1 00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: You can play ahead. I'm Buzznight, the host of the 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk podcast. Follow us at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 3 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts. I want to give 4 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: a shout out to a couple of our loyal Taken 5 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: a Walk listeners, Alicia, who works at Papers Grill and 6 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:29,639 Speaker 1: Bedford mass Thanks for listening. Alicia and Joe Venuti, the 7 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: legendary owner of Bedford Farms ice Cream and Bedford mass 8 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:39,559 Speaker 1: and conquered Massachusetts. Thanks Joe for everything today. We're virtual. 9 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: As most of you know, we take a walk the 10 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 1: majority of the time in person, but opportunities open up 11 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 1: that we just don't want to pass up. Our guest 12 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:54,319 Speaker 1: is comedian Tom Poppa, the brilliant creator of the new 13 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 1: Netflix special Tom Papa, What a Day, which he filmed 14 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: at the iconic wilbri Theater, Austin. His other critically acclaimed 15 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: specials include Human Mule, Freaked Out and Tom Papa Live 16 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: in New York City, two of which were directed by 17 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 1: musician Rob Zombie. Let's welcome Tom Papa to Taking a Walk. Tom, 18 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 1: How are you? Good Bye? How are you excellent? Congratulations 19 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: on the outstanding new Netflix special. It's awesome You got 20 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:32,400 Speaker 1: me in some hot water with my wife though. So well, 21 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: we were watching it and you brought up in your 22 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:41,679 Speaker 1: own lovely style, how snoring of a spouse can be 23 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: problematic and disrupt your sleep, and apparently I laughed way 24 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 1: too hard. All right, Well, look I got in trouble too, 25 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: So we're in the same boat. Yeah, when did you 26 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: first meet your wife? I met my wife twenty four 27 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: years ago in New York. We but the funny thing 28 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: was we met in New York. She was a comedian 29 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: and we met and she was going home for Thanksgiving 30 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:10,079 Speaker 1: and she said, I said, what town are you going? 31 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:11,639 Speaker 1: Where do you go? Where do you live? Because you 32 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 1: don't know it. It's a small town in New Jersey. 33 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 1: I was like, come on and just tell me. She said, 34 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: park Ridge, and I said, oh, did you miss Conway 35 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: for kindergarten? And we actually had the same kindergarten teacher. 36 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: I moved in third grade, but we were a year 37 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: apart and never met until we were adults in New York. 38 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,519 Speaker 1: We had the same summer jobs, we had the same everything. 39 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: So it just felt like it felt a little like destiny. 40 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: Well you had that slick opening line, right, Yeah, I 41 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 1: didn't come on, when are you ever going to use 42 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: that line? Who did you have in kindergarten? Now, the 43 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: fact that she is a comedian that probably gives you 44 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: a little latitude with some of the comments that you 45 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: probably make around the house, doesn't it? It does? It does? 46 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:00,920 Speaker 1: She knows, she knows there's a real life and that 47 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 1: there's a comedy life, and you know, she gets annoyed 48 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: sometimes when her friends don't realize what's real and what's not. 49 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: She is to have to take it sometime. But yeah, 50 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: but she has got a great sense of humor. That's 51 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: why we're married. So you worked on some of your 52 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: past specials with one Rob Zombie. How did the meeting 53 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: of that mind occur? Yeah, a lot of people are 54 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: surprised that Rob Zombie and I work together, But he's 55 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: a lot nerdier and I'm a lot cooler than anyone 56 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: would imagine. We had a mutual friend who was an 57 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: actress in the House of a Thousand Corpses, and when 58 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 1: they were getting married, they invited Rob and myself to 59 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: the wedding. And you know, when ever you go to 60 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: a destination wedding, you need like somebody to hang out 61 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: with so you can mock the wedding when you're hanging 62 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: out during weekend, Rob with the guy and we just 63 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: became we just became really good friends. And we worked 64 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: on a couple of specials together and an animated movie together, 65 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: and He's just I always wanted my specials to be special. 66 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: I wanted them to feel like film. You know. I figured, 67 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: they're giving us this money, Let's enjoy it, and let's like, 68 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:22,480 Speaker 1: I'm not going to roll out in the T shirt 69 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,840 Speaker 1: and against the brick wall. Let's make these really fun 70 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: to watch and a big event. And to have a 71 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 1: filmmaker do it is definitely the way to go. I 72 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:36,599 Speaker 1: used him, and then my last two I used Greg Jacobs, 73 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 1: who was part of the Sodaberg camp. He made. The 74 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 1: last thing he directed was was Magic Mike, and my 75 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: special is probably a little sexier than Magic Mic, but 76 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 1: he was on board. But back to Rob, I'm thinking 77 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: you are a born headbanger though, is that true? I 78 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: like all music. I think I wouldn't. I wouldn't say 79 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:02,720 Speaker 1: natural headbanger. But I did grow up in New Jersey, 80 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: so some of it just kind of like falls on 81 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 1: you by mistake. Now being from New Jersey, does that 82 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:16,599 Speaker 1: foster the ability to be a comic just naturally, just 83 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: because you're from New Jersey. Yes, it does. You know, 84 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: when I was a kid, I noticed like everybody was 85 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: making jokes about New Jersey. I was like, why, why 86 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: are we the punchline? And then you quickly realize, oh, yeah, 87 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: we're kind of ridiculous. Once your family takes you out 88 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 1: of state for one trip and you come back, you're like, oh, 89 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 1: I get it. So you have to have a good 90 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 1: sense of humor about yourself if you're going to live 91 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: in New Jersey, and that helps being a comedian for sure. Hey, 92 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 1: it is the best pizza in the world, though, don't 93 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: you think, Oh? For yes, absolutely. I mean I'm in 94 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:57,839 Speaker 1: New York right now and we're going out to see 95 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:00,720 Speaker 1: some family in New Jersey this afternoon, and I didn't 96 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: even eat any pizza while I was in Manhattan. I'm like, 97 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: I'm waiting till we go across the river and get 98 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: back in New Jersey. Even like the dumpiest places are 99 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:14,160 Speaker 1: better than anything I've ever had in LA. I think 100 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: there's one Pete and Eldes. Does that sound familiar? No, 101 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 1: I don't know that one. Do you know where there's 102 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 1: so many. There's so many, it's just unbelievable. You've had 103 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: the opportunity to work with Jerry Seinfeld. What was the 104 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: first time that you ever met up with Jerry? Jerry 105 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:36,719 Speaker 1: came back to the stand up clubs after his show 106 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: was done, like in ninety nine, two thousand and this 107 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 1: one week I was on stage two nights in a 108 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 1: row when he came into the club. He was just 109 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 1: kind of checking out the scene again and I saw 110 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: him through the glass, so I made sure I showed 111 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:56,720 Speaker 1: him all my best material. And when I came off, 112 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: he called me over and said, you're really funny, and 113 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:04,240 Speaker 1: I grabbed onto his coattails and never let go. What's 114 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 1: it like working closely with him? I mean, do you 115 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 1: just buy osmosis kind of take in his work ethic. Yeah, 116 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: that's a great observation. That's exactly what happened. I've been 117 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 1: people asking me what was the biggest break of my career? 118 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: Really was meeting him. For that reason, I just learned 119 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: how to be a comedian. I learned how to enjoy 120 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: being a comedian. I learned how to he thought really 121 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: as a craft, that's something that you could work at 122 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: and write and get better at and that's the way 123 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 1: that I like to work, and just watching how he 124 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 1: really really treats comedy in it, it was really in 125 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 1: a high regard and feels like we're blessed to be 126 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: able to do it, so let's not waste our time, 127 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 1: and let's get everything out of it. Do we kind 128 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: of put everything we have into it? And I just 129 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 1: got that from offstage and on just I was lucky 130 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: enough to go on the road and tour with him 131 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 1: on his first couple of tours and it was just 132 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: the best. It really just stepped me in the absolute 133 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 1: right direction. And do you write every day? Are you 134 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:18,239 Speaker 1: so disciplined about your comedy? Are you writing every day? Yeah, 135 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: I'm always writing something. Some days are longer than others, 136 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: but there's very rarely a day where something isn't being 137 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:29,880 Speaker 1: written in some regard. I really I love it. I mean, 138 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: that's the greatest part is that if I can sit 139 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:36,679 Speaker 1: down and come up with an idea and write it 140 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:38,760 Speaker 1: and it's just like in my little thought, and then 141 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 1: I bring it on the stage and realize, oh, we're 142 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:44,680 Speaker 1: all thinking this, We're all we're all annoyed by the 143 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 1: guy talking on his cell phone with his speaker in 144 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 1: the middle of a restaurant. Oh okay, I'm not so alone. 145 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: It's such a it's like mining for aggravations. And you 146 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: have a book coming out, We're All in This Together, right, Yeah, 147 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 1: it's my third book. It's called We're All in This Together, 148 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: So make some room, and it's going to come out 149 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: in June. I believe that's outstanding. I can't wait for that. 150 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 1: How about some of the other folks along the way 151 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 1: besides Jerry that have influenced you? There? Tom, Oh wow, 152 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: there's so many. You know. It's funny about comedy is 153 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:26,080 Speaker 1: that these people that influence you really become your friends, 154 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 1: which is such a great, a great thing. You know, 155 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 1: Like when I was starting out, I had no idea 156 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:36,880 Speaker 1: that like I would want baby friends with like Colin 157 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 1: Quinn and Ray Romano and Ryan Reagan and Cassley Madigan 158 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:45,200 Speaker 1: and all these great people. They're just I just I 159 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: love comedians so much. They're just very They're just so 160 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 1: honest and there's no real They only talk to you 161 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: if they're really interested and they really want to make 162 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: you laugh, and it's just it's just a blessing. When 163 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 1: I started out, though, it was when I was a 164 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: kid like just getting the idea. It was George Carlin 165 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 1: and Steve Martin, well, thanks for the joy that you 166 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:09,640 Speaker 1: give all of us, and congratulations on the latest special 167 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,200 Speaker 1: and good luck on the upcoming newest book, tom Oh, 168 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 1: You're the best. Thank you very much. Joy was great 169 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: talking to Aham. Taking a Walk with Buzznight is available 170 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:24,359 Speaker 1: on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.