Okay, podcast starts. Now, what is up everyone around the globe. You're listening to Stradia Lab and I have a story to tell. Georgia. Are you prepared for my story?
I am so prepared. You have no idea.
Because I have been sitting on the story in such an insane way. You know. We went to San Francisco, and I said.
We have talked multiple times in multiple cities, both virtually and in person, and you keep being like, I went to Palm Springs and I'm like, how was it? And you're like, nu, huh huh.
I've been like, I'll tell you when the cameras are on. Okay, So, first of all, Palm Springs kind of sucks. Can we start there? So I went to one of those like nude gay resorts. It was called Indulge, which is obviously so embarrassing whenever you say it. I didn't choose the place. Let's just start. I didn't choose it.
I have a question, is this a p is it called in an Indulge?
Like?
Correct? Wow?
And I'm glad you could hear me pronounce it that way.
You know, of course, what I would have done taken it once the further in bulge.
Whoa, you know, I think you're right. But the problem is, I think with it being clothing optional, you know, the bulges an't always there because they're always wearing painting suits. Maybe in balls.
Oh that's good anyway.
So everyone there is elderly. It's sort of a world for grandparents, grandpa's in particular, to go to uh. And I wasn't. I was. I'm rarely in a space where I am the youngest by two generations, and this was
the case here. So first of all, it's just like you're sitting around the pool and you're naked, and you're only hearing conversations about taxes and credit card points and condo renovations, and like to hear this guy being well, we sold our condo in Saint Louis and then we bought a condo in Florida, but the taxes were horrible
in Saint Louis. So but if we do the return right, and he can go on for hours about this fucking condo in these taxes, and it was driving me insane in a way where I was like, please, like be lecherous, like why aren't you like trying to have sex with someone?
It was disgusting. But then the real thing that was funny to me is like, so we were there with a friend and we went out that night and we came back and we're all like going in the pool and we were sort of drunk and being crazy and we were like taking turns carrying each other like babies. So we were.
Sorry, were you with a big group?
It was like this particular night, there's just one person I'm friends with from New York, okay, and we were all carrying each other like baby is ha ha ha ha ha. And then there was this one like fifty five year old, like sort of stiff businessman who uh like you know, just kind of talked like this. And we were like, oh, let's bring him into the fun. And I went up to this man and I was like, do you want to be baby? And he was like yes.
So that I carried this random fifty five year old man naked around the pool as if he was baby, and I literally think he's like never had so much fun in his life.
Oh my god. Wait, so then did he sort of like loosen up?
I think he loosened up. He was like having fun, and I think to swim. I was swimming him around the pool, like, baby, it was where?
Was it sexual?
Non sexually?
Was he there with a partner?
No, he was there. I mean he might have wanted to have sex, to be honest.
But wow, so you are fully teasing this poor introverted, single bachelor businessman who is there. He's like, all I want is like some hot young guy with a mustache to like, come and be my you know, be my one final my one final swing before I finally die of old age. And then you come up to him, you say, oh, do you want to be baby? He he he here my balls. And then he's like, finally my dreams are coming true. You take him up, you
humiliate him in front of everyone. You're literally doing like a humiliation ritual, even in front of your drunk New York, cool New York friends, and you put him down and say that's enough, grandpa, and then you go to your room.
No, I think he had the time of his life. And I really made me be like damn, it was an amazing feeling of like gay guys are so crazy, like the fact that I'm essentially picking up my dad like like this is so weird, and and like to hold a naked man in the water is so like what are we doing? Like it's literally like, what is this? I was blown away by the whole experience and the old The next day I woke up and I was like half then to see him again and just be
like hi, like and he was like hi. It was really really more intimate than if we had hooked up.
Oh yes I would. I would say picking someone up, swimming around with him and then putting him back down is one hundred percent more intimate than hooking up.
So you know, anybody out there, if you're ever out of pool and really want to shake things up, start carrying people like baby.
I think you'll have a last It's very sweet. Yeah, so I want to go on vacation. You deserve it, but don't I literally deserve it.
I will say, we need to talk. The pr around Palm Springs is too good, Like this place is flop.
Yeah.
I've always sort of suspected that it's so weird and people are like, oh, it's just like West Coast Fire Island.
No, it's not.
What are you talking about? Do you hear yourself? It makes no sense.
It has always rereaked of desperation to me. I'm sorry.
To say, yeah, it's just not right. And it's like, so you're in a pool, like there also have all these rules about being really quiet, Like so all the music is really quiet everywhere you go, and everyone's like like if you're in a house, they'll call the police on you if your music is like audible from the other houses. It's like, what is this.
Here's what I think about Palm Springs. I sort of think pomp Springs. It's like, what if Debaucher's gay men became wasps in Connecticut. Like it's like the ethos is very uh, sort of nimby, but then you are, but then you are in a gay destination with palm trees, which makes it worse because I'm like, well, if I'm gonna be wasp nimbi, uh, you know, woman named Carol and her mother Muffy, Like, at least let's be in Connecticut. Let's have like a dry steak, you know, let's go
all the way. But if you're gonna, you know, tease me with the promise of sexual debauchery and the pool and picking people up, then at least, like, let's go there.
I was genuinely surprised at how unsexual the whole place was I've never been in a place like catered to gay men. That was this unsexual, Like I'm actually kind of blown away by it, and something's in the air there.
Yeah, Well, did you ultimately have a good time?
It was fine. Ultimately it was fine. I read my book, you know, I learned a lot about taxes.
Are you still reading? Uh?
Still? I mean it was a damn week ago.
Wait, you're reading uh didion? Or no?
No? No, no, no, I'm reading our dear friend Dan dea Dario's book.
Oh oh that's right, then, I take back the still did you finish it?
No?
Oh, my goal.
I have a job, George, I have a job. Speaking of job, oh job, let's being our guest. We have the same job, but not right now, but not right now.
Wow, is such a good introw.
Please him to the podcast. Kyler Higgley.
Hello, great transition, guys. That was really seamless. That was one of the most beautiful stories I've ever heard. Thank you also as your coworker, It's so funny, dude, know that you were just sort of babying a man.
I saw the harassing a coworker. The story of you, of what you.
God we're not coworkers currently right this moment, right because I'm allowed to say that.
Yeah, now we can say whatever we want. Yeah, it's no, it's it's inspiring, I would say. And I I also feel like every time I see you outside of work, I see a whole different side of you. You're a different guy. Yeah, in and out of work.
It's definitely severing spot.
I need to I need to know what Sam is like at an office job. It has always been because I get peaks of it, you know, because obviously Sam and I will be in that contract negotiation room, we'll be talking to we'll be talking to bookers, we'll be on on calls together, and I get a peak of it. But I want to know what it's like at the water coool.
It's it's very much like I feel like Sam will never fully tell you exactly what you like. Really feel like there's there's a certain wall that's up that I can tell that you're in a little bit of a business mode, where like, I know you're going to now go home and you know, carry around a fifty year old man in the water like baby, But if you're at work, you're not like this guy likes doing baby with people.
Yeah, no, that's true. I don't even think about the wall, but it's definitely it is. It's there.
I feel it, probably because I sit next to you or sat next to you and I felt the wall. And we have a lot of fun and we riff and whatever.
But like you do have a yeah, you also have if you don't mind me saying, sometimes Sam will get panic in his eyes. Yeah, okay, do you know what I mean, Skyler.
Yes, there's a No, I've seen the panic. We've like sometime through things.
Yeah, it's like if and I actually I also have a very bad poker face. So this is in no way I'm not criticizing it. But sometimes if it's like a social situation that is a little bit awkward or it's unclear what the next step in an interaction is, I'll look at Sam and he'll will truly look like you know, Daniel Khalulia and get out.
Yeah this is my Sam dismount for any conversation that's awkward.
Well, you know that's true. I've adopted Selave.
Oh yeah, a lot.
Yeah, it's pretty awesome. Yeah. Do you think you have a wall at work? No?
I think I have too little of a wall at work. I feel like I'm too much of just like whatever I think I get. So I think I could be a little bit more profound. I feel like I'm so like amped up in like whatever, and I don't care what I say to whoever, and then I feel like that will get me in trouble.
Yeah, I think it's good, though it loosens everybody else.
Up right, But that's the That's the other thing is because I know that everybody is sort of projecting this like, oh, we're in a work environment thing. Oh and there's famous people around, so I have to like try to be cool. And I feel just generally this whole like apparatus that we're in, be it Hollywood or industry or whatever, it like forces you to sort of just be fake in certain ways. And I just want to be like, hey, everybody,
like we're you know, we're chilling. I'll say things in meetings that people are like, I can't believe you said that in the meeting, and I'm like, well, what like we were thinking it. We don't care. I don't what's the problem we are. I'm a comedy writer, you know what you hired me for.
I'm always like doing math of like should I speak up, Like is it like worth it to speak up about this thing I disagree with? And then usually I'm like, no.
You're right. I mean, yeah, I don't have that calculus, and I just kind of say whatever, and I should be a lot better about just, you know, guarding myself because you never know who really hates you.
Yeah, but M say lovey.
There's a sort of currentcy like when I'm at a non When I have a non comedy job, like you know, an office job, the best thing you can be is like the funny one, the class clown named that office. But when you have a comedy job, it's almost like the way to say yourself apart as being the professional one. And everyone's like wow, he's like really like put together in this like sea of clowns.
It's true.
That's actually I feel like I'm I every writing job that I've had, it's sort of like I'm actually much more rewarded when I act normal because people are like grateful that someone is being the adult in the room, whereas when I have a non comedy job, everyone's like, George is crazy. He changed the slack avatar to Amelia Perez.
Oh you know, those slack bits really hit with you know, office talk.
About a straight topic. Actually, this is something I need
to really like go along on. Yeah, but slack bits like when someone says one mildly thing on a slack, mildly funny thing on a slack and then it is a full forty five minutes of people just posting cry laughing emoji and then like one like tiny yes, and it's like someone will be like, ugh, lunch ran long today, and then someone will be like what is this Italy And then someone's like, oh my god, Mama Mia, and then someone is like missus signor, and then everyone is
just like commenting with like Italian flags and like crying laughing emoji. And then everyone at the end of the week has a meeting where they're like, what were the best things that happened this week? And someone's like, well, when George said that thing about Italy, that was so great for morale, and everyone's like, you know, we should maybe do an Italy themed birthday for Marcia, whose birthday
is next week. And everyone's like, oh my god, that's such a good IDEA Italian fla, Italian fla crying emojic crying emoji.
Yeah. I when I worked in the Onion, we had slack and I did this thing where I changed my avatar to the CEO who we all hated, Jim Spamfeller. I'll say it publicly, we all hated him.
Oh my god, the worst.
He's a really bad guy. I changed my profile picture to him, and like my name to his, and I would just like start dming people that they were fired and even would check in my freak. I'm just like and people are like, you can't be cause they you know, your boss is for everybody out there who uses slack, your bosses can see it. People probably know that, and they're like, you could get in trouble for this, And then I'm like, yeah, but there's no way anybody really
cares that much. And also if I do whatever, I kind of have that feel because it's like my aspiration is to not ever have a job, even though I always want money, but like, oh yeah, freedom sounds so awful.
Yeah.
I think the secret is consistency. I think if you're like, if your sort of thing is that you know, you like doing like trollish slack bits and everything, people like get used to that and then they're like, oh, that's classic Skyler. The issue is if Sam or I one day wake up and do that right without having set the expectations that like that's our vibe.
It would simply not go. Well, I'm not I cannot do a prank in any way, shape or form. Wow, which is weird. There's almost a part of me now where I'm like, I do see.
The jo it's fun. It's fun if you don't, if you're not like genuinely Also, people have to know that you have a good heart about it and it comes from a good place and you're not like really gonna hurt anybody's feelings. So there's a lot like I don't consider myself a prank guy, quote unquote, but I do like introducing chaos to what could otherwise be monotony.
Yeah, no, I get that.
Yeah, you also want to project a little bit of fear around you, a little bit, just so people aren't entirely sure what you're gonna do or say you.
Heard it here first, folks.
Project that's my advice anybody who's trying to break into the industry.
Make people fear you fear. I do think.
I think my version of that is like in a social setting, I will suddenly say something incredibly like biting about a mutual friend, just like I'll just be like, we love that she's always struck me as pretty stupid, and then everyone will be like really taken.
Aback, Yeah, yeah, it's tough. I'm actually not thinking about the wall again, and I'm like, I'm surprised because like when I'm in a like non comedy job, the wall is crazy. Like I almost go into those and be like, how can I like literally not let them know a single thing about me? Like almost like a challenge.
It's true. No, it's true. I mean at a non comedy job, I will do minimal work and not care about anything, and I don't care if you like me or not, Like it's I'm not enjoying my time. And so I like will be like, well, whatever, I'm a I'm a bad employee here because this means absolutely nothing. I worked this shipping job where they were like it was all just numbers and I was data refining like severance, and I was like, oh, I don't I have I don't care at all. How could you make me care
about this? This is just a waste of everybody's time.
I've had two jobs where I was closeted at because I was like, well, what if they just don't need to know.
When when you say closeted, you are you actively talking about like having a girl friend or just not mentioned not.
Talking about anything about it. Yeah, and like so one of them was like the moving job. I was at this moving company that a lot of comedians in New York work at, and like but like comedians that don't know me, like you know what I mean, right, and so, and it was like either comedians or like psychopaths, and they were all like real horny, straight guys like like and like always being like nice, like wait, not just.
About what like if they're moving.
Like an ass walking by, Yeah, okay.
It'll be like look at that fucking ass. It's so crazy actually, because yeah, I am there. I just don't get why we need to sure you notice an ass. I don't get why it needs to be communicated about in such a way as is sort of absurd to me.
No, the moving vibe, it was obviously it's like a little it's very homo erotic because they're all getting each other horny and being like I was fucking this girl last night, and it was like fucking awesome, and like this is like.
You need to expand this character.
There's like the Glitterists and the Labia Majora and the Manora. We all the parts, every part was working everything of a straight guy.
Oh the Labia Minora. Yeah, dude.
But they would literally do it all the time because it was like the only way to pass the day. It was like, I guess we could make each other horny by like, well.
Here's the other thing, though, is that actually, among a group of straight movers, I think talking about women is actually one of the few things that can connect everyone, because what are you gonna do, Like, you don't want to bring up politics, you don't want to bring up like what you're doing outside of work, you want to bring up your family life. So I think it's actually like it's like the equivalent of gay guys talking about top forty music or.
Like yeah, drag race or something, or yes, I.
Actually drag race is too close to politics. Even I would say.
Yeah, well, it did feel like Okay, I'm like in their space and I don't want to be like I'm actually gay, right, so I'd just be like yeah, look at that, be like yeah, was.
There any ever, Was there ever any like hint of anybody being like, hey, you don't seem to call out the asses like we do.
There was never a call out like that because I also was like very quiet and weird. Because I was also a bad mover, Like it's not something I'm good at, it's not in my skill set. I was always like I can't lift really heavy things. I was like, I can run. I'll run the stairs, like there's cardio. Does that help? And then so I was like doing this. I would bring the boxes up the stairs. I was like, my my deal. But like they I treat I was
like very much like the dumb, weird boy. Okay, so it was okay that I was quiet.
They were like, I don't know what's going on with him. Yeah, that guy does stairs and he doesn't like.
Ass essentially, and then it was always kind of hind is Actually being quiet is one of the biggest kept secrets. Like I used to think that being quiet would make people think I was weird or something. When you just get used to someone being quiet, you're like, oh, he's the quiet one.
Yeah, it's kind of awesome to be the quiet.
One and you can go unnoticed so easily, Like it's so much better than trying to fit in.
Also, when you're quiet, because my partner's very quiet in social situations or can be, everybody gets to like project their own thing onto you and will be like, oh my god, that's sounds such a nice guy. He's just so twiet and he you know, he likes birds and you know he he grew up in Maine. It's just like they'll just make up shit about you. Yeah, and it's just like I haven't said any of this. You just like filled what you assumed I was for no reason.
Yeah.
Also, I used to think my default used to be like, oh someone's being quiet, they must be boring or have nothing to say. I don't know, especially being in spaces where in New York or whatever, where people are also like dressed well and look cool. Like if someone like that is being quiet, then I'm immediately like, oh, they think I'm stupid, Like they they actually are so cool and sophisticated that they have nothing to say to me
because I'm such loser. So if you just like go in quiet and smoldering, maybe with a nice jacket, you're set.
I always have to say, try to do that, and I feel like it doesn't track like I'm Sometimes I try to go like, oh, if I'm in a situation where I feel uncomfortable or whatever, I try to go like, I'll just be quiet and then I'll seem cool, and I feel like it's not working and everybody can just tell I'm like uncomfortable.
I'm not going.
Enough, you know what I mean, Like I haven't crossed the threshold where I'm like, oh, people are just gonna think I'm cool if I'm just not talking. But I think everybody's detecting that I'm feeling social anxiety.
Yeah, I think you know. One thing that I was surprised with about you is I feel like you're in like life and and at work you're very You're like you're talking a lot, you're big, And then I actually think on stage you get like you do kind of do like the cool quiet Oh wow.
Interesting, I feel like I'm I honestly it changes night tonight. But well because on stage sometimes I'm like, oh, I'm just like really tired because it will be the end of the day. But like, yeah, I can play big and small on stag. It just depends on the stage. I guess because I was in Chicago over the weekend a laugh actory, I was screaming, you know really yeah, so it helps it's a big room.
Oh my god, there is nothing better than than going big on, like if it's not your default, like sometimes you're like, oh, this is my night. I'm really going to become like you know Rory Scovell, right, like I'm just going to start screaming.
Well, it's like, George, I love when you go into accents or something like, I'm like, yeah, I love it a character George.
Oh yeah, when I oh my god, yeah, I think Also, Sam, what you're I think the time that you saw me to a said it was literally two people in the audience. Was that the only time I feel like in person, I believe. I think it was just a two persons the only time and we were and I was just like, oh, I have nothing for.
These Well that was a nightmare.
Yeah, so I think that's what it was. I was like, Oh, I don't really have I think that I'm always like exactly what the energy of the crowd is. So if they're well, you're a mirror, I'm a mirror.
I that we did a show where there were only two people.
Yeah, it's fun really like actually two people.
Like actually two people. And it was actually one of those things where I was like fuck this, Like I was so mad and it was like a Sunday night.
Did you think they were maybe going to cant because I get so angry when people don't cancel show.
I was so I was like, clearly this is canceled, this, canceled this, and they were like, let's start whoo And I was like, what year is it? What? How how far we've come? And yet this is still happening sort.
Of sort of back down to earth in a it's such a humbling city.
La, such a humbling city, Like I'm not a big deal.
But you know what though, that what you realize is like that never ends. Like I have been on shows with literal celebrities, you know that are like dropping in or something, and they will perform in front of seven people. It's and that actually is liberating to be like this is not This doesn't mean I'm a loser. It just means I'm part I'm in community with you know, Jenny Garoppolo.
Right, It means that the whole this whole community and everything that we do is for loser.
Exactly, yes, exactly exactly.
Well, I even I mean even our show. Sometimes I see people come on that I'm like, you're like very successful, yeah, and now we're making you do this yeah.
Oh yeah, And it's just like yeah, crawl on the floor and bark like a dog and eat this like slop from the ground. You know, fucking whoever is the most famous person?
And I like say, I feel that way about literally actors doing press, Like you're you're telling me Meryl Streep still has to do a round table.
This is actually something that I've been thinking about a lot lately, the idea that now if you if you used to want to be famous, you'd have to go on a show with a guy who was on cocaine and he'd be a big band there and blah blah blah, and you talk about your thing and you maybe do a little bit or whatever. And now it's like, oh, you want your movie to have press, you better eat hot wings with the like you have to. It's all this like crazy bullshit that nobody care. You're like, are
you gonna talk about the role at all? How did you prepare? How do you get into character? It's like no, like I'm gonna throw hot wings at you and you have to eat. It's insane.
No, I actually think it's one of the ways that like comedy has one, but in a bad way. Every single thing now is like retweet retweet, like everything is comedy. Everything is like a sketch or a bit.
And even on top of that, alt comedy has one.
Yes, old comedy has one, because you know, guess what's completely all comedy making Viola Davis eat hot wings like that? Is it the idea that she that that anyone has to do that?
Well, it's it's of a larger, greater issue where every like even you know, not to get too serious, but like culture itself are pology takes itself, all of it like nothing's taking itself seriously anymore. This whole country is just like, yeah, we're just a big joke, doesn't matter. Who cares said that doesn't matter. It's like, well, no, you can't be you can't be comedy. We can be comedy. We can't have everything be comedy because then nothing matters at all.
It's everything's irony pilled I, Georgia, are you watching the season of drag Race? Yes, I want to explain so There's this queen right now named Joella and she is like really really not doing well, and but she is so so confident and she keeps to literally tell other girls of their face like I hope you're not lipsticking against me because I'm gonna fucking beat your ass and like, but meanwhile, she's like can barely like dance or turn
or whatever. Like she told girls their talent was bad, but she did like the most basic like I'm the queen I snatched the crown song you've ever heard, and so I've like she makes me feel a rage that is like unhealthy. And but I've been like going to Reddit to be like, Okay, let's see, let's see what other people are saying, can't do that, And people are like, finally TV is back. What finally reality shows are reality ing again? And I'm like, not everything's a bit oh right.
They're just like, oh, well, it's bad and it's good and I like that it's bad.
Yeah, it's bad and it's crazy and it's good TV. And I'm like, it's not good TV, Like I mean in the sense it's like comedic, but it's like these girls work their whole fucking lives to get here. This is like their big moment. I don't know. It bums me out in a weird way. I don't know. They have that distance, like they're not real housewives. They're like trying to do something.
They're trying to do. Wonder if it's like, is our only form of resistance to be the most humorless version of ourselves. It's like, if everything is a joke, then is the most radical thing you can do to like wear a black turtleneck and a scarf and walk into a room and be like, well, I thought that was absolute, you know, I thought that production of the Seagull was middle brow direk.
Well, like, then you'll be Jeremy Strong and yeah.
But no, because Jeremy Strong, it becomes a meme.
That's it, Jeremy that you can't you can't.
Yes, yeah, it like goes into the comedy machine and you're just spat out and you're a joke again.
Yeah, either either you're in control of the joke or you're not. Like it's yeah, it's really it's it's fucked up.
It's really impossible.
Because it's like because the way even like the literal like evil people that we have seen in the news lately, we're like, are still just like, well, haha, it's ironic. I don't know. I don't know. I was being random.
It's like, yeah, what is that?
No, And and it's one thing to make those jokes in public and to be like, okay, I'm trying to you know, trying to get my reposts for the day, but it actually has now I've internalized that mode so much that I can't watch the inauguration without being like Millennia slaying with that hat.
Yeah, exactly.
It's not like I'm thinking, oh god, everything is so depressing, how do I make it funny? And then I like spit out some joke. It's like my default mode is chicken chop date.
Right, It's like I'm not even internalizing anything emotionally. Yeah, But then it's also then you feel then I feel like a deep emptiness inside of me. And then and then it's like, well, what am I then going to like, as you said, be serious, because that nobody likes that. Everybody's like that's so annoying. And then everybody will be like, well, that person thinks they're so self important and pretentious, and I don't want that either, and I'm just trying to live.
Man.
Wait, this is okay, this is exactly I'm realized. I'm being the quiet kid on social media. Like I'm literally I'm like being quiet, yeah, because I'm like, this is this is too much like like everyone being super ironic and like gay guy about like serious things and everyone being like really sincere about serious things. I'm like, both are wrong? Right?
How do you do both?
Yeah, I'll be quiet.
I'm gonna start. I'm gonna take a video of myself rolling my eyes and then saying shut up and just posted whenever I see anything on social media.
Like you, George. I know we can't necessarily get into it, but you had a screed this week that was so juicy.
What was my screed?
When you posted about like everyone sharing misinformation.
And oh god, moment of weakness.
It was so good. Actually, I was glad.
I want everyone to know I am on the verge of posting a screen every moment of my life.
I am.
I am in manifesto mode and everyone is lucky that I have some level of self control and I only do it once a year.
George, I feel.
You so much, man, everything No, Like it's crazy how I feel like a like you know, like a guy and like the basement watching everyone and be like a voiceover of American Cycle or something and just being.
Like these people walking around me like don't know anything. Like that's how I feel every day.
You always have to be like, let me ask you, do you feel unknowable to your fellow man?
Yes?
Yeah, and guess what they are unknoble to me?
Mmm.
I'm literally like how you see you interact with someone in real life and you're like we're friends, I've known you forever, blah blah, and then it's like, wait a minute, you fel for you know, like what the essentially what is the equivalent of like a viral post. That's like if I post this, I don't grant Mark Zuckerberg so to my face, and this is happening just like on a daily basis, and I just have to like scroll past that and be like, hey, like want to get
a drink later. Meanwhile, I know that this person is a complete moron.
Right, oh god, But then just stay engaged with it because I have, you know, we have internet job, and I also am just addicted to Twitter and stuff. To stay engaged with it. You go, well, this is bad for me, so I should be off of it. And then also you go, yeah, it's bad whatever on an individual level, but this is what is happening with everybody. So what am I supposed to do? Just be like, oh, well I don't engage with that. I don't care whatever.
It's like, Well, it doesn't matter whether you do or don't. Culture is still like devolving anyway, and you can just be not aware of it and you're still going down that toilet train. Man, I am so fun to hang out with, such a fun conversation.
It's awesome, George. I just have to say the sentence where you were like, you're in your thirties, like you are not young enough to like be stupid and you're not old enough to be stupid about the Internet, Like.
Well I did say sorry, I do stand by this. I'm like, no, if you're in your if you're like let's say twenty seven through forty, okay, you are like at this point you should know how the media ecosystem works, Like you are not eighteen who like you know, is like grew up with it, you know, grew up with it and doesn't know any different and can't remember newspapers and you're also not like a boomer who is confused by it all because it's so new, Like, how how
have you not developed media literacy? How do you literally see? I mean like a post that is and a not the one that I sent you Sam, that's like about the air quality in LA And it's a post that is an anonymous text message where someone is saying lung doctors I know are saying you should do this, like lung doctors. You are someone with a bachelor's degree.
Lung doctors, you know. And the way that this image like deteriorated as it got screenshotted in share and it's.
Like, what are we doing? Yeah, that was fucking crazy. One time my friend shared a post the same thing that was one of these you know, that sort of holistic to alt right pipeline that's like, oh, we're so the rfk's of he's the king of these people.
Yeah.
My friends one time shared a post that, uh was like things that they that hurt your body that they like don't want you to know about, and it was just like, you know, uh, prescription medications, Uh, you know, fast food is like a long list of actual stuff and then in like sort of close to the bottom
of the list. One of them was legitimately feminism was one of the things, and this is this was a feminist person that like it, believes like just shared it and I replied being like feminism WT Like what the fuck? She was like, Oh, I didn't read the whole thing.
And I'm like, oh my god, and I love I.
Love her very much, but I'm also like, what are you?
What is going on?
We gotta do better.
This is cut. Well, here's the Okay, we do need to I want to do our first segment. I want to get into your topic. But yeah, one last thing I want to say. I was talking to Sam about this, Like, I think a lot of this boils down to people thinking everything needs to be done publicly. It's like you can read something and then not also tell everyone you read it. We read things all the time. I consume things all the time. I consume TV shows, books, articles, whatever.
Just because you read something doesn't mean you then have to repost it, right, Yeah, if you're a little unsure about it, just take a beat.
Take a beat.
There is this idea that like something is more legitimate or real if it's done in public, whether it's reading, learning, having a conversation like shouting at a friend. It's just like it's fine to not ever to not have everything be.
In public, right, I mean, and obviously like it makes it less legitimate, right because it's like, yes, well you're also performing it.
Yeah, I'm right exactly.
Oh well we took down culture. Wow, that was easy.
We fixed it.
That was awesome.
That's what we do.
See you in twenty twenty eight.
Okay, let's sar our first segment, Scyla. Our first segment is called Straight Shooters, and in this segment, we're going to ask you a serious of rapid fire questions to gage your familiarity with and complicity in straight culture. It's baically this thing or this other thing. And the only rule is you can't ask a single follow up question or we will post about it.
Okay, I agree to your terms.
Okay, Skyler a novella or a Nobella Peace Prize, Nobella Pie.
Guitar Hero or Inbox zero Guitar Hero.
Okay, y'all you guys, folks or comrades.
Comrades, the US open or the UPS is closed.
UPS is closed. Luca Guadanino or San Pellegrino.
San pellogrino, because I don't know what the first one was.
Oh wow, let's return to we're returning to this. Yeah, circle back.
French kiss or the stench of piss French kiss?
Wow, Okay, sipping lacroix, or kissing a boy, kissing a boy? There you go.
My book is out in paperback. Or my tooth is full of dental plaque.
Oh god, my tooth is full of dental plaque.
Wow.
Yeah.
Well, we rate our guests on a skill of one to one thousand doves. And I think there was a real confidence. And it's your first time on the podcast, and and yet you were considering, you weren't just guessing blindly. I'm gonna go nine hundred and twelve duves.
Wow.
Nice. Almost nine to eleven.
Damn.
I know you would have really.
Liked I really would have loved it. It was nine to eleven. But that's okay. No, it's like one more. It's like the day after.
So he loves nine to eleven, Georgia. I don't know that.
Is this like to say more?
I love nine eleven? I was you know, I was in the tower.
He was in the towers.
Oh that's fun.
Yeah, he loves it. It's oh, let's spread that that I was in the tower. Yeah, yeah, I could. I could probably tour off that.
Who was that one guy who's the comedian Steve Steve?
Yeah yeah, I don't know why he said. I would have just kept at that point.
Oh keep it up. No one's back checking.
I mean he's he's eating away at and whatever I have a question about.
I can't.
I can't ask questions about the game.
Yeah.
Now, well, I feel like I got like blade runnered, like where I got intake form? Was this uh psychological yes test?
Yeah, that's exactly what it is. It's sort of a test.
It's a test. It's sort of like only we know what your answers say about you. We would never make that public. That would be against hippa. Okay, but it's you know, it's sort of uh, you can't if you think too hard about it, then you can't trust the results anymore. It's like hitting your knee with that little thing that the doctor has and then testing your reflexes.
Yeah. So if I feel like it was like a yeah, a deep peek into my subconscious, but will never truly know what it means because it can't be translated into note words that humans understand.
No correct, but people, people will see, people will see something in you.
You guys are doing big work here.
I'll say that, thank you. Should we get into.
The topic, George, I would, I would adore that.
So, Skyler, you texted me this morning two topics, and I don't know which one you've landed on or if there's a secret third one that you've changed your mind had gone to. But I would love to hear what your topic is.
Okay, here's a secret third one that it's speaking to me. The most hometown pride.
Ooh, I love that hometown pride and what speaks to you as straight about that?
I think that the idea of a great feeling about your hometown or like a strong hometown pride, it feels so for lack of a better term, normy pilled where you don't have anything else to build your pride or identity off of, or if it's like a big portion of your identity that's not from one of these cities that already have a big amount of pride, the Chicago, New York whatever I'm talking like anywhere else, it feels like very like a lot of people I think myself
included have certain traumas directly associated with where they're from, because it can be some like whatever place, and I feel hometown pride is just this like thing that sort of means nothing and also feels a little like jingoistic a little, and so it just feels very straight. It just feels very like I have not actually made that much analysis of why I feel the way I feel, and I just am gonna be into fucking you know wherever. Oh I'm from Boston, Okay.
Okay, Yeah, there is something where it like very quickly turns to anger or something that really defensive.
Yeaheah, you're not. I mean, obviously, people in big cities also have pride. I'm not saying if you're in New York or you don't say, like, I'm from New York. But but there's something about the hometown pride of smaller places that is like you are ready to fight.
Right, Yeah, George, where are you from? Where'd you grow up?
So I mostly it's I mostly grew up in Greece, but then I spent seven years or like six and a half years in America in New Jersey and a very sort of like middle of the road suburbia in New Jersey, and so hometop ride was always very interesting to me because in my mind, I was like, Okay, well, the years I spent in New Jersey, that could have
literally been anywhere, like it had no defining elements. And then when we moved back to Greece when I was in high school, and that was genuinely such a big difference in my life, and I was speaking a different language, and I was so aware of like my Greek heritage everywhere, and it's drilled into you that we came from the ancient Greeks and like modern democracy was invented in Greece and blah blah blah. And so it was so shocking to me when I moved back to America to see
people be proud of Wisconsin. No offense, but I was just like, wait, But to me, I would never think of if my two hometowns are Greece and New Jersey, Like New Jersey was just sort of like a waiting room, right, you know what I mean?
No, exactly, It's well, and that's also you know, there's ethnic identity and ancient history involved in that and all of.
This and by the way, being proud of being from Greece is also reactionary and also quasi racist if done the wrong way. Like I'm not saying sure, like literally being proud of like Greek statues and like the Adonis is you know, it's it's skip hopping a way to
being all right, Like right, I get that. But there's something about like, Okay, let's think of this one thing that I that is a completely random fact about myself that it just so happened that this is where my parents gave birth to me and have that be the number one thing about myself. That's almost like it's almost like giving up before you can even make an effort to do something right.
Yeah, and you're Sam, You're from Misser. I moved around a lot, Okay, Michigan, like Virginia, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio.
Oh okay, so just Midwest generally.
Yeah, I'm mid West generally with a little bit of Southern.
Do you feel pride?
Never? Because I moved so much that it was always like everywhere I went, people would be like, well, this is how we do things, and I was like not everywhere, Like I like had too much, you know for a small town in Indiana, I had too much global knowledge right where I was like, well, I've seen a place with a mall in Virginia, and actually they like there are whole new stories you haven't even heard of.
Right, everybody who lives in a place, they do think that that place is that They're like it's the best mall, like oh, we have the local joint, like, uh, Freddie's. Oh my god, the food at Freddie's the best to sauce you've ever tasted. You go, there's a million Freddy's and you don't even know.
I think also the moving Skyler is like part of the wall where I like would go and be like because I was sort of taught like when you move, you are wrong, like they are right, because you'll be like that's not really how things work, and it's like no, no, no, they are right. You are joining their town. So I would be like sh like be quiet until you figure what's going on, and then just sort of be like, yes, I also love to go to that coffee shop right
like after school or whatever. Like there was something about like they are always in the right, the customer is always right.
Right.
I also think it's like I know that people who you know move somewhere as adults and then pretend they're from there get a bad rap, like it would be like me pretending I'm like a New Yorker and wearing and being like so hometown pride on nine to eleven. Yeah, obviously, However, I actually think there's something too having hometown pride for a place you actively chose to live in, because it
says more about your personality. Like I remember, after moving around as a kid, the first place I as an adult was the Bay Area, which I have no like personal connection to, but I did feel like it was where I made my first like sort of chosen community is where I had my first like I really felt
kind of like an ownership over the neighborhood. I lived in the places that I frequent in, the people that I knew, and so I felt like I was If I would ever were ever to, like, let's say, root for a sports team or something, I would much I would be much more likely to root for like a San Francisco based team than like a New Jersey based one, because that was just where my parents happened to live at the time. I was like happy to live in
San Francisco. I chose it, and I liked it, so obviously I'm like more happy.
You're saying biological family versus chosen family.
Yes, biological city and chosen city. I feel the same way about Chicago. I grew up in Salt Lake City. I moved to Chicago. I have way way more pride for Chicago than I would of Salt Lake City because that,
I mean cultural differences aside. I still I chose here, and I moved here at twenty and I became a person in this city, and it feels like a much more real city where people are sort of intended to live and try to be their own person, where like where I grew up is just like this is what is So it's the most this is what we do here city of anywhere in the United States.
I would say, yeah, you're also pointing to an important thing, which is like the idea of having hometown pride is almost like saying that was the real me there, and so like that's it's like that those are my roots, That's what I'm proud of. Whereas I'm like, no, this is the real me. I've worked very hard to pass as like normal in New York, Like you know what, you know.
What I think it is too. I think it's also like the same thing of being like, well, I'm a Saveris and I'm a Taggart, like just like being all about like lineage, which is like, yeah, but you are as an individual and now I'm thinking about it individualism versus collectivism and changing my tune a little bit, but you as an individual, you as an individual, that doesn't mean anything like being like what, this is what we've done, this is who we are, this is what I'm It's
like that is true on a certain level, but on another level, it's just like you you are not a part of any of that that had nothing to do with you. You're a result of it, and you can acknowledge that, but it just you know, But I also I don't care about family. I'm adopted, so I don't have any sort of I don't have any like specific like oh my name, my family name, my blood whatever. I don't give a fuck about any of that.
Yeah, I'm like, I think the weirdest something happens also as you age that I've noticed among peers where it's like even the people that were like I fucking hate my hometown, like you give them like eight years and they're like I actually love this town in Michigan, and they're like, actually, it's like a really nice place to raise children, and it like becomes this thing where like, don't get me wrong, like where my parents live in Michigan now is very nice because it's like on the
water and blah blah blah that you're like, oh, this is cute and I see it now, but I still would never live there, Like I couldn't, Like what would I do?
Right, There's I mean, there's more to life we chased. I think we're also I don't know, from being ostracized in one way or another, moving around or whatever. We're like chasing a certain high that you just cannot get in Michigan on the lake unless you like jet ski a lot or something.
Yeah, it's tough. I don't know, George, how do you feel about that?
No, it's I'm I was struck by what Skyler said about like individualism versus collectivism, because I do agree that that that sort of complicates the argument that we're making, right that it's like, well, yes, we can't completely leave behind who we are and only be this like you know the architect in the fountain Head, Like, yes, we are all part of the community we came from. We are all part of our family in some way. Everywhere we've lived like stays with us. So what So, okay,
what is the right amount to respect your past? That question?
It's like my main struggle in life.
I was about to be like, it's what makes you you, but it's not. That's it's not, but it is. I think like how happy you are at any given time has to do largely with how you have chosen to incorporate your past with your present, because you can get way caught up in like nostalgia of what has come before, or you can ignore it so much that you that it's almost like a trauma that you've severed, and then you're being this like dead eyed, like forward looking person.
Well, I have a lot of thoughts about this because I also think that this is sort of I think the whole past present thing is is is sort of the definition of like what I have been creatively or whatever, because like you know, all my stand up is about mormonn adoption whatever, all that bullshit. So all of that I have very complicated feelings about and trauma around, and so you want to sort of like decry that and go, I'm not I'm not these things or whatever. I'm not
fully defined by them. And at the same time, it's like, well, if everything that I have done is either a reaction to this or not, either it is a reaction to this, So you have to respect the things that have defined you. But I also don't know if you get so bogged down in them where it's just like I don't know.
You can only be who you are, and you can only be where you're from, and you can acknowledge that you didn't have a choice in that and then take agency, But then also can't just be like fuck it, like I don't give a shit about any of this.
This is so like something about this is carry Bradshaw to.
Me, there's something like really something about it is like we'll talk about someone who doesn't have a past, literally where is she from?
Meanwhile across town?
Well, it's sort of like is it possible to have a future without a past? Like something so like is it possible to look at where you've been from and felt and feel nothing about it? Like can I ever forgive big?
Yeah?
Well this is interesting though, like the idea of that there is being defined by your past in a hometown prideway. And there's being defined by your past in a UH resentment way, Yes, there are. It's you can also be so driven by your grievances about your past that that also defines you. And so is that.
Like?
Is that straight or gay? Also? And is being neutral about your path like like basically a rank from gata strait being attached to your past in a hometown prideway, being attached to your past in a resentment way, and having completely neutral feelings about your past in a Carrie Bradshaw way.
Well, obviously it's straight to care about like to love your past. Yes, it's gay to.
Hate your past, to hate your past. And then neutral is by I've never met a by person who's neutral.
I don't know if anyone is neutral.
I guess neutral is the wrong word. I think I mean more like acceptand no, it's no, it's the opposite of acceptance. It's like having a block, you know what I mean. I think that traumato.
I also think that is defined by like how much did you, for lack of a better term, hate your past? Which a lot of people I think go through this life experiencing UH and they don't have any sort of resentment of where they're I've just been like saying on stage recently, like how is everybody's childhood good?
Bad?
Or neutral? And a lot of people will just be like good. It's like, oh, yeah, so there's not when there's not something to repel against in your hometown, Freddy's is the best place and you don't really need anything else. I think that it comes from a lack inside of myself that I felt like I wanted to issue where I was at and get too. Not that that lack was bad, but I did need to fulfill something.
Yeah, it's it could have been tight to love the hometown.
Could have been awesome. I think if we were, if we were all in our hometowns not talking about this at all, I bet there is and you know we're probably all you know in cells or whatever, but sure, I think maybe we're all a lot happier because we're like a little dumber.
Little dumber, probably maybe got a little house. Yeah, who knows.
Not that you're dumb to love your hometown, but I think a lot of the people who do love their hometown are pretty dumb. There is a correlation, right, They like have an American flag up.
I just want to say I actually I know that we're generally talking about like smaller towns, smaller cities, but I actually would extend that to people that are from i don't know, in New York or Los Angeles orch Icago.
Yeah.
Well, like, I actually think it's equally annoying, if not more so, when someone you know grew up in the Upper West Side and is obsessed with being from New York.
No, I'm like genuinely so jealous of those people in a way that is like kind of unhealthy, Like it's almost being jealous of someone with like really rich parents. Like I'm like, yeah, I'm so jealous that you got to like start fulfilled, like you get to love your hometown and you get to be in New York City. Right, I'm like that's not fair.
But then a lot of those people, it's so difficult to satisfy them. Like I know so many people that like I remember like going to college and being like so enamored with being on a big campus and all this stuff. And then I would meet people that are from Manhattan and they're like, oh, this is just like my high school. Like wait, you know, like.
Yeah, there's too much stimulus out the gate. But yeah, feel similar resentments. I just feel I'm so resentful sometimes of anybody who's not where I'm from, Like from where I'm from, where I go, like, you don't know what it was like, it's like so weird. That is indescribable until you go there and then go just like man, just being from like oh from I'm from Chicago and everybody like goes there and loves it's just oh, sounds awesome. So much culture, you know, so many things, you're worldly
without ever really trying. It's harder for people to be like ignorant about the existence of other people. It's ultimately good to be exposed to a lot of people, and if you're not, it's very like what so that pride is at least warranted. But then it then it feels like if you're prideful of those places, it kind of feels like you're sort of flashing all the money that you have in my face. It's like, oh, yeah, I'm from a great place and I love that.
Yeah, and I'm cool and smart. Yeah yeah, It's like.
Well, right, I mean, hometown pride only works if you're at least the underdog.
Right, Yeah, I mean when people stay they're from LA. Don't even get me started the way that I'm just like, okay, so you have it all. Like like when especially when people are from LA and then go live in New York and they're like, god, I love New York And it's like, so you just like grew up sort of like knowing about everything, having access to everything. Yeah, and now you still have access to Like I'm like, you.
Have it all. Yeah, I don't know the people. I haven't even met that many people who are from LA. It seems very because everybody we know is from not here. It seems like a lot of those people then are like, yeah, I mean I didn't need to leave LA. This is where everybody ends up eventually, so we can all be set on fire. But like those people seem to like have want for nothing as much or just be like
I'm also thinking of like probably just rich people. That's everybody that I've met that is from LA was pretty rich.
Sure. Oh that's so interesting.
I've been surprised many times meeting people from especially when I was younger, because I met a bunch of people from LA when I was in college because I went to college in California and I initially would think, like, wait, why are you not like hiding Montag like, because in my mind, everyone that's from LA is on the hills. And then you realize that, of course, as many viral Instagram posts have reminded us during the Wild Players, not
everyone in LA is Heidi Montag. And I know so many people that are exceedingly normal slash middle class slash whatever that are from LA And it's actually jarring to you because then you actually meet someone who's rich from Dallas and they are so much more weird. Oh one of them who's like middle class from LA.
No, that is true.
They don't know how to act a genuinely Yeah, damn.
Me, I can't believe you.
Brought up Dallas. It's not real. Shots fire. Now I feel like I also wasn't trying to claim that everybody from LA is rich, obviously, I just feel like the pieces you were. No, I'm saying that everybody from LA is poor and they should get more rich.
Everybody from LA is perfect.
That's literally true. Everybody from LA is perfect.
No, let's be real, though, Let's be real. It's well like whatever, rich, poor, perfect, whatever, But everyone who is from LA is going to hell and we know now and we know that there.
Everyone from New York is going to heaven.
Wow, I love that. Huh ah.
Well, I mean sorry to bring up more serious things, but there is you know.
I know this is such a serious day.
Hometown pride. I just want to say, like hometown pride taken to its extremes, white supremacy basics literally well literally, it's like that's where like you know, debates about the Confederate flag come from. It's the people being like, well we think it's racist. No, we think it's just hometown pride.
Well and even just like get out of my town, person, I don't know, yeah exactly. It's very uh yeah.
It's I mean, it's identity built around like externalities that are then taken to the extreme where you don't consider that because you can be like, oh I am this, and then when you push everything else away and being like I am so, I am so that, I'm so happy to be that. Then it's like again like going back to like not the individual thing where you're like, so you think you're this larger thing, but then you think everybody else outside of your collective isn't a part
of the collective. So It's like individuality in this way is good because then you can think of everybody as individuals instead of just your collective being the one individual and everybody else part of an outgroup. It's tribal, makes sense. Yeah, it was a convoluted way to say tribal, isn't it.
And also, I mean, obviously sports fandom is part of this whatever. But then also being proud of famous people that are from where you are from. Yeah, I mean obviously when I was in New Jersey, like Bruce Springston was a huge presidence. So like, if you're from Minnesota, you think you have like a relationship with Prince. It's like not really. He probably would have found you like pretty boring.
But at the same time you do.
He's like, Prince could have walked where I walked. You don't understand, and that means something for some reason.
Well, it's like it's almost like mass hysteria. Like everyone in Minnesota is like Prince's ours. So princes like played more and princes like posted more, and Prince is like just in the culture more. So you're like, I guess I love Prince more, and you kind of do.
But you're also you're also being like because he's from that same place. We're talking about that collective like identity thing. You go, well, that makes me part Prince, you know, if he's from the same place as me, Prince's part me. There's a tiny bit of me and Prince and a tiny little bit of Prince in me, and that makes me feel like I can somehow believe in myself more.
I mean the way that will go as a hold on Chicago, my needs to be Like when I lived in Chicago, I loved will Go more than I've loved anything in my life.
Yeah, and in a way that was like I look back on that and.
I'm like, who was I Like, Don't get me wrong, I still like it, but like I'm not like fucking crazy about it, right, Like I was like, you know, run me over with.
A truck, will go, like please, it's I mean anything like and especially because so much has come there, come from there, anything from there, people are gonna feel that way about the fact that Michael Jordan, like the the one city with the most pride got to have Michael Jordan. It's like, come on, It's like giving a person that already has ADHD like a bunch of cocaine.
You also can't help yourself, Like, for example, I had, I came up, I started comedy in Boston. It's not interesting why I was there. I just happen to be living there and I started comedy there.
That sounds it's not interesting.
I was Thered School.
Okay, thank you, Sam, and I have no special I don't know hometown pride for Boston, but when I hear another comedian started in Boston, I go wild. I'm like, oh, we are part of this. And that's actually a way in which hometown pride. Yes, it's biological family, but it also is chosen family because you think you're family members with Prince, Like, it's actually chosen family in this way where you're all in a commune together raising your children together. M Yeah, you know what I mean.
I think there's also that comedian thing too, of like, yeah, we chose to do the same thing in the same place, so we probably had And this is the good part about any group similar struggles. We can relate over this. I'm probably traumatized by the similar things, and so you can understand uniquely the contours of what my feelings are because you had that experience, and that is what everything creative we do writing or whatever is trying to get
to with other people. And then when somebody has that experience where it's like, well, if you have the same experience as me, I don't need to write a joke explaining what that experience is for you. You just are there with me. So like we don't even need that. So the connection that we are trying to make across humans and try to be less unknowable to our fellow man is like already there. So you can be like, oh, yeah,
same place, same people. So I might be coming around on hometown pride, but I am straight.
So whatever. Yeah, No, there's well, and it's like our hometown pride is gay, like where we're like.
It's just pride.
Yeah, we've invented gay pride literally.
Because it's like where I'm not gonna be proud of where I'm from, I guess I would have gay pride.
Well okay, but literally what you're saying, it's true. It's like any kind of cultural pride, like if we have pride in the fact that like like our Bruce Springsteen is Judy Garland, like it's just because like she has been chosen as the saint literally the community and that's literally.
Why like Stan culture fights so hard.
Oh yeah wow, stand culture is just hometown pride for people who are not from anywhere.
Interesting, right, But I also think that pride without borders.
Yeah wow wow, No, it's.
I mean it is like this. I mean, the stand culture thing does speak to this natural craziness of defending something that is outside yourself, that's not you. You're building your identity around, and it feels like we can do that for anything. Where it's like the way the way I see people go so hard for Nicki, like so hard, the most awful for Nicki Minach, who is not even for Nicki who had good hits for like a little
bit of time a while ago. And I mean, bleep it out if the nicky stands are gonna come for me bar because I can't do but it's like insane to me that level. But like people will do that for that or like some town in Idaho. Yeah, but at least that's land. At least that's like property that you can own. That's different. That's different, but it's like primordial.
It's just weird like this, like this like self preservation has then inside like what we need to do has then turned into like I'm gonna get online and bully somebody for a K pop band.
Yeah, yeah, this is why we need to make homes more affordable, because people just buy a home. They would defend that, and they wouldn't need to defend the humanas true.
I know, it's almost like you're onto something. We take all the housing market back, and then stand culture goes away.
Because we all have the need to defend. Unfortunately, humans have a military.
No, yeah, it's a militaristic mindset. It's also an ego based mindset because I think every single thing you are quote proud of, it's almost like you are bringing it in and now this is part of me, and now this is part of me, and now this is part of me, and you're making yourself like bigger and it's all feeding into your ego, which then makes you feel more invincible and also more offended when someone you know attacks some part of you.
It's so crazy the way I will get I don't do it anymore because I'm like kind of aware of it, but I feel when somebody really doesn't like something that I like and goes hard at it, and then I start being like, oh I guess I don't like that person. It's like, whoa wait a second, Like that's that's not a part of me. I just like it, and they hate it, and I go, well, I guess I don't like you. You hate Tyler the Creator.
I hate you. I mean, I think it's a good way to sort of weed people out something.
I mean, it's true, and it does work, but it is strange because it's like, well, that's also a third party that has nothing to do with us, really, so what are we attaching to?
Yeah, it's hard to tell. This sucks because I actually had a point and I lost it. And don't you hate that when you're podcasting and you forget what you're gonna say.
That's why I don't have a podcast.
Damn. It really sucks because it was probably the smartest best point yet.
You know, and I knew that. I knew you were going to cap it off with like the smartest best point, because you always do that.
Because you wait till the end for the best point.
And then it sort of culminates.
And yeah, you're like, I gotta we knew that was happening too, Scott. Scott. We were sort of being like hype meant we were like, all right, let's like keep this going and make no b Rade points back and forth, back and forth, and Sam is gonna come with the final home run.
Yeah. So that's what's really complicated about it pretty much is because because it was going to be out of the park too.
What would you say you have the most pride in? Is it just gay?
Is it gay?
I'm I'm genuinely asking you know about yourself.
I actually have the point go. This was part of kind of what was weird when the fires were happening and everyone was like, I fucking love this is my fucking city, because I was like, I actually don't have a connection to lay and yet I'm living here. And it's confusing as like because I can't be like, yeah, like we love you because I was like, well, I've spent the last year shit talking to La. It would be so insane for me now to be like I stand.
But it's also like don't burn down. Yeah I don't need to burn down, and I don't yeah, yeah not, I can't.
It's like I can't talk shit even though I have been like now that's over, I'm not gonna If I'm being honest, I still don't love it, but I appreciate that people who do love it, and everybody should still have their houses. But it's still just kind of like, oh, I guess I'll just like sit back and then sort of just kind of post go fundmes or whatever.
It was really like, oh wow, eggs on my face. Like the person that you've like shit talked for the last year get to hit by a car and you're like, oh damn, my bad. Did not intend for that to happen.
Well, it's just like I didn't. I didn't hate you like that, and I didn't think anything bad should happen. I just didn't, you know, like want to hang out.
It's kind of like that i'd want you to die.
Yeah, I didn't feel that way about it.
But to answer your question, I think I feel it's somewhere between maybe a mixture of gay and New York.
Okay, George, Yeah, I would say I mean I do think ultimately, almost in a sort of jokey ironic way, I do think it is I love talking about being Greek, and it's like a fun thing to talk about, and it sets and it like it's fun to almost in the way that I feel like this would also be the case if I was like a Talian or something like. It's like, I am fully just like a white American person, So it's funny to pretend that I'm for.
Well, you gotta like attach yourself to something like even if it's irony pilled you still, I mean, and to be fair.
Like I do feel I mean, that is where I go home, that is where my family lives. Like I go there. It's like I do feel connected to it. But I certainly am not like or like I'm not an immigrant or like a foreign person in the way that like my parents were when they first moved here. Obviously it passes American, right, it almost feels like a betrayal to use very like American humor to talk about how different I am and how Greek I am.
Right, I feel that way. I feel like, yeah, you're sort of resisting the.
Cause.
To me, that sounds like you're heading off criticism that
like nobody's making in your face. But you're thinking that like, okay, but Greek people would see it like this, And yet I know who I'm speaking to when I talk about this stuff, and I yeah, I feel the same way about being black obviously, just because it's like a yes, I am black and I was raised with that, but also like I was adopted and raised by white people, so it was always like an in like an all white place, so it was always a very outsider thing. It wasn't as much of like, I'm black in a
community of black people and all this stuff. It was very like this is sort of for the most of
the time of problem. And I think I reacted to that as a kid and as a young adult, trying to sort of downplayed as much as possible or be tokenizer all this whatever, and then sort of realizing that, you know, I don't want to have that just be an accessory in this way, and having realized that and understood and respected my past have been like yes, I am different or whatever to a lot of different people.
I feel like my pride sort of centers around like understanding who I am with regards to race and culture, and I'm like, yeah, I'm this and I have to be this way. And I think that I understand all the reactions to me from all these different kinds of people,
and yet I still am myself. I feel like I have pride in my own blackness and the way I've understood it, and I feel the same way because it's like, well, no, I'm not exactly like whatever, but like you know, I'm aware of that and I accept that about myself, and I think it's good. I think it's okay to be prideful about stuff.
Well, it's also it's interesting, like, obviously my experience is in no way directly related, but being proud of a marker of difference rather than something that you are in community, rather than something that connects you to community is sort of an interesting point because I remember, like when we lived in the States, I felt different because like my parents had accents, like they we didn't know a lot of things about American culture that everyone else around me
and you or whatever. And then I thought that I would when we move back to Greece, that I would immediately feel an innate part of that community because so far I had felt different. But in fact, then when we move back to Greece, I felt more American because all my references were American blah blah. So all of that is to say, to your point, the thing that, if anything is connected to any kind of natural pride was always like a marker of difference rather than a marker of like solidarity.
Right, and you can still be in solidarity with people, but you also understand how much different you are in no matter where you go. And it can feel really bad sometimes. But I think because it is something that feels bad is something you have to accept about yourself and be prideful in. Otherwise I think that really sort of will ruin you emotionally.
Yes, so amen, Amen, Well, I know.
We should we do such a heavy episode. I know I'm silly, man. I want people to know that Stradio Lab listeners. I like jokes and I'm not always bringing it down by talking about the differences between ourselves in the past and currently.
I don't think. I think this was serious but not too serious.
I completely agree.
I think this was a good level of serious.
I should have gone with Parkour.
Wait, I do want to know what your other two were parkour and what.
Else it was gonna be?
Parkour cults.
Oh, that's good, it is good parkour.
Parkour is really good.
It's really juicy. Parker's juicy.
But I don't have a lot to say about it. You just feels it it.
I actually have a lot to say about it, really, I fully because you're a stairs guy, so you were always right, I'm doing the stairs. I'm doing all types of shit on those stairs. No. When I was in college, I took a documentary making class and like they were like, you got to make a documentary about something. I chose
the Parkour Club. Wow. And I literally like followed the parkourp Club And it was so funny because they were like not real like but they were like, we're actually going to like this other college for like a parkour jam jam. And there were like multiple park Corps clubs from multiple colleges, and I was like, this is like one of the weirdest groups of people I've ever been around.
They gotta be weird.
And like, I made this documentary that was like obviously so embarrassing and I would love to be able to find it again. But the documentary teacher I saw him like a year later, and he was like, hey, like I actually love your park coor documentary. My two sons watch it all the time, and it's like right because they're like eight year old boys who just want to see a guy do a flip.
Like it's so embarrassing. How cool I thought it was. It's like such a thing because you're like, is guys moving so cool? You're amazing, you can be.
I've talked about the things. George and I talked about the siren song of men's wear and how it like calls to us even though we know it's unethical and we think of it sort of like how an evangelical thinks about porn. And that's kind of how the siren song of Parkour also does call. Like sometimes when the algorithm takes over, I will start getting a couple more Parkour clips in there.
Yeah, well, I feel like it's bad. I feel like it was gone and I you know, I watch as a kid, and now I see Parkour videos sometimes and I go, well, this is bad. That's actually kind of how I knew Trump was gonna win because park park four is back.
That's what it is. I would rather watch Parkour videos than like most content that served of.
Course at least amazing point.
It's so cool.
But it's literally all I get is like, get drag QUI sorry, no offense to wow to talk about right wing I literally give me Parkour.
Not okay, but drag Parkour.
No, there we go.
I'm the Parkour Queen of Pittsburgh.
We are like two seasons away from that happening.
Of course, everyone's desperate to find anything that makes them unique. That's a good one, Parkour, Queen of Pittsburgh. All right, should we do our first our final segments? Sam, Yeah, it's our final segment, so Skyler. A final segment is called shout Outs, and in this segment we pay homage to the grand straight tradition of the radio shout out to anything that you are enjoying, people, places, things, ideas.
Imagine two thousand and one, you're at TRL shouting out to your squad back home, but about anything that you like. George and I will go first, George, do you have one?
I can think of one. I'm not gonna lie. I don't have one right now?
Do you I have one? Okay, I will locked and loaded today.
Okay, go go go.
Um.
Well, I actually have two, but I'm not sure which I'm going to land on. Okay, okay, whatever. This will not be topical by the time this comes out, and that's okay. What's up freaks, losers and perverts around the globe. I want to give a huge shout out to FKA Twigs. You sexual the album it came out just last night and I sat up and I listened to it, and I said, damn, this is fucking good start to finish.
I think she's doing something very interesting where her look has never been weirder and her music has never been more accessible to me. It's actually very gaga to be like, look how weird I look, but look how normal I sound. And I think it's a fun thing for her. And there's a lot of stuff in there that George specifically, I think you would like. There's a lot of sort of ray of light vibes, a lot of like interesting niche pop references that I'm like, oh, now, this is interesting.
When a cool girl does cool pop music, you really do notice a difference. And I am so happy and it's you know, every year of my life, I feel like I'm just sort of I'm like, is this the year that I have nothing to find joy over? And then boom something else comes and I say, look at me, go I have reason to live. Thank you FK Twigs. I love you. Xoxo, Sam.
Wow, that was great. I got a lot to say about FK Twigs.
I was very blown away.
Wow, I'm I'm really excited to listen. I sort of think she might be the only person that can save us, I think, and not to.
Pit women against each other, but sort of hearing it, I'm like, was the Brat thing like a psychosis?
Like it wasn't mass well, you know, it's I listened to it now, honestly just started actually listening to it now, and I'm like, it's good, but it felt like so like it was again like with the culture and everything. It was so like this is what we are into. And there was where I started listening to it back then and I was just like okay, but like you with moving, I was like, I guess I'm just not gonna say anything because if I do, I'll be torn to shreds and then people will be like, well then
what bullshit do you listen to? And I'll be like I don't know, I'm all over the place, and I don't want to do that.
Yeah, I mean, I still don't get me wrong, I still love Brat, but there's something about this when I'm like, this is like it's matures. There's something really something to it. So George, yeah, what do you think? No, I.
I do think unfortunately, even though we all I think we all earnestly did like Bratt, and I loved it.
I'm on record, I still isn't to it. Whatever. Unfortunately, it got so big that when people do look back on it, they will look back on it with embarrassment in the way that we look back on like sorry, but like the Women's March, that's so truly I went to it, and I of course everyone needed to march, and like, I don't regret being part of it, but you can't not look back on it and be embarrassed like it just that is how it is.
I think you're one hundred percent right, because that is I liked it. But then I'm seeing tiktoks that are trying me crazy. They're like, quote unquote analyzing the songs and it's like, you are the dumbest person I've ever heard. Right now, I don't like it. I don't like all like that. There were two people dressed up as Apple's next to me at the fucking Sweat Tour. Good lord, I was furious.
That's how I feel about Kendrick and Drake's whole beef. Now is I still get posts of people like talking about it in the terms of like, oh the battle and I'm like, that was Can we put it down? That was last year? You're still talking about Oh Drake's goof Yeah still, and I don't care anymore. That was fun for them. I don't care now. It's insane how much content I'm still getting about. Oh, you know the true hip hop heads.
No, I don't care.
I'm not a true hip hop head and I liked it at the time.
Enough of that, Damn. It's tough. Okay, George, whenever you're ready, Yes, yes, I will go.
Okay, what's up, vientophiles and wine drinkers. I want to give a shout out to Lambrusco. First of all, let me just say I think Lambrusko is absolutely disgusting. But what I want to give a shout out to is the confidence with which it presents itself. And even though I know that every time I have tasted it, I haven't liked it. You know you hear you say, Oh, sometimes I want to read wine. Sometimes I want to be cold, maybe a little maybe a little fizz. Oh
that sounds kind of nice. Maybe I will get a glass Lambersco each time you want to send it back, And so I sort of I want to become the Lambrusco of you know, writer performers, where even if people do not like what I'm offering, they say, oh, I wonder what that George has to say. And even if each time they keep coming back and keeping like that was honestly kind of a flop, they keep buying tickets. So I think we only need to adopt the Lambrusco mentality.
It is much more about a about marketing than it is about the essence of it. I think I think Lambrusco is the defining drink of the of the Biden and second Trump era. We all need to channel our inner Lambrusko if we want to be famous in this crazy connected world. You guys, shout out to Lambrusco.
Huge shout out.
Whoa Wow.
Okay Skyler, whenever you are ready, Okay, all right, I have yeah, I have one.
Shout out to those really big trucks, the Fords, the f four, fifties, one fifties, whatever is the huge trucks that the white guys with the Oakley's drive. Shout out to those, they're so big. I hope you finally feel secure in your masculinity from driving those. I hope that you find some sort of meaning in driving a truck where you're above everybody, can see everybody, And I hope
it makes you feel safe. I hope you feel hugged and safe inside those huge, huge trucks because they guzzle so much gas and it's got to be so expensive for you. But what price is too much to feel like a real man? And I hope you enjoy driving that around and trying to park, and I hope it's all worth it, even though I know you don't have shit to haul. Shout out to those big old trucks.
Whoo whoo damn, those trucks really are fucking big, so big talk about I mean, I hate to always be this person, but I'm like, when will the government step in? Never ban these fucking drugs.
The trucks is like that's second underguns for like those people. They want them in those amendments.
Because I love those like little old trucks. I'm like, oh, how cute. Yeah, But those big ones, I'm like, this is fucking huge.
It's again hometown stuff. When I every time I visit, I will see because you don't really see them out you'll see them more out here. You don't see them in New York or Chicago or whatever. I go back to Salt Lake. They're huge. People are driving them around and they look almost like monster trucks, and you're like, why do you need to drive that? What is going on?
I mean, I do the impression I get of Salt Lake City and I have never been there. Is there is just so much space that people are like, what if we feel it? Like, it's just it's crazy. And this is mostly from watching the Real Housewives.
It's true, it's just it's it's really like weirdly like you know, obviously cultish, but like also like way more white trash than people think very much, because it's you know, the American West shot out.
Shout out to there too well S Tyler, thanks for doing the pod. This has been a real treat.
Thanks for having me. Hope to see you guys again soon.
Do you want to pluge anything? We're bad at that?
Oh yeah, I'm doing a show at Union Hall on March.
Hey, now our listeners know where that is.
Y'all know where that is, so if you want to come and see me make jokes instead of really like getting into it about our deep feelings about who we are in the world. Then come to that.
Yeah, that's all I'm doing, PERF and watch after midnight. Why not watch after midnight on CBS and check out the Oscars. Check out the Oscars on ABC. They're gonna be so mad.
But yeah, okay, bye bye.
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