WEBVTT - "Spiders and Bugs" w/ Joel Kim Booster 0:00:20.800 --> 0:00:25.599 Um okay podcast starts now. Okay podcast starts now. Hello world, 0:00:25.680 --> 0:00:29.760 you are listening to a renowned podcast radio lab. George. 0:00:29.840 --> 0:00:34.760 How are you doing? Um? Happy? Nine eleven? Uh? He 0:00:34.880 --> 0:00:38.400 went there? Okay, dirt bag left, We're here. I had 0:00:38.400 --> 0:00:42.560 a moment today where I was like should I should 0:00:42.640 --> 0:00:46.360 I post about nine eleven? And then I was like, no, 0:00:46.720 --> 0:00:49.200 what are you talking about? What would you have said? 0:00:49.240 --> 0:00:50.919 What was your post that you were bringing. I'm not 0:00:50.960 --> 0:00:53.720 I'm not gonna. I mean when nine eleven happened, my 0:00:53.800 --> 0:00:56.040 family lived in New Jersey and might add worked in Manhattan, 0:00:56.080 --> 0:00:58.920 so like I do distinct like not to you know, 0:00:59.200 --> 0:01:00.960 I was living in the area, and I have like 0:01:00.960 --> 0:01:04.200 a personal experience of it, and I remember, like, you know, 0:01:05.160 --> 0:01:07.080 not knowing if my dad was okay, and like waiting 0:01:07.080 --> 0:01:09.080 to be picked up at school. Then my mom came 0:01:09.120 --> 0:01:12.640 to school. Everyone else was getting picked up and my mom, 0:01:12.680 --> 0:01:14.680 like everyone else was getting picked up, and it was 0:01:14.720 --> 0:01:17.240 like okay, this family safe, this family safe. And my 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:20.560 mom did not come early and came right when school ended, 0:01:20.600 --> 0:01:23.039 meaning I was waiting in the gym for like the 0:01:23.240 --> 0:01:25.320 entire school day, and then she came and I was 0:01:25.360 --> 0:01:27.320 like everyone else came and picked up their kids early. 0:01:27.360 --> 0:01:30.240 And she was like why and I was like, because 0:01:30.280 --> 0:01:31.920 of nine eleven and she's like, well, yeah, but I 0:01:31.920 --> 0:01:36.240 mean school was still happening, right. I love that in 0:01:36.319 --> 0:01:38.640 that story, you, as a child knew it was already 0:01:38.760 --> 0:01:41.399 nine eleven. I said, I said, haven't you heard it's 0:01:41.440 --> 0:01:44.399 nine eleven. It's not eleven, it's the nine eleven, the 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:47.080 one I've been telling you is coming, and it's I know, 0:01:47.640 --> 0:01:50.640 And you know I can't legally talk about why I knew, 0:01:50.680 --> 0:01:53.680 but I did. Also, I just have to say, George, 0:01:53.800 --> 0:01:55.600 you know a running theme in this podcast is how 0:01:55.640 --> 0:01:58.200 absolutely piste off you are your bitch of a mom, 0:01:58.560 --> 0:02:02.480 and I to say, I have to go of that anger. Listen, 0:02:02.760 --> 0:02:04.680 you have called my mom a bit on this podcast 0:02:04.760 --> 0:02:08.120 over five times, and I have never said that. Look, 0:02:08.240 --> 0:02:10.919 I'm literally just interpreting what you're saying. I'm a mirror. 0:02:11.240 --> 0:02:15.320 I know you're bringing this very kind of like passive 0:02:15.360 --> 0:02:18.240 wasp energy where you're like, my mom, yeah, I've met her, 0:02:18.560 --> 0:02:20.880 and I'm like, no, you know, my mom and I 0:02:20.960 --> 0:02:23.320 have fights, then we work it out like it's a 0:02:23.360 --> 0:02:26.800 more healthy relationship. All I'm ever hearing from you is like, 0:02:26.880 --> 0:02:33.320 oh my bitch, mom this you know once again six times? Okay, Look, 0:02:33.360 --> 0:02:37.040 I'm literally just saying what you're telling me. The last 0:02:37.040 --> 0:02:38.919 time this happened, I was talking about how my mom 0:02:39.000 --> 0:02:42.520 like I was making coffee and my mom was like, oh, 0:02:42.720 --> 0:02:44.200 you know, the water doesn't go there, and then you 0:02:44.200 --> 0:02:49.720 were like, she sounds like a bit. Look, unfortunately, we 0:02:49.800 --> 0:02:52.160 have no way of looking this information up, so we 0:02:52.200 --> 0:02:57.400 don't know. Well, we delete the podcast episodes right when 0:02:57.400 --> 0:03:01.760 we post them. That way are more valuable. Sometimes our 0:03:01.800 --> 0:03:05.800 audience grows and we say, no, I'm scared of success. 0:03:06.000 --> 0:03:09.799 How about you? Yeah, me too. Um. You know, actually, pathetically, 0:03:09.960 --> 0:03:12.880 I did make a nine eleven post. Um, Oh my god, 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:15.320 what was it? Well, it was you were you Prower 0:03:15.400 --> 0:03:22.160 against Um? It was a neutral take it just um. 0:03:22.240 --> 0:03:26.760 I said that when I was in when nine eleven happened, 0:03:27.840 --> 0:03:30.240 I was scared because I was in the third largest 0:03:30.240 --> 0:03:33.400 middle school in Ohio and we were sure, like, just 0:03:33.600 --> 0:03:36.720 statistically speaking, that was probably the next target. That's a 0:03:36.840 --> 0:03:40.840 really funny joke. Well, and that's true. You know, I 0:03:40.880 --> 0:03:44.000 remember being in the library and the kids being like, well, 0:03:44.040 --> 0:03:46.240 I mean think about it, like we are the that's 0:03:46.320 --> 0:03:49.760 the third biggest library or biggest middle school. Did people 0:03:49.760 --> 0:03:52.760 actually say that? People actually thought that, like, because you 0:03:52.800 --> 0:03:55.160 know how everyone wants to make something about themselves, Like 0:03:55.200 --> 0:04:00.600 these were sort of exercising early narcissism. That's really I mean, honestly, 0:04:00.680 --> 0:04:02.720 it's really cool that can even happen in Ohio and 0:04:02.760 --> 0:04:05.400 not just you know Bushwick. Isn't it cool that narcissism 0:04:05.480 --> 0:04:08.440 exists throughout this great nation? You don't need to be 0:04:08.520 --> 0:04:11.000 coastal to have it. Yeah, no, there are well, no, 0:04:11.120 --> 0:04:14.520 it's just more sad if you're not. But there are 0:04:14.520 --> 0:04:18.720 different I think there are different flavors of narcissism, you know, 0:04:18.760 --> 0:04:21.760 the Midway. I feel like the narcissism of of an 0:04:21.800 --> 0:04:26.600 Ohio is kind of thinking that they are the real America. Yeah, 0:04:26.640 --> 0:04:29.400 that is very true. And then the narcissism of like 0:04:29.400 --> 0:04:33.240 a Brooklyn is thinking, you know what is Ohio? Right, 0:04:33.960 --> 0:04:38.280 It's like I'm not, I'm European, like right, transcend New 0:04:38.360 --> 0:04:44.240 York is in Europe technically, I mean it's so close, right, um? 0:04:44.279 --> 0:04:46.400 But you know, can I tell you the really stupid 0:04:46.480 --> 0:04:50.320 joke I wanted to make for Yes, I I fully 0:04:50.400 --> 0:04:52.160 drafted it. I was about to screenshot it and send 0:04:52.160 --> 0:04:53.520 it to you and be like, should I post this? 0:04:54.000 --> 0:04:57.600 And the joke was she I barely remember a world 0:04:57.640 --> 0:05:02.400 before nine eleven. Oh wait, yes I do. It was yesterday? 0:05:02.720 --> 0:05:05.520 Uh nine a k A nine ten. And then I 0:05:05.520 --> 0:05:08.520 would put a bunch of laughing emojis and then hashtag 0:05:08.640 --> 0:05:16.320 Friday funny god on, just trying to lighten the damn move. 0:05:16.480 --> 0:05:18.920 It really is interesting that that joke not only didn't 0:05:18.920 --> 0:05:21.280 make it online, but didn't even make it to my 0:05:21.440 --> 0:05:24.400 personal texting, Like it didn't even you knew even just 0:05:24.440 --> 0:05:26.880 to send it to me was embarrassing. Yeah, well I 0:05:26.960 --> 0:05:29.279 knew you wouldn't appreciate it. It's really not your style, 0:05:29.640 --> 0:05:33.239 and um I respect that, and having to think it through, 0:05:33.279 --> 0:05:35.720 I thought it, do I need to be tweeting this? Which, yeah, 0:05:35.720 --> 0:05:39.680 well what do you? What do we think currently about? Um? 0:05:39.800 --> 0:05:42.560 Ironic bad jokes? Like to write something and then do 0:05:42.680 --> 0:05:46.279 like clapping emoji, laughing emoji. I think it can be 0:05:46.360 --> 0:05:51.560 fun when the like the timeline feels extremely toxic, like 0:05:51.960 --> 0:05:54.599 I was getting very annoyed that everyone was interacting with 0:05:54.640 --> 0:05:56.440 that dumb This is why are we doing a Twitter 0:05:56.480 --> 0:06:00.159 round up? Anyway, Everyone's interacting with that guy, uh, that 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:04.440 writer who did like the Paul Kergman Yeah yeah, and 0:06:04.480 --> 0:06:06.880 I was like so annoyed and I was like, which, 0:06:07.040 --> 0:06:10.000 you know you did interact with And then I deleted, 0:06:10.279 --> 0:06:13.960 oh congrats because I said who am I? Who am I? 0:06:14.839 --> 0:06:18.000 Who am I? To talk back at Paul Kergman. Well, 0:06:18.040 --> 0:06:20.479 I was like, everybody like, dunking on this is like 0:06:20.680 --> 0:06:23.520 grow up? I know, I agree, and you know what 0:06:23.720 --> 0:06:28.680 I did grow up fast and Hollywood makes you um 0:06:28.720 --> 0:06:30.400 so I thought I would. That was sort of my 0:06:30.440 --> 0:06:36.560 anti dunking on that guy. Huh So do we love 0:06:36.560 --> 0:06:39.760 our Twitter roundup? Is this that all sounds great? I 0:06:39.839 --> 0:06:42.680 mean I'm really glad that I deleted a tweet and 0:06:42.720 --> 0:06:48.920 you didn't post yours. Another successful day? That is it? 0:06:49.440 --> 0:06:55.320 Um so should be bringing our guests, I guess, So, 0:06:55.400 --> 0:06:57.440 like what's that? What the only I'm trying to think 0:06:57.480 --> 0:06:59.599 of an interesting way to say that I've been watching tennis, 0:06:59.640 --> 0:07:03.520 but it's not an interesting thing. I mean it can be. 0:07:03.760 --> 0:07:07.560 I mean, has anything interesting happened in tennis? Yes, sir? 0:07:07.640 --> 0:07:10.480 You know Williams was is not didn't make the final? 0:07:10.960 --> 0:07:15.080 Oh I know, well I don't want to. You know, 0:07:16.560 --> 0:07:18.239 last night I had a moment where I was watching 0:07:18.280 --> 0:07:20.480 it by myself, and then our our good friend Josh 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:23.000 Sharp was also watching and I just was in this 0:07:23.040 --> 0:07:25.040 text thread with him where after every point one of 0:07:25.120 --> 0:07:28.480 us would just be like whoo or like yikes or 0:07:28.520 --> 0:07:30.880 like oof, And I was like, what are we doing? What? 0:07:30.880 --> 0:07:33.720 What is the point of like texting a syllable after 0:07:33.800 --> 0:07:36.480 each point? Should I just be watching this match by myself? 0:07:37.400 --> 0:07:40.160 Was it fun? Yeah? I mean maybe you don't need 0:07:40.200 --> 0:07:43.640 to investigate these few Maybe you just I can't imagine. No, Okay, sure, 0:07:43.680 --> 0:07:48.080 let's bring in our guest. Well, I was trying to 0:07:48.120 --> 0:07:50.640 think of a fun way to talk about my gorgeous 0:07:50.640 --> 0:07:54.800 trip upstate. Um, but let's just bring in our guests. Yeah. No, 0:07:54.920 --> 0:07:57.360 I don't think upstate or watching the US Open really 0:07:57.440 --> 0:08:01.560 qualify as next topics. That's a good point. Um, okay 0:08:01.680 --> 0:08:06.720 should we bring him in? Or okay, um, please give 0:08:06.760 --> 0:08:12.240 it up for our next guest. He is the inventor 0:08:12.560 --> 0:08:19.240 of the cotton gin. It is Joel can Booster. I 0:08:19.280 --> 0:08:22.000 love when you guys just sort of hit a wall 0:08:22.040 --> 0:08:24.680 and that's when you decide to bring guests in. Um, 0:08:24.720 --> 0:08:27.760 that is uh my favorite part of your podcast. Yeah, 0:08:27.800 --> 0:08:30.040 and you know what, Joel, thank you. We already ask 0:08:30.160 --> 0:08:32.959 this off, Mike, but I want you to be perfectly honest, 0:08:33.240 --> 0:08:37.199 ask someone who does listen to this podcast, what is it? Um? 0:08:37.280 --> 0:08:41.160 Where's it going? Um? I think it's going straight to 0:08:41.280 --> 0:08:44.880 the forever Dog now, you know you would think, And 0:08:44.960 --> 0:08:47.160 yet we have not gotten any emails. You know that 0:08:47.320 --> 0:08:50.120 is really incredible that we have not gotten that email. 0:08:50.520 --> 0:08:53.640 I think if fits right in with that network, which 0:08:53.800 --> 0:08:57.320 is just populated by podcasts that I listened to, because, UM, 0:08:57.720 --> 0:08:59.920 it makes me feel less alone, because it makes me 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:02.760 feel like I'm hanging out with my good friends. UM. 0:09:02.760 --> 0:09:05.559 And that is what that network is to me personally, 0:09:05.920 --> 0:09:08.000 just me and my good friends hanging out. And that's 0:09:08.040 --> 0:09:10.640 what this podcast is to me. It's so crazy that 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:12.640 you said that, because from the beginning we said we 0:09:12.720 --> 0:09:14.680 don't want this to feel like friends hanging out. We 0:09:14.720 --> 0:09:17.400 wanted to feel like it's actually out in something to 0:09:17.440 --> 0:09:21.680 the conversation. So I guess we've failed. We Yeah, I 0:09:22.400 --> 0:09:27.240 intrinsically sort of feel like this is an inside baseball 0:09:27.400 --> 0:09:32.400 podcast for our specific group text. That is how I 0:09:32.400 --> 0:09:34.400 feel about it, and I and in that way, I 0:09:34.440 --> 0:09:37.000 was deeply offended that it actually has taken this long 0:09:37.080 --> 0:09:40.000 for me to be invited on. UM. Well, here's the 0:09:40.000 --> 0:09:42.280 thing we have been UM Well, first of all, we 0:09:42.320 --> 0:09:44.280 didn't want to have you on, but second of all, 0:09:44.559 --> 0:09:50.600 we've been trying to kind of stretch out UM the 0:09:50.679 --> 0:09:53.200 game men that we have on. I see what you're 0:09:53.240 --> 0:09:55.360 doing with the guests. You're you're trying to go off 0:09:55.360 --> 0:09:57.480 the beaten path, You're trying to take it outside of 0:09:57.480 --> 0:10:00.959 the lost Cultures to cinematic universe. I get you're trying 0:10:00.960 --> 0:10:04.800 to go with some you know, you know, interesting guests 0:10:04.880 --> 0:10:07.400 that maybe people who don't listen to these podcasts haven't 0:10:07.440 --> 0:10:11.320 heard from before. You're you know, I don't know, like yeah, 0:10:11.360 --> 0:10:19.040 people like Matt Rogers or Bowen Yang And now me, 0:10:19.320 --> 0:10:21.560 I was, I was really nervous Sam when you were 0:10:21.559 --> 0:10:23.319 introducing me that you were actually going to list a 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:26.400 credit because if I know, for now, we don't know 0:10:26.440 --> 0:10:29.120 any of you don't do that in this house, and 0:10:29.200 --> 0:10:32.360 so I would have been you haven't been in anything 0:10:32.480 --> 0:10:36.199 right right never? And I actually, um, it would have 0:10:36.240 --> 0:10:38.400 been actually humiliating for me if you had listed to 0:10:38.440 --> 0:10:40.200 credit and I'd been, well, yeah, I didn't want to 0:10:40.200 --> 0:10:42.160 say I mean, I could have said, you know, out 0:10:42.160 --> 0:10:44.679 of bounds comedy festival in Austin, Texas. But I just 0:10:45.040 --> 0:10:47.800 I didn't. I feel like that would almost be offensive 0:10:47.800 --> 0:10:52.440 to you. He's the host of UM, a monthly show 0:10:52.480 --> 0:10:56.600 at this and that UM but cut that's pre George. 0:10:57.040 --> 0:10:59.679 George was still coming up at Boston Open Mics when 0:10:59.679 --> 0:11:01.760 I was was being a bar show at this and 0:11:01.840 --> 0:11:05.280 that R I p in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that I love 0:11:05.440 --> 0:11:08.559 this and that is a classic UM or earlier Williamsburg 0:11:09.160 --> 0:11:12.120 venue name. Yeah, you know after that show was one 0:11:12.160 --> 0:11:16.680 of the drunkest times of my entire life. Oh yeah, 0:11:17.040 --> 0:11:20.560 um which the bartender kept giving me free drinks and 0:11:20.600 --> 0:11:22.440 I was I remember talking to you and you were 0:11:22.640 --> 0:11:24.120 I was like, he just keeps giving free drinks and 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:26.080 You're like, yeah, he's just gonna keep doing that. And 0:11:26.120 --> 0:11:28.280 I was like, well, this is great then, and I 0:11:28.320 --> 0:11:30.160 was like watch like kind of like doing it like 0:11:30.160 --> 0:11:31.760 a little trick, and I was like, watch me get 0:11:31.760 --> 0:11:36.600 a free drink. It was a nightmare. That was really 0:11:36.640 --> 0:11:39.000 that was a really great at a pack in I 0:11:39.040 --> 0:11:42.240 think comedy in the scene, like I remember George on 0:11:42.240 --> 0:11:44.560 one episode I think with with Drew Anderson, you're saying 0:11:44.600 --> 0:11:48.520 that New York comedy was just people singing Broadway songs now, um, 0:11:48.600 --> 0:11:52.320 and I and I get the sentiment, but I agree 0:11:52.600 --> 0:11:55.640 that like there was a time when that was not happening. 0:11:55.679 --> 0:11:59.920 In in fact, those impulses were shamed and people sort 0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:04.280 had to hide that. Um, absolutely for that. And I mean, 0:12:04.400 --> 0:12:07.760 much like all other industries, comedy used to be inhospitable 0:12:07.800 --> 0:12:12.679 to gay men, and now it's too hospitable. People are 0:12:12.679 --> 0:12:16.840 feeling a little too comfortable, you know what, I actually 0:12:16.960 --> 0:12:21.920 genuinely agree. I mean, no, it sounds okay, this sounds toxic, 0:12:21.960 --> 0:12:24.679 but I fully think we got to make some cuts. 0:12:24.720 --> 0:12:26.679 Oh yeah, I actually think if we were to make 0:12:26.679 --> 0:12:28.480 cuts now, I would be cut. I would be cut 0:12:28.520 --> 0:12:32.240 for sure. Really, I know, I think I think funny 0:12:32.240 --> 0:12:36.040 in months, I literally haven't. And I know that, babe. 0:12:36.040 --> 0:12:38.360 It's the pandemic of the pandemic. But the pandemic is 0:12:38.400 --> 0:12:40.360 here to stay, and so at this point, if you're 0:12:40.400 --> 0:12:42.120 not if you can't be funny in the pandemic, then 0:12:42.160 --> 0:12:44.440 you're just not funny. I think it's I no, no, 0:12:44.640 --> 0:12:50.400 it's true. But the thing is we have to the 0:12:50.840 --> 0:12:55.440 number of universal experiences is smaller during the pandemic, So 0:12:55.480 --> 0:12:58.199 the things you can make fun of are so are 0:12:58.240 --> 0:13:01.319 also similar. It's so I guess people have been making 0:13:01.400 --> 0:13:06.320 jokes about like relationships and jobs for decades, and there's 0:13:06.320 --> 0:13:08.360 also a lot of like, you know, I can't really 0:13:08.360 --> 0:13:11.480 talk about all of the really funny happenings going on 0:13:11.520 --> 0:13:16.000 at the speakeasies that I'm frequenting now, Yes, and that's 0:13:16.040 --> 0:13:18.120 really good, you know, like I can't a lot of 0:13:18.120 --> 0:13:22.720 slapstick humor in your speakeasy orgies. Yeah, there's no more 0:13:22.880 --> 0:13:26.959 wild talks about those parties were all at all the time. Yeah, 0:13:27.040 --> 0:13:30.280 I I it really has sort of made me realize 0:13:30.280 --> 0:13:32.880 that the locust of my writing for the last two 0:13:32.960 --> 0:13:37.120 years has been drugs and orgies, which is reversal stuff. 0:13:37.240 --> 0:13:40.520 I've really managed to make it um really fun and 0:13:40.600 --> 0:13:42.960 universal for the people that I played too largely in 0:13:43.000 --> 0:13:45.480 the Midwest, which I also wanted to say that growing 0:13:45.520 --> 0:13:47.760 up in the Midwest during nine eleven, I remember my 0:13:47.840 --> 0:13:51.280 dad's stockpiling canned goods, and even at the age of 0:13:51.320 --> 0:13:54.200 like twelve, I was like, I don't even know where 0:13:54.280 --> 0:13:57.960 New York is right now, so why would they care? 0:13:58.320 --> 0:14:02.600 Why would they care? Plane feel Illinois. The Midwest really 0:14:02.640 --> 0:14:06.000 took that as an identity, like because it was. It 0:14:06.040 --> 0:14:09.160 was a very what I remember, here's what I remember 0:14:09.200 --> 0:14:14.800 from from Africa, because this is I feel like these 0:14:14.840 --> 0:14:17.680 are things that we were all just young enough to 0:14:17.800 --> 0:14:21.040 like not question, but old enough to really remember visc 0:14:21.080 --> 0:14:25.000 really do. Like there was such a rise in full 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:27.840 on like nationalism, but in like a cute in like 0:14:27.920 --> 0:14:31.920 an a political way. Like I distinctly remember asking my 0:14:32.040 --> 0:14:34.880 parents to buy a little magnet for our car that 0:14:34.920 --> 0:14:37.520 said support our troops. Like it was like a yellow 0:14:37.600 --> 0:14:40.240 ribbon magnet, and I was like, this is a status symbol, 0:14:40.240 --> 0:14:42.080 like everyone has that. It's kind of the tel far 0:14:42.160 --> 0:14:46.360 bag of um a post nine eleven America, New Jersey 0:14:46.960 --> 0:14:50.320 or like I remember like buying a like a winter 0:14:50.440 --> 0:14:52.520 hat that was that had like an American It was 0:14:52.560 --> 0:14:57.080 all stars around the head and then stripes going up. 0:14:58.040 --> 0:15:00.480 I remember in youth group because I was school at 0:15:00.520 --> 0:15:02.520 the time, so I wasn't in school for this, but 0:15:02.600 --> 0:15:05.440 I remember in youth group we started folding the flag 0:15:05.800 --> 0:15:08.320 at the end of every youth group. Oh my god, 0:15:08.760 --> 0:15:10.880 in in the way that you're supposed to fold flags 0:15:11.040 --> 0:15:14.040 in the respectful way, like basically all of turning all 0:15:14.080 --> 0:15:16.640 of us into those messengers who like bring the flag 0:15:16.720 --> 0:15:20.240 to fallen soldiers homes at the end of the war. Um, 0:15:20.280 --> 0:15:22.520 that's how I felt. That's it felt like dragged to 0:15:22.600 --> 0:15:25.480 me every single day. It really was. It was like 0:15:25.520 --> 0:15:28.800 a way, weirdly enough, it was so accessible to be 0:15:28.880 --> 0:15:31.200 patriotic in that kind of surface level way that I 0:15:31.400 --> 0:15:34.320 found it to be a way that I could um 0:15:34.600 --> 0:15:36.840 relate to my to you know, my friends who had 0:15:36.920 --> 0:15:39.400 non immigrant parents. I was like, yeah, I love the 0:15:39.400 --> 0:15:45.320 American flag was huge. It was really like, Okay, I'm 0:15:45.320 --> 0:15:47.880 going to join the army. Like if I were like 0:15:47.960 --> 0:15:50.240 if I were like killing right now, I would absolutely 0:15:50.320 --> 0:15:53.040 join the army. If I wasn't in school and eleven, 0:15:53.200 --> 0:15:56.720 I would be joining the army. I remember. I mean 0:15:56.760 --> 0:16:00.040 I identified as a Republican until I was sixteen to 0:16:00.880 --> 0:16:05.880 oh that was your I absolutely did, because you don't know, 0:16:06.640 --> 0:16:11.000 there is somewhere out there a toxic essay that I 0:16:11.080 --> 0:16:15.680 wrote for like a one prize for like the local 0:16:15.720 --> 0:16:20.040 bookstore that's like pro George Bush, and it is like 0:16:20.320 --> 0:16:23.560 it will be released one day and I will like 0:16:23.640 --> 0:16:27.200 I was literally thirteen, and it was just like, oh, 0:16:27.600 --> 0:16:30.240 I can't believe. I remember looking my a p U S. 0:16:30.280 --> 0:16:34.080 History teacher in the eyes who wasn't like a vowed liberal, 0:16:34.240 --> 0:16:37.240 and being like, I'm so glad George W. Bush was 0:16:37.280 --> 0:16:39.560 reelected and he said why and I said, because I 0:16:39.560 --> 0:16:43.480 feel safe for now. Well, at least you were like 0:16:43.520 --> 0:16:47.320 evolved in your messaging. I would say you were really 0:16:47.520 --> 0:16:51.880 was the official line? Good for you? I Um, I 0:16:51.960 --> 0:16:57.040 remember very clearly thinking that I personally was smarter than 0:16:57.080 --> 0:17:02.680 George W. Bush and um asking asking my parents. I 0:17:02.760 --> 0:17:06.359 was like, I was basically making the argument like no 0:17:06.400 --> 0:17:09.239 matter what your beliefs are, like, he's not smart, Like 0:17:09.320 --> 0:17:11.439 I think I'm smarter than him, right, And I remember 0:17:11.440 --> 0:17:13.680 my dad being like, well, I mean, I don't know 0:17:13.720 --> 0:17:17.600 if you're smarter than him currently, like you are, um eleven, 0:17:18.119 --> 0:17:20.399 but but I see what you're saying. And then I 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:23.199 also remember being part of the Young Liberals group in 0:17:23.280 --> 0:17:28.320 my middle school where we would um order Carrie buttons 0:17:28.359 --> 0:17:33.119 and wear them. Oh wow, woke bay. Yeah, it doesn't 0:17:33.160 --> 0:17:36.399 seem like it could sustain an entire club for very long. 0:17:36.720 --> 0:17:40.000 That's literally all it was. I don't we did nothing else, 0:17:40.040 --> 0:17:42.440 and it was it was in response to a Young 0:17:42.440 --> 0:17:45.320 Conservatives club that was started so then and I didn't 0:17:45.320 --> 0:17:47.960 know the words conservative and liberalist Republican and Democrat, and 0:17:47.960 --> 0:17:50.840 I remember being like, okay, liberal is democrat? Good, Like 0:17:50.920 --> 0:17:55.119 that's the synonym um. But yeah, this was when I 0:17:55.160 --> 0:17:57.000 was learning a lot of different words. For instance, one 0:17:57.040 --> 0:17:59.359 time someone asked me what my religion was, and I said, 0:18:00.040 --> 0:18:01.959 First of all, they said, are you Jewish or Christian? 0:18:03.600 --> 0:18:05.520 And I said Christian because that's how I was raised, 0:18:05.520 --> 0:18:07.760 and they were And then I was like, um, I'm 0:18:07.840 --> 0:18:10.720 Christian Orthodox because I was Greek Orthodox. And then the 0:18:10.760 --> 0:18:13.480 person goes, no, Orthodox is only for Jews, and I 0:18:13.520 --> 0:18:15.800 was like, oh, okay, well I guess I'm wrong. I 0:18:16.440 --> 0:18:18.640 you know, it's crazy is growing up in my church 0:18:18.680 --> 0:18:21.880 we would not even call Greek Orthodox Christians. We would 0:18:21.920 --> 0:18:25.080 not at all. That makes it Wait, what was your 0:18:25.400 --> 0:18:30.040 I don't know any of the names. Baptist? Okay, interesting, 0:18:31.320 --> 0:18:33.760 you just love youth group? Were you a freak for it? 0:18:33.920 --> 0:18:36.000 I was a freak for youth group. I was a 0:18:36.000 --> 0:18:38.800 youth leader. We would have to you would like. The 0:18:38.840 --> 0:18:42.119 thing is is my youth group was a franchised youth group, 0:18:42.440 --> 0:18:45.000 and so it was connected to a large camp in 0:18:45.040 --> 0:18:47.560 New York that you would go to every summer and 0:18:47.600 --> 0:18:50.399 compete in. You would also compete throughout the year in 0:18:50.480 --> 0:18:53.480 regional Bible quizzine competitions. This is oh I did know 0:18:53.520 --> 0:18:56.280 this about you? Yeah yeah. But also like it was 0:18:56.320 --> 0:18:58.119 also like speech and debate. So there would be like 0:18:58.400 --> 0:19:01.879 dramatic monologues you could form as Jesus, you could do 0:19:02.160 --> 0:19:05.920 a preaching Christians, you could do girls were allowed weren't 0:19:05.920 --> 0:19:08.240 allowed to do preaching. They were allowed to do storytelling 0:19:08.720 --> 0:19:11.280 for children, and then the boys had to be preaching. 0:19:11.520 --> 0:19:14.680 And then you would do like group drama like re enactments, 0:19:14.800 --> 0:19:17.760 and you would compete. And I competed in those as well, 0:19:17.800 --> 0:19:19.679 and I made it to nationals quite a few times 0:19:19.720 --> 0:19:23.960 doing monologues, which very competitive. I have to say, I 0:19:24.000 --> 0:19:29.280 can't imagine, um, you know, getting anything out of talking 0:19:29.320 --> 0:19:32.159 to a crowd of people on a stage, um, and 0:19:32.200 --> 0:19:37.720 even adding a competitive element to it. It sounds so immature. Um. 0:19:37.840 --> 0:19:40.960 You know. It was sort of the America's got talent 0:19:41.080 --> 0:19:44.200 for Bible people at the time. And I remember going 0:19:44.240 --> 0:19:47.280 to New York and competing at these camps and it 0:19:47.320 --> 0:19:50.000 was the most incredible experience of my entire fucking life. 0:19:50.000 --> 0:19:52.840 And every every summer I'd go to these camps, and 0:19:52.920 --> 0:19:56.920 every summer I would throw all of my secular CDs 0:19:56.960 --> 0:19:59.960 into a bonfire that I drink that, and then three 0:20:00.000 --> 0:20:02.520 months later I would I would renig and like, you know, 0:20:02.920 --> 0:20:06.320 by Avril Levine, you're not Yeah. Wow, so you did 0:20:06.520 --> 0:20:08.600 visit New York, so you are implicated. In nine eleven, 0:20:11.920 --> 0:20:15.240 should we do our first segment? Okay? Can I say, 0:20:15.359 --> 0:20:17.560 can we talk about the podcast? Will make the podcast? Yeah? 0:20:17.600 --> 0:20:19.800 We need we need we Actually I've been thinking about 0:20:19.800 --> 0:20:21.439 the Sam. We need to go back to our roots 0:20:21.880 --> 0:20:24.280 and be more avant garde. We've been having too many 0:20:24.280 --> 0:20:30.080 linear conversations. I mean tips, tricks, I mean, how do 0:20:30.160 --> 0:20:33.159 we lighten the damn mood? Oh wait, Sam, you just 0:20:33.200 --> 0:20:35.920 got suddenly very loud. Oh my god. Congrat Sam. You 0:20:36.000 --> 0:20:41.040 found your voice. Sam, you finally found your voice. I'm 0:20:41.080 --> 0:20:45.239 watching a season of Real Housewives where Carol is like, like, 0:20:45.320 --> 0:20:47.439 says two things and then people are like, you know, 0:20:47.480 --> 0:20:50.439 I like that you found your voice. I mean, I 0:20:50.480 --> 0:20:53.959 think that's so inspiring. And if I can find my 0:20:54.040 --> 0:20:57.440 voice within this podcast, I hope that all a little 0:20:57.480 --> 0:20:59.960 boys out there in the third biggest middle school in 0:21:00.119 --> 0:21:03.840 third world can can find a way to speak up 0:21:03.880 --> 0:21:06.600 and say I'm at risk of being in the next 0:21:06.680 --> 0:21:11.080 nine eleven. I think that's powerful. I hope your refugee's 0:21:11.119 --> 0:21:17.159 listen to this podcast they do. Wait, this is a 0:21:17.200 --> 0:21:19.360 different Okay, wait, maybe we should do our first topic 0:21:19.400 --> 0:21:22.480 because what I would say actually is a bad topic. Okay, 0:21:22.560 --> 0:21:24.280 let's just do our Let's just do our first segment. 0:21:24.280 --> 0:21:25.879 It'll losten us up, and then we'll be ready to 0:21:25.920 --> 0:21:29.160 only talk about surface level, non serious things. Oh thank god. 0:21:29.280 --> 0:21:31.560 And if it and if a conversation ever comes back 0:21:31.560 --> 0:21:35.600 to my family, I will completely shut down. Okay, that's 0:21:35.640 --> 0:21:39.720 totally me. Okay, Joe, we're not even going to introduce 0:21:39.720 --> 0:21:43.639 this segment because Joel is a podcast listener. Joel, well, actually, 0:21:43.640 --> 0:21:47.040 Sam go for you can go first. Um okay, Joel, 0:21:47.240 --> 0:21:49.360 this is straight Shooter just I'm not going to explain it, 0:21:49.400 --> 0:21:52.560 but here is the start of it. I mean, you know, 0:21:52.720 --> 0:21:55.960 you might want to just as a note, you might 0:21:56.040 --> 0:21:58.520 want to just in case someone's tuning in for this episode. 0:21:59.160 --> 0:22:02.760 Any other note, Joel, any other The section of the 0:22:03.040 --> 0:22:04.760 section of the episode where we ask you what you 0:22:04.760 --> 0:22:10.280 think of the podcast has already happened. Okay, go ahead, Yeah, 0:22:10.480 --> 0:22:17.280 maybe I could break this tension with a uh ladle Okay, 0:22:17.640 --> 0:22:21.119 Straight Shooters is a segment in which we gauge the 0:22:21.160 --> 0:22:24.840 guests familiarity with the beautiful, gorgeous tapestry that is straight 0:22:24.840 --> 0:22:27.240 culture by asking them a series of rapid fire questions 0:22:27.440 --> 0:22:29.720 that's mostly just this thing or this thing. If they 0:22:29.840 --> 0:22:32.840 dare to ask a follow up, we get absolutely piste off. 0:22:33.040 --> 0:22:35.760