All alright, let's do this. How are you at the fuckers what the fuck buddies, what the fuck nics what's happening? I mark marin. This is my podcast wtf. Welcome to it. Today on the show, is a is a Zainab Johnson, I didn't know her and I just started seeing her at the comedy store might like there's an entire generation of comics. I don't know have no, I didn't an idea out she's funny, she's a powerful presence on the prime video series upload, which is created by greg Daniels and she'll, be performing on my gala. In my well this saturday, so. I see her. That said after the morrow but death, I just started seeing around the communist run and liking. I have to talk to this person. I would

to know more about this person. So If I talk to you like these shows were done a in advance because we had to get. We can the can vary see the day recorded this, I had a lot to do for the week. Because we had to pre record some stuff, but I I get as to the little things? And I some of you know that is how I keep my fuckin life together. It's how I it's my or to allocate a certain o c d around small correction. The EU now bought a watermelon. That was, you knock the name it was bad and just enough of a way that every bite I would a good annoys me that that I didn't better watermelon, or that in didn't throw it away. Your half of it was had a slightly tougher texture than should be in. There was sweet enough and juicy enough, but have it was too much she and the other half was to stiff. I don't know how to explain it. You don't know what you're gonna do

but it sounded correct when I held it to my head. I knocked on the outside. I got the tone I wanted and I think the Probably it was, It wasn't my mistake: it was an illusion, none, the less. It was sitting in my. image and I'm in the middle of a busy dan I'm fuck it. I gotta make this right I gotta go find a watermelon I enjoy. I don't want to because I enjoy watermelon, I'm on this sugar detox still and it's the only fruit. I can eat that blueberries. So I need a good one. I don't need one that makes me make feel like I'm. Bad choice in life. I picked the wrong fuckin fucking if that's the worst choice that I've made. worse decision is that even decision. So I was like fuck this and I gotta two grand live could have done this before and we went to bonds and I got I found a melon, it was seated. I was making a compromise. They didn't have unseated by found one that sounded right. I knocked on it and it get had the right residence on my gun and by this one I walk in dore my wallet, don't at my cache, so I steal them now and I think

oh uh, my car. I got the hot no one in the car and I get get home with the hot and I'm torn that's my community bond. I just owed me stealing from the violence. They have footage, be interesting to get both footage together because, as the story unfolds because becomes quite a tale, So I'm like, I got to go back and pay. So do I get my wallet and when I'm in the house, I realize no, let's go to their bonds and see if they have a seedless watermelon that might be better and then just return the one you stole so but like it have the option to either pay for it or return it or just keep the stolen metal melon whatever, but by yourself time and go. VON the other bonds and check there and so we went to the other. I bought a melon there that think sounded good, brought it cut. It open pretty good, but I got you. at the hotmail and in the cars I bring the hot, no one back in return it to the wild at it. Might we'll traumatized- and I know that somebody who gets It- is dark to know that that melon had an adventure with a guy who to basically took him

hostage and they'll, be eating, like sort of like chunks of trauma, seated trauma knots it s a t d, but seated but nonetheless the went released a melon. I went back and I realize I well maybe that melon, maybe at that moment went back because I felt I missed him and he might have missed me or they would MEL melvin now Melvin yeah, I yeah what genders mail. our doesn't matter gender fluid. Now, so I go back can I placed in a certain way that I think the unknown did Ben ali than five minutes? I went and bought them original now and I stole so there's a really a tale, of a lot of your moral conflict. It's a tale of You know a lawless country coming to terms with itself. It's at I getting away with things but not getting away with things you? Ultimately, I made the right choice, but there was a a lot of levels working in this piece? So If you'd like to go to my instagram feed him and watch the melon heist.

I you know you can you? Can you know kind of feel the weight of it feel the weight of you know being a criminal, for ten minutes and then and then turning you know and then finding finding your soul, that's what that's about and also getting melons, So if that interests you that's good viewing I'm going to reach out to vines to see if I can get that security material, because I think it would really add to the film building an online presence can field. Hunting from creating a website to managing sales and engaging with an audience. It's a lot. The first step is: started and with square space. It's easy scores, is the only all in one tool. You need to build your brand and grow your business online stand out from the crowd. whereas spaces beautiful website templates and the new video studio which lets you We create professional, looking videos to tell your story and grow your audience. You can also reach out to your customers or fans directly with the squarespace email campaigns, and if you need to make appointments,

easily add online booking and scheduling to your website and take the hassle of coordinating calendars. But here the bottom line. It's all really easy life before squarespace go out more annoying, but now we can update and redesign the beauty of pod dotcom whenever we want. However, we want thanks to square space, go two squares based on coms. Wtf for a free trial and when you're ready to launch use offer code beauty app to save ten percent off your first purchase of a website, or don't mean that scores based outcome, swash, w e f code, w e f, so I am leaving while I'll actually be in in montreal tonight. Doing my solo show and tomorrow, for I think the place only seats like one hundred and twenty people in the gala I'll. Let you know how that ozma nervous about it. Only because it's like a big, weird canadian high profile hosting gig and

I can't remember the last time I did one of those anyway, and John and his appear and somebody I started seeing the store- and I just liked watching- and I was curious about her life and She'S- a comic obviously and you can watch her in both seasons of upload on prime video she's, also going to be performing on my gala in montreal this saturday, at just for laughs and can go to say now johnson dot com to see where else she's performing next month. This is me, Me me, MARC Maron, talking to Zainab Johnson so today's episode is brought to you by ethics is reservation dogs at the hollywood reporter called the first season of the earth. a comedy: a distinctive wonderfully cast triumph of rhetoric. Intention and ranked did the number one best tv show of twenty twenty one

this season reservation dogs continues to follow our favorite gang of indigenous teens and rural oklahoma, with each of them trying to forge their own path in hopes of one day making it. california, and I this season. Yeah me mark marin, Ethics is reservation. Dogs returns august. Third, only on hulu. Nice to see you get a visa here comedian on a monday morning. You down here you rarely see them during the day you socialize with that exactly, but we lives. I mean I'm, I'm an older comic, I'm up and doing things, that I went to the aid celebration. You know it is what it so like an islamic holiday. There's two of em one comes after ramadan after the fact, the thirty day, very good on learning things, and I was

at the mosque uncover city and its the celebration and is the first one. I've been since cove. You know you're the vandam here and in our sea ass, the ass. If I were you, and he's like vein. I am like this, Those two I mean I'm a. We know that we both bad this belief in its practice, but I didn't expect to see it. I find it strange, but wonderful at the same time. That's nice, then we go to the comedy store and then tell a bunch of dick jokes right, your dick jokes or anybody. That's all that's interesting because that's too, like I, I guess it's the same religion but to different communities. Yeah like where did he come from? I can't remember I think, he's indian yeah, black yeah yeah, but it's it's always kind of wild meat. It to know the difference to like I'm a jew, but there are some more jobs. Jews yeah. Let's do you here is no! No then there's just don't do any do stuff yeah,

within hours in venice. Yesterday was yesterday, and I saw it I would. Call them black or in for you lie in x is realised. How do you feel about that our earth, guys in the customs yeah reed I get is area? Are they gonna move, laying the ethnically look like walking through a desert the Why people there in new york too right? You see him in times square with it, but there I dunno what those outfits are. I don't really know what they are. I do I don't know that they're representing jewishness, okay, they're they're, doing something else. I don't want to judge them too harshly, but I know: I seen them yelling in times square yeah, and I I'm not. I don't remember listening too intently yeah, so I I can't claim them. I can't say they're on the

spectrum is, as I am without anything. Ok, I don't get it, I don't. I don't have a dog and fight. Nor do I know you're, not a merely ripening like with they work is seated people here and I would be like. Yes, we are on the same factions and I grew up with that. Adding glow with them I sleep but are in the same neighbor I mean I lived in williamsburg, you know, and so I definitely saw a lot of hasidic jews. Yes, I I can tell by the I'll change in town that not a great experience. Well, yeah and I've gotten like I've gotten some I've gotten into trouble with them occasion We I talk shit about them, a you know. So I, like this number to york, city, new york city, all my classmates for a good portion of my you know. Childhood were doing kids. I'd be a new york city, kids! No! But you didn't, like you lived in williamsburg later, where where'd you grow up. I grew up in height

but I was bust out, so I went to school like eighty four like down tat like me, you know that you, and so were the bust out. Is there? No! No! No, I was bust out know how they take like you test out of your. You know get quote unquote ghetto case. She went to school, all white kids, usually those all white kids are jewish kids, and so in seventh and seventh and eighth grade, I went to a bunch of bar and bat mitzvah like yeah, like that was that was my social life. So you you test it out because you're a smart kid yeah and then they sent you to the the jew field, school yeah, with the with the smart juice yeah. wherein in that was in williamsburg, this smart jews that are not rich because they are still in public school. They are not in private school right, so the reasonable duty yeah that didn't have too much of an addict yeah yeah. Well, that's all that's wild! So you grew up the your whole life in harlem own, I was born in Brooklyn emerald. Brooklyn, when I was five years old, I moved to harlem with you

the family? My whole, my entire family? At the time that I moved my my the first, my parents, it was eight of us cause. They had the twins when we got to harlem, so nine and ten is thirty. a vast total. That's crazy year we weren't you put all those people You put him in a whole way that you put him in the kitchen really been a bathroom if we don't even abandonment kitchen book definitely have bunk beds in the hallway yeah yeah, I'm just and beyond. I don't it's like the biggest religion, the world. I don't know shit about the about islam really, but you know what growing up as much as I practice it. I didn't know Shit like that. It's like juicy are, you are you just use it all and your parent, you just in you, follow you copy what they do, the thing open my mind up to religion period was. I took a took an elective course in college, like the hit my favorite courses

college, where my elective took the history of religion, and it opened me up to christianity, judaism and if I may now, an arctic like a philosophy. Clavijo was like the there was like noses yeah. They spent a whole life just goin on with it yeah and then sort of the d a deep into later. So, okay, so there's a total of how many kids in the house scene That would only what excuse us: seven voice experts. So what what business was your daddy? or your mom. My dad worked for the m, a yeah. he worked for the metropolitan chances and transit authority, and my mom stayed at home. Guy yeah, so it was easy going now we were poor yeah. We were dirt poor, so How did you all manage I guess it's too broad a question I mean well, there were different. There were different times

do remember when it was slightly less of ass and we to go when we never went on like a family vacation, no, never left like the city but like we would travel to queens to go to like red lobster, It was like a tree or we would wear. How would you go on the train yeah or we would? We would go to. You know, take the train all the way to coney island yeah and, like that was a day for us or spend the day in prospect park like that was a big deal. So there was a time where all of you were underneath beneath the age of of teen yeah, what you? Oh, that's crazy, yeah and then, but there were also times where it was really like I remember times where it's like only condiments in the refrigerator you know, like only condiments in like a few slices of bread or alive gm heating up our sneakers and like the the

event like I remember: you went out yeah, I wrote well, it's like you can't afford new sneakers now before you went out but like you can't afford news nigger like at the start of a new school year through him to relaunch the boy you wash them here by its like my pay, I remember in one apartment we had enough for our first harlem apartment. We had enough for a washing machine, but not a dryer. So it's like, we can wash the clothes, but you have to hang them to dry right, and so you know Maybe my mom made the mistake of like not. during her time right and if we want this negroes the night before the first day of school without their. Not so that's why they went LEO. They witness of in our member states I thought it was impractical that it was so cold that we had to get a good start. We need to warm our shoes up and now just dry and have this giant all the sibyl. Is everyone still around in touch and yeah we're all in touch? No one has passed, thank god. Yeah and folks are still around too yeah. Oh,

my father passed away when I was like twenty three years old, yeah and and so but yeah. My mom is still you know it just is still at the same place, she lives in michigan, now michigan lansing michigan. Community there, Yeah my luge formula, yeah yeah. I was just there yeah, it's a huge can be and I went out there and its food yet more so easily thing and then, if you go to like right outside of all dearborn exotic through, I want to hear that's how I judge everything is like this interesting food me too. Yeah listen. If Ivanka, I can go to the most beautiful place in the world. If I haven't eaten good, it hasn't been a good trip. I wanted to go to india for years only because of the bread really I never went cause. It seem like the shower reason to go in an owl. That's the perfect reason about have even that now, but I want to go you do I want to go further to the food yeah. Let's go, let's go

I'm serious but yard stops me like you know you have to get shots. Who goes to india for any amount of time there. A work you'll be sick for like four days, but then, after that, it's great yeah and I'm like I dunno, do you want to be sick for four days? I do Ok, listen! You know this is going to sound, really vain and shallow, but I loved drop in a few pounds like unknowingly, gone crazy right now. Oh I because I was out on the road. I just let myself go for like three weeks yeah and I'm like I'm like much. I hear I hear a lot of comedian say that about the wrote that never happens to me on the road. If anything on the road. I come back svelte, because You deny yourself because there's nothing to eat, so you don't eat nothing either I either go to the ends of the earth. Find out. I need right and so I'll be the person in freaking wichita kansas,

walking when nobody else is walking. I will walk eight miles over yes. I know I do yes, Are you now get locker? And now I walk that's how I earn it our name so you're, you're nuts yeah but I would never come back with like I let myself girl you ever come back with us, or will I mean that the problem with what in yours, go, is at its fun yeah you sort of making an excuse yeah, just a new mexico's I've gotta eat that food and then then, Jenny's ice cream just sent me a case of ice cream. I kind of I didn't ask for but didn't fight it Do you accept ice cream whenever you get ice, so I just nuts. I hear men say you do cause. This is like something that people think only women deal with by fucking nuts, I'm full on by guy's body distance. I'm all of most of the people who have met that can say they have

Dysmorphia have been men and they have been men in the industry. Really, yes, but I would argue that most dudes, that you see who were ripped in that that's an eating disorder. It's just it's a healthy one year. Control thing right yeah I mean one way or the other. It's at some, it's some kind of control thing, but I guarantee I think they look big enough or ripped enough. I don't have that problem look at my watch boards- demagogic, nay, I work for you. You know added body just morphine men not a lot, but if ever I have her whenever I've heard that term used for that You know like realisation its. It comes from a man here, and say you have a leading disorder. Oh I doubt near where you just

aware of it. Now I eat a lot yeah yeah. I like contrary to what I might look like. I eat a whole lot, but I feel like that's what the vacation is for. Like that's what I was saying you know like on a road like that's your job. You do you're doing that. So often you have to maintain a certain level of control, because this is but oh, if I'm going to india, oh yeah, I'm going to eat I'm going to be sick. It's a more a b c. I don't care. I don't care it was vacation year. While I work I go through periods. Where am I I'm very responsible on the road, then there's periods where it just it just gets away from me. Why don't you go to some these do not confine whole foods, it now. india figure it out, you go by some, not somewhere the variety of the first time I went to china before I got to? I went to a bunch of cities before I got to like shanghai and beijing, which has everything you need, but when I was in Hong joo when I can find a thing I would just give us nikobob. I would use snicker, your eminence. I would get what I knew where and how would you drink so much?

that was my way of combating the area. What our word you can, when you go to china like a couple years ago, maybe like five years ago, there was yet for whose booking nothing at the time? It was an australian. commedia name Andy, I don't know andy's andrew and expert chosen, others place here. Did you like it? I do I want them once yeah you I guess so going too other planet. It is a sign of specifically a really area, and I just in beijing in Hong kong and the poison hong kong, like the out of the way, my recollection, the wreck right that we performed and wasn't even built yet and in beijing was a little weird because that's just been shared out. It was kind of tense, both just walking around. I thought it was pretty fascinating. yeah. I am. I think, that my favorite asian, three so far has been Japan. I don't know to me: it just seemed like

I have heard you just lay an area like our where, in the future you how litter year would be nice. If we have a job in the future in america who asked a pan out, I don't think it will either by. I remember one. It is show me here. I just kept hearing an echo and I wasn't or why, with hearing an echo in us that they are realised that there was a guy on a day and he spoke english by his date. Did it so he was translating everything I was saying and into in chinese chinese or mandarin over, you know- and I was in then you did you hear a laugh after that's what I was waiting for. I'm like I'm way I was like. Am I funny ask her? Am I funny and he's like? No, no she's really into it, and I'm like I don't even there's no way for me to verify. Do you like, when you go to those places,

I don't have any desire to like it? It's one and done kind of thing right I mean you're not going to be like I'm going back to china as soon as I can now now it's it's. I mean you got it from me. She she, you know, I'm hesitant to say it, but no, I didn't have a desire to like go back now. Having anything to do with the money, and now I get it. I get it, but just as there is a way a long way to travel and it's hard yeah, it's a hard job. Yeah, it's a hard enough job. There are some times where I'd do the job like it's like when I said to you the other night cause they're like I'm, going to take us to a private ski too vegas with me, but I dunno you know I dunno who opened the new. Doesn't you I'm not going to I'm not? Okay, you know what I mean and, like some of the people that open for me are headliners. So I don't I don't. You know a bad how to ask, but there are some things that we do words are Then I'm done with that here I got. You know, I'm not there. So I just you someplace I can perform anymore. Well, I would open for you at madison square garden.

got up here, but you if you want to hear something- that's also crazy yeah. What eight years ago I would have, I never imagined I would have ever said to mark merritt. No, no, no. I that I would have never imagined that years. A long time is what happens in eight years or so we good to go back to to harlem and she and sneakers in the oven yeah. So what was the expectation Is he on a family level? Out of your? Were your parents, supportive of comedy? I mean when did what was the original idea? For you know all those kids, the original idea was to finish high school or college and for me specifically become a math teacher, which I failed, but that was not a dream and now that wasn't a dream that we're identical. That was, why is that

my peer? You know for me. I think it's because I watched my mom mom, My mom got married to my dad when she was in college. She had just like my dad is seven years older than my mom and he had just finished. He had just gotten out the navy when they got married. and my mom got married to my dad at nineteen. She had my oldest sister when she was twenty, and I watched my mom as a kid go to college and never finish I even remember my mom was a theater major yeah and I remember her putting me in the play putting me and my brother in a in a play. I guess she didn't do the work like she did and cast the people she needed. So I'm like this freaking no nine year old kid doing a raven and assign queens college you you know like in it When I was directing it yeah when I was little, I knew that that wasn't right, but it's like even when I think back at it, I'm like dang

it's like she has so many of us and she was still really just trying to fulfill. own dreams and goal as she try so hard. But its look. She was mother of so many? But how would that's that's a choice? It is so for me seeing that the fact that translated to me as go to allegiant finish. Nothing comes before that you know discover comedy until late right did was your dad born into the religion. No, both my parents were born christian, ok here. converted, apart from one another, my dad converted ended a nation of Islam and my mom converted into sunni, sunni islam with them. I see you went to when you were growing up. Was that affiliated with nation of Islam yeah I went to yeah. I went to the malka that malcolm she, which is on one hundred sixteenth in london, avenue on harlem and then before that I went to the masjid taqwa in brooklyn, oh smoke, both temples that are affiliated with other name.

Historic places dangerous religious, but my father was very political mile. My father used to talk about the white me in all its oh yeah you're like the problem yeah I've met a few of you, yeah and yeah. He used to you know he. He definitely had very strong opinions. I would say like the first ten or twelve years of my life, but then I I noticed some Changed in him- and I don't know I don't eat, he wasn't The part of the nation of Islam, like my father, didn't make the pilgrimage to hodge, but I interpreted change is the same thing that happened to like Malcolm x, which is you I realize like oh there's. This faith is this religion that you believe in, but there's but then there's this black nationalist group and those two things are

separate right yeah. So you go to the devil. He did why I dunno there's any reason to ever. Stop now I mean listen. Now he has his. My sisters have married a bunch of white men really yeah, so he has bunch of white grandkids, halfway: half half white. Half japanese. Have it like all yeah, whether exciting yeah. Is it just the way it is what it is did our any of them more religious people, any of your siblings? Did they become more religious. No, I mean I have one brother who goes to jail a lot and he gets really religious yeah. He comes home and he well yeah. He be on his hadeeth hard for, like the first couple of months out of jail and- and you know but one of my siblings converted to catholicism and that

the thing that kind of blew our minds- wow yeah, that's an interesting choice. I mean that's an extends from one extreme to the yeah they're right yeah. Also, like you know, not not not the not great reputation that rape religion these days, but harry: he married a spanish womack amazon. You know as well as different direct you gotta, do it for regions in the Dominican into york. They love bade. They, their catholic also now he's in he's in alright, it's craig's name, yeah. Sorry. I've never said that before in my life, how was the? How was the shift for him? You don't know, never do it. I dunno how people do that? don't no, but I know that he got we roasted yeah yeah and he took it. He took it. He, yeah, we revoke them all the time. We're like. Oh it's about her gary com, yeah, the Jesus god yeah, that's great! So you you

matthew, graduated college and taught math yeah, I taught math science, but I was never but at math are math good at it. I now I'd have to most myself, but I yeah, I would say, I'm pretty good with numbers and I'm not afraid of it up until what level are you good all the way like and everything calculus oh yeah yeah, oh yeah, yeah yeah I couldn't get through it. It wasn't until you really oh, no. I was doing. I was doing algebra in fourth and fifth grade, so you got your so that's why you pursued it because you were good at it. yeah I was in out at you know this was, I don't know if they're still doing this in school, so you know when you take. The erastus yeah. I always I was always in the ninety nine percentile. Always

Roma have ready? I really like instil in ninety. Ninety nine always hear a man so the moment my mom was like all we could get her into a better school and withdrew it yeah, that's great! So you get out you teach! What? Where were you timid wrongs? My eyes middle school, like a like a middle like an elementary school. It went all the way up to middle school, but my plan was to teach high school, but I just never. May I just ended it moving calvin, So I what happens? What gave the teaching kids a middle school was. Disheartening. no so at the school that I am taught very briefly at. It was a charter school and I feel like charter schools where those where you have involved parents- and so I feel like those kids were ray nor most part brought. You know you can see things in kids. They they can't see in themselves. Like I remember this one key. it and I won't say his name, but I remember I knew that he was going to be on the

a part of the lgbtq. You know I knew it sure He was that age, although he didn't know it, and I could tell that it was feed in didn't know it. It was causing so much frustration it's even the way he interacted with kids is because he didn't really know what was happening to him. And now, when I see whenever you know like that, maybe a few years ago, he message me on facebook and like he is not only is he out in proud in queer he's also my god. Thick year, unfailing, I e mail or whatever later, but I saw there asked saw all of them. When he was now a year the time. Otherwise I had twenty two year old to ear, but you know, but one that what are you actually? How would you sure course you now you like, but you didn't find it disk Jim keeping to the environment was good because environment was good. My kids were good, but I did have the epiphany and I think normally things happen. Like people have epiphanies and things are going, you know

bad, but I remember this day being perfect type of epiphany yeah. I remember this day in that class being perfect. They were so behaved very were motivated. It was quiet, I remember, standing there watching them be like stellar students, and I thought I can't do this. and I don't know what I was going to do, but I knew I I'm telling you I knew I was in a sad moment now it was the it was the aha moment. You just saw your whole life yeah. I'm like this is not the. Actually not the plan. This is not the path and then my foot I was like. I moved my friend like the spoken word artists at the time and she's like I'm, moving to l, a alabama, be famous and I'm like how she do I mean more google she's doing, but I mean I'm definitely more googleable

picked him more of a broader form, medium comedy yeah, it's more. It's pretty specific yeah yeah it is it is. She could be huge in that world and we wouldn't know yeah, I mean she's an actor now so you have the epiphany. We, I think that's interesting, that it happens that those epiphany depravity epiphany. That happened in bad. Faces are usually sort like da fuck. I gotta yeah, trouble yeah I got a chain is like rock bottom right, yeah, but the abilities it happened, just passively or kind of I would. It would be out there more interesting yeah. You came from you just realize that you just weren't because wasn't even unhappy really, but you know what I think I never thought about this until just this moment is like sometimes things have to be perfect for you cause that's when it was the most quiet sure I think it was chaotic. I don't know if I would have gotten the message

yeah, but it was so quiet and I was so peaceful and then it just can't it was like and I mean I'm a physically done that, like like, like ozma. Like my head shook lies. I got I gotta get out of here, he had he had the answer. If I owe you know what I don't know, but I bet just to laa Laa said to be famous in our new. I couldn't let her be famous without me. Her whole wants them, the friend of the famous person? Nobody You had to go out and be famous is all about the air that were there as I was like, I'm gonna be famous too now. I don't know really I mean I have parameters that have boundaries in my life. I knew I wasn't going to do porn

I drew that line yeah like I'm too much of a prude like I knew I wasn't going to do porn. I knew I wasn't going to do it's just sort of sad that was on the table. If you're heading out, let's make a list of how we're not going to be famous, I knew I wasn't going to do porn. I knew I wasn't going to write a rob. A bank yeah. There are certain things that are like really on the far side. Belgium that I knew I wasn't gonna do what the good for you. You know it Comedy wasn't really no comedy was not even a thought or even I didn't even think that it was something I could do. I never thought about it. Did you It's comedy I love comedy. You did my mom's snuck me into a comedy club when I was like eleven. Do you remember is I do who was on? I don't remember the specific comedians, but I think at the time the host was where was it is it like the western oil, the western gate, the west, the one up by colombia. Now it was in harlem. It was. It was like uptown comedy club

the comedy of right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, the greer barnes yeah, possibly yeah, but but even in even like in college, I would go to the cellar sure I would go to the Boston comedy club, and that would be like where I would pregame the boston. Yeah, but I would like for a freshman in college. I regained re recoverable. I went to city colleague, ok new york issue, but my friend she went to and why you and so stab was her like stuff. graham now, and so we will go there before we went to before we were legal. Be in nightclubs and we would just go to yeah. We knew some of the comedian, so they wouldn't ask for iD, and then we would go to go there like night. Lives after their body, which we would like young, pretty girl here so late in africa. Our ideas we, which is your party who were there comics, back when you were in high school teeth. Keith

I remember watching hem greer. Definitely the bill bar was like one of my favorite people, see and watch when I was like eighty year, though, when he had all the hare again, I'm right here yeah I just were the attitudes and the anger you now are you, unlike their rant and in, and then I remember, being at the comedy three years later sitting next to bill by you, and I think you know you want to my favorite me he's like light yeah it's like shatta, why would he be surprised that was it's surprising that you were there that long. I wonder what year that was Neil Brennan still a door guy at the boston eu know. This is like that around two thousand and four three as for he was so like the boston I over yeah- exactly I remember

heart like before. He was like having heart sure you. Now he had to do that. We are no longer here I don't know why he just took over the world somehow. So when out here. What would you start doing? First, did you guys get a place where I would tell me tell me both the horrible entrance into last annual. I got a place at three hundred square foot apart me: an silverlake three hundred square feet. That's a closet! Yeah, my! U can see everything the kitchen from the data, the limited like everything. It was right next to a bus that so I heard every time the bus Cambria me feel like I was back home so comforting. I need a little bit of noise, yeah and you're a little bit of noise, and I so I had a bit of success when I first got here, because you know I was still like you know like very youthful. And so I did like a lot of interstitials with nickelodeon like

work of an age. How junior allows us to go like? I will just go, look at like breakdowns like there and it was like very easy, but I have a good my I was very easy for me to be like no other say lines like. yeah, but then I thought that's what that that that makes yeah when you, when you can teach it makes it you like you can move anywhere in the world. Has everybody always needs feature and sign up for it to be the two are worthy of substitute in here's. What I didn't know when you sign up to be a failure to like is really hard to get placed in, actual schools in l because they have their go to substitute. So what you do first, is they send you to like the jails? Really? Yes, and so they them campuses, so you think you're going to like that, that stuff

The symbol you now you go are going through a jail. You know like it made me like a juvenile detention centre, but if a jail so there's time there were times where I remember two things is three things take out to me. Once it was I was. I was on a complex, jail, yeah and but they they were able to learn together. So they were in the classrooms together, and I remember sitting down at the desk, king at like what I was supposed to cover, and I guess there were like that gangs in like mexican gangs in in ass, her yeah and immediately. Why- I the black boys came in here immediately started? Yelling at one of the mexican boys, you killed my cousin, you killed my cousin and I'm just and then it was not like a big.

Emotion, but if I cut a clear stand off here, you know, and I can't remember like I didn't black out or anything, but I feel like I tried to get them and I'm like. Please just have a seat. I have to go over, but I remember being like you know. I grew up in new york, so I wasn't like. I wasn't like completely naive, So I was like listen that, like I hit them with, like the the michelle pfeiffer is freaking viola Davis. I was yo. What you're saying sucks like that sounds awful, but right now there's a lesson if let me at least get through this lesson, plan and I just remember like getting through that day like that feeling like it like that she's a reasonable person- that's reasonable, they let us come into the classroom. All she's trying to do is a job. That's what you got to teach me. You know and

we're going through It- and that was a remember that wasn't the last day did that I did a jail. But I was like ok, I definitely can't go into a jail where they have like commute. communal learning so there These jails are not like. This is not like l a proper. If we can drive in the near six flag, you driving like gray, deepen of area thing the cell mars. So then, shortly after that, I go to a camp is, and the sum of that like so everybody is like really in their say, sales they are there fell, surround like the common area, as some people have the privilege to be in that common area and be learning in a common area, and I I have a lot of kit, and these are all boys, so it's like maybe like seven or eight boys, but right when I'm there that day, a fight breaks out a fight breaks out, and so they start to like,

lock every body back amber I'm already with, like, like guy I feel like young guys, because you know anywhere from like sixteen to maybe like twenty one or something you know there in n in this this guy, I can't even what he looks like now. He just protected me here, protective protected me until the threat was like you oh squashed and then I remember thinking that day. Ok, I cannot go. jails anymore it's scary, yeah. It's like you know, What a shame we've always said, you gotta say: you're driving, you don't even have the gas. Why are you putting yourself in it as much as I have been lucky enough for the these Young men to have some sort of despair, eyes alike right out sure, but if there were dangerous situations and in the last time I remember the last time I taught it within this like programme, I went to a place on Wilshire. They doesn't look like us

oh, but it's like learning within like a building right are- and I remember it was all going fine, formerly kids and it's me, but I was in it like any threat of danger and in during my lunch break that, unlike what was considered, I guess like the teachers' lounge or something and I'm eating grapes in like this sixteen year old, really good. Looking sixteen year old with sixty year old boy comes in the room and he's like. Can I have some grapes? I'm, like you really want that. Just remember, I'm like twenty four at the time, so I'm twenty four, but he probably thinks that I'm closer to his age. Right and so he's like. I'm can to have some grapes and I'm like you, really want grapes and he's like I mean yeah I want to. I want some grapes and I want to like get to know you I tell you I laughed so hard and then I was like I was I our oh, you think I'm younger than I am. I say here, I'm going to give you some grapes. like I'm, I'm I'm a complete adult cells sit down. Let's have some great weakens, I like, let me get to know you would like,

respectfully. I you know I could be your auntie, I remember saying to him like I could be your older sister leah Land, but he is a website completely. I'm too you, like, I think, a lot in a lot of situations, how I respond people go, that's reasonable sure and also you're grounded yeah. You know you're in your body, and you know what you feel and any you have a principle yeah. So you know they're not going to fuck with you yeah. It helps in comedy. I mean it's been. Saving yeah I'll fire sure I mean a lot of people, don't in their kind of ungrounded or they ve. No and in their nervous, in their afraid, a guy imagine growing up with you, know, tat siblings,

in situations like you know, you gotta, be pretty diplomatic and and but also sort of strong right, exactly yeah and I'm a middle kid, but also to it's like. I think a lot of people are probably because I did grow up with so many different personalities, yeah it's like I can pretty much see like that doubt is this reminds me of my brother was you're. Might you know familiar somehow Yeah have experience with it. Yeah with every different kind of kid in a way yeah, but I I also I remember having this thought when I relate it to a friend of mine when I, when I was done with that day, I was like wow. It's like. I have no interest in like a little kid, but like if I were in a different place in my life, maybe feeling like constantly rejected or insecure. It's like that was a good looking kid who was interest

in your report, who like thank god, I was kind of like I have always been like my baseline- is secure. You know good cause. I was like this is how it happened. Sure you know I gave you trouble heat. This is how people get into trouble. Even when I became a comment I used to feature for Jimmy. you know, don't you read it because I used the beach every jimmy Hubert first started him a high, go way back hit areas or other lessons to learn their year. He was the first person sitting on a row with me and I was on stage we will be like I remember we gain. We did a bunch of clubs and, like all the improved in florida, well and I remember being on stage and the women yeah they could be on dates. They could be sitting right next to their ear, male partner, so these aren't even queer women sitting next to their husband, and they would be like flirting with me, winking at me, mouth

things to me. Doing things with their breast while I'm was they like and and I would be on stage thinking like- oh my god, Imagine if I were a guy who was like its thick susceptible to the inner failure. They will come up to me after the shell fee. Allow me do you know, and unlike this is like a tough- and this is thy protectionist, that's on is that something is continued throughout your career it sounds like florida year in year out, might adjustment, lord and added, I think about it. I've never abandon that airline I've never step rated. I mean no women do fleur, you know they do flirt with that sounded like tat. No I'm emanate was so much they'll get. I remember right, I don't were met at women. Men and women come to my shows utter a time you do what they do royal by

that I remember feeling so uncomfortable with what a specific woman was doing to me. While I was on stage- and I was only up there for twenty twenty five minutes- and I was thinking like wow imagine if I like a single guy single guy interested in this. This yeah. This would be my playground sure I am, I think, my experience as a lot of people get into entertainment because they do get attention yeah from women that what that's a prime motivator yeah early on here, I don't think it's the same for women, no, I don't think I don't know that talk to anyone that I'm going to be the comedies are. These guys will hit on me yeah when I get off the when I get off stage some time and I find this variant like I- I know they think they're complimenting me, but I find it very insulting, but I just smile there'll be like. Are you a model?

and I'll be like none. I know you just saw me do in our like, but you know it could be easy. You don't have to do this like this. He did you ve got a funny egg and I like no year like we ve loved you, but you know like there's a easier rose and I'm like that so cracking bets crazy, but you knew that it could have been easier. Did you ever think that no because I have never like looked at my life like that, like like there's certain privileges that are always cherries on top of any situation, but I don't think that that's what was. I don't think that that's how I was I fear for the world. We also it's it's fundamentally shallow and it would probably be self deceiving to do that yet, but also, even if I did think that what I'll never do is go up to a

think I'll know I'm not going to go up to a magician after I've watched an hour of his magic show and then say you know you could be a wrestler sure sure I'm never going to do it. He yeah, I think it's a bug. Think when the general kind of weird comedy is the realm of runty people it was probably meant it as a genuine compliment. Oh god ever come here, the asia and yet at, and I think people- that's I'm sure, that's what she with you know what you're thinking but now my what comes out of your mouth can be drastically. of course, in how we take things. You know I I get it. You know what I mean. It's like I, when I free I was doing the podcast people- people be like they would come to the comedy shows, and they just start- about my life in about the podcast mighty g

in your house when do you start doing how does that I started doing comedy and the end of twenty ten and your substitute teaching doing interstitial nickel odeon year for got up work here and there the air for like them. I first two years I am here and I'm in adwords the comedian. He says: hey, you know, b t escape if it is shown in me, funny girls and am I wrong how'd, you know even I met him one day at the seller, o back in the day would not know like he was visiting new york

and he was doing a spot. I knew all the other comedians that I had gotten familiar with. So did you remember, I remember even when he had dreads, I didn't know hey, I never yeah nah well after I met him and got to know him. He showed me the the those picture heads up, yeah yeah, I'm like oh, like he was heavier. He had I'm like. Oh, this is a completely different person, so remember more when he started yeah, so he so he so you knew him, so he could in so like when I was in college. My friend and I wish to come here, go on spring break and I remember once much she I don't know how, but for one spring break we came here, it was when soul plain have Amir, am we whence we were We went to the premier like everything, and that was for for me, like a was so for that was like the dream, because I would come here during spring: break You come here for a long weekend. You eat, brunch, you go to the beach and you go to freaking. Ellis parties know cuz you're, just like

cute girl and then, when you move here, it's a rude awakening it was it was the rivers like? Oh my god, I know anybody, I'm so lonely. I could be heard you only her itself. We can only live in silver like out like it really. I know you haven't you frail by myself, but she lived like em. Maybe like three black walking distance away at me, I would get up having nothing to do. I will get up and walk from silverlake to beverly hills. The fact is like that new york things I'm gonna want gonna walk. I will go open houses on the way. I am. How much is this going for yeah? It can be pretty isolating here and it can really break yeah yeah yeah, so he tells you he said

so yeah tells me he says that they're casting the funny women, that's what he says. They need not funny what they need funny black girls, what he said, and I said well, I dunno why you caught me yet and he's like cause you're funny, I'm like no I'm not saying you are funny, I said I don't know, I mean I'm arguing with him. I don't know what you're talking about, or maybe you don't know like. I know we don't know each other well, but what I'm not is funny and he's like just go rhode island of going here. They end up casting me for this. Prank show printing a bunch of people act. I've made friends with the other cast people, Some are like my close friends to this day, and after that I started I I went. I started taking classes at groundlings, I started doing like I've joined a bunch of like sketch group started sketch groups, for like really year will perform like at the improv amity story with the sketch group. You know and then he found a community yeah,

I hear and then one day out of nowhere, I went to a comedy show. My friend said I am come with me to this comedy show and I was like she was like yeah. It's all women and my friend is performing and I'm like. Okay I'll go and I went and I did it Leon joy watching a year? I didn't really find those. Was it like a mike. Now is the right to real show? It was a real sharia and I just didn't find them very funny sure, and I think something clicked in me then cause it wasn't like. I didn't just have like a basic opinion like they're, just not funny to me. I was picking it apart right. I was picking apart like I wonder why she would say this this is the jet, like. I mean that with that I nowhere with happening was happening. Second, my yes,

com that back up, and then I didn't know this. I didn't know this, but later this casting darwin there. There are now now I went to visit and went to vegas with a friend and we went to a big like comedy. I think they did like death comedy giant like windows. Combine came back there like a vegas show of it, and I remember she, I remember coming back in reacting, every body sets and when I saw this casting directive later, like after add started working, if the comedian she's like you know, I knew you were going to be a comedian before you knew and I was like nah. How did you know and she was like because that, like we were my boyfriend's apartment like she was with my boyfriend's roommate and why we were in the same thing. You know like their vessel brought us together their day. She's, like that day, when you were in you know at your boyfriend's house she's I can you just launched into imitating.

All the comedians and then like rewriting the things that you felt like did, I knew in that moment what you were do, although I knew you didn't know it yet now's very interesting. Yeah, and in I remember one day I was working like a nine to five. I was working. a friend of mine at the time, was like a manage a manager and he had to fire his assistant. He he's you come in. You know I show business manager, gear manager and he's I could you be my assistant, Like any, you know I could use the money. I always tell the story and I I feel so bad now telling it, but it's the truth. The only reason why I said yes is because at the time I was windows, I was like virtual, like virtually window shopping on netta forte, and I saw these one thousand five hundred dollars chloe boots that I just had to have.

I just had to have them and unlike how can it in so what right? As I'm china debate like? Do I pay my red or do I get these boots? He calls and if I can, you come, were not entirely burma. These boots. I was like how much will act and how much will by the end of the week, and it was like a close enough amount to the boot, and I was like yeah I call one of my sisters and I'm like I just got but I need you to send me money now for these books. Back to you in a week. I just got a job I promised and my sister bought purchased the boots. For me, I sent her my first check. I sent it all to my sister and I had those boots for years. I've recently sold them on a vintage website, a really yeah yeah. Somebody else wanted the boots they were, they were chloe boo, they wear thigh high boots, here's the reason why they were important to me mark this is a really big part of my story that I never talk about. When I was seventeen years old, I got hit by a really

you better believe it was all super bay. Can I get a year. Oh my god. That's a massive scar so the truck ran over your legs. So wow, so the truck the truck kind of like pinned me in between car, the try god! When you're crossing the street, I was pushing the back of the car because the car turned up like shut down, but I don't know how it shut down, because at the time I know I'm seventeen? I was in new york city kid like. I had no idea how that of our hearts year. I was a passenger and in a car just shut off. So I don't know if it was gas on earth. It was, or I don't know how cars work here. You know I will be better starting up a train, for I could tell you how a car were. You know a cell, but the driver was like. The gas station was so close in a driver with ike

this get out and push me and the other girl in a kind of three of us in a car here, one state in and in two of us got out and pushed back at a car and in as that I remember getting out and pushing, and I remembered like joking with the guy had just had new had- and I was like this better now That's my business vigour and in I woke up in an ambulance for like a few seconds and our amber the ambulance, the you know, ambulance driver I remember one of them cutting off my clothes and asking me like what what like who was the president or yeah yeah yeah. It's like you, think I know who the president can't vote yet I dunno the president- or you know I mean you know I probably knew but whatever sure and and yeah drunk driver, so the boots were so input because they were that they were like they were like fashionable, but also served. A very practical purpose cover everything that yeah it's like. Oh my god, I'm gonna be freaking fly also they are going to You know mask the

it happened to me so I had to get- How long did it take to recover from that? I don't know if I've ever fully recover like I'm, like that. It's a part of me, but I mean like just physical therapy in everything a marathon made me like a year and a half year, but even now, like you know, like really active, but still these this cause is complications. That may be some one who is, as I act, and fit is me wouldn't have. Did I have to be mindful in aware of what I mean, how what got broken boat, fits in both lay- oh, my god yeah. I have like hip damage, yeah buy like a metal rod in my left leg.

The lot of like so you saw the bottom, but like the top, is like a lot of skin graphing cuz you just like you have to take the skin from somewhere, so yeah, it's like. I have like limited, like almost no dorsiflexion in my left ankle, but that's what soca That's that's why, when I'm on stage- and I'm like- I mean you hear of my comedies, a very personal so and so sometimes when people like reduce me to like you're, just so beautiful, I'm like You don't even know me, you don't even know that half of it yeah sure why don't don't they will make us it erases me where I tried to tell jokes about the accident though, very early in my career. I remember thinking. It was very not thinking it was funny, but thinking like this is how you, over I'm things you? How do I make this any venturing? I will you haven't yet the did it. One more and they don't believe me, I did,

one time one is show on Joe can boost their show. And they didn't believe me and- and I put just like I did to you, then I pull my pants up and I showed them in an effort. They were like, oh and then everything I said after that they were able to laugh. But if I don't show them it's like they almost they, I think they think like I'm trying to beat like oh she's, a hot girl. China dig out, I'm ready, rightlier tat under cut. Her heart is like, if, like you know, you see like a skinny girl is like a field that today, as I bid shudder Adams that link that's how they look at me. But then, when us showed its odd. That is its odd that comedies difficult for pretty women. Like my my second wife. was a comic and always a model before that, an EU aid there was just a lot of focus on

you're trying to be humble yeah around being beautiful, because it's not like a beautiful people's game. You know what I mean. Now, it's not and it's it's. It's actually an obstacle. Yeah right, yeah, it's an obstacle, but it's so an obstacle. No one wants to hear about get moving. Care. Can't complain, you can't be almost have to be more funny. You have to get them to forget, yeah, exactly you can't. You know like that or hyper sexual here for a character right near what that must have been. Just didn't you to you the homebound for a year. I was in a hospital for a year how, my god, that's like life defining Did you think you're going to die or wasn't it like that? I did not think that I was going to die.

Do you think you were ever going to be able to walk correctly? I still don't walk correctly, but you don't know that. I know that now gonna watch, yeah watch, yeah but we didn't think you were going to die. I didn't think I was going to die because I have no recollection of the trauma. I know all the trauma of the aftermath charter, but not the heading of yeah. You know went out immediately, but here's when I knew I could take a job. So I'm laying in a hospital I mean, I see you yeah and I'm like my face. I, like my head, is like laying to the left side right and at this point that I've been like basically in a car like, I know it's in a medically induced coma,

wait to bring to to bring down this. You know just the pain like to do like I'm. The reason we're in a medically induced coma, like probably about two weeks, wow right and so, and it's true attics of my family, like my dad, has to stop and he has to come in now. He's you know it, but they by my side cuz, it didn't happen in new york. I was I was visiting in atlanta right way from home, so my mom gets a car like you did. I tell my mom that I'm dead, I'm not you know like it's traumatic or I am not conscious do any of this right. I wake up to people by my side. You know, but I'm I'm in a bed and I'm in a hospital bed and my head is to like he's like leaning to the left, so you can one see what you can only see the right side of my face right, but the right side of my face was really traumatic.

Surprise that without any plastic surgery to my face, did it a here like the AL. Did I look the way I have. I have had no plastic surgery, nothing to my point. What had did you get dragged on the road? How like how to get so bad europeans? when two cars, but then did you have a how'd you, I think so so from how it was told to me out in between two cars in the truck, backed up and drove off, and a woman who saw in her car, followed the truck and called the cops on her cell phone and the cops cut him off at an intersection. So I think for me just for that issues like the the the glass, the breaking of the glass, the fall, you know just like the hitting the com it'll be like I was knocked unconscious, so what glass broke I don't know I definitely had like a lot of cuts and gashes like them all over. If you look at my, but I have them all over have them all over. Like little thing,

it people wouldn't notice. I have them all over like in my scalp like I have animals okay, they but so our into the water, and so my face you I'm unrecognizable right, if not just swollen, but its cut up its blood is its everything all right. So my high school basketball coat he come. I see that I guess he came to like cause. We me and the other girl we were like his athlete, like we were his freakin that care you ask of our story, yeah yeah, so so he comes down, and this is what makes me up like. This is the first thing that brings me to the contrary, right. I hear him saying my name and I'm like what is what and I'm like. Oh that's like people, you know, and he sees the right side of my face, which is like recognizable, and I hear him say: that's not that I hear him like crying like that's, not xena. That's not saying that death like that can't be her. She was. She

She was not only like an athlete, but she was also the same in comedy like she's. Our she didn't have to play bass, well, she could have been a might. You know what I'm saying it was that same id like no, that can't be her. She doesn't look like that and then because I hear him saying that turn over to look in his direction and The left side of my faith is complete is regular, and so he says, oh shit is the phantom of the opera yeah. I just bust out laughing, and I didn't of course like at that moment. I you know I'm seventeen years old, I don't think like. Oh, I can take a joke, but when I think back on I'm like I could take it oh yeah that moment so that was what Do you have dreams of being a professional athlete and all that playing in college and all that stuff yeah. I think that the the the wnba a few years and you know so it felt more possible than anything than your good player yeah. So this whole thing shattered your life yeah

and we just brought it up an hour in the fact that the average you know what mark I don't see it is gender, as theatres appear the shirt and I get it, but I mean it's a big transition. Yeah ellie, you overcame. yeah, I get it and in retrospect it's a pivot. When you're seventeen yeah. I don't know the uruguay and their bed go like this is just a pin. Now we definitely felt like like, like, like life and life, ending absolutely me up a map wafers still loved me and that minister boyfriend They were not to get an outbreak now know. Now, when I get him out of sight, while you know our river, he came so one of my comedy heat years ago, when I was I found new faith. He again, tim montreal yeah, he came to my showcase. You up there now

the audition for the new year. He came to my showcase audition and I did really I had a shaved head and I remember he was looking at me like. He couldn't believe that I was the girl that he had been with that, but we were boyfriend girlfriend from like fifteen to nineteen o like he couldn't go here. Looking at me like I was an alien like wow look, look it look. yeah. How like was you have before you leave are still like, shall you could tell like speechless? You have each live and like you're funny like speechless. I owe my god that's crazy and then, when I start working for this manager, yeah your boots back, I'm a boot, but I was therefore like to day you know working for like a week for him turn

it's a six month year and what I knew was. I knew that I didn't move to l a to like sit in somebody's office or answer phone and so right. At that same time, that's when I saw the car that's when I saw that We show and I pay out without rewriting people's monsieur area. As so I remember googling lived in north hollywood at the time. I remember googling open mics near me, and it was this hookah lounge and I remember he said first concept. First comfort, you know like five minutes you gotta buy something like you got a like a coffee or something you got to buy five dollars worth of something a five dollar minimum to five minutes yeah and you sign up. First, twenty people to sign up get to go up, and I remember leaving work that I remember saying you know I'm putting in my two weeks notice leaving work that day going to the open mic and I needed it to be close to my house, because I didn't think it was going to be good. I was like I need to just do this field

it feels and then when it's bad luck out I'll just go home. Nobody will ever know this happen. Where I had told wondered nautilus, I told one friend I wrote down what I thought with material and any also remember the first. with with my family, I've always started with my family and they laughed. I mean to the point where people who were outside smoking, smoking hookah came in, and this is just saying I didn't even do the whole five minutes. This was like I'm like three and a half or minutes in and there in joint. You know, open mike's are frequent when we're not there, people are not there. For that comedians are like, I want to get up. There trauma the shit out of his twenty km. Yeah people didn't know there was a comedy exactly the fuck, I'm you know, and so they there and it's going well. So I stop I'm like. Oh my god. You guys are laughing and like yeah keep going, and I was like no I'm going to stop while I'm ahead and I

I stayed and my friend right when I walk out the door. My frameworks, like met the friend the one friend who I told she's like just arriving and I'm like she's like how was it I was like, I think I'm going to come and she was like I told you you were funny, I'm like what she was like saner you're funny, and I was like okay. I said I think I can be good yeah, and then so so here's like This I buy a me like, while becoming friends with India I remember that hey. I remembered something the Ian told me one day when I was talking to him, which was one day I called in and he's like. I'm like hey, you know what you're doing and he's like. Oh, I just finished, you know I just finished doing some spots and I'm still like a young girl hungry. This comes on the EU. Can we go get some food food was margo right, and so he so he was like

just been some spots and I was like oh okay, I was going to see if you wanted to go, get something to eat and he was like. Tuesday, no I'll I'll I'll I'll go get food with you. He was like, but just let me call you back cause. I'm like doom like I'm recalling my set and I What do you mean? it's like. Oh you know when I'm done like I either like listen to what I record it or if I didn't record it, I have to like go over it in my head. While it's fresh year in a moment. I'm never! He said. That's me, am I gonna go back, we ready to eat riah, but now to another. you're late or whatever, when I did that open mic. I don't know why that clicked to me, so I recorded the set that I did and so then the next day I listen to that set. I thought about a rewrote it and I went to another open my ear and and and never stop doing that yeah. That was it added is start getting into. I d left comics sending you are getting into clubs before last comic standing, you were doing, MIKE's makes and

I remember That's a rare thing, yeah Where did you actually like you know, that's the way it should be. Like a real talent. Show here like not to miss. ambushed has been or something yeah. I remember so when I, when I decided oh shoot. This is what I'm I'm good. I'm going to I'm going to do believe. Mark that I can be good at a lot of thea I am good at a lot of things, but and I'm not fearful of stuff. You know andrea. The first thing is you gotta get past the fear rush. The one thing I know I'll never be good at his singing like that she's, not something that I can do. Oh cried tone. Deaf everything right So, but aside from that, I'm like now I want to try, but but but do I believe I could write a song sure, okay, you know so I It has had its own right as listen into this lake. Now boy, but so what I did

was the moment I didn't feel like I had like a. I didn't really know much about as much as I came to comedy shows out here. I didn't really know much about the comedy dot. Yeah yeah, you had a stronger connection with the comedy scene in new york. sure, because only those guys yes, what idea without need from new york yeah, my family is in new york, so I will fly back to new york and I remember telling Keith Robinson I remember saying, and I started doing comedy, but I need to get spot and he was like and Ok come to new york and when I went to new york I did the same thing. I just did open mics. I didn't go uninsured, but comedy clubs trying to get on. I just looked for every single open mic. You know, since you moved back. No, I would just walk in like you know, it's like. Oh I'm going to stay here for a month and I'm just going to do as many spies. Many open mics as I can in new york and then Keith says meet me a stand up new york. Are you going to do to check spot

Oh I don't even know what that means. Yeah. Where is he hosting no okay, but he knew so he he had enough leverage to say put her on here when they're paying yeah yeah. I went up and did the check spot and I got off stage and of course I was nervous and everything, but I got off stage and keepsakes You got something that he didn't even want to say aided he I mean you know he didn't want to give it to me. He said you get something right. Yeah, he said, keep working, keep work. How I got into This all has always been very like you know, so. Keith comes key

is doing a show late with Kevin hart date, their day, we're doing a showcase at the improv and I Keith says come down. I want you to do this set on Kevin. Show you gonna, you gonna, you gonna be one of the opening comedians I go there. I got my five minute to ready writer dave Becky is in the audi. I got my five minutes ready and nothing happens. I do a good job like Peter that I'm fine gave your guy now he's not by the host was workin but want to cite clear. She had a show on. She had a show an he say you gotta Wanda, has to say That's what he said to me and I'm, like you know, people tell you everything. I don't think any now that I never hear from want area. Then, like a few months later, he emails

that guy, I gave him my email, he emails me and he said I just wanted you to know. I just wanted you to see. I just wanted you to know that I kept my word. I thought that you were great. I think that you have you'll have an awesome career in it, and I just wanted to send you the that I sent to wander. Okay, and so he sends me this whole whole thing right shortly after but the show you know I didn't realize that the show that with the show was ending, so it was too late to get you in right. Surely, after that, Wanda Sykes is producing last comic standing so they call me in for audition, I'm not past it any, I'm not where I'm at I'm open miking, but I mean diligently. got some time yeah, but twenty minute yeah yeah about twelve to I had probably like unworked thirty min, like confidante. I know this will do twelve

fourteen the area. You know, because if I ever max you don't fit five minutes yeah know yeah and- and I audition for last comic standing and I remember you know it's just like four Becky lives in a room they captured. They got a bunch of wander there too. I saw as soon as I got on stage she snuck in yeah, and I saw her sneak in and I turned it on when I saw hasnat sneak in. I was like oh she's, come in to check me out here. Let's go, let's go and off our freak out. and then I had another. I had a call back and I remember when at last come at the end. I remember that. That's how Jimmy started taken me on a road that was my cause. We warn the same seasonable comics and on our taping. They don't air it like this, but that first night, yeah like got passed to the next round. The for you know to the semi finals. I went on the twenty. Fourth, I was the twenty fourth comedian. One morning after being there for seven hours,

if the audience had been there for about four or five hours, I was the twenty fourth comedian and Jimmy was the twenty fifth, but we killed it, and so after that he after the last comes down. You know he's like I, you know I need a feature because he was able to tore off of it later. You know he's like. I need a feature you want to fee and I'm like sure- and I was so recognizable from last comic standing cause. I was this tall them at a shaved head like people used to think that I won that season, just because aesthetically I was they remember had you. What would you come in? I was a semi I was born for like two. I got in the act of the essential to me at the imf are five minutes. They must take in five minutes in god, but I got you recognition

got me. Rather, you went out with Jimmy, thus where you are and how to put the ceta, give that's how I learned how to put the set together and then I think the thing it opened a lot it so so damn right after their right. After that, I am, I was edition in future. Fl yeah and I got jeff- I got new faces yet was when it meant. what what was at two twenty fourteen, so you could We kind of unknown so meant something yeah, yeah and also Keith again he was taking his special. Yes was the first club I got past there as a regular, which is probably one of the most sought after clubs rule at this hour. The seller. Here I was opening for him for his his comedies, andrea aping, and the next in at two shows in Did we know why member kevin saying this is yes, but you know just joking right here and in the next day we were like sitting

like we were it be having lunch or something, and he was like I'm going to you know, see I'm going to get you an audition for the seller rear. He settled down, How do you hear and heat text as they like her she get on additional? She said I saw her last night. She spent I was easy and I got here and so used our work in there and I started working ass, I went back to new york, so my as much as I lived in a way I went back to new because once you get past the seller, then it's like you could work. It we at the club into your here now, and so that's where I got my spot. I wasn't really apply. The least, then that is animal resume here, are, whereas in early entirely just africa over year year. Until I watch we'll go out just go back to new york and that's where I would. Even if I had something here like something be like oh you're, about to take something. I don't have a sugar, I would trip to new york, so that was your place yeah and that's where everyone knew ya yeah and that's where that's what people are like? Aren't you a new a? When did you move out here and I'm like? I lived here the whole time? Oh that's interesting! So now,

What is this show you're on where, when you leave- and you got what are you going to montreal berlin? Don't you have to start shooting again so yeah? We start, I won't upload and upload season. Yeah wish. in the third season. We go back to vancouver to shoot, and in a month you, like vancouver, I love there could be. I want to live. Do you kinder really like, like that part of Canada or canada generally, but or no fly. I dunno, I I mean it'd be toronto or vancouver, but I liked the way vancouver works, but I know in fields, but I know it's rainy there a lot, but I mean Toronto has like like brutal winters. Oh yeah yeah I was there. Before the pandemic is one one of my last. I went and did like alive pike, ass or something about european issue, and it was brutal abuse. love, their city, good food, I love it. Vermont is like Canada's new york yeah yeah, but like you in Chicago and no yeah, so so to montreal and do two weeks up there, two and a half year, two and a half just headlining.

cuz, I'm all I'm so particular about taping material. What do you mean you're afraid to burn it? I'm not a aid to burn ages run burning the right point year like the burn it in a ripe. I liked it valid, for things could be into you know: you're trying to figure out fat. That's what you're, not where you cannot repair bid worthy seventeen minutes. Don't matter yeah, exactly it's not so much to him! but like. I know that, like I'm, going to take my h b, o special in december, so I know their shit in there that that dragon be December's too it's too long yeah. I can do it now, yeah yeah. I just I also record five, how bad I didn't know this at first, but now I know how valuable material is its literal I'm coming out of our mouth and I don't off. I don't always think that people, all show how valuable hour- and I think that I I used to be

at a place where you just want to do everything you want to do so your eyes, and it's so like a gallop well. That sounds good. That's a nice thing that that's always exciting. A jfs like I remember when I was the new faith in the people who was doing gallas. I'm like I can't wait to be invited to do a gala, but now I do not look at it like that. I get you Look at it! True, like what do I do from this, and what am I giving up for this and is: is it equal and if it's not, it doesn't appeal to me in this, I get it you know, but there is also this weird thing we have in our heads that you know what they're bits. I like it, through hours and hours I dunno how it happens, but it happens. I'm running through hour and a half two hours now of stuff. That's pretty strong, some of it's better than other,

and there's this idea, we have in our head that you know if we put it on t v in any way that is dead, yeah, yeah, yeah and the I dunno. If that's all true, because for me like there's like there would decorate it's where people didn't know who the fuck I was yeah. I've got four five cds worth a shit, and maybe two specials where people didn't really know who I was so your Well, the discoverable thing, I'm not an arena guy! You know, I'm a you know: eight hundred twelve hundred seat guy, maybe two thousands of cities. But my point is it's: like it's sorta, sad that we have. idea that once you put it out, there is done that you can't tour on it. So you're absolutely right! and that is not, but that's not like where I'm coming from so like so I'm I'm working on a special as well right, and so that means when I get up on stage, I try to be very intentional. So a lot of

work that I'm doing is towards the material that I plan on doing on the special. Are you going to shoot it to be determined or is it self producing know? Okay, now you just don't know yet yeah, okay, but so, but what I don't want to do see. I could go up on a show and work stuff out but I do not like to work stuff out where people are tape. Now I get to put. I have a joke like that. Where did I did at a gala show at jfs and I'll watch that I watch it? I watch it in it's infancy and I'm like oh yeah. This is much better now, but but what cemented, what they're playing? What they're posting they keep using because contractually they can is this? This after you have done. I I it have done watching it watching it you're right, but but but I get it

you know like I used to do that on Conan all the time, because he'd have me, as they used to give me that show when people would not show up to one day, have debuted You got anything I always do panel, because I could do half baked jokes like hours of me doing, Conan O'Brien sets a jokes. It got much better and I used other places because no one was watching you and they just became better jokes I get it, but we have our own sort of we're hard on ourselves like that, because there's you. Ve probably could know and that's out there you like. I can't do that joke in any form. You know the on tv again anyways or no, sometimes ye em. But if you like, I don't know like the stuff this this stuff. It's like special to me here. I think that's, the staff did I'm trying to figure out in its causing me fresh can some nights, it's really fun, but some nights is like unlocking like what this joke is really, about or what I'm trying to say and then what's funny about I'm saying in a funny way. That's really that is with.

occupying my mind and my spirit right now, and so I don't Maybe maybe I need to just like let go in and not take it too, but I'm just a really into Juno parson, though you work in an hour and you want any wild. I don't need that. I don't need the new centre of icon to figure out. I've met, you know a seven year that if I am really I am right there, I too I've got but he did two years ago two years ago, I'm working on an hour to my girl, my fucking do ten minutes and then a seven minutes year, but but but I'm most looking forward to the two nights where I get to you, from me what I'm looking course for because you working it out and if anybody records I'm gonna freakin, I nice fans, no one ever fucking records me really so even when you are. How was it

even being on tv, like people don't show up and just record, you know. What's weird, I never see anything, like and put on youtube or somethin- no date, it s the best, a strange thing about When people record what I'm like, I asked I ask people sometime when I watch them record. Other comedians, I'm like you just I just watch you record for. Are you going to rewatch this or do you send it to you friends. Do you post they like? Oh, no, I'm. Never! I never post this and I'm like. So what do you do with it like that? Like? Do? We don't have that much. one space on our phones in there like I do now is just like. I just think it's funny. I like it, so I just recorded yesterday that they were there yeah but took, but they don't show anybody. I dunno what it is I'd, but I don't see it most of my audience are grownups. Sadly, I didn't want to be able to say to you have all your idea. I do

they now going out. They napolitano camera, followed with the young, my issue, the young kids. They watch you through the the care. I know. I know it's weird phagocytes ways and also you know people record because in the hopes this sum, happens, and then they can in a given year. Theyve dave document at the moment you dont know if something is go I suicide like when someone tackles you know someone tat goes you you do some criteria or you say something wrong. I always requirements as I shall report him on video, but I'm not on tik, tok and shoots alike. I you know I do the line, I guess it instagram, but cuz. I know that a lot of people are are doing crowd, work intentional. instagram pisa to draw people too. Shows, and I you know I thought about it for like whom I do. I want those people at my shows. Well, if you want to do stadium, I don't I'm good I'm good with the alarm going to vegas to do a club, because I do want casinos, casino yeah, it's not my

I'm not out to conquer the world. I do like an intimate crowd best yeah. I do like it. Has anything really get into that. What our like, what you were saying before Am I trying to say with what you know what's funny about this stuff? What risks can I take yeah? It is just a different exchange of energy, lucia, it's iads yeah. I love intimacy in that way was good talking to you. re talking theme. I guess I'm famine thanks for doing it I'll see you in canada. I see you again. It and okay that was wild, the big reveal of the horrible accident and her attitude around it and how she's framed it in her life, go to Zainab johnson dot com for her stand up dates and also could, could just hang out a minute. Please thank you. Thank you. Hang on just please hold. so I've been going a little crazy because I have neil gaiman.

on monday, and I've got to talk to him and there was a if window in my life were sent men in Hell, blazer were very important to me. I don't know why. I think still a little out of my mind. I think I felt like you know that the John constantine, story was sort of like my future. I you I had no, I was having Problems with reality. I think it was I'll be somewhere in the yeah did then that this sort of, mid to late eighties, like eighty seven ish when I went through this comic book stuff, there was the beginning of how blazer and then Sandman came later and it was sort of like you know. It was speaking to a part of me as someone who is not a fantasy nerd, that of that how resonated with my reality? That's the sad truth. I don't know I get up of game, and I guess what I find out, but he on monday montreal this weekend at just for laughs, my solo shows are sold out, but my gown his on Saturday night then next week,

being columbus, ohio at the southern theatre on august, fourth indianapolis indiana and let the old national centre on august fit louisville, touchy at the bomb hard theatre august, six, which I hope is not a prophecy those dates I'll be doing with Lara bites. Then I'm back It's the typewriter in l, a on august fourteenth and then lincoln nebraska at the rococo theatre on august eighteenth, des moines iowa at the hoyt sherman place on august 19th in iowa city iowa, at the english, theater on august twentieth, all with the laura bites very funny laura bites lara laura- september, I'm into son, arizona, phoenix arizona, bolder colorado in toronto, ontario, canada and october? I'm in london, england in dublin, ireland go to w e, f pod dot com, slash tour for all dates and ticket info. Okay, now here's some slight guitar sloppy site.

it's on an old kai, guitar tuned to an open d I'll just give it a try Isn't it a try, see we'll see in the yeah The the it the

the the the the The the the

the the the the boomer lives, monkey la fonda cat angels everywhere.