Tomorrow - Episode 41: Teen Lifestyles with Jake Fogelnest

Episode Date: February 15, 2016

Producer, writer, DJ, comedian, and American satirist Jake Fogelnest sits down with Josh for a psychedelic, high-energy trip down memory lane. The Wet Hot American Summer, Billy On The Street, and Difficult People collaborator discusses what it's like to have your own talk show at age 14, getting MTV to decorate your bedroom, and the terrible rudeness of Twitter. Also covered: Kids, Kids, and Teens. If you miss this one, you're telling the world you don't enjoy fun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey and welcome to Tomorrow on your host Josh host Josh Wittsipolsky. Today on the podcast, we discuss getting a haircut from Kim Gordon, pretending to like muse, and kids, the movie, and the people. But first, a word from our sponsor. This episode of Tomorrow is supported by Wonder Capital. Wonder Capital is the leading online investment platform that allows individuals to invest in large-scale solar projects across the U.S. Wonder Solar Investment Fund allows you to earn up to 11% annually while diversifying

your portfolio, curb impollution, and combating global climate change, which I think we can all agree kind of sucks. Wonder Capital uses sophisticated underwriting and investing algorithms to help you achieve your investment goals. Best of all, Wonder Capital doesn't take any fees for investing your money. Wonder Capital, a tech star's back financial company is headquartered in the delightful Boulder, Colorado region. Thousands of users are already taking advantage of Wonder's platform, creating account for free at wondercapital.com slash tomorrow.

That's wonder with a you. Invest in Wonder Capital Solar Funds. Do well and do good. I'm a guest today is a comedian, a writer, a DJ, a dad flying, a professional art critic. And according to Wikipedia, an American satirist, my guest is of course Jake Foglundess. Jake, thank you for being here. I would love to know who's going into my Wikipedia page and putting in things like American satirist. And it used to say a noble man. Yeah, I thought that American Satteras was definitely a personal edit. I thought there's no way that didn't come directly from Volumas.

No, I mean, it sounds like something that I would do. I have never figured out how to edit Wikipedia. It's very easy. I spent 50% of my day editing my Wikipedia page. That's actually what's been keeping me busy lately. It's just trying to get it really fine tuned. You know, actually, I'm just going to go off on a tangent real quick. There was a many years ago, I think I was drinking.

I think drinking was involved. A friend of mine and I started making very small changes to Wikipedia pages, very insignificant changes to a variety of Wikipedia pages. One of them was the Wheatthens page, and it was the flavors that were available, the types of Wheatthens you could get. And you know, like we had it when it was chipotle blast or something like all,

because they all have these crazy names. And at least one of them has now become like, I don't know, this might be illegal, who knows at least one of them has now become like, I don't know, this might be illegal, who knows? And one of them has become like, if you Google it, I can't remember exactly what it is, but if you Google it, like it's out there, it's like a whole lot of wheat thins.

So, you know, we've broken history. I have had for years what I think is a billion dollar ad campaign for wheat thins, and I don't know anyone at wheat thins that I have to give. I gotta hear about this. Well, I just, we're all familiar with the lover boy song, everybody's working for the weekend, right? So I can, by the way, I'll probably put a little clip of it in here for those who aren't familiar. Yeah. Great song. Great 80s hit. Great 80s hit. And to me, it's right there. You know, everybody is working for the wheat. It's genius. And like surprising. They have not capitalized on that.

I don't like it. Get like Danny McBride with like an electric guitar and a headband. And, you know, pay him a bunch of money. And then you've got like a fun, you know, it'll be like, you remember rock of ages? It'd be like Rock of Ages, but for the Wheat Thins Corporation. The Rock of Ages, the incredible failure of a film or the hit Broadway musical. I've not seen the film. I've only seen the hit Broadway musical.

I would like to point out that that role was originated. The role of Stacey Jacks was originated in Los Angeles by Chris Hardwick. I feel like that has gotten, absolutely true. Yeah, Chris Hardwick. I feel like that has got well, it's absolutely true. Yeah. Chris Hardwick played Stacey Jackson, the rock of ages debut in Los Angeles. What? I mean, you just fucking are blowing my mind right now. Chris Hardwick, host of a midnight app, whatever, the Twitter show. Yeah, yeah, yeah. At midnight's. At midnight. You're saying that he,

he was the he was the stacey jacks. Stacey jacks that the the role that was eventually played by Tom Cruise in the film. Yep. Yep. And he did. He was singing and dancing. Chris can sing. Like really? Yeah, Chris can sing, you know, wow. And so I don't know if this leads to, to Tom Cruise hosting like the Walking Dead after show at some point. Yeah, Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise is talking dead. I think that's something that could really happen. I think listen, as a person who knows Tom Cruise quite well, I can tell you that he loves talking about the walking dead. It's one of the things. Yeah, but I heard that he's going to be hosting the after show for HBO's vinyl. So in the character of Stacy Jackson. That in the character of Stacey Jackson. That's the name of the,

Stacey Jackson, that right? It's Stacey Jackson's, he's full makeup. If Stacey Jackson doesn't show up in HBO's vinyl, that show is the failure to me. Bullshit, it's a bullshit show. And it can't be trusted. Well, this is great.

This is, I think, for those of, for the listeners who don't know you, and as I said before, we started rolling, it's only going to be a handful. This is a great taste of your world. We're getting a lot of information right now. the listeners who don't know you. And as I said before we started rolling, it's only gonna be a handful. This is a great taste of your world. We're getting a lot of information right now. First off, I want to talk about the Wheatthens thing. I think that you've got something.

I think you've Mr. Colin, you know, all this writing and this comedy and DJ and whatever it else is, you're up to, you should go right into advertising. I should just move to like Chicago. You know, like John Hughes was like in advertising in Chicago and then he found himself at the national lampoon and then writing, you know, all these great classic movies.

I should do that in reverse. You know, you're, well, yeah, you're going the wrong direction. I am. Absolutely. Well, you're moving from, you're moving from that stuff into advertising. I wonder what you mean? Like if I come up with everybody's working for the Wheat Thens, like, how much do I get? Because then it's not even my song.

Right. I mean, I assume you get, I mean, I don't know what role you would be in. Like are you a creative director? Are you some kind of like partner at an ad-a? I don't know who you would, where you have to be. Just fantasizing about it is bumming me out. You're like an ideas man. Just think about it.

It's a real drag. I can tell you right now because I obviously in the world of media come into contact with, with ad people and people selling ads and people buying ads. And like there is definitely, there are levels, look there are levels to that job that are clearly very fun. There are also levels where it's like,

you're sweating out, you're doing these, like you're trying to come up with everybody's working for the wheat fins, and you've got like 300 variations of that set to 300 different songs. I don't think it's that much fun, actually. And then you have to sort of rely on the good taste of the CEO at wheat fins, and have to convince them, no, no, no, this is the good idea.

Yeah. Well, that's what all businesses is, is convincing people who are in a level, another level higher than you, that you have a good idea. Yeah, I think almost all business can be summed up as like you trying to convince people they should do the thing that you think is good.

Yep, in my world, and probably in your world, you probably spent a lot of time pitching shit to people, going like, here's this amazing thing that we should do. And you're just like selling them on this concept that you might have a better idea than somebody else. I feel like it's about making people, first of all, it's about having a good idea. And it's very difficult. Yeah, which is the really hard part. People really don't know how hard it is to have a good idea.

Yeah. You know, the problem. The, you know, so if you, if you happen to be lucky enough to be someone who's talented and can have a good idea, then it is about reassuring people that it is a good idea that you have a complete vision for it, making them feel included in the process, being open enough to their ideas which some of them might be good and not being so like, you know, mired in your own sort of vision and wrecking, at least in television, like recognizing, oh, this is a collaborative thing.

And then just making sure people have as much information so that they cannot say no. Like that seems to me the job. But the thing is, I think at the end of the advertising gig, I don't know if it's just fulfilling as like somebody accepting your idea, then you get to like make something. Because like if you're I think if you've got the idea there are then are going to be other people who make that. It's like going to go run off and do this. Yeah, then you don't get to yeah, then you got to give it to the copywriter

and then you know, then a director is going to get yeah, it's but maybe it is sort of like being a showrunner. But it just depends on your role, I guess. Yeah, I don't know. I like us speculating on what it might be like. This is the whole show could be us. What might it be like to be an ad person instead if you'd been doing whatever it is we do? What's it like to be normal and not in show business? I don't know.

Yeah, what would it be like? I do think all the time, like what if I just had a job, regular job, the job where there was no pressure. You had to just like put in eight hours every day. Sounds like a dream in some way. It could be, yeah, yeah, I don't know. I feel like I was never gonna happen for me.

No, you know, and let's talk about that actually. Let's go back. Okay. When you were 14 years old, yes, you had a television show on public access, a public access in New York, right? Yes in New York City It called squirt TV is it the name of the show? Yeah, squirt TV and you were 14 years old. You were just a little baby Yep, and it was a talk show. Yeah, this by the way, I want to say is a dream of I think every

Young man in America at least in my work close in age I think that there was definitely an era like the golden era coming out of like the golden era of like SNS Young man in America, at least in my, we're close in age. I think that there was definitely an era like the golden era coming out of like the golden era of like SNL and Letterman and like really great late night shows in America. There was definitely a period of 80s and 90s where I, like definitely, I feel like everybody's dream was

like I wanna have a talk show, you know? I think so. I mean, I was completely, my brain was completely formed by everything that you said, which is, you know, SNL and Letterman. I mean, I watched Letterman, you know, on when he was doing late night. I mean, I religiously, and I was like,

a little kid. Me too. Old enough to be staying up at like, to 12th, well, 130 in the mornings when the show ended. I would either watch it live or tape it, you know? Yeah. Yeah. And I was tired at school every day because I was up until at least one, 15, you know,

I would maybe fall asleep during it. But like, do you find yourself, I have found myself recently in the last couple of weeks being like, oh, it's 11.30, I'd like to watch Letterman and it's just not there. Yeah, I know it's gone. He's gone. And it's not to say that the guys that have the jobs now don't do a good job, but I consume their shows differently. It's different.

It's not trained. I'm not trained to sit down and be like, well, what's Dave doing right now? Did you watch, did you watch a lot of his show, his 1130 show? I did. I, more than I probably have all the others, you know? I think, I, I definitely, I mean, I had a, it's not like, I don't think that he dramatically changed, but I definitely, my relationship with late night TV got different after Letterman went off the air.

It was like, I kind of was like, well, this is the really weird part of it seemed like it was over. I mean, his show definitely on CBS at 1130 was a much, is a much, was a much more adult affair. I felt like in many ways. He still did some of the same crazy shit, but that 1230 show was bizarre. And Conan was saying, yeah. And Conan show was completely insane at his 1230, his late night was like, I mean, some of the most unbelievable, most amazing, weird, I mean, do you remember the writer strike? His shows during the writer strike? Sure.

The Conan's, I mean, not that big. Yeah, yeah, Conan's, yeah. They were the craziest shows. They were so good. And it was just like, there was, it was no show. It was like, everybody was just riffing. Yeah.

I don't know. I feel like there was, after Conan, I guess I didn't watch a lot of Dave. I kind of transitioned into Conan and I kept watching that. Yeah, Conan, I mean, Conan was doing, you know, I remember when Conan first started and he was, and I think he'll admit, like, he was not good at it. But then he got really good at it.

And they started, and it will, and I was around upright, Sidestown, upright, Sidestown's reggae was starting in New York at that time. This was like 96, 97, 98, and that's when Conan would like all of the little bits that they would do were cast out of like UCB classes and then what became the UCB theater. I just remember having a very long day at Conan where it was just me and a room full of child actors

and Abe Vagoda and then the bit got cut. I don't remember what the bit was, but I remember the day. And like, you know, Kona, it was totally crazy. It was just like, hey, can you come in tomorrow at 130 and put on a giant ant costume? Sure. No problem.

Did you wear a giant ant costume? I don't, I don't think I wore a giant ant costume. I can't remember any of the Conan bits that I did, but like, you know, Amy Polaris to be Andy Richter's little sister. And like if you go back and watch all of those shows, it's gonna, you'll see like, oh, that's Paul Sheer, that's Brian Husky, that's, you know, you know,

Besser, it's like, it's how everybody sort of made a living off of the Conan. Was it the Conan River? Is it K-doing a bunch of stuff with Conan? Louis was one of the original writers. Yeah, that's right, that's right. Yeah, Louis was a living was the converse case doing a bunch of stuff with Conan. Louis was one of the original writers. Yeah, that's right. That's right. Yeah. Louis was a writer on the show.

I first became aware of Louis CK when he did Poodie Tang, which was like a huge bomb. I think people no one liked it. But it is that it's a fucking hilarious movie. Louis has not been seen by enough people.

Well, it was it was his first movie and and I know that they took it away from him. Like Paramount said, has not been seen by enough people. Well, it was his first movie, and I know that they took it away from him. Like Paramount said, you can't edit this movie anymore. It's so, it's a very good film. We do not trust you. And he kept his name on it and stuff,

but it's like, it was in sort of Louis' full vision. Yeah, I'd like to see the full vision. That's the time has come for that. If anybody is listening who can make it happen, and no one goes and you can make it happen. I wonder, I wonder if any of the elements it like even exists and like, you know, there are no.

Obviously the full cut of putty tang is that Alimestone vault somewhere. Just waiting to be disrediscovered by a new generation. I'm sure I wonder, I'm sure there's been conversations about it. Like, you know, I'm sure they're like, Holy shit, what can we do? Do we have anything that has Louis name anywhere near it? Can we do something with that? Yeah.

Can we get it out of the limestone cavern? I first became aware of Louis, like at, like, Rebar and Luna Lounge, like the alternative comedy night, so you used to have on Monday. And Louis would do, you know, stand up there. And he was very, very silly. And then he had made all of these insane short films with like Rick Shapiro. And I still have a DVD of just short films by Louis CK. And they're insane.

And Louis had also made this movie tomorrow night, which was, you know, just one of these things that gets passed around on a VHS tape. You can now get it on his website. and they're insane. And Louis had also made this movie tomorrow night, which was, you know, there's one of these things that gets passed around on a VHS tape. You can now get it on his website. Oh, yeah, I remember when he released that, like a couple of years ago. I didn't see it. I should I see it?

And then we were seeing it. It's like a weird, bizarre, surrealistic Louis CK movie. Is it depressing? A little, you know, Louis stuff is all like a little depressing. It's all a little depressing, but it's definitely, you know, it's, it's very early sort of Woody Allen in the, in the sense that like it's mad cap and it's zany and it's a lot, and it's surrealist. But yeah, I know it's great. It's great. That was great. That's what I came

up with. You know, that's the time I came up in and just like I did squirt. I did the public access show when I was a teenager completely inspired by like Saturday Night Live and Letterman. How did you actually, though, I have a question. I mean, not to interrupt you, but I'm going to interrupt you. No. I like, so, okay, so you're 14. I presume maybe there's a period, period before you're 14 where you're 13 and you're like, I want to make a show. I don't know how long the pre-production was happening for. But like, how does that actually happen?

Like what steps did you have to take to get a show on? I don't know the difficulty of getting a show on public access. I'll tell you just how easy it is. There's an organization called the Manhattan Neighborhood Network. It is a government-funded organization. It was born out of the fact that many, many years ago, like in 1970, when they wanted to lay all of this cable wire underground in Manhattan.

The city of New York said, sure, we will let you do that. However, if you're gonna lay all this wire underground, you have to allocate a certain amount of channels to citizens of New York to do whatever they want with. Like they can't operate time-worn or cable, and it's grandfathered in. Time-worn or cable cannot have cable system

unless they allow any lunatic in New York City time on their channels. So this is the best. So this organization, Manhattan neighborhood network, is designated funds from the government to deal with that and deal with those lunatics. And here's what you need to get a public access show. You fill out a couple of pieces of paperwork,

prove that you are a Manhattan resident, and then you wait like a couple of months and then you get a letter and they say, okay, here's your time slot, and here's what you need to drop the tapes off by. And it's literally that easy. So you, so there's no, you didn't, there's no going anywhere in this case. You're just making it, you're doing it in your bedroom, right? Yeah, in my bedroom.

Right. And, and so you're just shooting in your bedroom with whatever camera you've got at home. Yep. Single camera. Right, and so you're just shooting in your bedroom with whatever camera you've got at home. Yep single camera one camera and edited to a VHS VCR. Okay, so this is like what year is this now? 1994 94 great year great year. I mean, this is like I mean, it just seems it's so familiar to make my brother and I spent years making like weird videos together You know like making little movies and like sketches and doing fake talk shows and stuff. You know, the only difference is like,

we didn't go put it on TV in New York. Which you did, which is, you're good. I know it. I mean, it's what any kid can do now with, you know, YouTube. Yeah. Basically, you actually were sort of like a, the Vanguard of YouTube. And I really want to apologize for that.

I'm so, so lucky. You let this into our lives. You let this flood, and now we're drowning. Thank you. But so anyhow, so you started doing that, but people got into it. This is the interesting thing. Most public access, nobody ever talks about or thinks about.

This is some weird channel. This is like channel, what channel was it on the dial? It was channel 16. Okay. So you're likely to hit that. That's a channel you might happen by. Well, you were definitely gonna hit it because if this doesn't exist anymore, does it?

It's been moved to like channel 56 or something or 50. Oh, there's four public access channels and they very much exist in New York and that's where Chris Gether did his show and that's where Brett Davis does his show now, which are all really, really funny. It's totally a vibrant thing. But nobody's getting paid,

it's all, like they're just doing it. Yeah, you do it for free. The reason, but being on channel 16 in 1994 was good, because MTV was at channel 20, and this was in an era where you still flicked through the dials. Right, of course. So I was on Sunday nights at 12.30 AM,

opposite MTV's 120 minutes. I'm just a tough lot now. Well, what would happen was a music video would end on 120 minutes, so then people would flick around, come across another, like a devo music video on public access and be like, oh, what's this devo music video? And then that video at end, and this 16, this 14, 15 year old kid would pop up and say,

hey, what's up? I'm Jake. And they'd be like, what the hell am I watching? And that's my fear. And they would be magnetized to the spot. We know, well, I'm very charismatic. Very, very good. You can tell just by listening to you, I'm very charismatic. Various, very good. You can tell just by listening to

I'm sure people here are just salivating over this. But so who's your first guest? Well, the first, like, because bands would call up and it all happened very, very quickly. So, like, I use they might be giants minimum wage from the album

flood as my theme song. And about three or four weeks into doing the show, I got a call from John Flansberg, from they might be giants. I'm watching the show. And I would put a voicemail number on the bottom of the screen so people could call and leave messages.

And like Thursimor called up and was like, hey, you said you'd need a haircut. Kim Gordon will give you a haircut and they happen to live up the street. And then it just became a state. You didn't know, but you didn't know that. I didn't know them. No, I weren't like, they weren't like family friends

or something. No, not at all. So you have, so I think you've, it's like giving you a haircut now is what's going on. Yes. Like 15 years old. Yeah, you know, I ended up, never end up getting a haircut from Kim,

but I did see her a couple like, like last week. I, you know, I started to make friends and know all of these people and it just sort of became sort of a cult phenomenon. The first band to come and be a guest in my room was the band Ween. And they played, and I think I've seen this actually, this sounds very familiar to me, and they played in your bedroom.

They didn't play, they just came and had a chat, they just were hanging out. But yeah, no, like, ween came and hung out in my bedroom with me and if you're a 15 year old boy in the 90s, there's nothing better than having ween in your bedroom. They definitely, that definitely is, I mean, this is a real slice from like my past, I have to say, like, this is a really interesting time when you think about it. I mean, we're so, everything is so fucked up now. Like, we can't even imagine this situation,

but this is so pre-internet for most people. Like, yes, the internet kind of existed, but not really. It's hard to really think about it. It actually is like difficult for me to go back and in my mind, imagine a world where you couldn't talk to people all the time. You couldn't hypothetically be in a Twitter conversation

with Kanye West. That wasn't a possibility. And so the idea that you could one, like, the year a kid and you could put a show on any kind of television, even if it's like three people see it, is insane. But second, that these people, like cool people, who do, who are like doing real things would like start calling you up and like be available to you.

And that's the biggest teenage, the biggest teenage Beastie Boys fan in the world is all of a sudden now like the Beastie Boys know who he is and his friends with them. And it's like, are you kidding me? Like that was insane. That was just like the very lucky part of it. So when did the drug abuse, alcoholism and drug abuse

begin for you? Oh, very early on. Was it to very early? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, exactly. Are you sober now? What you do now?

I am sober now. Are you actually, actually, okay, I just get you around. Is that true? No, but I am actually so, I'm. Do you mind talking about it? Can you talk about it? I just kidding around, is that true? No, but I am actually. Do you mind talking about it? Do you talk about it? I just did Dr. Drew and Bob Forest podcast. I'm very comfortable talking about it.

Like yes. So in doing this, you actually ended up like being like one of those kids who was like getting wasted. Which I think, honestly, TV show or no TV show, a kid in New York City in the 90s, it was, something was bound to happen. This is the kids era that you're talking about. Oh no, it was totally the kids era. And it was literally like what year do kids come out

in 95? 95, and I remember, here's, like kids, first of all, I lived on Brum and Bowrie. So down the street was the store, liquid sky, where Chloe worked. And then there was the Supreme Store on Princeton Lafayette, which is next to where Kim and Thurston's apartment used to be.

And I remember going to see kids at the Angelica Film Center, the night it came out, walking out of the movie, and the cast of kids was outside, just waiting to be seen and recognized. Like that was the New York City that I grew up in. So, I mean, around the same time, I was like going to raves and stuff

and like everybody was on drugs, like everybody was fucked up. Like teenagers at that in that era, I feel like I don't know, is it the same now? I don't really know, because I'm not a teenager. I don't know, because I don't really hang around people that do drugs and I definitely don't hang around teenagers that do drugs. Okay, that't hang around teenagers that do drugs. Okay, that's good, that's great.

Let's just put that out there. Jake Foglamesh is not spending time with teenagers on drugs. No, I get most of my info on what the teens are up to through Katie and the top of us. Yeah, well, that's what we all do. She is our number one source for what's going on with the youth in America and around the world actually.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Mostly it's like fucked up sex stuff is from what I can tell is like really weird sex-related activities. Look, I'm I all I know is the 90s were really an interesting and fun time, but I don't know if anyone was butt-jugging cough syrup, but I'm glad that that's happening, and I'm glad that that's out there. I feel like it's a more responsible way of getting cough syrup into your system. You know, you're really bypassing a lot of trouble from gay if you have to drink it. There's all sorts of things like you. I'm just realized like it sounds like I'm bringing that up completely out of context.

Yeah. So some people are just thinking that I had Katie on recently and we talked it. We talked for quite a bit about the butt-chugging girls. Yeah. And in fact, like I'd now, and then I started interacting with them on Twitter, I had Katie on recently and we talked for quite a bit about the butt-chugging girls. And in fact, now, and then I started interacting with them on Twitter, this is what I'm talking about. The thing that I said, and now I'm talking to them on Twitter, this is so not in any way possible in 1994, 1995.

I had a post office box. So you had like, what's interesting is you had like an early, very social public experience, which most people don't have. And, you know, it's good to know that it drove you to drugs and drinking. That's, you know, good. As I think about.

I was thinking, yeah, anyone. And then obviously, I got, here's where I got very lucky, is that I got that out of my system very early. And then, you know, I got healthy, but also that right as I was, you know, coming out of like, you know, oh, am I washed up at 18, 19 years old? That's when the upright citizens Brigade came to New York City for the first time.

And I was so lucky because then I found, oh my God, these are people my age that also want to do comedy stuff. And I had done the TV show and it was cute and everything. But I had no idea, like, how to apply my crap. And like, all, you know, the skills and that, you weren't like trying to be a professional comedian or something when you were in the show. You were like, I want to have a show and then you could do it.

In fact, the only reason why I was on the show was because there was no one else for me to do it with. It was, you know, born out of, out of loneliness. I was on the show was because there was no one else for me to do it with. It was born out of loneliness. I was dying to meet. I never had the thing of I want to be on Saturday Night Live. My thing was I want Lauren's job. That was sort of always my drive, which when I got to UCB, that's where I was able to,

first of all, meet all of the friends that I still have today, and then also learn how that gets done and learn about comedy. Right, okay, this is a good spot. I'm gonna take a quick break, cause I wanna pick up you on this. This is very interesting to me. This turning point in your career.

This is very serious, like some NPR shit that just happened. Right, you know? We're gonna take a quick break. We'll be right back with more. Like I said at the top of the show, this episode of Tomorrow is supported by Wonder Capital. Wonder Capital is the leading online investment platform that allows individuals to invest in large-scale solar projects across the US.

So what is it? How does it work? The solar market has seen huge growth over the last five years, like 1,600 percent, with the majority of that growth happening in residential and utility systems. However, big commercial solar projects such as solar PV panels on top of a Colorado charter school, a California Country Club, or a New Jersey warehouse, are being ignored because there's no turnkey financing solution. So that's where Wonder comes in. Wonder Capital works with solar industry professionals to offer simple financing packages for commercial solar PV systems. Wonder uses sophisticated underwriting algorithms and expert solar specialists to identify and finance strong solar projects. Investors and wonder solar funds can achieve returns

up to 11% annually, like I said, and there's no fees. Wonder Capital doesn't take any fees for managing your money. It's simple to diversify your portfolio, investing in wonder capital can offset your exposure to bond, stock, and commodity market fluctuations. No energy market experience is required. The funds are all managed by solar specialists, and you can help the environment.

An investment in Wonder Capital significantly reduces carbon energy pollution, 80 in the fight against climate change. Thousands of users have already taken advantage of Wonder's platform, and you can too. Just go to Wonder's website and create an account for free. Go to wondercapital.com slash tomorrow and get started. Invest in Wonder Capital Solar Funds. Do well and do good. We're back with Jake Foglandas, Jake. You're still there. I am here. Thank God. So we were just talking about you doing the show in your bedroom and then becoming heavy drinker.

And then how many years did you do the show for? The show, whole thing was about two years. You know, it was like 94 to 96. Right. And then at some point it was on MTV. Yes, it got picked up by MTV in 1996. So then you did like a, you do the, how many, what season six episodes a season on on MTV and it was still shot out of my bedroom. That was very important to me. But they had lights they brought lights and stuff.

Oh, yeah. Well, look, if you can never have MTV art director of teenage bedroom, have them do it. You know, amazing. And so, and then so then, but at some point when you say when you were around 19, you sort of like got into UCB. And so tell me about that experience. I actually, I'm like a person who has always thought like improv and stand up is like something that I would enjoy doing. I feel like I could potentially be good at it.

And then I just think like it feels like it would be it's a brutal experience. And maybe I'm not like, I don't know if I, it's a brutal experience. And maybe I'm not like, I don't know if I'm not built for the brutal experience or like I'm too lazy or I don't know what it is, but isn't like being in comedy in that form of performance like soul crushing in some way? Well, I can't speak to the standup experience

because I don't do standup. To me, standup seems very, very terrifying. Now, can I get up on a stage and tell a story and have it go, okay, yeah, I can do that. I can do that in New York and Los Angeles. But to me, a standup comedian is then gonna go do it at like a zany somewhere. And they're not gonna be interested in any of my,

yeah Milwaukee, they're not gonna be interested in anything I have to say. And quite frankly, I'm not interested in talking to them. So, so it's another UCB experience. The UCB, well just improv and sketch, like I, yeah, it's all brutal, it's all brutal. It's all brutal, but like, to me, improv was just like, oh, this is stuff that I know,

and this is just a common math and language to it that I needed to have, so I could apply it with other people. That's what I learned at UCB is like the sort of the mechanics of what makes good sketch comedy work. And I was on improv teams and all that stuff. And I figured out pretty quickly that I didn't care

about being on stage. I was not interested in being a performer. I cared a great deal about writing and directing comedy. That was what was fun to me. So I prefer being behind the scenes. I just didn't, I don't need to be on stage that much. Not playing, I had no joy in playing characters. I didn't want to be an actor.

I wanted to be, I don't mind being myself, if I'm playing myself or I'm being a personality, I love doing like monologues at ASCAT where I tell a story and then they improvise around it. That I'll do that forever. But the idea of like playing a character and being in a scene, I was more interested in crafting the material and writing and directing sketch. That was what was exciting to me.

And I kind of get that. I think, I remember I went to C. Conan and who was his director? What was his name? I don't think he went with him to LA. And I remember watching the show and it was like during a commercial break and he was like, Polk Kohn this side.

And I was like, that that the guy I wanna be? Like, it's probably Mike Swaney that had writer, or you know, well. It might have been, yeah, I'm not sure who it was. It's like, it seemed like whoever it was, they were kind of in charge. And they were like, like kind of pulling all the strings, like not to say Kohn and wasn't an amazing performer.

But I just remember thinking like, yeah, that guy's job seems really fucking interesting. There's nothing more fun to me than working with talent and helping them to look good, you know, and crafting a thing. And so that sort of became my role at UCB as I directed sort of everybody's sketch shows and everybody's first one person shows and really just like, you know, brought it all together and helped people write and nothing made me happier than that. And, you know, that's what I have now learned as a grown-up is that job as a showrunner

in television. Right. Which is now, which was not always seen as like this very important thing, but in the last, what, 10, 15 years has become maybe a little bit longer, has become like a very, very important, very talked about role in television. You know, I think television has changed. It's very interesting you say that and I think you're absolutely right. Like, who's the show runner?

Who was the show runner of, like, what's happening? You know what's happening? You know what I mean? I was thinking of like all in the family or something. I have good idea. That's Norman Lear. Oh, right, Norman Lear, okay, shit. Well, that was very simple.

But like other than like somebody who had 900 TV shows, you know what I mean? You don't hear. But we sure know who Vince Gilligan is. Right, right. And you know, you know, whatever once in a all, you'd know something like Gary David Goldberg, you know, did family ties and stuff. But like for the most part, you know, and I think we have so much more television now, and I think we're in a new era of social media, and people sort of have learned that like, television is controlled by the writers in a way that film is, you know, everything ends with

the director. But in television, it's, it's, it ends with the writers. It's because they're sort of the keepers of like whatever that thing is. I mean, the director has come in and out. I mean, not that they're not important in television. It's hugely important, but it's a different job. But it's because there's a thing that exists that has to keep existing outside of any, almost anybody else's involvement

Like you literally could have a care you know characters die and you're replacing them or whatever But there has to be like that kind of Whatever the the soul of the show is and that's what the writers create, you know Exactly, so that or worse so that was you know and then and and that's sort of where you know what I'm I'm doing now And like what there's no greater training ground, I think, for that, than sketch comedy in a way. And working with a large group of people and making sure everybody's needs are met.

Because you're dealing with a lot of personalities and you're dealing with a lot of different material. And that was college for me. I think that's really interesting. You started, clearly you had this idea that you wanted to be a talk show host, which is very much, when you're 14, you're not making life decisions probably,

but you could have had an impulse that you wanted to be in front of the camera, you wanted to be the ringleader. You know, honestly, it was more, I wanted to be the ringleader. I wanted to run a show. I didn't have any friends. I wonder if that would have been different.

Do you think if you had like a good friend, you would have put him on instead of having, you know, you know, in the chair? Well, I think I put myself in the chair because there was no one else. And then I sort of liked how it felt in the chair, you know, because you were in your 15, 16. And, and I like, you know, like I like how it feels in the chair still, you know, because you're 15, 16. And I like how it feels in the chair still.

You know, I would never do stand up the way that Judd Apatowda stand up. I just am not built that way. He's a stand up comic. But boy, it sure is nice to see my friend Adam McKay out there promoting the big short. He's nominated for an Oscar and like this is somebody I know from use. It's crazy, but to go see him kill on a talk show because he's got the improv background.

That's fun. That's fun. I'd have no, I'd be fun to go on a talk show and stuff, but I don't need my own talk show. But it'd be fun to be a guest on one. And sometimes they do have showrunners that will do that. Yeah, I mean, it's just an interesting progression. I mean, I actually think, like, I totally get it. I mean, and I think it's like to have realized

at what 19, like, oh, this is a, there's a whole different way of working this. There's a whole different way of like running the show, like literally running the show, but also figuratively, right? I mean, was that like for you? I mean, I'm not say it was like an emotional thing, but was it tough to,

did you have any feelings of like, oh, but I was going to be this guy. I had like, you know, whoever calling you and like being on the show and it was like, there was clearly a moment there where, you know, I'm not trying to get you to cry or anything, but I'm just saying like, did you have any pain over the idea that like,

you realize you had this realization that you wanted to do something that was very different? I mean, it's a very different piece of the puzzle. I don't think so, because I knew that whatever I would do was going to have me in it. It's very, you know, I think that the like, I really sort of like looked at like, what like, everybody knows who Lauren Michaels is.

Yeah. Yeah. And he has to be. So he's one of those guys who's made a point of being in the mix, like very, very visibly. Like, I mean, I actually think that's really, he's quite unique in that regard. And maybe that is a more modern take on that role.

Because now you said Vince Gilligan, but it, you know, Lord Michaels was a guy who was in sketches all the time. You know, and he had had a performing background too. And to me it was just sort of like, oh yeah, I have this performing background, but like, how much, what do I really get to make here? Like how much, what do I really get to make here?

Like, you know, like, do I really get to make anything or do I just get to be like famous? And I'm uncomfortable. Like, I'm truly, I'm totally comfortable having conversations like this. I'm very uncomfortable. This conversation is making you uncomfortable? No, no, no, this is great.

Like, I love, and I just love radio too, you know what I mean? And like talking to microphones, I'm very, very comfortable with. As soon as you put a camera on me, I don't like it for some reason. Yeah, so. Interesting.

And the camera's only get bigger and bigger because if it went some while, I'll get like an email or a phone call, like, hey, do you wanna do this little part in this show? And I'm always sort of like, I don't think I want to do that. Yeah. And, you know, it just...

It is like extremely stressful. I mean, it is very stressful. I was a person who's had a camera on him a few times. It's like not like, undoubtedly not like you and many people that you know, but it is like a kind of insane thing. If you have to be funny, you know, if people are expecting something from you, because there is like a huge expectation.

It's not a minute to figure it out. Yeah, I need a minute to figure it out, which is why I'm very comfortable as a writer. It's like there are people, there are a couple people that I know that are just immediately funny, you know. Right. I'm not immediately funny. I am, give me 30 seconds and I'll figure it out. But, you know, and I'm comfortable enough

in a conversation, I can be funny. But at the same time, it's like, if you give me 30 seconds, it'll be better. And so that's why improv was, you know, for me, it was tough, you know, it was tough. I totally get that, I mean can that makes total sense to me You mentioned radio in the you love radio, and I want to address some you know Let's be honest the elephant in the room

You were a serious XM. Yes host for many years. Yes. Yes. Now I knew you predominantly from XM you which is their college Yeah, for lack of a better term, it doesn't make any sense. It's the Indy Rock Channel. But is there any Indy Rock Channel? And now there was always a strange experience that I would have every once in a while, I'd be flipping through the channels and I would land on alt nation,

which was like, what's the best way to describe alt-nation? It was alternative rock garbage. It was like way less cool. It was like, it was like K rock or something. It was like all rock. Like, yeah, I mean, like what was it? What's a popular artist on all nation? Like maybe a fallout boy would fallout boy be played on all nation?

Maybe. I don't know. I wasn't paying attention. Well, at any rate, you were on all nation sometimes. Sure. Yeah. You had a different all-nation gig. I was still myself, but you were you.

You were playing a character. I wasn't like, I was less cool. I wasn't like, you know, like, hey, it's chompers on alt-nation. And then, you know, I was like, really into puddle of mud. That was not like, that was not what was happening. But you did feel like a betrayal to me. And I was like, I did question, I remember question.

Oh, cool. Is this guy really, I thought he was cool. I thought he was like I did question I remember question. Oh cool. Is this guy really? I thought he was cool. I thought he was in the music that I liked and then I'm on here I am on all nation. He's playing Puddle of Mud. Yeah, let me clear all clear all up. I'm sorry. Puddle of Mud is on would be on lithium I think.

Sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So serious station that is like basically plays tool I think. Yeah, exactly. I think that's it. It's just it's the tool. Tool of Puddle of Mud. Yeah.

Tell me how this tell me what was going on back there. And it's the kind of seeds. Sure, behind the scenes. It is apparently, have you been on it before you say this? Has anybody called you a miss before? This is the first time somebody's is actually a miss.

I would call myself out on it all the time. Most people don't know that I was on the radio. Really? I think most people probably know you from the radio. I think a lot of people do. It's a lot of serious subscribers, man. I know, no, I know. I know, I know.

So let me just clear it all up for you. The truth of the matter is, is that serious XMU and Alt Nation, I didn't listen to any of it. Garbage. I wasn't listening to any of it. Ibage. I wasn't listening to any of it. I didn't pick it. I didn't pick any of the music.

No, come on. You go in there. You were very, you were very wrapped up. You know, XMU, you'd be talking to people. You'd be talking about records. It was all, so from the heart. I know about music, and I can have a conversation with people. Like, apparently, people, most disjockeys are garbage.

Like they're bad at the job and they have this perception that what they do matters or they think they're going to get famous from being a DJ and that's very important to them. And I sort of always treated it as, oh, you mean, you'll pay me X amount of dollars and all I gotta do is say,

coming up next, it's the arcade fire. And then I get to go home and work on scripts and stuff. Great, terrific, great job. I worked an hour a day. Wow. I would hear maybe the first seven seconds or the last seven seconds of every song. That's the way I was being really pulled back here.

I would Google around and go, oh, well, that person's got a new album coming and then it's just like, okay, great. The new tan lines album comes out on April 15th. That's amazing. I mean, honestly, I'm shocked. I'm just made. I spent years listening to your voice,

your soothing voice. Here's what I'll say about it, though. With Sirius XMU, that is great music. They play great music. So a lot of it was actually music that I cared about. So that was very effortless. And oftentimes, the artists were people that I was either friends with, or, you know what I mean?

Like, I have good musical taste. Sure, sure. But I just never took it as, oh, if they hear me, if someone hears me introducing, you know, some sort of, I don't know, muse song on all nations. Exactly. That's me endorsing muse.

And I would say like on Twitter, like, this band sucked, and they would, I get in trouble for it, I'd be like, well, then fire me. I don't want to be here anyway. So, am I the only person who's raised this concern to you? I mean, I'm just curious, because it sounds like you have thought about

that you've been ready for this question. I guess so, yeah. The thing that, here's what bothered me the most about being on the radio. Honestly, is that people would think that I was there live and that I was there for like 12 hours a day and happy and fulfilled introducing songs on the radio and then they wouldn't hire me for other things. Really?

They would think I was there and I'd be like, no. Well, you got this radio gig, you no. Well, you got this radio gig. You don't have time. Yeah, you got this radio gig. So, um, we'd love you to come and write for this. But you know, you're with your radio thing. You're not gonna be able to.

That used to drive me crazy. Oh, I'd fucking lose it. That sounds insane. That's weird. You're doing it one hour a day. I was there, sometimes, 30 minutes, you know. And, but here's the thing. It was such a good job.

And oh God, the people I worked with were the nicest people. Like that was the other thing is I really, I will say about Sirius XMU is that it is expertly programmed by Robert Cross there who's a brilliant radio programmer and a guy who gets it and knows what's cool and knows what's funny and knows what great music is out there and is passionate about it.

And then Jenny Ellis Queue is like a good friend of mine. She's amazing. It's like, they were great, great people. And it's like, everyone. I just literally like two days ago re-subscribed a series because I'd let it lapse. So I haven't listened to a lot of XMU lately. Jenny is still on and Julia Cunningham.

And Jenny is on another channel called The Spectrum where she plays like Dave Matthews band. Oh man, really? You know what I mean? You know what I mean? I've told me that. It's down to ruin, it's ruined for me. Oh, okay, they're like, who cares?

I'm gonna do DJ's ruined for me, thanks. Jenny, Jenny, you know, but here's the thing about like, when they hired me, I said, I don't care about new muse. I don't have any connect, I like what I like and I don't like what I don't like. Like, and they're like, yeah, but you cared. I'm like, I really don't. I, you know, I'm listed, I just, I get more excited

if they like reissue some old, you know, record that I've never heard for that, so some weird post punk record. That's my favorite thing in the world is this like, oh, they're putting out the full suburban lawns album that went out of print. Then I am about, you know, oh, there's, I can't even come up with a reference for it. Sure.

So I've always just been someone who's had, I love this, this is great. Important, I'm an important cultural tastemaker of things that I like, you know, and I don't begrudge anybody that likes something else. So it was just like, you know, but like, oh my God, all that alternation music. It's like, and some of these bands start to show up on, on Saturday and at live. And it's like, oh my God, I am relieved that I can, you know, sort of finally be like, oh, I hate that shit, you know.

Yeah, yeah, you're able to speak your mind now and let people know where you're really coming from. Yeah, I know. You don't care about any of it. Especially coming to us. And that it's all been a lie, our relationship with you. Our end of all to your relationship with you, and your personality is all been a lie. But I would tell you to interview, you'd go to like, you'd go to like, South by Southwest, and you'd be in a meeting.

Oh, I hated it. I finally just started saying no. I won't do it. But you definitely did that. I mean, I've got to go. Oh yeah. Have lengthy interviews with bands over like several segments. Oh, it's a nightmare.

Yeah, you know, what the bands? You know, you're building a you to cheat, cheat, you had to figure out who they were really quickly. Yeah, who the fuck is this person? But then I've done there were some great bands that I talk to and you know what I mean? But yeah, you have to, part of that job is making an artist feel comfortable.

Right. And they're there to promote their thing. And I think that oftentimes the bands were relieved to talk to me because I would just be like, what's your plug? Let's get that out of way. You're here to promote an album. And then I just have a conversation.

And I think that that was exactly. That's what we all thought about you, Jake, your realness. But now it's all been blown up. But that was, I was like, okay,, you're real-ness, but now it's all been blown up to you. But that was, but I was like, okay, I will do my job, and then as soon as the job is done, which is you're here to promote a thing, now we can just kind of talk like human beings, and I'm not gonna do bad DJ stick to you.

Well, DJs are terrible, I mean, you're all thinking. They're terrible. I would have killed my association. Right. Well, DJs are terrible. I mean, yeah. Yeah. So they're terrible. Well, this is I would have a guilt by association. Yeah. It's to change everything from the all the my you know, several years of my life are now I have to look at them totally differently. Do you think less of me or do I think way less of you? I'm very disappointed. No, I don't care at all. I actually, I actually, it sort of confirms what I always believed because you you did kind of often sound like you were

full of shit like you definitely like parts She's just going out of his way to talk about this. It's like does he really care? So I'm not I'm not totally surprised I guess yeah, no, I couldn't care less and and and I I there is something Subversive to me. I do take some bit of joy in saying to people, like, oh yeah, I didn't care about that. And I think it's because I'm finally in a place where I've achieved exactly where I want to be in my career. I'm always surprised when more people don't just admit,

like, oh yeah, I did that for money. You did it for me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I mean, I totally get it. I just confer, I mean it's it's I totally get it I This is like you just confer I think it kind of confer like that's the thing about the old nation thing I was I thought it was so strange that one of the first time I heard you on there I was like but wait a second These like the XMU guy which is way cooler than this. Oh, yeah, yeah, that's surprising That's why not anyhow. Okay, so that's in the past. Let's talk about the semi-presenter or near present

We're going through your whole your whole career here And then I want to hear your predictions for the future about what your career will be like about the semi-president or Neal president. We're going through your whole career here. And then I want to hear your predictions for the future about what your career will be like. Okay. So that's how well. So that's always like you've been doing a lot of stuff, like a lot of writing, a lot of, I mean, I don't know the extent

of, but wet hot American summer, which is like a Netflix thing that they basically took a movie and turned it into. How many parts? 10 part, 12 part? We did an eight episode prequel to the movie. Right. Which is an amazing concept because everybody's way older now. It was in the movie.

The movie was from like 2005 or 2004 or something. It came out in, I think 2000. Oh, that one, yeah. Yeah, yeah. There's like a full 15, 16 years ago. It's a people like fucking ancient in the prequel. Well, the joke in the original movie, it was all these people in their mid 20s to 30s playing teenagers.

It was ridiculous. And so now it's 15, 16 years later. And they're playing teenagers that are even younger. Right, right. There's three months younger than they were. And we just sort of just said, yeah, that's how it's going to be. So you wrote on that. Yeah.

And then difficult people, which is the Billy Eigner, Julie Klausner. Yep. Who else is involved? It's Billy Eigner and Manley. And Julie Klausner and Andrew Merton plays from all. They play bad, mean, awful people. That's a documentary about New York City. And Julie Klausner and Billy,

Ikener, play Billy Epstein and Julie Kessler. Very, very thinly veiled, I think. It's a, it's basically a revenge fantasy. But you know, but it's like a show about people, everybody knows. I mean, at least I think maybe to your point about it being about New York, like, you know, everybody's always like, this fucking guy is the worst. I hate that guy. Like, you're gonna know he's like really nice and sweet and sincere. Yeah, it's about, what that,

difficult people to me as a show about, like when you're at a party and everyone is terrible, and you look across the room at your friend and you just through eye contact, you're like, this is a nightmare, right? And they've got your back and you've got that one person, you're constant in your life, in New York City, that you can turn to and're like, this is a nightmare, right? And they've got your back. And you've got that one person, you're constant in your life in New York City that you can turn to and be like, I'm not crazy, am I? And usually those two people are the worst people in the world. I think. Yeah. Well, I mean,

or the best people. I think that's, I think you just explained my marriage. I think that's like the core of my marriage is based on us being in situations where we're like these everything is terrible. Like, you know, the world is a vampire, is a phrase we use often. Yeah, it's really possible. Two people against who are against the world. Yeah, just like thank God for this person. It's a show about friendship. And that show is it doing a second season or no? Yeah, we just, they're filming the second season right now. I went back this second season as a consulting producer, because I'm working on a bunch of other stuff.

And they're filming right now. Billy, just on Monday, was sitting in his trailer with his assistant. And it's just wait in between shots waiting to film film, and a Bore's head deli truck crashed into his trailer. Oh, my God. Through him across the thing, and, uh, and yeah, he walked out and shot to the rest of the day.

He was fine. And got as much free meat as he wanted. Yeah, yeah, so I, you know, are there anti-Semitic implications of a Bore's head deli truck hitting Billy Ignor as he's trying to film this I don't know Are being a bunch of astronomy in there like I think more they're probably more fucking but in a new was it in New York?

It was in New York More pastrami in that than any other type of meat you're right. It was probably mostly pastrami I feel better about it. Turkey. Yeah, no all sorts of best anyhow. You're right. It was probably mostly pastrami. I feel better about it. Turkey. But yeah, no, no. It's a shock. It's a shocking. I just couldn't even about this. Well, I sent my Chris in my best to be in. He's doing a speedy recovery. And, um, but yeah, there's all the pastrami. Of course, I'm happy to take some. There's 10 more episodes that are being filmed right now and it'll be on Hulu later this year. I mean, I've not watched all of it. I watched a few episodes and I thought it was very funny. And I was sort of like, it's hard for me to warm up to anything.

You know, any new show because you've got to like get in. There's too many shows. There's too many, there's so many fucking shows. There's so many shows out of control. And like, now they're the rebooting shows. Yup, you know, I'm like, for years, Lauren, I've been talking about like, oh, we've got to watch all of the X files, right? And there's the new X files and everybody's like talking about the new X files and it's

like, how do you get caught up on how can anybody live, who can live like this? I don't know. You got to find your shows and you watch your shows. Yeah, exactly. So, okay, so you did Billy on the Euro for Billy on the Street as well. Yep. So explain this to me. What is the writing process like for that trip?

Because it seems like it's a lot actually. It seems like he's just running around bothering people, but we- He is definitely doing that. Oh, and he's definitely doing that. Yeah, yeah. You know, so much of that show is writing that gets thrown out. We write every question, every game.

You have to do some research. You've got to- Yeah, I mean, some, some, I mean, it's interesting. It's an interesting show to write because we write it and then he goes out and films it for a long time. So we want to be topical, but you can't be too topical. So we're, you know, we're sort of looking ahead as like, well, what is coming out, you know, in December or whatever. Right. And then, you know, but yeah, it's every prize, every punishment. Have you seen that still doing the show, is it? He's gonna, yeah, there's a fifth season going on the street, which we'll get into right

after difficult people finish his filming. What about, I mean, what a career, he's like blown up. I mean, I just like, everything, I just saw this movie sleeping with other people. Yeah, Leslie Headland, yeah. And he's got a fucking hilarious, the hilarious movie. No, totally. I mean, I was like dying in laughter watching his scene. I was like, please tell me this character,

there's more of this character. There isn't unfortunately, but yeah, yeah, it's the one scene. It's the great, yeah. Fucking incredible. You know, I have to say one thing about watching that. I mean, have you ever done man on the street stuff yourself? A little bit. It makes me like I could never do with it. It is talk about, I mean, I've done a little bit like for web stuff, you know, for stuff you've done. And it's like the most terrifying, weird, uncomfortable, invasive.

Like, you know, we have a contract. We're all like, especially in a place like New York, the contract is like, do not fucking talk to me. It's like, don't bother me, don't talk to me. I don't want it, like, you know, it's like, you're begging for something, you need directions, like, I'm not interested, like, just stay out of my way. And stay out of my field of vision if it all possible.

And like, that show, like, he's like, really a costing people. I mean, not a cost him in, in like a bad way. It's a, he makes it very fun and playful and enjoyable. But it's not mean. It's not mean, but somebody could be startled. Yes, it requires, I did a thing with a guy who was like a weird, you know, like a lion sitter guy who like I was talking to him in the conversation

you started to escalate and he got kind of like weird and sort of threatening and I was like, you feel like, okay, you've got a microphone in a camera and like nothing bad can really happen, but like walking up to people on the street and I'm just saying like what he does, it's so like high energy and so intense

and so like it just takes an crazy amount of guts to do that. I really think it's like every time I see that show, I'm like, this guy is like has some like supernatural ability to not give a sheer list. He's fearless and he's specific. The specificity of Billy on the street is, and I think it's true on difficult people too, like specifics are funny to me. Very, very, you know, specific things.

He's very, very specific. Yeah. He's so great. Anyhow, but let's get back to you. Oh, okay. You're also great. So now, I know you're working on stuff. You can't talk about it yet because there's new things happen in your world and it's

top secret. But what is, now we've said we're going to, I want to talk about your future. Yes. What is the, now you've gone from a young man, young boy, a man, Hatton hosting his own talk show in his bedroom through the intense trials and tribulations of a horrible drug and alcohol addiction. I have no idea. I have no idea.

I think we made this a really important part. It might be that like, I might have had two beers. I've been like, oh, I'm off the rails. You're like, I gotta get under you have A's hat. Yeah, yeah. And I'm just a hyper-conductor act for self-care. So, you know, you're recovering, recovering addict, trying to make their way in the world. You find, you know, success through UCB and writing and producing and, and you've been, you know, talking head and all sorts of, you know, you've been all over the place. What does the future like?

What does it look like for Jay Fogonest? I'm very excited because I am, well, I am gonna go work on a new show that I can't talk about yet, but it's gonna be great. It's gonna be great, it's really exciting. And I just wanna, I'm very lucky. I get to sort of work on TV shows with my friends.

And to me, the whole point is to just keep making stuff with your friends. And, you know, so I'm, for the first, I've wanted to be, you know, 37 years old since I was seven years old. So I'm finally like really comfortable in my skin. And like, what a goal. You know, I,

You're pretty easy goal. All you do is not die. Yeah. You know, I think. You're pretty easy goal. All you have to do is not die. Yeah, and I'm not dying. And so first on the agenda is I'm not gonna die. And like, I think I just gonna, I wanna keep, you know, making shows and telling stories. And I'm very, very grateful that, you know, I get to, I get to write things and they get made

and people will read things that I've written and I get to collaborate with all these people. So I'm just going to do more. That's more of that. Are you in LA permanently now? I come back to New York when I have to be in New York, but like LA is my best. It's the best, doesn't it? I'm so happy here. I just moved into a new place and I'm the sun is shining every day. It's nice every day and all of my friends are here. I have very, I have new friends in New York, but most of the people that I grew up with

and came up in comedy with have moved here. And there's only a few left in New York and of the few that are in New York. I'm either working with them, like Julie Klausner, or they're working on other stuff. And, you know, I'm in this weird, it seems like every good friend of mine has their TV show now. And that is unbelievable. Most people don't have that in their house. Most people can't say that. No, and it's like, this group,

like UCB today, I can't speak to what that's like. It's a massive organization, but when it first started, it was just about, like, I don't know, maybe 100 and 150 of us, there wasn't that many people that had this very specific need to learn this craft. And by the way, I don't really refer to it as a craft. Like, I, I, you're a sadderist, I understand.

You know, the third of your work is a craft, it's so fully in line with, but, uh, Wikipedia entry. Please respect me. I, um, but like, you know, like, you know, it was a small group of people and so many, and everybody gets to do this for a living. Like, I was at a friend's birthday party recently and I looked around, I was like, oh, yeah, these are people It was a small group of people and so many, and everybody gets to do this for a living. Like I was at a friends birthday party recently

and I looked around, I was like, oh yeah, these are people I know for 15 years and we all do this for a living. Yeah. That's incredible. You know, it's, and it's like, the other thing is that what you're making is it's filling the world with joy,

except for what you did with all nation. Yeah, no, that was just me. I was doing garbage for money. But everything else has been nothing but a joy for me. And that's the fault of these terrible, terrible bands with awful instincts in music that they're making. I mean, good God. Yeah. Take a look at yourself.

No wonder the music industry has enchambled. Like, how does anybody think what they're doing on that, like, the way the guy who runs the channels the nice sky the world I'm talking about the bands yeah like how could you think like just could you be could you offend my aesthetics more you haven't you have a chance to hear listening music sometimes and you're like I can tell this was a lot more fun to play that it is to listen to I think I hear a lot of bands and I'm like you I know you had a great time making this, but I'm not having a great time hearing it. Who the fuck's listening to that?

What garbage, I mean, I try not to surround myself with anyone that doesn't have a- The fallout band is like the most popular rock band in the world right now. I don't look, have you heard them? Have you heard of them? I know what it is, I probably met those guys, and they're probably all probably great guys.

They're great guys. You know what I mean? And it is true, the nicer you are, the worse your band is you know, it's just a true every time you did Matthew's very sweet. Did I'm sure he's the sweetness You know I could know I did this worse than David day Matthew's is like A couple of couple of okay songs I mean that I'm not saying I would buy a day Matthew's apple. Yeah, but he's such a busy He's an easy punchline, you know, I mean? Like, what's this band? I saw them on Saturday, the 1975.

Oh my God, they're terrible. They are fucking terrible. I was like one bad choice after the next. Oh yeah, and that's like an LA band, right? It's gotta be a band from LA. I don't all say to that guy is you need to earn your leather pants and you have not earned them. I don't think that I think there shouldn't be no leather pants.

I think there are some people who go and wear it like back. You can wear all the leather pants you want. Yeah, I can wear leather pants. And I know you're genius, maniac. You know, like Jen Kirkman's a standup comedian. She can wear leather pants. You have to earn your leather pants. I just think it's you got it. There's a high bar when it comes to this is why I got rid of all my leather, you know, it's just I couldn't pull it off. I can't pull off leather pants. I can pull off tight pants, you know, but not I would never dream of,

I hope to one day be able to, but I haven't earned it yet. You can earn it. Okay, two things, two things before we wrap up. I wanna bring it up. We're over time and I'm gonna make this quick. Yeah. One is, you know, I have a very fun memory of you.

I think about it from time to time. A personal, you know, I have a very fun memory of you. I think about it from time to time. A personal, okay. Remembrance. I don't know if you remember, you were my brother's wedding. I do, yeah. I think my first time we actually ever spoke to each other. It's definitely the first time. And I did my best man speech, which I had not really prepared. I actually, I was pretty drunk by the time it came around to do it. And I had been like, psyching myself up, like I had just been like, oh, I'm going to blow this in some way. And I only started that day to form in my mind like what the shape of it could be, with

no notes, no anything. And then so I rift. And it didn't seem like it went too disastrously. And then afterwards like, I, you know, you came up to me or I passed you or something and you were like, hey, that was a great speech. Yeah. And really, as knowing you and knowing your work as a performer and a writer,

I thought, you know what, that's an amazing compliment to get. I made me feel really good. I was like, if a guy who knows how hard it is, to get up and be funny and to say something compelling, write something compelling, it was a very special moment for me. Oh, that's so nice. No, you know, make say something compelling, write something compelling. It was a very special moment for me. That's so nice.

No, you did. I think of it fondly. I also think maybe you were just really drunk, but it's in probably, Oh, you wouldn't have been. You're sober. You wouldn't have. No, exactly.

It's amazing. Actually, it was the biggest fear. It's been compliment. The biggest fear has been quieted. You were actually just in your right mind. Yep. I was a wonderful wedding. That was a great wedding. It was the second thing and I'll we can do this quickly. I just wanted

to get your take on it. And I feel like given my background and given your background, I have to ask Twitter as a comedy platform. Now you definitely, you're on Twitter. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You definitely use it as a platform. I mean, you're certainly like, I mean, not all the time, but a lot of the time. What's your take on it? What did you give me? Just give me your like two minute, three minute, like, what is Twitter to you and to your world? Well, I've gotten everything I've need.

I don't need anything more from Twitter because I got everything that I could have possibly needed from it. You got it all. You know what I mean? It's just like, what did I want to do? I wanted to establish a comedic voice and now I get to write on TV shows. So who needs a fucking thing anymore? Right.

I, you know, it's bad for Twitter. It's bad for Twitter that I'm doing so well in show business. Here's my relationship to it has changed over the years. When it first started, it was a way to connect with friends that I was not in the same city as and see what everybody was doing. And it's always a great source for news and what's going on. Then it became like, oh wow, let's write and read some funny jokes. Then it has become sort of an outrage machine, which I'm really not interested in. And I feel as a giant waste of time.

So I have sort of shifted. I now use Twitter as a way to punch down and alienate people. I have just decided to take on this persona on Twitter of being a monster in show business. Is this true? I mean, let me look at your tweets. I haven't. I think the last thing I tweeted was a screenshot of Kanye West's rules for his fashion show for the models. And I think I said, this is how unverified should speak to me or something. Like, my goal is to see how many people I can get to unfollow me, and while entertaining people

that know me in real life. Interesting. Interesting. I didn't realize you'd made this pivot, but I just to be- No, I just say, you know, I don't, you know what it is? It's like a joke toilet. I don't really think about it.

And I don't really, I don't really care. I don't think it is dead because Parker Posey just joined it. And when you have an important downtown New York City luminary like Parker Posey and myself on Twitter, how irrelevant can it be? Did you, did you, that's a good point. I love Parker Posey and myself on Twitter. How irrelevant can it be? Did you? Did you get point? I love Parker Posey. Great. Great. One of our great national treasures. Yeah. Did you create this fake Donald Trump tweet? Yes. I created the fake Donald Trump. Let's cut the shit already of Johnny Ramon. We're alive to know you know he'd be one of my biggest supporters. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I created it. Very good.

This is a endless, to me, the fake Donald Trump stuff is a kind of, like, source of joy. Here's the thing. My brain is always going to think of, of, of, of topical jokes. And Twitter is a great place to, to, to kind of throw topical jokes out. And it's, it's, it's, that's what is, it's best for really. Yeah. And I love it during an award show. Oh, yeah, awards the debate last night.

The debate, you know, anything live, like, you know, even the Super Bowl, I don't know why people are on Twitter that don't have something to promote. Yes, yes, this is like, this is my big argument, you know, it's like, listen, for us people like us, it can be a blast, it can be a tool or whatever. But like to a regular person, I'm kind of like, what is this like to you? I feel the same good to you.

I will say one thing. You know, like I think there's a lot, there's a conception of like, oh, it's good for writers, like, you know, they look at it when they're considering to hire you for jobs and stuff. And like, as someone who sort of helps out with the hiring of Billy on the street, and I'll read your packet, then maybe I'll go and look at your Twitter profile. And I have actually, and I think this is true of other people, pivoted the other way. Where if I see somebody that's a, that's a, that I think is a great writer, and I'm reading

the, you know, something that they've written written and they don't have a big Twitter presence and they don't have, and they haven't tweeted very much. I'll go, oh good, they actually write things that matter. They're busy. They're busy. So, so I just don't want people to think like, oh, you have to be funny on Twitter to get like hired for a thing.

It's like, I don't think that that plays a role that much. I just, you know. Okay, well, I don't think that that plays a role that much. I just, you know. Okay, well, I mean, it's just my strategy. I mean, it's something, because it's my whole new business. But then, but then I've had friends that have gotten hired on like literally gotten hired for talk shows from Twitter. Like, you know, so there's no rules.

It's just good talented people get found and get jobs. But if you go back a few years ago, there was something really weird and magical happening with comedy on Twitter that has since, like, died down a little bit. Well, because people just got angry. And now people get like, they know the Twitter jokes. Like people who aren't funny know the Twitter jokes.

So they've made Twitter a less funny place. And I just think that like the internet is a less funny place. And like, you that like the internet is a less funny place. And like, you know, there was, I would love to talk to you about this. And I don't want to go forever. But like, you know how the internet, like has always been sort of this dark, disgusting, dangerous place. Yeah.

Gross men are gross. And like has been that way since there was an internet and people would fight in news groups. Well, now everybody has the internet. And so it's just gotten louder and people that maybe aren't used to coming up in that culture, why are we just accepting this? And they're right. Those people are right, by the way.

The internet is so big now and the it is, you know, the, the, the, the, the, the trolling shit actually is not. I mean, like, why are we accepting the trolling? Yeah, like, this is, I mean, it seems kind of quaint that we accepted at this point. It actually seems insane that we, I was actually, I was just talking about this the Lord and I was saying,

like, nobody can fix this because like, the problem isn't, like, you know, there's, you know, I actually wrote something on Twitter on, in the New Yorker, and I was like, it's a really abusive place. isn't, like, you know, I actually wrote something on Twitter on, in the New Yorker and I was like, it's a really abusive place. Like you people, you know, easily attack you. The same is true on Facebook. I mean, Laura wrote some thing about voting

for Hillary Clinton and I reposted it. And it's just been like crazy. Like days of insane, like Bernie Bros. Congress on it. And then I read, and then I read a piece that like, oh, Bernie Bros. don't exist. And it's like, well, why am I seeing it? Why am I seeing it?

No, they definitely exist. They're very, very real. But my thing is like, we need to like really reframe like what we think of as interaction on the internet. Like, I just think it's one of these things like in a room full of people, there's not like pretty much like 99% of these people wouldn't say a fucking word.

They would never say word one to anybody like this, you know? And on the internet, we're just like, yeah, well that's just what happens. It's the internet. And it's like, well yeah, but now everybody's on the internet all the time. So maybe we should think about change that. Change that, yeah.

Yeah, let's let, yeah. We have a problem with people. Not a problem. We're the problem. It's not the platform. Exactly. Thank you. I do think that the platforms need to handle people better.

But I think that we, you know, I've been saying for a long time, like, we definitely have a problem with young men in this country. Like, when I was 15 years old and an angry young man, I did not behave the way that I see a lot of, you know, it's just. Yeah. And like like I was angry, but not in like groups of people. Yeah, you know, like I was just pissed off because I was a kid and shit sucked.

I mean, that's how being a teenager is. You know, like being a teenager who can't get a date. I mean, that's just life, you know? But like now that I'm going and offer rape threats to someone like, I form a coalition that's, you know, fighting against women who won't go out with me. It's like, you know, they've gathered on Reddit to solve their problem. It's like, how do we get so off the rails as human group?

I don't know. I don't know, but luckily Katie will figure it out. Katie Nautompa is just going to, she's the best defense we have. Because she knows how to strike the balance. She like, she doesn't want, we don't want the internet creep shit to totally go away. No, we want it to be just creepy enough is what we're looking for.

Just creepy enough, but like yeah, exactly. No, like, you know, we still want the weird, don't have it get less weird. No, it just needs to be less shit like mean. Mean. Less mean. And I don't, by to be less shit like mean. Mean, less mean. And I don't, by the way, I like mean. Mean is good. I mean, getting back to the difficult people thing.

Like, actually, I think the mean people are some of my favorite people, but there's like, there's like mean as a human, and then there's like, you're not even being a human. And I think the problem is like, there's a lack of humanity amongst. It's really interesting to hear you talk about this because you're coming at it from like,

obviously, I'm in the midst of this all the time. You're just like sort of casually observing, there are more casually observing this, I feel like. And you've reached a very similar conclusion, which to me is like either good or horrible. Well, it's just like, oh, it's just like, well, this isn't nice, you know what I mean? Like, I don't need that, you know?

And I don't get a lot of hate. Every woman I know, that's on Twitter gets 10 times a vitriol than I get. You know, I mean, if you're a woman on the internet, you're like under a tent. If you're a woman in the world, you're under a tent. Oh yeah, but on the internet,

it's like the safety's off. Like you can do whatever you want because it's not real. Yeah. Do you know Sarah Schaeffer? Yes. Sarah, I had on the show a bunch of episodes ago, but we talked about this, you know, because she's like pretty outspoken and she'll say stuff that's like not, you know,

it's like she'll say things about being a woman and what it's like in the world. And it's like crazy. I've watched these conversations. I've seen it too, yeah. And it's just like, how, how do, why are you raised like this? How is it possible you think it's okay

in any situation to talk to a person like that? For whatever reason, whether you disagree or not, you know? I don't understand. I also feel like an old person now, by the way, just saying this out loud. Sure, yeah. I'm like these kids today, they have no manners. But they actually do have no fucking manners.

Some of them do. I know a lot of great young people and there is a team to keep it spending time with. Yeah, the teens I spend time with, I buy them alcohol and then they come over and tell me about trends. Sure. I tell you stay current. No, but like I just look at something like it's, I never want to blame all young people because you look at something like rookie mag where it's just like, oh my God, what an

amazing community of young women, you know, something like rookie mag where it's just like, oh my God, what an amazing community of young women. You know, how does that exist? Well, it's a community surrounded by a horrible community of young men. Yeah, it's exactly. There's nothing like that for not that there needs to be a rookie for men. And I would hate to see what that looks like. What would that look like? Brookie, it's like bro, rookie.

I throw rookies the worst thing I've ever heard in my life. Brookie, I'm starting that. Yeah, start working. Copyright Joshua Tpulski right now. But like, you know what I mean? Like there are really smart young people doing interesting things online and then there's um, you know, but it's just like, when the guy from 4chan, when Christopher Poole was like, I'm out. Like maybe, maybe it's time to change things.

He's like, I started the dumping ground of the internet and now the internet's too bad for me. Yeah, like he's like, you know what, enough, because I know that guy, he's really thoughtful and smart. You would not never believe that he was behind that thing. And he, you know, even he was just like, you know what, free speech only goes so far. I don't want anything to do with this stuff.

I've had enough. Well, it's a very sad state of affairs, but also look, you know, there's hope for the future. I mean, you're spending time with teens. So, you know, we're being some of our future leaders into shape. Look, Jake, this is a lot of fun. You have to come back and do this again.

Actually, I know since you're working on new stuff, maybe once that stuff is out. Yeah, anytime, yeah. You to come back and do this again. Actually, I know since you're working on new stuff, maybe once that stuff is out. Yeah, anytime. You can come back and we can talk about it. I really thoroughly enjoy this more than I expected. Oh, I know you have a best time. And I had very high expectations. Good, good, good, good.

And so thank you very much for doing this and you got to come back on set. Excellent. Thanks for having me. Well, that is our show for this week. We'll be back next week with more tomorrow of course. And as always I wish you and your family the very best though I understand your teams have decided to start their own talk show and I think we all know where that means. Everybody wants to lose your mind Everybody's going off the deep end Everybody needs a second chance Oh, you want to be my heart

You've been a star from the start You want to be in the shadows You want to be in the shadows You want to be in the shadows You want to be in the shadows You want to be in the shadows You want to be in the shadows You want to be in the shadows

You want to be in the shadows You want to be my heart You better start from the start You want to be in the show