always was really, I never Googled, I never did any, I'm able to really go like, no, I'm not looking into that. I don't know if lot about my therapist. I always was really, I never Googled. I never did any, I'm able to really like go like, no, I'm not looking into that. I don't know if they wrote a book.

I don't know if they, if they're, if they like something, because I don't want to find out. Yeah. Get this. Trump supporter. Get this. Our, there's a therapist involved in my life. Not this therapist, a different one. Yeah. involved in my life, not this therapist, a different one, maybe sees two people at the same time, where we get the bottom of their

email signature or whatever lists like, hey, here's what so-and-so is watching this week. Or here's little updates on the staff. And I'm like... I thought you were going to say patients, other patients.

Here's what this patient's doing. Here's what this, I was like, you can't do that. Here's what Aparna's trying this week. Let's see how it goes. Here's what John Marker's performing this week if anyone wants to catch him.

I'd be fine with that. No, it's about like the staff itself. Like here's where, here's what so-and-so, what they're binge watching. And it's about like the staff itself like here's where here's what so and so was what they're binge watching and it's like i'm like i'm like i do not want to know because god forbid they go like a bad tv show and you're like i don't like you could be like i don't respect you you know yeah i'm trying to go i'm so bad at coming with fake names we're

trying to come with fake name and all that comes to my head is the actual name Renee Renee's been catching up on Kill Tony this week It's not true I don't want to know any of it I don't want to know any of it Also who is that for? I don't know You're not like a video store

What are you talking about? But that's, but that kind of. I know, they're like staff pics at a therapist office. They're like, this person really loves Zoloft. Yeah, yeah, yeah, likes your medications. Or, you know, God forbid for me, if it says, if it says anything astrology, I'm out. Oh. I'm out. Sure.

I'm not putting you. Yeah. I don't, I don't, I don't, I can't. I can out. Oh, sure. I'm not putting you in. I don't, I don't, I don't, I can't. I can't. We got to have an astrologist on at some point. No, we already tried it. We tried having a. You should have a recovering astrologist on.

Yes. Oh, interesting. Yes. Like an astrologist who read one book. I know we tried, we tried having a psychic. You did. We tried having a psychic on one. And I learned the lesson,

which I think is an important interviewer lesson that I thought, oh, I could, I thought it would be fun that I would, I said, oh, you can't politely humorously undermine someone's entire thing. No,

you just got to go with it. Yeah. Russell walked away. He said, I think that's real. Hey, I think that's real. I'm an open, listen, I could be nice to Mr. Yeah, Russell walked away. He said, I think that's real. Hey, I'm an open. I think that's real.

I'm an open. Listen, I could be nice to an astrologer. I don't know anything, you know. I don't have the answers. I understand why you get frustrated with people that claim to know everything. Right, right. But it doesn't bother me that way. Because there's just.

So, I don't like it. Sometimes I think of like psychics and tarot readers. Like I think it's just people wanting. I mean, I think it is sometimes people just like, I don't want to go to therapy, but I want someone to kind of help bounce my life off. For sure. Well, let me just say this. Like as I've always like been proponent of therapy, of course. That's also the culture I grew up in.

Yeah. of therapy of course that's also the culture i grew up in yeah but with the advent of online therapy and the way that i hear people like finding their therapist or their relationship with their therapist or even this thing that i'm talking about with the email thing which i think is born of the online world and the way that we've i mean the reason i think that's there is because just like following a creator you like online and you need to know a little of their life to become attached to become a buyer like it's that's what the internet does yes is it it makes everything so impersonal in a way that you also have to like just add little incentives yeah yeah and and i to me i go the quality of therapy in my mind has had to have become diluted. People have never seen a therapist in person ever.

That's not the same thing. No, it's not. And I go, as therapy lowers, seeing your astrologer who goes like, oh, you're feeling sad, let's talk. Like it all starts becoming, you need an hour to talk to someone who is paid to listen to you,

but isn't a part of your life and can be objective but we lose any semblance of qualification and then it becomes just just another what that's why i don't like when when someone becomes a life coach or an astrologer i go i understand this is tough to like what qualifies yeah to be a therapist this is a soft science. But just because it's soft doesn't mean you give up on any kind of training or you just go, well, astrology is therapy. I go, no, it's not because that person didn't at least look at some studies or at least discuss it with someone older. And I hate it, man.

What if people like astrology and they go to therapy? Yeah. But ultimately, it's who runs astrology? Who is running the astrology? Who runs it? Yes. What do you mean who runs it? Who runs it?

So where do you get your information from for the astrology? You want a union? Everyone in astrology isn't just looking up at the sky. They're going to sources. Okay. Okay. And who runs those sources? I don't know.

Scam artists. Scam artists. I think that's a very cynical way of looking at it. I think, listen. No, tell me. I think that... Who runs it?

I don't think that everyone is basing their whole life around astrology. Right, right. I think some people just like a little thing and that's fine. And what's that thing?

I'm just saying like... I think it's like very soft religion. Yeah. I think some people just like a little thing and that's fine. And what's that thing? I'm just saying like, it's like very soft religion. Yeah. I don't, I think I understand what you're saying. I understand. And I guess what? Not a big fan.

Not a big fan. I understand if you're saying like people are like making huge life decisions or they're like, well, I can't do that today because of this thing. I don't think everyone is though. Ronald Reagan's Nancy Reagan brought an astrologer in and that astrologer was involved in major global decisions. I think that there's a probably there's examples of bad things in everything.

Like I'm just saying. I know. But why? Why even? Why even encourage? Your specific beef with astrology is so intense. And I'm just saying, I think some people look at it. Because it's so socially acceptable.

And they're like. And it's so, it's just poison. It's poison. It's poison. During COVID and during the vaccines, to hear, you know, the liberal world was saying, get the vaccine. And then at the same time, you're talking about astrology. I go, well, you can't tell people to follow the science when you take your marching orders from the vaccine. And then at the same time you're talking about astrology, I go well, you can't tell people to follow the science when you

take your marching orders from the moon. Do you know what I mean? These are I think of the people in my life that are into astrology. Is science important? Is science important? Yes. Is science important? Okay. Astrology is science. It's in the moon. I'm just making that up to make you the moon. I'm just making you mad,

but I'm just saying, I think some people have a very like fine relationship with it where it's not ruining dictating their life. Sure. And I'm sure some people have, I would say I would push back in that. I don't think the scientific establishment is free of their own problem. Sure.

But I'm sure there's some people who guess what? Also like Scientology in a way that's like, it's just like, it's kind of a guiding system, but it contributes to the Scientology complex. I don't know any astrologers who are kidnapping Shelly Miscavige or whatever her name is. Not yet. But if people like you keep allowing this shit to be socially acceptable, they'll get there. They'll get there. Believe you me. Let's go to the next one. This has got to stop. This has got to stop. This has got to stop. This is a time that we, something that

needs to go away that's bothering us. Big, small, personal, broad. Russell, do you have a this has got to stop? Yeah, this has got to stop. People in the comments sometimes pointing out, oh, the people say the word like a lot shut up like you try talking for hours on end for episodes on end and not having a little thing come out

it's it's so annoying because you know the people people doing it, they're, they're not talking, having to talk this much. And so now I'm very hyper-conscious. It's the most you've ever gone without saying like, but it's very frustrating. It feels like an old nineties thing. Like a grandma would say, like, Oh, kids say like too much. Shut up. Like, shut up. Anyways, I noticed it twice this week and it was driving me nuts because it's like from a comment with a no face thing and it just annoys me it's a small thing

and it'll be it'll sometimes be a funny clip and I don't know how you took that out of it is that it's a real sourpuss thing to go on your way it's just a really sourpuss thing to do but I do think it'd be funny if an episode coming up when it's really egregious on your part that I have a counter in the corner of the screen.

It was just me. I think it was all of us. It was just you and me episode. Yeah. Yes, I agree. I mean, what are you going to do? Enough comments saying I thought it was Tim Dillon. We don't know more. Every comment saying I thought it was Tim Dillon. We don't know more.

Every comment. I thought that was Tim Dillon. Great episode. I thought that was Tim Dillon. What? I do look like Tim Dillon, but we I'm not. And so we can all move past. I mean, I think that's hopefully

it's new listeners, new people when they say that. It's not like they're just tricked every time. They're like, whoa, I thought it was Tim Dillon. I'm sure they go in immediately and you're like, astrology is actually kind of nice. And they're like, that's not Tim Dillon. That's not Tim Dillon. Okay. Oh, I had one more.

When people, this has got to stop. When people try to make you guess someone's age and they'll be like you'll never believe how old she is because there's no right answer to it i'm never that surprised no i could see someone that's 50 that they're actually 35 that's not that surprising to me sometimes it's like she's 82 and in my head i'm like i thought she was 68. Okay. Like there's not, it's never that surprising to me. We've lived all along enough where we've seen crazy things.

And you're never going to get as big enough reaction from me as I think you want and need. And so I don't like that guessing game of, guess how old they are. And it's just never that fun. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because then if you guess wrong too,

there's pressure of like, you did it wrong. Well, that reminds me, once I was with my then if you guess wrong too, there's pressure of like you did it wrong. Well, that reminds me. Once I was with my dad and he was still like – he basically like – some woman flirted with him or he sent his card to her table or whatever. It was one of these things where I'm like, I'm here, guys. I'm here. I'm the son. Oh, my gosh.

And I was like 16 and this woman – she was like attractive and she came over and my dad and her like talking and flirting and she she said something to me like guess uh how old do you think i am to me and i said like uh i i thought i was being cute to you remember i was 16 i was like uh you're uh 18 and she goes you can't guess that low and have it be flatter Like she chastised my like jokey answer for being like not. Wait, what was she? She was probably like 35, but I was just trying to be like 18. And she was like, that's too low to be flattering.

And I was like, I am dying here. I'm a child. I'm a child. I'm younger than the age that I said. I'm younger than the age that I said. And it really, I never, I never would hit on someone I just met in any capacity. And I think part of it is witnessing my dad do it. Oh, yeah, it's wild.

It is wild. I was with Chris once. We have a friend. And he like, I was talking to two women. He comes over. He's like, who are these two gorgeous ladies over here? And I was like, I was talking to two women. He comes over. He's like, who are these two gorgeous ladies over here? And I was like, I'm going to kill myself. Why are we?

Oh my God. I was like, ah, that's so weird. What world are you living in? You've lived in New York. We don't talk like that here. I don't know what culture you're coming from. Where was this? It was at the pit.

The pit? It was at the pit. There were two lovely women at the pit. It pit? It was at the pit. There were two lovely women at the pit. It was crazy. And it was. Oh, my God. Something about it being at the pit just takes it to another. You can smell it.

Smell that. I'm like, now you need the clown's prayer. Have you been to the new space? No. Oh, my God. So they turned the attic upstairs, you know, that little space? I think so. So they changed it into this like a Playboy swanky lounge. No. Oh my God. So they turned the attic upstairs, you know, that little space? I think so. So they changed it

into this like, like a Playboy swanky lounge and they call it, they call it the Lenny Bruce room. Can you imagine who, who sees that

and goes, Lenny Bruce would have loved it here at this tiny space. Listen, we love asylum. But let me tell you, I was in,

I was in Ireland. You know that statue that got them in trouble? Oh, I don't know if it got them in trouble. They had it for a long time. I don't think I do. Remember the red statue and it was like an Asian man bowing at the entrance? At the pit right when you walked in.

Yes, yes, yes. I saw it in Ireland outside of a random furniture store. And I was like, is this the same one? Did someone from Ireland buy it? It was the same statue. It was the same statue. I'm like, is this the same one? Did someone from Ireland buy it? It was the same statue. It was the same statue. I'm like, when were these masks made? What was it for?

Oh, man. My this has got to stop. I'll keep it quick. My this has got to stop. Yoga teachers, they get two blocks. And I go, we're going to use the blocks for one move. And then you're going to have me wipe them down. I understand that you spent too much money on blocks. And you have all these blocks, and you barely needed them, and you all bought them for some reason.

I don't need the blocks. You don't need to bring them to me. If I have to wipe it down, forget about it. I don't need them. I don't need them for the one move. I'll just tent my hands like this. I don't need the blocks. Enough.

Yeah, especially for one move. Yeah, they're always like, well, you could use the blocks. I'm like, I'm not going to use the hands like this. I don't need the blocks. Enough. Yeah, especially for one move. Yeah, they're always like, well, you could use the blocks. I'm like, I'm not going to use the blocks for this. I've been doing yoga a long time. Yeah. Hey, that's. Who started this yoga blocks bracket? Yeah.

Do you have this kind of stuff? I do. I have a short one. I have tricky ads, like when you see a cool mural, and then in the corner it says Chase Bank, really small. Yeah. Really? I hate that.

I feel tricked. Where you don't know. I'm glad the artist was paid because it is usually like an artist. Sure. But then it, I don't know, something about the corporate branding. I'm like, can't you just let them have the mural? Yeah. branding i'm like can can't you just let them have the mural yeah our friend douglas has a sketch that he wrote about that kind of thing with toyota commercials where it's like during the olympics

um horrible like a story about an amputee and and and you're like what what's happening and it's and so sad in the end it just comes and it says toyota and you're like how does that relate to that also why would that make me want to buy a car yeah but here's the question is that like it must work in some capacity it must be some sort of psychology thing especially with cars it's like there there's ads that intend for you to buy something right now. Yeah. And then there's like an ad and a general brand that over the course of your 40-year life, they hope you get one car. Yeah. And it's so crazy to be like, is juxtapositioning Martin Luther King speaking with Volvo like one day? I'll be thinking about Volvo and I'm like, that's a noble car. Yes. And same with the Chase Bank because I'm like, well, who would see this and see that in the corner and go, hmm, I should switch banks.

It's hard because finding the right balance in an ad is so tricky because either you're feeling like you're being manipulated or the other tactic is sometimes they take is like, you know how we're all pieces of shit. And you're like, you don't want to see anyone today. Right. And like, you don't want to leave your house. You hate people. Yeah. And it's like trying to get you to agree that we're all like. Oh, that's like all the.

What is that for? What do you mean? I see on the subway. On the subway. It's like, it's like, don't leave your house seamless. Don't deal with people. You hate people. You know, you're ordering your food from home because you fucking hate your life.

It's that kind of thing. Seamless. And you're like, I don't know. I don't know. I thought I liked people, you know? Yeah, yeah. It's like weird negging almost. Yeah.

Yeah. And I hate that too. Yeah, all the ways are bad. Don't speak for me. Don't speak for me. And I wonder if there's any, like they found which are more effective. Cause I,

I think Dan Marco, what you're saying with like the, I think it is like just the weird, they're just trying to create vague associations in your mind that you weird, like internalize. But part of me goes like, you think you're doing that, but there's no way this is lasting.

Maybe, but maybe I'm wrong though. Yeah. It's, but there's no way. This is lasting. No. But maybe I'm wrong, though. Yeah. It's subconscious. It's something I learned about in my AP psych class. Oh, yeah. It was probably false. Let's go to our final segment.

You better count your blessing. You better count your blessing. I don't know if I remember to add a blessing. But I'll go. The English Teacher. Is a really good show. I think I can use it to recommend things sometimes. Have you heard about the show?

I saw an ad for it. It's really good. It's hard, funny, super jokey. And it's like, I think it does such a good job of talking about like uh the the world trying to be it's the teacher perspective like trying to be progressive but also the impossibility of doing it at a school yeah in a way that it feels like it's like commenting on uh all sorts of i hate to use the word woke.

And then sometimes I don't know how to like capture what it is I'm talking about. But I mean like the liberal last 10 years and the overcorrection and the undercorrection and the kind of things that don't really mesh together. And like, I feel like it does such a good job where there's not one moment of preachy, not a moment of it. Yeah. But at the same time, there's not a moment of like, well, this is stupid or like, or, you know, what I would consider the Joe Rogan side of it all. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it feels like it is just edgy, sharp, kind of really like, oh my God, comedy that just lives in it.

That just lives in it. And it's so good. It's very good. And it's been so long since I found a comedy that I'm like, that I'm watching the day it comes out. I'm like, oh, that's, wow. Yeah. And a comedy as opposed to like Succession or White Lotus,

which are very funny, but I don't consider them like just comedy yeah yeah yeah no um and uh so yeah the english teacher or bojack if you haven't seen it we talk about an existential show dear god if i had seen bojack at the different time of my life the way that they talk about death is baruch did you end up watching it i need to re-watch it yeah yeah i feel like there's so much there man it goes into death and it's so fucked up oh jack never the shows that i love the most are the ones that never give you the happy ending oh yeah but at the same time i always go like i wish they just given me the happy ending but that's why i love it yeah yeah oh what what a cool it's a cool thing to be i understand like the weird separation of being a voiceover actor in it.

Yes. It's to me, it's just like one of those shows that I think is like top, we'll be in the top 50 animations for, for all time. I know. Um, you don't watch cartoons.

I've got to see it. You'll never, you don't watch cartoons. I know I don't. You don't watch them. But I, but this, I'm,

I need, this is the one that people talk about the most. People who don't. What if they do a live action reboot? Oh, my God. But only if it's like Lion King style where it's just a reboot. I love a reboot. All reboots have always been good.

Anytime it's rebooted, I'm like, yes, that's going to work. Historically can only go up. It's going to work. It's going to get better. That whale character, it's a full anatomically correct whale with all the emotions. That Lion King thing, I've never watched it. But seeing the little clips, I was like, this looks so. I didn't know what the point was.

This is animated again. What are we doing here? But also just animals aren't fun like that. Like that was the point of the cartoon. They got to dance and smile. That's not what animals do. Yeah. Terrible.

But then were all the actors in sound boots? Or was it like Ian McKellen wears tennis ball? I think it was all sound boots. You could feel it. I don't think that their faces were involved. And there's one of those where it was every celebrity. And I go, why? I can hear that the zebra is Beyonce.

I don't need. No, she had a better part. I think she was like, zebra's Beyonce. Like, I don't need... No, she had a better part. I think, yeah, yeah. She was like, zebra number two. Zebra number two, Beyonce. No, she should have

given it to her sister, but she was, I think she was Nala. Yeah, yeah. Had to have been. And then it was like, was James Earl Jones probably played himself?

I think so. John Oliver was like the bird. Zazu. Zazu. Yes. And I'm like, that's John Oliver.

When does Zazu have such progressive politics shoving it down my throat? We have a friend who does a John Oliver impression and we give him a hard time for it not being his best impression. I don't give him a hard time for it. I give him a hard time for it. You give him a hard time for it. It's pretty funny. Impressions, they're hard. um okay my oh you know what you're gonna roll your eyes at my busting but um i were right in between summer and fall and i love this weather i do love when the windows are open

but it's sometimes you gotta close them a little because it's getting a little chilly but it's nice and you don't have to turn that heat on quite yet. And it's the perfect New York City weather. I love this weather. As a quick reminder, this is coming out October 29th. So that does not apply to our listeners environment at the moment. But yes, I agree. I love it.

It will still be fall. It might not be window open. It'll be cold. Yeah. I like t-shirt walking to the venue. A light jacket on the way home. Yeah. yeah, yeah. I like t-shirt walking to the venue, a light jacket on the way home. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's true.

I like it. Until you forget your jacket and it's warm and then you left your jacket because you don't remember. Do a blessing. My blessing is when people end the conversation or hang for me because I'm really bad at ending things, especially like if I get coffee with a friend, like I never know when to call it without being rude. And I feel like I have friends who are really good at being like, okay, well let's get going. Yeah. I, whenever I do it, I always get

scared that I was rude about it. Exactly. That I just said, and I'm done with this. If I have to do one more second of this, I'm going to kill myself. So I'm going to just turn away from you. Yeah. Yeah. I get that. Even at parties, I'm really bad at leaving because I don't want to say bye to everyone. So I'll sort of like attach myself to someone else leaving and kind of sneak out with them. You'd just be like, well, they're going. So do I. They're not my ride, but I do feel in line with their values right now. So this is coming out October

29th. I know, guys, I know we're a little ahead. I know. I know. We'll get back to it. What do you want me to do? Want me to cancel today? No. Okay. Do you do anything you want to plug? I think the Great North on Fox, we're still season four.

New episodes on Sundays. Yes. Watch that. What about your book? You're still hocking it? I mean, it's out there. What's it called? Unreliable Narrator is my book.

I was at Vermont Comedy Club and they had that there. They have a bookshelf of like every comic book in the world. That's nice. It's kind of cool. Do you have anything to plug? Follow me on Instagram at Russell J. Daniels.

And look it, I have the date. Uncle Function has a show for New York Comedy Fest Saturday, November 16th at UCB, the new UCB. Saturday, November 16th, UCB. Uncle Function, get those tickets. This weekend, I will be at Raleigh, North.

Oh, yeah, Raleigh, North Carolina. Good nights. Then the weekend after that, Bloomington, Indiana. The weekend after that, Indianapolis. The weekend after that, Bloomington, Indiana. Weekend after that, Indianapolis. Weekend after that, Washington, D.C. And then weekend after that, Lexington, Lexington, Kentucky. Oh, man.

I did too much. I did too much. Join the Patreon, patreon.com slash downside bonus episodes and subscribe to the Spotify. Even if you watch, help us get those ads. slash downside bonus episodes. And subscribe to the Spotify.

Even if you watch, help us get those ads. And I don't want to end it. I don't want to end it. You have to. This is what I'm saying. Ending things is hard. Can you do it?

That's our show. Thanks for watching. This is the downside. One, two, three. You're listening to The Downside. The Downside. With Gianmarco Cerezi.