Hi everyone, This is George with a very quick message to say that if you are listening to this episode on Tuesday, April first, that means my comedy special taping in New York is to night. I repeat tonight. The early show is sold out, but we just added some last minute ten dollars tickets for the late show. There are only ten dollars. You can find those at slipperroom dot com or at the link in my Instagram bio.
This will be the last time I do this hour until the special comes out, so you have been warned. And last but not least, there are still some tickets to Stradio Lab Live at the Bellhouse on April sixteenth. It's our first New York show in a while, featuring Sydney Washington, Natalie Rodger Lateman, and Andrea Laung Chew some Straight or Lab All Stars if you ask me, and you can find tickets to that on the Bellhouse website
or at the link in our Instagram bio. So come to my special dating tonight, Come to Stradio Lab Live aka Lesbian Lab on April sixteenth and enjoy this amazing call in show. Thank you for your calls. You can always call us. The three eight five Gay Guys Lavea.
Podcast starts now. Hello all and welcome to Stradio Lab. We are coming at you bikosally per Huge and it's just me and George today, just us. What's up.
You know, we're doing a call in show, which we normally do for Patreon, and so in my mind, I'm ready to spill all the tea. I'm ready to talk to the Patreoni stays like they are my family. I'm ready to be like, do you know what happened.
The other day? Do you know that she was being so weird to me?
But I have to remember that, you know, I have to put up my professional my profile, my professional mask. I have to take off my gesterre mask that I work for Patreon, put on my professional mask, my blazer, my tie, my Brooks Brother's crisp non iron white shirt that I got it's three for you know, three for three seventy five, and I have to get into the office. I'm on the subway. I'm getting off at Penn station.
I'm crossing the street almost getting hit by a taxi cab Allah opening montage of Delaware's products so I can get into the studio and report the news.
Quite frankly, when I'm doing a regular episode, I feel like I'm the President of the United States giving a price, feel like I'm giving a press conference. Everyone's going to be picking apart every single word. There's going to be multiple debates about like what I really meant by certain phrases, and the pressure is on in a huge way.
Whereas when we're recording Patreon, it is Madonna in the Truth or Dare documentary simulating a blowjob with a water bottle. That is what that is what Patreon episodes are. And listen, if you know, you.
Know, if you know you know, can we talk about how Madonna's like whole thing is like I'm going to simulate sex, Like she found out out one time and she was like, I'm never gonna stop simulating sex. I'm fucking crazy. I'm Madonna.
I'm never gonna stop simulating sex. I'm never gonna stop referencing Catholicism.
Okay, all right, this is an interesting timing episode.
Interesting timing, Sam, How are you feeling.
I'm feeling mixed. So we found out this week that the show I write for After Midnight on CBS is being canceled. So it was a weird week, a very weird week, and it's mostly a bummer. It's hard to talk about, but it's a big bummer because, like I do feel like the show, the group of writers was so fun and like to get a space to actually do like fun, silly, weird alt comedy and have it be like through the CBS lens was like kind of crazy. And I'm like feeling a little bit like damn, is
this ever gonna happen again? I even feel like I don't know, like the working for head regular Joe Firestone is the privilege of a lifetime, and it is like it's a bummer because I'm like, what's yeah, no one knows what's next. It's it's just a bummer. And like they're not even like they're just getting rid of the time slot now, like they're not even going to put a new show in.
Like, oh they aren't. I didn't know if that was excited. So does that mean there's going to be like a rerun of something.
There's gonna be like infomercials, like what yeah, okay, I'm logging in and buying a treadmille. It's like fully like local affiliates and whoa, it's they're just getting rid of that the twelve thirty slot.
Well, I just want to say everyone involved in that show truly did the impossible, which is take a late night show on network television that is a reboot of a previous show that was very of its time.
Let's face very of its time.
It's very difficult to reboot something like that and make
it relevant. And launched a new show in the midst of sort of like an uninspiring late night you know, ecosystem, and did it without like huge big name a list celebrities, without you know, gimmicks where Sidney Sweeney is lip syncing to Chapel Roone and really like in a very kind of like throwback way, and listed real comedians and the mix of up and comers and big names and actually like made a funny show that was funny from the beginning.
Yeah, it's such a there's just like not outlets for comedians to do this type of thing.
So I was saying before we started recording that this episode, this conversation is giving me such intense deja vus of when we recorded our Patreon app after Gawker shut down.
So for anyone.
I can't remember how much of this was talked about on a main episode versus Patreon, but from like twenty twenty one to twenty twenty three, I guess I was an editor at the reboot of Gawker that relaunched under new ownership, and then it was shut down two years later. And it's occurring to me think of the parallels the time frame the reboot, like the time frame exact, same time frame exacts. It was a reboot of something that was popular in like the twentyds and early twenty tens.
It was a job that was unlike any other job that existed in that industry. It's like, there's no other late night show that does what the sort of like old comedy thing that After Midnight did, and there's no other like website that had the like sort of like
funky sensibility that that Cocker did. It's not like either of us could then be like, Okay, great, so I'll just I'll just go to this other, you know, similar place both you know, sort of like women boss head writers that we became good friends with, like various sort of like tight knit group of co workers.
Yeah, there are a lot of similarities.
Probably similar size staff like it's and especially the timeframe too, It's like it was basically like between a year and a half and two years for both of them. Yeah, industries that are in crisis, to say the least, like this sort of halfway point between. I mean not not to invoke the word journalism, but I just mean, like there's it's it's like funny news commentary.
Yeah, it's funny news commentary.
Of the type that you know more and more is being replaced by talk and by influencers and whatever else, and listen, the world goes on. I'm not saying that I think we should freeze the state of culture in twenty thirteen and not allow people to innovate. But it's just a bygone era.
It's a bygone era. And even like it's so I don't know, like even little stuff like like just like going to the paramount law is like, well this is fun kind of totally totally like what do you mean, I'm not allowed to come here anymore.
Something people don't talk about is how when a job ends, you stop being a human person in the eyes of the entity that once gave you that job, Like it's really interest is your badge stops working, and you no longer if you actually and if you like, you know, open the door and go in, you will be arrested.
Like you are no.
Longer seen as a person in the eyes of the Paramount law.
It's so weird to the weird. This is weird because we know now the show is not coming back, and yet the show is going till mid June, and so it's like, what is the vibe going to be? Like I sort of think.
That it'll be fun, Like there's gonna be this sort of you know, we're all it's gonna be over soon anyway, So why not like take risks?
Why not throw stuff at the wall? That's the hope. I mean the classic is the Conan like last week or whatever, when he was just like spent as much money as he possibly could. There's like something too, to go in Wild, to go in Buck Wild, And I'm gonna miss the Paramount Lot. Jim. It's frozen in nineteen ninety five in a way that you it literally should be.
A historic So I didn't know you went to the gym in the Paramount Lot.
Oh of course, Well well yes, and me and Jason Ridder.
Oh my god, you know I mean, we've talked about Jason ridd but you know, I once saw him at a bar and Los Angeles, at where Rachel Pegrim hosts her show what's that place called?
Oh covell Well he that man handsome, handsome, handsome, handsome, handsome and sweet. Now that is a cutie right there, cutie pie, sweetie pie kind I got it all.
Oh perfect, sorry body, boyish face, boyish face, gorgeous, smart, talented wife. Yes, beautiful marriage is able to sort of like be publicly romantic in a way that isn't cringey.
Man of the people goes to the Paramount Lodge.
Man of the people goes to the Paramount Lodge.
Him when he could go to Equinox. Oh, I just know his as voted for Bernie Sanders. If you doubted that for even one second, fool, Yeah, no, I'm addicted to him. I'm trying to think. Oh yeah. The other thing about losing the job now is that, like the one big difference between the where the parallel stop is that I moved to La for it. That's true, And I'm sort of like, wait, what, Like I'm like having to reckon with like do I stay here? Do I leave, Like what's I'm like so confused.
People keep texting me art is Sam moving back, and I'm like, I'm giving him three days And then I'm asking I very intentionally have not asked you, Like when you told me that this was happening, I didn't immediately respond like sorry an act.
It's really a confusing thing because there's so much of LA that I feel like, like, one, it was like a lot of work to get settled here and to like figure everything out. Yeah, and now I'm like there is more to glean from this town. But also like I love New York, but there's it's it's really complicated.
I mean, there's also something about moving to LA. And by the way, for people who don't listen to the Patron, a good seventy percent of it is New York versus La.
So buckle in, bitch, bitch, I mean, this whole podcast is that's what it's about. That's what it's about.
So there is something about moving to LA that feels like graduating, Like New York is college and La is your first job totally. And so it's a very common story that you know, someone in our circle moves to LA for a job and then the job inevitably ends and they stay there. Yeah, and so I would understand
if you wanted to stay. It's complicated because I mean, we'll talk about LA a little bit in a bit, because there's a question about, you know, the sort of dreamscape of Los Angeles, California at this particular moment, but it is in such a weird place. The vibes are off in such a way that I can imagine it would be especially uh not enjoyable to be unemployed there, even if it was for a short amount of time.
Like there's something about being aimless in LA that is less romantic than being aimless in York.
Yeah, I'm like curious to see how that feels. To be honest, I've because even when we have hiatuses, I'm like either flying to New York or doing it's like feels busy. So I'm like, I'm like, I want to know that that darkness I felt in New York when I'm like, Okay, it's Tuesday and I haven't had a job in three months, Like what am I doing today? That's what I'm I'm I'm like wondering if it feels more hopeless or more hopeful here but my lease is
still August. I think the end of August, so at least i'll have Yeah, you'll definitely be there.
I'm to reflect, well, poor one out if you're listening to this, even if it's nine am, poor one out for after midnight. And I just want to say thank you to CBS for giving all comedians opportunities, even if it was and even if you couldn't find want to take over the show out of the various people that could potentially do it anyway, should we take our first call?
Okay, let's say our first call. Okay, all right.
Hi, George and Sam. I'm calling because I am currently attending library school in Los Angeles, California, and I have converted several other members of my cohort into stradio lab listeners.
Thank you.
And we were wondering, we're all queer women. We were wondering, we're on the range of gata strait. The different types of librarian information sciences people lie. So that's public librarians, academic librarians, archivists, media archivists, because it's kind of different.
Oh, in rare books people.
Yeah, Okay, thanks love you guys.
Okay, literally perfect call. So I'm just going to listen them again. Thank you librarian, academic, librarian, archivist, media archivist, rare books people.
Damn, this is hard. First of all, I want to say, it's funny to attend library school. I understand.
First of all, I love one of my favorite phrases the information sciences.
Information science is library school. That's very doctor hospital. I go to library school.
One of the most iconic things you can do is go to library school. I'm always so obsessed with people that have a master's in information science and the idea that there is a group of queer women all in library school that listen to Stradio Lab and potentially have a group chat about it where they're like what they said is so rare books coded. It fills my heart with so much joy. And I just want to tell you on this Friday, March twenty eighth, when we're recording this, that you are a star.
You are a star. We appreciate you, and you fill my mind with wonder. You know what you forget that people can go to library school and be a group of queer women in library school. I feel like when you say that, I feel like I'm like literally reading Harry Potter like, I'm like, there's magic in the world.
No, it is.
I'm so, it's literally it actually brings me hope that there is as I'm doing whatever I'm doing here and having my protein bar and a seltzer. You know, there is an alternate universe where there is literally a group of queer women that are learning so much every day about information science, about rare books, about media archiving, and at least at the end of the day we have that.
Damn. I bet their clothing swap goes crazy.
Oh my god, all right, public librarian, academic librarian, archivist, media archivist, rare book. Okay, off the bat media archivist is the gayest one.
Really. No, well, I'm tell me your reasoning. I was thinking public librarian.
Oh, you're right, Okay, maybe, well, okay, here's the thing though, lepers in society, public librarian obviously is the most kind of politically radical, you know if yes, obviously, However, think about the archetype of a public librarian. It is, you know, kind of like older lady, long skirt, funky wood based jewelry, like a little vest that has an apple with a worm coming out of it, and as much as to be clear, I would die for her.
She is straight rather than gay. That's true. If I were in the library and I were looking for a gay book, I would I would sort of be like like, I would almost be like, well, it's for school exactly.
Yeah, And I think it's like there's also something about the public librarian being the archetypal librarian, aka the default, which makes it inherently in the framework of gay versus straight that is the norm.
Doesn't mean she's bad. I'm sure she has a amazing center left politics. Totally damn Okay, I like that. So she's the straightest.
I almost think she's the straightest. Yeah, I almost think she's the straightest.
I think the librarian scale is hard because it starts at such a queer place.
I know, I know, And I'm now actually thinking maybe Rare Books is the most queer. I mean, come on, rare.
Well, it's pretentious, pretentious. It's also like knowing the B sides. It's also like putting value in something like you're like creating a you're creating like wealth within something that shouldn't have it.
Totally okay, So here's my Okay, here's my right ranking from GATA Straight rare books, media archivist, academic librarian, archivist public because I'm like, if there's media archivist, then if you're an archivist, you're being exclusionary. There is the option for media archivists, and you're just an archivist.
Are you kidding me? Wait? Okay wait, rare books, rare books is gayest. Yes, media archivist. Media archivist's next gayist.
Because media archivist is literally you have an Instagram account. Media archivist is you have an Instagram account dedicated to like Issimiaki fashion photo shoots from the nineties.
You're literally showing Julia Roberts and you like, she tore with this exactly.
Then we have academic librarian because to me, it's like which is right down the middle, and to me that is so bisexual and academic librarian you know she's into Hookoh I'm seeing like the frame glasses, like I'm seeing the little frames or even like a woman with spiked hair.
Yeah, totally. And then I have archivist. Archivist is just like put away your clothes. Yeah, it's kind of thing about archivist's.
Yeah, it's very like being interested in history in a really earnest way without wink.
Yeah, I'm an archivist, and then I.
Think last, and then I think straightest is public librariy, and just because again that's the archetype of librarian.
I think. I think that's so genius. I think you really nailed that. Thank you. And I don't disagree with any of them, and I'm glad we had a discussion because at first I needed some convincing. But you're totally right, God to be a librarian. I literally like, there's so many jobs. No, that's team. There's so many jobs where you're like, damn, like you can really just do that. Okay, next call.
And I'm calling back. It's the girl who wants to talk about sexless LA.
Sorry, I'll wrap it up.
I just wanted to you guys to expand on that if you found it intriguing to do so, on the sexist nature of LA and one, I just find it interesting. And two, I literally have not wanted to have sex since.
The day I got here five years ago. And I was in a relationship.
When I got here, so that was a problem. And now I'm newly single and have no I.
Am not inspired to go out there and pursue so uh yeah, looking to jump start and just want to know what your thoughts are.
Overall, Okay, thanks.
I do just want to say this is the second part of this caller's call, but the first part is there's no way around it three minutes long. So I it and so I just I'm playing this as a tribute to her, and the main gist of it is that she wants us to talk a little bit more about how La is sexless and Sam, you had a something you wanted to share.
I had something I wanted to share, which I'm not sure if I said. If I have said this before, you're allowed to punch me in the face if you see me. Yeahs.
If he hasn't been through enough this week, folks.
Lose his job.
Now.
Listeners are going to be chasing him trying to punch him in the face.
I there's a I in trying to like La. I was reading Joan Didion's The White Album and there's an essay in it about La that you know was written in like the seventies, and she's talking about how one there's all this stuff that feels very relevant where it's about like the town like it. The industry is failing. The industry is failing, the industry as we know it
is gone. And it's funny because that's like nineteen seventy three that she's saying this, that everyone in town is saying it, so it's just sort of an always that feeling, always always there. But then she talks about how it's at its core a gambling town where you're always like gambling on ideas and trying to get rich quick, and because like all gambling towns, it is sexless, and it's like due to its gambling nature that people are not horny for sex, they're horny for like money and success,
which I thought was cool. It really put it in perspective for me.
I wonder if the gambling thing also erodes a sense of trust, almost like there's just a general suspicion that exists in the air.
I think there's a suspicion. I think there's like a you're always sort of plotting. You're like, well, when's my next paycheck? Like, well, how what will this get me in the long run? In a way that's like you don't you shouldn't be thinking like that. You should be thinking about people's beautiful bodies totally.
Yeah, you need a baseline of comfort so that you can wake up and be horny.
Yeah, And I even think you would think that you would that people would be like, well, I'll sleep my way to the top or something like that, but it's like doesn't work. People have learned that it's better to withhold and make people want you than to like give
it up, which is so disgusting I find. For me, a big part of the sexlessness also is the car, because you in New York, you walk around, you see people, and you just inherently are like as a person, You're like that's hot, that person's hot, or like that person's serving or that. Like there's like a sexuality of just seeing people all day, and when you are in a car, you're like you are literally just like less turned on.
You just like aren't seeing people in the same capacity. Yeah, no, it's really true.
There's also okay I'm trying to say this without misspeaking, but it's like the depictions of sex within like the idea of the casting couch. Is there anything less erotic than that? Like you are literally taking imagine the most kind of like dumpy room you've ever seen.
It's like a.
Like a conference room with overhead lighting basically, and then someone is attempting to infuse sex into that. It's like there's in New York and an appropriate sexual relationship is like you're in the boardroom and everyone is in blazers and both people are powerful and they're just like so powerful that they have to fuck.
Yeah, and they're like, what's this going to do to the firm? And it's like, who fuck the firm?
The firm?
Yeah, And I feel like, yeah, there is. Sex is so entwined with like power here that it's not fun because you're always thinking like is this Because even if you're not coworkers, you're like, well, I could be, like I could be co workers with essentially anyone on the street right now, and so it's like, well, I can't fuck them because I will effuct my coworker. It's very weird.
Yeah, it's also it's interesting the way sex is by default commodified in Los Angeles and Hollywood inherently deuroticizes it.
Yeah, it's like, oh.
So you're looking at a naked man or woman or a person that's not sexy. That's a billboard, that's a movie trailer, that's.
A movie trailer. You're looking at Chris Pratt. Yeah, and you're trying to be turned on.
Yeah, no, that's not what this is about. This is about dollar signs.
Malma. I feel, yeah, I can feel it happening to me. Really, I can feel myself being less horny. Yeah. Yeah, And in a way that's like I almost have to remind myself, like, don't forget who you are. You're the guy that sexualizes everything totally. You're the guy that thinks everything so hot.
That's like how that happened to me after I got married, where I only wanted to have sex with my husband, and I had to remind myself, you're gay. Get out there and find other men.
You stupid. All right, call next.
Call Hey, George and Sam.
This is Isle in Brooklyn and I'm calling.
Someone asked me this question a few months ago, and I think about it all the time, so I wanted to see what your take on.
It was pretty simple question.
What is the most expensive emotion and what is the cheapest?
All right? Bye?
Love that past guest.
Isle shout out to Ale, what do you think?
So we talked briefly about this. First thing that came to mind is that love is the most expensive, horny is the cheapest.
Yeah, I mean, we both independently came up with love is the most expensive. It is, you know, potentially obvious answer. But of course love makes you act in irrational ways. Love makes you sacrifice things you would not otherwise sacrifice. Love is not transactional. Love can be unconditional. All these things are gonna absolutely rob you of your money, dignity, and integrity on a day to day basis.
So watch out and I would know. Yeah, I hear. Okay, Love is the album and Horney is the single.
Yeah, here's another expensive emotion. Yeah, I think maybe like resentment gnaws at you so much. You know what resentment is. It's like you think it's fast fashion, Like you think it's an easy thing, but then it's actually full of microplastics and it's slowly killing you.
Wow.
In the enviral, I actually really like that. I like that you're I think you're taking this question in a different direction than I did, but in a way that I really enjoy. Like you're thinking literally like the cost of having this emotion.
Yeah, whereas you're thinking love is so I think it's like rich, unreachable, that it would take so much to get to love. Yeah, I see it, Yeah, exactly. Whereas horny is more simple. Yeah, I think that makes sense. I'm trying to think of other cheap emotions.
I had a cheap one that I go back and forth on. Okay, yeah, okay, nostalgia. I think you're so you get like a burst of nostalgia. I think that's a cheap, cheap emotion. But okay, when it's nostalgia from smell or taste, I think that's rich. I think that's expensive. Oh interesting, when you like smell something and you're like whoa, and you're like taken back, that's that can be kind of crazy because that's like time travel. But when you're just like, god, I love the nineties, like let's watch
you know, the Simpsons, then it's a little like okay, stop. Yeah.
Maybe it's the more personal to you, Yeah, Like, the more personal to you it is, the more sophisticated it is, and the more relatable words that are, like never forget nine to eleven.
It's like, yeah, we know, honey, you wouldn't let me forget it if I tried.
Yeah I didn't. Yeah, I know one's gonna try. Don't worry, we remember, we remember.
I'm you know.
Of course, the to me a big open question here is where does hate fit into it? And to expand on that different forms of hate, like you know, sort of like low level snark or criticism. I mean criticism is not an emotion, but like you know, sort of like disgusted. Like, where do those kinds of like toxic negative emotions fit into it? Because on the one hand, they are easy to go to as a default. It's it's you know, you see something you don't like, immediately
you recoil. On the other hand, of course, if you are filled with hate, that's going to take a toll.
Well that's what I thought. Your resentment thing was very smart. Where I do think hate is similar where it's like it actually does cost the most, like m hmm, Like I think hate maybe is even more expensive than love because it like could ruin you.
Right, and maybe discussed is more cheap because it's just like eh and then you know you move on.
Yeah, okay. You ever see people that get like really lost in resentment and you're like, yeah, oh god.
Well, this is something I've been thinking a lot about because there is I think the thirties are the resentment decade. Well, I guess what it is is resentment builds in your thirties. Either it solidifies into you just being a miserable person, or you battle it and come out of the other side and you are satisfied and comfortable with who you are.
Yeah, and you put that live love poster up and you say sey lovey exactly.
And by the way, this has nothing to do with your level of success, your attractiveness. People can be the President of the United States and be filled with resentment, and people can.
Be you know, a random person.
Who is you know, does customer service at Sigma, and they can be full of love.
I loved watching that because I was like, Where's how's he going to land this? I was like, what what is the appropriate random person? And you really? You really nailed that. I think I nailed it.
Yeah, So, but I do think yeah, and maybe it's even like more thirty, you know, thirty five to forty five or something.
It's not exactly thirties, But do you know what I mean, it's I do. It's a time when you just slightly only because I don't want to poke holes in your theory. I mostly like it. And this podcast is about agreeing,
of course, but I'm just from personal experience. I feel like in I knew people that were so much more resentful in their twenties, really because maybe because they were like it was like stand up, and it was like everyone had this idea of like trying to make it before thirty or something, which is a false premise obviously, and you kind of have to be turn thirty to
realize that. But a lot of people I could feel like in late twenties people get like clawing and being so upset and so jealous and so angry, and then in your thirties it's almost like the last scene in Mean Girls where all the girls are like, actually we like each other and we don't really care that much. So I think it depends either way. Resentment.
It's like, you got to move past it. If you're feeling resentful.
This is a wake up call.
Literally, it's not like it's not good, it's not sustainable. It will not give you anything you are looking for. You have to move past it.
You have to move past it, and you can still be critical. Yeah, oh my god, George and I are such haters. Oh my god, we hate everything, but we hate everything with love. That's okay.
Next high sam on George, It's Heidi. This is actually my second time calling fun exciting.
Love it.
I have two questions. I'll just do the first one super super quick because I thought it would be fun and it's more so for George. So my family and I are going on a super awesome spring break vacation to greet which I'm so pumped about. And I was like, Oh, that's fun. It's George's old stumping grounds. So I was like, George, do you have any you know, recommendations, If you will, we're going to creat and appen, so pretty touristy but very exciting.
Yeah.
So that's the first question. Thanks George, and seconds for both of you, this is the most important one. So me and my two long distance bessies love this pod. We talked about it quite frequently.
And we just really like when you guys are friends, and we like when other people are friends, you know, just like cast members of TV shows.
You were big into Broadway, so like Broadway cast, just like we like when other people hang out and we enjoy it and it's fun. So we wanted to know, since you guys are not only podcasts coworkers but also friends, what do you guys like to do together outside of the pod that feels like different or you know, when you just hang out, what what do you like to do? Yeah, keep doing what you're doing. We love the pod and by me I mean me and my friends.
Okay, anyway, love you.
Bye.
Shout out, shout out. That was sweet. That was very sweet.
I'm gonna do a very very quick round of like things off the top of my head that I did in Athens last time I was there.
That might be helpful.
So Athens is I think I've talked about this before, but it has been undergoing this like depending on your point of view, renaissance or gentrification nightmare for the last like five to six years. There was a moment during the financial collapse when you know, it was you know, the prevailing idea was that the city was in crisis and it needed to and like new businesses weren't opening and the obviously the economy wasn't going well whatever, and
then it became sort of like berlinified. Like I've told you about how my grandmother's neighborhood, which was like a middle class neighborhood she has a one bedroom apartment, has now become like the Bushwick of Athens, and she leaves her apartment, and it's literally all like expats, people on their laptops, like people wearing sort of like head to toe kind of.
Like club club.
She's just sort of like okay, like going to the farmer's market, and so it is. Honestly, people ask me all the time for Athens recommendations, and I don't know what to say because it is such a different place than it was when I lived there, when I was also like a teenager. So this latest time, I really tried to get a bunch of recommendations for people because I wanted to know, like, which of these new businesses
are worth it. The answer is not all of them, but I did want to shout out that this one restaurant called Pharaoh, like a like an Egyptian pharaoh.
I went to. It was so good.
It's just like updated Greek classics. But you got to make a reservation ahead of time. Sam, when you visit will go together. I had the absolute time of my life, great wine lists, really good you know, sort of like shareable small plates. I was in absolute heaven that entire neighborhood.
He has become very like Williamsburg ified in a way that is honestly pretty alarming because when I was in high school, that's literally where the anarchists would hang out and it would be like, that's all the protests where that's where a lot of the like sort of like memorable news stories of protesters clashing with the police happened there.
And now you go and it's literally like a record store that's run by like a chill guy with the mohawk, and then the people in it are like Italian tourists.
It's very strange.
Wo.
So, but that restaurant, I have to say, if you want to go somewhere that's not a traditional tavarana, which you should also go to, and it's something a little more contemporary, I would recommend. Another place I had a store I went to is this store called It's a Shirt and they sell shirts and it's this like really cool gal whose dad worked in the garment industry in Greece.
So then she is like taking sort of like fabrics that because she, you know, fabrics that her father would use potentially and making these like super cool like Japanese cut like cool shirts.
Wow.
And they are much cheaper than the equivalent thing would be if you went to like Hopenhagen or something.
It's a shirt. It's a shirt. Shout out to it's a shirt.
And the final thing I will say is people don't know this, but one of the best things you can do in Athens and in Greece in general over the summer is go to an open air cinema. So they have these open air cinemas. Imagine like a giant screen with just like you know, chairs and the little bar and stuff, and the ones in the center of Athens. You can literally look at the Parthenon behind the screen of the movie that you're seeing.
So you can go and watch.
Like they'll do like a Hitchcock retrospective or something, and you can go watch like a classic movie and then the Parthenon is right behind that. And oftentimes people people will go to Greece and people I think would be in the know about these kinds of things, and they don't know that that's an option.
So that is my big recommendation. Beautiful recommendations, George.
Those are my three, Thank you. And the second question was what do we do as friends?
We party bitch, bitch, We party bitch. We're out on the town.
What I mean, we like, we go to Maxwitter's house, We.
Go we go to people's houses, or we go to dinner and we get drinks and potentially if George isn't tired, we go out. That's right.
Yeah, And you know what, I you know what I think in my own life has been a change since the pandemic.
I used to do more like weekend friend trips. Oh yeah for you.
Twenty twenty, I was I was getting like an Airbnb upstate with four chicas. That was not an like a something that was out of the ordinary for me.
Really, I didn't start really getting into that lifestyle till till after pandemic.
Interesting, I don't know what it is now. I think it's a mix. Obviously, everyone's busier, but also everyone's like taste level has gone up, and suddenly it's not enough to just like go to airbnb dot com and click the first one and just be like, yeah, we'll figure
it out. Everyone suddenly wants to make reservations. Everyone wants to have like a specific hike planned, which I get, but it is it makes things more difficult than when you are, you know, twenty five years old and are just like excited to be out of the city.
I that was such a scary there's so many moments in one's life when you realize like there's been grown growing up and I always always am like the last one to know. And that was a real one when people were like, well, no, I want the I want a nice house. Yeah, like I want a chic house. And I was like, but we're just like sleeping there and listening to music and like having drinks, Like why does it matter?
Yeah, but you know that if you if something was below your standards, you would also speak out.
Yeah, my standards were pretty low though, but don't you think they're higher now? Yeah? I think they're higher now. They are. I'm learning, but I feel like I'm I'm like sad that I'm learning total where I'm like, of course, like there.
Was a freedom of not caring in the threshold to be satisfied as higher.
That sucks.
Yeah, you wake up every day in the default is you're like, Okay, someone better impressed me.
Today, even like caring about one's apartment, Like no, as soon as there was like a moment when it was like suddenly we care about our apartments and I like fun, I know, like it happened all of a sudden, and it used to just be like, no, it's amazing, I can pay rent, and now it's like, no, you have to have a place that's nice.
I know.
And then you wake up one day and you're like, wait, so you've been collecting artisanal knickknacks from your travels since you were twenty two. Yeah, you're not just sort of going to West Elm.
It's interesting. It's it's interesting, and I'm like, it's fun. I think there's a certain level of like competition can and can be helpful and motivating, but it's also a little scary. It was the moment was scary when I was like, oh, fuck, I have to catch up. I know.
It's interesting to grow up consuming media about the urban, petite bourgeoisi a. La Woody, Allen, et cetera, and have it be so foreign and then suddenly, whether you like it or not, And honestly, no matter your income level, you're sort of just agento having those values.
You best start believing in love with deep BOUGEOISI.
You're in.
Okay, next call.
Hey, they're calling in for the second time from my northern New Jersey number.
Shout out.
I have a really important question. Do you think that with Chapel and all of us knowing what her personality is now, I wanted to see what your thoughts are and the revisitation of the Lizzo's past of it all, like is she cool?
Is she not?
How do we feel?
Thanks? First of all, shout out to northern New Jersey phone number. I don't know why, but.
Because it's the same. I commented that this caller has the same area code that my house did in New Jersey.
Oh okay, fun, I want to say thank you for bringing back Lizo's Pass. I've been thinking about it a lot. It was recently mentioned on an episode of Keep It, which I was really excited about by Louis Ertell Yeah. So, for those who don't know, Lizo's Pass is the moment when a rising pop star gets so big it has to decide which way to go. In Litzo's pass, do you go towards Pitchfork and stay cool forever or do
you go towards Target and make songs for commercials? And I find I think Chapel is still at Lisso's pass. I think she is delaying her decision by releasing singles only. I think we won't know because I think good luck Babe was very okay, she's gonna be Pitchfork. She's like cool, Yeah, like this is cool. And then the new one, the giver is like good, I like it, but I'm like, but it could go either way, and I'm like a little bit and it's like, yeah, I think it's cool.
It's like about like, you know, giving an orgasm. That's like fun, but it's still like I don't know. So I think the album is really gonna we can't call. It's too early to call. We need a full album before we can say.
Do you think going country is a way to delay Lozzo's pass.
One hundred percent because you can't both say anything about it?
Yeah, country is for the Pitchfork crowd. Country is alternative in its own way, and then for the target crowd. Country like it's for the target crowd. Country is like comforting, but also to be country and alt is scary.
Yeah, you can.
You basically are having your cake and eating it too. It's called the Casey bus Graves effect.
I'm like, I'm very curious because at this point she's like trying on all these new sounds and styles where I'm sort of like, okay, what is your sound? In style, like it's it almost feels like look over here, look over your look over here, and I'm like, wait, I'm I'm like, I'm I'm surrounded by smoke. I can't tell where you are or what your deal is. Yeah.
Do you think Pink was ever at Lozzo's Pass or.
She just started out Target? I think she started out Target.
So you think even her early R and B hip hop phase was just destined for Target.
It was still on the radio and it was still in the commercials. Yeah, I mean, one thing that is I think one thing that's happening to Chapel is that she's at Lizo's Pass, but the wind is blowing really hard and it's like snowing, and it's like forcing her to put like it's trying to make her go towards Target. Really, because I really believe because every song, I'm like more passionate about this than I've ever been about anything my whole life, because she every song is in a commercial now.
And I know it's because the brands are like, she's cool enough but popular enough that we can look cool and in on it. But it's every commercial has a Chapel song. So the wind and the snow. She's going, I want to go towards Pitchfork, and she's like, but the snow is too high. I have to go towards Target. It's so I think the odds are against her, but I hope that she can survive Lizo's pass. Yeah, she also.
Hasn't been claimed by either party because I think at this point the Pitchfork, the Pitchfork eistas are skeptical of her, and certainly the Target Mom's candlebuyers are skeptical of her.
And so she is.
It's like she's on top of the charts, but while balancing on a tiny needle, like if one thing goes wrong, she could be done forever.
And I also think that's why she's doing the singles thing, to be like like sort of soft change the narrative and like let people be like, Okay, I'm calm about her now. Now she can really sny album.
She was on call her Daddy another way that you can delay Lizzo's pass.
What is called her Daddy's like space in the culture right now, no one knows. I'm so deeply confused and I'm like trying to figure out. Even watching the clips of that, I was like am I insane, Like it's so bizarre. So that's how I feel about it all. Okay, how do you how do you feel about Chapel at this stage?
No, I think you are absolutely right that she's delaying Lizzo's pass. I have to say, I'm I'm pro Chapel, like I'm just sort of like it. But it took me longer than you to get there in the beginning. I think because the first song of hers I heard, I played, I press played the album and the first song was phenomenomenomenon, and honestly, I was like, get this off my screen.
I was so upset.
People had been telling me to check out Chapel roone for so long. I press play that song and I and I was wrong. I just want to admit I was wrong, But there was something about it that felt so rue Paul that then I had to come back to it a few months later and realize, actually, this is an incredible album which everyone agrees with. And since then, I've loved her performances. I think she's fun. I think she's a fun figure. I like that she's provocative and controversial.
I like that sometimes she's a little embarrassing. She's young. I like that she's speaking her mind. Everyone is so you know, poll tested these days that I say go.
Off, I say go off, I say go off.
I'm trying to think of other people who are at Lizzo's pass right now. I mean, do you think Twiggs has I do think Twigs chose Pitchfork and and that's Twigs chose Pitchfork.
I think Sabrina Carpenter is all started. Is target is target yea, yeah, she's targeted. Tate McCrae is targed at Lizzo's past, but she's targeted.
She was never Pitchfork to begin with. Ever, no one, no Pitchfork person was on her side. Yeah you know what I noticed? Actually what? And it pains me to say this because my dream is for Lucy Dacas to be the special guest at Lesbian Lab.
Oh my god, I haven't even told you this.
I don't have a I don't have a contact or anything, but I I just have this dream that will do Lesbio Lab. And then at the end she comes out and performs I Kissed a Girl.
Lucy. If you if you hear this Bellhouse.
On April sixteen, sixteen, and I just want to let you know, Lucy, I got and this is a true story. I got my husband concert tickets to your show for his birthday.
He's a huge fan.
We can't wait to see you at Radio City and hopefully we'll see you at the Bell House. But what I wanted to say is that Lucy Dacas and the Boy Genius girls were definitely at Lizzo's pass. Yeah, and I think Phoebe Bridges. It's sort of like the jury's out. But something I noticed today is that Pitchfork herself gave Lucy Dacas a six point one on her new album.
Which, in a sense is choosing to go Pitchfork totally, Like there's something about that where it's like, Okay, you're staying small.
On the other hand, so Lindsey and Bobby pointed this out on Hoo Weekly. There was literally a People magazine exclusive about Lucy Dacas, and I'm like, hold on, a few years ago, we weren't getting People magazine exclusives about members of Boy Genius, So Lucy, I think at any point, and her tour tickets, I gotta say, shout out to Live Nation. Much more expensive than I thought they would be.
Really, I thought I could.
Potentially add a few more elements to my birthday gift.
So I do think.
That there's been a breakthrough with with Boy Genius, and I think they're much more mainstream than we think. That album did really really well.
That's true. That's true.
So I think if Lucy are you saying, I'm saying Lucy, I definitely think she's still at the pass, but I think she could snap her damn fingers and go target at any point.
Interesting.
Interesting, interesting because she is relatable in this way. She's fun on videos, she's very millennial, she's very like, you know, does a video for Conde Nast Digital and talks about going to therapy.
M What do you think about heim? I, oh god, that is a really good question. I kind of think it tastefully as tastefully as like very successfully. They've still chosen Pitchfork.
I agree, they've definitely still chosen Pitchfork, and that's cool. They're almost they're a twenty four.
Basically, they're a twenty FeH. That's literally what they are. Fuck Okay, okay, all.
Right, Hi Sama, George random, but I'm on a big George Michael kick.
So that's huge for.
Me right now.
And I just had to know, for you George as a gay man of Greek experience, and for you Sam as a gay man of not Greek experience.
What does George Michael.
Mean to you?
What are your favorite songs? Yeah, anything George Michael related love.
Yeah, he means everything to me.
Yeah.
I used to die for George. You go first, I mean you, he was your post post nuptial song in a fun way, in an amazing way. I had this.
Idea that I wanted the song when we walked on the islet, the song was going to be earnest, but then at the end, when we kissed, the song was going to be like fun and poppy, and my initial my initial idea, of course, was Madonna's Ray of Light, which would be iconic, Which would have been iconic, but we ended up going with uh with.
George Michael's Freedom.
Not the most original choice, but it was like so fun, everyone got into it.
I would say it's pretty original, to be honest.
I mean, it's just like I just mean in terms of his in terms of his uber it's like one of his.
Oh top three songs.
But that and I'll tell you why, And I think I've maybe even said the story on the podcast. I was at this big Pride party last summer. It was all you know, electronic, uh, sort of house music okay, and no lyrics, no references to any pop music. And then at some point, at like two am, the beat breaks into the chorus of Freedom and it was this like incredible moment where everyone was so it was though, you know, we had all like taken mushrooms at the
same time or something. It was just like and every it was almost like the results of an election had just come in and they were positive. I cannot, you know, and so I am That really inspired me. I was just like, this song has a power that is unlike other pop music.
Wow, that's amazing.
Of course, it means a lot to me that he's gang Greek, he's so hot, he's such a sex symbol.
It it's important to remember that.
In terms of like our sexual politics and in terms of queer stuff, we're not moving in a straight line. Like to me, George Michael was so much more cool and like fun than so many of the things that are that are happening now.
I really I think about the thing all the time where he was when he was arrested for cruising yeah, and he was like, not ashamed at all. And he's like, what is my culture is like the quote he said, and I was like, that's true. Like I'm actually it's so funny the way that I like, when I was younger, I did not understand that, And now I'm like, no, it should be illegal for guys to get arrested for cruising. That's literally what we do. That's like, it's a time
honor tradition. That's sort of our thanksgiving.
If you will, I will say, I as much as I love George Michael, I really only know the hits. I'm I'm not a sort of completist. I'm not listening to album's top to bottom, you know, I like everyone else, I rediscovered Father Figure because a baby girl. I love adding some George Michael to a party playlist, But I'm not, you know, I'm not listening to B sides. Do you have favorite songs that are sort of out of the off the beaten path?
Not really, I mean the hits are hits for a reason. I have listened to, like what is the one with Father Figure on it? What's it called Faith?
That was Faith, which also has the famous song Faith, but it has.
Faith on it. I have that one on vinyl and I've listened to it a good amount and it's I mean, there's a lot of like weird shit on there, like which is a fun thing about listening to an album like that. But it's like it's fun. But yeah, the hits are the hits are the hits, like you just you feel it?
Yeah, I mean, he has he has it, he has it. I was George Michael for Halloween, some may recall. Many are talking about that. So that's our relationship with George Michael. Yeah, okay, all right, final call.
Oh and what perfect timing. Such a well timed episode. Meanwhile, I've never received more texts in my life. Everyone needs a call now.
Hi, Simon, George. I'm calling in with an advice question. I'm going to a straight wedding in a couple of months. There are going to be very few gay people there, maybe in the single digits, and it's a pretty conservative religious wedding and it's going to be in the wedding party. So my question is, what are the gayest things I should do without getting myself kicked out of the family? All right, love y'all thinks bye?
Well, this is a perfect call. Of course. Of course, I think this is such a you know, time on or tradition of being the gay guy at a traditional straight wedding, And it's sort of like traveling to like a small town where you know, yes, you are literally not going to see as many gay people, but it's like with but it's also kind of fun because you get to like open up any app you want and
see the most random guys on earth. I think I have no greater pleasure than like being in like, you know, random parts of Minnesota and opening up the apps because it's sort of like a time machine. Like you see people that are like, I'm literally married to a woman, and you're like that is really amazing. Yeah, that is so cool, and I'm like, I didn't know we still had you.
I also am like, take a little take a little thirst trap with your suit in the bathroom. Unbutton literally unbutton your fly. Get a little pub in there, get a little pub in there, take a photo. We're talking close friends, directly to close friends. Maybe a little a little comment that's like at a religious wedding.
Lol, some nudes.
The fire emojis are gonna start coming.
At you fast.
There is something about being actually far away from the people you are courting or making horny or flirting with. That makes it so much more erotic than actually having the opportunity to meet them in person.
This is so true. What a smart thing to say, because you literally there's no risk. It can just be flirty without any follow through. That's genius.
Actually, one of the worst things that could happen to someone is when you think that's what's happening and then the other person's like, want to come over, and it's like, no, I know, I am doing something very very specific here, and if you can't tell, like, that's on you.
But I am such a I'm such a I'll be right there type bitch. Oh really, I am like, I'm like the I'm ordering the car right now. It is.
It takes a lot to get me out of the house if I don't think that's what's happening with that night.
Well, no, horniness is a disease. No, it is a disease, I will say.
On the other side of things, if I'm out, it's very easy for someone to convince me to stay out. Like I had an experience recently where I was like, I'm leaving and ended up going to three other locations on a weekday.
Wow, that's awesome, I think. Also, I mean I think you may be surprised. And I think if there are any other gay people there, I think it could be really really fun to flirt and even have something happen, because it'll feel so secretive, it'll feel so illegal, and even if they're like not your normal type or whatever, it's like, this is awesome. There's something evil about it. And also, here's one.
Of the gayest things you can do at this wedding. Show up looking absolutely snatched as hell, get a martini, sit in a corner by yourself, watching everyone kind of judgmentally drinking the martini. If I like, you are gonna be the talk of the town. People are gonna be like, is that Truman Capoti.
Literally and complain about the food.
Oh yeah, definitely complain about the First of all, when I say order a martini, send it back immediately.
Say I asked for a dry, as.
For a dry and this glass is not cold. Can you please chill the glass? This is my number, text me when it's ready. That, I would say, more so than hooking up with someone. While of course that also sounds like a lovely thing to do. I would say that is the gayest thing you can do at a really straight religious space.
I have to agree. I have to have to have to agree. I'm trying to think if there's anything else that's like, you know, it's it's like if you can like squeeze in like sort of a half sex story to like someone's grandma, that could be huge too. Ooh that's good. Yeah, yeah, Like even like some innuendo, like if you can be like no bottoming, No, that's something you endo if you can fully be like no bottoming for me tonight, like Grandma, Like, guess.
What, no bottoming for me tonight? Because of this dry ass salmon that was served at this stupid ass wedding. The hell where is this ship from some landlocked country that doesn't grow its own salmon?
Yeah, that's a great idea.
Kill two birds with one snown you you tell your ornie, you alienate grandma and you and you insult the food.
That's what being LGBTQ plus is all about.
Oh yeah, no, I think you're gonna And also I just want to say, you know, there's a temptation when you're in a straight space to be like, I'm not gonna care about my parents. I'm just gonna show up and fit in. Resist that temptation is tempt This is.
When you want to try to look.
You want to show these people what their lives are missing.
Yeah, and really really yeah, really you need to serve, You need to serve. Folks.
You've been calling, You've been I'm deploying you.
We're deploying you. Yeah, well that's pretty fun. Yeah, those were some fun calls. Those are some fun calls. Thanks everyone for calling. Sorry, if we didn't get to your call.
You can always call us at three eight five.
Gay guys.
Uh, we should mention this is, in fact the second part of a two part call in show. The first part was on patrenal Name. It's already happened, and honestly, there was a very juicy call on it that I think I would personally pay five dollars a month to listen to.
And I think we're gonna you know, we're sort of doing call in shows intermittently and at random. Yeah, whenever we feel like it, which I think is so cool. I agree. I'm glad we're not scheduled.
I'm also like, are we officially breaking the earnestness, non earnestness binary. I think, so we're being half earnest, half not earnest at any given point, I could, you know, sling a joke that would be worthy of Anthony Jesselnick. But I could also retreat into a more kind of introverted, vulnerable state and talk about my mother.
I think, I think get you a podcast host who can do both. We are we contain moltitudes now, that's right, outwardly and inwardley now more than ever, what with everything going on.
So, whether you're in library school or celibate in Los Angeles or at a straight wedding offending a grandmother by talking about how you got fisted at the big party.
We love you.
You are always welcome in the lab and come to Lesbio Lab on April sixteenth.
At the Bellhouse. Come to Lesbian Lab on April sixteenth and LRP after midnight. That's right, Bye.
Bye podcast and now want more, Subscribe to our Patreon for two extra episodes a month, discord access and more by heading to patreon dot com slash Stradio Lab.
And for all our visual earners, free full length video episodes are available on our YouTube. Now get Back to Work. Stradia Lab is a production by Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network and iHeart Podcasts.
Created and hosted by George Severies and Sam Taggart.
Executive produced by Will Ferrell, Han Soni and Olivia Aguilar, co produced by Bei Wang, edited and engineered by Adam Avalos. Artwork by Michael Failes and Matt Grugg. Theme music by Ben Kling.