What Now? with Trevor Noah - Kareem Rahma: Content Overload

Episode Date: May 14, 2026

Trevor Noah sits down with comedian and creator Kareem Rahma to talk about the strange reality of subway fame and the unexpected success of his hit series Keep the Meter Running and Subway Takes. From New York survival stories to strong opinions about culture, behavior, and city life, the conversation moves easily between the observational and the personal.   Along the way, the two explore modern storytelling in an era of digital deception, and why people still respond to the power of a good story well told. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The show is really about, like, how to be a better man. It's about fatherhood. It's about the American dream. And it's about immigrants. It's really just about, it's an American story. And it's awesome. It's a fully American story. I want my nickname to be the Arab Patriot.

Could just be the Patriot, but okay. There's a lot. That sounds like a movie with, like, John Krasinski's shooting people in Saudi Arabia. This is true. It's crazy how John Krasinski has now been that guy. Right? Because he's buff now. But still, I'm just like, it's funny how it's like one minute, if you left the earth at like the peak of the office.

Right. And then you came back now and you'd be like, Jim is shooting people now? That's the guy. It's such a. He might be in a movie called The Patriot. Yeah, maybe he is. Mandela Effect. Could be.

Could be. The Arab Patriot. I don't really want to be called that. This is what now? This is What Now with Trevor Noah I think it is weird that I walk and eat I don't think it's weird I don't see that many people walking and eat

Nobody walks and eats anymore. I walk and eat all the time I did it yesterday with a like a breakfast burrito Nobody walks and eats anymore Like a full-on Do you do you do you do a two-hand burrito or one-hand burrito? One hand, baby Because if you're two-hand burrito even walking

You wouldn't catch me. You'd look like a crazy person. You can't catch me with two hands. Okay. One hand burrito walking. What is it about your life that you are so unable to sit down and eat? I feel like I'm fairly busy at the moment. This is not like permanent.

Oh, okay. This is not like your vibe. No, it's not like a temporary thing. It's probably been for the past like three years. So if I see Kareem in the streets eating, I'm like, oh, things are going well for you? Yeah, yeah, exactly. I just got to keep the momentum gone. Do you feel really busy right now?

Yeah. It seems like you're doing like a shit ton. I see you every. everywhere. Yeah, thank you. Yeah, no, it's good. No, in a good way. No, no, it's really good. Well, that's what's happened. I ran into a guy on the train today and he was like, hey, you're the guy and I'm like, yeah, I'm the guy. And he was like talking to me and he talked about this. He's like, I see you everywhere and he's like, I like watching your videos when I'm on the train, which is really meta. Yeah. Like he watches my videos on the train. Can you ride the train? I do ride the train. And I always get stopped, but. Yeah, because it's weird. Like, how long have you been in New York? 15 years.

So I've only been in New York for, what is, what are we now? 10, 26, 11 maybe. Which is pretty good. Yeah, 11 and 12 years. I always found, like, the subway had a simple rule and that rule was nobody looks at each other, nobody talks to each other, nobody engages. You know what I mean? It was like, it's a simple staple of the subway.

And then on my way here, I was thinking about this and I was like, man, it's weird to be a celebrity of the subway because then that means like the subway people know you as the guy that they should be engaging with. And they do. So people talk to you on the subway. They do. It's actually pretty awful. But I'm still not ready to like commit my life to Uber rides everywhere.

No, no, city bike, my friend. Oh yeah, I do that. Join me on the bikes, my friend. I have my own e-bike. Oh, wow. And I'm ripping because I live in Brooklyn, but I work in Manhattan and I take a 40-minute ride every day. One of those. Yeah, I rip over.

You have your own e-bike. Yeah, and that's sick. I've always wondered who those people are. That's me. What is it? A van moof? What is it? No, it's called Aventon.

It's pretty basic. Yeah. But it's fast. And it gets me to and from work. Every day. Yeah. Is there a temperature that you don't ride at? Yeah, anytime it gets cold.

But what's cold? Today's good. Today I would do. Yeah. But anything colder than this. Also, if it was raining all day, like if it was properly rain, I wouldn't do it. Proper pouring. I'm 10 degrees Celsius.

That's my cutoff. Which is like 35, 40? No, I think it's higher. 10? 10 is, yeah, 10's 40s maybe. Yeah, yeah, you're right. That's reasonable. That's like my cutoff.

That's where I stop writing. Yeah. Do you take the train over? Almost never. Because you would get stopped all the time. No, no, no. No one bugs me on the subway. Really?

Yeah, I'm not the subway guy. Damn. When you look at me, you don't see the subway guy. I see you. There's similar areas. You know what I mean? It's a little relevant. No, no.

I see you and I'm like, he's the subway guy. He's just like, God, that's awful. No, it's, what do you? I don't think it's awful at all. I think it's the greatest thing in the, you know what, you know why?

Another thing I was, I was thinking, I was talking to a friend about this and I was like, it feels like in, in the era that we live in now, your videos are almost a dying breed of internet content because, let me,

let me know if this makes sense to you. I feel like now people are making content to, get people to watch the content, but they're not making the content anymore. Does this make sense? So, okay, let me try and explain this. Like, when somebody made Game of Thrones,

they made Game of Thrones to, I assume, tell a good story. And then the byproduct of the good stories that people read it or watch it. That's the byproduct of telling a good story. But then I think some people with the internet now, they make content to get people to watch the content so that they can just have more people

so they can make more content. But when you actually look at the content, you're like, what is this? Yeah. It's just content that keeps you watching so that they can keep on, but it's not actually good. No, are we recording right now?

Yeah. Oh, amazing. I didn't even know we started. Oh, yeah, yeah. I thought we were having a nice chat. Oh, and then we're going to switch. I thought we're going to be like action. And action.

I thought, okay, well, Karima, welcome to the show. Let's see what I said all of that other stuff. We'll figure out if I said anything bad. You said the subway shit. I heard you, man. You said people on the subway are trash. No, no, I remember what I said about.

Keep the subway out of your mouth. To what you were saying, though, I was just drafting a little diary entry about how I think that people should stop making short form unscripted vertical video shows. Oh. I think we're at peak saturation. And what I talked about in this little diary entry is, you know, when I started my shows, which is keep the meter running and subway takes. I did it because I thought it was a great idea and that I would entertain myself doing that great idea.

Virality literally was not even... It wasn't even the slightest sliver. I wasn't like, oh, this is going to go viral. This is a perfect equation. This is a genetically modified organism that will go viral. Like, it had nothing to do with that. And like you're saying, the outcome was virality. But it wasn't the intention.

The intention was to make the best entertainment possible for the forum which I use the most, which is a phone. So I love the phone. I use the phone like it's television. I still watch television. I still watch movies. But I use the phone like it's a little television in my pocket.

I wouldn't watch a TV show. That's the thing. Like when I see people on flights watching a full TV show or movie. Can I tell you those people, I would, if I could, I would have a list of their names and I would make sure that they never get hired in any serious position

if you get onto a flight and you plan to watch I've seen people watch a full Marvel movie like I'm talking like Avengers Infinity War on a tiny little five inch screen but like serious and then they clip it in front of them That's crazy. Yeah I'm like they don't even clip it sometimes they just go like this

Yeah they put it like this you shouldn't be hired in any like serious position in life but but that's the thing is that I'm making entertainment for the flight yeah but you're making it for the phone I'm making it that's what I'm saying that's the difference is that there put some respect on my name exactly you know what I mean and I think that is the big difference between going in with an intention of making the best work possible and entertaining yourself and hopefully entertaining other people and the big problem what gives it a bad name today and I agree with it is is that so many people are jumping in with this mindset.

The intention is, I'm going to make a viral short form show. Yeah. It's not, I have this amazing idea I need to get out of my body. It's I want to go viral. I want to monetize. And I think the biggest perpetrators of all of this is not, like, independent people, independent comedians, independent, whoever, because everyone's trying to, like, do something.

Like, if you're a stand-up comedian, you start a show, the goal for you is to gain more exposure so you can sell more tickets to your live show. Right. There's a new crop of like little media companies that are popping up. And I have big problems with them because they have bad contracts. They take advantage of young people. Oh, shit. I didn't even know this.

This is a thing. Oh, yeah. Dude, half of the, half of the feed slop you see of like someone. No. Are you serious? Of someone standing in the park,

they look like they're just like a guy with an idea. But most of the time, those are shows funded by these new media companies that are explains it. Creating 30 of these. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That explains it. And the whole goal is get big. Keep it cheap.

Get big. Don't worry about the quality. Don't worry about the format. Don't worry about the idea. Just get the numbers up and monetize it. And the people that sign those contracts are usually in really bad deals because they get taken advantage of. They usually like hire young kids or college people or people just starting out in their careers. They don't own any of the IP.

Like the company will own the IP. It's just a whole different. And I really, I'm not saying this as like a crumogen like. I'm like, oh, stop making shows. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just want young people that do see my path as a viable path because it is. It's a great career. I'm so happy.

Both of my shows have, like, changed my life. But they've changed my life because I like what I'm doing. Yeah. I own them. I own the IP. I own the shows. No one can tell me what to do. No one takes a cut of my money with the exception of my managers, which is, you know, they have a job.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, right. But there's, like, if I want to adapt, Subway takes into a TV show, if I want to adapt, Keep the meter running into a movie. That's on me. Like, it's not another company that's controlling it. So I've been thinking about this a lot, and I do think also that the audience is kind of sick of seeing the same thing over and over and over,

but when they see a subway takes or they see a Keep the Meter running, it's an original idea. It's not, like, at Washington Square Park. Right. The rest, that's another thing I don't understand. Why are all the shows at Washington Square Park? You know what my favorite thing is about those?

Is the fake, like, catch the person. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, hey, would you mind telling me how much you earn? It's crazy. How much do you earn? About like $20 million a year. What do you do? Well, I sell chicken feed and I, oh my God, how do we get into that business?

And you're like, yo, you saw the person coming. You saw the thing set up. That's what I mean. It starts to feel like everything is a, everything's fake. That's what it feels like. But everything is trafficking in real. And this is a take of mind. that's a little extreme, but I genuinely believe it.

I think every time the public comes into contact with fake things masquerading as real things, it undermines the very foundation that society is based on. Does that make sense? It does. Like, I feel like in society, we're supposed to trust that fake is fake and real is real so that we can all have an agreement about what we should or shouldn't be thinking or experiencing or feeling. And I think it bleeds into politics. Like if you go, if you watch a show where there's a husband and wife who prank each other and you're like, oh, this is cool.

They always prank. And then at some point you're like, wait a minute, are they, are they setting this? The guy doesn't just walk into the room and the balloon falls on his head. This is, oh, I think this is set up now. Yeah, yeah. Then you start going, I don't trust anything. And I've seen this happen to people in my life. I've seen this happen with me.

People go, oh, yeah, I don't know. I don't, because that thing was fake. so this thing's probably fake. And then you see like a police arrest and you're like, I don't know, this could be stages as well. And then you see like a couple fighting on the train and you see some shit go down somewhere else. And you're like, ah, it's probably one of those fake videos. And it's interesting. You just start to build like a resistance to caring about anything that could possibly be happening.

I don't know. Maybe it's extreme, but you know. I think that there is a necessary suspension of disbelief, which we do in fiction storytelling all the time. Yeah. And I do think that if it's like a harmless. act, you know, like this prank stuff. Honestly, if it's entertaining, personally, I don't really care if it's real or fake,

because it's entertainment. It's like reality television. For years, we were like, is it real? Is it fake? What is real? And we all know that it's like kind of scripted. Like, it's like, you're going to fight with this person, you know? But we've all accepted that that's okay

because it's kind of harmless and it's, you know, we're all engaging in the same story. Where it gets dangerous is when it is, you know, inherently political or has some sort of covert operation or is it makes you believe something that's not real but it creates a real emotion which is really dangerous. You know, that's pizza gate and that's all this other stuff that like can create a real world effect. So I think, I think when it's like, I'm at least for me, and I'm pretty media literate so I can see something and really sit and say like, damn, is this real? And like look at the people's faces.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, it's staged. And sometimes it makes me like it makes me like it a little bit less, but generally, I'm like, it's okay. They're providing me some entertainment. Okay, okay. But that's just me. And maybe I'm like, have a more chill relationship with it.

But with my shows in particular, like, like, for example, when I turn to someone, I say, so what's your take? Yeah. I already know who that person is. I don't necessarily know their take, and I don't know what I'm going to say at all. Okay. But I know the person. And I've never tried to make it seem like I do know a person, although some people in the comments will be like, man, I wish when the show was random people.

But it's this Berenstein, bare effect. Do you know about that effect? No, no, no. So it's like the Mandela effect. Do you know that effect? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's the same effect where they're like, I miss when the show was normal people, like random strangers, but it was never random strangers. It was always me booking.

Oh, that's interesting. Yeah, it's always been booked. So now people... So now people... Okay. But they go, I miss when it was when it was random people. Okay. I'm like, but I respond, it was never random people.

Wait, but do you, do you think that that's people experiencing the... What is a Bernstein bear, by the way? What is that? Because there's, so there's these cartoons called the Bernstein Bears. Okay. And for as long as... This is like a current cartoon? It's like when I was growing up.

Okay, got it. It's like about a family of bears. How old? What are you? 86? 80. Yeah, I'm 86 years old. Okay. I'm surprised. I was he didn't say 85, pal.

Is that genuine laughter? No, that is. Okay, that's a good thing. Where's the joke? Come on, I love that. Where's the joke thing? No, no, no. That's like, for a long. But you're born in 86, right?

86, right? Okay, cool, yeah. No, I'm just trying to figure out which cartoons. So Bernstein bears, what was this? So there, there is an entire, like, theory. Yeah. That it was spelled B-E-R-N-S-T-E-I-N-B-E-E-N bears. Yes.

And everyone's like, I remember being the Bernstein Bears. Yeah. But apparently it's spelled B-E-R-N-S-T-A-I-N, something like that. I don't know if these are the exact ones. But everyone has a collective amnesia. And like, you'll see all these Reddit threads that are like, I swear. There was a time when it was spelt differently, I promise you. And there's Reddit threads and there's people like, they switched them all out.

People are like, like, it must have switched, you know. And that's what they have with my show. also what is the mandela effect so the mandela effect was when I think it was Nelson Freeman wasn't it when people Morgan Freeman

played Nelson Mandela oh yeah yeah Morgan Freeman played Nelson Mandela and then people were just like that is Nelson Mandela and then no I think it's I think it wasn't that it's

I think it's something like they think that Morgan Freeman died played a movie played a role in a movie as as Nelson Mandela but the move

there is no movie There is no movie Exactly Huh It's also there's another guy No no no Nelson Morgan Freeman definitely played Nelson Mandela Then we gotta figure out

What the Mandela Can you guys check this for us I'm pretty certain I'm pretty certain Morgan Freeman played Nelson Mandela Because I think I remember him Doing Nelson Mandela's accent That's the only reason

I think this happened I don't even know about the movie Well what is the Mandela I generally track people Who do Nelson Mandela's accent no this is a random thing you're the co you're like that you're the guy i promise you're like a if it if it is this then clearly it got me and it's the most powerful effect well everyone fall so what does the mandela effect have to do with okay um reporting so in relation to melsa mandela

yeah paranormal researcher reported having vivid and detailed memories of news coverage of him dying Anti-Apartisian, President Nelson Mandela dying in prison. Oh, okay, yeah, I remember that. Wait, the Mandela effect is from him dying? Oh, I guess now the Mandela effect is people not knowing what the Mandela effect is. That's what the new Mandela effect is.

It's like a collective amnesia where we all think this thing. Yeah, we all have an idea of something that did not happen. There's another one that's Sinbad. Do you remember Sinbad? That one I know, where he played a genie. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's no movie.

That one I know of. But do you remember the? movie? No, I never had that though. I always thought it was Shaq that played a genie. Shack did. He played one. Kazam, wasn't it? I think he was Shazam. Shazam. But he might have been so Sinbad was supposed to be Shazam. And I think Shaquille O'Neal was Kazam. Casam. Yeah, but there's no Sinbad. Okay. But anyways, people think that the show Subway takes. Yeah. Used to be random people on the subway.

Yes. And it was never random people on the subway. No. Because I set out to make a talk show. So wait, what do you think? happened then? I think that some people like just they just have this weird memory. No, I'll tell you what I think happened. Can I get? Yeah, yeah. I'll pitch it at you. I think what happened was at some point the algorithm decided to push your episodes in a certain way and the episodes that people started seeing more of were the familiar faces. So now you were going Gwyneth Peltrow or Sterling K. Brown or And then people went because they didn't know the other people. You knew them when you booked them.

Yes. But because they didn't know the other people, they thought it was some random person from the subway. So they went, oh, this guy meets random people on the subway and says, what's your take? Right, right, right, right. But now it's a celebrity. I don't like the show. Why is Jason Bateman here? Well, and sometimes I clap back at those people and I say, you only get the celebrity episodes because you like watching celebrity content.

Damn, you take it there. I was like the algorithm gives you what you watch. You take it there. I like to clap back. But I am taking the, I have Twitter fingers and I'm, I've given my privileges up. So now I'm not in the comments anymore. Wait, really? Yeah, man.

What changed? I mean, do you get bullied on the internet or does everyone love you? No. Well, okay. I have a controversial opinion on this. I do not necessarily believe that you can be bullied on the internet. 100% disagree. Well, here we go.

I've been bullied on the internet. I don't think you can be bullied on the internet. Okay, tell me more. Okay. I'll tell you why. I think being bullied is something that does not offer an option. Okay. So when you are bullied physically, you are being bullied.

You do not have an option to not be there. You don't have an option to opt out. There is no option. You are being bullied. Okay. When people say they're being bullied on the internet, I go, what you are doing is experiencing the people who do not like you on the internet.

However, you are ignoring all the people who do like you on the internet. So you're saying that you are being bullied on the internet But really you're just being tapped into everyone's brains And people don't like Papa Johns So that means every day Papa John is being bullied on the internet People don't like United Airlines Every day United Airlines is being bullied You can't bully corporations

People yeah no You see you see you see now You can't bully a corporation No but what I mean is what I mean is You can be mean to it What I mean is The bullying itself for me Requires like a power dynamic

That I don't think exists on the internet So I do think kids, like let's say in school, I think kids can be bullied on like little text groups because they still go to the school and then like the kids make fun of them. So I do think you can be digitally bullied. I'm not saying you can't be. But when it comes to it's internet bullying, I realized there are two things that changed my life, genuinely changed my life. So when I first started hosting the Daily Show, people hated me, right?

I mean, some people still hate me now, but this was like just like a huge swath of people. Yeah, this was a big hate. Why did you kill John Stewart and take his job? Then I was like, John Stewart is not dead. That's the Mandela effect. Right? So I was now the host. People just every single day was just like, hate this guy, hate this guy, hate this guy, hate this guy.

And there was like a few people who were particularly like hateful. And so one day I messaged one of the people. I DMed one of them. And I said, hey man, why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you? This is fascinating. And this guy responded. It was the craziest tone shift.

It was like, hey, Trev, hey man, I don't hate you at all. I just saw everyone hating you, and I thought it would be cool to jump on the bandwagon. I sort of got. I was like, and I thought it would be cool to jump on the bandwagon. I actually think you're pretty funny, but I do think you're going to fail at the job. So anyway, nothing personal. This is welcome to the internet. And then I went, wait, so you are just, you're part of this, like, mob coming off to me,

and you don't actually care. And he was like, no, I'll jump onto any train and I'm going to do this to somebody. else and it's nothing personal at all. That's, that's, that's, well, that's one guy. And it was a guy, he was in, he was in Canada, actually. And then I, um, I said in the DM, I said, so you really think I'm not going to do well at this? He said, yeah, you're going to fail.

He said, in fact, I predict in six months, you'll be canceled. And I said, okay, let's make a deal. I said, in six months, if my show's canceled, I will publicly tweet you and say, you were right. I shouldn't have done the show. And I said, and if the show is not canceled in six months, promise me that you'll be a fan other show and you'll just watch always. And he was like, oh, easy deal.

I'm in. And then we just like became Twitter friends afterwards because my show wasn't canceled. So that was the first one. It made me realize that half of the people who are quote unquote bullying you don't realize that they're throwing one pebble at you and you're experiencing a boulder. The second thing I realized was, I mean, a really simple one. I just went into my Twitter account and I said, disable, offensive and mean, comments and I was like

wow the internet's a much better place they love me now they love me you just don't read the comments yeah well no that's what I don't read the comments or you fire back I used to well no I was firing but I've been firing back for three years look I'll say the majority

of the comments are engaging in a productive and fun way because the show is I call it the stupidest show no I call it the most sophisticated show about the stupidest subjects oh I like that and people are engaging in a sophisticated manner about that only gay people should be allowed to have dogs in New York.

And there are conversations happening. Some people taking it seriously. Some people taking it seriously but as a bit. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Some people full on bit. And, like, that's not a real, it's not a real thing. Like, there's no world in which only gay people have dogs. Right, right, right.

But the take is, is... Well, it's hilarious. Yeah. But in the comment, somebody's like, okay, so for this to work, there needs to be blah, blah, blah. And another person's like, okay, so if only gay people have dogs, let's say that's one person of New Yorkers. So that means this many dogs. So that would reduce the number of dogs by this. And like people are doing real analysis and research.

And I love it because there's not really a place, I think, in America at all to have a civilized yet still kind of like rambunctious conversation. in the same way that it used to feel like you could get a bunch of people to have dinner, and they would have slightly opposing beliefs, and you would have a good time and be like, man, I loved that. Like, I loved dinner with so-and-so because he's insane. Like, he's stupid, but I love the conversation. You know, you used to be able to have that conversation, at least I did. And now I feel like you can't have that conversation.

You're just like, this person is awful. Do you think you had a yearning for that coming from an Egyptian household? Dude, I stand in front of my TV with my arms crossed behind my back watching CNN at 7 a.m. Like, I have the old school Arab dad mentality. And so when I used to see my dad, like, interacting with his friends, they were all so, they were always arguing. Always. Yes. It was never a moment where they weren't.

I'm so glad you said that this is a thing that I've been trying to explain to many of my, like American friends who sort of have no recent immigrant family. Everyone came here at some point, but they don't have any recent immigrant family. And I go, one of the national pastimes of most immigrant communities is arguing. Yeah. But like arguing for the sake of arguing, but like in a really, really fun, it's about football.

Who's the best footballer? Who's the best team? Who's the best coach? And then it moves to like, but it's always benign, you know? Oh, where do you get the best homos? Well, that's not homoism. You can't even count that place. But with a passion.

Yeah. And then you fight and you're arguing. You don't know food. You don't know food. And you get into this whole thing. And they don't talk for 24 hours. Yeah, yeah. But like that thing, it's funny that you say that because I would say this to my friends,

especially like my American friends, I go, I sometimes feel like Americans need to fight more seriously about things that are less serious so that they can just enjoy the fight. Not every fight can be about like war in Iran. Like these are big fights, guys. This is too big. And it's exhausting. Healthcare. Yo, that's a big fight.

Just fight about small things. Yeah. You know? I mean, every once in a while, I will just choose violence and lob something into the group chat that I know is just going to piss every. Like literally sitting last night on my couch and I said to my wife, I go, I think I'm going to start a little fight in the group chat. And she goes, about what? I was like, I'm not sure yet. But like, it's been awfully quiet.

Is this a family group chat? No, no. This is just my closest friend. Oh, just a group. Okay. They're mostly actually white. and they would not know not really i mean i do it all the time i instigate a fight and then everyone does fight but it's overtax but it's fine because it's still a good fight yeah and then maybe

one person will leave a little bit hurt but it's like it doesn't matter it'll just be like and and i do yeah i miss that i mean i've said before like my favorite hangout is a dinner with like four to six people that are all smart but maybe don't agree on not everything and just having four hours of arguing. What did you throw into the group chat? What did you say? I don't remember. I have to look. Oh, well, this is a recent one. This isn't yesterday's because I think yesterday I got distracted and I, and she was like, don't do that. And I was like, okay. But one time, somebody was choosing where we should go on a bachelor party. Okay. And they chose what I thought was an awful place. And everyone else went, okay, yeah, sounds good. Like, great. And I go, Denver sucks. Why would we go to Denver? Wow.

And then they were like, you can't, and then they were like, you can't do this. Like, he's on the chat. And I'm like, the bachelor party's not for the bachelor. It's for us. It's for his friends. Also, as a good friend, I want him to have a memorable time of his life. And you guys are bad friends for letting him choose Denver. Also, who said the bachelor gets to choose?

The bachelor doesn't get to choose. The bachelor gets to come, but his friends get to choose. And so I went as far as to write several emails. So it started in the group chat. It exploded. And then I moved into email. And then I moved it into email because I wanted to write longer arguments with the help of, you know, editing software and, you know, be able to use grammarly and such and, like, make sure. So I would write these formal emails to the committee and say, I think that this is a bad decision. And then where did you guys end up going?

Denver. Oh, man. I lost. I eventually, because somebody was like, you're starting to hurt his feeling. Somebody was like, hey, he's really stressed. He was really stressed out and his feelings are starting to get hurt. And I was like, I'll lay off. And actually we had a great time.

I think it was right outside of that. I don't think you're wrong, though. Not about the Denver thing, but about, I don't think the bachelor is supposed to choose. Right? I don't think. I think it's supposed to be the best man. Isn't that like the job of the best man is like your job is to plan the bachelor party? And then who was the best man?

This other guy. Who was going with the flow? Oh, that's a failing. And the bachelor's excuse was he was like, I don't want to, like, I don't want to, like, trouble you guys with traveling to like another country. I was like, dude, we are dying. to go anywhere else. Like, let's not go to Denver. What time of year was it?

It was a beautiful time of year. It was like May, I think, or June. Huh. Yeah. Denver bachelor. You'll live you learn. I mean, yeah, I like that as a... But you see, the more important thing to me is the fight.

Yeah, the fight was awesome. You've just got to, like... You just got to fight, man. You've got to argue. You have to... That's that thing... I remember when I went to Egypt, I was lucky. So we were in Qatar for the World Cup.

And then there were like a few days where there were no games. And then my friends were like, let's just go to Egypt. We're this close. We'll never do it. Let's just fly. And it was like a few hours. We popped over to Egypt. And it really felt like, you know those old like, I don't even know what those movies were called.

Comedies, but there was like American Pie and those, it was like a road trip. Anything could happen. Right. It was like that. And we just went. And then we're like, we got to go to the pyramids. And then we're in the pyramid. And then we're like, is that a KFC next to the pyramid?

And we're like, we go into the KFC. see next of the pyramids and then we're getting stopped by cops randomly in the middle of the nights for fun yeah and they they weren't like threatening or anything they were just curious i guess to check out the ideas yeah yeah just checking stuff and then the next thing you know we're having dinner with random people that we've met eating a meal at like 11 p.m at night midnight you know what i mean but like but the one thing i discovered wherever i went in in cairo arguments yeah just just great arguments everyone fighting about every single thing at dinner at at lunch in a hotel love.

But it made me feel like I was home. Yeah. Is that how it feels in South Africa? Yeah. Africans, come on, man. It doesn't matter where you are in Africa. Full on, full on. As soon as things get boring,

you're hanging out with your Ghanaian friends or Nigerians, just be like, who's got the best jaw off? And then we're on. Yeah, just drop a little fight. Just drop a little fight. Just, everyone needs it. I remember when I was like inviting a bunch of people to Cairo, and I wrote, it was like an FAQ.

And the last cue was, why is everyone yelling? And the answer, I had a bunch of questions as why is everyone yelling? And I said, we're not yelling. This is just how we talk.

I like that. That's it. It's just loud, obnoxious, go like this a lot. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just get into it. And everyone does look like this. I will say that, though.

Like, the one difference I think between, well, maybe it's because I'm familiar with it. I feel like Africans look less angry when they're in the argument. They definitely do. They look, I mean, yeah, they look less angry in general. Yeah, yeah.

Arabs for some reason do look. I'm Arab. I sometimes look in the mirror. I'm like, I look kind of angry. Not right now with this face, but like usually I'm... And that's just my thinking face. Yeah, that's the face. It's not an angry face.

But I'll sit at the computer and I'm like... And I'm like, oh, sorry. People might think of it. Yeah, yeah, that's the face. And like a little bit more angry, a little more intense. It just has a little, yeah, there's a little intensity. Yeah. Whereas African arguments, they have like a big...

Sometimes you even struggle to know when the person is really angry or in like a joyful angry. Don't go anywhere because we got more what now after this. Before I forget, the subway hot... It is Subway Takes, right? Yeah, Subway Takes, right? You see, that's a Mandela Effect. I thought it's like Subway Hot Takes.

There's a lot of people to call it Subway Hot Takes. Yeah, I don't know why. I don't know why either. I guess because we just think it's a hot take? It's always shocking to me. Why would that? That shouldn't be shocking. You're like, hey, Subway Hot Takes. I'm like, that's me.

So, yeah, I think that makes sense. People also call me that. They call you Subway Hot Take. There's a subway takes. Or this is my favorite one. You're the guy. I go, mm-hmm. That's it.

That's the conversation. That's good, though. It's great. That's when you know you've made it. You're the guy. Yeah. Do people do that to you? Yeah.

No, no, they will. They will. So what will happen to me is, but I have to be careful. Sometimes people will say to me, hey, man, are you the guy? And then I used to go, which guy? And then they would be like, the guy from TV. And then I'd be like, oh, which show on TV? And then it would seem like I'm trying to like pull things out of them.

So then at some point I thought, let me just, let's expediate this conversation. Let's get it going. They go, you're the guy and be like, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's me. And then they'd go, why did you leave CNN? I'm like, who do you think I am? And then some people would think, genuinely would think I'm Don Lemon. I've never seen the resemblance. Oh, I don't see Don Lemon at all.

I was going to say this is the first time that I've seen a resemblance, but I could see the weekend. So I get the weekend. Only time. I get the weekend in Europe all the time. Oh, cool. Yeah. That's a good one to be. People will come up to me and then they will go.

The craziest was in Stockholm. I was there at the exact same time that he was doing shows. I was doing shows. And in the streets, people were coming up. They were just like, hey, I'm so excited to come to your show tonight. And I was just like, yeah, man. I was like, damn, everyone's coming to my show. That's so funny.

And then, like, my show was sold out, luckily. But then afterwards, I found out, oh, the weekends in town. They thought you were able. They did. Good guy. They did. So, yeah, so the weekend I get, and then sometimes from far, Bruno Mars. Like a tall one.

Yeah. Well, they don't know how tall Bruno is. That's the thing I've learned. He's a short man. Yeah, so people. No, no, Bruno's fully short. Mandela effect. No, no.

I know Bruno Mars. Bruno Mars is a short man. But tall and, like, his vibe. Yeah, he's a confident. Like, you look up to Bruno when you're standing next to him, even though he's shorter than you. He radiates. But you're going to do subway hot takes in Cairo, right? Yeah.

I mean, here's the thing also about Cairo, which I love. I was born there and it feels like a home to me. There's not a ton of, like, amazing news. There's a lot of news. There's a lot of good news. You know, there's like, there's news. Okay. But I was on a panel in Cairo.

And I just, like, lobbed it out and was like, would love to do it in Cairo. And then the next day there were four news articles. That said you're doing it in Cairo. Yes, it said, next stop for subway digs, Cairo. And so now I am going to go, because that is how I base a lot of my life. It's based on where people want me to go. So I was like, all right, they want me here, I'll get. I guess I'll go.

But it was really funny. I was shocked the next day. It's like, Kareem Rama says, next stop is Cairo. And I'm like, I guess I'm going to Cairo. I mean, I feel like you should do it everywhere in the world. I've seen the ones, you've done London. I've done London. So you've done the tube.

I've done Paris. Oh, you've done, I don't know you did Paris. I've done Berlin. You see, I didn't know these things. Chicago. Well, this is great. You should literally do everywhere in the world. I want to.

But some places like you were saying, like Japan, I don't think they're going to like me there. Because they... No, I don't... I think they have a nice culture. No, I think you're wrong, actually. You know what? You're not allowed to do anything. No, no, no, no.

I think that's an unfair mischaracterization of, like, Japanese people. I think they're very... they're very aware of like another person's space. You know, they're very considerate. But when we were on, like when I've been to Japan multiple times with my friends and when we're on the train talking,

no one's like, there's no, there's not, people aren't even looking at us like, why are you speaking? And obviously we are also considered it. So we're not speaking extra loud.

I think you could do subway takes in Japan. So it's more of like a, like they are policing themselves. Yeah. And you would... But they're not going to judge you. Yeah, I think it's the... Because it's a cultural thing.

Right. The society's doing it. So you're the anomaly by talking slash whatever. They'll let this chaos agent on the train. Yeah, but I don't think you'd bring chaos. You'd just be a guy having a conversation in the corner. I know, but I have big body language. No, you'd be fine.

It'll be fine. Well, I do want to do Tokyo. I made a concerted effort because every time I go to London, I get so much love. Like, it's crazy. I'm like, I'm like, I feel like I'm famous in London. You know that joke? Like, I'm big overseas.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, that's a literal reality for London specifically. So I've, like, doubled down on my commitment to that city. So now I'm going every quarter to shoot episodes there. So now it's like, that is the second home of subway takes. That's beautiful, man. But then, you know, selfishly, I also have not seen a ton of the world. I've seen a good amount of the world.

But I would love to go back to Tokyo. haven't been to like Brazil, like Rio would be amazing. There's so many places that I want to go, even in the U.S. What's the worst thing that's ever happened to you in the subway trying to do one of your shows? Honestly, people are so nice. Nothing, nothing's ever happened. No. Literally people are, I mean, no, that's really good.

No, no, I mean, it's good for like, it's good for a life going in the right direction. It's bad for, like, not having that question. Yeah, for not having a story. Yeah, I don't have a story. I don't have a good, I mean, I guess one time, like, There was a little confusion as to who a person was that was filming us. So there was a guy on the train filming me. Yeah.

With another guy doing subway takes. Okay. And then a more, like a less stable person was also on the train. Yeah. And he saw that guy filming and for some reason got mad and slammed the phone out of that guy's hand. But then that guy thought that the guy, the slammer was my bodyguard. and that he was like no and he was like dude I'm so sorry

I didn't know we couldn't film I didn't know it was a close set I was like I don't know that guy at all and so there was a little bit of like Spider-Man meme yeah that was probably the worst situation where I was like

wait that guy's not with me is he with you he's not with me I was like oh and who was that guy he's just to protect her I love that kind of shit so much and then he slammed the phone and then he kicked it all the way to the other side of the train

It was intense Oh man I love those moments I don't even think I can explain to you How much I love those kinds of moments You can see it in your head right? Yeah because it's it's it's To me that's pure comedy It's just like it's it's written flawlessly

When it just happens in life It was so good It's like you know him no I don't know him Who's the purpose Because he did the right action for a bodyguard I use aggressive bodyguard Yeah but he still It was the right action

Slap the phone kick the phone away This is what you would think You just be like, yo man, that Kareem guy, he's got aggressive bodyguards, but they do their job. Yeah, yeah, exactly. That's what happened. Yeah.

So that's the craziest thing that's happened. But, I mean, the other thing about the show is it's amazing because it is literally the best, like, and I don't want to call it networking, but like I feel like I have friends, so many friends. Oh, that's great. Because I go to London, I meet 25, 30 new people every single time I go. I go to Berlin. I meet 25, 30 people, Paris.

Right. And at this point, I still do all the booking. So, like, I DM people, I find them, blah, blah, blah, blah. And so I make, I feel like I have so many friends. You know what I mean? That's really great, actually. Yeah, it's really, that's like one of the big, like, people are like, will you ever stop doing the show?

And I'm like, inevitably, yes, of course, like everything must end. But I'm like, that's the thing that I'm going to miss the most is like being able to meet 20 people in three days or whatever, like 20 cool people who are comedians or independent filmmakers or whatever. And it's almost like speed dating, you know what I mean? How do you pick? them. It's like a vibes-based situation. Yeah. It's not like really, it's not, uh, it's definitely not quantitative at all. So there's zero. I don't look at anyone's followers or numbers at all. That's

complete, it doesn't matter at all. Yeah. What I try to do, though, is I try to book people who feel like they deserve a platform. Okay. And deserve, not deserve, but need like some, exposure, right? So I try to choose like independent comedians. I try to choose writers and and and and authors and filmmakers and like and then maybe people like some nonprofits like I try to curate this list kind of in the same way that a magazine editor would edit a magazine like I looked at it like a magazine instead of like a page. So I try to choose people based on like are they interesting do they have something to say and then what are they working on and can I be of service essentially. because when I was starting out,

like, I would have wanted to be on subway takes because it would have felt like I was doing Fallon or, you know, Conan or whatever. Like, I was doing stand-up on one of those shows. And that's what it feels like to me is really important. It's like, are you working on something? Could you use the additional exposure? And are you a cool, nice person, really?

Like, that's really what comes up. What happens when the celebrities come on? Is that them, is that inbound? Oh, yeah, that one's just, that one, that one's also really difficult because we get, I mean, we get a lot of inbound, like a ton. Yeah. And all of them have been inbound so far.

And I've been not really trying to, like, book anyone or manifest anyone. Right. Like, everyone's like, who's your dream guest? And I keep saying Ben Affleck because it's just a good answer. And he is kind of, you know, he is my dream guest. He's amazing. I think Ben Affleck's the best. But I haven't reached out to him yet.

But choosing, because I try to keep the DNA of the show alive. So having one celebrity, out of every like 15 to 20 guests is a very low ratio. And it really means, you know, 20 or 30 celebrities a year. And that one is just mostly based on like, who have I always wanted to meet?

Okay. You know what I mean? Like, if it's like, I try to do like icons, you know? We had the last interview with Jane Goodall, which is amazing before she passed away. Obviously, Ethan Hawke and Spike Lee and Jason Pate, like kind of like legends, you know,

like living legends, who I think are hilarious. But also, what's the definite, now I'm rambling, but like, who is a celebrity now? Like, is Eric Andre a celebrity? No, no, no. I think what I mean is, I mean people whose success was sort of defined

before the internet era. Okay, that's generally is what I mean. Okay, good. That's exactly. I agree with that. Like, their fame came from movies or music or, it's like, yeah, I'm usually, I'm just like, who do I, who do I, like, I have an opportunity to meet my heroes.

Yeah. So let's pick them. Do you think you'll ever release the missing Kamala Harris one? I haven't. I'll show it to you if you want to come over. That's like, that's all I want to see. Okay, I'll show you it. Have it on my phone.

Watch I get robbed after this. It's in the cloud, guys. It's securely protected in the cloud. Yeah, I don't think I'll ever release it. It just seems like it's unnecessary. I mean, I could release it. Okay, wait, what do you mean by unnecessarily? necessary.

To release her? Because now I'm like, whoa, how bad was this thing? Well, what's the point of releasing it? She's just a civilian. Is she, though? I don't know. Just leave her alone.

I don't think that's how it works. Great. She ran and lost. Yeah, yeah, no, but I don't think that just makes you a civilian. She's a civilian now. Rocky lost the first movie. That didn't make him a civilian.

Yes, it did. No, it didn't. If you lose, you're a civilian. And you're a civilian. No, you're a superstar now. It's like it's a different thing. I guess it doesn't provide any value for it. Because let's put it this way.

if Kamala Harris shows up at like a rally or says I'm doing a thing, people will show up. They won't be like, who's the civilian lady trying to mobilize people? Do you know what I mean? I know, but it's not newsworthy. No, I'm not even thinking about the newsworthiness of it. I just go, look, on my side, I'm just curious. I'll show you. Okay, cool.

But does the American public need to watch it? Do they need to know? No, no, no, that I'm less concerned about it. Some people have said that the American public deserves. to see it. That's an interesting one. There have been comments. There have been some comments from some people that are like, you.

Because they go, you have this piece of information that sort of affects American politics and culture. And by not releasing this, you are affecting. I'm complicit in a cover up. That's the exact words. You are. That's my take. Don't.

My take is you're complicit in a cover up. I'm not composed of. As a journalist, you have an obligation. I'm not a journalist. People call you that. You know that. right? And I always tell them I'm not. No, but I think it's crazy. Some people literally will be like, oh, the journalist, I don't know when this happened. About me? Yeah, yeah, but I don't know when this

happened. But there's this weird thing that started happening in American news and culture where the people who were tasked with doing a certain job, then started claiming other people had the job and then would judge them for not doing the job that they had given them, even though it was never their job. So it first started, you know, it became apparent to me when it was about comedians. I started seeing a lot of articles being written about comedians, myself included, but it would just be like, oh, why aren't more comedians speaking about that da-da-da-da-da. And I was like, wait, wait, what is happening here? A journalist is asking why comedians are not speaking out about whatever issue they want them to speak out about.

But I was like, but you are a journalist. You work for a large publication that is in full. people. Why are you not writing about it? Yeah, they're writing about you not. They're writing about the person not writing about it. Yeah, but I was like, I don't know. And then, and then I started finding it. I remember someone complaining about like Mr. Beast show and was a journalist and they were saying, Mr. Beast show is a terrible, you know, it's like, it's the worst of America. Why does he not show the better sides of America and why is he not trying to uplift the world? I was like, but what are you writing about?

What are you, you are the, you are the publication. Do you know what I mean? And I've seen a few with you where people would be like, they try and put you in like journalist land because of the level of guests you're getting on occasion. They'll be like, oh, but you should be like, how do you even think of that? How do you think of that quote unquote pressure in that way? I just respond honestly. I'm like you're doing yourself a disservice by saying this about yourself.

because I'm literally just a jokester. I'm a clown. I don't even believe in what I'm saying, which is really true. Like, if I actually 100% agreed or 100% disagreed with every opinion on the show, I would probably be a maniac. Because first of all, there's no such thing as 100% on either.

And that's what makes it good. And that's the joke. That is the point of the show. Yes, it is like, here's 100% disagree. 100% agree. And half the time I've never thought about these things and we'll never think about them. And also, forget about 100% agree or 100% disagree. What about I literally don't care at all. Yeah. I just do not care. Whatever you just said, sometimes doesn't even make sense. And then I just pick an option and let them explain it to me. And it's just funny because I did go to journalism school, which maybe is a reason that's...

Wait, wait, wait, you did? This guy's burying the lead here. This guy's a journalist. I chose it because it because it was... guys out here talking about it's not a journalist. This guy's an actual journalist. I couldn't tell you one thing about journalism. Yeah, but you are qualified. Did you finish journalism school?

I finished, but I... You are a journalist. No, but I, with an emphasis and advertising. If we were... And I only worked in advertising. Wait, wait, wait, I'm sorry. Wait, what? Exactly.

You went to journalism school with an emphasis in advertising. Yes, because I'm a head of the game, baby. I'm ahead of the game. I've known for a long time that we are compromised as an industry. And I said, you know, I'm going to get ahead of this and learn both the things. things, but journalism's easy. Wait, wait, wait, but let's go back.

And I'm sorry, I'm probably going to get fucking Shalemate over this. I just said journalism's easy. I take it back. I'm docking directly to the camera. I take it back. You know you can't take it back. Journalism's not easy.

What I meant was it's an easy major in college. Okay. I'm just going to let you know you can't take it back. Timothy Shalameet, he even said in his, when he said ballet and opera, and then he said, no shots at the ballet community and he tried to take it back. You can't take it back.

You said journalism's easy. and that's it, it's done. Journalism degree. Timothy Shalamey wasn't wrong, by the way. I just don't think people like the flippancy with which he said the thing. They don't like the truth. No, no, I think it's how the truth was delivered.

Also, I've worked in newsrooms. I know journalism is not easy. I know that journalism as a major is so easy. What makes it easy? It's easy compared to all the other majors. I never went to university, so I don't know, like what makes. Look how easy it is. This guy.

It's true, man. Look, the major is easy. It is. I don't know how I can describe it as easy other than when I went to school and they were like, you have to choose a major. I was like, what is it? Like, I had a friend who was like starting to be an engineer. I had another friend who was studying to be a computer scientist, another friend that was

studying to be a fucking doctor. And they were always studying. Yeah. And then I was like, I don't want to be always studying. I want to be hanging out. Like, where, how can I just hang out during college? That sounds way better than studying. And I asked a bunch of people and they were like, well, journalism is pretty easy to agree.

And I said, great, I'll just do that. I didn't choose it because I'm passionate. I chose it because it was there. And I was a junior and I needed to pick a major to graduate from college. I did generals for two years. Generals are like when you don't have a major. So I spent two years just dabbling in American. A little bit of everything.

Yeah, a little American history, a little this, a little bit of that. But look where it got you. Yeah, but none of this is related to school, honestly. I didn't learn the damn thing in school. I went because it was fun. I stand by that personally. I think most people should go to school. not to learn something per se,

but to experience the community and the vibe of all the people you wouldn't otherwise meet. Yeah. I think schools is still like one of the few melting pots that exists. Well, I don't know if it'll be for a while with how they're coming after it, but, you know, I genuinely think that I'm like, yeah, just go to school. That's the only reason I would want everyone to go to university and stuff. Yeah, it's just you go meet people that you would, you know, it's their subway takes. Yeah, yeah.

You meet 20 to 30 people that you would never know. Now you've got friends in Berlin, friends in London, you know? Yeah, no, it's, it, like I worked at the New York Times. Maybe this is why people think I'm a journalist. I worked at Vice, I worked at the New York Times, but I wasn't a journalist at either. What were you doing there? I was behind the scenes. I was like doing content development, essentially what I do now for myself.

Okay. Which is thinking of new formats and new video series ideas. And then I would give them to a journalist or some other entertainer, you know? And then... Did any of them blow up or... Nothing, like, that I invented. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I was always, like, in the room.

And sometimes it was just based on, like, a small project. I remember one time at the times, we had this... I was like, I think it was like a four-part series on ISIS or something. I think, I can't recall. And they were like, how do we get more reach on this? Like, it's super expensive. If we produced this thing, it took, like, seven months. Like, what do we do?

And I was like, I have an idea. let's translate it into like five languages and everyone was like that's a really good idea and so we did translate it into like Arabic Spanish I think Portuguese or French whatever and it did really well I mean it got five times the viewership that an English language video would get hmm you know what I mean I was something as simple as that that that was like now we should do this for other videos that are global news because it's global news. So it kind of makes sense. So you're working in these, I mean, these are like institutions. I know Vice was the Challenger brand, but the New York Times is like,

that's the New York Times. What makes you leave? And what gives you the goal, as they would say? The goal, my man. What gives you the goal to think that you can survive without the New York Times? I had always want, when I moved to New York, I wanted to be like an entrepreneur. Like I came here in search of, I was like, when people went out west to search for gold, I did the same.

I was like, except I went east because I didn't know what, I knew one guy in New York and I was like, that's enough to get started. Because you were growing up, you were in the Midwest. Yeah, yeah, I was in Minnesota. Minnesota, right. And I remember I was inspired to leave Minnesota because I went to Europe for the first time. I went to London. I went to Berlin. I went to Zurich randomly,

and I went to Florence, Italy. Why did you go to Zurich? I had like my girlfriend, my ex-girlfriend's, like brother-in-law, some random person was there. So we went. Okay. And I went on this like three-month trip,

or maybe it was only two months. And I got back to America, and I was like, I got to get out of Minnesota. Shout out Minnesota. I love Minnesota. But that trip, I was just like, I don't belong in this kind of city. I belong in a big city.

and so that's why I came to New York but the intention was always to be like a businessman or an entrepreneur that's what I didn't have any desire to be a journalist or a comedian or anything I just want to be rich so I came here to get rich

and I immediately got poor poorer than I already was because I worked at Vice and Vice wasn't even intentional like I was just like where should I work and somebody was like you should work advice I go cool what is that didn't even know what media was

didn't understand journalism. And I even went to journalism school. But they put me in the advertising area where I was like, yeah, I get this part, like sell things. Yeah. And, you know, after I worked at Vice, which was like getting an MBA in media, I was with a hundred, 25-year-old people. And I had zero friends. And then all of a sudden I had at least a hundred, 25-year-old acquaintances. Still not friends because they were mean to me because I was fresh off the boat.

from Minnesota. And then the Times called, and they were like, I'd been working there for about two and a half years, and the Times was like, hey, do you want to work here? And I was like, will you pay me more? I didn't even care that it was in New York Times. I legitimately didn't care. I just go, will you pay me more money?

And they go, yes. I said, I want this number. I'll tell you what the number was. It was $100,000. I like it. Clean. Six figures. I said, exactly.

Not a penny more. Yeah. I said, give me $100K, and I'll do it. And they go, okay, call my mom. Guess what? I make six here. Hey. She's like, wow, really?

I'm like, yeah. Later, find out that they had budgeted like $140K for the roll. But I came in, my goal was to get $100.000. Different six figures. But I was like, whatever, man. I just need $100K, which I got. And so anyways, what gave me the gal to leave? Gall to leave.

The gall. That's how I know it. Maybe in America it's gal. I don't know. I just, the gall. The gall. I think it's the gall.

Yes, the gall. The gall. I was just, I felt like I was ready. I knew enough people. That's really what it was. The biggest thing is I knew enough people. But it's the opposite of chasing money though.

Yes. Like, why would you leave the six figures to go and like make internet videos? Because it's not like the money was apparent. Well, there's still a time in between that. where I set out to, like, start my own business, which I did. It was a media business still.

It was still in the same realm. And that still was the goal was still to get rich. And I did not, again, so many times. There's also a whole history of this going back to when I was 14. This has been my number one priority in my life. Is to get rich? Yes. Until I turned 33.

What did you start with at 14? Mowing lawns. Oh, very nice. Yeah. Very nice. I used to haul this big, fucking lawnmower. Like my dad would drive me around. had one client.

Wait, that's it. And I got fired. And then I started over. How do you get fired from mowing lawn? He's just like, I don't need you anymore. What? How do you not need someone to mow your lawn? What happened here?

I don't know, man. I don't remember. Huh. I cannot say. Without my lawyer here, I cannot say. Okay, okay. This one. Yeah, yeah, okay.

I don't know what happened. But I remember this old man. He was just like, yeah. I think I just did a bad job. At mowing lawn. Yeah. That is like the simplest, most obvious thing. You push the machine, it cuts the grass, the job is done.

It was a huge yard. Even better. And I didn't have a driver's license. I don't think that there's no correlation between those two things. I think I was the scheduling issue. It was a scheduling issue. So, okay, cutting gross, fired. Fired.

Yeah. And then McDonald's and then telemarketer. and then mortgages. Telemarketer. All of these things. What were you selling? Furnace and duct cleaning. Furnace and duct cleaning.

Yeah, hello. This is Kareem with Homeplace Furnace and duct cleaning. Do you have an average 2,000 square foot home or less? I do not, Kareem. I'm not getting you going. No, are you serious? And then what are you trying to do? Well, how big is your house?

So, okay, let's go. 2,200 square feet. 2200 square feet? Yeah. Okay, yeah, that's about average. It's about 2,000 square feet. And have you had your furnace and ducted clean before? I don't even know if my furnishing duck gets cleaned.

Well, you definitely need it. There's like all the bacteria and germs in your house, all the dead air, all the bacteria. Like, that's how things travel. You've got to get it clean so that the air that's circulating throughout your home is clean. Oh, shit. Yeah, hold on. Let me get a quote for you. Amanda, $80?

Okay. So we can have someone out there for $80. How's tomorrow looking for you? Damn, look at that. I've hung up on people. like you all the time. It was so fun. As soon as the person

says I'm from, gone. This is a different era though. Oh, this was a different time. Well, this was when it was kind of special. No one knew who was going to call them. Because now they're like kind of automated and they're from other, they're from like, you know, they're outsourced.

Now I'm like, I'm from Minnesota sitting there reading a lowrider magazine. I'm in a room this big with 10 other people my age who are all making $10 for every sale that they get. plus our minimum. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So there was a leaderboard. It was kind of like boiler room except really sad and depressing. I like this. Because we were making like 80 extra dollars a week. But this guy Joe, close friend of mine, he was a killer. What did he do differently?

Dude, he was just so good. He was so cocky. And he treated it like a joke. And sometimes people would like be me to him and then he'd just be me right back. He was awesome. It's my good friend. And he was like the top of the leaderboard.

Yeah, he was a, man, he was such a cool guy. Where's Joe now? Okay. Yeah. All right, we just move on. He got no bad. Oh, sorry, Joe. He's an okay guy.

He's a great guy. Anyways, all of these things happened. And then, so I failed, I failed, I failed, I failed, I failed. My whole life has been failures. Really, I'm like not exaggerating. It's been hard. Yeah. And then at 33, Jesus here, I was like, I have to stop.

I just had this imposter syndrome. Okay. I have to stop pretending I am a CEO or a, businessman or an entrepreneur or that I know any of these things like I have to stop trying to get rich quick because now I'm 33 and everything has failed and I need to try something new and the thought of like emailing for a living for the next 50 years was really scary to me especially because I wasn't good at it like my emails are still bad they're I email like Jeffrey Epstein that's probably why you lost the Denver argument you switched to your weak side no no because that one I was using some assistance oh okay okay I was using a

assistance on those because I needed to make a really good case. But my normal emails are really, when I saw Jeffrey Epstein's emails, I was a little concerned. They were terrible. That's how I typed. Yeah, it was like all lowercase. That's how I type. Oh, man. Like, if you were like, hey, what time are you coming?

I'd be like, soon. That's all I'd say. Did you find the place? No, send help. I have the opposite issue. My texting is too formal. Really? Yeah, my younger brother always, he's like, yo man, you need to like,

You need to loosen up. I don't abbreviate anything. I don't, like, thank you. You know, and people just write TY. That's what I do. No, no, no, no, no, no. You're right, thank you. I write, thank you.

Don't tell me to periods. Yeah, I do. I do. I put periods in. Yeah, no, I do. I put the, the, the, the, the, the, we call it a full stop, put a full stop where the full stop needs to be. I have double spacing after a full stop,

because you can't just, like, put one space. Journalist. No, because my mom, so when I was young, my mom ran her own, like, like, business from home. and she would type a lot. She was like in real estate and she'd type a lot. And then I would have to type things with her and help her. So she would go through the work.

So I would be like, to whom it may concern, dear sirs slash madam, I would like to inform you of an issue that has occurred. So I couldn't be loose with things. You know what I mean? So when texting comes into my life, I'm already like well versed in the arts of, you know, formal conversation. Do you sign off? I do.

That's nice. I like that. I do a sign off. genuinely like I like I so you'll put dash Trevor yeah I'll put like that's cool you know like a little Trevor or tea or I love that or you know and I have to try not do that with people one of my friends even said to me once hey I know that you know it's me so stop using my name when you start the text please because I will do that I will message you and I'll go hey kareem and then you'll go yes obviously it's me because it's my phone

Because people will message me all the time And be like, yo, what are you doing this Friday? And I'm like, yo who? Yeah, yo-humst. Yo, you're just going to yo me? I do that when I call people. You do what? Like, you would have my number and I'd go,

yo, Trevor, it's Karim. And you'd be like, I know. I do that all the time, but I love doing that. No, that's so. No, because it's fun. That's hilarious. Or they'll call me and I'll go, this is Karim and they'll be like, I called you.

Oh, that's brilliant. Yeah. No, you see, that's good. That's good. I like to establish that as me. That's good. I like that. No, no, no, I like that actually.

I like that. Especially in the age of AI. Exactly. You need to make sure that they know. No, no, you need to. You need to throw in a little spice just to throw off the algorithm. I like this. I like this.

Okay. So. So then I just, I was like, I can't. I love this like total just departure from what we were talking about. And then we both pick up exactly where we left off. Where we left off. Which is an age 33. Failing at everything.

No more. CEO. And I was just like, I have to do something that I think I'm actually good at. Yeah. And like I was saying, I went to college to hang out. And most of my life, I've been extremely good at that. It's the best thing. It's the thing that I'm best at is the thing that I'm most comfortable with.

I didn't play sports. I hung out. I didn't have any college clubs. I hung out. Everything in my life has been geared around hanging out. I like this. So I was like, what kind of job? is a hangout.

Yeah. And I was like, comedians seem to be hanging out all the time. They're always hanging out. Like, their job is to hang out. Yeah. So I was like, maybe I'll do that.

And so I went to Upright Citizens Brigade. And I always thought I was funny. I always felt funny. I always knew I could do it. Yeah. I always played at the top of my intelligence, even in these like conversations with my friends.

I was always like how, you know, keep the joke elevated and play at the top of your intelligence. But I did comedy school because I just felt like I wanted to have something on my resume. And that would provide some legitimacy that I could say, like, I am a comedian or I could say that.

What I didn't want to do was, like, be, like, aspiring or I just started. So, like, I just enrolled in school. I did all of the improv. I did all of the stand-up. I did all of the sketch. I did all of the writing. Oh, wow. I did more than you're supposed to do, probably.

But I did all the classes. I spent a ton of money. And at the same time, I was, like, doing the things. Like I was doing the training, but I was also like booking shows. I was going to shows. I was performing on shows and just getting a feel for what I really liked. And eventually, like, it's, I just, I've always been an internet kid, like, from day one. It's been my favorite thing aside from hanging out.

So then I was like, let me make some videos. And then from there, it was like figuring out, you know, what was like a repeatable thing. Because I remember I did get some notoriety for making this short film with my friend New York, Niko. We did this film together. It went to Tribeca. That was the first time I felt like, I was like, oh, shit, I actually did, like, right away. It was my first big project. And it was right away in Tribeca, right away with this great director.

I was like, oh, shit, maybe I am good at this. Like, that was the least amount of, like, convincing I've had to do. Yeah. And I don't feel like an imposter at all. Like, I wrote the movie. I was in the movie. I went to Tribe Buckle. Like, I didn't fake anything.

Like, it just worked. And that gave me my first little bit of courage. And then right after that, I did keep the meter running. And that thing just exploded immediately. It was so cool. And again, it came from this place of, like, emotional attachment to my father who passed away when I was 20, right when I was in college. Because your dad was a taxi driver, right? Yeah.

My dad was a cabbie for, like, five years. So he wasn't a cabbie forever. but when he first moved to America with a cabby, I didn't even know him as a cabby. Right. But I found myself seeking out wisdom from whoever was driving me to 4.8 to B. And I think it's a very,

it is a very common experience that you get in a car ride with a cabby, and they're almost like a Sherpa or a guru or a monk. They've always got like this thing, and I'm like, man, these guys have the secrets to the universe. Like, how are they so chill? How are they not having...

road rage. Sometimes they have a road ridge. But like, you know, and talk about the, talk about the, like, hanging out with an immigrant and talking about politics or anything, they don't stop talking. No, no. I've never met a single taxi driver anywhere in the world who has no opinion. No, it just doesn't exist. Yeah. None will be like, well, I don't have an opinion on that. Exactly. No, no, they will give you an opinion. Yeah, about anything. Yeah. How do you feel about Putin? It does not matter. They've got an opinion. It's awesome. Yeah. And so I did that show.

I did the first 20 episodes, but it was so expensive to produce. So I need to understand why, because I've always read this, but I've never understood why it was so expensive. It seemed like it was beautifully shot, beautifully made and all of that. But what made the show like so expensive to the point that you couldn't do it anymore? Well, have you ever paid for a cabby's meter when you tell him to take me wherever you want? No, I've never done that. Yeah. How much was it?

What would it get to? Oh, dude, it could easily get to 800 to 1200. I think I had a $1,400 day once because we're just driving and we're taking our sweet time. And they weren't ripping me off. Like it's not like it was. No, no, this is just, that's the price of keeping the meat running. Yeah, because we would literally do these crazy things. Like one time I went from Manhattan to Queens, ate at this restaurant.

Also, that was a big problem is I'd also cover the meal. And I was covered in the meal for me. me and the cabby plus my crew. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Plus over ordering a little bit for the video. Okay, so you make sure you get all the food in it. And make multiple stops. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

And then I'll also tip the restaurant because I'm like, like, I show up with cameras. Because you've got a camera and you got a crew and you got a whole thing. And yeah, yeah, yeah. So as, as at that point, I had to experience zero success. But I was spending like I was HBO. Yeah. I was like, baby I'm a fucking movie producer. And it like, like now I could probably self-fund it and I'd be fine.

and it would be like a loss and whatever. But it was like $2,000 an episode, which is crazy in most parts of the world. And also like not advisable as a person starting their career. Yeah, when you have no money. I'm going to lose $2,000 every time I make something with no plan to recoup. Like to recoup. Yeah.

And but it was my favorite thing I've ever done in my life. But you're doing it again, aren't you? Yes. And now it is back 20 minute episodes. So the first, the first iteration was six minute episodes. Got it. Now it's 20 minutes. episodes. They're on YouTube. And they're

even bigger. They're bigger. They're better. They're crazier. And it's just like, I took the short form show. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I went, and I just turned it all the way up. So it's, you know, Russian Turkish bathhouse with Eugene and Boris, who's his friend that he just brought along for some reason. It's bowling with Norman. It's fishing. It's doing stand-up comedy and recording a flute

album with Cacondra. It's it's it's it's it's salsa dancing with homero. It's it's it's literally traveling the world without ever leaving the city. That's beautiful. And that is magical. That's what's magical on New York and it's also what's magical when you just tell someone what do you want to do today and just and you and I have zero input and I've learned so many things every you know it's like they're like fathers to me because they have all this fatherly advice. You know, as a man, you still want advice. Are your parents alive?

Yeah, yeah. And you probably call your dad and you're like, what do you think I should do in this situation? No, no, I call my mom, but okay. Because dad's like, bad advice? No, no, no. I think his, I think we're so different that the advice that he would give me is almost, it's just like from a random place, if that makes sense. Like, my mom knows me so well.

And we are so similar in our, in our personalities. Not in the way we act in the world, but we're so similar that, when my mom says something, she can say it from like the place of knowing me. If I ask my dad for advice, he'll just say a thing from his point of view in the world, and then I can process or not process that. Do you know what I mean? Your dad's like, who is this? No, my dad is very Swiss and very, you remember me, Swiss German, so he's like,

he's very precise. Trevor, who? He's very, very precise. But he'll give me advice, like, this is the thing, and that's how I see it. but but I'm like Ah there's no like You need a you need a belkin Cavy

Yeah where's like the Where's the you know what I mean Yeah yeah yeah that makes sense Where are the edges in this Okay so you got your mind Yeah so wait on your side So you were very close with your dad I'm assuming then

I was like not close to him And I was close to him in the same In the way that I like to argue Okay Like he was an argue friend Right Okay But he was a great guy

And I did Yeah I was close with him But like It wasn't like a lovey relationship It was more like Can it ever be with like an Arabic dad from that time? From that time, no.

Yeah, because it feels like there's this generational like chasms that we just have in society where, even with most, I would say with most African kids, there's one generation where there's no such thing as being like

lovey with your dad. No. You know, I remember once, man, one of my favorite experiences ever was one of my cousins we were walking out of the house and because it was just like,

I don't even know what happened. And he was just like, we're leaving and then he said uh he was like i love you dad and then his dad was like oh good luck it's just like and i mean in that one moment i think we both we're just like yeah what were you doing what were you doing it's it's so i came from that you know what i mean so like middle eastern you know arabic dads african there's a generation where it was like there's no such thing as being like lovey with your dad. Did they provide for you?

Yes, exactly. Did you respect them? Did you do the things you were supposed to do? Are you ready to be the man of the house? Then you have a great relationship. I remember I was like 11 years old and I was like, dad, I really want like a PlayStation. And he was like, that's for kids. Huh.

I was like, dude, I am a kid. He was like, no, you're not. Yeah, you're living. You're about to be a man. Building my lawnmore business. But yeah, it's like. And I like that tough love sometimes Because honestly

You know I'll get in a cab And the guy's like How are you? And I'm like Honestly I'm not that good And he's like What's wrong?

And I'm like That because that's how Also that's the other thing About how cab rides start Yeah So you get in He says how are you Most of the time you go

I'm good and you look at your phone And then it's over But if you decide to say Honestly I'm a little bad My wife is like a little bored with me And she thinks I'm annoying

That cabby is about to give you A hell of a lot of romantic advice on how to fix your marriage. And it's good. It's actually good advice. But so I look at these guys like fathers. Like there's a bunch of different, I have so many different fathers now.

And they've kind of, and that is like the emotional engine of the show is that I'm meeting a dad. But it's not a setup. It's not like, no, no, I know what you mean. Yeah, but you know, you might see an internet show that's like, I don't have a dad. So I'm going to find one in a cab.

I mean, yeah. Just like the feeling of, like, that a Bordane would just have when he goes into a city. I'm curious and I want some knowledge. So that's what I do and I just let whatever happens happens and yeah, it's my favorite thing in the world and I'm so glad to be doing it again and I'm so glad

that I hope people like it. Don't press anything. We've got more. What now? After this. I think one of my favorite things about the show, and I'm sure people will like it, is it's crazy to say this but it reminded me to see people not only

only as you meet them, but like assuming that they are as you are. And what I mean by that is I definitely know that I've been guilty in my life of seeing some people in the way that I just see them when I meet them. So like the taxi driver, they'll just be like a taxi driver. Sometimes we'll connect because the guys from an African country somewhere. Now we're talking about like Sadio Mani, oh yeah, remember that World Cup and remember this thing in Africa, a couple. That's different.

And now we sort of, but it's when you would meet a stranger. You confine them to the reality that you know them in, but you never think to yourself that they're bowling or recording albums or you just go like, they're a taxi driver. And you're like, yeah, but what do they, what do they do for fun? Who do they love? What makes them laugh? How do they?

And I don't know, man, I think especially when we live in a world where we're all being flattened, doesn't matter who we are, we are all being flattened down to one idea of ourselves and one idea of others. I do think it's beautiful to have an example of something that goes like, oh, no, no, no, no. The person happens to drive a taxi.

Yes. But this is who they are. Yes. There's a difference. You know what I mean? And it's so, every time I'm just shocked at how, like, they're,

you know, even if they're not millennials and some of them are millennials, like, you know how, yeah, you're like, I have a podcast, I have a TV show, I'm a writer, I'm a this, and then they're also like that. Yeah, they exactly like that.

But, you know, I don't think we think in general of like blue collar workers or people as like having multiple side hustles or like they're literally trying to get by just like we are. Yeah. And they have dreams. Like Cacondra, dude, this guy has written two memoirs that they're pretty fucking good. One of them is his own life story. He grew up in like a mountain village in Nepal with no shoes and had to beg to get his first pen from like a Swiss tourist. who gave him it as a gift, as a little boy. And now he has a memoir.

He has another book of, like, just stories about his passengers. So he's interviewed 700 of his passengers. That's beautiful, man. Dude, it's crazy. And he also plays the wooden flute. And his dream is to stand up. And I'm like, man, this guy's incredible. He's really incredible.

And I had the best time with him. You know, I had so much fun. And the episode turned out amazing. And it's, you just forget. And then, like, Irish John, Irish John's incredible. Irish John has been a cabbie for 40 years. He's just retired now. He has a one-man show called Off the Meter,

which is about his 40 years driving a cab in New York City. That must be fascinating. So funny. So many funny stories. He was also involved in politics. like he was he's Irish yeah so he was involved with like the IRA uh-huh during the period when that was happening and he has all these stories about his involvement with IRA and just an amazing one-man show which is why when I heard the story that he has this one-man show I was like

let's make it a special and release it as part of keep the meter running and so we're like produced this one man I was literally about to ask you if you if you if you if you see any future where you're going to help produce some of these ideas that you're bumping into with these people who wouldn't otherwise be able to have them produce. No, I think so. I mean, they've all, like many of them have, yeah, whether, say, you know, I don't want to do anything unless someone asks me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, this is not a charity. Right. And I'm saying that because sometimes they're like, I don't need help. And I'm like, great. But if somebody says, I need help with money, I would help figure out a way with money. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I've seen

you go fund means. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then if somebody's like, hey, I want to produce this one-man show. Then I'm like, great, that, let's film it. Like, and let's film it because it deserves to be documented. Yeah. You know, like, like, it's, it's, it's this little bite of the American dream, which I feel like I have been able to so far achieve. I feel like I've done it. I was born in Cairo.

My parents are both immigrants. And I feel like my dad did not achieve it. My mom didn't. I mean, and maybe they did achieve it through having a successful son. Yeah. I would argue they did. You know, they never achieved theirs, but they did achieve a version of it, which is that I have, I'm able to do what I want to do. Right.

And support my family and make a name for myself. And so if I can help other people achieve their, just a nugget, you know, just a bite of the apple, that is more than enough for me. Like, that feels good, you know. And the show's really about, like, yeah, it's about how to be a better man. it's about fatherhood, it's about the American dream, and it's about immigrants. It's really just about, it's an American story. And it's awesome.

It's a fully American story. I want my nickname to be the Arab Patriot. Could just be the Patriot, but okay. That sounds like a movie with like John Krasinski's shooting people in Saudi Arabia. This is true. It's crazy how John Krasinski has now been that character. It's because he's buff now. Yeah, but still, I'm just like.

it's funny how it's like one minute if you left the earth at like the peak of the office right and then you came back now and you'd be like Jim is shooting people now that's the guy it's such a he might be in a movie called the Patriot yeah maybe he is mandela fact could be could be the Arab Patriot the Arab Patriot hmm I don't really want to be called that but I guess if I was I'm going to be a patriot I don't want to be the Arab Patriots. No, I like that. Because it's a little, it's also like a little

divisive to the proper Patriots. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. I'm like, I love America. Yes. But I'm an Arab. And then they're like, damn, damn it. He does, doesn't he? He does love America. And he is there, fuck.

Like, it doesn't work with their model of like being a proud American. Yes, yeah, yeah. I mean, because they have an idea of what the person is supposed to look like and be like to be a proud of American? Yes. But like what if I am proud of the version of America

that I'm working on? One of the biggest fights I got into it was like a fun fight but there was a, I was doing shows I was on the road, this was many years ago and one of the people in the audience said to me said something, I made a joke about America and this one guy was like, shut up,

you know, don't make jokes about America or? And I was like, why not? And they said, because you're not American. And I said to him, I said, yeah, I said, in fact, I think, I have more right to make this joke because I've chosen America I was like you didn't choose it

I was like you your mom just shat you out and then you're American I chose this country can you say the same and he was like whoa and I was obviously joking with him but I was like

but it was interesting because he said off to us and he wasn't an asshole at all we were just having we were having a good natured fight and then the guy sits to me out there he's like man I never thought of it like that He's like, I never thought to myself that these people are like choosing America. You know what I mean? They choosing to make money in it.

They choosing to make something of themselves. Yeah, they're choosing America. And he's like, I never chose America. You know, and I even said to him, I was like, have you, what are you choosing it based on? Have you been to other places? You're saying it's the best, but have you gone somewhere else to go? I've been other places. And then I'll be like, yeah, and I'm choosing it.

What now? You know? And the guy was like, wow. And we laughed and we had fun. Because I find that's the biggest thing. I find, going back to the bullying and the internet, I find, like, in real life, is people are, yeah, people are a lot more, I don't know, this is,

they're not more human. Yeah. But that's also a great example of the kind of, because you can, it's not even change minds, but you can, like, have someone see a different way. Like, he might not even have his mind change. He might just be like, you've got a good point. And then that point, he thinks about that point for a while,

longer and then maybe he sees other points or he sees immigrants in a way like maybe he's still a prick maybe he's not he wasn't even to be on right that's what i say like he was during the heckling good-natured heckling right i enjoyed it it was a good like he wasn't being an asshole in any way he was just like we were going at it and it was fun that is fun but i feel like some but i don't think it would have been funny if it was on the internet that's what i mean it probably wouldn't because he can't read the tone and there's other people you know so i find when you share a physical space with other human beings, you are less likely to think of them as other because you're sharing the same space already. We've both chosen to be in this comedy club. We've both chosen to engage in

this moment. We've both chosen. Do you get what I'm saying? And inadvertently, you become more the same than you would have been otherwise. Which is why being around people is important. That's, I think, one of the things I love most about your work is, I don't know how to articulate this properly, but it's like, there are some things on the internet that do not feel like they're about people, even though they involve people. And then your show, like, okay, so let's say like subway takes. I'm pretty certain I'm not the only person who feels this. It makes me want to speak to people on the subway because I feel like they might have

an opinion or an idea on the world, right? The same thing with keep the meter running. It made me want to talk to taxi drivers because I was like, I wonder what this person thinks. I wonder what that person, but it connects you to a side of humanity that I think a lot of the time the internet doesn't. A lot of the time the internet, I feel, treats people as objects. You can do a thing to a person. You can play a prank on them. You can, you know, make them angry. You can scare them. But they themselves are just, you know, a device that gets you to your end goal. They aren't part of it. Right. Does that make sense? And your work for the most part feels, yeah, yeah, they're props.

But with you, I go, your work wouldn't survive without like the people in a good way. For sure. Yeah. I mean, it's really like it's about having fun, honestly, in the real world. Like, obviously, it's on video. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I am having fun. That's good, man.

That's the best way. It's really amazing. And I am so, like, grateful and fortunate and happy and excited that I get to have fun. It's literally what I set out to do. Like, hang out. And now I'm hanging out full time for a living. And it just couldn't have gone any better. And I'm really lucky that people love the shows.

Like I said, it was never about going viral. It was about, let me try to do what I think is cool and what I think is fun and what I think will work. And hopefully people like it. But I remember before so, so keep the meter running, went on hiatus. And then I was like, okay, I need to find an idea while this is on pause to do. Because I was like, I had this ambition of making a TV. show and, you know, pitching and blah, blah, blah. And, like, obviously, Hollywood is not chill at the moment.

So, so, you know, it was like, went on hiatus and while I was on hiatus. Hollywood is not chill. I mean, I had a baby. My whole life changed. And then eventually, Hollywood is not chill at the moment. It's really not. It's really not. That's why we're here.

Oh, man. And you know what's ironic though is, is the machine is going to come for you. Because this is what I find happens all the time is people are rejected by the machine. Then there are some who beg the machine to welcome them in. Then there are others like yourself who go, I'm just going to build my own machine. I'm just going to do my own thing. And then because of the success of that, the machine goes, ah, Karim. Yes, we've always believed in you.

I know. I've always been a big fan of your work, Karim. Please. We'd love to produce this. We'd love it. We love it. Keep the meter running. Let's do it together.

But instead of taxi drivers, private jets. Yes, yes. Instead of New York, we do it in Switzerland. Yes, Karim, imagine this. Yes, and now it, you know what I mean? And then they slowly take your idea. And they just like twist it and stretch it and warp. And then by the end of it, you're like, wait, this is not keeping.

the meter running. Let me tell you. And the pitches, there were like, is there, you know, could we make it a competition show? And I'm like, you want them to compete. Oh, you see. Squid games. You want to do squid games. You want blue collar working class people who I think are heroes, all of them.

You want them to compete on television for what? Fuck off, man. Literally fuck off. And it was all these things that I was just like, I can't find a home for this. I want to keep it pure. And I also think, you know, with the success of Subway Takes, the reason I, like, I know this project is pure at heart because I could be doing literally anything. And I'm choosing four years later to go back to where it all started and do the same thing that I was doing four years ago with no celebrities and no money. Still in the cars, like still driving around.

Like, it's still hard work. I still don't have a place to piss. I still have no studio. They don't have a place to piss either. And it's just like, it's still gritty. Like, nothing's changed. It is what it was. Four years later.

And the version for TV, and I'm, you know, I don't hate Hollywood. I love going to the movie theater still. I see movies. I see blockbusters. I see regular movies. I see indies. I watch TV.

I think, like, the top of our conversation, there is a place for this. Yeah. And there is a place for like, come over watch a movie. Yeah, yeah, definitely. And I wish they would like learn is really it. You know when you see someone like like a teenage,

like if you had a son and he was a teenager and was like smoking weed, and skipping school. You're doing bad things. You're hurting yourself. That's what I feel like about Hollywood. As I feel like it's smoking weed. It's getting drunk. It's not doing what it's supposed to do.

And I just want it to succeed, but they're not succeeding. And that's okay. They will eventually somebody maybe will realize something or the industry will change or there will be new industries like there are every day, you know? Yeah.

I think there are three things that I spend a lot of time trying to understand the failings of Hollywood. And there are three things that always stick out to me. One is what my manager said to me very, very long ago when I was

even like trying to go into Hollywood. I was like, this is not my thing. I like stand-up comedy. I still love stand-up comedy more than anything. And one day I was like, why does it feel like everyone's making the same show or everyone's trying to do the same thing? And he said, you have to understand this about Hollywood. In Hollywood, everyone's in a mad dash to be second.

That's so good And so he said You will spend all your time Trying to convince people In Hollywood That something's a good idea They won't see it They won't accept it

But let it become Big somewhere You will see everyone Now try to do it So you look at a show Like The Office Right

Before the office Mockumentaries aren't Really a thing In that way You know They aren't like Network television Yeah they're like niche

Yeah they are niche The office comes in And then you you literally now could not stop counting the shows that are mockumentary, you know, pox and rec, modern family, you name it.

Like, everyone's like, do they look at the camera and with a quirky expression? Well, we'll take it. Everyone starts doing it. Yeah. Right?

You go, oh, we'll make an old show with me. No, no, no, no. Game of Thrones, the period after Game of Thrones

where people were making old shows where, you know, it's like, I, my brother would never stand for this and will die for Valhalla. Everyone's making it. So that was the first thing that struck me. The race to be second is crazy.

Yeah, everyone is in a mad dash to be second in Hollywood. So one Marvel movie will mean everyone's now going to make them. Everyone's going to make a superhero something. The second thing was told to me by somebody who works inside like the studios and stuff. And he said, do not take for granted how everyone in this business is just trying to not get fired. So they don't want to make the wrong choice. They don't want to do the wrong thing. They do whatever they think their boss thinks is right.

They don't want to shake anything up because all they don't want to do is get fired. They're not trying to make the most beautiful thing. Even if they want to, by the way. I'm not even like slamming them. But they are so afraid of losing the job that they just don't, they don't move. That was the second thing. And then the third one, I think, is more institutional. I think you can draw a direct.

line, like let's say just in the movie business, you can draw a direct line between the monopolization of movie theaters and studios with the decreasing quality of films that we get. One of my favorite stories is the story of Back to the Future. Back to the Future is one of the most successful movies ever made, like box office-wise. But that movie didn't start as number one, didn't start as number two. You know what I mean? If you watch its earnings at the box office, it does the opposite of every movie today. It starts here and then it slowly creeps up, creeps up, and it just keeps going up. And then when I was reading why, one of the big things was movie houses like, you know, Cineplexes were owned independently. And a lot of the people who own them just loved movies.

And they were like, what is this story? That looks interesting. We'll take it. And they just put it in. It was like a random shot in the dark. It wasn't part of a franchise. It wasn't part of a, and then word of mouth grew it and they had space in the cinema and they let it grow and then it becomes one of it. Now it's an obvious story. But look, just go to a cinema

or look at it. When was the last time you saw them taking a chance in that way? They don't. But it's because it's all like part of the AMC chain and part of the regal chain and part of the, you know what I mean? So I think when you put those three things together,

you see why Hollywood isn't exactly in a place to make, it's the antithesis of art. Right. Totally. And it's just, I'm like an optimist. You know what I mean?

I go into life being like, maybe that original vision won't come back and maybe what's here now won't stay. But something will replace it. And it might be smaller, it might be different. I don't know what it's going to be.

But I see it happening now with so many people being like, well, I'm going to do it myself. I'm just going to grow my, like exactly what you're, saying, I'm going to build my own thing. And if, if, if Hollywood does come a knock in and says, like, hey, we love this idea. What else you got? Do you have a competition show? I'm like, yeah, I do have a competition show. Yeah. It's not this one because it's not a competition show.

Right. But I might have one. Like, it doesn't like, I'm, I'm like platform agnostic. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I like that. Yeah. I like that. Yeah. Like, I think of it all as different audiences, different formats, different, there's different reasons. Like, I, I made a micro-budget indie feature film that I wrote, produced, and starred in, and it's now streaming on movie. Why? Because I just felt like I wanted to. Like, I felt like that wasn't a thing that I wanted to do. Oh, I like that. Yeah, it's a nice little film. It's like walk and talk. It was super low budget. And I just was like, I want to make a movie. I want to like, I've never done that before. Like, let's make a movie. And so I figured out how to make a movie. And it was awesome. And I would love to

make another movie, but I don't want to write it because it's so much work. Writing is just want to hang. Dude, that is. true. Like, writing is not hanging out. No, it's not. It's the opposite of hanging out. I had a co-writer, Mary Neely, which made the whole thing a lot easier. Yeah.

Because you know how we wrote the movie? She'd come over. We'd hang out for a day. We'd write 10 pages. And then we'd see each other again in like three weeks. Right another 10 pages? Yeah. But it was hanging out.

I forced it into becoming hanging out. But me writing alone, dude, I can barely. it's a terrible experience I mean I don't that's like you're a stand I don't know how No it's a terrible experience I've never done that I've never

But you write standup jokes And I write on stage Oh Yeah I've almost never written anything I've never written anything down Wow I've never I write on stage You're a freestyle

No I no no It's more that I I have ideas in my head And then when I get to the stage I go all right Let's now That's what the comedy club is for Is let's now see

which ingredients work better or don't work. This word did not work. That sentence did not work. That idea worked. Let's move the sentence around. Let's move the words around. Let's do it again. Let's do it again.

That's how I do it. But I don't... The only... It's not like a fancy thing. It's because my writing is too formal. So once I start writing... Don't love it me, cream. I'm just thinking of you writing stand-up jokes.

I've even tried like journaling. You know when people go, you should journal. I get stuck in like the grammar. So my journal will start will be like journal entry. I'll put like the date and then I'll go like So another day another thought

here we are and then I'm like what are you doing? I'm like you never you don't think like this But when I when I start writing my brain goes to like well this is how it should be and there's a structure and so I can't I can't write anything and be chill when I was at the daily show I developed a system where

I was just like talk the things and then we'd put that down because as soon as I got to like a keyboard. Nah man. It was like you were working. No, no, no, no, no. You're sending a UN course.

No, no, no, no. Have you ever read The artist's way? The artist's way? Yeah, it's this pretty good book and it has like a series of workshops in it. Uh-huh. And one of the things that might be helpful for you is that they're like, write these pages

every morning, three pages of whatever you want. It doesn't have to be jokes. Yeah, yeah. It doesn't have to be diary. It doesn't have to be anything. You can just write the same word. Yes. And then throw it away.

and it is supposed to help you get away from I don't know if everyone has that problem but it's supposed to get you away from the idea that writing is meant to be read yeah I don't I don't think I have that issue I don't think of people having to read it it's like I've been trained so much in a particular thing when I tell you

I think you can break the habit man okay but your habit has to your habit has to surpass like how many years you did the thing for I wrote thousands and thousands of letters as a child. This was like part of my like part-time jobbing. There are sentences and there are structures that are in my brain when I see it written down. I can't, I can't. This is so funny to me.

It's like it's like I was doing gymnastics from the age of 11 and now you're saying like, let me teach you how to just randomly fall. I can't fall. I balance. This is what I do. Well, maybe there's no hope. I'll try, I'll try. I'll try, I'll try.

No, I'll try. I'll try for the sake of time. Only do it if you want to. No, no, I'll try. Yeah, okay. Because I want to see what it'll happen. I just want to, I want you to jot something down. I want you to read all of Jeffrey Epston's emails and be like, I can do this.

I can do this. It's really, it frees you. It frees you. Yes, maybe if he focused on the grammar, he would have been a better man. Maybe that's the first step. Maybe. If you know where the period should be, maybe you would stop. Maybe that's what it is.

Cleanliness is next to godliness. There it is, my friend. Including in the emails. There it is. I'm just thankful that you're not an all lowercase guy. No, I'm not. You know any all lowercase guys? I do.

Yeah, I do. How old are they? 20. Okay. I have a friend who's like 43. No. And has a kid. No.

And he's all lowercase. And I, this might be the first time that he knows about this. but brother you gotta yeah that's not you're you're an adult man it's time to use proper caps lock at the very least no no no at the beginning of a sentence at least yeah you don't have to use periods or no no no but just start just start it off as if you knew the sentence was beginning there's a real tone when it's all the lowercase it really is it's a real like I'm a little bitch it's just like at an at an age it's wrong it's really yeah if you're young it's like

I do not care for the constraints that society has created for me. Yes. But when you're old, you're just like, what happened? Did you forget? Did you never know? Yeah. No, no, I think you need to. You're not punk.

You should go into the group chat and you should say this. He has thin skin. He has really thin skin. I'm just kidding. You don't have thin skin. I don't want to offend you. And I have I have told them. I have told them.

I just think at a certain point. Oh, man. You know what? I switched from all lowercase to regular caps lock and look at me, 33. Here you are now. Same. Finally successful. Exactly.

And I think it might have had something to do with it. Changed everything. It changed everything. Yeah, now your daughter would be proud. Trest for the job you want. Yeah. How is that going, by the way? How is this fatherhood treating you?

It's honestly the most amazing thing I've ever done in my life. Don't say that because everyone says that. I'm not. That's boring. At first, I didn't say that. I would be on podcast and people would be like, you have a kid and I'd be like, yeah, it's all right. Literally. Oh, okay, great.

I would say that. Okay. You know, up until about a year. When I really genuinely was honest, I was like, it's good. Wait, wait, wait. So what changed? I think with men, or maybe just my experience, you know, the mom and the baby have a relationship. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, no, this is real.

I think this is completely real. For nine months. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not paying rent, but it's living in her stomach. No, no, no, this is this. I agree with you on. And they talk and they have a feeling and they feel each other's heartbeat, they feel each other's bodies. And then it comes out.

They are bonded. Yeah, yeah. It looks at me and I go, kind of weird looking. Why is the head look like that? Is the head not perfect? Like, I'm just like, I want a perfect head. And it's just crying. It doesn't care about me because I don't provide milk.

I don't provide anything. I don't even provide barely any warmth. Big guy, but, you know, why would you want to hug me when she got hug her mom? So all of these things make it feel like almost like there's a stranger in the house. Okay. And of course, I loved her. Like I loved her. I felt deep love for her.

But when she started treating me like I was a human. You know what I mean? It's almost like when we started seeing the human in each other. Right. That's when it became like, it is a cliche because it's true. It became something that is like so, I don't know. It's weird, man. It's really weird.

It's shocking how much I love her. I've never loved anyone more than her. That's beautiful. Yeah. It's the best thing I've ever. on. That's really, really beautiful. It's really unbelievable. And honestly, like, I'm grateful it's a girl

because it's just, I don't know how, dude. Being a girl dad's cool. Well, you don't know what the alternative is. Well, I'm happy for you. I can imagine. No, no, no, but I'm happy. I'm not saying I'm not happy, but I'm saying you. Yeah, but the relationship, I don't know that. I think you would be, there's another

universe where you're sitting opposite me being like, oh, and I'm glad's a boy because, man, being a boy dad is great. Well, you're just playing devil's advocate. But everyone knows that girl dad is a special thing. Ask Kobe. No, I'm not, I'm not, that's a crazy one to say ask, but I'll ask bare matter bio. Ask Google. Ask Google about Kobe. No, no, no. I think, I think, I hear what you're saying, but I think all of them are special because they just, you know what I mean? So I think, I think there's a world, but I, you know, it's funny. I want to talk to an, like, an expert about this, because I, I know we had Arthur C. Brooks on the podcast and he talked about small things that we take for granted in

relationships. One of them being, for instance, that women, I think, receive more oxytocin from eye contact than men do. And then it made me wonder, like, with babies, maybe there's something there where when women are, like, looking at a baby, they're actually getting something that maybe men aren't in the same way. And maybe we're not designed to get it because of, like, back in the day we're supposed to be, like, running out and going and fighting and something. So, like, you can't have that feeling. I don't know. Or you look someone in the eyes and means you want to fight. Oh, yeah, this is true. Now you're like, got to fight my. baby.

No, but when I look, like, it's also just weird to like look, when I look at her in the eyes, and I do now, Sarah, I'm like, so weird. Because, like, I can see myself. Oh, damn. It's a weird, it's just a weird thing. You're looking at a version of you. Yeah, it's a weird thing that you can't experience unless it happens. You know what I mean?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I never actually even really wanted kids. I was always like, if it happens, it happens. Yeah, yeah. That was my whole vibe. And then I had one. And I was like, this is the coolest thing that's ever happened to me. But I was never like a baby crazy guy.

And I never was like, I need to be a dad. I have friends that are like, want to be a dad so bad. And I was like, I could take her to leave it. But now that I've had one, I do want more. And I would love in an ideal world to have a bunch. But I think it's because it's not an ideal world. It's impossible to have a bunch for me. How many does your partner one?

I think we're both going to go for, like, she's cool with one more. Okay. I'm cool with one more. Do you have any? crazy that, no, I don't, but there's a time when it was just like six, eight. I would love that. You would? I would love it. What would you love about it? How many siblings are you in the ? I have a brother and sister. Okay, so you want a three. Oldest, youngest middle? I'm oldest. Okay. How are you? I'm oldest of three boys. Okay. And we're like huge gap, 10 years, 10 years.

Wow. Yeah. So it's like complete generational. Yeah. So your parents were like, we'll get around to it. So I was, we, I'm from my dad and my mom, and then the two of them have a different dad. Yeah. But it's, what's crazy is when you have such a big gap, it's almost like you're all single kids. You just have your own, you know, there was never like a toy issue. There was never a, you're all doing your own thing. You're not even at the same schools at the same time. You're not in high school at the same time.

You're not in, you know what I mean? Yeah. And the difference was 20 and 10. That's crazy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not the same. It's completely. Yeah.

Okay. My brother and sister, we're all like very close in age. And I don't know. I don't even look at it from like, I want them to have siblings. I look at it as like, I want a bunch of little kids hugging my legs. Like, and then I also fast. You just go be a mall center. You don't, that's a much cheaper way to achieve your dream.

But then the fast forward part when I'm like 70. Yeah. I like, and I look at a table of my kids. I'm imagining that that feels as good as when I see my baby. You know what I mean? Oh, yeah. I feel like seeing the adults, you're like, damn, I did this. like they're all happy and like hopefully you know like do you ever wonder what happens to the people

where like all their kids hate them yeah or if your kids are uncool and you hate them i don't think your kids i think if your kids are uncool this is a complete reflection on you you don't think there's parents out there that are like my kids a loser and i don't like that kid yeah but i think it's on you that's my take it's completely on you like 100% on you because here's the thing you cannot make the human being but you have almost complete control as to what that human being interacts with. So what movies are they first watching as a child? What books are they reading?

What games are they playing? Where are they going? What clothes are they wearing? Like, this is all you putting in raw materials. The world is going to have an impact. But I don't know. If there's any parent who's like, my kid's a loser, I'm like, yeah, you made a loser. I'm not saying they're not a loser.

I think there are. That's happening. Yeah, but I'm saying you made a loser. Right. You made a loser. It's on the parents. It's on the parents. You made a loser, man.

Do you want a kid? Yeah. I'm like you. I'm agnostic. You're like, if it happens, it happens. Yeah, if it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't. And I'm just like, you know, because sometimes I meet kids and I'm like,

these things are beautiful and wonderful. And then sometimes I meet them and I'm like, this is like the spawn of Satan. I don't wish for this in my life. I was always super ambivalent. I was always like, me. Yeah. You know what I mean? I was like, whatever.

I don't get. Like, people will be like, look at my baby. I'm like, cool. Very cool. Babies are boring, to be honest with you. I never understand why people are. I never understand why people are. Yeah.

The worst is when they show you pictures of a baby And you're like, every baby looks a version of the same They're like, no, it's cute My one is extra cute It's like it's not, it's really not Yeah, I've, it's like when you get a dog I've like, like, then you start noticing other people of dogs Oh, so now that I have a baby I'm like

Now you see other I see other I see You now have baby eyes Dude it's so weird I'll be like in the airport and I'll be like oh look at that cute little kid Which is so weird You know what I mean? I'll like notice little kids and like Oh that one's so cute

Yeah it's but it is and when Karina My wife was pregnant like I started noticing with Karim and Karina Yeah Wow Damn Pretty nice

Okay But then I started noticing Pregnant people It's nice until people Are like trying to call you In a house or in a space Or like how many times do people shout one

And then you both respond Karina Karina No not all of that It's not ideal But yeah I had a funny prank about naming The kid Karima

That would be good It's a good It's a good I know That's confusing That's fantastic Kareem Karim Karima and Kareem

No, you see, now that, that's worth having a kid for. And if it's ideally, I would time it to the next leap year. So it could also have a funny birthday. Jesus. So Karima born on leap year. And it's like, what's your name? My name's Karima. When's your birthday?

Oh, it only happens once every four years. 29th of February. So sad. Like, that's a sad life. That's actually the greatest life, by the way. Leap here, baby? Anything weird baby. Birthmark, cool birthmark?

No, like they just say, you know, your name, anything, it just creates some resistance in life that will add a little spice to your existence. It won't be easy necessarily, but it'll be like, what's your name? Karima, I'm sorry? Already you've engaged somebody. Right.

What's your name? John, John, we move on with our lives. There's no pause, there's no nothing. What's your date of birth? 29th of February. 29th of February Right Wait

You're leapier baby They've made friends Right Spice of life Spice of life Is to have parents That are evil Yeah

You've got to have parents Who are willing To like just Do you know what I mean Push the limit Yeah Just give you a little Give you a little edge

Okay But you didn't go With the prank name No I want with like a beautiful name That I really love Yeah

But I'm already Thinking of an age For the next one All right Good intention But you know Whatever Yeah

Are you gonna come on the show? Which show? My show Yeah which one Subways Oh, unless you want to come on a cab ride. Keep the meter running. I can also take you on a cab ride.

I would actually love to go on a cab ride. I'm sure I could find one of my favorite, favorite. I was actually, when I was thinking of your show, I was going, I hope you do a London version. London cabbies might be my favorite cabbies in the whole world. They're unbelievable. Have you seen what they have to do to become cabbies in London? It's called The Knowledge. Yeah.

Yeah. And it is truly the knowledge. Yeah. It's human AI contained in a tiny little beautiful black box that has a turning circle that no vehicle should possess. That's incredible. These guys know everything. Every time I'm in London, in a taxi, I will ask them for a recommendation for food,

for a show, and they'll just go off. They know everything. They just know everything. It's also crazy because you go, it's on the corner of, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, no. It's on the corner of Middle Ditch and High Street. Is that next to the fish and chips shop?

And then you're like, yeah. All right, then. Yeah, and then they're just, and then they're off. It's so magical. Yeah, they have to memorize every. You know, they have to memorize every street. Yes, every single streets. Isn't that crazy?

But what I love is that because of that, I feel like they also have this ability to recall. That's what I mean. They'll tell me about passengers who really loved a thing. And so they go, they're like a real human aggregator of information. And they'll say to you, they'll be like, well, a lot of people have been told. And they was talking through the glass backwards at you through the speaker.

So it was like the shout things. I love the speaker. A lot of people have been saying it's a really great experience. You've got to go there. You got a lot of people are loving it. You've got to get out there. Well, I don't, I've never been, but a lot of my road passengers have been saying it's great. And every time I pick up someone, they said, they're great.

And you're like, oh, shit, okay. Yeah. They're amazing. They're truly, truly amazing. No, they're incredible. Yeah, yeah, no. I love that. So I would, I would do it.

Would I come on subway takes? I would, but I'm, okay, let me ask you this. How would you, and actually, how do you insulate people from sort of coming on to try and have a take? Like, what do you mean? I can only assume some people come on subway takes thinking like, yeah, I'm going to say this because it'll get a response. And then you probably have to step in and be like, uh-uh. That's not what we're doing here. How do you keep it authentic, for lack of a better word?

I, I like have a little bit of a process. So my producer Rami, he's a young man, young Rami, that's his nickname. I give everyone a Trump nickname now, but usually not. So like young Rami. Young Rami. And he is young. He's so young, so young. You know, doesn't look that young when you meet him, but he's a young man.

Young man. Young Rami. Wow. He's going to like that. He's going to like this clip. He's going to like this clip because he is young. He's a young standout. So he synthesizes the takes.

He receives them. Okay. He's the first to receive them. Got it. He checks for duplicates. Oh, so no one has a take that another person has. I like this already. He checks for duplicates.

He also gets clarity of somebody's like, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, he's like, what does that mean?

Okay. If it means nothing, he's like, getting you on. And if it means something, he's like, okay, that is interesting.

So he kind of vets the takes and has this little process of elimination where, because some people come on and they're overprepared. That's what I mean. Which is awful. Yeah,

that's what I hate. Okay, this is what I mean. Yeah, I don't like when someone's, because if they send, if it's like, Rami's getting to take and it's like this long.

Okay. I'm like over prepared. Okay, got it. That's, you're coming on to do a bit. Every once in a while, we'll like plan a bit or something, somebody will be like, I have this idea. I want to do this. Okay, okay, got it.

And then I'll be like, okay, that's a funny idea. It's never been done before. Let's do it. So that's really it. It's just like a little process of that. And then when we meet in real life, I'm like, so what is it? And you're like, blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, okay, great.

And then we just do it. Oh, okay. But if you have a bit. No, I don't want to do a bit No, no, I definitely don't want to do a bit I'm so bitted out You're done I'm bitted out my friend

You're tired from bits Yeah, I'm just like There's nothing to be bidding about No, it's not even that It's just I I'm in a stage of my life Where I am in the pursuit of Of

The least bitty things possible Do you know what I mean? But still funny Yeah, yeah But you just don't like bits I don't want to Yeah I'm just liking the...

I'm in a bit phase. Oh, I like this. I love bits. No, no, bits, I mean, they are great when you're in the mood for them. It's a great bit. Yeah, but when you're not, when you're bitless. Yeah, are you just not feeling the bit? I think I'm just bited out.

I mean, you know, when you do like late night, so many years, every day of the week is a bit. It's like, what's the bit? What bit are we doing here? What's a bit? Do we have a bit for this guest? Do we have a bit for that thing? You've got to do a bit for this. Oh, it needs to be a bit.

It needs to be a bit. It's just like too many bits. that's my dream meeting what you just described I would love to sit in a meeting and say that Hey man You welcome But after many many many many years

Of doing it every single day of the week You go like I Have you ever talked to people Who like work at like a KFC Yes Yeah Have you asked them whether they like Want to eat KFC

Right They don't You just go like That's so sad Yeah it's like it's not about the chicken itself It's just you know man I've I've I'm done.

That's so funny. I'm done for now. Right. Yes. So for now in my life, I'm bitter. So when you see a great bit, do you still say, do you still say that's a great bit? No, I love it. I mean, because funny is funny.

Good is good. I don't have that. But I do think I've been a little desensitized. So I might do that, unfortunately. I'll be like, that was a good bit. Well, I'm not going to do a bit if you're not going to do it. No, no, no, no. I'm just saying, I will just say that is a good.

When I see a bit, I'll just go, that is a good bit. You delivered in a neutral town. I find I no longer have the like the thing that comes out of me spontaneously because I'm I'm constantly monitoring for the bits to occur You say it how you would type it Yeah I go that is a good bit

That is a good bit That is a fantastic bit This happens to stand up comedians all the time If you look at like standups We're doing stand up for a very long time At some point they don't laugh at most things They go That's funny

That's a good job They'd be like yo that was Yo that was That's funny Yeah I've seen people That's funny That's funny Yeah that's a good joke

no laughter. Yeah. So then the laugh actually starts to come from where it wouldn't have come. Like if you watch comedians in the back of a comedy club watching comedians, they laugh when the audience isn't laughing. Like they, you know what I mean? They're laughing at the one in three. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, audience is laughing, you know, on the two and four. Yes. And comedians will just like laugh at a random thing. And you know when a comedian's watching because they'll laugh at a moment when no one else is laughing. Right. You know, so. Yeah, I love that. So I'll come.

I'll come, I'll do it. Yeah, come on. I would love to me. I would love to do a bit. Maybe we'll do a bit. Maybe you will reignite my love and my passion for bits. You're a bit guy, you can't say you don't do it. I know, but I only want to do a bit with someone who wants to do a bit.

I won't make you do a bit. No, no, you won't make me. You could inspire me to do a bit. You couldn't inspire me to do a bit. Wouldn't that be an amazing story? The comeback of the bit. Huh? Trevor Noah comes like a documentary at Tribeca.

And he was like, I thought bits were over in my life. And then I met this guy, Kareem. And let me tell you something. You're so good at voices. Let me tell you something. He got me doing bits again. That guy, Kareem. Oh, he got me back in the bits.

It could be the beginning. This has been great, man. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you very much. Great bit. Is this a bit over? This is great. That's it?

Yeah. Okay, great. No, man, thank you for real. Thank you so much. That was so fun. It was too much fun. Crazy that you didn't tell me. that we were recording.

I mean, we roll. Kind of nice. Because otherwise, you see, that's another thing. It's really nice. I don't want someone to go like, that thing. Yeah. It was really cool to roll into it like that. I actually know that's never happened to before.

I appreciate it. Yeah. Just roll. And then if someone goes like, oh, I don't include, then we don't include. It's not a trick or anything. I have a lot of fun. I just don't want someone.

Right, great. It's a start. Because I've seen people do that. So you go like, are we ready? Let's begin. And then I watch them change their posture. I know what you're talking about. And then they go,

Well, Trevor. Oh, fuck. The minute the camera comes out, I feel freaked out. Well, Trevor. It's funny you ask me that. What Now with Trevor Noah is produced by Day Zero productions in partnership with Sirius XM.

The show is executive produced by Trevor Noah, Senaziamen, and Jess Hackle. Rebecca Chain is our producer. Our development researcher is Marcia Robiu. Music, mixing, and mastering by Hannes Brown. Random Other Stuff. by Ryan Harduth. Thank you so much for listening.

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