I'm driving to a podcast African MEL, Brooks hey it's Chris Hardwick! I am driving in my car but safely using a microphone so that both hands are free to use the wheel and I'm gonna go podcast MEL Brooks today, which is huge for me. I'm still trying to process that information. I am I'm not going to turn into a stack of jello yeah? I stack Jello, I'm not afraid I'll. Do it but uh that is very exciting new, so that will be coming up on unnoticed, podcast very, very, very, very soon, but tomorrow, which is November 20th we're going to put out the trailer for Neil's puppet dreams. Neil Patrick Harris is show where he sleeps a lot and when he dreams he dreams in puppet. It's a co production with the Henson company and Neil Patrick Harris. So the trailer for that goes up tomorrow at Neil's puppet dream starts on.

Over 22nd. No, I'm sorry number 27th on the Nerdist Youtube Channel, Youtube dot com, slash notice, see I'm driving, so I can't edit this everything stays. I would also like to thank stamps dot com, as I'm returning sponsor to the Nerdist Podcast. It's almost holidays for crap sake, and you are going to be mailing a lot of stuff, because people demand that you pay them tribute on the holidays. You have to send them things gift card, to chili's or whatever it is that you could send your family. That's what my dad said to me. One year, he was like. Don't send me anything just send me gift card, so like chili's, I'm going to eat there anyway. So now it sounds like it going to chili's at it's, not I don't eat there there. I just cancel that out about that. One time ordered chicken salad on that offer healthy menu. Chili's in Missouri, and I got a salad with ranch dressing and fried chicken there. I've balanced it out now. Ok, are you happy stamps dot com, though

let's say you wanted to mail that salad to someone you want to wait in the post office. That sounds going to go bad by the time you get up to the window. Take stuff it in an envelope go to stamps dot com. You can weigh it with a bonus. Postage scale that they're going to send you and then you can send that salad to someone there. Delicious Christmas salad to someone print out the postage from any computer and you're good to go so before you do anything else, go to stamps dot, com click, the radio microphone at the top of the page and type in the promo code, Nerdist you're going to get one hundred and ten dollars bonus, offer of stuff from stamps com. So please use it steps, dot, com, offer code notice this episode was. This episode was really special to me and honestly was I've known Jimmy Kimmel. Since I stopped almost, I started in the back started in K Rock in one thousand nine hundred and ninety five. I just singled out, show just aired. I was just about to

and I got hired a k, rock and became pals Jimmy then, and then we kind of drifted apart over the years and- and I always felt bad about and I always felt like what did I do and it was, I feel dumb and you know, and then- and this was so nice to have actually just sit down. This is the longest conversation we've had in years, and it was absolutely wonderful and Jim a terrific guy, which of course, you know if you watch the show- and you see the a lot of his family in a lot of his friends and I would love that model. So Jim is a terrific guy and we recorded this just a couple weeks ago in his office at the Jimmy Kimmel Studio. So here you go the Nerdist podcast number, two whatever it is that I can't remember, because I'm operating a vehicle right now and it would be unsafe to go online to see what number that is, let's say two hundred and eighty four. If I get

Does that make it less awkward? Oh crap, there's a cop now entering Nerdist dot com. Never really great view of the high school track back there, which is the yeah Hollywood, high school I look down on it and I mean literally, I look down on public education system, I'm better than you. I pulled myself up, that's right, but adult I don't have to actually, I get very jealous watching them play baseball and run around on the field. While I'm hunched over my computer working having to

every day. It is because it's a way that is a bit, but it's but comedy, is an easy job. Right I mean all you do all day. Long is cracked jokes? What do you have to do all day? Long yeah, it's a! I can imagine Eserver with that one first, on the show a couple years ago he said he'd never sank into his head when he took the job like no. This is I think you will have to do every day. This is an everyday kind of a kind of a thing. Well, I would you know I started in radio, so I had that every day, pressure of number one we are working at K, rock and all the nonsense that went on and how I was constantly pecking away. Computer and doing stupid This is writing scripts for Kevin and bean and never never had sure. At least this way you don't have to at three hundred o'clock in the morning. I don't have to three hundred o'clock in the morning and they have food which we never had at the radio station, which is nice, is K Rock was in the 90s. It was the unglamorous setup. You can write something disgusting and it still is by the way

they can discuss the I mean it's really, it was embarrassing, you'd have guests come in and they'd say: hey. Can I get a cup of coffee and we like uh? yeah- I guess you can not here- I'm not going to get one for you, because I have to go to a store and we do not Starbucks back then so is like you'd. Have to go to the seven eleven or wait till date consults to know, but there's like that there is that right, yeah the basement and then in the lobby level, and we eat there so early that it always smelled like cleaning products very appetizing that it's such a group, it's almost like being a radio station from morning. It almost like going into a bar yeah when it's daytime it's like being. Strip club in the morning. You should you should never be there gross that just like smells like rafters like people, they perspiring all the only people. There are the weirdest people that work there, like the engineer may be, and you know some weird security guard- that no matter how many times you come to work doesn't know who you are right. You know yeah

Yes, that always happen, and then I got trained because I got hired to work on the morning show from just coming on the morning. Show and so it was very weird, and so I got hired on a Friday and Sunday and I was trained by booger man, who was the overnight guy, who tried to show yeah you were trained by this- is a homeless person. I a job at the radio station. You realize you replace the homeless, they fired a homeless person to make it for you, and as far as I know he still homeless, I know to be fair. He had a car, he lived in a van, he lived in a Volkswagen Van and it said booger man all over it. I mean I think, you'd like Bart Simpson characters glued to the top of this is one of those guys that you know you see around town. He was

very nice to me, but I always sense that, like there was a breaking point- and there was a breaking point because you did try to murder, you yeah he well, he just tried to choke me, not necessarily kill me, but and I'm the one who got him the job and as I am I right, all. I had nothing to do what, with whatever it was. He tried to choke me a lot. I don't even know what happened. I'm trying to remember, I think Kevin and bean were enquiring about his like girl for under something and he started flipping out of them, and I happen to be studio. When I decided to be the one to kind of move him of the studio when he started choking me yeah. It was no my I remember also going into the program director's office camel weatherly afterwards, and there was a little meeting about the choking and die. I was like so what's going to happen here and he's like. Well, I don't want to kill me.

All right, then I guess he stays. Let's give the guy from the message that this is okay, behavior for as long as you're dangerous. Yes, okay to choke, you can choke anyone as long as it's not the program, everyone else is totally on limits. No issues, but you came from you see when you came from wait, you can. You came to radio from Arizona but you're from yes yeah, I grew up in was born in Brooklyn. We moved to Vegas. When I was nine, I did college radio when I was in school in LAS Vegas. Then I worked in a bunch of radio stations, I mean I worked at Phoenix, Seattle back to Phoenix Tampa to Tucson and then no palm springs. I forgot and then to sun and then K Rock and Ellie. I mean I like it, it's funny how consistent the for people who have never been to a radio station that types of people that work at radio stations are consistent, no matter what market

there's like oh there's that guy yeah there's that guy in the engineers crazy and then it's like a sitcom you've been really is yeah. This yeah, you got the crazy engineer who thinks who went somethings wrong thinks you broke it or don't understand how to use it, even though you've been using it everyday for a year, with no problem you've. The program actor, who is probably too old to be programming, top forty radio station and who's going to be in Tucson for the what his life, if he's lucky you've got the news woman who was at one time attractive and maybe had something going on with the general manager. Then there's a general manager who might be someone important sons, sure who might have a flask in his desk and at afternoon guy who wants your job and it's surprisingly consistent. Everyone's headshot is like fifteen years old, sixteen years younger than with its own wash, and then you actually see them at live. Events were like what the fuck happened.

And I worked in a phoenix there was I worked at a radio station. I didn't work there and I was just a really kid who called in the radio station and they had a morning guy. It was very pot. Siege was hugely popular, I mean even hugely popular, so their morning got a Kelly and Hannah- oh sidekick, named Maggie Brock, and there was a big concert and they came out the whole audience cheered and saw them, and then the midday woman came out in the whole audience cheer and then the afternoon guys my king cat in the whole audience and then they brought out the night guy. Who was a city hugely fat? I mean like five. Pounds back like so fat, the domino's pizza guy- and I know this sounds like a joke- cried on his last time. He, the domino's pizza delivery guy, came with a plaque for him and then wept and when this guy. His name is Clark. Ingram walked out on the stage the whole means gas simultaneously, because you hear somebody's voice and in those days

you don't go on the web and look them up but and then he just I'm out in he look. My friend can said he would. He was wearing a blue jumpsuit. It looks like this guy with feet and and that's because the magic of radios, because these people look didn't whatever you have in your head. That's what they look like, but not so much anymore. It's all it's and we were we were around for that for that whole revolution. I came into being by the way I I I I like them a lot. A lot of the morning show guys you go around the country, and you do these, like these radio tours of the morning, show the guys you sort of feel they're a little angry that a little bit of you know because they radio it's still a viable medium, but it's very little more unstable than it used to be it's. Yeah, there's no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow anymore, Is there and you know how long you're gonna be there awhile ago, it's a like a prison, so it was a while away the time. It really is true. It's I'm. Maybe it's just our perspective, but I'm

so glad I'm not going to do anymore, I mean it's, I'm really. I think about it at least once a week. I think, thank God. I got out of radio because it's it's dying but yeah, when you call into a radio station. I have to say it's changed a little bit, for me because on the rare occasion I do call into a radio station there generally, I'm happy that I called so they're on their best. Behavior, but I remember many days during the man show and crank yankers and stuff, where they're kind of like they have an extra something against you, because you got over the wall, you made it yeah and you didn't take him here. They want you to take it, you didn't throw the rope over and pull them with you and also people kind of like. I think, people a lot of disk he's decided, Howard Stern, says whatever he wants, I'm going to do that, but they didn't have the kind of the paying their

the part leading up to that or that sort of brilliance I mean like it's Howard, just has a very authentic, honest, like he's just who he is. And rather than people just being who they were, everyone just thought like older some hookers out of the show and then will say the word p Nis fifty times like I, it doesn't snap really it's everything, it's all the icing, but not the cake. Exactly that honest Howard, that no had. The icing is very bitter: yeah. I think it's it's not a sweet icing. It's made of arsenic, it burns it burns your throat tear up when you even smell it, but but we so you you were K. Rock Then I got hired, and this was like ninety five and You were on our show and our program director heard you and like you and he hired you and then he did exactly to you what he did to me, which is he don't bother to tell the guys who hosted the show that is hiring you that's right and then

kind of my job to figure out how you were going to fit in with the show, and the answer was not well well. I remember saying I think, maybe you should do a character or something because I know Kevin have been are not going to want you just sitting in there talking with them right right, because there's already two of them can blame them. There's nothing. There is nothing wrong with that. An I remember after about a month of showing up Kevin? being being said to me when I come in his like people showing up there was just like Thursday. I was there they I walked in and I swear to God. This is absolutely I walked in the studio and they said they hired you, without here from from Tucson. I packed everything, and and my family an moved out here were two little babies doing it and they said they hired you, and I said, oh no, it's just very, very bad yeah. So I mean

since then. Let me just say you know: I've become very good friends with those guys and yeah being we we. You know we talk, you know but it didn't make sense because somebody to I don't blame him at all, but I'm glad you got rid of those other two guys working today. Either way they were super bummed, Matt still working Attack of the show is in its death. Throes and Matt is kind of finishing up another month there and Jonah had to work today, but Jonah was particular but he couldn't come because he Jonah is sort of a a renowned. Reloader. So when you started your show about ten years ago, the idea that there was food drinks here in the green room was legendary, and so it was a it was a comedian nest. I remember the first time I think one of the first times I met Jonah, I saw him, do standup comedy and then the next time I met him. He was at the Arclight theaters calling people to turn off their

He was working at the Arclight for awhile yeah. He worked at the art and I don't know I remember thinking well. This is weird- and I thought well maybe he's just doing this to Fuckaround he's not really working with the theater and he just hung around, but then it turned out. He was actually working there yet so I know Jonah had so many great Rita's in surgery, but he just he just having a work today, but some beer would you send him a beer or something so I did not fare well at on the counter so there's a certain point. I kind of just stop showing up, and so that was a perfect excuse for them to be like he's not even showing up and then Ryan came with like we're going to move. You weatherly said well, move you back to overnight, so I went back to the overnight, show the midnight to five shift, which you know it was fine. So my point is I didn't navigate those waters well and you manage to figure out how to slip in and

adapt to the program. Will you have to understand like this? Is your introduction to radio is working, a K Rock, which is like the best radio station in the United States? Even doing the overnight shift was like a dream? The dream for it was kind of crazy. I, if I had tried to work in radio, I never would have gotten the job. It was just a weird accident, yeah that it happens, and if For you know, for me, I've been I've been in much much much worse situation, so I knew I had to make it and I remember I showed the first day I'm going to be in or both wearing shorts, and I thought I read somewhere that like if you wanted to fit in with people you should. You should dress like so I just I board shorts the next day to work at the program director Kevin Sami, and he goes oh no. What are you doing it's like well, I'm wearing shorts. They wear shorts, I'm wearing shirt stays like he felt like he.

Austin other one. That's really funny. If he's Kevin still there right yeah, I was there yeah. It was a really fun time to be correct, because K Rock was really directing pop music at the time, and so we really It was a pretty sweet gig like that. It was so and then meet Adam Corolla just started, as you know, he's my boxing cogency within. Like the same couple months, you yeah tell a story about Adam yeah Adam is well. I still I got the job from working Tucson and I knew the program director and he. Finally, I talked him into hiring me and just as I was being fired, Tucson and I got out there and then Adam was a local boxing instructor Ann. I was fine on this guy who's on the shows got Michael. The maintenance man with money or boxing match and Adam called him volunteer, do to train me to box so he wanted Michael, but I happen to be the one that answered the door when he came to the back door, and so he trained me and we became

family, and I think we were there for about ' I remember. Jenny Mccarthy was on the show, promoting her Playboy magazine right and our former program director had gone on to program MTV and B. And he shall show him yes, and so he murder, on the radio a lot of hiring her to do singled out with you yeah and then the two of you. Come back to the radio station as guests and that's how and one yeah so with Adam just showed up and offered to train you and it turns out he has this. You know this rich background and sketch and in problem is actually a funny guy He should be a public access show that he did. I never seen a public access show that was intentionally funny before yeah and I remember being kind of bomb that he's Make me sit down and watch this vhs tape of himself. I think there's no way this is going to be good and I couldn't believe how good it

You can see the boxing instructor he's like a construction worker contract. Again these are carpenter, and so we came up with this shop teacher. Doctor Mister Birchum, and he would pretend to be a teacher calling in to give messages to his It's because they listen to the radio station yeah, so same thing, and then he went on to his love line and left me behind it. The morning show that you, you went on at number when you like the idea of cross. Over from radio to television was pretty rare ocean just wasn't something that happened a whole lot and then you, I think you went to Ben Stein from from the station right. I did yeah the one that saves money. I think the only reason that there was cross over to television is because we happen to be in LA. I think. If we were in San Francisco, none of these things would have happened. Carson Daly worked at the station all yeah and yeah, we all wound up on tv, but it's just because people would list

okay, rock and then when they were auditioning or whatever they say yeah that guy in you know we're kind of in their heads on the way to work, but it's interesting. 'cause we've had this. I had a conversation with a long time, and I don't know if you know this, but I'm being totally sincere when I say this that you, like you, were one the you're one of role models for me because you we, we talked right right after Ben Stein and things started to get going and you had the man show and crank yankers also with happy- and I said what did you do- you do it. You go honestly, myself in a room, and I wrote down one hundred ideas, and I just you know I just work all the time and go between guys like you and guys, like you, know, rob Zombie who you just go. Oh yeah. I guess if you really do devote

the majority of your enerji to a thing than that will reap rewards at some point, but it makes me sound better. I think then the truth is the truth is I was in there hiding from my ex wife. That's why I was in my room. Writing all the time. It wasn't some incredible work ethic. It was just me trying to get away masturbate what one two times that afternoon then then then the rest of the time you have to do something else in your hand, I did- and I probably shouldn't tell the story but time he was a we're doing- the man show and we had like some naked girls in something, and you know it's. I take it for granted now, but. You. Don't typically meet well, I don't you do I know, but you don't meet girls and then see them naked. You know and like so, especially in the workplace yeah, so we shot a bit and some girls in the bath tub and I think she was like a porn star, but we had our ag whatever and she was naked. I remember thinking this is just

oh great you know you meet her in her clothes and you catch it and then she's naked. And then you know whatever. So I was watching some rough cut of some bit and there was a lot of and this girls like naked through the whole thing and I'm in my office, I think, okay, I think, I think I it's so genuine. I think I'm going to just do it, but the great part is Adam is also in this bed so my wife walks into the room at the Adam is on screen she comes in and goes masturbating to Adam. No, he just came up on it just swing into this morning. I'm heading back in my dick in my head. I'm trying to explain and he won't leave this game was not here minute ago. Just happened. It was really embarrassing, but fortunately she told everyone about it. So I don't know,

about about telling it now it was. It was very, very, very embarrassing. That is, that is all, thank you, Three's company level, of sitcom misunderstanding that I'd never think actually happens in real life. It only has been a lot of time together, but I didn't realize it. You know. I don't think I could do better than Adam. That's really what it was in two, She knew there was a love affair there and initially to want to get in the way of it, Adams and it was really funny. I I I feel like. Maybe I don't know if I five years ago, so we had lunch and he was working on your Allison, he was building you in office or something and, and that was along those longer than that yeah. But I love his logic. He goes yeah no, I'm probably spending about thirty Grand Bell Jimmy at office, but he's probably going to

me about a million and a half bucks in the next year. So I figure it's a good investment he's just building you this really nice all he did he did, but the one thing he didn't do is add any insulation. So when he opened with one of the cabinets, you see these nice cabinets. But if you open the cabinet, the earth is like is binding cabinet door and which I alright. Well, I just won't open the door, but I realized that mold was growing behind that forgot you and um. So we never we moved is basically what we did, but Adam got the maps, and I did, I guess: the idea that 'cause you know so you drive your show, but it's definitely is the you in on some of cast on the show, but there's your life is sort of an ensemble cast of people that sort of a car yeah try to use that you know. I think that's something I learned from Howard Stern, using the people,

around using the people at work on the show, and then for me, my family members. I thought I just So how may I make the show different from every other talk show yeah, I have a band, I have a desk, I have an audience. I would tell them topical, monologue, jokes and for me yeah I said you know. Maybe if I had my family as part of the show, that would be a funny thing and it did it turned out. It worked out well because your model doesn't really feel like a traditional monologue, which I think is good. Well, we have a lot of tape. Peace is in it to mix it up because otherwise I just feel like it's. I don't know it just feels, like you're, reading a series of jokes off index cards yeah, otherwise that have like a five thousand and fifty shot of connecting. Yeah and then it's like and then the tone of your show is set right there right at the top yeah and also just mixing it up, helps you know like if, if you you know, if you're gonna do twenty jokes in a role if you're lucky fourteen

of them will work well, but if you do two jokes and then show some tape comedy bit, you come up with and then do two more, show clip of something stupid that happened and I think it just helps to throw the balance off well. Not only that, but let's be honest, people today do not like to just listen to words any like they need to see things. They need images, they need to be distracted constantly. So I think it's really important that it. Definitely yeah, yeah, 'cause sitting there and watching a guy, probably volume. In the middle of the night, just standing there talking about these politicians, you don't give a shit about anymore, can get old. Was it ever but I guess now you and Adam friends for almost twenty years since ninety four yeah was it ever because you guys are ostensibly do the same kind of thing was there ever any kind of weirdness or like I got this show You know what I have hey. There. Um were

we're very unusual in that way. I mean what you know: I've been radio for a long time when I got to K rock I'd been doing radio, since you know since high school really in professionally. Since I was in college and he shop right past me more on the radio and I was the morning, show sports guy and he came on and he did this character and it was mister. Burch was very, very popular and then he got love on. He got his own show, which was like it was kind of shocking. To me, I was like Holy get this guy. Really I mean he flew. By by me- and I did like. A little weird, but I never felt weird towards him what I learned I think from that is to. I was always a big team player, but I think I felt like at that point you really have to- make sure that you get you take some of these laughs for yourself. Spreading it around so much, and you just kind of have to do that. If you to succeed as an individual performer and- and so I did do- that- I sort

focusing a little more on my sports cast and a little bit. On the show overall and that's when I got offered Ben Stein's, money and fox football, and you know mine up, doing crank, yankers all these other shows it's a good lesson, especially because in this business well, I guess any field. There will always be people ahead of you. There will always be people moving past you and you can't you know. If you do anything with the trying to be motivated by it and not like where I'm bitter now it is thought that guy, you know like if there's enough room for everyone to get their chance, it is hard to do, but it's very hard to do yeah. It's a lot easier to do when your you're doing well, you know so I don't know. Maybe I would be horribly better in nothing, I'm good at it. I said it's a good thing to do. I mean, like you, you know you would see, especially in the standard community. I mean you know, I know it's sort of like a lottery like someone- can just get a part of the thing and it's like human there. They are and you're, like God. They think

started open MIKE you. What the you know, it's hard not to stand up as the work yeah, the p it there's not a people are not rooting for you and stand up comic. I think it's like we It's Sarah Silverman, I think, is one of the first things that attracted me to her. Was she genuinely happy for her fellow stand up, comics when they did well and- and I was like wow- that's that's I thought, maybe I and I get the real story a like a like. You know, she's pretending but genuinely happy for these people and helpful to them and you just don't see that very much in its stand up. You know not as well. I feel like I feel, like you, see a lot in the alley in a community, and I guess it's because I don't know why, but I think things of they have maybe they have, because I think that I think the sort of. Ucb environment is been, I've found it to be pretty supportive. Everyone is really nice, but

still a human being it like it. Sometimes, if you're down on your luck and then someone shoots past, you still can have a gold star that could have been yeah, but it is, I think, it's important to sit down and and real focus, did you did you really have a say how long to take before you had a sense of? who you were or was that just all the radio training that I mean. That's a got a man as a gay man who, his office, looking at football practice at young boys running on a field young, strapping, sweaty, throbbing, males, you know that's a very good question Chris, and I say it because it's about me yes, because I know I typically, I would play a character on the radio when I was on with Kevin and bean. I was Jimmy the sports guy and I did a bunch of character voices and then, when I was on win, signs money. I think that was probably first time I was myself on on television man show was a character really, you know it's kind of a

Well, I'm not like that. You know it's just it was, but that was the show and it's definitely a part of Maine. You know, but we were focused on the specific audience and on specific stupid things. And so I think this show really is you know in this show. You know, takes you yet you're, pretending to be a talk, show host to me. You know, even though Laura talk show host he's. Still there you go through a period like I'm wearing a suit like I never worry as soon I'm going to costume. Essentially, I'm standing I'm sitting on a piece of wood with a desk that I don't actually use? I've got a dense for no reason. This definitely it was the firm to write on it's just yeah. There are tiny microphones it'll do anything there to keep my legs away from the yeah. I think this to the audience, and so I think you go through a lot of that before you. Finally just forget about the forget about all of it and just talk

it's hard to I mean I I would imagine. I think I think a late night show will probably be the hardest, probably the hardest job in television, because you no matter what happens, you have to show up to work every day, and- and because you know there are a lot of other shows. It's like okay, I'm a white guy there are other white guys what how am I you know like what what is it? What is it about me and I guess the thing that was good, is that I feel like you really got a chance to to develop the show and explore and they gave you, you know they gave you the time that you needed to figure that out to make the show really solid yeah. They did on us. Not sure why they did. I think it was part of it. Was everyone liked me? I think, and I think another part of it was they had bigger fish to fry and the you know they kind of work focused on us yeah and probably still aren't you I mean you know people but I don't get notes from the network. Nobody, watching it's just kind of

We're on in there are certain times of the year that they pay. Attention, sometimes will have a big show, and sometimes you know a something or whatever and then everybody has a comment but um? Otherwise, we just kind of love to ourselves for the most part yeah? I think the late night slots really 'cause. I think it's a difficult slot for them to have to reconfigure, and so I feel like late night slots tend to get a little bit more of a chance because, like we invested money in the show, it's a daily show. Let's let it go 'cause you were filling correct space, right, yeah, right, yeah and a half hour after that, because that was a half hour long, but also we, you know the thing that problem this. We did have decent ratings from the get go and um it's not like. We, they were losing money, so it wasn't, it wasn't hugely faith to keep around here, but did you? How long did you have the job before you felt like, Okay, I think we're okay. Rather than each week going maybe will be back,

this week I don't know well. I didn't even really think like that. I thought there were many times where I just hope to show it get cancelled. I really I wanted to show to get cancelled, because if the network canceled the show, my fault. I would have to explain my staff like you know I wouldn't have to go well. I I just can't do this anymore, it's too much! I'm sorry you all lose your jobs so secret. I was I mean I was dying. I was exhausted, we're doing the show live. It was five nights a week at that time. I had no idea what I was doing. I had no signature, is to rely on once a week. I had no guests, many nights, I mean every night was a scramble and a lot of the pressure was put on me to find the guest yeah, and I just like I mean it was I I was in we Willis Office in the basement. I felt like a plant that was dying. I just it just was not having any fun at all. I mean it was really just a just a gripe in every sense of the word, and I think you could kind of see it through if you want. I never look back at those shows, I mean

so I'm just a mess. My suits don't fit my side, down to my napkin. It's just it's just painful to look back at this important. Fortunately, there is a permanent visual record of that whole period of time. That's why great things, Your home movies are available to everyone wherever, but it wasn't, it wasn't around 'cause. Then you guys the hit on something with. Was it around the the Matt Damon video? I think that was a big turning point for us. That was the first time. We had something that everyone was talking about, an that. I think you know I still know how many millions of views that got, because it was before we had a you tube channel, yeah yeah. I remember at one time, was up to like forty million views. She's, just a one posting alone. Big many people have posted it and that's just Youtube. You know not doesn't count Hulu or abc dot com or any of that right- and

That's when I think celebrities, kind of notice, the show and said, oh yeah, that might be you know I could be funny. I could be a part of that and then, of course, the Ben Affleck video was we are the world. It was a big deal and we have people calling asking to be a part of it and, and you just kind of everything you could ask for. So there was a little bit of a backlash from the whole thing because, after that, after those video, every celebrity who's on the show wanted to do a huge viral video lecture either you have to explain everybody's like we don't have well it just like a trunk full of those ideas. They you know. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don't. You know sometimes they're big, some make a viral video in the make it in fifty million views right. I can't tell you how many times they're like yeah. They want to make a viral video like we're doing a television show here, we'll see because now it like, when you are, if you're, if you're a breakdown of what all the networks are looking for, programming wise that it's always funny to go. We're looking for the next big thing really

What would you? What would you not be? One of you just say you want a billion dollars. I want a billion dollars, oil right, yeah, exactly that's expensive, socially, with they're, saying you can't it's you. You know you can sort of. I mean having been work. You know like building this Youtube channel. You can approximate you go well, you know if this is this element. This element more people might be inclined to share point. You never have any idea what people are really going to go after when I was on the radio. I would frequently the listeners would send me these casting breakdowns and they would say looking for a Jimmy, the sports guy type and never contacted for any of the job. I am we jaw. They really like a weird thing, which is strange. Disconnect I mean it makes perfect sense if you're looking for a Jimmy. The sport Skype to call him no No, we just want to. I you, let's run an ad looking at time, yeah and then Jimmy could

How many help us coach some of these two in sports guy types we wanted. We wanted that kind of a situation. You know what that is. That's entertainment, business friend zone yeah you're in the friend zone. It's you're not going to get the job they're, just aware of you and your pleasant, but your do not. I'm convinced that there is a department that works at every network that their only job is to have meetings with performers to satisfy their managers like they don't green light. Show they don't actually do anything. They just have the meetings I've had so many meetings were his like wow. That was and then you know my magic yeah. They loved you and it's like. Never here, obviously love it. You never ever hear from them at all. Yeah it's theirs the whole middle management thing and I think what they do sort of. Like you say I pretend to be talking about us. They go well have to pretend to be an executive and executives have meetings, and I can always pawn it off

fact that there's this committee thinking and that's why things never get pushed through, but as long as they take pictures and meetings, I don't ever have to do anything and maybe take enough meetings they'll, let me get to the level of the people who actually make the decision. Someone will get fired and then that then they'll they'll get promoted and I'll. Have someone take my meetings for me and then that that's right, but there is the whole level of middle managers. It's just like wired spending so much money for this whole layer when you could just go make stuff. Well, that seems to coming to an end with the with Youtube and people being able to make things on their own. It's still, it's still present it is now and I think, with movies that will probably probably be that that way, but I think, though, it's so interesting when you make a video- and you think, oh, this is funny, and then millions of people watch Oh yeah, I guess it was funny and then sometimes you make one and it doesn't catch on the way you

thought it would it right, but it's just it's very democratic way of of of determining whether people like something or not. It really can't blame it on pro. Almost like you know it chop is we have so many excuses. You know it's like well, they didn't promoted right, put it on Friday, night time slot. I did this office of the Olympics, yet you know all the stuff that we all these issues. We have for everything that goes wrong, but you too was, like it's on Youtube, it is or it isn't, and you can give it a push, maybe at the beginning. But submit Lee. If it's great people are going to spread it around, post mortem report on those videos are like well after a lot of research, we determined that thirteen year olds thought it sucked pretty much. It sounded great, but it I think you sort of I think you came in you started to show exactly at the right time. 'cause you sort of got gram. Bothered into this sort to the digital age that we're in now. So you had enough of a footing in traditional media that you enough of an audience to create the sort of you guys.

Some really great web web clips that yeah, you know the first show. We showed a clip of Andy Milonakis singing. The super bowl is gay over and over again, and that was a yeah. You know when you do it wasn't so popular and it really. I yeah we really to get lucky. I mean I feel like in a way like, I think the days of talk show hosts when I know they are making thirty one dollars to host a late night. Talk show are gone I got it just in the tail end of being able to make a decent amount of money right and that in five years, I'll be completely gone yet tell the networks now don't have the same kind budgets anymore, like you used to when you for a while that the way that it used to work was very much like a traditional business. You would have a quote, and then you work on another job and then they would meet that or raise. That quote, and now the whole idea of quotes is big. Oh well, this is what we this. Is it do it or don't do it and it just it's just not the same anymore. I guess it makes sense. It makes

more sense that way and in a way- and I think it opens up more opportunities for more people which I feel If I had before I was ten years older, there's no be on television? I think think I would you know. When I got hired on Win Ben Stein's money comedy central was a nothing network, I mean it was really, nobody watching South Park and win Ben Stein's money premiered the same week. And they had no hit, shows on comedy a lot of kids in the hall reruns yeah lot of that window, whose line whose lives any with the British, whose line yeah that yeah. I think I came on after us. Even and at that time remember when they were selling the show and this company that made the show the last place they wanted to sell. It too was common actually, seven worst comes to worst comedy central is interested in the show, and I remember thinking well that doesn't sound so terrible. That would be kind of a fun place to do the show- they were hoping to get it on in syndication or in some big network

nothing, but you know I was kind of small player on a small show on a small cable network and had that, I not that opportunity. I don't think you know there's no way if fight you know I would have been on the sitcom or something on the right. It just wouldn't happen. It's a funny. I always thought I wanted to be. When I was younger, I always thought like always sit com, that's what I want to do. I want to. I thought either SNL or sit com. That's the perfect scenario, and now I think about it. I, like I, don't know if I'd want to be stuck on a sitcom 'cause. A lot of them are not great yeah You really can't do anything else, and you know it just sort of. I don't know I I We have to be a good one. It has a good one. It's great, you know, but it's so hard to so many things have to happen for something to be good. Yeah, and a lot of them are accidental, with sort of like you, well, no one paid attention or show so we were able to sort of sneak through you just have to fall. You have to slip crack some. How to have the show. You know become what

to be for sure, and I also think the other thing that I always rely. There's no one was going to do anything me that I had to come up with material for myself. I had to come up ideas for myself you know and that I had to write something for myself yeah. I wanted them because I went to Asians, as an actor, you know, even though I was an actor my age, it was like you should go to this, and that and I mean I wasn't good. Dad and I don't know how to do it and it just felt stupid to me pretending to be playing a scene out with No some lady in a folding chair, and I just it just all- seemed If you listen to me- and I knew that if I wanted to do anything on television, I was going to have to write it for myself, yeah and so I'm. But now I mean you can do that and and a half an hour you can put something up on on the that was very kind of internet culture on your on your part before that- was really a possible because this was like mid to late 90s, and so it's not like

internet was really started with like being interested in doing little things for public access television. You know- and I I was apart of Paris, warm yeah yeah, show his. He had a public access show I'm going to do that and that eventually became one heat the movie we made and end those little things. I was got a kick out of. You know just little local tv. Things that no one really saw, but it was just fun to make it easier. We just I hadn't for a long time, and then I ran into you at the how many store, because I was doing the the thing with the guy from and all with Perry yeah, where this is the first weirdest thing where it was like like go, Perry was

like one year, anniversary of Perry being molested by a casting director. Perry is probably fifty two now and there was a casting director and took advantage of and Don had a big party people flew in from not just over. But from all over the world, but it because the listen to the Don's podcast is simply not the big three podcast up and yeah they had a big celebration of of the Han job. Perry had to give a casting director. Basically said. You know Give me this Hanjob or you'll. Never you'll, never work again. Yes, so you know, and his just vacation was like J you know. I was just doing his big thing. Is he blew me that I did not blow him and they brought the picture of the guy. I printed those out there how much despair how, where is he of what

everything like. Does he do you think he does? He know it is a kind of playing it or do you know really doesn't know? He really is understand. I mean he understands the people. Are he just doesn't as to why people are interested in all here is about as they get to they get to be. They get to movie and they get to do a podcast. What's so funny? Is it it's like that? The genius of that movie and just the whole concept by all rights? I think you should feel bad for and everyone should be mad at you guys for doing what you did to him yeah and then it was every time it was about the only God. Damn it. He such an attack. I just get a chance of magic apparent, but the truth is he's not so different from like anybody that comes to Hollywood. He just wants to be famous. He doesn't care right delivery method is writing Kerry visit. You know people say I love to act to act when Agnes like Oh guess what we are we have job offer for you. You can be a host on QVC I'll. Take it!

he's more of the Dennis Woodruff Angelene cam. He will do it. He just wants to be famous yeah. Didn't he hang out with him No! No! No, but I do have a sign skateboard from him right here there is, he says, to gym, camel I'm so honored to have you accept my apology last night, a of a lot of billings. Oh, I didn't realize apology had two peas in it. It it does prepare. Is that a smartphone, app biology or you can apologize that people have smartphones a great idea that should get on that before this podcast goes on delay the airing of this project. Until I can start apology, yes I guess I know Kerry and that we didn't know what he was saying. I'd say that especially people that listen to your podcast that if they, not seen windy city heat they should they should make up. I think it's on Netflix and you can get it on Amazon, but um people think it's fake. A lot of people

I it is not well. You know, you've seen him in action. It's one hundred percent real good morning, good, looking Mahan job, wouldn't let him suck my do not home. He just kept saying about the whole, very homophobic, very homophobic, he's every every bad thing you could imagine mixed into a guy or that you should really feel sorry for, but he just makes it yeah. He does it so perfect, He really is and then you you had Fuhrman an eye on your show. A couple times which is great Tony Danza was on both of the times we came on. Was he on both tied times, while we, if we're playing dance a reel at that, was the that was the golden age of television on both times. Tony Danza was a guest. Do you have any encounter with him and

so do. I then I would have thought very soft hands very sweet man. He was really. He won't take very softly, as I shook his hand like Tony as I guess I just bought into the myth, doesn't tell you. There's like no he's out back like punching through board. I was here, is a very manicured nails very softly. I wonder if you would take that as a compliment or as an insult that he has soft hands. I don't know that's a good question. If we ever in the parking, yeah so I'll, see how we link me in so I can hear, but over the years I feel, like you know, I would run into you at various times and and there's a period. I thought Jimmy doesn't like me. I don't know how to really give me doesn't like me, and I don't know, and then we had an encounter was right. After I gave up the booze and you wrote me this really long email, where you said you know the truth. The matter is, I was really worried about you and I really thought you were like yeah. You were hitting pretty hard, but when you're doing that, you don't realize you're doing it. You just think oh no

I'm awesome and everyone should think I'm awesome and I would run into you are running. Do you answer and there was like? Oh, hey, hey Chris and now after I had that I have like almost today gate of being on the other side of it. I go oh yeah when the drunk guy comes at you, you instantly just your walls go up because you just don't want to engage him 'cause. He it is weird to be in the situation. I get a lot where I'm the not drunk guy and then they're so enthusiastic, drunk guys around, and I tried the friendly. You know, but I'm just kind of scared to usually, and then you know, when you're not drinking what what what goes to my. Right now is that when people get drunk and in my face and I'll slobbery, even if their intentions are good, I just feel like this conversation is fake. You're not going to remember it tomorrow. What's the point of this, I'm going end up. You know to shout over all the noise to tell you, things are not going to

it's very fleeting. Well, it was yeah. It's true. It's true! I guess if you both front and it's if they don't work right out, okay, yeah, but you both have to be at the same level. It is a fun I guess I always you know now we had now. I do remember that now yeah yeah, that was sort of another another thing you kind of became a different person, because when we first met, you were not like that no and but then yeah then, and then and then you start drinking a lot, and I mean I always like you, but I also I don't like to be around people who are drinking a lot. I don't blame, you really was. It was a dark time and you know my life could have gone. Two completely different in different ways, but it really was because of you know, guys like you and Greg Bear and Jimmy part of it. That was a term that was really meant a lot to me that you took the time 'cause. I really feel like. Oh, he actually does it's not. I built this whole narrative in my head, like I, what

you know what he saw a television that like it was that is like the old town no, but buddy was on the football. Do will you to be? I would really I was the cause of it. The inside. I just had no idea, but it was very helpful to me and I really really appreciate all that it was very sweet all good. I'm glad, I'm glad you know and stuff like that, it's most people don't take it like that. I think that's good, but I do we feel like it's it's important. If I do like, if I don't like them, I won't say anything whatever is to, just confront that kind of stuff, because I feel too guilty afterwards or something happens and- and I didn't say anything yeah well it because it's you don't it's a. Hard line to ride, because it you can instantly put people on the defensive we I'll be like we used about learn from you know right and then so I you know, I try not to

just sort of leave people be because I feel like well. I hope they, you know. If they ask me I'll, be honest about it, but I don't you know I don't want. One thing also depends upon the like kind of depth of your like relationship. Like you know, we were friendly, were never really friends or anything like that, but I always like thank you and dumb least I mean I would think you remember. I was trying to get you on. The you know. Working into the radio is showing was it your think. We had meetings at your store trying to figure it out of your your proof wanted one of your producers Josh right, just one truck yeah room, find me that we almost did a radio show together. Why, when I try- and I completely had forgotten that- and we were like really- and away from doing this. Radio show and I think ultimately, what happened was. I think you know you just sort of it was hard for you to believe you don't want to leave K Rock yeah and which was a smart thing to do because, well it wasn't even that it was uhm. I felt too guilty too

to go against Kevin being bean. I I I like. I really like to. I talked to both of them Kevin Weatherly. The program director- and I just couldn't do it- I just I just felt like I can't do this and it turned out to be good thing. They didn't, because about two months, late We got one Ben money and you know wound up event another man. Show actually I got the man show on one of the believing um radio altogether. Well, the it was. Easy was an easy decision for me because I was I was making like, I think seventy five dollars a shift or something like a rock, and so it just wasn't working like three nights a week. It just wasn't enough money and then I actually, you know, get this really great offer to go to morning. Radio plus you can view and been in the trenches with those guys I mean when I got to that radio station. I think we're rank like twenty second or something yeah and you know, we worked hard and kind of built this show, and then it just felt weird about I just didn't, even So they offered me a lot more money to go to the other.

I just like. I just can't do this. I just don't feel right about it yeah. What was good? It was good. He did I mean that that the show that I'm doing with with Corp Courtney, who was yep great, really, really sweet guy? You know that was when and try to come in and take on K Rock. It was just. It was not a good yeah. It was not an office yeah they didn't make it easy at K Rock either. No, no especially 'cause radio. It just takes a long time. Build up a radio audience and there given enough time before, like a spanish station groups, groups and and and yeah, I said over and that's what I ended up having it became like super Is today a little bit this get it. You know so yeah these stations that we don't even know exist, are hugely popular like the most popular stations in town by orders of magnitude. It's true and all we know about them or the crazy billboards that you know men that look like the devil upside down. On a billboard, what do they do? I don't know I think, there's two, but is something you don't even know what that is

ever ties Minton for a radio show. It could be some weird horror movie or something well. When you're now that you've been- doing everything that you would do it. I was watching some of the clips from the show and you really do get these kind of like pantheons of people together in one room. It's pretty amazing. Like oh there's I mean not not that I that I'm like a Lindsay, Lohan fan or whatever, but to see we can, with the Jessica, Biel and Jessica Alba, and and like not other really famous women the same room for a sketch. You know kind of frenzy, yeah, that's what I like about it is like you get to see, I like to reveal them one at a time. So you can kind of see that The original idea I had for that was. I want they have all Jessica's and all Jennifer's.

So be you know, Jessica, Biel and Jessica, Alba, Jessica, Simpson and, like I wanted to separate it by name because Jessica and Jennifer, to comprise about sixty three percent. The most beautiful women in Hollywood named one of those two names, and and then I wanted to do. I forget what the last one would do is like the Beyonce's or something, and there was only one Beyonce. I don't know whatever the stupid idea was, but we couldn't get enough of each name together. So we decide- mix it up and and put them all in one exercise. Well, three exercise: videos are you, involves a day today. Are you in the in the writing process extremely mean I can, can you let control go or do you have to have your hands on everything Yeah I mean in the morning I get all the material from the writers I go through it myself I would like thirty five pages down to two or three pages.

And then the writers write the scripts I'll edit. All the scripts will shoot the beds all I'll help edit the bits I approve the bed. Sometimes five seconds before the show starts, right? The I rewrite the monologue from four hundred to six hundred pm um, just my desk and then send it to the teleprompter, and then we go and then, by about nine p pm your brain dead, yeah. No, actually I feel okay yeah. I feel all right. I really don't. I don't have that thing. I don't know what it is. I just you know I just kind of it just part of my day Ok and you don't seem like a stress case like you seem like a pretty like well, you know we'll just get through this and it's we're pretty everything is pretty easy going. I mean you can't help. I mean if I was I'd be dead by now I mean you just can't help it you're doing the show every night. It's like it doesn't matter. What's going on in your life, I mean you could have a huge fight with someone. Could you don't have someone of your family's very sick? Or you know you're, sick yourself or whatever is going on it doesn't matter you have to go down and do the show.

And it's weird almost it's like it is a little bit robotic that I can put all of those things out of my head. I you learn to compartmentalize that you can. Then you can still be like you know you you would say rather for time you broke up, you still had to go. Do the show, like your guy, going through a breakup, but you still every night has to be like on the show. Today we're going to look at the big Cougar Cubs, you know, and you still have to be excited about it. It's true and it's weird, it is weird, but I would imagine that there are probably more extreme, like you know, like the president has, this sort of thing and even like newscasters, like you know, when you see what these guys are doing, Larry King's wearing jeans, but you know he's interviewing the Prime minister of Israel or something you know like. Well, that's weird, and then you realize oh yeah, 'cause they're, just just guys and doing their job and then going home. You had one of my favorite jokes with. I think you something you said to Sarah wants, where you go, hey, guess what

later I'll. Give you a we're here to that. I could have been out to It was definitely not just. I don't wanna hear, remember that, but just look at the improv or something just for sure. I would say that that was purely a joke. That did not actually happen. I don't think anyone is ever gotten to have angel sex with someone by going here's where I'm going, I mean probably right. You see, Alex Book may be in prison, but yeah, no, not in the outside world. That just becomes like the but made in call it just like when you're going to echo ship, my axe is going to affect I thought it was going to can't stop it from happening. Well, you know, if you can't stop it. What are you going to do? I think you just have to yeah, can you give you give a copy occurs? Yeah

you have a copy of Kirstie Alley's book here. I just got it's called the art of men, I haven't read it yet. I wish I could give you a synopsis, but one of the chapters is there's a lot of stuff about the asked one of the checkers is anal sex. Yeah. I don't know why I'm promoting this, but it looks terrific, I'm going to read that She was she on the show she will be on the show next week or this week or next week. So I don't know soon have to deal with the podcast format I feel like we have. We have the luxury of like we can talk for an hour and it's like yeah. Let the conversation on you know when you're when you're doing your show it. I always everything to it's a rough format, because you have like quick digestible, but so yeah. Well, you have no! time to meander it's you know and they're kind of has to be a beginning and an end. You know and because worst case scenarios when somebody's in the middle of an anecdote, an I look at the clock and I see that we are

overtime an we're nowhere near the end of the third and usually what I will do in that situation is wait until they're finished and then ask them another question: How far is because I, like him, torment myself, but you know, and then you know it's screws everyone up after the show they have to edit the show it's a pain in the, but it is weird it's like some sort of dating. You know that you just sit down and have a a time to come, station with a person who is probably a stranger in most cases and they have to kind of instantly be interesting, but you know keep it fairly loose and you know the better, the gas, the looser and you know that that sometimes you going to talk show and it's you feel like you're doing a play right. It's like you, have you're gonna, see this you're gonna say this and it's it and I think that's if is really good at doing that it can work well, but most of the time it doesn't well it's hard because you have to I'm sure there are

is that you were genuinely interested in talking about, but you're like well the publicist. A movie. I have to ask about the movie clip of the movie. Maybe I have for one random question to sort of you know, keep it fun. Yes, but it it seems like it seems very restrictive it is. It is, but there's the you know random things do happen and usually it happens right at the beginning of the segment, something and on the way in or there dressed weird- earn something strange or whatever, and that's when you can kind of get into some, then you realize all the work, the segment producer, done. This interview is right out the window. The first time we did the show first of the show, with firm and Steve Carell was a guest oh yeah, I thought it was a bit you guys are doing. He started sweating so hard that it looked like he had like a two blunder. Under a wig that was just dumping water down the front of his face, and you even cover your like. Are you? Okay

it was like broadcast news. I really like. I was going to ignore it because I figured people can't see this at home, but then I realized they can see themselves. It was weird that engaging down his face because I love Steve Carell at that time. He wasn't you know this Steve Carell, no, not not quite yet, but he'd been on the on the daily show. So much and but I don't know something about the talk, show format I think, or maybe was just hot, I don't know what it was, but he he sweated more than anyone. I think, as ever there are some guys there's some guys that you know like if they have more of a sketch background or improv background need they'll, they will do character now commit to one hundred percent, but then, when you sit down and look him in the eye and you're like so what do you like as a person there, like, I don't know, maybe he's doing the sweaty character? Maybe it was a good visit when that's how committed he is that it was literally pouring down the front of his face it whatever it was, it worked. Robert Pattinson was pretty nice show. Last night he's a nice guy, I feel bad. I know it sounds crazy, like I feel bad. That attractive, millionaire, but

This is a funny thing where he lies all the time. He'll make lies up in interviews and then they get reported, as fact, and he just kind of doesn't care and like he will tell you like he's living under an archway or some weird thing and then sell it as if it's he's totally serious about it. I don't know if This is to entertain himself from, but it's just kind of funny thing and it makes it a little bit tricky to do an interview with them, because I don't want to see Aruba right, but my job there, It used to accept answers as true, so you can't just go, but I know that's not true yeah, none of that's true. No, you cannot ruin even that some of the stuff is so mundane. You wouldn't even you know you wouldn't challenge it, but he does. He makes stuff up which is kind of funny, but he does and it was really There was a ton of security here, last night, yeah and and then a George showed up and then, like the security, got even tighter and it was yeah, I'm just trying to think about their lives like they're, just two young people and they have to live this really weird isolated life,

yeah, they hung out at the show for like two hours after they hung out, because I think because they couldn't move there were so many people outside crowding the exit. You know the best thing is, you saw how many people are outside left and right. I want one to make, not one of them said I was like I had my head down as like. I don't want to get caught in this crowd, not one person yelled at my name and my journey is the Red Panda coming out really how do you when you, when you do on the show and it's like you're on the show. It's crunch time the shows happening and they're just not giving you anything. What's your trick, do you have it what's your bag. I will do the interview. Myself is usually what will happen I'll start telling them about things from my life and just kind of in fact, it's funny, because sometimes people have fan groups that are excited that so and so is going to be on the show, and you know that this person is not a great interview.

So I will kind of I'll talk more than I typically will and usually what happens? Is their fans get mad? You talk through the whole interview we didn't get to hear, but I've had, you know, get guests Sure they go. I don't do anecdotes alright. Well, what are we going to have like are on? I want to talk about the movie. I don't do anecdote. In the end, they always want to talk about the movie. The movie they almost always want to talk about. I I've got that sometimes you were people complain about the park as they go you know you just target even get to hear it and what you can't if people's like, when you're looking someone in the eye. If you have any level of experience at your job, you have an automatic of when they're going to finish talking and how much they want to talk about 'cause. You can see there. Right- and you know like this- is about to end this- is but this is going to end in two seconds and it's there's going to be a wall at the end and they're not going to give me a thing to jump off of it's just going to be a and then that's.

And uh. We flew on the plane, yeah it's well it it happens a lot, unfortunately, and it really makes you appreciate the guests that come with stuff to oh I imagine it must just it must feel like when Letterman was on the show. Letterman was on my show in Brooklyn he, was very serious about preparing for the interview which you might not expect, but he you know But he said there are segment producer is when Jimmy I show he always has a lot of things to talk about and he's got a lot of anecdotes and jokes or whatever and so I want to have the same thing when I'm on his show and it's funny, because I have learned that from him from just from reading interviews with him talking about how Prepared Steve Martin is, whenever he's on the show and remember making a mental note going like if I'm ever on, the show, I'm going to be very prepared and Dave will be happy in Dave will like me and invite me back, and it's just weird to think about Dave

sitting there thinking. What am I going to talk about on on the Kimmel? Show? glad that he still cares. You know like it's nice, to hear that he still cares about like that bucket, okay, we're gonna, he'll, always care. I think I think, probably the the healthiest people or the ones who don't care anymore. Just go we'll just wing it. You know fine yeah, I mean for me. I obsess about these things. You know when I go on to show you know, I know what it's like to be. The host an the guest doesn't I have to talk about, and I also know what it's like to go into. We get asked the same questions over and over again, and it's just like you, make you feel like like. I could tell you know you not you, but the whole, as I can tell you the answer, but I know that people, follow. Me have heard me answer this question twelve times and I don't want to make them sit through this year right. Well, the all the all the stuff that went down with Leno was

amazing, and I know that's the thing that you've talked about a million times, but it really was like holy shit, and I think it's one of the things that I don't when I put myself in the position that you were in I think I would have had the metal to follow through with like. I can't I can't I can't do this like I. I can't do that. I just felt like I had to. I really did I mean I felt like I'd, be letting everyone down if I and it would have been easier and it was very uncomfortable and it was really not. You know not thing that I was looking forward to at all, but I just felt like it's just it was, would have been so dishonest to sit there and not talk about the the you know. This again was in the heat of the you know they Jay Conan straddle that was going on and for me to go on. Show ended, just give it up. You know a brief mention would have been. I don't know I just stay. If I, if I was watching me out of one of the guys, a deck, but at the same time I mean

I don't know I I really don't know the behind the scenes of one. What really happened I mean, I think I've been pretty public about that. I was a team called in on that side of the equation, but you know it is just interesting that There have been two major late night wars in television and he won both of 'em. He instigated them. Both yeah he's the around of late night. Talk show hosts, I mean I don't know, but I've never met him. I don't know him, he might be the loveliest guy in this very friendly guy. I mean you know whatever, but I mean listen. This is like he says. Conan was his friend is Letterman. Is your friend there are things you don't do your friends and those are two of them if these people and then that was not the right thing to do, but you know he definitely I do understand it is. It is something that I look at it go I wonderful to be that way in, like you know, twenty years where I just I need to

constantly be in motion, I need to be working because it defines who I am and if I stop for a second that I'm gonna blow my brains out yeah, except for though I mean you still able to do stand, I don't know to me it would have been a beautiful graceful exit for Jay Leno, who you know what I don't know, but I I'm not him. I don't know what goes through his had. Need. Maybe he just loves doing the show so much that he couldn't bear to to leave it even so he agreed to leave it in five years and went through that whole crazy thing, but I really still got stand up comedy, I'm sure. If he wanted to do a show, people would find a way to give him. Immediately. I guess that's true, but I just do you feel like you is there

there a point where you go yeah, you know. After doing the show for awhile I'd be fine to just relax and yeah to work anymore yeah. I would I could do that at the end of the month. No problem give me time to pack and say goodbye to everyone. I go crazy. If I, if I stopped like I want to take a vacation, I cannot well. I do something else, though I mean you know, for I just I I mean for me. It doesn't have to be something big either like, I really like drawing and making t shirts. I love cooking You know just for me. These are just like it really. Just I get satisfaction out of people enjoying this stuff so about draw something Ellen, show it to ever like in this. You know and funny. If I get the reaction, I, like I'm happy and then I'll go draw something else or if I cook something and I like the way it tasted, then I'm happy and I'll cook something else, and it just really the same. I mean all the same dynamic for me, so the part of it and the fame part of the money part that were you able to handle that pretty well

in stride, or did I think so I mean I think so I just had a very gradual sent. Really I mean it was you know from starting radio or people. Who you are only if you want them to know who you are to you cable vision. Visionware. I get recognized, maybe once a week from when signs money and then used very kind of just a. It was a gradual thing for me. So Maybe if I was hit with it all at once, I wouldn't have handled well what I think I probably would handle that like fifty to really like fifteen years before you even really made it to television right yeah yeah I mean my first. I've been on tv for all almost twenty years, and but even before that there was like, and then there was radio before that yeah, that's a that's a made. I think it is sort of I'm glad that when I worked at MTV that it didn't blow up to something bigger right, then because I don't think I could, I really don't think I could have handled it was

big though I mean it was that was that show was huge. It was but what happened right after it wasn't huge and I didn't know what to do right I wasn't too. I wasn't touring as a standup at the time I didn't know, you know how to turn it into money. No idea what to do with that. I just thought: oh all, just get another show yeah, that's actually really hard yeah, they don't just hand those out, and I think you know again just kind of time all back together and not not to be too good, about it, but it really was after. I got reflective and sort of in my life, and I looked at guys like you and Robin and Oh yeah! That's right! You! Actually, if you thing, you have to just go out and make it like. No one is just going to fucking go hey here's your thing, you always wanted you don't don't worry enough to do anything for it. I mean that does happen every once in awhile, but really if you're Ashton Kutcher it happens, that really happened to him. Is he model and then they we got on that seventy show and that was it yeah yeah, but at least he I had to sit there and audition with, like thirty other guys, and then they picked him,

He must have done okay, but it is. I mean that's the that's the the deal is you have to do. You have to be responsible for yourself yeah. Well, this is been great we're just about an hour and I'm so glad I heard I don't know if you remember, but I ask you to come on the podcast like right after we started and you're like I don't have to you, know. You're like I can't do you know what the truth is. It becomes a nightmare for me. I understand because. I know a lot of guys who have podcasts yeah now that I've been on with you. Yes, I've been my don't email me? I'm not. It was, but it was a big it was it. I just have, so you like on alternator price level, I like I saw the email I was. I was hurt by it because, like oh shit and then I'd remember like it's like what you said before, Thank you and Jim and I are good friends. We just know each other it's interesting, because from my point of view I felt like I had these people who were I had this these

who I've known for longer than you that have these podcasts who just wouldn't understand and then I would have to go and explain to all of them. Yes, even though I know that your podcast is going to you better than all of their podcast, it becomes like. I have a lot of guilt. Have to deal with a lot of anxiety. Well yeah course, especially. You know this, but yeah italian background right yeah, so I had the same my mother italian Catholic background yeah. It is an economy of guilt, you feel bad about everything and you want to empathize don't really have a choice. You automatically take on the emotional state of anyone. That's near you, that's true, and it's very hard to process, and so you get resentful sometime. Yes, I'm telling you in retrospect that I understand and that at the time I was like I was like. Oh, my feelings are but of course, because you start to get resentful when people ask you for stuff 'cause you're like she,

because I'm gonna have to say no and then I'm gonna feel bad and then they're going to feel bad and there's nothing. I can do about it really is it's a I I wish I didn't have the email, because I had asked for the craziest things I mean I get asked. This is a great to do. People be like people in my life like hey, who come on the show in November. Really you could you Maybe it has somebody else or look in the newspaper or something I mean seriously. Do you have any idea how busy? I am ok, how come how come they ran. Those Taco Bell spots during your show, No, I had a guy who was driving me in New York who sent me a text saying hey. Can I get the main number to the hotel you staying? that's why I don't know we have something called information. It's the Marriott. It's nothing in the name of the hotel. What goes on and then I feel bad about not giving him that information and I had to struggle with it and look at and go. Am I going to look

Sup now and text it to him, or am I going to let him do it for himself? Well, because the problem is, I'm sure he wasn't it wasn't We just send the booking number that you can yeah, but then you're establishing a president and then you're going to get five more tags from that guy. Asking you to do stuff for and not only that he can find the number it's just the same way. I found the number it would have been just as easy. It's crazy but times, I'm thrilled that you came on now, because I am happy to make this my final podcast ever this is this. Is it this is the one I'm so excited that you will never sorry Adam. Maybe we'll never do other podcast.

This is the law as well. I'm glad it was this one and they were talking to its could hardly works with no notes. There's no list of question that all of the problem is that I don't yeah. I gave you what like three hours notice for this it wasn't, it wasn't sure as well. You did great things, but it's good to see if I could see it too enjoy every. Does everyone now leading Nerdist dot com enjoy burrito. This episode of the Nerdist Podcast is brought to you by stamps dot com go to stamps, dot, com, click on the radio microphone at the top of the home page and type in notice. For one hundred and ten dollars bonus offer, including a digital scale and fifty five dollars, a free postage that stamps dot com enter the promo code, Nerdist.