WEBVTT - Joyelle Nicole Johnson 0:00:00.480 --> 0:00:03.240 Hello, Happy birthday. I'm gonna did you do that to me? 0:00:03.680 --> 0:00:07.080 I don't know. I didn't do that to you. I'm old, 0:00:07.120 --> 0:00:08.240 I don't know how to work technology. 0:00:08.320 --> 0:00:11.000 Oh you just said wait, hold on, you just said 0:00:11.400 --> 0:00:12.200 happy birthday. 0:00:12.680 --> 0:00:16.520 Did I say happy birthday? Someone said happy birthday? I 0:00:16.560 --> 0:00:18.160 think you had to have sent happy birthday. 0:00:18.160 --> 0:00:21.720 And if you're listening, literally we're looking at each other, 0:00:21.760 --> 0:00:25.360 and balloons just started streaming on my face. That is 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:30.240 so bizarre. That is literally never happened. It's not interesting 0:00:30.280 --> 0:00:33.440 to anybody else, but that was so weird. 0:00:39.400 --> 0:00:42.040 Hi. My name is joy il Noo Cole Johnson, and 0:00:42.240 --> 0:00:44.600 I love therapy and I think you should get a 0:00:44.640 --> 0:00:45.400 therapist too. 0:00:52.840 --> 0:00:56.920 Hi, everybody, what's up? Thanks for joining me here for 0:00:57.200 --> 0:01:01.880 another episode of Off the Beat. I am your joyous 0:01:02.480 --> 0:01:06.880 and ready to laugh host Brian Baumgartner. My guest today 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:13.720 well is not only joy full, she is Joyelle Nicole Johnson. 0:01:14.160 --> 0:01:18.280 Joyelle is a hilarious stand up comedian. You may have 0:01:18.319 --> 0:01:21.800 seen her on Late Night with Seth Myers, The Tonight 0:01:21.840 --> 0:01:24.920 Show starring Jimmy Fallon, or maybe even lucky enough to 0:01:24.959 --> 0:01:28.840 catch her live at a festival like Bona Rou San Francisco. 0:01:28.920 --> 0:01:34.400 Sketch Fest, New York Comedy Festival, Bumber Shoot. She's amazing 0:01:35.000 --> 0:01:39.399 and she's also a talented comedy writer who's worked on 0:01:39.480 --> 0:01:44.720 shows like Broad City and Pause with Sam Jay. Recently, however, 0:01:45.040 --> 0:01:49.400 she has begun a new venture. She started an Only 0:01:49.480 --> 0:01:53.680 Fans and believe me, Yeah, she's gonna let it all 0:01:54.240 --> 0:01:58.680 out her jokes. Of course, she's gonna let you hear 0:01:58.760 --> 0:02:01.920 all of her jokes. That's what I was saying. She 0:02:02.160 --> 0:02:06.800 just aired her new episode on l M aof the 0:02:06.840 --> 0:02:12.520 comedy showcase on OnlyFans TV. It is absolutely hilarious. Yep, 0:02:13.240 --> 0:02:16.280 Joy is in the air today and she is here 0:02:16.919 --> 0:02:22.080 in your ears as well. Here she is Joyel Nicole Johnson. 0:02:25.440 --> 0:02:32.960 Bubble and Squeak, I love it, Bubble and Squeak, Bubble 0:02:33.040 --> 0:02:33.639 and Squeaker. 0:02:33.760 --> 0:02:38.000 Cook get every more over from the night before. 0:02:48.520 --> 0:02:49.480 What's up, Joyelle? 0:02:50.520 --> 0:02:52.120 Hello? Brian? How are you? 0:02:52.680 --> 0:02:53.840 I'm good? How are you? 0:02:54.720 --> 0:02:57.440 I'm fantastic. I like being joined with another person that 0:02:57.600 --> 0:02:59.320 has an alliterative name. 0:03:02.000 --> 0:03:05.799 Yes, just just mumble a bunch of bees. You'll figure 0:03:05.800 --> 0:03:09.640 it out. It'll be It'll be good. Uh are you 0:03:09.720 --> 0:03:11.960 down in the at L I. 0:03:11.880 --> 0:03:15.840 Am up in the buk Baby, I moved. I left Georgia, 0:03:16.160 --> 0:03:21.280 so hopefully they will still handle it this election. So 0:03:21.320 --> 0:03:23.000 now I'm voting in New York again. 0:03:23.800 --> 0:03:27.919 Oh so you're out. So you grew up in Jersey, 0:03:28.400 --> 0:03:30.640 you're now in New York. You're in the Brooklyn? Is 0:03:30.639 --> 0:03:31.200 that the b K? 0:03:31.840 --> 0:03:32.560 Absolutely? 0:03:33.280 --> 0:03:37.280 Okay? Fancy pants? Then that's all I know about Brooklyn. Now. 0:03:37.320 --> 0:03:41.680 It's just and the fanciest building I've ever lived in. 0:03:42.120 --> 0:03:45.280 I love it so much. I guess I'm the problem. 0:03:45.440 --> 0:03:51.360 I'm probably a gentrifier. I'm living with them, but I 0:03:51.400 --> 0:03:51.720 love it. 0:03:51.800 --> 0:03:55.960 Sorry you so you were in it? How long were 0:03:56.000 --> 0:03:59.200 you in Atlanta? I'm from there, by the way, that's why. 0:03:59.440 --> 0:04:02.720 That's why of a special interest to me. 0:04:03.240 --> 0:04:04.960 Amazing, which part. 0:04:06.720 --> 0:04:12.000 Kind of Sandy Springs. Yeah, speaking of fancy I don't 0:04:12.040 --> 0:04:16.320 know about that. It's probably fancier not well now, I 0:04:16.400 --> 0:04:19.680 don't know. I think the city extends out to where 0:04:20.000 --> 0:04:24.520 we didn't even It was like cows and farms when 0:04:24.560 --> 0:04:25.240 I was a kid. 0:04:25.560 --> 0:04:25.760 Yeah. 0:04:25.920 --> 0:04:26.600 Absolutely. 0:04:26.800 --> 0:04:29.200 My parents live in Stone Mountains, so that that's where 0:04:29.240 --> 0:04:32.040 I was born. Were you born at Stone Mountains? 0:04:32.240 --> 0:04:35.600 I mean not literally on the mountain, but yes, that's 0:04:35.640 --> 0:04:39.719 where I That's where I was that's where I deliver from. 0:04:39.920 --> 0:04:42.159 They deliver babies on top of the mountains. 0:04:43.440 --> 0:04:48.840 Yeah, they do a light show they do, right, the 0:04:49.680 --> 0:04:54.440 con themed light show on the face of Stone Mountains. Yes, 0:04:54.520 --> 0:04:57.840 good old do they they do? They still do it. 0:04:57.880 --> 0:04:59.599 They don't still do it, do they? They do? 0:04:59.760 --> 0:05:04.159 So still do it. They still have Confederate flags flying 0:05:04.360 --> 0:05:08.320 on Stone Mountain. And it's so funny because Stone Mountain 0:05:08.400 --> 0:05:12.480 is one of the richest black communities in America, the 0:05:12.680 --> 0:05:17.200 top ten most affluent African American communities, and just the 0:05:17.320 --> 0:05:20.560 Confederate flags flying on top of the mountain and the 0:05:20.560 --> 0:05:22.520 soldiers etched in the side, you know. 0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:26.040 All, well, yeah, so I was gonna you know, I've 0:05:26.080 --> 0:05:29.440 been gone a long time. But remind me and tell 0:05:29.640 --> 0:05:35.080 so Stone Mountain is the largest piece of granite, right, Yeah, 0:05:35.200 --> 0:05:38.760 the largest piece of granite, which is therefore a mountain. 0:05:39.600 --> 0:05:42.320 It's not like the Rockies, but it's a mountain. 0:05:42.720 --> 0:05:45.680 It is a mountain. I climbed it many times. 0:05:45.320 --> 0:05:47.800 Me me as well when I was a kid and 0:05:48.000 --> 0:05:53.200 etched into the mountain instead of the presidents in the 0:05:53.240 --> 0:05:57.160 Dakota what's that called again? The thing Everest? No, not 0:05:57.240 --> 0:06:00.440 mount Everest. No, where the where the President, they're in 0:06:00.520 --> 0:06:04.479 the Mount Rushmore. I was like, it's not Everest, No, 0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:08.159 it's Mount Rushmore. So similar to that. Into the granite 0:06:08.240 --> 0:06:11.120 there is a carving. Is it Confederate? Is that what 0:06:11.160 --> 0:06:12.680 it is? Is it Confederate? 0:06:14.000 --> 0:06:16.400 Don't get me to lie, but I was always under 0:06:16.440 --> 0:06:19.719 the impression it was Confederate soldiers. Let's get a fact 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:21.120 check or diego what you're doing. 0:06:21.279 --> 0:06:25.839 All right, Well, we we're gonna fact check this and 0:06:25.880 --> 0:06:29.160 if I'm not. But but the point is this, there's 0:06:29.200 --> 0:06:32.240 a light show like every night in the summer, and 0:06:32.279 --> 0:06:34.880 there's like laser show at least is what they ca 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:37.839 They still do this, right, they still do the laser 0:06:37.880 --> 0:06:41.560 show and you sit outside and then the etching on 0:06:41.600 --> 0:06:45.720 the mountain comes to life. Yes, and they guiding. They 0:06:46.000 --> 0:06:50.880 the horses start galloping away. Wow, they haven't thought about 0:06:50.880 --> 0:06:54.039 that in a long time. Yes I have, nor have 0:06:54.120 --> 0:06:55.560 I been there in a long time. But yes, I 0:06:55.600 --> 0:06:57.960 grew I was. I didn't grow up there, but I 0:06:58.040 --> 0:07:01.560 was born there. Okay, Stone Mountain area. All right, So 0:07:02.760 --> 0:07:04.279 enough about the Confederacy. 0:07:04.560 --> 0:07:05.159 I love it. 0:07:06.000 --> 0:07:10.040 It's nothing like starting off a conversation and with the Confederacy, 0:07:11.960 --> 0:07:13.680 what part of Jersey are you from. 0:07:14.240 --> 0:07:16.920 I'm a Union, New Jersey girl. I went to Union 0:07:17.000 --> 0:07:17.640 High School. 0:07:18.120 --> 0:07:21.760 Okay, so not far from New York City, not at all. 0:07:21.840 --> 0:07:24.040 Yeah, twenty minutes, baby. That's why I was always looking 0:07:24.520 --> 0:07:26.280 to the city. I was like, I'm moving there. 0:07:26.520 --> 0:07:29.600 I can't really was that a dream for you? Early on? 0:07:30.000 --> 0:07:33.000 Absolutely? I was going to New York. My mother would 0:07:33.040 --> 0:07:36.160 let me go take acting classes by myself on the 0:07:36.200 --> 0:07:40.160 bus when I was like thirteen years old. Really yeah, 0:07:40.240 --> 0:07:42.280 and it was that was what Hell's Kitchen was, not 0:07:43.600 --> 0:07:47.680 the fabulous gay bastion of wealth it is now. That's 0:07:47.720 --> 0:07:50.480 when it was like before Rudy Giuliati, it just all 0:07:50.560 --> 0:07:52.720 drugged out. And she showed me how to get to 0:07:52.760 --> 0:07:54.840 the acting class. I had to walk from port authority, 0:07:55.000 --> 0:07:56.600 and she was like, if you want to do this, 0:07:56.960 --> 0:07:58.800 you got to do it on your own. And I did. 0:07:59.000 --> 0:08:00.440 And you wanted to do it that bad. 0:08:00.760 --> 0:08:02.240 Absolutely. Yeah. 0:08:02.280 --> 0:08:05.040 So this is thirteen. So when did you kind of 0:08:05.120 --> 0:08:09.240 decide that this was what you wanted to do around then? 0:08:09.800 --> 0:08:12.400 I think before then I was always looking to My 0:08:12.440 --> 0:08:15.080 mother would take me to place. She'd take me to 0:08:15.240 --> 0:08:18.040 all the cultural things, and I was like, whatever this is, 0:08:18.200 --> 0:08:18.960 I want to do it. 0:08:20.200 --> 0:08:23.480 She was a nurse, right, did she have a creative side. 0:08:24.160 --> 0:08:26.680 Yes, she was always obsessed with like the piano. She 0:08:26.760 --> 0:08:29.120 was one of those people that just like wishes she 0:08:29.200 --> 0:08:31.760 could be like a concert pianist. I think that was 0:08:31.800 --> 0:08:35.040 like my mother's in her head heart dreams. So she 0:08:35.120 --> 0:08:37.360 put me in piano lessons. My mother used to be 0:08:37.360 --> 0:08:39.680 a dancer. She put me in dance lessons and all 0:08:39.760 --> 0:08:41.640 that stuff. And I was like, I want to get 0:08:41.679 --> 0:08:43.439 on the stage. She was like, all right, let's put 0:08:43.480 --> 0:08:44.280 you in classes. 0:08:44.960 --> 0:08:48.839 So New York and your proximity to the city and 0:08:49.240 --> 0:08:52.360 all it had to offer and classes. Do you feel 0:08:52.360 --> 0:08:55.080 like that that influence? I mean, you had an idea, 0:08:55.160 --> 0:08:57.440 you wanted to do it, But what talk to me 0:08:57.640 --> 0:09:01.040 about what the city itself like that gave you at 0:09:01.080 --> 0:09:05.280 a young age and your exposure to these plays and 0:09:05.360 --> 0:09:06.600 experiences that you had. 0:09:07.480 --> 0:09:09.520 I just love. I mean, a lot of people are 0:09:09.600 --> 0:09:13.360 averse to the congestion of New York City and I 0:09:13.440 --> 0:09:16.280 love it. It feels like a blanket to me, like 0:09:16.320 --> 0:09:20.040 I'm temple granding and all of the human beings that 0:09:20.080 --> 0:09:23.439 are walking by, and I just loved it. And I 0:09:23.520 --> 0:09:26.079 knew I wanted to be places where it's like everybody 0:09:26.160 --> 0:09:31.160 is different diverse wise. You know. She moved us to Union, 0:09:31.200 --> 0:09:33.840 New Jersey, which was the suburbs, and it was a 0:09:33.960 --> 0:09:37.040 very white suburb in New Jersey. So I was like, 0:09:37.080 --> 0:09:38.840 I go to the city. I see all people that 0:09:38.880 --> 0:09:40.480 look like me and people who don't look like me, 0:09:41.240 --> 0:09:43.199 and they all look like they're having a good time. 0:09:43.320 --> 0:09:47.120 That was my kid brain, right. I didn't think about 0:09:47.120 --> 0:09:47.960 paying rent, you know. 0:09:48.480 --> 0:09:51.360 Well, yeah, I mean that's a whole other thing. I 0:09:51.400 --> 0:09:54.439 was just there last week and I will say this 0:09:54.520 --> 0:09:57.800 though here here's I love the city as well, and 0:09:57.840 --> 0:10:01.480 the energy and the people again, just like everybody being out. 0:10:01.679 --> 0:10:05.280 Here's the thing when it it was like the first 0:10:05.400 --> 0:10:10.359 nice day of the spring and everybody came out. Everybody 0:10:10.640 --> 0:10:14.080 that's too much, Come on, everybody go back. 0:10:14.600 --> 0:10:17.760 It's like going to Coney Island on Memorial Day. 0:10:17.840 --> 0:10:21.600 Yeah. I just don't do this. Yeah no, But it's 0:10:21.760 --> 0:10:26.040 just the streets. It's just like third and twenty seventh. 0:10:26.120 --> 0:10:30.480 There's one thousand people outside. It's like like because people 0:10:30.520 --> 0:10:33.320 talk about la like nobody works, Like where why are 0:10:33.360 --> 0:10:35.520 all these people in a coffee shop? You walk around 0:10:35.559 --> 0:10:37.920 New York on a on a nice spring day, it's 0:10:37.960 --> 0:10:40.679 like where, Why don't you have to be somewhere? 0:10:41.280 --> 0:10:44.160 That's every time I see a kid out and I 0:10:44.160 --> 0:10:46.160 think it could be like Saturday at noon, I'm like, 0:10:46.160 --> 0:10:49.800 why aren't you in school? Why aren't you outside? 0:10:49.920 --> 0:10:51.640 And if you're not, as you should be in camp 0:10:52.000 --> 0:10:53.000 to be somewhere. 0:10:53.200 --> 0:10:56.000 We should be somewhere. Why do you walk in the streets. 0:10:57.000 --> 0:11:00.959 I read that you moved to LA with your sister. 0:11:01.559 --> 0:11:04.320 She was in a writing program at USC. Is that right? 0:11:04.520 --> 0:11:07.520 Yes? Okay, to the writing program there? 0:11:07.640 --> 0:11:11.040 Yeah, So how old were you then when you when 0:11:11.040 --> 0:11:11.840 you moved to LA. 0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:16.120 I graduated from Boston College. Okay, and it was the 0:11:16.200 --> 0:11:18.840 summer I graduated. I was like, let's go. 0:11:19.040 --> 0:11:21.040 So you just wanted to be in LA or was 0:11:21.080 --> 0:11:22.079 it because she was there? 0:11:22.840 --> 0:11:24.680 I think it's because she was there. It was also 0:11:24.920 --> 0:11:28.360 because of acting, like having the bug and wanting to 0:11:28.440 --> 0:11:31.480 just go see what could happen out there? 0:11:32.000 --> 0:11:32.360 Okay? 0:11:32.840 --> 0:11:33.480 Yeah? 0:11:33.559 --> 0:11:34.960 When did you start doing stand up? 0:11:36.200 --> 0:11:38.080 I started in two thousand and seven? 0:11:38.679 --> 0:11:41.800 Okay, but you know I'm not good at math, So 0:11:41.840 --> 0:11:44.920 how so when is this like? In? Is this after? 0:11:45.200 --> 0:11:46.520 This is after college? 0:11:46.920 --> 0:11:49.880 Yes? Yeah? I graduated two thousand and three and moved 0:11:49.920 --> 0:11:50.600 out to LA. 0:11:51.000 --> 0:11:54.560 So you were just trying to be an actor, absolutely. 0:11:53.960 --> 0:11:55.640 And you know, back then it was just like a 0:11:55.640 --> 0:11:56.840 lot of background work. 0:11:57.200 --> 0:11:58.000 Yeah. 0:11:57.440 --> 0:12:00.400 And I also would do PA work too, So I 0:12:00.760 --> 0:12:02.680 was like, I just want to be involved in any way, 0:12:02.679 --> 0:12:05.600 shape or form. Uh, So I would do PA jobs. 0:12:06.040 --> 0:12:09.320 I worked on a lot of reality shows and I 0:12:09.360 --> 0:12:12.439 did transcribing, where I'm like typing what the actors are 0:12:12.480 --> 0:12:16.040 saying for the reality show. So I just did like 0:12:16.120 --> 0:12:17.720 every little job I can do out there. 0:12:18.120 --> 0:12:20.960 Did you did you PA for for scripted shows too? 0:12:21.720 --> 0:12:24.440 I paid No, I didn't pay for any scripted shows, 0:12:24.720 --> 0:12:27.920 music videos and reality shows, because it's like, once you 0:12:28.000 --> 0:12:30.480 get in a niche, you just keep getting hired by 0:12:30.480 --> 0:12:33.040 the same people exactly, which is why I was like, Okay, 0:12:33.160 --> 0:12:35.920 I can't. It's like I don't want to be in 0:12:36.000 --> 0:12:38.640 this this particular rat race. 0:12:39.440 --> 0:12:43.559 So are you aud So you're auditioning, You're you're you're auditioning, 0:12:43.920 --> 0:12:49.520 You're finding odd jobs and and and doing background work 0:12:49.720 --> 0:12:55.880 and uh and and PA, what made you start to 0:12:56.640 --> 0:12:59.360 want to or what made what made you get on 0:12:59.400 --> 0:13:01.360 the stage and try stand up for the first time? 0:13:02.040 --> 0:13:04.120 I think I had smoked a joint and I was 0:13:07.320 --> 0:13:09.200 but no, I was. I had been going. So my 0:13:09.240 --> 0:13:11.960 sister and I would go to the Laugh Factory and 0:13:12.120 --> 0:13:14.240 Sunday nights was the black night, so it was called 0:13:14.360 --> 0:13:19.320 Chocolate Sundays. It's still there. And we'd go like once 0:13:19.840 --> 0:13:23.200 a quarter, you know, right, and then we were like 0:13:23.400 --> 0:13:26.680 once a month, and then I started going by myself 0:13:26.960 --> 0:13:29.800 like once a week. And I had always loved George 0:13:29.800 --> 0:13:32.320 Carlin and loved stand up and stuff, but I was 0:13:32.360 --> 0:13:34.720 just like, I'm scared. That seems scary. But I looked 0:13:34.760 --> 0:13:35.920 at it. I was like, it looks like I can 0:13:35.920 --> 0:13:39.680 do it, but I'm just scared. So I just kept going. 0:13:39.720 --> 0:13:42.720 And then I joined a group that was doing a 0:13:42.720 --> 0:13:45.840 Wednesday night show at the Laugh Factory. 0:13:46.320 --> 0:13:49.959 Okay, So was it like this was improv or. 0:13:50.600 --> 0:13:53.040 Yeah, they were doing improv but also stand up in 0:13:53.080 --> 0:13:59.000 between the improv, and it was it was called Kevin Hart. 0:13:58.679 --> 0:14:00.760 Was okay, So that's. 0:14:00.640 --> 0:14:01.760 The Comedy Playground. 0:14:01.800 --> 0:14:06.480 Yeah, comedy Playground. It disbanded fairly quickly. 0:14:06.800 --> 0:14:07.640 Absolutely, yeah. 0:14:07.640 --> 0:14:11.360 It was why did disband. 0:14:11.480 --> 0:14:13.840 Because Kevin was too busy. He was like, I gotta 0:14:13.920 --> 0:14:17.640 go do every other thing. I don't have time for this. 0:14:18.679 --> 0:14:21.760 So everybody was like okay, and everyone's prolific. 0:14:21.800 --> 0:14:24.120 I heard. I heard he does a lot of projects. 0:14:24.280 --> 0:14:25.800 I've heard too. 0:14:25.760 --> 0:14:28.960 I've heard that that man okay. 0:14:28.800 --> 0:14:32.360 That man will work okay, and so yeah, So he 0:14:32.520 --> 0:14:34.960 left and everybody in the group was a stand up comic. 0:14:35.160 --> 0:14:38.240 So my one friend, Candice Thompson, was like, do you 0:14:38.280 --> 0:14:41.040 want to do open mics? And I was like okay, 0:14:41.120 --> 0:14:42.880 and we just started doing open mics together. 0:14:43.520 --> 0:14:46.240 Was she helping you? Were there people helping you write material? 0:14:46.360 --> 0:14:47.920 Or were you just writing your own material? 0:14:48.280 --> 0:14:51.320 Just writing your own material that start of stand up 0:14:51.320 --> 0:14:59.200 where you know, you're like roaches. Let's talk about roaches airplane. 0:14:59.240 --> 0:15:01.320 We all on airplane's. 0:15:03.360 --> 0:15:04.960 Is that what you're doing though? Are you trying to 0:15:05.000 --> 0:15:08.600 find a universal idea or an idea that everyone has 0:15:08.640 --> 0:15:09.640 an experience with? 0:15:10.160 --> 0:15:13.200 Absolutely, because you think about what has been funny your 0:15:13.240 --> 0:15:16.480 whole life, you know, and I think it's like, you know, 0:15:16.640 --> 0:15:18.400 I didn't have money at the time, I had an 0:15:18.400 --> 0:15:21.760 okay apartment, but you know it's like roaches. Everyone has roaches. 0:15:21.800 --> 0:15:24.800 So just trying to be as relatable as possible. 0:15:25.600 --> 0:15:30.720 Right, So you start doing open mics, how is it going? 0:15:30.880 --> 0:15:32.840 Are you finding success right away? 0:15:33.400 --> 0:15:34.560 No? Absolutely? 0:15:34.640 --> 0:15:34.720 Not? 0:15:35.280 --> 0:15:36.800 Okay, this is what I want to hear about. 0:15:37.040 --> 0:15:41.200 Oh yeah, it's the grind of first of all, paying 0:15:41.280 --> 0:15:43.280 to do an open mic. We would sometimes have to 0:15:43.360 --> 0:15:46.400 pay shout out to the Bliss Cafe. That was the 0:15:46.400 --> 0:15:50.160 one where it would be like five dollars to perform. 0:15:50.480 --> 0:15:52.000 You had pay five dollars. 0:15:52.320 --> 0:15:55.440 Yeah, you had to buy something, so oh you. 0:15:55.400 --> 0:15:58.040 Had to buy You didn't have to pay literally five dollars, 0:15:58.040 --> 0:15:59.680 but you had to buy something. 0:16:00.200 --> 0:16:02.000 Something at least five dollars worse. 0:16:07.200 --> 0:16:10.600 That's just rude. I mean, look, if you if you 0:16:11.160 --> 0:16:14.480 if you're gonna charge I mean, these are hypothetical numbers. 0:16:14.480 --> 0:16:17.440 But if you're gonna be like, Okay, we're gonna charge 0:16:17.440 --> 0:16:19.720 you one hundred dollars or we're going to charge you 0:16:20.440 --> 0:16:25.400 a thousand dollars to perform this, I understand. Five dollars 0:16:25.600 --> 0:16:28.760 it's just insult. That's just like we're just doing this 0:16:28.840 --> 0:16:32.000 to make you feel like a warm bag of shit. 0:16:32.480 --> 0:16:37.040 Yeah, I have to break your twenty so it's like 0:16:37.880 --> 0:16:40.280 and then you're getting up there and it's too absolute 0:16:40.360 --> 0:16:44.960 dead silence. I mean, every comedian knows the slog of 0:16:45.080 --> 0:16:48.120 open bicing. You're performing in front of other comedians who 0:16:48.160 --> 0:16:50.760 are just worried about their own jokes, so they're not 0:16:50.800 --> 0:16:54.480 paying attention, and I honestly think it's a step you 0:16:54.560 --> 0:16:59.200 cannot skip. You know, it really gets you used to silence, 0:17:00.360 --> 0:17:02.360 and that's a huge thing you got to get used 0:17:02.400 --> 0:17:03.600 to doing stand up. 0:17:03.880 --> 0:17:05.640 So what do you what do you? What do you do? 0:17:05.640 --> 0:17:08.680 Do you acknowledge it? Like, do you acknowledge the silence? 0:17:08.720 --> 0:17:11.280 I mean, I mean when you like back then, for sure, 0:17:11.320 --> 0:17:13.119 you'd be like, oh, none of you are listening to me, 0:17:13.200 --> 0:17:17.399 like because you're nervous. So but now I'm like, I 0:17:17.480 --> 0:17:20.080 know you're listening, but you know, but this is I'm 0:17:20.080 --> 0:17:23.720 doing professional shows now, So when people are quiet, that 0:17:23.800 --> 0:17:26.840 means they're listening. Back then, no one was listening. So 0:17:27.400 --> 0:17:30.440 it's just like you're quiet and not listening. 0:17:31.160 --> 0:17:53.439 Right. Well, things have certainly changed for you now the 0:17:53.480 --> 0:17:57.480 past few years. You've done a number of your own projects, 0:17:57.680 --> 0:18:03.160 recorded a comedy album Yell Joy, an hour long special 0:18:04.000 --> 0:18:08.960 love Joy. I get it. We're playing with the joy Joe, trying. 0:18:08.720 --> 0:18:10.600 To put some joy in the world. 0:18:10.960 --> 0:18:15.200 Uh. You've also been writing and producing these projects yourself. 0:18:15.240 --> 0:18:20.520 Now do you consider yourself now? And I know you've 0:18:20.560 --> 0:18:22.240 done some acting stuff and we can talk about that, 0:18:22.280 --> 0:18:26.320 but do you consider yourself now a writer, an actor, 0:18:27.240 --> 0:18:30.440 or a performer or in that order, I guess because 0:18:30.440 --> 0:18:32.359 you are all three. So that was a dumb question. 0:18:32.400 --> 0:18:33.800 But do you know what I'm saying, Like, where is it? 0:18:33.920 --> 0:18:34.120 Yeah? 0:18:34.240 --> 0:18:36.720 Where do you feel like your focus is? Now? 0:18:37.520 --> 0:18:40.080 Okay? So it's funny because it's like, how do I 0:18:40.160 --> 0:18:44.400 answer that question when people in certain situations, So like recently, 0:18:44.560 --> 0:18:47.040 I was filling out a form and I forget what 0:18:47.080 --> 0:18:49.960 the forum was for, but ask profession and I just 0:18:50.000 --> 0:18:54.320 put a writer because sometimes that's what's easier, because it's like, 0:18:54.400 --> 0:18:57.000 once you say you a comedian, it's like, yeah, a comedian, 0:18:57.480 --> 0:19:02.000 my favorite person is? It starts somebody I hate. Now 0:19:02.000 --> 0:19:04.080 I have to like have a conversation with you. So 0:19:04.720 --> 0:19:07.480 like if I'm being asked in a kind of situation 0:19:07.600 --> 0:19:10.240 where I don't really have to talk to somebody, I'm like, writer, 0:19:10.720 --> 0:19:14.800 I'm just a writer. But I consider myself a stand 0:19:14.840 --> 0:19:18.680 up just because stand up is so specific, right, and 0:19:19.200 --> 0:19:23.040 it was the first thing I really started to get 0:19:23.080 --> 0:19:26.240 good at, you know, And so I would say I'm 0:19:26.240 --> 0:19:29.199 a stand up and a writer because I write my 0:19:29.200 --> 0:19:33.320 own stand up who acts okay and wants to be 0:19:33.359 --> 0:19:35.800 a better actor. And wants to like, really, you know, 0:19:36.040 --> 0:19:36.919 study the craft. 0:19:37.520 --> 0:19:39.400 Yeah, it's an interesting and I don't know if it's 0:19:39.440 --> 0:19:41.920 only interesting to me. I feel like people don't get 0:19:41.920 --> 0:19:50.120 what I'm saying. But I am often referred to or 0:19:50.280 --> 0:19:56.919 introduced as a comedian, and I am not that. Like 0:19:57.080 --> 0:20:02.119 I can be a comedic actor, but I don't. I 0:20:02.160 --> 0:20:05.800 don't consider myself a comedian in any way. And I 0:20:05.840 --> 0:20:08.639 don't know why it Like it makes me feel like 0:20:08.640 --> 0:20:11.000 an impost or something, or like I'm trying to be 0:20:11.119 --> 0:20:13.800 something that I'm not. I don't know. It's it's a 0:20:13.920 --> 0:20:16.439 very complicated thing for me. But I love that you 0:20:16.560 --> 0:20:19.439 or say like that's what I like, that's what I am. 0:20:19.480 --> 0:20:22.480 I mean to me, stand up is a comedian, right, 0:20:22.560 --> 0:20:23.840 like that's yeah. 0:20:23.880 --> 0:20:27.479 I just fell in love with you, Brian, because I 0:20:27.520 --> 0:20:31.320 loved you before this. But this happens with comics where 0:20:31.440 --> 0:20:34.680 people like I don't know if you knew who Patresea 0:20:34.680 --> 0:20:35.200 and Neil. 0:20:35.560 --> 0:20:42.160 Of course, oh my god, no, I worked with him, yeah, no, no, no, no, 0:20:42.200 --> 0:20:45.400 but no no no, yeah, and in fact I saw 0:20:45.480 --> 0:20:51.520 Patrese do some open uh open mic nights uh before 0:20:51.960 --> 0:20:52.840 that we work together. 0:20:52.880 --> 0:20:55.960 But yeah, so he he was like one of my 0:20:56.520 --> 0:20:59.080 you know, just I followed him around like the last 0:20:59.119 --> 0:21:00.920 year of his life, and I moved to New York 0:21:00.960 --> 0:21:03.080 and I was just like, he'd let me open for him. 0:21:03.119 --> 0:21:05.639 A couple of times he would bully me and also 0:21:06.160 --> 0:21:09.160 just like give me advice that I would just sit 0:21:09.200 --> 0:21:11.720 there and take. And the first time I met him 0:21:12.160 --> 0:21:14.280 was back in two thousand and eight, and I was like, Hi, 0:21:14.320 --> 0:21:16.320 I'm a comedian and he was like, no, you're not. 0:21:17.200 --> 0:21:19.040 And I was like what And he goes, I'm a 0:21:19.040 --> 0:21:21.600 comedian and you and I are not the same thing. 0:21:22.400 --> 0:21:26.320 And I remember like getting my little feelings hurt. But now, 0:21:26.600 --> 0:21:29.240 you know, almost twenty years later, I'm like, I get 0:21:29.280 --> 0:21:31.359 it now. When somebody will be like, I'm a comedian, 0:21:31.440 --> 0:21:34.879 I'm like, you're not. I don't see you anywhere. You 0:21:34.920 --> 0:21:37.080 don't hang out where I hang out. Like how many 0:21:37.080 --> 0:21:39.000 shows have you done? How much have you gotten paid 0:21:39.000 --> 0:21:41.800 to do these shows? How many times have you bombed 0:21:41.800 --> 0:21:44.960 your ass off in front of your family? Like tell 0:21:45.000 --> 0:21:48.920 me what you have done to say you are a comedian, right, 0:21:49.040 --> 0:21:52.159 And when certain comedic actors they'll say comedian, I'm like, 0:21:52.440 --> 0:21:56.080 they're comedic actors. So I really appreciate that you said that, 0:21:56.119 --> 0:21:58.119 and a lot of comedians would also appreciate that you 0:21:58.119 --> 0:21:58.720 feel that way. 0:21:58.920 --> 0:22:02.119 Well, yeah, and it's a weird thing like because then 0:22:02.160 --> 0:22:04.919 it sounds I don't know which way it's pretentious, but 0:22:05.680 --> 0:22:08.119 like I never correct people because then it just seems 0:22:08.160 --> 0:22:10.600