Yannis Pappas Hour - Greeks Never Bend The Knee w/ Christina Mavronas

Episode Date: March 8, 2024

Yanni chops it up with comedian Christina Mavronas about all things growing up Greek. Christina is a very funny actress & comedian from Yanni’s beloved Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Follow her on instagram where she posts hilarious videos. Join our bonus channel for our berserk and uncensored weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/yannispappashour?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator   See Yanni do stand up live in your town: Ticket links for his live stand up dates in your city: https://www.yannispappascomedy.com/shows   Join our highlights page for highlight clips from the episodes: https://youtube.com/channel/UCfMy34qIYYy7XiRaHKO1ykw

Dikanis everybody We're going live in Greece right now This is Reaching out to all the Greeks out there All 2 million of you in the country Maybe North America, four million. There's not a lot, but if you target them, they will respond. They respond back already.

They respond back. Welcome my guests, Christina Mavronas. I wanted to pronounce it right. Mavronas. Or in America, it would be Mavronas. Mavronas. Mavronas. Christina Mavronas. It's Mavronas. Or in America, it would be Mavronas. Mavronas. Mavronas. Mavronas.

Christina Mavronas. It's Mavronas. Can you move to the side, please? She's from Bay Ridge, which is dear to my heart. We're in Bay Ridge. We are. Look at that. We are right now.

Yeah. Look at us. And you're a comedian. Can you call it? You're a comedian. I'm an actor, comedian, writer. I do a little bit of everything. Actor, comedian, writer.

Yeah. You've gotten very popular on the Instagram. I did. Which is where I discovered you. Look at that. Yeah. You got in my algorithm I guess. I snuck in there. You snuck in the algorithm. You got in there between female tennis players. The algorithm just

knows that I like tennis and it knows that I like to look at the female body. So it's like a lot of female tennis players. And then you came up doing some skit. And I was like, there you go. So they must know I'm Greek or whatever. And you snuck in. You're very funny.

You're so funny. So talented. Oh, shut up. That's very nice coming from you. You can do a lot of voices and stuff. I do. I have, you know, they're in here. So I'm like, it's about time to get them out.

Yeah. And like play with them a little bit. Yeah. And you grew up in New York, so you were exposed to a lot of people. Yes. Everything under the sun. Yeah. You got Puerto Rican friends.

You got Italian friends. Yeah. I mean, I went to Greek school and then I left and I was with all my like Arabs and Hispanic people and Asian people. I was like, I had enough Greek. Yeah. Bay Ridge is very diverse. Loved it.

You got Beirut. That's the part that's celebrated after 9-11. Loved it. You got Beirut, which is, that's the part that's celebrated after 9-11. Just a joke, but it's probably a little chill. A little bit.

It's probably a toast at the Yemeni Cafe. Who knows? You got that part, you got, down by where we are here, there's like, it's a lot of Chinese.

It's Chinese, it's, but growing up, it was a lot of Italians, Greeks, I mean It's, but grow up, it was a lot of Italians, Greeks. I mean. The Greek part stays strong. It's right around the Greek school.

I'm holding down the fort. You left us. I left. Yeah. You stopped by every once in a while. I stopped by once in a while. Yeah. With a turta.

With like a cake. You know, much like Greeks, when they stop by the village at home, I stopped by Bay Ridge. We never put two feet out. I'm like, welcome back.

Come sit down. Sit down. I'm like the old little lady in Bay Ridge. We never put two feet out. I'm like, welcome back. Come sit down. Sit down. Have a frappe. I'm like the old little lady in Bay Ridge still welcoming you back. Bay Ridge has a Greek store. That's how you know Greeks are there. It has like a Greek supermarket. We now have three.

There's three of them now. Where you been? Wow. Two more popped up? Well, we had one, the OG one, Fifth Avenue. You know which one I'm talking about. Yeah. And then the A for Athens opens.

Oh, that's right. I knew two of them. Yeah, those two. And then there's another one that opened up. It's like on 70-something and Fifth. Nice. Yeah. Can you cook Greek?

Yes. You can cook Greek. Yes. And you can speak Greek. Yes. And are you allowed to marry non-Greek? Whether they like it or not, I could. Your parents gave you, your dad gave you the okay?

They were just like, please not Turkish. Yeah, that's all it was. Anything but Turkish. That's pretty good. That's pretty good. German okay? German's fine. They're like, okay, we'll have order in our household.

My mother was big against German. Even though she was a human rights lawyer, she was big against big against german okay because she was there when they did what they did my uh i i dated a lot of italians growing up my yeah i would always be like they were nice to me but to the other people not so much so it's okay yeah you know my wife is greek and uh her mother married an italian guy and the whole family cut her off when she married an italian are you serious yeah yeah oh yeah oh that's come on and paul versi was another comedian his mother is greek and she married a sicilian guy and the her mother his grandmother cried in the room w wailing, wailing because he was Italian.

But it's, oh my, that's wild. That's like, it's like your neighbor. It's right there. It's tough. Sometimes the Greek family, especially with the Greek daughters, I think they can be very protective. Yeah, I think, cause it's also like, you know,

immigrant parents, they hear the holding onto a life. They ran, like they didn't want to like leave. You know what I mean? So it's like our world is very unique. It's like holding on to the past, trying to be like figuring out the new and the here in New York and stuff like that. It's a completely different world. But I always told my parents, I was like, look, I was like, no matter who I marry, if I marry, I was like, I'm so Greek that there's no way that I will lose my Greekness.

They would be, it's going to be like a vortex for them. They're just going to be engulfed in the Greekness. So they're, you know what I mean? I was like, there's no way that I will lose my Greekness. They will be, it's going to be like a vortex for them. They're just going to be engulfed in the Greekness. So they're, you know what I mean? I was like, there's no possible way. So whoever you end up with will be dunked in a water like the big factory. Yeah. Absolutely. An adult is going in the kidding pool.

100%. Yeah, getting dunked. 100%. Which is a great scene. Just because that's just fun. Like I would want to like put one of my friends as their like godmother. Like that's just fun to do. Like I don't care about the religion aspect of it. I'm like, I just want to give you a Greek name.

That was a funny scene from my Big Freck where he has to go get baptized as an adult. The whole church is silent and you just see him like that. When they baptize my daughter, my pictures of my christening,

it's just toddler abuse. Every picture of my christening, it's just toddler abuse. I mean, every picture of my christening is just me like that, just crying. Like every picture is me crying. Because the kid gets naked and they just dunk him. And the kid's just like, what the fuck is going on? It's traumatizing. Yeah, why am I in water? The Catholics, they're so gentle.

They just take the water and they like drizzle it. Yeah, well, that's all a misdirect. Yeah. They start gentle. I walked right into that. Yeah, things get a little naughty. Let's scare them. He's in good hands. Just, you know, a little bit,

a little put it on his head and he's fine. A little bit now, a little later. Yeah, and then when my daughter went in, I mean, she was, if any kid does not cry during a Greek christening, he's a full-blown psychopath. He was born,

you're like this one, that's a Jeffrey Dahmer Greek. Imagine a kid just comes up. Jeffrey. Just nothing. Just no emotion. There's no way. Just comes up and be like,

what's the big deal? What's going on? Just a little water. I'm ready to eat. Yeah. And there's something wrong with that kid. Because every kid cries. Every kid.

Yeah, every kid cries. How was Greek school? Did you respond good to it? A lot of Greeks are resistant to it. Were you cool with it? You grew up with Greek friends? Yeah, I mean, I went to Greek school. It was fine.

But then I left and I hung out outside with people. I didn't have friends that were not Greek while you were going to Greek school. We had a few like Albanians, one or two Russian people, people, kids in the school, you know,

that learned the language and stuff like that. Yeah. These grown ass adult. There's some Greeks watching right now. You said Albanians. So people know they're not, they're not except Albanians. Did you, so you had that experience they're not. They're not, except the Albanians.

Did you, so you had that experience where you were hanging out with your friends and they were like, let's go here. And you're like, I have to go to Greek school. No, everyone thinks that. Greek school was regular school. Oh. Yeah, so it was like- Because my brother went after school.

My brother went to school in there. I feel so bad for them because it was regular school. Like, wake up in the morning go you have math english but then you just also learn the language there right and then it was a private school so we would wear like uniforms and then on certain holidays then we would go like to the church and stuff like that did they have a class like on how to sit in a cafe and smoke i wish they did yeah i like conspiracy theories 101 like this how you sit like a greek okay you cuck out a little bit like this and not like this okay it's like this and the foot just finds a rhythm the rhythm is going to get you over here i gave jesse a couple

and he still he still uses it every. Every night he plays with it. I'm watching TV, yeah. Have you learned any tricks? No, no, no. I just flip it around, yeah. I'm learning the, what's the other one? It's not the Koboloi. I call them Malacca beads.

He calls them Malacca beads. I like that much better. Hey, give me my Malacca beads, please. What's the other one you're talking about? It's like it has like, it could have like two beads on the side or four but it's like one string is it greek yeah and it's um it's it's very very greek now how greek are you if i went to your house would there be like an evil eye over your bathroom i mean what are we talking about yeah i have i have wc on my bathroom i have a bust up there i have i have pillows for my house it's very it's very greek yeah it is you have a like

i have a doily yes you have imported olive oil out of a tin can from creed from my land from come on yeah yeah greeks they want the real deal they want the olive oil from greece listen when i have friends that like come over or like i go to places like i i bring i don't i'm like everyone's like let's bring a bottle of wine and i'm like i'm bringing real feta or olive oil and they're like this is like a christmas party i'm like they're going to be thankful and people are like i never knew feta tasted like this so i never knew olive oil is supposed to be green. Yes. I'm like, yeah. Yes. Yeah.

Yeah. And all these other companies, I don't know if you saw it on the Facebook, all these fake companies with the fake olive oil pretending. It's not the real deal. No. When you go to Greece and you have the olive oil and you have the figs and you have the tomatoes, it's a different ballgame. It's 100%.

Tomatoes are sweet. They taste good. You actually have a taste. Yeah. The cucumber, you smell it. You smell it from the are sweet they taste good you actually have a taste yeah the cucumber you smell it you smell it from the salad now do you go back

a month a year do you have an arrangement I don't know what you do but do you have a day job do you have an arrangement where you go listen I was very very

a Greek it is what it is it is what it is this comes with the package it's my religion you don't have to accept this alright I don't pray five accept this. All right.

I don't pray five times a day, but I go to Greece for two months out of the year. That's how it goes. Okay. Yeah. I used to go. I was very, very fortunate. I would go back every year growing up.

And then like I paused and like would go other places and stuff like that. But I do go back and my parents just moved back there. So visiting them. So he got, so your parents made the money, fixed up, fixed up the house there, retired and went back and went back and they're living the fucking life.

I like, and you know, like, I don't know. My parents in general are very like young spirited and I'll seeing them there again. It's like, how old are they? What?

My mom actually just turned 70. She's young. Yeah. And my father, Bravo should like you. Christina, is he single? Yeah, my father is 72, 73. Yeah.

They have their motor scooter. They drive around. They go everywhere. Yeah, the Greeks with the motor scooters. Yeah. It's a problem. They die a lot on those things. They do, but it's mostly tourists that are acting amok and don't know how to drive and

don't realize that like, yo, this is about this. You're on a hill. You're on a mountain. Yeah. You're about to like if you one sharp turn. Yeah. You go. You go goodbye.

You fly. You fly. Yeah. But they but they kind of do wear like sandals. They don't really put on proper motorcycle gear no you don't see them with like a helmet or sometimes it'll just be a cigarette hanging out of the mouth with flip-flops on that yeah and they have like the little like on their key chain they'll have the icon and that is insurance that is that's what protects them

you know when they pass by the church they do their cross and they're like i'm prophetic yeah i did i went to the ionian village you familiar with the ionian village it's like a camp you go You know, when they pass by the church, they do their cross and they're like, I'm prophetic. Yeah. That's it. I did. I went to the Ionian village. Are you familiar with the Ionian village? It's like a camp. You go for two weeks. Did you go? You didn't go.

No. Like, wait, where? You go in Greece for two weeks. It's like an Ionian. It's a lot of Greek kids go from around the country. Ionian village. You go for two weeks and then they take you to Zakynthos. They take you to all these monasteries and stuff like that.

And we went to a couple of mountain towns where, like you described, you go up the hill, and it's just, it's not a road. No. It's like they just kind of carve a little bit of the mountain for, like, the bus this wide. And, I mean, if the guy just misses by, I mean, you're going up on the side of this thing like a mountain goat. And if he misses just a little bit of the turn, like, I don't you're going up on the side of the sting like a mountain goat. And if he misses just

a little bit of the turn, like, I don't even know how he did it. There was times where he was just like, turning the front slow, and then like, I think one of the wheels was in full air at some point as he was turning. It really, yeah. I brought my girlfriends there one year, and they were just like, what? There's no railing. And you know what's

crazy? As we go, and we're like, this is normal. Yeah. I'm eight years old on the bus looking off the cliff yeah and i'm like oh this is fun look at grace and not real there's no seat belt on the bus well i remember olympic airlines did you ever go i remember i just never got to fly in it because my my uncle worked for delta so we were always delta well you're lucky that's probably why you're still here do we when i was little we used to fly Olympic Airlines and I mean that airline was I mean

it was like the original Spirit Airlines. Okay I don't remember. You'd get on you'd see the pilot sitting there with like a frappe and smoking a cigarette out the front. The whole plane was just cigarette smoke.

There was no non-smoking section no it was all smoking so that's what greece is like when you go to the like the bus station the kdel like where it is it's like it's one side is smoking one side is not there's not it's just like it's separated by a pole but the smoke is everywhere. I hope that never changes. Oh God. The body odor on those things. I mean, it was just, yeah, it was just like,

you know, I think Greeks from Greece, it's just kind of, that was more of a natural. Yeah. And it's a lot of older people. Yeah. You know?

Yeah. And it would always break down. I remember sitting on the, as a kid and they were like, eh, they would get on, they'd speak in Greek, and then they'd try in English.

They'd be like, the wing fell off. We have no wing. We'll be here 24 hours. I'm like, what? We have Costa on the side with some duct tape. We're fixing it.

Two by four. We're fixing it. And you just sit with no air conditioning for like 12 hours, and you'd see a guy with duct tape just put're fixing it. Do my form. We're fixing it. And you just sit with no air conditioning for like 12 hours and you'd see a guy with duct tape just put the wing back on.

It went out of business. But it was a legendary airline. Everyone spoke about it. So that's how I flew to Greece originally. I think they're going to bring it back. But like better. But better. They'll bring it back better.

Hopefully. Hopefully they'll bring it back. All the airlines, but better. Yeah. That's it. All the airlines it back better. Hopefully. Hopefully they'll bring it back. Olympic Airlines, but better. They could try to bring it back. Yeah. Hopefully. Because there is no Greek airline.

We should speak to them. Let's talk to them about it. Let's call them up. Let's call them up. Greece just passed. That was very good because we invented it. It's like, what the hell? This is what i'm talking

about greeks like do you see the pottery yeah yeah take a peek take a peek at the pottery i mean have you have you heard of uh what was it les lesvos island yeah the sacred band of thebes did you know about them no wait what they were an elite fighting force of a couple hundred. What was it? Like a hundred or something? Spartan gay lovers. And they were elite. And the whole thought was like they were in love.

And so they would get each other's back over anything. Sacred Band of Thieves. That is the most beautiful fucking story. It's gorgeous. It's as Greek as it gets. This needs to be a film. Yeah, they should make it a film. That is beautiful. Has nobody made a film. Yeah, they should make it a film. That is beautiful.

Has nobody made a film of the sacred man? That would be perfect. Yorgos Lanthimos. Let's make the film. It would be great. It'd have a little gay and a little masculinity. Yeah, you know, Greek backdrop. Yeah, what was going on back then? What was going on?

Like, are we all gay and we're just hiding it? Because back then it was like totally like open. I really, it wasn't, yeah, it wasn't like open, open. Girls, were girls hooking up? Well, the first documented gay person was a woman. Lesbos? Yeah, and that's why Lesbos is Lesbos. Yeah.

You're all welcome. Yeah. Once again, the Greek people have to come to the rescue. So yeah, if you didn't know, lesbian, the word comes from the island Lesbos. Yeah. As a lot of you know, we made it pot. It was going on, but we made it like a thing.

We made it a thing. We made it a thing. Yeah. There should be Greek flags at the gay parade. They should, but finally it's been passed. Now gay marriage Is finally passed I think that's so beautiful

I'm just like Bro like no one's starting it Like just let people Get married What was the hold up Is the Greek culture Like a little machismo over there Like they're a little

Are they like getting with it It's religion Yeah You know But it's like I think that's so silly Should we have stuck with Zeus I think so

Yeah You want to know something though Not for nothing? Yeah. There are people that really ask me, though, so you pray to Zeus, right? I'm like, no, Athena. Fuck Zeus. Patriarchy, no.

That was a good time, though, because you had your options, though. You had your options. You're like, I'm in a Hades mood. I'm in a Poseidon mood. Yeah a yeah i'm gonna bring i'm gonna bring the the pomegranate to hades and be like yo yeah make this right plus it's like tough to think that maybe like one god is covering all that like he has to delegate a little bit like once you grow into a big company like as a startup i could see maybe it's just god maybe just god but now he's like I'm tired. I want to retire. He started Earth like in his maybe like Apple

in his garage with one guy. And then after that, he's just like look, we're big now. And so I need to We gotta expand. I need more gods. I need somebody to watch the ocean, Poseidon. I need somebody to watch beauty. I need somebody to watch wine. It makes sense. It does make sense.

I think this is true. And this is what's happening wine. It makes sense. It does make sense. I think this is accurate. I think this is true. And this is what's happening, actually. It's probably where the Greeks started going downhill. We let the Romans conquer us because we, because didn't we turn Christian first? That's probably the problem. No, no, no, no.

Constantine, right? We did not bend the knee. Right. And we were like, no, thank you. I mean, Christianity, we, I mean mean now we're going to get to our religion orthodox catholicism comes from christianity it's like one guy was like yo it's the father the son the holy spirit and then someone else was like and the pope and the priest and they were like nah and then they split up yeah but when constantine and all of that like you know at the at the church and they were, bend the knee. We'll help you out.

If you, if you turn, if you become Catholic. Yeah. They were like, no, yeah. And that's,

that's my mom was like, fucking bullshit. Maybe we should have bent the knee and have been Catholics. And we, well, she, it's a really big pain in her heart. Like so many people,

so many people died and land. You know what I mean? Yeah. Um, I'm just like. Greeks like to fight with each other. We did have the Civil War. The Civil War.

We did. That whole communist thing. There was communists and people against it. And then they fought. I feel like Greece is just. We are very like. Emotional. Emotional.

But not like we have our beliefs. And like. Especially in Athens. Like there's always an unrest there. And. But in a good way. Where it's not like we have our beliefs and like, especially in Athens, like there's always an unrest there. And, but in a good way where it's not like, it's like, prove your point.

Right. Anarchy. Right. We won't bend the knee. We won't like, you know, and it's, it's kind of poetic and I like it.

I'm like, don't, I kind of do. You like a little destruction here. I like a little destruction. Keeps the power structure honest. 100%. Yeah. I'm like, you know, but. Greeks, but yeah, if and there. I like a little destruction. Keeps the power structure honest. 100%. Yeah.

You know, but. Greeks, but yeah, if you look back, like we didn't have an empire because the city-states were fighting. Yeah, we were enslaved for 400 years and then it opens up and it's like, what do we do? You know what I mean?

Like how many times I've heard people be like, the Greek economy and the Greek this, and I'm like. We just got free. We just got, yeah. Yeah, we just got free. We don't know our left from our right. We're trying to it out yeah like can you give us a second we gave you fucking democracy can you relax yeah just I mean there should be a payment for that there should be like

a residual absolutely like a movie the original yeah like it's everyone is making a version it should be a copyright I think we're on to something here Really? Olympic Airlines but better Residuals Okay and the movie Yeah and the Olympic Games There should be a residual paid every single time Every time they do the Olympics 100% This is how Michotakis what are you doing?

Yeah Come on It really should Or it should take place in Greece every year I think they're talking about that actually Yeah they should Yeah I mean they built that whole stadium

They put the whole They should just do it It's good it's also like i don't know i bringing the olympics to like a different country every time it's like it's a hot mess it is not the best athens is great now it's freaking beautiful i was just there during the winter time my brother goes he says it's incredible uh incredibly underrated. Yeah. My mother, we had an apartment. We just sold it. My mother bought it. It was in Kolonaki.

I love Kolonaki. And then Kolonaki was always good, but then it got really, it exploded, right? Yeah. It's a nice area. I was looking at apartments there. Are you going to move back too? Well, I have, I mean, I'm dual citizen and I'm just trying to create both like a world here with an acting and film and over there as well and just create both worlds because you can do both yeah like

i'm currently writing a short film right now my second one i would like to film it there but i'm like all right it is what it is let me like kind of do it here it's easier so what's your back you got the podcast now with gus who's a very funny greek comedian welcome to the neighborhood he's he's amazing it a lot of people were like oh podcast I was like yeah and then with him it just made sense he's such a funny guy he's such a likable guy yes he's alright

yeah I've never met him actually we have friends in Comet but we've never we all need to have a Bay Ridge night we gotta go to Salty Dog yeah

I love the Salty Dog I used to go watch Giant Games I love the Salty Dog I love it too it's airy it's nice yeah it's spacious you know it's spacious the TVs it's great so you were an I love the salty dog. I used to go watch giant games. I love the salty dog. I love it. It's airy. It's nice.

Yeah, it's spacious, you know. Spacious. The TVs. It's great. Yeah, it is. So you were an actress and you started putting sketches online. Yeah. And you had one just explode and you were like, I'm good at this.

Yeah. I think it was just like, you know, it was a pandemic and then the strike and all of this stuff. And especially during the pandemic, I was like, I don't want to just be like going on auditions and waiting. And I'm always with like these ideas. And was like i started writing a series bayridge series yeah um and then there was like a little uh piece in there that i was like oh okay this can be uh instagram worthy and i and i did it with a fellow creator and it blew up and i was like oh like i was like oh this is stupid it's not funny and i was just like all right let me have fun let me just use this to get my ideas out and make my friends laugh and create

and then I started learning like editing and I was really like falling in love with it and I worked in production too so I started to understand like even everything on a deeper level so now I still audition and I have a new manager and all that. Very nice. Are you getting recognized in Behridge? I bet you are. I am, yes. That's gotta be nice

when you just... It is. I'm not gonna, like, you know, like, it is really, it's cool. Yeah, that must be nice. Yeah. What's your Greek restaurant

of preference here? Because there's a few. Where's your loyalty? My loyalty? Yeah. Which Greek restaurant is your favorite? We don't have a lot of Greek restaurants in Beirut.

We've got a few. Something Greek? Something Greek. We have the Athena Cafe. We got... Blue Door. Blue Door. Blue Door's nice.

I used to work there for a little bit. Oh, you did? Yeah, I was a Blue Door girl. Yeah. For a hot second. I like Blue Door. And then the old one I used to go to that is owned by Blue Door. My parents used to do it.

Yeah, which has been good for a long time. I like going there with my father for a nice wine, and we get a little snack, and we talk about philosophy. Yeah, that's very Greek. So you like them all. That's the best way to do it. I really do. They're all the same.

I have a... Have you ever had the Blue Sangria at Blue Door? I have not. Yeah, I have not. Maybe, okay, we'll do a Blue sangria at Blue Door? I have not. Yeah, I have not. Okay, we'll do a blue sangria at Blue Door. I'd love that. We'll go for wings at Kettle. Kettle's got good wings.

Kettle's got good wings. I don't care what anybody says. The food at Bay Ridge is top notch. It's really delicious. No-No's is my favorite pizza. No-No's is a good pizza. Yeah, No-No's. What's your favorite pizza?

Pizza Wagon. Pizza Wagon's good. Good slice. It's good slice. They've known me since I was a kid Yeah It's always Christy Yeah

The Christy So what kind of kid were you growing up? Were you a troublemaker? You got a little trouble in you You got a cigarette smoking little trouble I know Yeah, yeah I was actually

You'll hit a guy Yes Yes, you got that vibe that you'll hit a guy I've gotten jumped by a guy Yeah, you'll hit a guy I decked him in the face um well no he like attacks my boyfriend what am i gonna do there oh you you fought for your boyfriend dead ass why am i gonna sit there watching them and they were they were fighting

dirty they were like pulling his jacket over his head i was like i'm not gonna do this and i tried to stop did your boyfriend fight or just you he he was fighting but they there was two against swan and the poor guy he did not do well so you um you so i jumped in the middle did they hit you yeah he hit me in the face and i lost and i lost my contact and i was like you mother fuck say hello to my little man it's like oh and i jumped on his back were they greek guys no no and i started hitting the back of his head. And we were outside of a car service. And man, fucking Habibis pulled through.

They were praying. They saw it. They stopped. They came because they're seeing a lady like fighting a guy. And they're like, yo, what the hell are you doing? And then he started fighting the Arab guy. And the Arab guy was like, wrong to me. And I was like, no, no, no.

I was like, I was like I love her did you fight a lot growing up with girls no girls didn't fuck with you one or two I had like one or two scenarios where someone like

came to like you know like bullshit talk was it always over a guy or just more like fuck you bitch yeah it was like we saw you giving us a dirty look

and I was like I wasn't looking at you and everyone thought I was Puerto Rican growing up because I had like a Brooklyn belt and hoop earrings, and I'm loud. Yeah, and Greeks and Puerto Ricans look, you know. Yeah, and my name is like Mavronas. It sounds a little Spanish-y, you know. You had Puerto Rican friends or anything?

Yeah, yeah. One of my best friends, half Greek, half Puerto Rican. Whoa. Yeah, yeah. I was like going to- She loved my comedy we were always growing up in um uh sunset i was always there oh yeah yeah it was bay ridge sunset right on the border where greeks and puerto rican to come to me right right under the bqa right there

right under the belt right there like a musical yeah that's where they would have it's puerto rico yeah i mean sunset puerto ricans are in the lower east side well traditionally they were in Right there, right under the belt. Sounds like a musical. Yeah, that's where they would have to be. It's Puerto Rico. Yeah, I mean, sunset. Puerto Ricans are in the Lower East Side. Well, traditionally, when we were growing up, it was Lower East Side, sunset. And Washington Heights. Probably the three most per capita. Sunset was a lot.

The Bronx, doing the Bronx. Bronx, too. The Bronx, too. Bronx, Washington Heights. They're everywhere, like Greeks. Well, there's not a lot of us. Let Greeks. Well, there's not a lot of us. Let me tell you, there's not a lot of us. There's not.

I mean, you know, if there were, I'd be on Aziz Ansari. There's not. They like to come. Every show is through the church. And thank God I met my wife that way. I did a church show in Long Island. You met her in the church. I met her in the church. In the church. I met her in the church.

In the church. I met her in the church. Like a good Greek boy. Like a good Greek boy. We met in the church. What? In the church? Yeah, I did it.

It was in Long Island. So I did it, and I didn't want to do it. I did a few of them, and then I just, I don't do that. Because it's like they do it through the church, and the priest is there, and then the little kids. And you got to be mindful. Yeah, yeah. It's just like. It's I just, I don't do that. Because it's like they do it through the church and the priest is there and then little kids. And you got to be mindful. Yeah, yeah. It's just like.

It's a lot, yeah. Yeah. So, but there's not a lot. There's not a lot of Greeks. We got to start fucking. There's like two million in the country. How many Greeks are in America? If you put it compared to Italians, like, it's great.

I don't know the numbers. Yeah, it's very low. But that's, yeah, it's very low. It's a lot because when you go to Chicago, you're like, whoa, everyone's Greek. But it's just like Chicago. It's because it's great. I don't know the numbers. Yeah, it's very low. But that's, yeah, it's very low. We think it's a lot because when you go to Chicago, you're like, whoa, everyone's Greek. But it's just like Chicago. It's because it's in a pocket. Yeah, it's a pocket. And you go to the pocket.

And they're loud and they're throwing napkins and shit. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Now, did you experience, there's three million Greeks in America. That's it. In the whole fucking country. That's it.

Yeah, that's not a lot. And how many Italians? Just for context, how many Italians in America? Google this. Now, did you tell your friends that like a Greek, see the original, like make a rain thrown money? We started that. We really did.

We did start that. We really did. We're paying the restaurant. That's just for context. There's 17 point, there's 18 million Italians. No wonder I dated only Italian guys. They said you just, yeah, there's just too many Italians. Well, Bay Ridge probably had a lot to do with that as well.

I actually didn't date in Bay Ridge. You didn't? I only dated one guy from Bay Ridge. Where did you outsource for? What other name? It was like Sunset, City. I love how Brooklyn you are.

So Brooklyn. Yeah, I love it. I fucking love it. I feel like I'm back I fucking love it this is I feel like I'm back in high school this is actually my accent yeah

this is my girl Frank Christina she's from Morrow she goes to Morrow you know Morrow nice time I go flashbacks

I get flashbacks Morrow, Midwood fucking James Madison I went to Landham Goldstein high school for the math and sciences what's that

yeah exactly is that your school it was founded by Kingsborough College James Madison I went to Landham Goldstein High School for the Math and Sciences What's that? Yeah exactly Is that your school? It was founded by Kingsborough College So I was in Is that Brighton Beach? Yes thank you Wow so you're very

Manhattan Beach Right Manhattan Beach Nice over there I like Manhattan Beach It is yeah So it was always like Growing up there And then like

I would like Like the boys from like Fort Hamilton High School Like Midwood And I was like You know I was a basketball coach I was like the boys from Fort Hamilton High School, like Midwood. I was like, you know, I had the basketball courts. I was like, what's up? What's up? Did you ever make it as far as Park Slope?

Yeah. But like, yeah, I would bounce around. I would have my moments, like my years of where I'm going where. And then I'd get tired of it and be like, okay, next thing. Now you're in your 20s. You look in your 20s. No. No? I'm 42. I'm kidding. I'm going where. Yeah. And then I get tired of it. I'm like, okay, next thing. Now you're in your 20s. You look in your 20s. No. No?

I'm 42. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. Jesus Christ. You look fucking fantastic. No kids and no morgans. So you're a teenager. No, I'm 34.

34. Okay. That's young. That's very young. So I'm trying 34 Okay that's young That's very young So I'm trying to think like What era you grew up in So that would be I also

I had like two older sisters too So I was You grew up in a good era Yeah You were a millennial I was right there Are you a millennial or Gen Z No I'm a millennial

Millennial Yeah I'm right there Where it's like dial up Yeah You know You had two older sisters Yeah Yeah

Did you guys ever go as a pack And fight girls I would have my sisters Pull up Yeah At some point when they heard some shit went down. Like off the block. It was the whole Greek crew. We were having, it was a Greek barbecue. And the girls came after me. It was my friends from high school that were there.

And my Russian friend ran home with his little Russian accent. He's like, your sister's getting into a fight. And everyone's like, what? And like all the Greek people are like, these motherfuckers. And everyone's like running out. Oh my God. Did your dad put the lamb on the spit outside? 100%. 100%. Did the neighbors think you were

killing a dog? 100%. 100%. No, they know, oh my God, the drama. I would wake up and it would just be hanging upside down there. The teeth out, the eyes. It really does look funny with the melted face and just the drama. I would wake up and it would just be hanging upside down there. The teeth out, the eyes. It really does look funny with the melted face and just the teeth. Yeah. And all the guys that I would date, I would be like, you know my giritsa, right?

Yes. I love it. So that is before Easter, like when we're still doing like Lent for everybody who doesn't know. Cocoretsi. Yeah. And it's like you take the intestines and you clean them and then you make a soup yeah and the whole house my father would be there cleaning them with a with a with a rod oh wow and the whole house would smell like it and me and my my sisters would leave because we'd be like it really does yeah and then the

the boyfriends would come over and i would be like you you have to eat it or it's like mad well you shouldn't, what you should have done is not tell them what it is. No. Yeah. No, I would tell them. I want,

I want to see them like squirm and see if they would do it. I'm like, this is lamb intestines. Every non-Greek friend I've had who ate it, I didn't tell them what it was. I was like,

it's lamb. I just said it's lamb. They tell them what part of the lamb it was. Does it taste good? Oh, it's delicious. It actually is. Like if you dip the bread in, it's delicious. It actually is. Like if you dip the bread in. It's delicious.

You'd have no problem with it. Yeah, I'd eat that. It's just intestines and the kokoretsi. When it's nice and charred, the kokoretsi, when it's like really cooked well, it's good. You gotta give it a shot, everybody. It's guts and intestines. It's great. Do you do like big Easter?

Yeah, I grew up very Greek. I was an altar boy. I went to the Ionian village. I mean, yeah, the Ionian village. I resisted Greek school. I was the youngest. My parents kind of gave up. But I'm the only one in my entire family,

and I know this is a tragedy to a lot of Greeks when they hear it, that's not fluent in Greek. I spoke it more when I was little, and then I forgot it. and then I think they just gave up because both my brothers, my cousin, I'm literally the only one in my family who's not fluent. Okay, well today is the first

day of Greek 101. With your new teacher here. We're about to learn the language, Yannis. Yeah, it's a big problem. I wish I knew it. Well, I think because that's the thing. You did like regular school.

Regular. A regular regular salad school. And then you went to Greek school. And I think that's the issue. It's like, you don't want to do more. Yeah, because my brother went to the one on 4th Avenue. You know that one? What's the one on 4th Avenue?

Over here? It's in Sunset. It's like in between Park Slope and Sunset. It one on 4th Avenue. You know that one? What's the one on 4th Avenue? Over here? It's in Sunset. It's like in between Park Slope and Sunset. It's on 3rd Avenue. I'm sorry. Wait, no, it's on 4th Avenue. There's a Greek school there. Yeah.

Okay. Yeah. Yeah. It's in Owa. There's a church there. What's the name? Do you know? Can you look it up?

Yeah. Like people around the country care. It's the fucking most Brooklyn episode. This is the most Greek Brooklyn episode ever. You're welcome, world. You're welcome. Okay. But yeah, so he had to go to that one after school.

Okay, yeah. I think if you just went to regular private Greek school. Yeah, yeah, Fantas. Oh, I went to a Fantas. Yeah, Fantas. Okay. Yeah. Downtown.

It's on 4th Avenue, right? It's downtown Brooklyn. No, then that's not it. Okay. Yeah. Downtown. It's on 4th Avenue, right? It's downtown Brooklyn. No, then that's not it. No. Okay, we may have to speed this up. I mean, like, or cut it. It's on 4th Avenue. It's right, or 5th Avenue.

5th Avenue. Is that it? Which one? This one? Yeah. The Atlantic Classical Charter School, Park Slope. Yeah. Check that out.

Is that it? I don't know. It didn't used to be that. This kid doesn't look Greek to me. Yeah. Check that out. Is that it? I don't know. It didn't used to be that. This kid doesn't look Greek to me. Yeah. He learned the Greek language. I think it's changed. It wasn't a charter school,

but where is it? Park Slope. Yeah. So that's the one. Okay. But it's like on the outskirts, closer to sunset. It's like on 16th or 17th or 18th or 19th.

I don't remember it. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. That's where he went. Wow. Yeah. All right.

Yeah. If you went to a Greek school and went. Wow. Yeah. All right. Yeah. If you went to a Greek school and there was language in that, I think. Did you go to Sunday school? No, I was free. I was free. You didn't go to church? I went. Okay.

That's why you got into fights. Because I was not a good Greek girl. No, we went to church, but like my parents weren't like, you have to go to church every Sunday. Like we went for holidays. I went to a Greek school that took us at times. So it's like, I paid my dues, y'all. I'm free on the weekend. Okay, did you go to-

I wore uniform, okay? Yeah, so you were in Greek school. I was in Greek school, okay? I got my hair pulled in Greek school. Do you guys roll them like Catholic school girls? Oh, fuck yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just thought they were short growing up, Catholic school.

But no, they're usually like- But they weren't as strict like in Catholic school like that, you know? Yeah. Like I just had a few off the boat teachers that like reprimanded me. Yeah, and I never told my mom because I was like, I grew up hearing her horror stories. Yeah. So I was like, oh, that's how it is. And then like years later, I told my mom and she's like, I would have come there and beat the shit out of her.

Do you go for Easter and everything though? do you go to church for Easter? yeah I'll do that do you take the flame home? I bring the flame home as long as you can go? as long as I can go

I bring it have you ever set anyone's hair on fire by accident as you were exiting to do Christos and Nasty? no I'm a pro

I know how to bring it in, okay? I am not like just like, you know, do-do-do all over the place. Yeah, you got to be very careful with that. Everyone has fire. Yeah. And we're all trusted to like file out.

There's always once in a while you smell something. And it's hair. It's somebody's hair. It's somebody's hair. Yeah, my brother sets a woman's hair on fire. I'm more afraid of my eyebrows. Yeah, that too. Than anything. Like, you see these? i groom them every morning i just don't

make them i told you i did when you're a greek i mean it's like you have to maintain the eyebrows a little bit yeah absolutely do you think they repeat christos and nasty so many times because so many greek women have alzheimer's so they just want to make sure that they heard it i think it was the men that have more Alzheimer's. Also the men. It's a big Greek thing. It's a big, it is. What is that?

Because we have so much anxiety and we think so much, I think we just wear out the brain too early. We wear it out. Yeah. Yeah. Oh my God. I think science needs to call you. Yeah.

Are your parents anxious and worried a lot or no? Not really. Yeah. It doesn't seem like it. No. My mom, man, I'll be like, so you don't care? She'll be like, okay. She's calm. So when was it? New Day. Yeah. I think it doesn't seem like it. No, my, my, my mom, man, I'll be like,

so you don't care. She'll be like, okay, she's calm. Yeah. Now in her old age, a little bit like, you know,

anxiety and stuff like that. Does your father ever hit one? My father is more of the like going back and forth and like trying to figure it out. And my mom's like, just relax. Now, what, why do Greek waiters go when you order?

They go, wait, wait, what's that? This is a, uh, got it. It when you order? They go, wait, wait. What's that? This is a... Mali stuff. Got it. It's like Mali.

I got it, got it. It's like a... Yeah. Yeah. I got it, yeah. It's Czech. Yeah. It's how we mental Czech.

And in order of the mothers. You know, something you like. Yeah. You know, you see a girl you like, how you doing? So you're Greek, but you're not like very, you don't have to marry a Greek.

You could come home with a black guy and your dad's fine. That's not a yes. Silence. No, I'm kidding, I'm kidding, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I think anyone that I bring home, they'll be okay. They'll be a little slighted. Yanni the basketball player has opened up a lot of minds. I think he did.

Good job, good job. He really, thank you. I've always respected Greeks because I felt like they were prejudiced against everyone, which I felt put us off the hook. And it has nothing to, it's just like, you are not Greek. We fled. We still have trauma from the Ottoman Empire and the Turks still trying to get our freaking islands.

Like, we want Greek blood. There is so much Greek. You know what I mean? Like the horror stories. So that's what it's around. You know what I mean? Like, my mom would be like, oh, okay. Good Irish boy.

Not for you. Yeah. They want to maintain. They want to maintain. It's changing, though, a little bit. It is. It is. Because you got to let some new genes in or else like the baby's just born a block of

fetish genes and you can't have that. I mean, I'm not. Because we can't keep inbreeding. I'm not. You can't. Especially we're from islands. Like, it's like, you know. Yeah.

Look how close my eyes are. I mean, I can't. That's why I had to get a little Italian in there or else my baby was going to be born a cyclops with one eye. And with the eyebrow as well. Yeah, just like one eyebrow. It just kept growing. And one eye.

Shut up. Shut up. So it's like, you know, thank God she's half Italian. Oh, God. You know? And like, they just started letting the Italians in. I'm telling you, it was both my friend and my wife. It was serious trauma trying to marry an Italian guy.

I've never heard that. I've always been like, it's been very welcoming, like una faccia, una razza, we're cousins, we're fine. Well, the Greeks don't forget, and they did invade us in World War II, so they're always, and Archie Day, I don't know if you do this, but I'm telling you, you should do it. Every Archie Day, you should just call your Italian friends and just tell them, go fuck themselves. Oh, yeah. Every Italian I speak to, I'm telling you, you should do it. Is every Oji Day, you should just call your Italian friends and just tell them,

go fuck themselves. Oh yeah, every Italian I speak to, I'm like, no. I just go, hey, I'll just text them and be like,

hey, what's up man, I just want to tell you to go fuck yourself. And they're always like, what? And I'm just like, I'm sorry dude, it's not personal,

it's Oji Day. It's Oji Day. Yeah, it's Oji Day. I just curse out every single one of them. I do it every year. I'm surprised that they haven't learned to just like not pick up the phone then on that day.

They never remember. They should mark it on their calendars. They're not very smart, the Italian people. And I tell my wife, she's half Italian, so I tell her to tell herself to go fuck herself. But like, but you say. From the Greek side. Yeah, you're like softer. Look in the mirror and say, go fuck yourself.

You know what you did. Yeah, because they attacked us and that's not cool. That's not okay. And Greeks hold grudges and we never bend the fucking knee. No. And when we kicked the Ottomans out, we kicked them all out. We kicked them all out. That was ugly. And if you step to Christina,

her and her sisters will fucking whoop that ass. Hanya! So go follow you. Yes. Yeah. Where can they find you on the Instagram? It's my government name.

At Christina Mavronas. Do they have to pronounce it that way? Yeah. So you can't find it. You can't find it. As you're typing it into Instagram, if you're not like Christina Mavronas. Christina Mavronas. Don't do Christina.

Mavronas. Mavronas. Mavronas. Itronis Mavronis It won't come up Yeah But it's there on Instagram YouTube

The TikTok The TikTok Yeah Very nice And then And yeah And then there's our podcast Welcome to the Neighborhood

Which I hope to Have you on there one day I'm gonna Yeah I was supposed to be on it But I got snowed in But you said fuck you I said fuck you

He was a little bitch Because of the snow And he's like I'm upstate now. I can't get down there. He's like, it's so cold out. I'm snowed in. I can't. I'm snowed in.

I'm a little snow bunny. There's snow on the ground. I can't. You know, it snows different up there. I know. It's a hefty snow. It's a hefty snow. It's a hefty snow.

Yeah. I will be on. Yes. I look forward to it. It's a hefty snow. I will be on. I look forward to it. I look forward to meeting Gus. I've never met him. It's going to be a lot of fun. He's a fun little Greek. You can come too.

Oh, yeah? Yeah. Can I bring my whole family? Can I bring my kids? They're running around. Can I just show up with my kids? Yeah. So check her out.

Thank you for doing this. This was fun. This was a lot of fun. I knew it would be. It's nice to meet you. Likewise. Go Greeks. doing this. This was fun. This was a lot of fun. I knew it would be, and it's nice to meet you. Likewise. Go Greeks. Stay Greek.

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