Podcasts about Del Close

0:00 Segment 1 Actor & comedian Joel Murray talks about the Whose Live Anyway Tour at the Factory. Joel also talks about his football career, working with Del Close, working on Mad Men, whether he feels like he has made it in Hollywood, working on Dharma and Greg, voicing Chester Cheetah, collecting toys from his career, pre show rituals, selling out St. Louis, working on the show “Heels” with his wife, the Mount Rushmore of female comedians, and working on a film called “The Big Game” in Floridahttps://www.instagram.com/joelmurray9of9 https://www.whoselive.com/ 23:06 Segment 2 Actor Howie Hirshfield talks about his Edgar Allen Poe event at The Lemp Mansion, performing Poe at St. Charles' Legends and Lanterns for the past, and being historically accurate.https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/ea-poelive/edgar-allan-poe-live-and-incarnate-at-the-lemp https://www.lempmansion.com/poedinner.htm 34:14 Segment 3 Actor Howie Hirshfield talks about the Edgar Allen Poe show “Fall of the House of Usher” on Netflix51:38 James Enstall gives a quick review of the new Steven Soderbergh movie “Black Bag” and Producer Joey V. gives a quick review of “Novacaine” starring Jack QuaidCheck out the ‘Justice League Revisited Podcast' with Susan Eisenberg and James Enstall at https://anchor.fm/justiceleague Thanks to our sponsors Historic St. Charles, Missouri (https://www.discoverstcharles.com/), Bug's Comics and Games (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070575531223)Buy tickets to 2 Rivers Comic Con coming to St. Charles in May 2025 https://2riverscomiccon.com/ Buy Me a Coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/3Y0D2iaZl Patreon -   https://www.patreon.com/GeekToMeRadio Website -   http://geektomeradio.com/   Podcast -   https://anchor.fm/jamesenstall Facebook -   https://www.facebook.com/GeekToMeRadio/  Twitter -   https://twitter.com/geektomeradio  Instagram -   https://www.instagram.com/geektomeradio/ Producer - Joseph Vosevich https://twitter.com/Joey_Vee 

This week the legendary Stephen Colbert returns to the podcast. Mike and Stephen discuss the behind-the-scenes of Stephen's Late Night job as well as his Chicago improv days. Stephen talks wisdom passed down to him by David Letterman, Del Close, and Mike Nichols, and shares what makes him cry most easily. Plus, Stephen's thoughts on meeting George Lucas and the Pope.Please consider donating to: World Central Kitchen or Radio Lollipop

We had the pleasure of talking to actor, director, writer, and improviser, the great Joel Murray! Joel joins Jason to share some awesome stories throughout his career, from growing up seeing his brothers Bill Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray and other legends at Second City before becoming a performer there to meeting previous guest Dave Pasquesi in college. Joel reflects on his early days with Del Close, memorable roles in iconic films like 'One Crazy Summer,' and his experiences on TV shows such as 'Mad Men.' He also provides valuable insights into the craft of improv, emphasizing the importance of eye contact and genuine reactions on stage. This engaging conversation offers a deep dive into the world of improvisation and Joel's illustrious career. www.whoselive.com Instagram: @JoelMurray9of9, @ThereItIsPod, @JasonFarrPics  Threads: @ThereItIsPod, @JasonFarrPics Facebook: @ThereItIsPod  Subscribe to our comedy newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/e22defd4dee2/thereitis

Today's guest is Jay Sukow. Jay Sukow has been performing with and without a script for over 27 years. He has trained with some of the greatest in improv, including David Razowsky, Stephen Colbert, Mick Napier, and the legendary Del Close. He was the Artistic Director/Head of Training at the Improv Comedy Copenhagen Theatre, and previously taught for Second City, ComedySportz, and iO Chicago (where he was also head of the artistic committee).  Jay has taught at improv festivals all over the world, and he also won The Golden Pineapple award for best visiting teacher at Improv Comedy Copenhagen.  Jay's directing credits include the feature film “Trubadeaux: A Restaurant Movie”, "Guilty: The Web Series", and commercials for Allstate.  He has extensive teambuilding experience, and has thrived in the corporate arena, designing interactive learning sessions for companies like McDonald's, PepsiCo, Netflix, Eli Lilly, Yahoo!, and Allstate Financial Services. In addition to all of that, Jay approaches everything he does with a big sense of excitement, which definitely comes through in this interview. Learn more about Jay Sukow by visiting his website, jaysukow.com. Help out the podcast by giving a rating and a review, and feel free to leave a comment!

Join our poetry Salon and Open Mic: https://parallax-media-network.mn.co/share/5hSLvQW7bNszFGEo?utm_source=manual About David Herz: Hello. My names are David Salzmann Herz. I was born in Boston 70 years ago when McCarthy was getting his comeuppance. I lived with my family somewhere in Massachusetts before moving to Belo Horizonte, Brazil , as part of the Department of the Interior's Punto Quatro program where my father was instrumental in mapping the geology and training a generation of Brazilian geologists. I began writing aged ten at the American school of Sao Paolo which had scorpions in the sandbox. I won a turtle for my prose. Then we lived in Chevy Chase, Maryland before moving to Athens, Ga. Where I met the poet Colman Barks and other luminaries. I moved to Chicago and studied briefly under Del Close at Second City and David Mamet who was then directing the Goodman Theater. As well as Richard McKeon at the University of Chicago who taught Susan Sontag among others. Then I returned home and drove a car from Selma, Alabama to Warminster Pennsylvania, possibly damaging the transmission while accelerating against the snow and ice. The next three years in a bankrupt New York City were richness incarnate. I worked at the Oh Ho So restaurant in SoHo and as a busboy served Harry Belafonte, one of the reasons God created humans, a glass of water. I had Alice Notley, poetess supreme, for a teacher and read my prose work at the Saint Marks in the Bowery Poetry Project. Those were wild times, buildings burning, trash uncollected, rapes a'plenty, and great generosity from compassionate lawyers, doctors and dentists for the impoverished lot we were. You could easily meet people such as John Cage, Merce Cunningham, John Giorno, Ted Berrigan, David Byrne, Patti Smith, Fred Sherry, Nam June Paik, Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, Charles Bernstein, Tony Towle, Bill Berkson, Eileen Myles, Ted Greenwald, John Cale, Lydia Lunch, Alan Vega, and avoid others such as Valerie Solanas. And then just as I was about to join a rock and roll band I moved to Paris. It's been 45 years. Odd jobs subtitling movies and Sipa Photopress Agency photographs. Doing journalism for English language papers, interviewing the B- 52's, Peter Brook, Zouc, Herbert Achternbusch, Paul Lederman, Boris Bergman and then working for Bull and Alcatel two fine French corporations employing hundreds of thousands who equally vanished into the capitalist sunset. Thanks to a flutist friend in Ircam I got to meet Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pierre Boulez but I don't think they remember me. I did a translation for Sophie Calle before she became Sophie Calle. Also some work for the Royal family of Afghanistan. Back when there was one. At Paris VIII University still in the Bois de Vincennes with the whores whom we did not try to lead to culture I got to attend classes by Lyotard & Deleuze and the Miller Brothers, Lacan's son in laws? Noam Chosmky spoke. I thought to become a consultant in a moment of delusion and ended up teaching for the last 24 years: Polytechnique, SciencesPo, ENST, INT, Supelec, Ecole Centrale, ENPC, ENSTA, Paris V, ICP, ESIEE, ECE, Ecole du Louvre. Before that I was a technical translator, a field I am happy to report that has been almost entirely taken over by machines, bless their soulless bodies. I also got married and my wife and I had two children. But we hadn't really grown up much to the needless suffering of the children and so that marriage went painfully bust...Then I married again and we had a daughter. She's on the phone right now, de rigueur for all 16 year olds. I am a loving observer of the human experiment of which I am inextricably a part, how so ever much I would like to be apart. As we advance, not necessarily progress, into the numbing, memory erasing age of AI, already sinking its canines deep into our pranic jugulars, lose ourselves in our beloved electronic devices, we must look to our hands, our analog writing devices such as pencils and pens and give them a try. Along with all the rest.

David Pasquesi is a legendary improvisor, and accomplished actor. A Chicago native, he studied with Del Close, and performed at Improv Olympic and Second City, as well as the Annoyance Theater. He has acted in films like Groundhog Day, and TV shows like Strangers with Candy and Veep. He and fellow Second City alum T.J. Jagodowski currently perform together as TJ and Dave, which is widely considered one of the premiere long-form improv shows on the planet.David and Will talk about the creation of the Harold with mentor Del Close, the TJ and Dave book Improvisation at the Speed of Life, and the Alex Karpovski documentary Trust Us, This Is All Made Up. They also discuss the rules of improvisation, and the staying power of the Harold.Recorded at Jett Road Studios------------------LIFE IN COMEDYInstagramJETT ROAD STUDIOSWebsiteInstagramYouTube

Courogen's book is a must-read for cinephiles, comedy nerds, and anyone working in Hollywood. May explored and mastered every angle of improvisational comedy, before transferring her tenacity for experimentation to the film industry. She was difficult. And she was punished for it.Get your act together and buy this book today - if not for yourself, then for that difficult to please person in your life.BUY THE BOOK: MISS MAY DOES NOT EXIST By Carrie Courogen SUPPORT THE SHOW: PATREONFOLLOW THE SHOW: INSTAGRAM // TWITTER // TIKTOK // YOUTUBE EMAIL THE SHOW: abreathoffreshmovie@gmail.com  SHOP THE SHOW: TEE PUBLIC 

Michael Delaney is one of the most accomplished improvisers to come out of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York. He was a member of The Swarm, the legendary Harold Team formed by Amy Poehler, as well as The Stepfathers. He also directed the Naked Babies, and performed in seminal shows like Delaney & Dave, Pile Driver, and Nailed Down.Michael and Will talk about the early days of UCB, meeting Del Close, and his deep knowledge of SCTV. They also discuss some of the rules of improv, including the concept of group mind.Recorded at Jett Road Studios------------------LIFE IN COMEDYInstagramJETT ROAD STUDIOSWebsiteInstagramYouTubeThe SCTV Podcast with Michael DelaneyApple Podcasts

Brent, Nate, and Kate play hooky with the 1986 American Teen Comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off starring:Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jennifer Grey, Cindy Pickett, Edie McClurg, Lyman Ward, Charlie Sheen, Ben Stein, Del Close, Virginia Capers, Richard Edson, Larry "Flash" Jenkins, Kristy Swanson, Max Perlich, Scott Coffey, Anne Ryan, Jonathan Schmock, Louie Anderson, Stephanie Blake, and Dee Dee Rescher. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rob Norman is a Canadian Improviser. He's the author of Improvising Now, as well as an instructor and director at the Second City Toronto. In addition to producing The Backline weekly podcast, Rob is a Canadian Screen Award winner for his performance on CityTV's Sunnyside. In this shorter episode me and Rob talks about Improv history, building bridges over the sea and Del Close, David Shepard and Kieth Johnston. We talk about why Rob does improv, fear and hobbies. We are also talking about rollercoasters, flipping hamburgers and to have a little chat with God.

Chicago improv performer and teacher Liz Allen taught a workshop for Mike's college improv group almost 25 years ago. Since then, Mike and Liz have found numerous ways to reunite and collaborate, most notably on Mike's film Don't Think Twice. Now Mike sits down for an in-depth chat with one of his favorite improvisers about the unique roots of Chicago improv, Liz's (in)famous teacher Del Close, and the one-in-a-million coincidence that connected Liz and Gillian Jacobs.Please consider donating to Stepping Stones NetworkCheck out https://www.lizallenimprov.com for more info about improv coaching by Liz

Cary Odes has been a standup comic for 45 years, coming up through the ranks at the legendary Comedy Store in Los Angeles, sharing the stage with David Letterman, Richard Pryor and Robin Williams, under the tutelage of Mitzi Shore, where he was the very first paid regular. More importantly to Ojai, he's been teaching standup comedy here in Ojai for more than 20 years, turning a bunch of boring schlubs into comic dynamos, presenting their "tight fives" to adoring crowds. On Sunday, April 14th, his latest batch of comics will perform to a sold-out audience at Kim Maxwell Studios, with another show planned for Friday, April 18th. We talked about how Cary got into comedy as an extension of him and a friend entertaining themselves, then realizing in college that he had a special talent for making people laugh. After studying in Chicago with the improvisational great Del Close, Cary nearly got his big break on the show "Bosom Buddies," and had his role snatched by a then-unknown Tom Hanks, and has steadily worked every since, touring the country, and now teaching his eight-week master classes in which students learn the components and craft of a joke (the premise, the setup, the act out, the turn) and perform the alchemy in which they take their pain and vulnerabilities and turn into the healing balm of laughter. We talked about how his style has evolved over the years, the joys of teaching, anecdotes from the trenches of the standup circuit, how to bomb on stage gracefully, and how comedy might be the Next Big Thing in the healing arts. We did not talk about kitchen knife-sharpening techniques, wolverine-trimmed parkas or the voyages of the HMS Beagle. Check out more about Cary at his website, thestandupworkshop.com where you can sign up for a class, or private lessons, or enter a joke contest. And here for some of his vintage work and fashion stylings ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41jjW4KPUWc

On this episode Aries and Andy talk about Carl Weathers, the dentist, Del Close, Deep Water, and We Are The World. Social Media Instagram: @SpearsBergPod Twitter: @SpearsBergPod Facebook: SpearsBergPod Patreon: SpearsBergPod Youtube: SpearsBergPod  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's our second movie to feature a Blob after Blobby in Hotel Transylvania 3! At least, I think it's only the second. Let me check the backlog. ... Unless you count melting Gremlins as Blobs, then it's our third. JASON KLEEBERG (The Force Five Podcast) runs, doesn't walk, to join the boys at the movies to discuss everyone's favorite gelatinous movie monster in the 1988 remake of THE BLOB. Come for the story of a small town being terrorized by the gooiest killer ever made, stay for crazy gorey effects and an improv comedy legend's surprise appearance. Join them as they answer such questions as: Who's our favorite Blob? What's the best Rambo movie? How can we fix the MCU? What's our dream Blob sequel title? Could we make a new blob today? and Seriously, what the hell is Del Close doing here? among many others... Thank you for coming on, Jason! Be sure to check out ⁠THE FORCE FIVE PODCAST ⁠wherever you get podcasts, and on INSTAGRAM and TWITTER! NEXT WEEK: SOMETHING, PROBABLY Thank you for listening! Please review us on your podcast provider and share us with your friends, we really appreciate it! Follow our socials: Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/TikTok: @NoHighwayPod YouTube: No Highway Option Theme Music composed by Ian C. Weber. Find more of Ian's projects here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.iancweber.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/no-highway-option/support

The Blob is a 1988 American science fiction horror film co-written and directed by Chuck Russell. A remake of the 1958 film of the same name, it stars Shawnee Smith, Kevin Dillon, Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn, Paul McCrane, Art LaFleur, Robert Axelrod, Joe Seneca, Del Close and Candy Clark. The plot follows an acidic, amoeba-like organism that crashes down to Earth in a military satellite, which devours and dissolves anything in its path as it grows. It is the third film in The Blob film series. FRUMESS is POWERED by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.riotstickers.com/frumess⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ GET 1000 STICKERS FOR $79  RIGHT HERE - NO PROMO CODE NEED! JOIN THE PATREON FOR LESS THAN A $2 CUP OF COFFEE!! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/Frumess ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#patabajoelpodcast Unete a Nuestro Telegram: https://t.me/patabajo PATABAJO MERCH DISPONIBLE: https://www.patabajo.com/ Descarga la app SeatGeek y Usa nuestro codigo - PATABAJO - para $20 de descuento!! Muchas gracias por sintonizar, no olvides de suscribirse a nuestro canal para mas contenido! Unete a Patabajo Mafia! https://linktr.ee/patabajoelpodcast Buscanos en Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/21saOhhqedeUfdWy3T0YY0 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/patabajo-el-podcast/id1570334931 0:00 - Intro 9:07 - Genero Urbano 51:49 - NBA/Boxeo 1:17:44 - Noticias Mundales 1:43:54 - Series y Peliculas 1:55:36 - Teoria 1:59:35 - Ultimo Correo Nuestra Redes Sociales https://linktr.ee/patabajoelpodcast -Patabajo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patabajoelpodcast --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patabajo-el-podcast/support

BEWARE OF THE BLOB! How great is Kevin Dillon's hair and pirate shirt? Look at this murderer's row of character actors! How great are these practical effects? How deaf would they be post explosion? What's Del Close doing here?! All this and more! Looking for episode #257? It's Halloween, and it's on Patreon. Visit Patreon.com/DissectingThe80s for hours of bonus content! “NewsSting, Ouroboros” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

What a delight to meet the fantastic Rob Norman in Toronto, Canada. Rob is a beloved improviser/instructor/writer/ podcaster. Rob is author of IMPROVISING NOW: A Practical Guide to Modern Improv which is currently being translated into Spanish, Chinese, and Latvian. He is a Second City alumni and has directed both the National Touring Company and Second at Sea. HIs improv journey is fascinating! He started teaching improv before he took any classes! While in high school he asked his mother to go to the library and get a book on improv and she came back with “Truth in Comedy” by Charna Halpern, Del Close, and Kim Johnson. And he started with long form! In addition to hosting and producing the weekly improv podcast, THE BACKLINE, Rob is a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Improv Troupe, and Canadian Screen Award for his performance on CityTV' Sunnyside. Rob also produced the critically acclaimed, improvised horror series LIMITED CAPACITY for CBC Radio,Visit my website where I speak to today's leading innovators of improv. My guests are improvisers and therapists from all over the world who share their stories and offer insight into the unique ways they use improv. margotescott.com/podcast/

I'm in Los Angeles at the beginning of my Improv exploration. During an advanced class I'm taking, I go out on stage to do my scene. So I'm sitting there, painting my nails in this scene, when my scene partner comes in and starts suddenly lighting fireworks and firecrackers all around me. I go on painting my nails, not reacting to the situation. The instructor stops the scene right there and says, “Kymberlee, react.”  I'm thinking, “What do you mean? I'm focused. I'm painting my nails.” She responds, “I need you to react with the fireworks going on around you. What's your point of view on that? Do you care? Do you not care? Even if you don't, we need you to react in some way.” Lightbulb moment.  So often, we as storytellers and speakers are so focused on getting to the end of the story or the speech. We're trying to make sure we deliver every line and paragraph correctly that we forget to react and respond to what just happened. And oftentimes, that reaction might just be internal.  My guest today, Niccole Thurman, lives a life reacting as an actress, writer, and Improv performer. In this episode of the Storytelling School Podcast, you'll hear about how she does it and answers questions like: What's the difference in choosing how you react within a role or character in life (or through Improv) versus a scripted version? What different facets can flow into creating a variety of characters? And what can you do when you're having trouble adapting to a role or character? What you will learn in this episode: How to best get into the head of a character you're creating (or co-creating) How to deal with rejection as a storyteller (or in life generally) What story element truly makes comedy work and go viral Who is Niccole? Niccole Thurman is a Los Angeles-based actress and WGA award-winning writer. She is the voice of Jabberjaw, Squiddly Diddly and Dee Dee Sykes in the HBOMax series Jellystone. Her past work includes voiceovers and appearances on: Grace and Frankie and Desperados (Netflix); Kenan , Indebted, and Superstore (NBC); A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO); and Shrill (Hulu). She was also a correspondent on Comedy Central's The Opposition w/ Jordan Klepper. As a writer Niccole has worked on the ESPYs, the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards (hosted By Jimmy Kimmel), Sherman's Showcase (AMC), Baking It (Peacock), Haute Dog (HBO Max), Phoebe Robinson's show Everything is Trash (Freeform), and Robert Smigel's Let's Be Real (Fox). Links and Resources Niccole Thurman @niccolethurman on Instagram @niccolethurman on Twitter Truth in Comedy: The Manual for Improvisation by Charna Halpern, Del Close, and Kim “Howard” Johnson Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

Second City historian, playwright, author Jeffrey Sweet tells us about Second City Chicago, a notable SCTV cast rehearsal with Del Close, The Premise, Beyond the Fringe and the re-issue of his legendary oral history of Second City; Something Wonderful Right Away. 

PV Tips are a fantastic free resource for improviser. Paul Vaillancourt is a brilliant mind in improv with lots of experience.  He not only provides tips from his own experience but the absolute ARMY of guest improvisers is so engaging.  Super valuable. Here is a link to the playlist: https://youtu.be/WDtmp110cj4 You can find him on YouTube at PVImprov.

We're ecstatic to celebrate and nominate the phenomenal Amy Poehler for the SNL Hall of Fame! Together with our fantastic guest, Victoria Fronso, we embark on the journey of Amy's illustrious career, from her kazoo-playing ice cream parlor days to her current status as an award-winning actor, producer, writer, director, and comedian. Get ready to be inspired by her amazing accomplishments, including her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, her Golden Globe win, and her friendships with Tina Fey, Seth Meyers, and Keena Faye.Discover the incredible impact Amy Poehler has had on the world of sketch and improv comedy. Reminisce on our favorite moments from the Upright Citizens Brigade Sketch Show and how Amy's trailblazing personality inspired us to chase our comedy dreams. Listen in as we analyze her unforgettable characters and sketches, her chemistry with Maya Rudolph, and her collaboration with guests like Justin Timberlake and Katy Perry, which all contributed to her remarkable SNL legacy.Don't miss out as we discuss Amy's groundbreaking depiction of Hillary Clinton, her hilarious lines like "You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to go home. I'm going to go home, put my phone on vibrate and call myself." and how she's become an icon and role model for many. Celebrate the one and only Amy Poehler with us and make sure she gets voted into the SNL Hall of Fame!--------- EPISODE CHAPTERS ---------(0:00:08) - Amy Poehler(0:16:38) - Amy Poehler's Comedy Career(0:26:19) - Amy Poehler's SNL Impact(0:35:48) - SNL Characters With Amy Poehler(0:42:46) - SNL Sketches and Character Influences(0:53:37) - Amy Poehler's Impact on SNL(1:01:00) - Celebrating Amy Poehler's SNL Legacy(1:12:11) - Bronx BeatTranscript0:00:08 - Speaker 1It's the SNL Hall of Fame podcast with your host, jamie Dube, chief Librarian Thomas Senna, and featuring Matt Bardille At now. Curator of the Hall, jamie Dube. 0:00:41 - Speaker 2All right, thank you so much, doug Denats. It is great to be here in the SNL Hall of Fame podcast zone. Please come on inside, but before you do, wipe that spring mock off your feet. The SNL Hall of Fame podcast is a weekly affair. Each episode, we take a deep dive into the career of a former cast member, host, musical guest or writer and add them to the ballot for your consideration. Once the nominees have all been announced, we turn to you, the listener, to vote for the most deserving and help determine who will be enshrined for perpetuity in the hall. Folks, it's time. It's absolutely time. The time has come. May 23rd is tomorrow and voting opens up. Have you registered to vote? Go to SNLHofcom, click vote and click register to vote there. Your ballot will be in your hands within 24 hours. Once the 23rd begins and all bets are off, we're going to elect another class in the SNL Hall of Fame. So this is really exciting. And what makes things even more exciting is today's nominee, because if you had your ballot set, it might be thrown asunder when you hear who we are nominating today, and that is Amy Poehler. We are closing out this season by nominating Amy Poehler. This is going to be great. I can't wait to hear what our guest has to say, and really I can't wait to hear what Matt has to say. So let's go and talk to our friend Matt. Hey, matt. 0:02:22 - Speaker 3Hey, jimmy, how are you doing? I'm great. How about you, matt? I am terrific. I'm really looking forward to today's topic of discussion, amy Poehler. Yeah, she's great. Right, she is wonderful 5'2". Born September 16, 1971. So we're starting to get into the cast members that are around my age and making me feel old, since they're already retired from SNL. She has 94 acting credits, 30 producer credits, 19 writing credits, 15 soundtrack credits and six director credits. Yeah, she was born in Newton, massachusetts, to two school teachers. Her dad pushed her from day one to try new things. Prior to going to college, she worked in an old-timey themed ice cream parlor called Chadwix, where she was made to wear a costume and play the kazoo while singing Happy Birthday to customers. And that's actually what helped her realize that she wanted to be a performer, because making people laugh made her feel like a queen. Yeah, so she started improv with my mother's flea bag. While working on her bachelor's in media at Boston College, she took classes at Second City, where she studied with improv. God, del Close. There's so many people I know who are like one degree separated from Del Close. It's bonkers and it's like man. It must have been wild studying with him. But yeah, so while studying with Del, she befriended and began performing alongside Tina Fey at Improv Olympics, and she then went on to co-found Upright Citizens Brigade and helped create the ASCAT format with Matt Besser, ian Roberts and Matt Walsh In 1996, growing from just an improv sketch troupe to a school of its own, sitting side by side with Second City and the groundlings, as one of the most influential improv sketch schools in entertainment. Ucb went on to train luminaries like Aziz Ansari, donald Glover, ed Helms, ellie Kemper, aubrey Plaza, nick Kroll and Zach Woods. Basically, if you see a hot young comedian who's actually no longer that young but still hot ripping up the industry right now, they likely took a UCB class. Now she is, like my wife, a noted fan of bone stugs and harmony. In the early 90s she had a recurring role on Conan O'Brien's late night as Andy Richter's younger sister, with a disturbingly intense crush on Conan. It was a lot to watch. Even back then She brought it all Now. During the first two seasons of Arrested Development she played Willar Nett, god Bluth's accidental wife, before eventually marrying him for real in 2007, before later divorcing. She also played his sister in the film's Blades of Glory with a disturbingly wife-like energy Now while filming the movie Baby Mama with Keena Faye, she was in fact pregnant with her first child, archie. She has formed lasting friendships with both Faye and Seth Meyers, whom she considers her best friends. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, along with a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in Television. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame along with a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series for Parks and Rec, as well as an Emmy and Writers Guild of America Award. The award was the third SNL alumni to give a class day address to the graduating class at Harvard. Alongside Al Franken and Will Ferrell, she started a wine store called Zoolow Wines and Spirits in Brooklyn Park Slope with musician friends Amy Miles and Mike Robertson, where they sell nice bottles of wine for as little as $13. And finally, during the filming of Parks and Rec, polar started a tradition that any time the show was shot on location, the whole cast and crew would have dinner together and she would dedicate a toast to someone, often picking out a cast or crew member, and the toasts would have to continue until everyone was toasted. Mike sure called this the Polar and continued this tradition on the good place. So yeah, she's just a nice human being. Sounds that way. 0:07:21 - Speaker 2Yeah, nice human being who belongs in the SNL Hall of Fame. What do you think? 0:07:25 - Speaker 3Agreed, definitely agreed. 0:07:28 - Speaker 2All right Cool, all right Yes. 0:07:54 - Speaker 4Thank you so much, matt and Jamie and I am to join here today by a wonderful first time guest here on the SNL Hall of Fame. She's a frequent guest on the Saturday Night Networks podcast. Our great friends over there, john Schneider and them Victoria, i actually heard you on John's shows and decided to poach you. That's kind of what I do here and there is all here talent on the Saturday Night Network and then just kind of get you over here on the SNL Hall of Fame, but John doesn't mind. 0:08:26 - Speaker 7No, I'm sure he doesn't mind the double dip. 0:08:29 - Speaker 4No, he does not. We are all good friends, we're all wonderful podcasting communities. So, victoria Fronso, thank you so much for joining us here on the SNL Hall of Fame. 0:08:39 - Speaker 7And thank you for having me. I'm excited to do this. I love debating Hall of Fame people and who's worthy and who may not be worthy, but we're here to discuss who's worthy. 0:08:49 - Speaker 4Yeah, absolutely, and we have a really good one today. But before we get to that, usually I go into more detail about my guest during this intro, but I want you to do it, victoria. So can you talk about your experience as a sketch and improv performer and maybe a little about being a 2023 SNL scholar? 0:09:09 - Speaker 7Yeah, i'd love to, so I always wanted to do comedy. It was kind of second nature, but my parents always told me, to quote get a real job, as a lot of performer parents tell them to do So. After college, probably around 2018, i started taking improv classes at the second city and did a lot of performances there as well, outside of my classes, and then in 2020, i auditioned for the conservatory, which I'll just pair like just for context is kind of like your masters of comedy and improv at the second city, you have to audition to get in and you have to audition to stay in, and then something called the pan pandemic is what it was called happen. 0:09:52 - Speaker 4I've heard about that. 0:09:53 - Speaker 7Yeah, I read about on Twitter and it was like, oh, it was a big deal or something. So I had to pause there. Pause there for a little bit. But last year, while living in Detroit, I was doing comedy at Go Comedy Improv Improv Theater. I don't know why I keep can't say improv for the life of me, even though I do it all the time. I was doing comedy there I was an understudy. I did a couple of sketch shows or a sketch show at the planet Aunt Theater, both theaters founded by Second City Detroit alumni, which is really cool. So you kind of get that training trickle down. And then last year I applied for the Saturday Night Live Scholarship at the second city and was one out of four people who got it, which is really cool. It's a diversity scholarship and it kind of is trying to build a pathway for folks who have a different background, whether that be ethnically racial, if they're part of the LGBTQ plus community, just to get them an opportunity to be in spaces that they may otherwise not have. And what that entails is they pay for my training and what my classes are, And I'm currently in the final stage of my classes at Second City. So it's kind of bittersweet there, But then I get to meet with a few of SNL folks and then hopefully get to audition this time next year. 0:11:12 - Speaker 4Wow, that's awesome And hopefully you won't forget all of us little people who you've interacted with when you're on the show in New York doing that. But that's Victoria, that's so awesome And I just kind of wish you really good luck and wish you well on your venture there. That's so wonderful. 0:11:32 - Speaker 7Thank you so much. I don't expect anything. I'll be very honest. I don't expect to be on SNL. I'm really just grateful to be doing this work. It's been a part of my life for such a long time And now that I'm able to kind of learn from the best and learn all these different techniques whether or not I make a SNL or whatever it is I end up doing I'm just happy to be doing it. And even being on podcasts like this one and just to share my love for comedy in different ways is awesome. 0:12:01 - Speaker 4You bring such a great perspective that we haven't had here. On the SNL Hall of Fame You're not just watching Saturday Night Live and watching sketch performers, you're doing it. You're performing sketch, you're taking the classes, you're making your way through. So I just love that perspective that you bring to this. So that's why I think you're the perfect guest to talk about Amy Poehler, because she was so influential in the sketch and improv world. So her first sketch and improv experience, just real quick, was with Improv Olympic. So can you tell us kind of about Improv Olympic and what Amy's background is with that? 0:12:41 - Speaker 7Yeah, i don't know entirely too much about her time at IO is what it is called But I do know her first class was taught by Sharna Halpern, who is an icon and a staple in the Chicago improv community and just improv everywhere, and so to have your first class in Chicago taught by her is kind of a big deal. You don't see it often. I don't think Sharna is teaching much anymore. She also learned and worked from Del Close, who's also a legend in the comedy world in Chicago and improv as well, and that's actually where she met Tina Fey. So a lot of folks think she met her at Second City, but I think it was actually IO where they met and then they moved on to Second City. But yeah, others at IO, just to name a few, was like Chris Farley was there, and so it's that institution among Second City or where they've built a lot of these great SNL cast members. 0:13:37 - Speaker 4Yeah, the roots of sketch and improv definitely go back to IO and Del Close especially. Del Close is one of those names that you hear. It's almost like hearing about if you're a baseball fan, like Babe Ruth or something like that, and they name Del Close rings like that amongst these circles. 0:13:54 - Speaker 7I was going to say, if you're a fan of improv and sketch and learning about where it all started, i highly recommend reading the book called Improv Nation, and it goes a little bit deeper. If you're a little nerd about it, like me, it goes a bit a lot deeper into it And it talks about how Chicago has become this for lack of a better term a cesspool of comedic geniuses, and that's where everyone comes to really get their foot in the door. 0:14:23 - Speaker 4I think that book delved into Mike Nichols and maybe his work in two And everybody knows Mike Nichols from his time as a director, a really famous director, but he has roots there. Improv Nation is a really good book. I second that. I suggest Improv Nation as well. So yeah, so Amy Poehler joined in 1995, she then moved on to Upright Citizens Brigade where I think most people who caught the me of the tail end are familiar with her before SNL. They know her with UCB. So she co-founded the UCB Theater in New York City in 1999. That's one of the main training grounds for aspiring and sketch improv and comedians. Like Second City and those others, The groundlings in California and LA, These are like the huge breeding grounds for sketch and improv reformers. So Victoria is someone who's currently a sketch and improv comedian. I know you're most associated with second city but you know we can put into context UCB standing in that world of sketch. So maybe let me tell us about UCB's standing in that world and Particularly Amy's influence. 0:15:34 - Speaker 7Yeah, i just take a step back to. I want to call out that Amy Polar was on second cities touring company, which has been part of second cities since, i think, 1967, and It was a way for if you weren't able to make it a second city, second city was gonna come to you and Not many people are able to do that. So I just want to call out how awesome it is and how you know Seldom it is that you get to see folks on touring company. It's very competitive. Former touring members include, like Julia Louis Dreyfus and Chris Redd, and they, her and Tina Fey, actually auditioned on the same day and got to tour together, which is really cool. But UCB, i think it was she founded in 1996 with Matt Welsh who you may know is like the doctor from the hangover. 0:16:20 - Speaker 4Mm-hmm, Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, he's awesome. 0:16:25 - Speaker 7He's so underrated but we'll talk about him another time Among a few others, and they, you know, really found their footing in New York City and that's where they really created a foundation You know they made appearances with. Back. Then was called late night with Conan O'Brien And they played like some characters in the audience You've seen that and also like late night with Jimmy Fallon and and all that where they sit among the audience. They also had a show on County Central, which is really cool. It was improv driven sketches like hidden camera stunts, and most notable, i think, is what was called the, the prostitute Parista, where she's this like former prostitute who goes and interviews at a coffee shop and Matt Well should we just talked about is the hiring man is like I don't think you're qualified And it's very funny, and then they end up being best friends and he ends up following his dreams. It was really funny. And then eventually she was one of the co-founders of UCB theater in New York And I think they also had it in LA, which unfortunately closed during the pandemic but is reportedly back. I I'm gonna describe a moment where I kind of like you know, people peak in high school Yeah, i peaked. I peaked in this moment and then it's been downhill since. It's been stagnant downhill and stagnant a little bit. But March 2020, right before, like literally two weeks before the world shut down, i Went to New York City and I was standing outside SNL at the what's it called, the, just outside where folks can meet the, the cast members. After the show and Chris read, who I've seen numerous times previously in Chicago, recognized me and said oh hey, victoria, how are you? and He said are you here on Monday, which I was Monday was actually March 2nd, was my birthday And he goes hey, come to UCB, me and Ego are doing an improv show. I was like, uh, okay, and Got tickets. We went and that was my first time at UCB. It was really fun. They did this cool little. They were. I love the format of it. I won't spoil it, just in case they're they're doing it again, but they basically are doing. They ask questions or they do a little bit at the beginning and then it turns into an actual scene. And then afterward I got to talk to him a little bit and meet Ego, new Odom, and that was my birthday and that was the best Birthday ever, yeah, and yeah, i peaked and I'll never get. 0:18:48 - Speaker 4You got, i mean, the personal invite from Chris read for one. He didn't. It's not like you went to the show as a fan and then you happen to meet them afterward like you. You Got the personal invite. So yeah, i would. That would be Damn near the peak for me too. 0:19:04 - Speaker 7Yeah, so and I mean it was just, it was a bit. It's a very cool theater. If you're in New York City I highly recommend you go and check it out. It's you can tell like the comedy and the genius that is Amy Poehler. You know why she's an awesome contender for a Hall of Fame spot, just kind of flows through that space and She's definitely inspired me. Her and Tina Fey when I was younger always inspired me Gilda Radner, of course, but you know from my generation, the folks that I, the women I looked up to, were those two and It was because of them I even signed up for my first second city class. And you know, here We are today, a few years later. 0:19:43 - Speaker 4But yeah, so she's. She's definitely an inspiration for you, and And a lot of people and I thought what one of the things that I find fascinating about her As it relates to her time before SNL was you will, you had mentioned the the upright citizens Brigade Brigade Sketch show that was on Comedy Central. So that ran for three seasons. It was with the aforementioned Matt Walsh, matt Besser and Ian Roberts also made up the UCB and it's interesting because she's one of the few, one of the handful of people who get to SNL who Did sketch on television before that. So of course, like we had, keenan Thompson had sketched experience on TV. Darren Killam, i believe, was on mad TV before SNL. Kate McKinnon was known for for Being on a sketch show, but Amy was like that too and I'd watched the upright citizens Brigade on Comedy Central as it was airing and So cool, yeah, so it was awesome. It was like a spiritual successor. I would say to kids in the hall. It kind of had that weird out there kids in the hall vibe, also a precursor to like I think you should leave Tim Robinson's Netflix show. There was some weird elements there. But just totally up my alley, did you have you gone back or did you get to watch upright citizens Brigade on Comedy Central? 0:21:06 - Speaker 7I Wasn't cool enough to watch it. I don't think even I was allowed to watch Comedy Central. 0:21:11 - Speaker 4I was probably dating myself, because I was plenty old enough to watch it. It was airing live. 0:21:17 - Speaker 7Yeah, it was hit or miss, like sometimes they could watch MTV But like I couldn't watch other things, or like my parents let me watch a godfather with that. It was just very weird what they pick and chose of what I could see, but I don't watch it then. I have gone back a few times and and watch bits and pieces of it just to. Sometimes you just need to like get re-inspired and Remotivated so you go and watch some of the folks that you really look up to and what they did and kind of make yourself feel better About where you're at too. No, i've watched it too, like the. The prostitute Parisone was again probably most notable, but one of my favorites too. It kind of demonstrates her Ability to be so multifaceted. I don't think that some of that content stands the test of time. 0:22:03 - Speaker 4Yeah, I don't think they could push it. 0:22:05 - Speaker 7But if you just look at it like face value for the time it was in it was, it was awesome. 0:22:10 - Speaker 4Yeah, yeah, definitely Something that, like I compared it to kids in the hall, which was a Lorne Michaels produced show, of course. So definitely something that probably would have caught the attention of SNL producers and possibly Lorne her time on the upright citizens brigade show. That's a tongue twister, upright citizens brigade. 0:22:31 - Speaker 7So no, i'm a little side note. I'm really impressed that you know what kids in the hall is. 0:22:36 - Speaker 4Oh, God, no, okay, i watched kids in the hall. I was a weird eight-year-old, okay, watching kids in the hall. So I would watch SNL in the early 90s. So again, dating myself. But so I was. I was probably watching SNL as it was airing probably around 1990, 91, and after SNL finished they would show kids in the hall. So so, yeah, so if I was able to stay awake by then I would maybe catch some kids in the hall. Of course I watched kids in the hall and comedy central when I was like in middle school, high school, so that's, yeah, i don't know. Just people, probably SNL viewers of my age and generation Also love kids in the hall you. 0:23:19 - Speaker 7You know, before the show, just for context for listeners, we were talking about Sterling Heights, michigan, and how very niche it was. But Kevin McDonald of Kids in the hall did a workshop to a go comedy improv theater in Frandale, michigan. So really. Yes, it was very cool. Yeah, and Again, also like didn't realize that a lot of people knew what kids in the hall is, because usually you mentioned. If you're like, what are you talking? 0:23:46 - Speaker 4about. Oh, yeah, i, the kids in the hall theme song was my alarm on my my phone for years. I think I maybe changed it last year, but the but the kids in the hall theme song was was my alarm that I woke up to for like year, like a decade. That's awesome. So, yeah, you're talking to a huge fan right there and it's a huge compliment to Amy that I would compare Her some of her work before SNL to kids in the hall, a show that I love Just so dearly. So we talked about her, her background before SNL Are flexing her muscles, already doing a lot in the sketch comedy world. So she was on SNL from 2001 to 2009. She debuted during a tense and confusing time in the country and SNL. So in her book yes please, which I highly recommend. Since we're recommending books on this episode, i recommend yes please by Amy Polar. So she talked about how difficult it was to start SNL right after 9-11 Because of the mood of the country. She wasn't sure if people were ready to smile, much less laugh, which is something that I remember Is. Well, that was just kind of the mood of the country in general. So, as far as her SNL stuff goes, what stood out to you about Amy as a sketch performer? 0:25:12 - Speaker 7so I know that a lot of the SNL Performers and cast members are able to take, you know, an ordinary thing and kind of exaggerate it, but I think what stood out about her is how she was able to do it and she, i think, a lot of her stuff What's the what's the word? like what? how do I phrase it? It was simple, yet like punchy, you know, like she didn't have to do a lot to get her point across, and we're gonna talk about a few of these characters, you know, coming down. But she was able to take something so ordinary and mundane and turn it into something Wild and funny and, you know, provide a different outlook. And you know she as as a woman, and especially as a woman in comedy, she was able to be a like a full-on feminist and kind of push through barriers. Not that she's the first to do it and not that she perfected it, but again, someone in my generation looking up to folks. She was right there after, you know, especially after the internet, and I think she was ahead of her time to you on some topics. I could talk about her pre SNL days forever, but she did which I'm gonna go back to really quickly here. She did a pilot, i think, with SNL slash IO called RVTV, with Del Close. You should, it's on, it's on YouTube and You know she has a line in there where she kind of calls out the establishment And she calls out the NRA and she goes it's cool to be a Republican, guns are cool, so is the NRA. Murder is hip, like she already had. She knew before we know, and she brought that perspective To SNL and to all of her, her comedy really. And so that to me, while it's general that her POV, is what stood out to me in her characters and what she wrote and how she performed them. 0:27:00 - Speaker 4Yeah, i think you brought up a good point. I think it she had like an economy of words. She didn't like it was just just just little punchy Kind of things. We would see a lot of that on weekend update, a lot of that on her UCB show, on Comedy Central. I can sell. Just kind of going through the previous seasons which I did recently, it was like, oh this is, this is Amy, and I think Victoria, you brought up just what I didn't even Consciously, i guess think that as far as Amy goes, like why did? why is she so appealing to me? Why is why, like when she was on weekend update, like why do I find her jokes more satisfying than like Seth Meyers jokes? And I like Seth Meyers? but there's a reason why I liked Amy's jokes maybe a little bit more. And then you I think what you said Perfectly encapsulates that- I mean in a word She was fearless. 0:27:52 - Speaker 7Yeah she really like she did her thing and I don't think she let much get in the way of her, you know, getting her point across and how she felt about things. It was always her point of view, which is what we need. We can't just have a shared point of view, which in some cases yes, but when she came, you know, to the writer's room or to the screen, she Was uniquely, always herself, which was brilliant. 0:28:17 - Speaker 4Yeah, and with packed with a lot of confidence To and that's the thing you can have a message and you can have ideas and what you think is a point of view. But I think you need to also really relay that with confidence and Amy had that in droves. She was super confident which is inspiring. 0:28:35 - Speaker 7I mean, we I'm, we being me. I'm gonna bring my perspective as as a woman, especially as a minority in comedy. Like we didn't have a lot of that, you know, on TV where a Woman is outspoken Like some of her character. A lot of her characters are outspoken and they weren't really a shy or reserve. She was up and center and, you know, really didn't care what people had to say. And it's inspiring to me to kind of bring That to the table too and it's allowed me to also in my comedy, to be fake confident. You know, fake it till you make it. But Yeah, she's, she's awesome in that way. 0:29:16 - Speaker 4Yeah, so as far as specific Characters and sketches from her time at SNL, where should we start? 0:29:25 - Speaker 7My goodness, that's a loaded question. I Think the most obvious is probably like what do you think Hillary Clinton? 0:29:33 - Speaker 5It has been such an honor to serve you, the citizens of my home state of New York. Oh, my kidding, this is not my home state. It never was my home state. Pack up the house a chap, a quad bill. What's that We never unpacked? 0:29:50 - Speaker 4even better, Yeah, that was one of her first recurring characters, especially she. She started that in her third season. So her depiction of Hillary Clinton. So we talked about what Amy brought to the table as a sketch performer. You saw some of that in her depiction of Hillary Clinton. 0:30:10 - Speaker 7Yes, she played, of course, an exaggerated caricature of Hillary Clinton, but again, it was this fearless confident. You know I'm calling out the sexism in politics. You know I'm calling out how insane like, especially with her. You know, with Tina Feyess, sarah Palin, calling out how kind of ludicrous it is that Sarah Palin has gotten a little well in 2008, got a little bit further in politics. And she did. And you know she brought her personality to Hillary Clinton and, you know, made it, made it really funny. 0:30:49 - Speaker 4Yeah, and as far as doing impressions and everything like that I'm preaching to the choir, probably here, but you got to find that hook right. As a performer, and I've heard, i've heard some of the masters, like Daryl Hammond, dana Carvey, love, they love talking about how they conjure up impressions. But you have to find that hook And I think with her, hillary Clinton, with Amy Pollars, hillary Clinton she started you know her mannerisms, that laugh, because Hillary didn't really laugh like that, to be honest with you, but it was something that Amy was able to grab onto and say this is an element of this character that I'm creating and let's work from there. 0:31:32 - Speaker 7Yeah, and it's funny that you mentioned that, because when she was with Hillary, which is, i think it was March, march 1st 2008. I think I forgot what season that was, but she does a call open with Hillary Clinton and Hillary Clinton asked her I don't laugh like that, do I? And she was well like, yeah, you know it was. It was just very funny that she you get to call impressions of yourself. You don't really see that And then, of course, in a cold open, which is even more rare, in Second City Saturday Night Live. So I mean, it's just iconic. She's done things that others have never done on that show. 0:32:08 - Speaker 4Yeah, she played Hillary Clinton 13 times throughout the years, from season 29 all the way up to her last season. It was season 34. So she played Hillary Clinton quite a few times. One of the sketches and I don't know if you remember this one, but it's it's what I kind of go back to as far as when Amy first announced herself with confidence something that she first led, it was in her second episode and it's it's a sketch that she wrote with Sean Williams Scott. It was the porn star sketch. 0:32:39 - Speaker 8Hey, can I ask you a question? 0:32:42 - Speaker 1You can ask me anything. You know that. 0:32:48 - Speaker 9When do you think it's a good time to mention in a relationship that you've done some porn? 0:32:56 - Speaker 10What Just like? how long do you think like in a relationship you should wait before you tell somebody you did a little porn? 0:33:05 - Speaker 7Like, first of all, what an era It was. It was again right after, you know, september 11th, unfortunately, but like those early 2000s, like when it comes to comedy, they were so out there It was almost the Wild West. 0:33:21 - Speaker 4Yeah, yeah, people were taking chances, it was. I mean, some of the bad stuff was like it was. I think it was the height of like edge lord kind of comedy which wasn't so wonderful, but then. But you also had people taking chances and delving into ideas that that that maybe are taboo or risque. 0:33:39 - Speaker 7Yeah, I mean Sean Williams, scott himself was in what American Pie Like again wouldn't go so well if it was released as is for the first time today. But yeah, i mean just having him there and then, you know, having her. Like I said, she takes simple things, which I guess being a porn star, dating is something you don't usually see, but it's a simple thing. 0:34:04 - Speaker 4She takes every day right. 0:34:06 - Speaker 7Yeah, and it is a slice of life. Yeah, and it's a different POV. We don't usually see that POV, but you know I love that. She was like downplaying. I know I was, i was in a porn movie and he's like, well, i don't care about your past. There's like, well, this afternoon I guess was my past And then you know, it was just very funny. I think again, really cool that she got to be she was fresh to SNL in the second episode, got to be in, got to be a main character with the host, her second episode. It just I don't know, man, do I? I'm preaching, i'm also preaching to the choir, but like she is doing things that are essentially unheard of in at SNL. Yeah, that's soon. Yeah, that's soon And it's your own sketch that you have co-written. But yeah, I mean, if you wanted to walk through, I guess how it how it went for the rest of folks, I don't want to ruin it for you if that's where you're going. 0:35:05 - Speaker 4Oh, no, yeah, go ahead. 0:35:06 - Speaker 7No, so I mean she's you know having I thought it was a dinner with a boyfriend or it's like. 0:35:12 - Speaker 4Yeah, And she was like Or just like it seemed like a they've maybe a first date or they were in the early stages of dating. 0:35:19 - Speaker 7Yes, Early stages of dating She's like oh, when is it a good time to mention that I've done a porn movie? And he was like what? And then you know she's like, oh, it's. She kind of does like, oh, it was like a one time thing, but she's been in multiple. And he finds out She's like oh, it's your past. And she's like well, this afternoon, i guess, is my past. And yeah, he's like I thought I thought it'd be cool to date a porn star, but it's now that I'm am. It's not fun. She was, i'm not a porn star yet. 0:35:51 - Speaker 4And I think she crossed her fingers to her. She had the mannerism like I'm not a porn star yet, Like yes, I might be looking soon And you know what? 0:36:01 - Speaker 7That's how you want to get your bag. Get your bag, like, not shaming Women for their choices. And then, of course, seth Meyers, who, like I think, was probably her top collaborator throughout her time on SNL, you know, comes in as the waiter. He's like, oh, i think I know you from somewhere, and then it turns out he casted one of her movies and then he goes and rushes to the kitchen and tell his friends And then at the end of it she's signing autographs. So, you know, josh, aka Sean Williams Scott, is just at the end, i guess, accepting of her career. 0:36:37 - Speaker 4Yeah, and I'm sure viewers at the time who knew Amy from her Comedy Central days were waiting for some kind of showcase like that And it came really soon. So she does cite that in her book too. It was just something that of course, was one of the more memorable experiences for her on the time from her time at the show. So that was, like her, basically the first Amy Polar led sketch on SNL. That was from season 27, episode two, sean Williams, scott, go check that out. I think it's a fun episode, just kind of overall. But that I think, and I think this porn star sketch I call it porn it's like porn star date sketch. I think it was like a 10 to one. So I think they kind of just put it at the end of the show. Yes, and it fit perfectly, yeah, so I'm glad it made air. 0:37:27 - Speaker 7I will plug Peacock. It's on Peacock if you want to watch it. So everything, mostly everything, is on Peacock, if I'm not mistaken. 0:37:34 - Speaker 4Yeah, So sometimes when you get to seasons like 30, 31 or so, you find like 15 minute episodes on Peacock. But I think season 27, we're still you can find mostly full episodes. 0:37:46 - Speaker 7Yeah, so go check that out If you're looking for musical performances. I think they cut a lot of those out. But other than that, if you Michael Jordan episodes on there, so just go for it and watch it. 0:37:58 - Speaker 4Another great episode as well. Yeah, and the LeBron James episodes on there too, just if you're more of a LeBron person. 0:38:05 - Speaker 7Oh, you can't say that to me. I literally live in Chicago. I know I was born in the 90s, lived in Chicago during Michael Jordan's era. What are you doing? I got it. I'm just going to start a different podcast about that. 0:38:23 - Speaker 4So what other sketches or characters could we not do the show without talking about? 0:38:32 - Speaker 7Bronx beat. 0:38:33 - Speaker 4Bronx beat Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph Just great chemistry. 0:38:38 - Speaker 7Yeah, they were like I'm surprised it was brought. I mean Bronx. I don't listen, i don't want to offend culture here. I don't know if it's a Bronx or Staten Island. I didn't realize that it was Bronx. I thought it was like the Italians were in Staten Island. But again, i don't want to be wrong, i don't want to offend any New Yorkers. I make it ignore me, but I really loved it. They were like these disgusted, outspoken, sassy women. 0:39:06 - Speaker 10Let me ask you something, frank. You married Well. 0:39:08 - Speaker 7I have a girlfriend. 0:39:09 - Speaker 10Why haven't you asked your girlfriend to marry you? You know what? Don't get married. Listen to us. Don't get married. Your life is over Over. 0:39:15 - Speaker 11She is right. You know what? My husband? I want to kill him. I want to strangle him while he's asleep. I want to kill him. You know what I love him. 0:39:23 - Speaker 10He's in love with my life. Here we go with the waterworks. He gave me my two dollars. What am I going to do? So emotional these days, it's true, i can't help it. He gave me my two dollars. I would die without him. You know what Frank Do. Whatever you want, what am I an expert? 0:39:35 - Speaker 7Who like fond over male guests and would flirt with them. There was a line I don't know if I'm allowed to say on this podcast Go ahead and say it, and if I feel I need to cut it, i will. Okay, she, amy Poehler, was with Jake Gyllenhaal, i believe, was it Jake? No, it was with Justin Timberlake and Andy Sandberg, and she was. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to go home. I'm going to go home, put my phone on vibrate and call myself Like so gross but like so funny, like again, kind of talking about that confidence and that fearlessness and all of her characters, like I don't know that I'd be ever confident enough to say that. And then she's like now leave before I change my mind. 0:40:19 - Speaker 4Total Amy Poehler. Just we were talking about how confident she is And these characters both the characters that both she and Maya played in these sketches were sassy, aggressive, just shameless. Yeah, absolutely Just. And they played against most of the male. It was usually a host that would come in. They were shy and just trying to. You could tell they were maybe interns on their show, just trying to learn the ropes or whatever guests who were kind of shy. So they played really well off of these sassy, aggressive women. So I think perfect Amy was like one of the perfect people to play this. 0:40:56 - Speaker 7Yeah, i think the most I mean. Correct me if I'm wrong. I would think the most notable and beloved sketch of that is with Katy Perry, where she comes in in that Elmo t-shirt and they're like whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You know, like you know, today's episode is brought to you by the number 38 in the letter D And just like, very funny and she was in but also very empowering for women. This, this feminist POV, comes in, she goes they go never be embarrassed by your body, never, ever. And so it just yeah, it was very funny. Betty Caruso has a piece of my heart. She's America's, america's mom. 0:41:36 - Speaker 4Just wonderful, yeah, and it seemed like this Bronx beat show for these characters was like their outlet, because they do allude to just their moms and they have families at home. So it almost seems like this is their outlet just to kind of say what they want and flirt with who they want. So, yeah, the Bronx beat we don't have to tell our listeners to I'm sure they've checked this out so many times Definitely, as far as Amy Polar goes, part of her canon for sure. Yeah, so, and one another recurring character that we're volleying over here. So another recurring character that I want to mention is Caitlin Rick. 0:42:18 - Speaker 8Rick, rick, listen, rick, i know it's 16 hours until Uncle Scott's wedding And I know that you told me it was too early to put my dress on. But as co-junior bridesmaid, i really feel like I need to walk around and practice in my dress, with the heels and the head thing, and I'll be like dum dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum dum. 0:42:42 - Speaker 4Oh God Which. And Amy says this character, it was the hyperchild who hung out with her uncle. I think it was usually Horatio Sands was the uncle. Yeah, and Amy says that this character was an homage to Gilda Radner and her Judy Miller character. From now And it's kind of funny when I just had that in my mind this reminds me of like the Gilda character. And Amy says that it was an homage to that Judy Miller character from Gilda's I didn't realize that. Yeah, so we're seeing Gilda's influence to an SNL Hall of Famer in her own right. She got voted in Yeah. So, yeah, we're seeing Gilda's influence And Amy, just I love that. She's paying homage to her heroes, essentially, and this was a fun character. 0:43:28 - Speaker 7No, now that you say that, that makes total sense And it comes out in the mannerisms. I mean, Caitlyn is such great birth control if you're debating whether or not you want kids. 0:43:40 - Speaker 4I just took a drink of water. I almost did a spit take. 0:43:44 - Speaker 7No, i just that's. When I think of Caitlyn, i think of great birth control. I was like, oh, i don't know if I want kids, just watch Caitlyn, you know if you're leaning. No, that'll solidify, solidify your decision there. No, i mean, she's like annoying kid with braces. I love the one with. Oh man, he retired twice. What's his name? Tom Brady, and you know, just, she puts on a dress. She's just so annoying, she's hyperactive, she's overly annoying, but that's the point. That's the whole point. 0:44:14 - Speaker 4Yeah, yeah, and I usually yeah, i usually don't love a lot of shouting in sketches. That's why I don't know, that's why I've had to. I've had to come around on Sarah Sherman. I love Sarah now and I love most of her stuff, but a lot I've had to really come around to her more shouty types of pieces that she does on SNL. But I still enjoy these Caitlyn sketches because of her interplay with her ratio And then the character feels fleshed out to me Like there's some hints for a sad home life, forcing Yeah, she's like always just kind of hints at that that she has a really sad home life. 0:44:55 - Speaker 7I think the best characters no matter if it's Saturday Night Live or Key and Peele or whatever it is always have a fleshed out POV And you can tell exactly who they are, where they came from. You can visualize their life outside of the scene that you're seeing. I think those are always made for the best characters. You don't really have to guess who they are outside of the scene. I think that was Caitlyn And I agree The shouty stuff is hard for me too, and I agree with you with Sarah Sherman. I think she's funny, yeah, And I think what she does is so unique and so niche. This is Sarah Sherman we're talking about, but yeah, no, those those louder ones are take a little bit more time for me to warm up to them, but I eventually do, and I think this was at that time, one of the few that were. So it worked because it wasn't constant. I don't think they've ever done constant shouting characters or something that I could be wrong, but I think it worked for her time there. 0:45:57 - Speaker 4Yeah, yeah, i agree, and I think part of her character which I find funny and it's, you know, hinting at how she is outside of the sketch is like her references are old. So she referenced like Dennis Leary Like what little kid references Dennis Leary? or Amadeus, the like the Amadeus? And it tells me that maybe, and this was probably by design by the writers and Amy for this character. It tells me that that that Caitlyn grew up being babysat by the TV and she probably watched a lot of adult content that she shouldn't have been in, not not like sex and violence, but just adult stuff, like like that. That's how I was when I was a kid and yeah, like I said, i'm not talking about like when I was a kid, i would watch movies with nudity. I would watch movies that had like themes of divorce and like finding yourself in midlife crisis, and I was like seven years old Sitting in front of the TV eating cocoa puffs just in my pajamas, watching like Kramer vs Kramer. Yeah, and I kind of think that's how Caitlin was with her homidaeus and Dennis Leary types of references. 0:47:09 - Speaker 7I wonder if her reference to Dennis Leary was kind of an homage to her Massachusetts upbringing as well, since they're both from Massachusetts. 0:47:17 - Speaker 4That's a good point. I'm gonna go ahead and say it was. 0:47:20 - Speaker 7Yeah, i mean, i don't know how close. I think she's from Newton, he's from Warchester, warchester. 0:47:27 - Speaker 4I don't know. You're not a person from Massachusetts, apparently Warester. 0:47:32 - Speaker 7I am a Midwestern gal, through and through from Chicago and Detroit. I call myself a chitroiter. 0:47:39 - Speaker 4Don't let somebody from Massachusetts hear you pronounce it, warchester. 0:47:44 - Speaker 7Okay, listen, i love. 0:47:44 - Speaker 4Duncan. 0:47:46 - Speaker 7I love Duncan, i love Winter, i love the movie Feverpitch Oh yeah, okay With Jimmy Fallon. Yeah, sorry, sorry to the Massachusetts community. You can't see my face. 0:48:06 - Speaker 4So I brought up. Caitlin, so I believe it's your turn. What characters sketch kind of stands out to you? 0:48:14 - Speaker 7Do we want to talk about the needlers? 0:48:16 - Speaker 4We can talk about the needlers. 0:48:18 - Speaker 8Does everyone know what they're getting? Yeah, i think I'm gonna get this beet salad. What. 0:48:24 - Speaker 2The beet salad Bee salad. 0:48:29 - Speaker 10Beet salad. Well, the first two times you said bee salad. 0:48:34 - Speaker 8Yeah, honey, i have a real craving for putting some bees in my mouth. 0:48:38 - Speaker 7I mean, we all know that couple in real life And sometimes I think that they perhaps solved those sketches back in like what 2005. And copy them on purpose, just to make all of us sad and mad. 0:48:54 - Speaker 4Yeah, just to make everybody uncomfortable for their own amusement. 0:48:57 - Speaker 7Yeah, it was. Just it was very like toxic, like the kids today would call that relationship toxic, i think I don't know. Maybe you know this. I have a question because I don't know everything about SNL. Was there a previous version of that called Dan and Sally Harrison, the couple that should be divorced? 0:49:16 - Speaker 4Yeah, so that was the first sketch. They were called Sally and Dan Harrison, the couple that should be divorced. I think they had a theme song. 0:49:24 - Speaker 1You're the horn in my side, you're the face that makes me angry. 0:49:30 - Speaker 5Nothing you ever say or do is right. Sally, and then Harrison, the couple that should be divorced. 0:49:39 - Speaker 4In SNL canon. I consider that the first Needler sketch was that, sally and Dan Harrison. I think their names are Sally and Dan Needler. Possibly going forward They changed the last name from Harrison to Needler, which of course they're needling each other, so there's a bit on the nose, but you want to remember. Sometimes it's on the nose, but yeah, we all know that couple. 0:50:03 - Speaker 7I don't know why I wrote that down when you said it. I wrote it down in my notes as if I'm going to have to retain that for a later day. 0:50:11 - Speaker 4You might. 0:50:12 - Speaker 7You might be on some SNL trivia show and it might come up, maybe that's like if I ever get to audition, they're like, hey, what was the first Needler sketch? I'm going to have to know it. 0:50:24 - Speaker 4Most people don't know that if you audition for SNL, there's a written test to go along with it. We hear stories about what it's like to be up there not getting laughs and still doing the thing, but then what we don't know is that there's a written test. Thorne Michaels is the proctor for the test and he's walking around, so this might be on SNL's written test, victoria. 0:50:46 - Speaker 7Okay, that's so good to know. I'm going to also, after this goes live, download it and like memorize everything we've said word for word, just in case. 0:50:55 - Speaker 4Yeah, just commit it to memory. So this sketch I love that you brought it up because Amy and Seth, they go from aggressive to passive aggressive just in an instant and they have really good chemistry here, that which we've seen a lot throughout SNL, throughout them in particular. 0:51:13 - Speaker 7They're a great duo. Hey, always comparing her to Tina Fey, but they were kind of each other's counterparts at the time but, like Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon, i think, have the same energy as Seth and Amy. they just worked really well together. I think they co collaborated a lot during, you know, their time in SNL. So you see, that which we'll talk about hopefully, i mean which I'm sure we'll talk about later is, you know, we can update and the needlers and and other things that they've, you know, written together and just they did that so well together. I really couldn't see her doing that sketch with anyone else. I love the fertility, fertility clinic one with Natalie Portman because it's like it describes those quote toxic and quote couples so perfectly. we're fighting all the time and then they end up like doing it Like they were doing it in the, in the waiting room, and Jason Sudeik has come and he's like I don't think we'll have any more patients for the day and she's like why is that he goes there doing it? 0:52:16 - Speaker 4Yeah, of course, that's like often the the button to those sketches. The first one, johnny Knoxville, is the one that walks in on them and yeah, that's just perfect, and that's that's how it is with those couples. It's so intense and passionate and it's in past. It's passionate negatively and sometimes passionate very positively. 0:52:35 - Speaker 7Yeah, oh, that's maybe a good word passionate versus toxic and that's what those couples will tell you. 0:52:41 - Speaker 4We're not talks, we're just passionate. 0:52:43 - Speaker 7Yeah, you don't know him like I know him okay. Okay, yeah, like they're like little lines of like, oh, we're late because he thought it was better to take the back roads instead of, oh, the highway. And then they were at dinner and she's like oh, be salad, be salad. He's like beat salad, yeah, because I wanted a bunch of bees in my mouth, just like. Very like. We know those couples, unfortunately, and if you think you're in that couple now and you're listening, please break up and find peace, please do everybody. Yeah, for the sake of society. 0:53:21 - Speaker 4So, yeah, you brought up weekend update, so I want to talk about that now. Actually, good segue. So she, yeah, started weekend update in her fourth season. So she did it season 30 to season 34, final update. Final update was in the middle of season 34. So what did you? and I know they say comparison is the thief of joy, but that's almost Kind of what we do here. Even if we don't do it overtly, it's almost applied that we're comparing cast members and errors and all of that. So I mean, what did you think of Amy on weekend update? 0:53:55 - Speaker 7Of course, to be reckoned with. You know she was part of the first and only female duo to host week and update with Tina Fey. Then, of course, she had a successful run with Seth Myers and she's just had like really great bits. You know, one that stands out to me was you know her and Tina Fey mentoring Lindsay Lohan at the time, who was like that was such a great mean girls era and you know, for folks who are younger, like millennials, i should say that was kind of like our Like the comedy growing up of was you know mean girls and and you know the Tina Fey and Amy Polars growing up. So it was really awesome. You know it was very like. I'm confronting her about rumors they've heard about her which, like at the time everyone had a rumor was very. I think as a side we've done a little bit better, not too much better, but we've progressed a little bit how we treat women and people who are famous but just like saying, you know you have me to Barton arms. You're too skinny, are you eating? I went to the club and then The fun part of the you know the twist of Lindsay Lohan throwing it back on them. She's like well, you slept with people for Tanta movies, are you know? you're drunk right now. And Amy Polars like, yes, i am, no, i mean, she was great. She brought a lot of originality to it again. It's that POV of I am myself, i am me, i'm fearless, i'm confident, and you better listen to me, and this is what I've got to say. She brought that there too. 0:55:26 - Speaker 4Yeah, amy, on update to me, that really allowed her to display her wit and charm on the show she was out of character. Well, kind of out of character, but it was. You know she. She straddled the line is weekend update anchors Do, but she really was allowed to display her wit and charm. She did like playful crowd work in spots. That was really entertaining. She and Tina did a lot of bits amongst themselves outside of the update jokes, like you mentioned that Lindsay Lohan mentorship bit. They would rap, they would sing songs, they would have bits like the The nutbird news quiz, the bitch news quiz, kind of different things like that. So I like that she and Tina When outside of we're just gonna take turns doing jokes and then have like a cast member do a week a bit with us or whatever, like they would do bits amongst themselves, which I think, yeah, really interesting. 0:56:25 - Speaker 7Yeah, i mean out of the wraps, which was your favorite. 0:56:29 - Speaker 4Oh man, not to put you on the spot. Yeah, they did one. It was either the one that I remember most and I went back and rewatched kind of Her weekend update stuff here and there and the one that always stood in my mind was I ended up being the first one that she did in season 30. And that stood out to me to watching it in sequential order because that was one of the first kind of bits that they did outside of the update jokes, so you never really saw like Kevin Niel and rapping. Or like Chevy Chase yeah yeah, jane and Bill Murray rapping together, so yeah, so I did like that first one because I maybe it was just because of the significance, as as if you are watching it how I did, but that one for sure stood out to me. 0:57:24 - Speaker 7And I'd be remiss if I didn't give Jane Curtin a shout out for being the first female weekend host. But no, the one that stood up to me wraps wise is the Sarah Palin rap. I don't know if you remember that. 0:57:53 - Speaker 5Smile, because that smile be creepy. But when I'm being all the leaders in the world gonna finally meet me, how's it go, eskimo? 0:58:02 - Speaker 7Tell me, tell me what you know Eskimo, how you feel Eskimo, tell me, tell me what you feel Eskimo Again. like that era of SNL, like 2000, like the 2008 election specifically, was so awesome to see the actual candidates come on to that show. I think now people would be like we're in such a crisis. what are you doing on SNL situation? so it's cool that we got that from then while we, while we could, and you know, sarah Palin joins the weekend update desk and then kind of like Amy Poehler kind of brings, brings the house down with a wrap about you know, about Sarah Palin like delivering her message and then Andy Sandberg and Fred Armisen as her backup. just really with like the fur coats and you know. Yeah, that was one that stood out to me. I she just man. Again, she's in a lot of things on that show that not many people got to do. I mean, i think I don't know if we're gonna end with a why she deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. But yeah, she was well, we'll get to it, but I had to, yeah, yeah, we'll get to it. So I'll leave my the rest of my thoughts there. I'll pause them for now. 0:59:10 - Speaker 4Yeah. 0:59:10 - Speaker 7so before we move on to what maybe she did after SNL and to your appeal to the voters, what else on SNL should we talk about as far as Amy Poehler goes, I would just love to give a quick honorable mention to two sketches, again also in a in the 2008 ish, you know, near the end of her time is the Bush twin secret language sketch. 0:59:38 - Speaker 8Jenna, we're twins. We have to share our most secret thoughts about everything. It's disrespectful. Just answer me in our secret twin language. 0:59:52 - Speaker 10Barbara, we haven't used that language since. We were like 19. 0:59:56 - Speaker 8Do be you, but think, but dance, but good. but president, but yes, i think, but he's, but really good. 1:00:09 - Speaker 7Like so funny there was, like you know they slapped on some Southern accents and they were drunk and you know they were using their, the secret, the language, to Figure out I'm trying to do it to figure out, like if their dad is actually like smart enough and competent enough to be president, which like was funny because I guess at the time when the rest of America was like what Is is he? and then another one was to love, honor and stock with John McCain hello, gillian. 1:00:45 - Speaker 10The conference wish cut short, so I rushed back to see you. 1:00:49 - Speaker 9David You shouldn't sneak up on people like that. You scared me half to death. 1:00:54 - Speaker 10Forgive me, darling, you know I'd never hurt you. 1:00:59 - Speaker 7That was so funny. It was just like her husband, her older husband, who was like very in love with her, invades her privacy and she's just like he's always in my space and like tries to sue him and so like you're literally married, like She's just a marriage, Yeah he's like he's just a poet and it's like kind of funny because it's like They also bring up again this feminism, feminist point of view of like if you were, if it was a rose reverse, it would be a big deal. Like we'd all be like, you know, leave him alone if she was the one doing it to him. But yeah, i think the amount of times she's gotten to play with you know politicians, especially during these Really important I mean she came during important time in in the US. I feel like that kind of set the tone for, like what she was gonna do in the years after. So I just wanted to give a shout out to those two. I now that I'm like we're talking about it. She did a lot of a lot of political stuff and good for her. I mean, she's involved politically in her personal life, so it just makes sense that she again is enough, is is authentic and genuine and says to herself, even when she's being someone else. 1:02:08 - Speaker 4Yeah, and I don't know if those lifetime movies Exist in that fashion anymore, but that was such a good parody of a lifetime movie from that area. So, that to love, honor and stock the the Jillian Woodward story, that's what that was called. It was in her second season, so that would have been about 2000, late 2002, when that's aired, and that was just Such a perfect parody of a lifetime movie from that era. They captured it so well and I don't know if there's anything Comparable now. Lifetime, does it exist? 1:02:42 - Speaker 7I think it might, but I haven't watched a lifetime movie since like 2006, yeah, so Sorry to say watched in 2006. 1:02:52 - Speaker 4This is, i'm sure. Yeah the reason why you appreciate something like that. So I think those are two excellent choices and really great examples of of her work on SNL. I also highlighted her Dakota fanning show that she did three times. That was a good one. She just was hilarious depiction of a precocious young girl. Amy, amy played that so well. Yeah, when she had Drew Barrymore Barrymore on and Drew Barrymore was playing The Abigail Breslin is a little miss. Yes, and then yeah yeah, Amy played that so well. 1:03:25 - Speaker 7How old were you when you first Scott your, when you got your first nomination? 1:03:28 - Speaker 4and she's like And she's like oh, i didn't know you were that young. 1:03:34 - Speaker 7Yeah, that's so funny. That's a good call out. That was such a. You know, dakota fanning, if you're watching this or if you're listening to this and I know that you are I hope you're doing well And I hope that you felt justice was served in your impersonation of you by Amy polar because it was done out of love. 1:03:53 - Speaker 4So yeah, and I think I think she knows that. So after SNL Amy polar, her main gig was playing Leslie nope in Parks and Recreation. I was a big fan. I imagine you were to Victoria. 1:04:09 - Speaker 7Yeah, i think it was. It just calls out a lot of the nonsense that we may or may not see in Politics, but especially, you know, local politics. A lot of like, a lot of pop culture and societal phrases that we used to like treat yourself, came from that and it's, it's made an impact on on TV and on how we speak to each other. And you know, you know again her and Tina Fey, i Think, are probably one of the few who had these successful TV shows after leaving SNL. Not only that, like producing and directing and and writing and being so successful at it and where it's So ingrained into our society, like. Another example would be like bridesmaids, you know with with Kristen Wiig and how, after SNL, you know she created this really awesome piece of piece of comedy for us to enjoy. And you know we Like I always say shit that is fresh. I pull that from from bridesmaids, but I always pull like treat yourself and you know it's, it's. They're not enough words and maybe they are, but I'm not smart enough to know them. I have a limited vocabulary. But she is Amy Poehler is She's not the first to do it. We like it. We've mentioned Gilda Radner and you know we also mentioned Jane Curtin. They're not the first but they are today's. You know they stand on shoulders but us after them are standing on their shoulders too. So We've been with, you know, parks and rec. She's opened some other doors and avenues for us to be creative and, you know, freed us a little bit to be Open about ourselves in our comedy and how we write and how we look at comedy. 1:05:58 - Speaker 4So after a very successful run on parks and recreation She returned to SNL numerous cameos throughout the years, especially at the weekend up

In this episode (recorded in 2018,) Sim has a deep and engaging conversation with David Pasquesi, known for his work at The Second City, Tj&Dave, and appearances in movies like Groundhog Day and TV shows like VEEP (HBO). They discuss focus, improvisation, exploring life story moment by moment, comedy, and observing reality. David shares his journey into improvisation, his experiences working with Del Close, and the evolution of improvisation over the years. Guest bio David Pasquesi is a renowned actor and improviser. He's known for his work at The Second City, Tj&Dave, and his roles in movies like Groundhog Day and TV shows like VEEP (HBO). He recently played Mr. Immortal in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. More about Dave can be found on davidpasquesi.com. Key points David's journey into improvisation was unplanned and began when he took an improv class in college. He shares his experiences working with Del Close and being part of the group that developed The Harold, a long-form improvisation structure. David discusses the evolution of improvisation over the years and how it has gained recognition as a form of art and entertainment. He emphasizes the importance of being in the moment and paying attention to the other person in improvisation. David also discusses his improv show with TJ Jagodowski, Tj&Dave, and how their ability to communicate clearly from the beginning has contributed to the show's success.

Hitler, Del Close, and other dictators, Andy's early career cold calls, CNN clown hall, Josh puts in some scan time, The WGA strike, big little dog news. Listener questions, and much more Spiraling.

Title: SNL Hall of Fame: Celebrating the Life and Laughs of John BelushiIntroduction:Join us as we take an unforgettable journey through the life and career of legendary comedian John Belushi. With our insightful guest, Justin Renwick, we explore Belushi's early beginnings, his rise to fame with Second City and the National Lampoon, and his undeniable charisma that made him one of the most iconic comedians of all time.Chapters:- (0:00:08) SNL Hall of Fame Podcast: Introduction and overview of the episode, including John Belushi's early beginnings and his rise to fame.- (0:12:44) John Belushi's Career and Charisma: Exploring Belushi's journey to Second City, his success with the National Lampoon, and his charismatic stage presence.- (0:17:12) The Brilliance of John Belushi: Examining Belushi's confidence, his ability to immerse himself in characters, and his incredible comedic timing.- (0:24:37) Belushi's Impact on SNL and Comedy: Reflecting on Belushi's unforgettable performances, including his iconic Samurai character and the chemistry he shared with fellow castmates.- (0:34:24) Remembering John Belushi's SNL Sketches: Diving into Belushi's memorable sketches, his impersonations, and the impact of his comedic skills.- (0:46:42) John Belushi's Legacy: Discussing Belushi's influence on future comedians and whether he is the greatest SNL actor of all time.Keywords:- John Belushi- SNL- Second City- National Lampoon- Comedy- Chevy Chase- Samurai character- Animal HouseTranscript0:00:08 - AnnouncerIt's the SNL Hall of Fame podcast with your host, jamie Dube, chief Librarian Thomas Senna, and featuring Matt Bardille And now Curator of the Hall, jamie Dube. 0:00:42 - jDAll right, thank you so much, doug Denats. It's JD here, and welcome to the SNL Hall of Fame podcast. It's a weekly affair where each episode, we take a deep dive into the career of a former cast member, host, musical guest or writer and add them to the ballot for your consideration. Once the nominees have all been announced, we turn to you, the listener, to vote for the most deserving and help determine who will be enshrined for perpetuity inside these hallowed halls. You won in and I can let you in, but not until you wipe your goddamn feet. That's right. Wipe your feet at the door, you filthy animal. How are you doing today? I am, i'm actually really great. Thanks for asking. We've got a barn burner of a show today. It is Justin Renwick joining Thomas Senna in conversation about the very intriguing John Belushi. This should be a good one. I can tell you that the conversations I've had on Reddit, this is probably the most anticipated episode of the season, based on feedback that I've been getting about who we haven't seen nominated in the hall. Now, in case you're curious the way things work, we work together with a committee and choose who will be nominated each year from a pool based on the parameters that have been outlined by the SNL Hall of Fame. Once those selections are made, we sort of piece them together and produce a podcast and we make that show and we put them out every week and you get to listen And that's great. But the real key here is the voting, and the voting is coming up real soon. In fact, next week we are nominating Amy Poehler on the show and then Tuesday, the 23rd of May, voting will begin and it will run through to June 17th. So you will have from May 23rd to June 17th to cast your votes, to cast 15 votes, 15 votes up to 15 votes, i should say, for the SNL Hall of Fame. It's exciting. After Amy Poehler we'll do a few roundtables and then we'll do the reveal, and the reveal is quite exciting. I'm really curious to see if any of our legacy holdovers make it this year. There's Dave Grohl is really close. Lonely Island is super close and Lonely Island should be on. It should have been, you know, a first ballot Hall of Famer as far as I'm concerned, but I don't control the vote. So there's that If you're looking to register to vote, what you want to do is you want to go to SNLHofcom and click on the voting tab and click register to vote. You can do that right there and you will get a ballot on the 23rd emailed to you and Bob's, your uncle, from there. So there's that. Let's go over and talk to our friend Matt in his minutiae minute corner and learn a little bit more about Mr John Belushi. Oh, matthew, hey, hi, jimmy, how are you doing? 0:04:21 - MattI'm great. How about you, matt? I'm good. Thanks, i'm good. Really excited to talk about one of the classic cast members here today, john Belushi, the one and only five. Five foot eight, born January 24th 1949. He credit his grandmother, his Albanian grandmother, for getting him into show business. She didn't understand English, so she would have him act things out for her which made her laugh, and thus a career was born. He actually had very humble beginnings in the start of his career, which was as a youth instructor at a theater camp, the Shawnee Summer Theater of Green County. But from there he went on to become a member of the West Compass Trio, second city in the National Lampoon Lemmings. Prior to joining SNL, he attended the Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, which is where he actually got the college shirt, as seen in Animal House. There's a gift shop there in an area known as the Strip, which is still operating today if you wanted to go and get one for yourself. So while living in New York, he was next door neighbor to SNL fixture Elliot Gould, who we've talked about in the past. He is a huge nerd, or he was a huge nerd. He was a fan of many things, from Lucille Ball, whose entire career he committed to memory And this is something that actually seems to come up a bit. He had a razor sharp memory. He was also a Star Trek fan and with Kirk in particular, to the point Shatner said he preferred Belushi's take on Kirk And he was a big Marvel fan. On one visit to their offices in New York He could summarize any specific issue. Just by looking at the cover. He could people say, well, that's this one. He's like oh, this is the issue where Spider-Man is fighting the Green Goblin and so on and so dies, which must have made him really happy when he and the not ready for primetime players were featured in a Spider-Man comic And he ends up having stolen the Silver Samurai sword and used it in the sketch, so that my wife got that for me, actually that issue. It was shockingly inexpensive for a double memorabilia whammy, but she got that for me from our anniversary last year. That's very cool. Now he was well known for being very judgmental. One of the ways he would evaluate people is by borrowing $20 and seeing how they reacted, so you know if they're kind of a jerk about it. You knew, oh, they were a jerk, but he just gauged how they behaved, that's a good trick. Yeah, yeah, it was an interesting one. I have to remember that Now he was a heavy metal fan, which I did not realize. But when he met Dan Ackroyd, having performed together, dan tried to entice him onto the SNL cast At a Speak Easy, because of course, with those two is at a Speak Easy. Dan put on a blues album which stirred a fascination in John that became career defining, because he had never listened to blues before that meeting and then went on to create the Blues Brothers together. Now he was such a huge star. There were a bunch of roles that he was supposed to be a part of in films. Peter Venkman was originally written for him. He was replaced by James Woods in Once Upon a Time in America on his passing and was to appear in an adaptation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with Ackroyd. Many more projects, but one of the more interesting, given it kind of ties back to his time on SNL. Harold Ramis was guest hosting an episode of Siskel and Ebert and discussed how it was John's dream to play Ludwig von Beethoven in a film, which is a weird one, but given he played him on the show, i guess that could have been a technically SNL spin-off. Now, sorry, go ahead. So he had the nickname of America's guest, as he had a habit of knocking on strangers' doors, entering their homes and eating things from their refrigerator and then crashing out on their couch. This never resulted in any problems because he was so well known, but speaks to how different the 70s were from today. Now he required an income of between $500,000 and a million dollars a year to maintain his lifestyle and his entourage. Now, while he would often make use of strangers' generosity, he himself was also very generous, lending large sums of money to friends and family Towards the end of his life. His manager pushed him to start collecting on these debts, but John refused. Now he is buried in Martha's Vineyard, where his epitaph reads he made us laugh and now he can make us think, but his grave was so popular with visitors, they moved his casket to an unmarked grave in a quiet corner of the cemetery, after which his fans posted a new epitaph based on his catchphrase. He could have given us a lot more laughs, but no, that is John Belushi. 0:10:21 - jDThat's great. Take it away, Thomas. 0:10:48 - ThomasAlright, Justin Renwick is joining me today. Thank you so much for joining me here on the SNL Hall of Fame. 0:10:54 - JustinIt's my pleasure. Thank you for having me. 0:10:56 - ThomasYeah, so this one is a big one to me. This is probably to a lot of people The legendary John Belushi will be talking about. So he was on SNL 1975 to 1980, part of the original cast. He seemed to be made for sketch comedy and had a lot of reps before he started at Saturday Night Live. So you talk about his path to SNL and his prior work in sketch comedy. 0:11:23 - JustinSo we could go way back to high school, which is where he caught the acting bug. He was a very accomplished athlete. He was a football player, he was a drummer, he was in a band that actually released a single believe it or not And to show what a small world Chicago and the greater Chicago area is, because he grew up. He was born in Chicago but he grew up in Wheaton, illinois. He knew Dick Lesucci, who was somebody he would also work with at Second City, and Dick Lesucci went on to SCTV as a writer, which I think he formed an alliance with Joe Flaherty at some point, which is how that came about, but we're getting a little bit off topic. So yeah, john, when he was in high school, did drama and his drama teacher noticed something. He's like there's something special about this kid And if anyone's read the book Wired this is where I know this story from. Apparently, this teacher took him to. If I'm remembering correctly, he took him to. I know it was Indiana, but I don't know if he went and auditioned somewhere else, but basically he got into summer stock in Indiana a year before most people were eligible when he was 17. Like that's how preternaturally talented he was And they did a whole series of plays there That went very well. He enrolled in when he graduated from high school, enrolled at the University of Wisconsin And I was doing drama there, but left after a year and then wound up going to the College of DuPage in West Chicago. Somewhere along that period he went to see Second City and had an epiphany, just realized this is what I was put on earth to do and formed the West Compass Players, which was a reference to the pre-Second City Compass Players, with his friends Tino Insana and Steve Bachecas who people that watch John Belushi on Saturday Night Live will be very familiar with that name because he brought it up a lot in his vits. So the three of them were able to audition en masse for Second City And I think it was Bernie Salons that auditioned them And he saw John's potential right away, saw something in Tino Insana. Well, i think Tino was put in the touring company or asked to take some more classes, but he wound up joining as well. But yeah, john went into Second City. I believe he went right into the main stage cast, which at the time had Brian Doyle, murray, harold Ramis, joe Flaherty, so he was punching well above his weight. I don't know if that's the right term to use, because that sounds more like he was not very good, but was somehow anyway he did very well, but he was young at the time. 0:13:51 - ThomasSo, like you know, being able to be in that company at his age says a lot about it. I think, it's fair to say, at that time punching up above his weight. 0:14:00 - JustinYeah, you're right. Yeah, he wouldn't have been around 22. Joe Flaherty was. I think he was in his late 20s at that point. He was a good 10 years older than the STTV cast, but anyway, that obviously went very well. He made a real reputation for himself there And through that got involved with the national ampoon, so much so that he moved to New York after he'd been in the Lemmings review with Chevy Chase and Christopher Gast, which is one of my favorite comedy albums of all time National Ampoon's Lemmings, which was a takeoff on Woodstock and was where he did Joe Cocker among. he also played the, the MC. But then, yeah, through that world of national ampoon and then writing, producing and performing for the radio hour, that's what brought him to the attention of Lauren Michaels through Chevy Chase and Michael O'Donoghue when they were putting Saturday Night Live together. 0:14:47 - ThomasEven at the National Ampoon's radio hour. that's where he came across with Bill Murray, gilda Radner, some of his future SNL cohorts, just a who's who working on that show at the time. Richard Belzer was even part of that. So it was just a really, really talented cast And, would you say I know a lot of them had their gifts and talents, but there was something magnetic about Belushi that even stood out amongst that type of talent. 0:15:14 - JustinBelushi has that thing like. The charisma is just unbelievable. But he has that mischievous glint. Jimmy Fallon has it as well. Many other people do where you're even if you know not only his stage presence. Right Just the minute John Belushi walked on to stage, eyes were drawn to him. John Candy had the same thing. Anyone that's tall I mean, john Belushi wasn't tall, but anyone that has a big presence and can exude that kind of charisma right away stills focused. But he always wanted to see what he was going to do next. Same thing with Jimmy Fallon When he was fucking around in a sketch and messing up. You wanted to know, oh, you know what's. He got up his sleeve What's going to happen next? And that was very much John Belushi too. This electric performer is the word that comes to mind. 0:15:53 - ThomasThat's why a lot of us watch live sketch and SNL in particular is because there's I mean there's that element of you don't know it's going to be a live show, you don't know what's going to happen. There's almost that danger involved in. Belushi really did personify. He did bring that energy to the show. Yeah. 0:16:11 - JustinAnd he has like Kate McKinnon is the same Melissa McCarthy just fearless performers that you can throw anything at them And they'll. You know, like even something as simple. I'm sure the tomato was cut beforehand, but like the samurai deli, when he throws the tomato up in the air and chops it with no-transcript, there's a million ways that can go wrong on a live TV show. But I don't think it bothered him at all, he just knew. 0:16:35 - ThomasSo he, like I said, he started with. You know he was an original cast member at SNL. They started in 1975. Where did you become familiar with Belushi's work and kind of what stood out to you? 0:16:46 - JustinNot to get too deep into the archives, but my introduction to Saturday Night Live was a friend's Mr Bill t-shirt in 1979. I'm like what's Mr Bill? Oh it's this thing that's on Saturday Night Live. It's really funny. Oh, it's this show, it's on Saturday nights, it's live, ha ha. Anyway, i asked my mom about it. She knew she was a big Second City fan so she'd been watching Saturday Night Live since day one And yeah, they let me stay up and Mr Bill was the gateway. But then in between the sketches I'm trying to think the first thing that really stood out with me, stood out for me with John Belushi, was probably I'm going to say the Bs, because this was 1979. So they were still back then. The reruns weren't just shows from the current season, they were showing shows from the first season on. So I got to sort of catch up over that season. That's probably the first thing that stood out. But it's just, it's that confidence. He was so confident. It's really magnetic, like it really draws you in. I mean, to be a performer on Saturday Night Live you have to have a certain degree of confidence. But there's different levels. Like if you look at somebody like Dan Ackroyd, who was incredibly talented, really funny and just able to like rattle off details. You know, at a moment's notice there's a difference between sort of him and Belushi, which I think is why they complimented each other so well. Dan Ackroyd is more of a technical actor, whereas to me anyway, john Belushi is a little more instinctive. 0:18:06 - ThomasYeah, what stood out to me a lot, when you know rewatching a lot of his sketches and everything, was just how he would dissolve into a character And then he just gave off this. Really, the audience knew that they were in good hands with him up there because he exuded just like you know, i'm supposed to be here, i'm doing Don Corleone impression and I'm the one who's supposed to be doing this and I'm good enough. And he did have that confidence, definitely, and his relationship with some of his castmates, from what I've read, really played into that, especially his relationship with Chevy Chase. 0:18:42 - Speaker 1Yeah, And how he viewed. 0:18:43 - ThomasChevy Chase, getting attention early on. 0:18:46 - JustinIt's funny that they weren't. you know, they didn't get along very well, even in the lampoon days, And when Chevy was still smart enough and got over his own ego, it was him and Michael O'Donoghue that suggested him. I think I mentioned that before to Lauren. But yeah, that of course, when Chevy took off in the first few episodes of Saturday Night Live, yeah, John Belushi was not happy about it. 0:19:07 - ThomasNo, i think maybe John looked at Chevy is getting you know, maybe I don't know if it's cheap laughs, but he's certainly got a lot of mileage off falling prat falls. And I think what Belushi felt that he did was maybe more elevated than what Chevy did. So I think each Belushi thought, from what I've read, belushi thought that he was supposed he was the star of the of the cast. Yeah, not Absolutely. 0:19:30 - JustinChevy Chase is. That's a whole lot of problems to unpack that that guy has, but let's just suffice it to say I he is, is incredible at what he does. You know what I mean? Like to you were saying the falling, the falling down, like the mimicking people behind their back, just the, the sort of boyish humor and the looks. The looks helped as well, the dimple chin and the sort of he had a glint in his eye as well. But yeah, he's miles away And I'm pretty sure Chevy Chase will be the first one to tell you that in the acting realm from John Belushi. 0:20:02 - ThomasWhen Chevy Chase played Gerald Ford, he didn't sink into Gerald Ford. That was Chevy Chase just calling himself Gerald. 0:20:09 - JustinFord, which made it even funnier for some reason. 0:20:12 - ThomasYeah, it definitely worked for sure, but then, if you know, belushi played a character, belushi just really transformed into that character And I think that that was a lot of acting chops, like you mentioned. 0:20:25 - JustinI think the other amazing thing about Belushi and another reason, a big reason that would put him in the the Hall of Fame is not only could he, he's an incredible mimic, He has a great comic timing, like Jackie Gleason is one of his heroes, and it really shows. And, yeah, he can sink into a character and become somebody else, But at the same time you put him on update as himself and it's unbelievable, Like he's still amazing Just playing. You know, as a comedian's play slightly heightened versions of themselves. He was comfortable playing himself as well as playing other characters which we're going to. We'll use the same analogy. Dan Ackroyd was more comfortable sinking into characters. You saw his season on Weekend Update with Jane Curtin. He never looked very comfortable playing himself. 0:21:09 - ThomasBelushi on those update pieces. It was incredible He would. He would start off, just, you know, even kill. I think that was the most Belushi, the most human, for lack of a better term that I would see Belushi on the show. But then he would go from zero to a hundred and like two seconds The whole. The luck of the Irish rant, the famous one that he had on Weekend. 0:21:29 - Speaker 3Update. 0:21:30 - ThomasAnd you know it starts off level headed. 0:21:33 - Speaker 8Well, it's that time again. St Patrick's Day has come and gone, and well, the sons of Ireland are basking in the globe. You know, when I think of Ireland I think of a lot of colorful Irish expressions like top of the morning to you, kiss the Blarney stone. May the road rise to meet you. May you be in heaven. An hour before the devil knows you're dead, i'd like to smash you in the face with my shillelie Danny boy begora. Whale of the banshee. Whiskey for the leprechauns, whiskey for the leprechauns. But the expression I think most people identify with the Irish is, of course, the luck of the Irish. 0:22:09 - ThomasAnd Beluce, he's just kind of this nice guy just saying what he has to say and then he just, he just is like a bull in a china shop. 0:22:15 - Speaker 9I said bye man. I said hey man. I never even seen $5,000 in my life. So don't ask me for it Now watch, ask your mother which is a dumb thing for me to say, because his mother just died. Now I got, right now I got this drunken Irish junkie who wants to kill me because of what I said about his mother being in terminal dreamland. You know, one thing would just get me out One thing They love their mothers, boy. Oh, they love their mothers. It's Mama Diff and Mama Dan. Oh, my Irish mother. I really must be heaven because my mother comes up there. Ah, ah, ah. 0:23:01 - ThomasHe would do like a, like an army, roll off the desk and then you would never see him after that, until the next sketch. Yeah, yeah. 0:23:10 - JustinAnd again that's on. That's on live TV again. There's so many ways that could go wrong. 0:23:14 - ThomasJust don't no fear no fear, yeah, totally fearless, i think. I think that's such a great way to put it. An element of Belushi that I love too was that he reminded me of like a Charlie Chaplin or a Buster Keaton in a lot of ways, and one of the examples, one of, yeah, just a very expressive face and he didn't have to have any lines necessarily to convey something to do really great sketch work. And one of the things that really pops out to me, his most famous character, the samurai, is like the perfect example. John reminded me of Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton. Like I said, in those sketches It just really was striking, just like the physical ability of him to convey something. 0:23:56 - Speaker 3All I know is that the third quarter net of Kentucky Mines was up 6.2%. 0:24:00 - Speaker 1Look at this graph. 0:24:02 - Speaker 3Look, it went right up here And what happened September, October, November into the well-known toilet. 0:24:09 - Speaker 9I love her over there. 0:24:10 - Speaker 10Who's here? Who? Who Did Who Who? I don't know what you mean, but I need security. 0:24:23 - Speaker 9That's the point. 0:24:23 - JustinI'm sure you're aware of this, and other listeners maybe as well that that was based on Toshiro Mifuni, his character in Yojimbo, and they called his name with samurai futaba And that was his audition piece for Saturday Night Live. The Samurai Pool Hustler I don't know if it was his, probably his wife and it remembers was saying that yeah right, he was in the apartment messing around with that character for a while with a bathrobe and he'd grab the dowel from the like the clothes rod, from the closet, use it as a sword And, if I'm not mistaken in the audition he used that obviously as a pool cue. 0:24:55 - ThomasWell, i could see why he got the job then. I mean, that's such a Got the gig. yeah, i think I underestimated how much I enjoyed the Samurai until I took a deep dive into Belushi over the last few weeks And I could see why it was held in such high regard. I mean those facial expressions, the interplay he had, mostly with Buck Henry but with a few other hosts. it was just incredible to watch. I couldn't take my eyes off of Belushi during those sketches. 0:25:23 - JustinI just read today. apparently it was Buck Henry who turned it into a recurring character because he first played the Samurai with Richard Pryor. Apparently, when Buck Henry came in, it was his request to be in a sketch with the Samurai, And it went so well that every time Buck came back they would bust out another Samurai sketch with Buck playing the same character. 0:25:42 - ThomasThey had such good chemistry. I think, belushi, he had good chemistry with some of the other, the hosts that did the Samurai with him. Oh, samurai Hotel, that's what it was. It was the Samurai Hotel, okay. 0:25:54 - JustinYo. 0:25:54 - ThomasMama-san. Yes, he and Richard Pryor. Yeah, that was awesome. Another example that I had just about Belushi being a great silent actor like just he didn't have to speak one word was he and Gilda had this sketch where they met in the laundromat and they share a washer at the laundromat and they begin to flirt, and that was just all the no dialogue. They share a cigarette at the end They share a cigarette at Belushi's pouring champagne. At one point That was just such great comedic acting without having to say one word. 0:26:26 - JustinI don't have any proof of this, but that kind of strikes me as what's known as a trunk piece. I would imagine and again, i could be very wrong. I would imagine either Gilda or John may have brought that from Second City, so there was a few of those in the first season. like there's a Dan Aykroyd Gilda Radner sketch where Dan Aykroyd plays a mechanic and he's putting his daughter to bed and she wants to hear a story and he's tired and wants her to go to bed, so he just makes up a story that involves all these car parts or whatever. That was definitely something that two of them had done in Toronto. But yeah, i'm getting a little ahead of myself here. It's speculation. 0:27:00 - ThomasYeah, no, that definitely makes sense. I think when they were doing Second City stuff and it's a lot like SNL in that they have to come up with idea after idea after idea, And a lot of it tends to be slice of life kind of things, Like you find the funny bits in these seemingly ordinary slice of life kind of things. So in this example they were at the laundromat and they want to both use the same washer, the work. Can we go from there? That does strike me as an idea that they would have used at Second. 0:27:26 - JustinCity. It feels very much like, yeah, it feels a lot like a Second City or a Groundling sketch. I mean they still do that today Not, i doubt, as often. but I know Melissa McCarthy the first time she hosted when they did the Focus Group on the Hidden Valley Ranch. I didn't know it at the time. I only learned this about a year ago that that was a sketch she was doing every night at the Groundlings that she'd written. So shout out to Melissa. 0:27:47 - ThomasThis isn't about Melissa. Yeah, she finds it. She finds it, though I think there's a lot of Belushi spirit in Melissa as a performer. 0:27:55 - JustinOh, 100%, yeah, definitely She's also fearless and she's also a really good actor. Yeah, And that's John. like John Belushi's secret sauce is what a great actor he was. Being funny is one thing, but being a good actor is like 70, 80% of it. 0:28:10 - ThomasHe was an animal house and he wasn't the lead. I think hindsight tells people that Belushi was the lead in that film but he wasn't. 0:28:18 - JustinOh yeah, But he totally commanded attention in that movie, even the first scene when he's holding the beer and he pisses on Thomas Hulse's leg. It's like I want to know what this guy's doing next. I know the food scene in Animal House where he's stealing all the stuff out of the cafeteria. John Landis has said he was off camera like guiding him and saying, like I want you to be Cookie Monster, basically. 0:28:43 - ThomasWhen you're watching that movie. You got excited when Belushi would get on the screen. I mean when the hippie guy was kind of playing the guitar on the stairwell and Belushi just takes the guitar Poor Steve Ambition, Yeah. He takes the guitar and smashes it against the wall And then he just kind of looks at him and goes, sorry, And then walks away. 0:29:03 - JustinI mean, He doesn't even say it like, it's not even snide, it's like sorry, it's like it's this thing I had to do. It's not personal, yeah. 0:29:12 - ThomasYeah, nothing against you, It was just I had to do this. Yeah, yeah. So people I think, looking back at Animal House, think that that was a Belushi vehicle And it kind of wasn't. I mean, it was very much an ensemble but there were definitely leads that weren't Belushi in the movie, but that just speaks to the presence that he had about him. 0:29:29 - JustinWell, to speak again to the Chevy, John Dilemma, let's call it. You probably know they wanted Chevy Chase to play Eric Stratton, which was Tim, Tim, what's his last name? Anyway, the guy that played Eric Stratton, it was Otter and, yeah, Otter was the character's nickname, I think. Anyway, that was supposed to be Chevy And he didn't want to be second fiddle to John Belushi again, even though technically, yeah, he would have been. I guess you'd say he was the lead and they wanted Dan Ackroyd as D-Day, but Dan apparently was not ready. He felt he wasn't ready to make movies yet, which is weird because he'd made them in Canada. 0:30:04 - Thomasbut be that as it may, Yeah, that would have been such a perfect role for Ackroyd too. He would have just slid right in. 0:30:11 - JustinWell, the guy that I can't remember the actor's name, but the guy that played D-Day did a great job, bruce, yeah. 0:30:15 - ThomasBruce McGill. Yeah, he was really good in that. Belushi set a template too for we were talking about. I see a lot of him in Melissa McCarthy. I see a lot of him, of course, the comparison when Chris Farley got on the show that comparison was just out there for the taking and Chris Farley idolized John Belushi as well. He wanted to be Belushi We'll get to this but unfortunately he was like Belushi in a lot of ways good and bad, but Belushi, yeah, but Belushi, just he definitely set a template for a lot of performers as far as how they performed and as far as also what SNL was looking for in cast members going forward. I think a lot of times they were trying to find a Belushi sort of role when they were trying to feel a cast going forward. 0:31:00 - JustinWell, there's a through line with John Belushi and a lot of the other similar actors. I mean Bill Murray sort of has that kamikaze kind of go for it, fearless attitude as well. John Candy and Bill Murray and John Candy are also both incredible actors, and even Chris Farley, the through line. There is a guy named Del Close who was in the Compass Players. I think he was in the St Louis. There was an offshoot in St Louis And then eventually everything morphed into Second City And Del also worked with Second City for quite some time And then years later, when often started in Provolympic with so Sharna Halpern, they all received the tutelage of Del Close And I think he helped. I mean, stuff is there, but I think he helped bring that out in them as well. 0:31:44 - ThomasYeah, for sure, del Close, like a lot of people look at him as the godfather of improv, especially he worked with so many great improv and sketch actors. So a lot of these conversations point back to Del Close in a lot of ways, for sure. And I think you know, when they hired Farley, of course everybody said you know, they found their Belushi When the Horatio Sands started on the show. I think people made a lot of those comparisons And even Bobby Moynihan they said, oh, that's the Belushi or Farley archetype. So that's just, you know, john Belushi setting a template and just an example for the show, as far as what works on the show and what Lorne was trying to find. So what are some other characters or sketches or performances on SNL that you think our listeners should familiarize themselves with when discussing Belushi? 0:32:37 - JustinSo, getting back to the bees, i mean the bees weren't a great sketch, they were just stupid. But it was just funny seeing everybody dressed up in bees costumes. But the good thing that I think that came out of the bees was King Bee, john Belushi and Dan Ackroyd is a. You know, it was kind of a proto-Bloose brothers. They're dressed up in the bees costumes. They got the shades on Dan's playing the harmonica. They're playing with the Howard Shore band It was a Saturday Night Live band at the time And they do Slim Harpo's King Bee, and you know, john in the middle starts doing cartwheels and all kinds of other acrobatics And then it ends with him doing that when your man is doomed, when you're about to do Getting crazier and crazier and then getting up and falling off the stool. 0:33:30 - Speaker 10Want you to be my queen. 0:33:35 - Speaker 8We are together, we can make honey baby, but we'll never see. Okay, let's buzz a while. 0:33:54 - JustinYes, that's the place to start. I think there's there's other sketches that are that are worth mentioning, where he would try to show off his acting, you know, in the early days of Saturday Night Live and even further along, but they don't really do them anymore. There were always these little almost one-act plays, you know. Some of them were dramatic, didn't even have any any comedy in them, and John seemed to be featured in a lot of those. He was. There's one he did on the Sissy's basic show, which I think was in the third season. That's worth watching when that didn't work, that didn't help you find your manly powers. 0:34:24 - Speaker 9I started thinking about dead people and And if dead people secretly watched to see if you go to their funeral, you looking at certain parts of my body and You thinking the word dead. 0:34:38 - Speaker 8Well, no wonder. If you're wondering why there is no wonder, well, there is no wonder. You know I have been with if you know what I mean a semi-professional singer. I've had adult relations with a semi-professional singer, not to mention many others. Only mention the one that proves to a man who has been to Houston and left behind a satisfied semi-professional. 0:35:11 - JustinHe goes toe-to-toe with with Sissy and they both come out looking very good. 0:35:15 - ThomasYou get the sense that John, you know, relished being able to play opposite those great actors. I'm reminded of the dueling Brando's one that he did with Peter Boyle, where they traded Brando impressions. 0:35:30 - SketchI could have been a contender, could have been somebody instead of a bum, which is what I am. Let's face it, charlie. 0:35:40 - SketchI got him a son of the callion governor. 0:35:46 - ThomasAnd you can tell Belushi was probably just having such a good time trading those with Peter Boyle, peter. 0:35:51 - JustinBoyle, another second city, chicago, alum, yeah they're probably super comfortable working with each other and there's that, and Joe Cocker, of course, and especially the Joe Cocker he did to Joe Cocker. 0:36:04 - ThomasThat's right. Yeah, one of the first kind of celebrities who gets impersonated walk-ons In SNL. Yeah, that that kind of became a thing a lot in the 90s. Yeah, that Joe Cocker was great. He did that really early too. You said that he had auditioned with it. He did that first in the third episode of season one, yeah, the Rob Reiner episode. 0:36:24 - JustinAnd there's another thing I was just gonna bring up That's also from the Rob Reiner episode when they They're dressed up as the bees and Rob has to tell them the bee sketch has been cut. 0:36:32 - SketchI'm sorry if you think we're ruining your show, mr Reiner, but See, you don't understand. We didn't ask the Beebees, you see, you, you've got Norman Lear and a first-rate riding staff, but this is all they came up with for us. 0:37:01 - SketchDo you think we like this? 0:37:04 - SketchNo, no, mr Reiner, but we don't have any choice. 0:37:15 - JustinThat's one of the first time he did one of those. I don't. I don't think there was a but, no, in it, but there could have been. That was leading, you know, laying the groundwork for those care, for those bits that he would do where he'd become increasingly frustrated with somebody. I could have gone out and done this, but Yeah, oh my gosh. 0:37:34 - ThomasAnd there's also in season three, The Olympia Cafe. I think that's another one that one of his famous ones from SNL that we should probably hit it was him. Bill Murray Played a great role in that. What do you remember what watching him in the Olympia Cafe sketches? 0:37:51 - JustinI love the history of those sketches. I think it was not. Novello had come in as a writer in season three and he brought that idea because he and John were both Familiar with the, the tavern in Chicago that was based on I think it was the Billy Goat Tavern. That's basically what happened. You know, cheeseburger, cheeseburger, no, no, fries, chips, no, coke, pepsi, all that kind of stuff, and John could also draw on his Background because his father was a restaurant owner, so I'm sure a lot of it came from that as well. But even the, the decision to make the owner Greek, and he appeared in a season two sketch as That character on one of those Jane Curtin talk shows. Even before they did those sketches and, yeah, i know in the history of the family they were Albanian and apparently in you know, chicago in the 40s or 50s That was still considered too ethnic, so they would often poses Greek to avoid, to avoid trouble. Yeah, i didn't know that. Guess that's where that comes from. Yeah, yeah, the only sketches were very, very ambitious, like to have a working grill and that you've ever been a studio 8h like it's? it's not huge, no no, it's not. 0:38:56 - ThomasYeah, rewatching those because I was fortunate enough to be able to, in the spring of 2022, go see SNL in person for the first time, and so it's kind of you? 0:39:05 - Justindid you dress for the or the or the? 0:39:07 - ThomasWe saw a dress rehearsal, getting a perspective of actually how small that studio is and then going back to watch sketches and, like you said, with the Olympia cafe, for example, they've put a working grill, they had, you know, it seems like elaborate for how small that studio is for sure. And John, in those sketches He seemed to me like he was the run, the one who was anchoring the sketch and kind of running things and taking it. Oh for sure, you're to there, you know, and he would interact with maybe Jane Curtin as an annoyed customer or Bill Murray is the sheepish Worker, but it was John sketch that he was just controlling. 0:39:43 - ThomasI'm sure he's playing a version of his father there. 0:39:46 - JustinOh yeah, Absolutely you can tell that's, that's just effortless. 0:40:11 - ThomasAnother sketch that it's a pre-tape. That's just lived in my brain since I was a kid. Inside that sort of showed Belushi's more kind of human relatable side was the little chocolate donuts. 0:40:30 - SketchA lot of miles training for that day and I'm down a lot of donuts. It tastes good and they've got the sugar I need to get me going in the morning. That's why a little chocolate don'ts have been on my training table since I was a kid. 0:40:48 - SketchLittle chocolate donuts, the donuts of champions. 0:40:55 - ThomasAnd that was more so because I don't feel as a viewer and this is a compliment to Belushi because, like I said, he would sink into his characters but I never felt totally like I knew who he was as a human being in a lot of ways Contrast that with Chris Farley, whose human nature just oozed out, but with little chocolate donuts. That was one of the times where I kind of saw relatability in Belushi. 0:41:20 - JustinYeah, i think my first was I think it's during the first season. They would do bits sometimes, i guess, maybe to fill time, like they'd have Gilda Radner do her You know what Gilda ate segment. Or just say, you know, hey, ma'am, you can go to bed. I'm not in the show this week, but there was one where John Belushi came out and tried to sell a bunch of his old records. Yes yes, but it was just him playing himself honestly with, i'm sure, albums that he owned, yeah, and that's yeah. I kind of got a better sense of him from that. 0:41:48 - ThomasRe-watching a lot of his stuff. I love getting those, those moments here and there of like, oh, i think that's Belushi, i think, yeah, i think that's hit, who he really is kind of coming through. But he was think he was Consciously, didn't. You know? I think he liked to play characters rather than I'm gonna play a version of myself, which is a testament to him. My gosh, like we said, he was so, so great at that. So unfortunately, after SNL he didn't have much time. He had two movies that came out after SNL that he starred in. It was continental divide and neighbors. I don't know if you've ever seen either of those. 0:42:23 - JustinI've seen neighbors. I've never seen continental divide. I've always wanted to but just haven't got around to it. But I only recently saw, even to go back, old boyfriends from 1978 where he plays Basically a more spiffed-up version of of Jake blues. He's just this guy that works for the local. I think it's the local flower shop that tell you Shire, who's the lead was. You know, she knew him back in high school, yeah, and he's got this band that he fronts at nights. But anyway, it's a shame that Him and Don Avello's movie noble rot didn't get made. 0:42:54 - ThomasDo you know what? what was the premise behind the movie with the that Don Avello was working on with him? 0:42:59 - Justinnoble rot It had something to do with. It wasn't abscam, but it was something like that. It was a, not a Ponzi scheme, but something along those lines. Reading a fuller outline of the of the premise, it sounded like it was gonna be a really good movie. But I think the film company was forcing John to be in the national ampoune's joy of sex. But she didn't want to do and they said well, if you don't do this, you don't get to make noble rot. But unfortunately none of it came to pass anyway, sadly. Cuz cuz of a speedball. 0:43:30 - ThomasSo yeah, march 5th 1982 he unfortunately passed away only 33 years old, gosh, i mean that I'm yeah. That must have sent shockwaves through the comedy world and through Hollywood in general. 0:43:43 - JustinI can't imagine. And even the people like the people that were there that day, like Robert De Niro was there, robin Williams was there. Robin Williams credits it with helping him stop taking cocaine, so at least something good came out of it But yeah, you can only imagine. And also the guilt like somebody like Lauren Michaels. How would you feel? See, i should have intervened, i should have helped. I'm just using his and him as an example. I'm not trying to put any guilt on him or anything, but yeah, like, not only is it a warning sign, maybe you should Curb your lifestyle a little bit, but also you should also try to help people that are, that are in trouble. But in the 70s, 70s and 80s, you know, people didn't really do that, we didn't have the equipment. It even happened to. You know, ten years later, with Kurt Cobain, nobody knew to just put the brakes on and say just stop for a while, go away, get your head together. See somebody talk about your feelings, whatever. 0:44:36 - ThomasBut yeah, it was just go, go, go And it was so prevalent around that time too. There's always stories about how SNL in the late 70s, there was a lot of cocaine, everything like that. So it must have been hard to tell somebody like Belushi that they have a problem, when he could just look and say, well, i've done this with you. Like, who are you to tell me? 0:44:57 - Justinthat I have a problem. It's a little different from the same bowl here, buddy. Yeah, so it must have been hard to intervene with somebody back then when it was just so prevalent. Nobody wants to be the parent right. 0:45:09 - ThomasYeah, yeah, exactly. And you know what's interesting to me? He was going to be in Ghostbusters And that was so unfortunate that we didn't get to see him in that form in Ghostbusters. But the monster Slimer, I believe, was modeled after Belushi. I don't know if that's apocryphal. 0:45:27 - JustinNow that you say that it sure looks like him. 0:45:30 - ThomasYeah. I think I believe that I've read that they kind of modeled Slimer after Belushi, And when you look at Slimer you can maybe see a nod to Belushi. What kind of career do you think that Belushi could have had had he? 0:45:44 - Justinkept clean. I think it would have been very similar to Bill Murray's. Oh, yeah, i think he would have continued doing comedy, obviously Like who's not going to hire him to be in a comedy. But even with Continental Divide, which is sort of a again, i haven't seen it, but from what I know it's sort of a comedy drama almost. You know what I mean. It's not balls to the wall, animal house or Blues Brothers with jokes and explosions and gags and everything. But yeah, i could see him doing a lot more dramatic roles And then maybe being like what happened with Bill Murray being taken on by somebody like Sophia Coppola who would bring him in every time because she knows he can deliver. 0:46:19 - ThomasOr somebody like Wes Anderson. Maybe there could have been a cool partnership with someone like Wes Anderson, like, yeah, belushi was that talented He could have. I think I could have seen him in more dramatic roles like Lost in Translation or something like that, like Murray got to do for sure. That's definitely not a stretch. So what is your final case if you had to sum it up, for John Belushi to be inducted into the SNL Hall of Fame. 0:46:42 - JustinTotal commitment. Larger than life persona, hugely talented actor, The first major star to emerge from the show post Chevy. Natural charisma, being a member of the first cast ever, I think, puts him above a lot of people, setting a template for many to follow, Best example being Chris Farley that we've discussed. But unfortunately, some of those habits also bled in The ability to upstage others with his mere presence on stage, the eyebrow cocking the one eyebrow. It's amazing what he could do with that. Unbelievable comic timing, preter natural talent, given that at the age of 16 or 17, a drama teacher at a high school was like there's something here That's very rare. Being a great actor and having it serve comedy, which doesn't happen, is a hard thing to do And it's more than half. The battle really is being a good actor, as we mentioned earlier, And I'd say a lot of people have come close to his level, like we said earlier Kate McKinnon on another area of the spectrum, Somebody like Dan Ackroyd, But I don't think anyone's reached that height yet. I think he is the greatest Saturday Night Live actor of all time. 0:48:06 - jDSo there's that. I want to thank Justin Renwick, i want to thank Thomas Senna, i want to thank Matt Ardill. I want to thank you for listening, but before we go any further, i want to listen to a sketch. I want to listen to something that Belushi did that seals the deal, that makes me feel that he is a legit, absolute Hall of Famer. I think that Justin's comment that he's the greatest SNL actor of all time is a bold statement. A bold statement There have been a lot. One who joined just three years after Belushi left is Eddie Murphy, and I don't know how you get bigger than Eddie Murphy. So is Belushi a Hall of Famer? Yeah, i think so. Is he a first ballot Hall of Famer? Likely, like, very likely. Is he the greatest of all time? I don't know, maybe that's another podcast for another time, but let's listen to this sketch now and get a better sense of what Mr Belushi brought to the table. 0:49:28 - SketchI guess this is my style. Well, they all thought I'd be the first to go. I was one of those live fast, die young and leave a good looking corpse type, you know. Well, i guess they were wrong. There they are, all my friends. This is a not ready for prime time cemetery. Come on up. Well, here's Gilda Radner. She had her own show on Canadian television for years and years the Gilda Radner show. At least now I can see her on reruns. Here's a button. God bless her. Here's what Lorraine is, they say. She murdered her DJ husband and moved to the valley in California and had a pecan farm. She was this big when she died Jane Curtin. She married a stockbroker, had two children, moved upstate New York. She died of complications during cosmetic surgery. Here's Eric Morris. Eric went to the show and worked in the black theater for years And he died of an overdose of heroin. Here's Bill Murray. He lived the longest, 38 years. He was happy when he died, though He just grown his mustache back, probably still growing. Here's Chevy Chase. He died when that was first movie with Goldie Haan. Over here is Danny Ackroyd. I guess he loved his Harley too much. It clocked him at 175 miles an hour before the crash. It was a blur. I had to be called in to identify his body. I recognized him by his web toes. Well. Saturday Night Show was the best experience of my life. Now they're all gone. I miss every one of them. Why me? Why did I live so long? They're all dead. I'll tell you why Because I'm a dancer. 0:53:10 - jDThat was Don't Look Back in Anger, directed by Tom Schiller. You didn't get to see it, but it features an old John Belushi. If you're listening to this podcast, you're a big enough fan of SNL that you've seen the sketch, but if you haven't check it out, it's worth watching as well. It works on an audio level but it certainly is worth watching to see Belushi's chops as he is dressed up as an old man. It's very eerie. It's a great place to see that old man come Here. He is lamenting his deceased co-workers and reminiscing that it was the best time of his life. We never got to experience that old man Belushi and get to hear that from his lips. Schiller created a premonition. In a sense It's a wonderful piece of art. You can check it out for sure. That, my friends, is what I have for you this week. Make sure to register to vote. S and l h o f dot com. Click on the voting tab, click register to vote and you'll be in. Voting begins the 23rd of May, wraps up the 17th of June And on the 19th of June we will induct the class of season three. So on your way out, if you do me a favor, as you're walking past the weekend update exhibit turn out the lights, because the s and l hall of fame is now closed. 0:54:56 - AnnouncerThanks for listening to the s and l hall of fame podcast. Make sure to rate, review, share and subscribe to the show. Wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on social media at s and l h o f. This is Doug Denance saying. This is Doug Denance saying see you next week. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/snlhof/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today, we sit with legendary actor and comedian Bob Odenkirk! At the top, we discuss his new AMC series Lucky Hank (6:10), the parallels between his character Hank Devereaux and Saul Goodman of Better Call Saul (8:15), and how Monty Python shaped his early ideas of comedy (9:40). Then, Odenkirk reflects on his coming of age in Naperville, Illinois (10:43), the influence of cult comedy legend Del Close (19:21), his years writing at SNL (22:56), and performing at The Second City (27:50). On the back-half, we talk about his singular collaboration with David Cross that created Mr. Show (32:20), a memorable sketch from season 3 (41:30), his entry to Breaking Bad (49:02), becoming a dramatic actor late in life (51:31), and how he hopes to live in years to come (59:23).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Special Guests Joe Bill and Mark Meer join Jerome at the table to nerd out over acting, improv, and D & D. SHOW NOTES INFORMATION COMMUNITY INFO Send us pics of you rocking D2C Merch and we will publish them on the Community page of our website. Click HERE to check it out! GUEST BIOS Joe Bill is widely regarded as one of the best teachers of  Improvisation in America today. He is one of the founding members of Annoyance Theater Chicago, was the Director of Corporate Training at iO Chicago for 15 years, and a Teacher & Guest Artist in Residence at The Second City Conservatory & Training Center for another 15 years. Joe first practiced improvisation in 1977 and studied and worked with Del Close from 1985 through the mid 90's. Joe has trained corporate clients in more than 80 Fortune 500 companies. Clients include NBC Universal, Disney, PepsiCo, Abbott Labs, Abbvie, GE, Leo Burnett, American Express, the CIA, and the Children's Miracle Network.  He has taught in the Business Schools of the University of Chicago, Harvard, Yale, Northwestern, Duke, and The University of Virginia. Joe has also been touring internationally as an improvisational performer, teacher, and director for more than 20 years.   Mark Meer is known worldwide as the voice of Commander Shepard in Bioware's Mass Effect Trilogy, and also voices several other characters in the series, including Blasto, the entire Vorcha species, and Niftu Cal. He plays multiple roles throughout Bioware's Dragon Age series, and appears dozens of characters in the original Baldur's Gate games, Beamdog's Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition, Baldur's Gate 2: Enhanced Edition, and Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear. Mark stars as pilot William MacKenzie in the post-acopalyptic survival game The Long Dark by Hinterland Studio. Other voice work includes Bioware's Jade Empire, Blue Wizard Digital's Slayaway Camp, rom-com visual novel Arcade Spirits, ChaosForge's Jupiter Hell, and Chapterhouse Studio's Captain Canuck: The Prometheus Protocol. Mark is a co-creator, writer, and star of the award-winning TV series Tiny Plastic Men, available on Amazon Prime in Canada, the U.S.A., and the U.K. Links From our Discussion Joe Bill - https://www.integratedimprovisation.com/  Mark Meer - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1035752/  Dad's Garage Theatre Company (Atlanta) https://www.dadsgarage.com/  Viola Spolin https://www.violaspolin.org/  D&D in a Castle: https://dndinacastle.com/home  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassprov  https://www.freeplay.com/  Black Dice Society: https://dnd.wizards.com/black-dice-society  MUSIC / SOUND EFFECTS LICENSE INFORMATION: Rock Scissor Rock by Louise Goldberg The following music was used for this media project: Music: Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5010-ultralounge  License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license    Music: Leopard Print Elevator by Kevin MacLeod Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3974-leopard-print-elevator  License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license   Music: Backbay Lounge by Kevin MacLeod Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3408-backbay-lounge License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license   Music: Loopster by Kevin MacLeod Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4991-loopster License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license   Music: Bossa Antigua by Kevin MacLeod Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3454-bossa-antigua License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Mitch infiltrates the ultimate 8H post-show bash, still searching for his missing mullet, and witnesses almost unimaginable displays of debauchery and tribal violence whilst being pursued by an enraged Nora Dunn.Endnotes:Molly Shannon, Hello Molly!; A Memoir (New York, HarperCollins, 2022) p.207 Capsule Review: Heartbreaking, touching, occasionally funny, moving and inspirational recounting of a life well lived by a purely delightful human. Super down-to-earth frank writing style. Extra heart wrenching in audiobook form. Slack Score: -12 ; Snark Score: 5.2; Overall FCA ranking: 6 Charna Halpern, Del Close, and Kim "Howard" Johnson, Truth in Comedy : the Manual for Improvisation (Meriwether Publishing, Colorado Springs 1994) p.53 Capsule Review: As the title implies, this is a handbook not a memoir, so not subject to FCB ranking, etc. A mish-mash of testimonials from students and acolytes of Del Close, many of them SNL stars, ranting wide-eyed about the magic of improv or whatever.Kevin Nealon, I Exaggerate My Brushes with Fame; Portraits & Stories (New York, Abrams, 2022) p.61 Capsule Review: Not like the others, arguably not an autobiography, although enough of Nealon's life is woven throughout that I'm willing to accept it (not to mention he's one of the best stand ups of all time IMO). He presents a series of pretty remarkable, sort of beautiful, painted caricatures of various celebrities, mostly SNL adjacent but not necessarily, with cute, tidy accounts of his titular brushes with celebs, or, in certain cases, how a showbiz legend inspired or delighted him. Slack Score: 14.2; Snark Score: 10; Overall FCA ranking: 98

A "Jack of All Trades" (and master of some), Jay Sukow has been performing with and without a script for the better part of the past 27 years. He has trained with, among others, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell and Del Close. He is a graduate of training centers of The Second City, The Second City NW, iO Chicago, and ComedySportz Chicago. He is the founder of Today Improv, who teaches improv to actors, businesses and everybody else. He has extensive experience helping businesses drive behavior change through improvisational philosophies and exercises. Jay teaches currently at MI's Westside Comedy Theater, and is a large fan of the Beastie Boys! He wants to share improv--and the Beasties--with people to show how they can benefit from knowing both. Give it a listen! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/christopher-hall7/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/christopher-hall7/support

CHARNA HALPERNCharna Halpern (born June 1, 1952) is founded the ImprovOlympic, now known as iO. Upon iO's founding, in 1983, with partner Del Close, she began teaching Harold to many students in the Chicago theater community. Many prominent comedians performed at iO, from Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Mike Myers, She and Close co-authored the book Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation with editor Kim "Howard" Johnson in 1994.She published Group Improvisation in 2003 and Art by Committee in 2006.The remaining theater in Chicago, originally located in the Wrigleyville neighborhood was forced to relocate due to neighborhood development. In 2017, the theater reopened in the Clyborn North Area. In 2020 during a forced shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic Charna decided to close theater and sell it. iO was then purchased and as of 2022 has reopened with new management. DEL CLOSEDel Close, an actor, improviser, and coach who taught John Belushi, Gilda Radner and Bill Murray and elevated improvisation to an art form.Close pioneered the concept of “long form” improvisation. “Long form is one suggestion and then you improvise for 25 minutes, and in short form you are constantly coming to the audience for suggestions throughout the evening and treating each improv game as its own little three- or four-minute piece,”While many comedy groups use improvisation as a tool to develop characters and sketches, Close believed that improvisation was the show. He often said there was really only one role for a director: “Light fuse and run!”His ideas, although hotly debated in the comedy world, have influenced nearly every improvisation group in America, from Chicago's legendary Second City to San Francisco's the Committee. “He was the singular most powerful force in improvisation in the world,” said Kelly Leonard, the producer of Second City, where Close acted and directed before opening his own theater. iO with Charna HalpernThe resident guru at “Saturday Night Live” during the show's early years, Close trained several generations of comics, from Belushi and Murray to Mike Myers and the late Chris Farley. Close came up with the idea for the popular early 1980s television show “SCTV,” which stood for Second City Television and was widely credited as the intellectual and spiritual force behind a recent renaissance in Chicago's hotbed of improvisation.Although groups such as Second City use improvisation as a rehearsal tool to develop characters and sketches, Close believed in improvisation as an end in itself. In collaboration with Halpern, he was constantly tinkering with the form, turning the Harold into a more elaborate tapestry of scenes with a cinematic flavor. The ImprovOlympic became the cutting-edge training ground, sending many of its graduates, such as Farley, to better-known venues like Second City and television and movie careers.STORYTELLERCharna HalpernBAND(Piano) Dave Asher(Guitar) Ross Plunkett(Drums) Mike Amandes (Saxophone) Eli V Wilson(Trumpet, Vocals) Ivan Pyzow (Bass) GordonVOCALISTS Matt GriffoDrake ShraderAmber LindeLisa Burton Joe BillSupport the showSupport the show via Matt Griffo's Patreon page at Patreon.com/mattgriffo

This week we welcome Paul Vaillancourt. Paul is the co-founder (with Charna Halpern) of the iO West and has been teaching and performing improv for over 20 years.In that time he has appeared all over the country including such notable venues as HBO's Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Chicago's iO (where he studied with the immortal Del Close), New York's UCB Theater, and the iO West here in Los Angeles.As an actor Paul has appeared on such shows as “The Drew Carey Show”, the UPN sitcom “Half & Half”, and the Oxygen Network's stand out “Girls Behaving Badly”. Paul has also had success as a writer and producer, co-creating and serving as supervising writer for the MTV hit “The Blame Game” as well as lending his writing and producing talents to a score of other shows for MTV, VH1, USA, Oxygen, Bravo and AMC.Check them out at whatsupwithPV on all social media channels.We now have an INSTAGRAM! Check it out at thecleancomedypodcast on Instagram.We also have a PATREON! Check out patreon.com/CleanComedyPodcast for more details.Turn your funny into money! Check out the official website here: http://comedypreneur.comPick up a copy of “How To Produce Comedy Shows For Fun & Profit” here: https://amzn.to/31H4wxmDo you have a topic that you would like to hear discussed?Are you a clean comedian looking for an awesome podcast to be in?Do you have life-burning questions?Reach out to us at https://www.thecleancomedypodcast.com/contact/

Patrick McCartney came of age in the Chicago improv scene in the early nineties where he worked with the likes of Del Close and toured with Amy Poehler and Tina Fey in the Second City Touring Company. But it wasn't long before his early exploration of drugs and alcohol blossomed into a full blown heroin problem and rules like “I'll never use before going on stage” became “I'll never go on stage if I'm not using.” Heroin use eventually gave way to crack addiction, and he found himself alone and suicidal in a heatless cabin in Wyoming. But he got clean and found his way into recovery and is now finding a kind of spiritual practice teaching and performing improv

David Pasquesi is a comedian, actor, writer and producer known for She-Hulk, The Book of Boba Fett, Veep, At Home with Amy Sedaris and one of our big favorites the criminally canceled too soon Lodge 49. He's from Chicago where he worked with Del Close and the prestigious Second City. We are so glad David could take some time to talk to Jeff and Steph. Thanks again for joining us this week, remember to Like, Subscribe on YouTube, Rate and Review us on Spotify and as always… Keep it Canon! #DavidPasquesi #SheHulk #BookOfBobaFett #StrangersWithCandy #SecondCity #Lodge49 #GenX #Marvel #Veep #StarWars #Comedy #Atlanta #RadioLabyrinth Checkout the Video Version this episode: https://youtu.be/vIOGyeQg0ak _________________________________________________________ Guest: David Pasquesi Interviewers: Jeff Leiboff and Steph Swain Podcast edited and produced by Dustin Lollar _________________________________________________________ Follow our Audio Podcast: Radio Labyrinth Podcast on Spotify, iTunes, Audible or any podcatcher! Follow our YouTube page! https://www.youtube.com/radiolabyrinthpodcast Become a Radio Labyrinth Patron! https://www.patreon.com/Timandrews Social Media: Twitter - https://twitter.com/radio_labyrinth Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/radiolabyrinth/ Instagram - @RadioLabyrinthPresents and @RadioLabyrinth TikTok - @RLPodcast

Dimitri, Khalid, and Neuroscientist Jay (@The_Hague_ICC) continue exploring the complex history of cybernetics, including: “from electroshock to the psychedelic sixties”, Grey Walter's EEG research, the discovery of alpha/beta/delta brainwaves, the expectancy wave and readiness potential, Walter's robotic tortoises, the popularity of biofeedback today, the sus “world brain”, computer-brain interfaces for video gaming, SRI's “Changing Images of Man”, Ross Ashby, “forcing an environment to reveal itself” and the mass shooter phenomenon, feedback flicker and the Stroboscope, silk topper sicko William Seward Burroughs, Jr. and Allen Ginsberg's MK-Ultra LSD flicker experiments in Palo Alto, the California Ideology, the Dream Machine, the embrace of stroboscopic lights by Ken Kesey, Del Close, and The Grateful Dead, Stafford Beer and Chile's Project CYBERSYN, Beer's 2002 lecture about cybernetically understanding 9/11, the Satanic Panic artificial dialectic, cybernetics-as-dialectics, and counter-erming Western leftists who reject the synthesis of “parapolitical” and Historical Materialist analyses. For access to full-length premium episodes and the SJ Grotto of Truth Discord, subscribe to the Al-Wara' Frequency at patreon.com/subliminaljihad.

Mike and Jesse discuss the 1988 sci-fi horror remake of The Blob! Starring Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Jeffery DeMunn, Candy Clark, Joe Seneca and Del Close. Leave us a message at https://speakpipe.com/cdfpod Get your CDFPod merch at https://cdfpodmerch.com Our theme music was composed by CollinDomo AKA Chunky Krill. Find more of his work at soundcloud.com/chunky-krill Facebook: facebook.com/cdfpod Instagram: instagram.com/cdfpod/

Tim O'malley Joins us to talk about his years studying with Del Close and the earliest days of the Chicago longform improv scene. He also describes the thrilling days of writing shows and sharing a stage with Chris Farley, Tim Meadows and Bob OdenkirkWatching your friends become TV stars can have unexpected consequences though, and Tim shares his struggles with drugs and alcohol, hitting bottom and using those experiences to fuel his acclaimed one man show "Godshow"As a true believer in the power of improv Tim has strong opinions that have occasionally put him at odds with the second city (Our host can RELATE!)However, we're happy to report that the "Second City website" issue we mention near the end of the episode has been resolved with Tim retaking his rightful spot on the Alumni page! Thank you again to Tim for the great conversation. If you haven't already seen Tim's show Godshow  we encourage you to do so!

Joel Murray is an actor who's been in more than 250 TV sitcom episodes. Best known for his work on Mad Men, Shameless, Dharma and Greg, and the improv group Whose Live Anyway. We talk about growing up the youngest of nine in the Murray household, studying improv at Second City and with the legendary improv teacher Del Close, how he booked Mad Men, his audition for the film ‘The Artist', and more!Visit www.droppingcharacter.com for more episodes!Follow @therobbyramos Follow @DroppingCharacter This episode is brought to you in part by TSMA Consulting, the entertainment industry's leading social media firm. If you sign up for any of their management packages at TSMAconsulting.com make sure to tell them Robby sent you for an exclusive 15% off the first month.

Today I talk with actor, director and community theatre aficionado Doug Ironside, whose career has included theatre school, a corporate job, being a nurse and working as an actor. Doug is deeply passionate about acting, the theatre and the change they can bring in people's lives. Doug tells me about the many different phases of his career and why he initially decided not to pursue acting as a career. Today he's involved in community theatre and he dives into the theory of community theatre, highlighting the dangers of letting the same people run community theatre groups year after year. We then talk about our experience of improv groups and what my thoughts about improv were when I was just getting started. Listen out as Doug explains some of the rules of improvisation theatre and which of those rules you can and can't break. Doug also shares “the most notorious story in all of theatre”, a very memorable incident from a high school production! If you're enjoying listening to the Second Act Actors podcast, you can help the show out by subscribing and leaving a rating and review to give the podcast a boost.  Timestamps [1:30] The different incarnations of Doug's career in theatre and nursing[3:07] Where Doug's interest in theatre came from and his experience at theatre school[6:02] A transformative experience of a marriage break-up and nursing school[7:38] Getting back into community theatre and starting an improv group and theatre troupe[10:00] Why Doug didn't get into acting professionally[12:55] The other interests that Doug has balanced around his passion for theatre[13:43] Working as a nurse instead of in sales[16:17] Community theatre is a bootcamp for working as an actor so if you want to be an actor, do community theatre![20:15] Doug espouses his love for theatre and reveals the more nuanced side of community theatre[22:03] “It was kind of like going to war”: Community theatre can be a fight against inertia[25:25] Brecht's thoughts on how community theatre can grow stale and stop evolving[26:58] Applying the hard lessons learnt about community theatre[30:27] Doug lifts the lid on my time at the improv group, The Old Dance Hall Players[33:13] What you can really learn from improv[36:30] “Pure terror”: My experience of improv[37:57] The minimal rules of improv as delineated by Del Close and which ones you can break[41:37] How I found a sense of freedom in improv[43:27] A really delicious game of Elimination[44:44] The most notorious story in all of theatre![52:20] Doug's advice to people who want to get into acting or improv[54:20] Theatre deserves creativity, so don't be afraid to play[55:43] An exercise from theatre school  Links Second Act Actors websiteSecond Act Actors on InstagramSecond Act Actors on FacebookSecond Act Actors on YouTube Janet McMordie websiteJanet McMordie on InstagramJanet McMordie on LinkedInJanet McMordie on Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the 4-Year Anniversary of Don't Push Pause!   THE BREAKFAST CLUB is one of the most well-known American films from the 1980s. It roped audiences in with sarcastic, yet endearing humor, then captivated us with its sincere depiction of cutting teenage truths. It became an iconic pinnacle of achievement for all those involved in its creation, but continuing to have mass appeal makes THE BREAKFAST CLUB a legendary film.   //***Discussions include*** Pre-Breakfast Club career history of John Hughes; inspiration behind, writing evolution & revisions of the script; tonal shifts, use of dialogue & conflict; casting & chemistry, rehearsal stories & actors influencing the script; set construction, the film's soundtrack & use of music, problematic elements, release/reception & why this movie is still effective. Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall & Judd Nelson are THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985). Directed by John Hughes.   //***Picks of the Week*** Lindsay's Pick: HIGH ART (1998). Ally Sheedy, Radha Mitchell & Patricia Clarkson /// Directed by Lisa Cholodenko. Justin's Pick: JUDGMENT NIGHT(1993). Emilio Estevez, Cuba Gooding Jr., Denis Leary, Jeremy Piven & Stephen Dorff /// Directed by Stephen Hopkins.   //***MurrayMoment*** Bill visits a Kansas high school for the Wall of Fame induction ceremony of influential comedy madman, Del Close. //***Final Thoughts on THE BREAKFAST CLUB.*** Next Episode: ALIENS (1986)     **Visit Our Archive for Four Years of Diving Deep Into the Best Movies Around!** //Please rate, review & subscribe. //Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube.  www.dontpushpausepodcast.com  dontpushpausepodcast@gmail.com  //Hosts: Justin Johnson & Lindsay Reber // Music: Matt Pace // Announcer: Mary Timmel // Logo: Beau Shoulders.  Be Kind and Rewatch // May 3rd, 2022

This week we take a look at the 1988 film The Blob.This is Episode #367!The Blob is a 1988 American science fiction horror film co-written and directed by Chuck Russell. A remake of the 1958 film of the same name, it stars Shawnee Smith, Kevin Dillon, Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn, Paul McCrane, Art LaFleur, Robert Axelrod, Joe Seneca, Del Close and Candy Clark. The plot follows an acidic, amoeba-like organism that crashes down to Earth in a military satellite, which devours and dissolves anything in its path as it grows.Filmed in Abbeville, Louisiana, The Blob was theatrically released in August 1988 by Tri-Star Pictures and was a box office failure, grossing $8.2 million against its budget of approximately $10 million. Though it received a mixed response from critics, the film has since accrued a cult following.

Hollywood and Psychedelic history collide when comedian Hugh Romney, moves to LA where Lenny Bruce becomes his manager, improv icon Del Close becomes his roommate and writer-LSD-enthusiast Ken Kesey, becomes his fan! Wavy tells stories of Lenny's tragic demise plus theatrical psychedelic shows and shenanigans with Del introducing history's early laser light displays. Find out why The Byrds were involved in Hugh's courtship of his lifelong love, Bonnie Jean aka Jahanarah and how the infamous Acid Tests (accompanied by house band, The Grateful Dead) evolved when 40 Merry Pranksters appeared unannounced on Hugh and Bonnie Jean's doorstep, ushering in the memorable question, “Can You Pass the Acid Test?”. Guests include Sunshine Kesey, original Merry Pranksters Denise Kaufman and Laura Foster Corbin, historian, Dennis McNally and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hollywood and Psychedelic history collide when comedian Hugh Romney, moves to LA where Lenny Bruce becomes his manager, improv icon Del Close becomes his roommate and writer-LSD-enthusiast Ken Kesey, becomes his fan! Wavy tells stories of Lenny's tragic demise plus theatrical psychedelic shows and shenanigans with Del introducing history's early laser light displays. Find out why The Byrds were involved in Hugh's courtship of his lifelong love, Bonnie Jean aka Jahanarah and how the infamous Acid Tests (accompanied by house band, The Grateful Dead) evolved when 40 Merry Pranksters appeared unannounced on Hugh and Bonnie Jean's doorstep, ushering in the memorable question, “Can You Pass the Acid Test?”. Guests include Sunshine Kesey, original Merry Pranksters Denise Kaufman and Laura Foster Corbin, historian, Dennis McNally and more.

American Prankster is a deep dive with the iconic Wavy Gravy, unfolding his fascinating,historic and hilarious lifestory as an original Beatnik, comedy pioneer, hippie icon and pioneering activist who uses humor as a weapon.  Sharing stories that even he'd forgotten with producer/host, Rainbow Valentine, of Disorganized Crime: Smuggler's Daughter, Wavy gets down to the very nit of the grit and reminds us what it means to be human.From Ben and Jerry's ice cream to Woodstock to the Acid Tests and running a pig for president, Wavy Gravy is an essential part of American counter culture history and more. You will hear stories of his childhood, teen, army, college and beatnik years with Bob Dylan, Tiny Tim, Martha Graham plus tales of his comedy life with Lenny Bruce, Del Close, Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters and his friendships with music icons like Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, Mama Cass, Joan C. Baez and more! Wavy shares absurdist yarns from his lifelong activism using humor as a weapon, along with pals, Abbie Hoffman, Jackson Browne, the Yippies and traveling roadshows of hippies. Plus how psychedelic globetrotting led to the SEVA Foundation and Camp Winnarainbow.  Wavy's 8+ decades of embodying American Pranksterism, inspiring millions down the tie-dye colored path of life and spreading his ethos of Basic Human Needs, is a fundamental part of American, comedy, activist, music, food and global history. Plus he's hilarious and a born storyteller."When you get to the very bottom of the human soul, when the nit is slamming into the grit and you are sinking but you reach down to help someone else, that is when everyone gets high and you don't even need LSD to do that...and that's when I passed the acid test." – Wavy Gravy, American Prankster"He's like our Rabbi..." - Trixie GarciaAmerican Prankster is a proud part of Pantheon Podcasts

American Prankster is a deep dive with the iconic Wavy Gravy, unfolding his fascinating,historic and hilarious lifestory as an original Beatnik, comedy pioneer, hippie icon and pioneering activist who uses humor as a weapon.   Sharing stories that even he'd forgotten with producer/host, Rainbow Valentine, of Disorganized Crime: Smuggler's Daughter, Wavy gets down to the very nit of the grit and reminds us what it means to be human. From Ben and Jerry's ice cream to Woodstock to the Acid Tests and running a pig for president, Wavy Gravy is an essential part of American counter culture history and more.  You will hear stories of his childhood, teen, army, college and beatnik years with Bob Dylan, Tiny Tim, Martha Graham plus tales of his comedy life with Lenny Bruce, Del Close, Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters and his friendships with music icons like Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, Mama Cass, Joan C. Baez and more!  Wavy shares absurdist yarns from his lifelong activism using humor as a weapon, along with pals, Abbie Hoffman, Jackson Browne, the Yippies and traveling roadshows of hippies. Plus how psychedelic globetrotting led to the SEVA Foundation and Camp Winnarainbow.  Wavy's 8+ decades of embodying American Pranksterism, inspiring millions down the tie-dye colored path of life and spreading his ethos of Basic Human Needs, is a fundamental part of American, comedy, activist, music, food and global history. Plus he's hilarious and a born storyteller. "When you get to the very bottom of the human soul, when the nit is slamming into the grit and you are sinking but you reach down to help someone else, that is when everyone gets high and you don't even need LSD to do that...and that's when I passed the acid test." – Wavy Gravy, American Prankster "He's like our Rabbi..." - Trixie Garcia American Prankster is a proud part of Pantheon Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American Prankster is a deep dive with the iconic Wavy Gravy, unfolding his fascinating,historic and hilarious lifestory as an original Beatnik, comedy pioneer, hippie icon and pioneering activist who uses humor as a weapon.   Sharing stories that even he'd forgotten with producer/host, Rainbow Valentine, of Disorganized Crime: Smuggler's Daughter, Wavy gets down to the very nit of the grit and reminds us what it means to be human. From Ben and Jerry's ice cream to Woodstock to the Acid Tests and running a pig for president, Wavy Gravy is an essential part of American counter culture history and more.  You will hear stories of his childhood, teen, army, college and beatnik years with Bob Dylan, Tiny Tim, Martha Graham plus tales of his comedy life with Lenny Bruce, Del Close, Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters and his friendships with music icons like Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, Mama Cass, Joan C. Baez and more!  Wavy shares absurdist yarns from his lifelong activism using humor as a weapon, along with pals, Abbie Hoffman, Jackson Browne, the Yippies and traveling roadshows of hippies. Plus how psychedelic globetrotting led to the SEVA Foundation and Camp Winnarainbow.  Wavy's 8+ decades of embodying American Pranksterism, inspiring millions down the tie-dye colored path of life and spreading his ethos of Basic Human Needs, is a fundamental part of American, comedy, activist, music, food and global history. Plus he's hilarious and a born storyteller. "When you get to the very bottom of the human soul, when the nit is slamming into the grit and you are sinking but you reach down to help someone else, that is when everyone gets high and you don't even need LSD to do that...and that's when I passed the acid test." – Wavy Gravy, American Prankster "He's like our Rabbi..." - Trixie Garcia American Prankster is a proud part of Pantheon Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American Prankster is a deep dive with the iconic Wavy Gravy, unfolding his fascinating,historic and hilarious lifestory as an original Beatnik, comedy pioneer, hippie icon and pioneering activist who uses humor as a weapon.  Sharing stories that even he'd forgotten with producer/host, Rainbow Valentine, of Disorganized Crime: Smuggler's Daughter, Wavy gets down to the very nit of the grit and reminds us what it means to be human.From Ben and Jerry's ice cream to Woodstock to the Acid Tests and running a pig for president, Wavy Gravy is an essential part of American counter culture history and more. You will hear stories of his childhood, teen, army, college and beatnik years with Bob Dylan, Tiny Tim, Martha Graham plus tales of his comedy life with Lenny Bruce, Del Close, Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters and his friendships with music icons like Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, Mama Cass, Joan C. Baez and more! Wavy shares absurdist yarns from his lifelong activism using humor as a weapon, along with pals, Abbie Hoffman, Jackson Browne, the Yippies and traveling roadshows of hippies. Plus how psychedelic globetrotting led to the SEVA Foundation and Camp Winnarainbow.  Wavy's 8+ decades of embodying American Pranksterism, inspiring millions down the tie-dye colored path of life and spreading his ethos of Basic Human Needs, is a fundamental part of American, comedy, activist, music, food and global history. Plus he's hilarious and a born storyteller."When you get to the very bottom of the human soul, when the nit is slamming into the grit and you are sinking but you reach down to help someone else, that is when everyone gets high and you don't even need LSD to do that...and that's when I passed the acid test." – Wavy Gravy, American Prankster"He's like our Rabbi..." - Trixie GarciaAmerican Prankster is a proud part of Pantheon Podcasts

American Prankster is a deep dive with the iconic Wavy Gravy, unfolding his fascinating,historic and hilarious lifestory as an original Beatnik, comedy pioneer, hippie icon and pioneering activist who uses humor as a weapon.   Sharing stories that even he'd forgotten with producer/host, Rainbow Valentine, of Disorganized Crime: Smuggler's Daughter, Wavy gets down to the very nit of the grit and reminds us what it means to be human. From Ben and Jerry's ice cream to Woodstock to the Acid Tests and running a pig for president, Wavy Gravy is an essential part of American counter culture history and more.  You will hear stories of his childhood, teen, army, college and beatnik years with Bob Dylan, Tiny Tim, Martha Graham plus tales of his comedy life with Lenny Bruce, Del Close, Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters and his friendships with music icons like Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, Mama Cass, Joan C. Baez and more!  Wavy shares absurdist yarns from his lifelong activism using humor as a weapon, along with pals, Abbie Hoffman, Jackson Browne, the Yippies and traveling roadshows of hippies. Plus how psychedelic globetrotting led to the SEVA Foundation and Camp Winnarainbow.  Wavy's 8+ decades of embodying American Pranksterism, inspiring millions down the tie-dye colored path of life and spreading his ethos of Basic Human Needs, is a fundamental part of American, comedy, activist, music, food and global history. Plus he's hilarious and a born storyteller. "When you get to the very bottom of the human soul, when the nit is slamming into the grit and you are sinking but you reach down to help someone else, that is when everyone gets high and you don't even need LSD to do that...and that's when I passed the acid test." – Wavy Gravy, American Prankster "He's like our Rabbi..." - Trixie Garcia American Prankster is a proud part of Pantheon Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American Prankster is a deep dive with the iconic Wavy Gravy, unfolding his fascinating,historic and hilarious lifestory as an original Beatnik, comedy pioneer, hippie icon and pioneering activist who uses humor as a weapon.   Sharing stories that even he'd forgotten with producer/host, Rainbow Valentine, of Disorganized Crime: Smuggler's Daughter, Wavy gets down to the very nit of the grit and reminds us what it means to be human. From Ben and Jerry's ice cream to Woodstock to the Acid Tests and running a pig for president, Wavy Gravy is an essential part of American counter culture history and more.  You will hear stories of his childhood, teen, army, college and beatnik years with Bob Dylan, Tiny Tim, Martha Graham plus tales of his comedy life with Lenny Bruce, Del Close, Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters and his friendships with music icons like Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, Mama Cass, Joan C. Baez and more!  Wavy shares absurdist yarns from his lifelong activism using humor as a weapon, along with pals, Abbie Hoffman, Jackson Browne, the Yippies and traveling roadshows of hippies. Plus how psychedelic globetrotting led to the SEVA Foundation and Camp Winnarainbow.  Wavy's 8+ decades of embodying American Pranksterism, inspiring millions down the tie-dye colored path of life and spreading his ethos of Basic Human Needs, is a fundamental part of American, comedy, activist, music, food and global history. Plus he's hilarious and a born storyteller. "When you get to the very bottom of the human soul, when the nit is slamming into the grit and you are sinking but you reach down to help someone else, that is when everyone gets high and you don't even need LSD to do that...and that's when I passed the acid test." – Wavy Gravy, American Prankster "He's like our Rabbi..." - Trixie Garcia American Prankster is a proud part of Pantheon Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American Prankster is a deep dive with the iconic Wavy Gravy, unfolding his fascinating,historic and hilarious lifestory as an original Beatnik, comedy pioneer, hippie icon and pioneering activist who uses humor as a weapon.   Sharing stories that even he'd forgotten with producer/host, Rainbow Valentine, of Disorganized Crime: Smuggler's Daughter, Wavy gets down to the very nit of the grit and reminds us what it means to be human. From Ben and Jerry's ice cream to Woodstock to the Acid Tests and running a pig for president, Wavy Gravy is an essential part of American counter culture history and more.  You will hear stories of his childhood, teen, army, college and beatnik years with Bob Dylan, Tiny Tim, Martha Graham plus tales of his comedy life with Lenny Bruce, Del Close, Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters and his friendships with music icons like Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, Mama Cass, Joan C. Baez and more!  Wavy shares absurdist yarns from his lifelong activism using humor as a weapon, along with pals, Abbie Hoffman, Jackson Browne, the Yippies and traveling roadshows of hippies. Plus how psychedelic globetrotting led to the SEVA Foundation and Camp Winnarainbow.  Wavy's 8+ decades of embodying American Pranksterism, inspiring millions down the tie-dye colored path of life and spreading his ethos of Basic Human Needs, is a fundamental part of American, comedy, activist, music, food and global history. Plus he's hilarious and a born storyteller. "When you get to the very bottom of the human soul, when the nit is slamming into the grit and you are sinking but you reach down to help someone else, that is when everyone gets high and you don't even need LSD to do that...and that's when I passed the acid test." – Wavy Gravy, American Prankster "He's like our Rabbi..." - Trixie Garcia American Prankster is a proud part of Pantheon Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dimitri and Khalid say “yes, and!” to a deep dive on the Chief Suslord of North American Comedy, Del Close, including: Del's puckish pranks in high school, invoking demons for improv class, creating psychedelic light shows for the Grateful Dead and Frank Zappa, becoming a witch, doing LSD astronaut experiments for the US Air Force, getting devoured by the Spider King on LSD at a mysterious mental hospital, hanging out with L. Ron Hubbard pre-Scientology, becoming “chief metaphysician” at SNL in the early 80s, switching into “Devil Mode” and reveling in evil, encouraging John Belushi to do more speedballs, getting the “Clockwork Orange treatment” at the Schick Clinic, writing “Wasteland” for DC Comics, the disturbing “Retroactive Abortion” story, Del's confusing definition of “sick humor”, becoming the Sewer Rat, dissecting your son's biology teacher, Trump getting possessed by a Catman, the pandemic-era collapse of UCB and ImprovOlympic, and why Big Improv is probably going to be on the wrong end of the vibe shift. For access to full-length premium episodes and the SJ Grotto of Truth Discord, subscribe to the Al-Wara' Frequency at patreon.com/subliminaljihad.