Podcasts about Don Rickles

Before there was Fallon, Kimmel, or Colbert — there was Johnny Carson, the undisputed King of Late Night. We talk with Howard Smith, author of the book, My Friend Johnny, who was Carson's longtime Malibu neighbor, friend, and tennis partner. Howard pulls back the curtain on Carson's private world — from secret card games with Steve Martin, Don Rickles, Carl Reiner, and Martin Short, to the personal joke-writing advice Johnny gave Jay Leno. We also get tales of Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Weintraub, and even a Carson monologue name-drop that sent Howard's high school friends into a frenzy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dana and Tom with returning guest, Terry Bartley (author and host of Most Writers are Fans podcast), discuss Toy Story 3 (2010) for its 15th anniversary: directed by Lee Unkrich, written by Michael Arndt, cinematography by Jeremy Lasky and Kim White, music by Randy Newman, starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, John Ratzenberger, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, Ned Beatty, and Michael Keaton.Plot Summary: Toy Story 3 is a heartfelt animated adventure that follows Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the rest of Andy's toys as they face an uncertain future. With Andy heading off to college, the toys are mistakenly donated to a daycare center where they meet new friends—and some unexpected enemies. As they struggle to return home, they must confront questions of loyalty, identity, and what it means to be loved. The film blends humor, action, and emotion, culminating in a poignant farewell that resonates with audiences of all ages.Guest:Terry Bartley Author (https://www.terrybartleywriter.com/), Tyranny of the Fey available on AmazonHost (Most Writers are Fans podcast)D&D Twitch Stream - ESP Productions: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2450557464Previous Episode(s): The Fugitive (1993), Batman (1989)Chapters:00:00 Introduction, Cast List, and Welcome Back Terry04:37 Why is Toy Story Still So Resonant?13:41 Background for Toy Story 315:18 Relationship(s) with Toy Story 318:00 What is Toy Story 3 About?22:44 Our Personal Toy Story Rankings25:56 Plot Summary for Toy Story 326:42 Did You Know?31:26 First Break32:17 What's Happening with Terry Bartley?34:37 Best Performance(s)42:44 Best Scene(s)50:35 Second Break51:15 In Memoriam55:34 Best/Funniest Lines57:57 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy01:03:46 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance01:12:36 The Stanley Rubric - Novelty01:16:24 The Stanley Rubric - Classicness01:24:18 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability01:28:36 The Stanley Rubric - Audience Score and Final Total01:30:11 Remaining Questions for Toy Story 301:41:10 Thank You to Terry and Final Thoughts01:46:48 CreditsYou can also find this episode in full video on YouTube.You can now follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or TikTok (@gmoatpodcast).For more on the episode, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/toy-story-3-2010-ft-terry-bartleyFor the...

In this series, Jeff and Andy look at historical events that took place on this day.Today in history, the 3rd American to go to space is born, Don Rickles right hand man passes away, and $4 changes the music industry forever.This series is brought to you by the great Boss Shot Shells.

Are you ready to be inspired by a journey of perseverance and reinvention? In our new episode of Late Boomers, Cathy and Merry dive into the remarkable life of Grammy and Academy Award-nominated Jan Daley. Join us as we explore Jan's early days in music, her rise to fame, and her courageous battle with stage four cervical cancer. Discover how a chance encounter with a Motown producer reignited her passion for music, leading to new albums that resonate with women everywhere. Jan's story is a testament to pursuing dreams at any age. Tune in for an unforgettable conversation!Jan Daley's Bio:Early Life and BeginningsJan Daley, born and raised in Inglewood, California, showed an early passion for music and performance. She began taking piano and singing lessons as a child and participated in various musical productions, setting the stage for a lifelong career in entertainment.Career BreakthroughDaley's big break came when she joined Bob Hope's USO tours, performing for American troops around the world. Her participation in these tours, including the famous "Bob Hope Christmas Shows" in Vietnam, brought her significant exposure and acclaim. She performed for over 100,000 GIs, earning a place in the hearts of many servicemen and women.Music CareerAdored for her singular magic of making what's classic contemporary again, Jan Daley is the most multi-talented and beautiful "Best Kept Secret" in entertainment today. The multi-talented singer-songwriter and actress is well known as one of the music industry's “best-kept secrets.” Taking the iconic sound of traditional Jazz and reinventing it for the modern audience to enjoy, her impact has been global. She hits the sweet spot between authentic, personal presentation with just the right amount of razzle-dazzle.Jan is a highly prolific artist, often juggling multiple projects at once. She's currently working on a “Best of” album which pulls a number of smash hits from her top-selling CDs. The versatile singer has already landed a Billboard No. 1 for her album “The Way of a Woman,” (penned by Jan herself, among 5 other songs), including tracks from her acclaimed “Where There's Hope” CD which was backed by the Les Brown Jr. Swinging Big Band and the Springfield Symphony. Not to mention featuring songs from her “Broadway Memories” CD that Broadway World Magazine raves, “Daley is a mastery of dynamic vocal range… she delivers these gems in a whole new & refreshing way… Be prepared to be enthralled!” Jan has a few surprises for us, similarly from her “Live” CD, with the beautiful “The Prayer” duet and to top it off, a few Christmas Songs from her Billboard's No. 4 "Home for Christmas" CD. Expect timeless tracks, beautiful duets, and an impressive vocal range in this show-stopping CD that shows us why Jan remains center stage in the traditional Jazz world. “The Best of Jan Daley CD” has something for everyone!Miss Daley made her major breakthrough in the music industry in 2017 and 2018. Working with legendary Motown producer and writer Michael B. Sutton, she put out her first EP “When Sunny Gets Blue.” It was a worldwide hit, landing her a top spot on the AOL Smooth Music Jazz Chart. She followed it up with Billboard No. 1, “The Way of a Woman” and months later “Home for Christmas,” which rode No. 4 on the Billboard Top 10 Jazz Charts for over two months — receiving rave reviews on radio stations across the world.Recent AccomplishmentsIn 2023, Jan Daley was inducted into The Women Songwriters Hall of Fame in Washington DC. Her song "Way of a Woman" became their official song for 2023, riding the Pop charts for three months alongside Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Miley Cyrus. Her album, "Way of a Woman," became Billboard's No.1 album on the Traditional Jazz Chart. The dance remix of "Way of a Woman" went global, further cementing her international acclaim. Her new song, "The Girls in Love," caught fire and went No. 1 on the International Country, Roots, and Top 40 Chart, reaching an audience of over 4 million. Miss Daley set records as the No. 1 Independent Artist for 10 weeks. The country remix of "Way of a Woman" topped out at No. 24 on the Country Music chart. Both "Way of a Woman (Smooth Jazz Remix)" and "Girls in Love" continue to ride the Jazz and Country Charts, reaching an audience of over 6.3 million.Connect with Jan:Website: JanDaley.comYouTube: youtube.com/jandaleymusicInstagram: instagram.com/jandaleymusicFacebook: facebook.com/jandaleymusicX: x.com/jandaleymusicThank you for listening. Please check out @lateboomers on Instagram and our website lateboomers.us. If you enjoyed this podcast and would like to watch it or listen to more of our episodes, you will find Late Boomers on your favorite podcast platform and on our new YouTube Late Boomers Podcast Channel. We hope we have inspired you and we look forward to your becoming a member of our Late Boomers family of subscribers.

You are in for a real treat on this episode. My guest this time is Greg Schwem. Greg is a corporate comedian. What is a corporate comedian? You probably can imagine that his work has to do with corporations, and you would be right. Greg will explain much better than I can. Mr. Schwem began his career as a TV journalist but eventually decided to take up what he really wanted to do, be a comedian. The story of how he evolved is quite fascinating by any standard. Greg has done comedy professionally since 1989. He speaks today mostly to corporate audiences. He will tell us how he does his work. It is quite interesting to hear how he has learned to relate to his audiences. As you will discover as Greg and I talk, we often work in the same way to learn about our audiences and thus how we get to relate to them. Greg has written three books. His latest one is entitled “Turning Gut Punches into Punch Lines: A Comedian's Journey Through Cancer, Divorce and Other Hilarious Stuff”. As Greg says, “Don't worry, it's not one of those whiny, ‘woe is me,' self- serving books. Instead, it's a hilarious account of me living the words I've been preaching to my audiences: You can always find humor in every situation, even the tough ones. Greg offers many interesting observations as he discusses his career and how he works. I think we all can find significant lessons we can use from his remarks. About the Guest: Hi! I'm Greg Schwem. a Chicago-based business humor speaker and MC who HuffPost calls “Your boss's favorite comedian.” I've traveled the world providing clean, customized laughs to clients such as Microsoft, IBM, McDonald's and even the CIA. I also write the bi-weekly Humor Hotel column for the Chicago Tribune syndicate. I believe every corporate event needs humor. As I often tell clients, “When times are good, people want to laugh. When times are bad, people need to laugh.” One Fortune 500 client summed things up perfectly, saying “You were fantastic and just what everybody needed during these times.” In September 2024 I released my third and most personal book, Turning Gut Punches into Punch Lines: A Comedian's Journey Through Cancer, Divorce and Other Hilarious Stuff. Don't worry, it's not one of those whiny, “woe is me,” self-serving books. Instead, it's a hilarious account of me living the words I've been preaching to my audiences: You can always find humor in every situation, even the tough ones. You can pick up a copy at Amazon or select book stores. Ways to connect with Greg: Website: www.gregschwem.com YouTube: www.youtube.com/gregschwem LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/gregschwem Instagram: www.instagram.com/gregschwem X: www.x.com/gregschwem About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:16 Hi everyone, and welcome to unstoppable mindset. Today we are going to definitely have some fun. I'll tell you about our guests in a moment, but first, I want to tell you about me. That'll take an hour or so. I am Michael Hingson, your host, and you're listening to unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. And I don't know, we may get inclusion or diversity into this, but our guest is Greg Schwem. Greg used to be a TV reporter, now he's a comedian, not sure which is funnier, but given some of the reporters I've seen on TV, they really should go into tonight club business. But anyway, Greg, I want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad you're here. I really appreciate you being here and taking the time   Greg Schwem ** 02:04 Well, Michael, it is an honor to be included on your show. I'm really looking forward to the next hour of conversation. I   Speaker 1 ** 02:10 told Greg a little while ago, one of my major life ambitions that I never got to do was to go to a Don Rickles concert and sit in the front row so that hopefully he would pick on me, so that I could say, Yeah, I saw you once on TV, and I haven't been able to see since. What do you think of that? You hockey puck, but I never got to do it. So very disappointed. But everybody has bucket list moments, everybody has, but they don't get around to I'm sorry. Yeah, I know. Well, the other one is, I love to pick on Mike Wallace. I did a radio show for six years opposite him in 60 minutes, and I always love to say that Wallace really had criminal tendencies, because he started out being an announcer in radio and he announced things like The Green Hornet and the Sky King and other shows where they had a lot of criminals. So I just figured he had to be associated with criminals somewhere in his life. Of course, everybody picked on him, and he had broad shoulders. And I again, I regret I never got to to meet him, which is sort of disappointing. But I did get to meet Peter Falk. That was kind of fun.   Greg Schwem ** 03:15 Mike Wallace to Peter Falk. Nice transition there. I know.   Michael Hingson ** 03:21 Well I am really glad you're with us. So why don't we start? We'll start with the serious part. Why don't you tell us, kind of about the early Greg schwim and growing up and all that sort of stuff, just to set the stage, as it were,   Greg Schwem ** 03:34 how far back you want to go? You want to go back to Little League, or you want to   Speaker 1 ** 03:37 just, oh, start at the beginning, a long time ago, right? I was a   Greg Schwem ** 03:41 very strange child. No, I you. You obviously introduced me as a as a comedian, and that is my full time job. And you also said that I was a former journalist, and that is my professional career. Yes, I went from, as I always like to say, I went from depressing people all day long, to making them laugh. And that's, that's kind of what I did. I always did want to be I majored in Journalism at Northwestern University, good journalism school. Originally, I always wanted to be a television reporter. That was as a professional career I was, I dabbled in comedy. Started when I was 16. That is the first time I ever got on stage at my school, my high school, and then at a comedy club. I was there one of the first comedy clubs in Chicago, a place called the comedy cottage. It was in the suburb of beautiful, beautiful suburb of Rosemont, Illinois, and they were one of the very, very first full time comedy clubs in the nation. And as a 16 year old kid, I actually got on stage and did five minutes here and five minutes there. And thought I was, I was hot stuff, but I never, ever thought I would do it for a living. I thought comedy would always be just a hobby. And I. Especially when I went to college, and I thought, okay, Northwestern is pretty good school, pretty expensive school. I should actually use my degree. And I did. I moved down to Florida, wrote for a newspaper called The Palm Beach post, which, don't let that title fool you. It's Palm Beach was a very small segment of of the area that it was, that it served, but I did comedy on the side, and just because I moved down there, I didn't know anybody, so I hung out at comedy clubs just to have something to do. And little by little, comedy in the late 80s, it exploded. Exploded. There were suddenly clubs popping up everywhere, and you were starting to get to know guys that were doing these clubs and were starting to get recognition for just being comedians. And one of them opened up a very, very good Club opened up about 10 minutes from my apartment in West Palm Beach, and I hung out there and started to get more stage time, and eventually started to realize at the same time that I was getting better as a comedian, I was becoming more disillusioned as a journalist in terms of what my bosses wanted me to report on and the tone they wanted me to use. And I just decided that I would I would just never be able to live with myself if I didn't try it, if I didn't take the the plunge into comedy, and that's what I did in 1989 and I've been doing it ever since. And my career has gone in multiple directions, as I think it needs to. If you're going to be in show business and sustain a career in show business, you have to wear a lot of different hats, which I feel like I've done.   Michael Hingson ** 06:40 So tell me more about that. What does that mean exactly?   Greg Schwem ** 06:43 Well, I mean, I started out as a what you would pretty much if somebody said, If you heard somebody say, I'm a comedian, they would envision some guy that just went to comedy clubs all the time, and that's what I did. I was just a guy that traveled by car all over the Midwest and the Southeast primarily, and did comedy clubs, but I quickly realized that was kind of a going nowhere way to attack it, to do comedy unless you were incredibly lucky, because there were so many guys doing it and so many clubs, and I just didn't see a future in it, and I felt like I had to separate myself from the pack a little bit. And I was living in Chicago, which is where I'm from, and still, still exist. Still reside in Chicago, and I started to get involved with a company that did live trade show presentations. So if you've ever been on a trade show floor and you see people, they're mostly actors and actresses that wear a headset and deliver a spiel, a pitch, like every, every twice an hour, about some company, some new product, and so forth. And I did that, and I started to write material about what I was seeing on trade show floors and putting it into my stand up act, stuff about business, stuff about technology, because I was Hawking a lot of new computers and things like that. This was the mid 90s when technology was exploding, and I started to put this into my stand up act. And then I'd have people come up to me afterwards and say, hey, you know those jokes you did about computers and tech support, if you could come down to our office, you know, we're having a golf tournament, we're having a Christmas party, we would love to hear that material. And little by little, I started transitioning my act into doing shows for the corporate market. I hooked up with a corporate agent, or the corporate agent heard about me, and started to open a lot of doors for me in terms of working for very large corporations, and that's pretty much what I've been doing. I stopped working clubs, and I transitioned, instead of being a comedian, I became a corporate humor speaker. And that's what I do, primarily to this day, is to speak at business conferences. Just kind of get people to loosen up, get them to laugh about what they do all day without without making it sound like I'm belittling what they do. And also when I'm not doing that, I work about eight to 10 weeks a year on cruise ships, performing for cruise audiences. So that's a nice getaway.   Speaker 1 ** 09:18 It's interesting since I mentioned Don Rickles earlier, years ago, I saw an interview that he did with Donahue, and one of the things that Don Rickles said, and after he said it, I thought about it. He said, I really don't want to pick on anyone who's going to be offended by me picking on them. He said, I try to watch really carefully, so that if it looks like somebody's getting offended, I'll leave them alone, because that's not what this is all about. It isn't about abusing people. It's about trying to get people to have fun, and if somebody's offended, I don't want to to pick on them, and I've heard a number of albums and other things with him and just. Noticed that that was really true. He wouldn't pick on someone unless they could take it and had a lot of fun with it. And I thought that was absolutely interesting, because that certainly wasn't, of course, the rep that he had and no, but it was   Greg Schwem ** 10:16 true. It is, and it doesn't take long to see as a as a comedian, when you're looking at an audience member and you're talking to them, it, you can tell very quickly, Are they enjoying this? Are they enjoying being the center of attention? A lot of people are, or are they uncomfortable with it? Now, I don't know that going in. I mean, I you know, of course. And again, that's a very small portion of my show is to talk to the audience, but it is something particularly today. I think audiences want to be more involved. I think they enjoy you talk you. Some of these, the new comedians in their 20s and 30s and so forth. Them, some of them are doing nothing, but what they call crowd work. So they're just doing 45 minutes of talking to the audience, which can be good and can be rough too, because you're working without a net. But I'm happy to give an audience a little bit of that. But I also have a lot of stuff that I want to say too. I mean, I work very hard coming up with material and and refining it, and I want to talk about what's going on in my life, too. So I don't want the audience to be the entire show, right?   Speaker 1 ** 11:26 And and they shouldn't be, because it isn't about that. But at the same time, it is nice to involve them. I find that as a keynote and public speaker, I find that true as well, though, is that audiences do like to be involved. And I do some things right at the outset of most talks to involve people, and also in involving them. I want to get them to last so that I start to draw them in, because later, when I tell the September 11 story, which isn't really a humorous thing. Directly,   Greg Schwem ** 12:04 i know i Good luck. I'm spinning 911 to make it I don't think I've ever heard anybody say, by the way, I was trapped in a building. Stick with me. It's kind of cute. It's got a funny ending. And   Speaker 1 ** 12:20 that's right, and it is hard I can, I can say humorous things along the way in telling the story, but, sure, right, but, but clearly it's not a story that, in of itself, is humorous. But what I realized over the years, and it's really dawned on me in the last four or five years is we now have a whole generation of people who have absolutely no memory of September 11 because they were children or they weren't even born yet. And I believe that my job is to not only talk about it, but literally to draw them into the building and have them walk down the stairs with me, and I have to be descriptive in a very positive way, so that they really are part of what's going on. And the reality is that I do hear people or people come up and say, we were with you when you were going down the stairs. And I think that's my job, because the reality is that we've got to get people to understand there are lessons to be learned from September 11, right? And the only real way to do that is to attract the audience and bring them in. And I think probably mostly, I'm in a better position to do that than most people, because I'm kind of a curious soul, being blind and all that, but it allows me to to draw them in and and it's fun to do that, actually. And I, and   Greg Schwem ** 13:52 I gotta believe, I mean, obviously I wasn't there, Michael, but I gotta believe there were moments of humor in people, a bunch of people going down the stairs. Sure, me, you put people get it's like, it's like when a bunch of people are in an elevator together, you know, I mean, there's I, when I look around and I try to find something humorous in a crowded and it's probably the same thing now, obviously it, you know, you got out in time. But I and, you know, don't that's the hotel phone, which I just hung up so but I think that I can totally see where you're going from, where, if you're if you're talking to people who have no recollection of this, have no memory where you're basically educating them on the whole event. I think you then you have the opportunity to tell the story in whatever way you see fit. And I think that however you choose to do it is there's no wrong way to do it, I guess is what I'm trying to get at.   Speaker 1 ** 14:55 Well, yeah, I think the wrong way is to be two. Graphic and morbid and morbid, but one of the things that I talk about, for example, is that a colleague of mine who was with me, David Frank, at about the 50th floor, suddenly said, Mike, we're going to die. We're not going to make it out of here. And as as I tell the audience, typically, I as as you heard my introduction at the beginning, I have a secondary teaching credential. And one of the things that you probably don't know about teachers is that there's a secret course that every teacher takes called Voice 101, how to yell at students and and so what I tell people is that when David said that, I just said in my best teacher voice, stop it, David, if Roselle and I can go down these stairs, so can you. And he told me later that that brought him out of his funk, and he ended up walking a floor below me and shouting up to me everything he saw. And it was just mainly, everything is clear, like I'm on floor 48 he's on 47/47 floor. Everything is good here, and what I have done for the past several years in telling that part of the story is to say David, in reality, probably did more to keep people calm and focused as we went down the stairs than anyone else, because anyone within the sound of his voice heard someone who was focused and sounded okay. You know, hey, I'm on the 44th floor. This is where the Port Authority cafeteria is not stopping. And it it helps people understand that we all had to do what we could to keep everyone from not panicking. And it almost happened a few times that people did, but we worked at it. But the i The idea is that it helps draw people in, and I think that's so important to do for my particular story is to draw them in and have them walk down the stairs with me, which is what I do, absolutely, yeah, yeah. Now I'm curious about something that keeps coming up. I hear it every so often, public speaker, Speaker experts and people who are supposedly the great gurus of public speaking say you shouldn't really start out with a joke. And I've heard that so often, and I'm going give me a break. Well, I think, I think it depends, yeah, I think   Greg Schwem ** 17:33 there's two schools of thought to that. I think if you're going to start out with a joke, it better be a really good one, or something that you either has been battle tested, because if it doesn't work now, you, you know, if you're hoping for a big laugh, now you're saying, Well, you're a comedian, what do you do? You know, I mean, I, I even, I just sort of work my way into it a little bit. Yeah, and I'm a comedian, so, and, you know, it's funny, Michael, I will get, I will get. I've had CEOs before say to me, Hey, you know, I've got to give this presentation next week. Give me a joke I can tell to everybody. And I always decline. I always it's like, I don't need that kind of pressure. And it's like, I can, I can, I can tell you a funny joke, but,   Michael Hingson ** 18:22 but you telling the   Greg Schwem ** 18:23 work? Yeah, deliver it. You know, I can't deliver it for you. Yeah? And I think that's what I also, you know, on that note, I've never been a big fan of Stand Up Comedy classes, and you see them all popping up all over the place. Now, a lot of comedy clubs will have them, and usually the you take the class, and the carrot at the end is you get to do five minutes at a comedy club right now, if that is your goal, if you're somebody who always like, Gosh, I wonder what it would like be like to stand up on stage and and be a comedian for five minutes. That's something I really like to try. By all means, take the class, all right. But if you think that you're going to take this class and you're going to emerge a much funnier person, like all of a sudden you you weren't funny, but now you are, don't take the class, yeah? And I think, sadly, I think that a lot of people sign up for these classes thinking the latter, thinking that they will all of a sudden become, you know, a comedian. And it doesn't work that way. I'm sorry you cannot teach unfunny people to be funny. Yeah, some of us have the gift of it, and some of us don't. Some of us are really good with our hands, and just know how to build stuff and how to look at things and say, I can do that. And some of us, myself included, definitely do not. You know, I think you can teach people to be more comfortable, more comfortable in front of an audience and. Correct. I think that is definitely a teachable thing, but I don't think that you can teach people to be funnier   Speaker 1 ** 20:10 and funnier, and I agree with that. I tend to be amazed when I keep hearing that one of the top fears in our world is getting up in front of an audience and talking with them, because people really don't understand that audiences, whatever you're doing, want you to succeed, and they're not against you, but we have just conditioned ourselves collectively that speaking is something to be afraid of?   Greg Schwem ** 20:41 Yes, I think, though it's, I'm sure, that fear, though, of getting up in front of people has only probably been exacerbated and been made more intense because now everybody in the audience has a cell phone and to and to be looking out at people and to see them on their phones. Yeah, you're and yet, you prepped all day long. You've been nervous. You've been you probably didn't sleep the night before. If you're one of these people who are afraid of speaking in public, yeah, and then to see people on their phones. You know, it used to bother me. It doesn't anymore, because it's just the society we live in. I just, I wish, I wish people could put their phones down and just enjoy laughing for 45 minutes. But unfortunately, our society can't do that anymore, so I just hope that I can get most of them to stop looking at it.   Speaker 1 ** 21:32 I don't make any comments about it at the beginning, but I have, on a number of occasions, been delivering a speech, and I hear a cell phone ring, and I'll stop and go, Hello. And I don't know for sure what the person with the cell phone does, but by the same token, you know they really shouldn't be on their phone and and it works out, okay, nobody's ever complained about it. And when I just say hello, or I'll go Hello, you don't say, you know, and things like that, but, but I don't, I don't prolong it. I'll just go back to what I was talking about. But I remember, when I lived in New Jersey, Sandy Duncan was Peter Pan in New York. One night she was flying over the audience, and there was somebody on his cell phone, and she happened to be going near him, and she just kicked the phone out of his hand. And I think that's one of the things that started Broadway in saying, if you have a cell phone, turn it off. And those are the announcements that you hear at the beginning of any Broadway performance today.   Greg Schwem ** 22:39 Unfortunately, people don't abide by that. I know you're still hearing cell phones go off, yeah, you know, in Broadway productions at the opera or wherever, so people just can't and there you go. There that just shows you're fighting a losing battle.   Speaker 1 ** 22:53 Yeah, it's just one of those things, and you got to cope with it.   Greg Schwem ** 22:58 What on that note, though, there was, I will say, if I can interrupt real quick, there was one show I did where nobody had their phone. It was a few years ago. I spoke at the CIA. I spoke for some employees of the CIA. And this might, this might freak people out, because you think, how is it that America's covert intelligence agency, you think they would be on their phones all the time. No, if you work there, you cannot have your phone on you. And so I had an audience of about 300 people who I had their total attention because there was no other way to they had no choice but to listen to me, and it was wonderful. It was just a great show, and I it was just so refreshing. Yeah,   Speaker 1 ** 23:52 and mostly I don't hear cell phones, but they do come up from time to time. And if they do, then you know it happens. Now my one of my favorite stories is I once spoke in Maryland at the Department of Defense, which anybody who knows anything knows that's the National Security Agency, but they call it the Department of Defense, as if we don't know. And my favorite story is that I had, at the time, a micro cassette recorder, and it died that morning before I traveled to Fort Meade, and I forgot to just throw it away, and it was in my briefcase. So I got to the fort, they searched, apparently, didn't find it, but on the way out, someone found it. They had to get a bird Colonel to come to decide what to do with it. I said, throw it away. And they said, No, we can't do that. It's yours. And they they decided it didn't work, and they let me take it and I threw it away. But it was so, so funny to to be at the fort and see everybody running around crazy. See, what do we do with this micro cassette recorder? This guy's been here for an hour. Yeah. So it's it. You know, all sorts of things happen. What do you think about you know, there's a lot of discussion about comedians who use a lot of foul language in their shows, and then there are those who don't, and people seem to like the shock value of that.   Greg Schwem ** 25:25 Yeah, I'm very old school in that. I guess my short answer is, No, I've never, ever been one of those comedians. Ever I do a clean show, I actually learned my lesson very early on. I think I think that I think comedians tend to swear because when they first start out, out of nerves, because I will tell you that profanity does get laughter. And I've always said, if you want to, if you want to experiment on that, have a comedian write a joke, and let's say he's got two shows that night. Let's say he's got an eight o'clock show and a 10 o'clock show. So let's say he does the joke in the eight o'clock and it's, you know, the cadence is bumper, bump up, bump up, bump up, punch line. Okay, now let's and let's see how that plays. Now let's now he does the 10 o'clock show and it's bumper, bump up, bump up F and Okay, yeah, I pretty much guarantee you the 10 o'clock show will get a bigger laugh. Okay? Because he's sort of, it's like the audience is programmed like, oh, okay, we're supposed to laugh at that now. And I think a lot of comedians think, Aha, I have just discovered how to be successful as a comedian. I will just insert the F word in front of every punch line, and you can kind of tell what comedians do that and what comedians I mean. I am fine with foul language, but have some jokes in there too. Don't make them. Don't make the foul word, the joke, the joke, right? And I can say another thing nobody has ever said to me, I cannot hire you because you're too clean. I've never gotten that. And all the years I've been doing this, and I know there's lots of comedians who who do work blue, who have said, you know, who have been turned down for that very reason. So I believe, if you're a comedian, the only way to get better is to work any place that will have you. Yeah, and you can't, so you might as well work clean so you can work any place that will have you, as opposed to being turned away.   Speaker 1 ** 27:30 Well, and I, and I know what, what happened to him and all that, but at the same time, I grew up listening to Bill Cosby and the fact that he was always clean. And, yeah, I understand everything that happened, but you can't deny and you can't forget so many years of humor and all the things that that he brought to the world, and the joy he brought to the world in so many ways.   Greg Schwem ** 27:57 Oh, yeah, no, I agree. I agree. And he Yeah, he worked everywhere. Jay Leno is another one. I mean, Jay Leno is kind of on the same wavelength as me, as far as don't let the profanity become the joke. You know, Eddie Murphy was, you know, was very foul. Richard Pryor, extremely foul. I but they also, prior, especially, had very intelligent material. I mean, you can tell and then if you want to insert your F bombs and so forth, that's fine, but at least show me that you're trying. At least show me that you came in with material in addition to the   Speaker 1 ** 28:36 foul language. The only thing I really have to say about all that is it? Jay Leno should just stay away from cars, but that's another story.   Greg Schwem ** 28:43 Oh, yeah, it's starting to   Greg Schwem ** 28:47 look that way. Yeah, it   Michael Hingson ** 28:49 was. It was fun for a while, Jay, but yeah, there's just two. It's like, Harrison Ford and plains. Yeah, same concept. At some point you're like, this isn't working out. Now I submit that living here in Victorville and just being out on the streets and being driven around and all that, I am firmly convinced, given the way most people drive here, that the bigoted DMV should let me have a license, because I am sure I can drive as well as most of the clowns around here. Yeah, so when they drive, I have no doubt. Oh, gosh. Well, you know, you switched from being a TV journalist and so on to to comedy. Was it a hard choice? Was it really difficult to do, or did it just seem like this is the time and this is the right thing to do. I was   Greg Schwem ** 29:41 both, you know, it was hard, because I really did enjoy my job and I liked, I liked being a TV news reporter. I liked, I liked a job that was different every day once you got in there, because you didn't know what they were going to send you out to do. Yes, you had. To get up and go to work every day and so forth. So there's a little bit of, you know, there's a little bit of the mundane, just like there is in any job, but once you were there, I liked, just never known what the day would bring, right? And and I, I think if I'd stayed with it, I think I think I could have gone pretty far, particularly now, because the now it's more people on TV are becoming more entertainers news people are becoming, yeah, they are. A lot of would be, want to be comedians and so forth. And I don't particularly think that's appropriate, but I agree. But so it was hard to leave, but it gets back to what I said earlier. At some point, you got to say, I was seeing comedians making money, and I was thinking, gosh, you know, if they're making money at this I I'm not hilarious, but I know I'm funnier than that guy. Yeah, I'm funnier than her, so why not? And I was young, and I was single, and I thought, if I if I don't try it now, I never will. And, and I'll bet there's just some hilarious people out there, yeah, who who didn't ever, who just were afraid   Michael Hingson ** 31:14 to take that chance, and they wouldn't take the leap, yeah,   Greg Schwem ** 31:16 right. And now they're probably kicking themselves, and I'm sure maybe they're very successful at what they do, but they're always going to say, what if, if I only done this? I don't ever, I don't, ever, I never, ever wanted to say that. Yeah,   Speaker 1 ** 31:31 well, and there's, there's something to be said for being brave and stepping out and doing something that you don't expect, or that you didn't expect, or that you weren't sure how it was going to go, but if you don't try, then you're never going to know just how, how much you could really accomplish and how much you can really do. And I think that the creative people, whatever they're being creative about, are the people who do step out and are willing to take a chance.   Greg Schwem ** 31:59 Yeah, yeah. And I told my kids that too. You know, it's just like, if it's something that you're passionate about, do it. Just try it. If it doesn't work out, then at least you can say I tried   Speaker 1 ** 32:09 it and and if it doesn't work out, then you can decide, what do I need to do to figure out why it didn't work out, or is it just not me? I want   Greg Schwem ** 32:18 to keep going? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.   Speaker 1 ** 32:21 So what is the difference between being a nightclub comedian and a corporate comedian? Because they are somewhat different. I think I know the answer. But what would you say that the differences between them? I think   Greg Schwem ** 32:33 the biggest thing is the audiences. I think when you when you are a nightclub comedian, you are working in front of people who are there to be entertained. Yeah, they, they paid money for that. That's what they're expecting. They, they, at some point during the day, they said, Hey, let's, let's go laugh tonight. That's what we really want to do when you're working in front of a corporate audiences. That's not necessarily the case. They are there. I primarily do business conferences and, you know, association meetings and so forth. And I'm just one cog in the wheel of a whole day's worth of meetings are, for the most part, very dry and boring, maybe certainly necessary educational. They're learning how to do their job better or something. And then you have a guy like me come in, and people aren't always ready to laugh, yeah, despite the fact that they probably need to, but they just they're not always in that mindset. And also the time of day. I mean, I do a lot of shows at nine in the morning. I do shows after lunch, right before lunch. I actually do very few shows in the evening, believe it or not. And so then you you have to, you kind of have to, in the while you're doing your act or your presentation or your speech, as I call it, you kind of have to let them know that it is okay. What you're doing is okay, and they should be okay with laughing. They shouldn't be looking around the whole time wondering if other people are laughing. You know, can I, can I? Can I tell you a quick story about how I drive that point home. Why not? Yeah, it's, I'll condense it into like five minutes. I mentioned that I worked on that I work on cruise ships occasionally, and I one night I was performing, and it was the first night of the cruise. And if anybody's ever been on a cruise, note, the first night, first night entertainers don't like the first night because people are tired. You know, they're they're a little edgy because they've been traveling all day. They're they're confused because they're not really sure where they're going on a ship. And the ones that have got it figured out usually over serve themselves because they're on vacation. So you put all that, so I'm doing my show on the first. Night, and it's going very well. And about five, six minutes in, I do a joke. Everybody laughs. Everybody shuts up. And from the back of the room in total darkness, I hear hat just like that. And I'm like, All right, you know, probably over served. So the rule of comedy is that everybody gets like. I was like, I'll let it go once, yeah. So I just kind of looked off in that direction, didn't say anything. Kept going with my active going with my act. About 10 minutes later, same thing happens. I tell a joke. Everybody laughs. Everybody shuts up. Hat now I'm like, Okay, I have got to, I've got to address the elephant in the room. So I think I just made some comment, like, you know, I didn't know Roseanne Barr was on this cruise, you know, because that was like the sound of the Yeah. Okay, everybody laugh. Nothing happened about five minutes later. It happens a third time. And now I'm just like, this is gonna stop. I'm going to put a stop to this. And I just fired off. I can't remember, like, three just like, hey man, you know you're you're just a little behind everybody else in this show and probably in life too, that, you know, things like that, and it never happened again. So I'm like, okay, mission accomplished on my part. Comedians love it when we can shut up somebody like that. Anyway. Show's over, I am out doing a meet and greet. Some guy comes up to me and he goes, hey, hey, you know that kid you were making fun of is mentally handicapped. And now, of course, I don't know this, but out of the corner of my eye, I see from the other exit a man pushing a son, his son in a wheelchair out of the showroom. And I'm just like, Oh, what have I done? And yeah. And of course, when you're on a cruise, you're you're on a cruise. When you're a cruise ship entertainer, you have to live with your audience. So I couldn't hide. I spent like the next three days, and it seemed like wherever I was, the man and his son in the wheelchair were nearby. And finally, on the fourth day, I think was, I was waiting for an elevator. Again, 3500 people on this ship, okay, I'm waiting for an elevator. The elevator door opens. Guess who are the only two people the elevator, the man and his son. And I can't really say I'll wait for the next one. So I get on, and I said to this the father, I said, I just want you to know I had no idea. You know, I'm so sorry. I can't see back there, this kind of thing. And the dad looks at me. He puts his hand up to stop me, and he points to me, and he goes, I thought you were hysterical. And it was, not only was it relief, but it kind of, it's sort of a lesson that if you think something is funny, you should laugh at it. Yeah. And I think sometimes in corporate America, my point in this. I think sometimes when you do these corporate shows, I think that audience members forget that. I think very busy looking around to see if their immediate boss thinks it's funny, and eventually everybody's looking at the CEO to see if they're like, you know, I think if you're doing it that way, if that's the way you're you're approaching humor. You're doing yourself a disservice, if right, stopping yourself from laughing at something that you think is funny.   Speaker 1 ** 38:09 I do think that that all too often the problem with meetings is that we as a as a country, we in corporations, don't do meetings, right anyway, for example, early on, I heard someone at a convention of the National Federation of the Blind say he was the new executive director of the American Foundation for the Blind, and he said, I have instituted a policy, no Braille, no meetings. And what that was all about was to say, if you're going to have a meeting, you need to make sure that all the documentation is accessible to those who aren't going to read the print. I take it further and say you shouldn't be giving out documentation during the meeting. And you can use the excuse, well, I got to get the latest numbers and all that. And my point is, you shouldn't be giving out documentation at a meeting, because the meeting is for people to communicate and interact with each other. And if you're giving out papers and so on, what are people going to do? They're going to read that, and they're not going to listen to the speakers. They're not going to listen to the other people. And we do so many things like that, we've gotten into a habit of doing things that become so predictable, but also make meetings very boring, because who wants to look at the papers where you can be listening to people who have a lot more constructive and interesting things to say anyway?   Greg Schwem ** 39:36 Yeah, yeah. I think, I think COVID definitely changed, some for the some for the better and some for the worse. I think that a lot of things that were done at meetings COVID and made us realize a lot of that stuff could be done virtually, that you didn't have to just have everybody sit and listen to people over and over and over again.   Speaker 1 ** 39:58 But unless you're Donald Trump. Up. Yeah, that's another story.   Greg Schwem ** 40:02 Yes, exactly another podcast episode. But, yeah, I do think also that. I think COVID changed audiences. I think, you know, we talked a little bit earlier about crowd work, right, and audiences wanting to be more involved. I think COVID precipitated that, because, if you think about it, Michael, for two and a half years during COVID, our sole source of entertainment was our phone, right? Which meant that we were in charge of the entertainment experience. You don't like something, swipe left, scroll down, scroll, scroll, scroll, find something else. You know, that kind of thing. I'm not I'm not entertained in the next four or five seconds. So I'm going to do this. And I think when live entertainment returned, audiences kind of had to be retrained a little bit, where they had to learn to sit and listen and wait for the entertainment to come to them. And granted, it might not happen immediately. It might not happen in the first five seconds, but you have to just give give people like me a chance. It will come to you. It will happen, but it might not be on your timetable,   Speaker 1 ** 41:13 right? Well, and I think that is all too true for me. I didn't find didn't find COVID to be a great inconvenience, because I don't look at the screen anyway, right? So in a sense, for me, COVID wasn't that much of a change, other than not being in an office or not being physically at a meeting, and so I was listening to the meeting on the computer, and that has its nuances. Like you don't necessarily get the same information about how everyone around you is reacting, but, but it didn't bother me, I think, nearly as much as it did everyone else who has to look at everyone. Of course, I have no problems picking on all those people as well, because what I point out is that that disabilities has to be redefined, because every one of you guys has your own disability. You're light dependent, and you don't do well when there's dark, when, when the dark shows up and and we now have an environment where Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb, and we've spent the last 147 years doing everything we can to make sure that light is pretty ubiquitous, but it doesn't change a thing when suddenly the power goes out and you don't have immediate access to light. So that's as much a disability as us light, independent people who don't   Greg Schwem ** 42:36 care about that, right? Right? I hear, I agree, but it is but   Speaker 1 ** 42:41 it is interesting and and it is also important that we all understand each other and are willing to tolerate the fact that there are differences in people, and we need to recognize that with whatever we're doing.   42:53 Yeah, I agree.   Speaker 1 ** 42:57 What do you think about so today, we have obviously a really fractured environment and fractured country, and everyone's got their own opinions, and nobody wants to talk about anything, especially politics wise. How do you think that's all affecting comedy and what you get to do and what other people are doing?   Greg Schwem ** 43:18 Well, I think Pete, I think there's, there's multiple answers to that question too. I think, I think it makes people nervous, wondering what the minute a comedian on stage brings up politics, the minute he starts talking about a politician, whether it's our president, whether it's somebody else, you can sense a tension in the room a little bit, and it's, it's, I mean, it's funny. I, one of my best friends in comedy, got to open for another comedian at Carnegie Hall a couple of years ago, and I went to see him, and I'm sitting way up in the top, and he is just crushing it. And then at one point he he brought up, he decided to do an impression of Mitch McConnell, which he does very well. However, the minute he said, Mitch McConnell, I you could just sense this is Carnegie freaking Hall, and after the show, you know, he and I always like to dissect each other's shows. That's what comedians do. And I just said to him, I go. Why did you decide to insert Mitch McConnell in there? And I, and I didn't say it like, you moron, that was stupid, yeah, but I was genuinely curious. And he just goes, well, I just really like doing that bit, and I like doing that voice and so forth, but, and it's not like the show crashed and burned afterwards. No, he did the joke, and then he got out of it, and he went on to other stuff, and it was fine, but I think that people are just so on their guard now, yeah, and, and that's why, you know, you know Jay Leno always said he was an equal opportunity offender. I think you will do better with politics if you really want. Insert politics into your act. I think he would be better making fun of both sides. Yeah, it's true. Yeah. And I think too often comedians now use the the stage as kind of a Bully, bully pulpit, like I have microphone and you don't. I am now going to give you my take on Donald Trump or the Democrats or whatever, and I've always said, talk about anything you want on stage, but just remember, you're at a comedy club. People came to laugh. So is there a joke in here? Yeah, or are you just ranting because you gotta be careful. You have to get this off your chest, and your way is right. It's, it's, you know, I hate to say it, but that's, that's why podcast, no offense, Michael, yours, is not like this. But I think one of the reasons podcasters have gotten so popular is a lot of people, just a lot of podcast hosts see a podcast is a chance to just rant about whatever's on their mind. And it's amazing to me how many podcast hosts that are hosted by comedians have a second guy have a sidekick to basically laugh and agree with whatever that person says. I think Joe Rogan is a classic example, and he's one of the most popular ones. But, and I don't quite understand that, because you know, if you're a comedian, you you made the choice to work solo, right? So why do you need somebody else with you?   Speaker 1 ** 46:33 I'm I'm fairly close to Leno. My remark is a little bit different. I'm not so much an equal opportunity offender as I am an equal opportunity abuser. I'll pick on both sides if politics comes into it at all, and it's and it's fun, and I remember when George W Bush was leaving the White House, Letterman said, Now we're not going to have anybody to joke about anymore. And everyone loved it. But still, I recognize that in the world today, people don't want to hear anything else. Don't confuse me with the facts or any of that, and it's so unfortunate, but it is the way it is, and so it's wiser to stay away from a lot of that, unless you can really break through the barrier,   Greg Schwem ** 47:21 I think so. And I also think that people, one thing you have to remember, I think, is when people come to a comedy show, they are coming to be entertained. Yeah, they are coming to kind of escape from the gloom and doom that unfortunately permeates our world right now. You know? I mean, I've always said that if you, if you walked up to a comedy club on a Saturday night, and let's say there were 50 people waiting outside, waiting to get in, and you asked all 50 of them, what do you hope happens tonight? Or or, Why are you here? All right, I think from all 50 you would get I would just like to laugh, yeah, I don't think one of them is going to say, you know, I really hope that my opinions on what's happening in the Middle East get challenged right now, but he's a comedian. No one is going to say that. No, no. It's like, I hope I get into it with the comedian on stage, because he thinks this way about a woman's right to choose, and I think the other way. And I really, really hope that he and I will get into an argument about to the middle of the   Speaker 1 ** 48:37 show. Yeah, yeah. That's not why people come?   Greg Schwem ** 48:40 No, it's not. And I, unfortunately, I think again, I think that there's a lot of comedians that don't understand that. Yeah, again, talk about whatever you want on stage, but just remember that your your surroundings, you if you build yourself as a comedian,   48:56 make it funny. Yeah, be funny.   Speaker 1 ** 49:00 Well, and nowadays, especially for for you, for me and so on, we're we're growing older and and I think you point out audiences are getting younger. How do you deal with that?   Greg Schwem ** 49:12 Well, what I try to do is I a couple of things. I try to talk as much as I can about topics that are relevant to a younger generation. Ai being one, I, one of the things I do in my my show is I say, oh, you know, I I really wasn't sure how to start off. And when you're confused these days, you you turn to answer your questions. You turn to chat GPT, and I've actually written, you know, said to chat GPT, you know, I'm doing a show tonight for a group of construction workers who work in the Midwest. It's a $350 million company, and it says, try to be very specific. Give me a funny opening line. And of course, chat GPT always comes up with some. Something kind of stupid, which I then relate to the audience, and they love that, you know, they love that concept. So I think there's, obviously, there's a lot of material that you can do on generational differences, but I, I will say I am very, very aware that my audience is, for the most part, younger than me now, unless I want to spend the rest of my career doing you know, over 55 communities, not that they're not great laughers, but I also think there's a real challenge in being older than your audience and still being able to make them laugh. But I think you have to remember, like you said, there's there's people now that don't remember 911 that have no concept of it, yeah, so don't be doing references from, say, the 1980s or the early 1990s and then come off stage and go, Man, nobody that didn't hit at all. No one, no one. They're stupid. They don't get it. Well, no, they, they, it sounds they don't get it. It's just that they weren't around. They weren't around, right? So that's on you.   Speaker 1 ** 51:01 One of the things that you know people ask me is if I will do virtual events, and I'll do virtual events, but I also tell people, the reason I prefer to do in person events is that I can sense what the audience is doing, how they're reacting and what they feel. If I'm in a room speaking to people, and I don't have that same sense if I'm doing something virtually, agreed same way. Now for me, at the same time, I've been doing this now for 23 years, so I have a pretty good idea in general, how to interact with an audience, to draw them in, even in a virtual environment, but I still tend to be a little bit more careful about it, and it's just kind of the way it is, you know, and you and you learn to deal with it well for you, have you ever had writer's block, and how did you deal with it?   Greg Schwem ** 51:57 Yes, I have had writer's block. I don't I can't think of a single comedian who's never had writer's block, and if they say they haven't, I think they're lying when I have writer's block, the best way for me to deal with this and just so you know, I'm not the kind of comedian that can go that can sit down and write jokes. I can write stories. I've written three books, but I can't sit down and just be funny for an hour all by myself. I need interaction. I need communication. And I think when I have writer's block, I tend to go out and try and meet strangers and can engage them in conversation and find out what's going on with them. I mean, you mentioned about dealing with the younger audience. I am a big believer right now in talking to people who are half my age. I like doing that in social settings, because I just, I'm curious. I'm curious as to how they think. I'm curious as to, you know, how they spend money, how they save money, how what their hopes and dreams are for the future, what that kind of thing, and that's the kind of stuff that then I'll take back and try and write material about. And I think that, I think it's fun for me, and it's really fun to meet somebody who I'll give you a great example just last night. Last night, I was I there's a there's a bar that I have that's about 10 a stone's throw from my condo, and I love to stop in there and and every now and then, sometimes I'll sit there and I won't meet anybody, and sometimes different. So there was a guy, I'd say he's probably in his early 30s, sitting too over, and he was reading, which I find intriguing, that people come to a bar and read, yeah, people do it, I mean. And I just said to him, I go, and he was getting ready to pay his bill, and I just said, if you don't mind me asking, What are you reading? And he's like, Oh, it's by Ezra Klein. And I go, you know, I've listened to Ezra Klein before. And he goes, Yeah, you know? He says, I'm a big fan. And debt to debt to dad. Next thing, you know, we're just, we're just riffing back and forth. And I ended up staying. He put it this way, Michael, it took him a very long time to pay his bill because we had a conversation, and it was just such a pleasure to to people like that, and I think that, and it's a hard thing. It's a hard thing for me to do, because I think people are on their guard, a little bit like, why is this guy who's twice my age talking to me at a bar? That's that seems a little weird. And I would get that. I can see that. But as I mentioned in my latest book, I don't mean because I don't a whole chapter to this, and I I say in the book, I don't mean you any harm. I'm not trying to hit on you, or I'm not creepy old guy at the bar. I am genuinely interested in your story. And. In your life, and and I just, I want to be the least interesting guy in the room, and that's kind of how I go about my writing, too. Is just you, you drive the story. And even though I'm the comedian, I'll just fill in the gaps and make them funny.   Speaker 1 ** 55:15 Well, I know that I have often been invited to speak at places, and I wondered, What am I going to say to this particular audience? How am I going to deal with them? They're they're different than what I'm used to. What I found, I guess you could call that writer's block, but what I found is, if I can go early and interact with them, even if I'm the very first speaker, if I can interact with them beforehand, or if there are other people speaking before me, invariably, I will hear things that will allow me to be able to move on and give a relevant presentation specifically to that group, which is what it's really all about. And so I'm with you, and I appreciate it, and it's good to get to the point where you don't worry about the block, but rather you look at ways to move forward and interact with people and make it fun, right,   Greg Schwem ** 56:13 right? And I do think people, I think COVID, took that away from us a little bit, yeah, obviously, but I but, and I do think people missed that. I think that people, once you get them talking, are more inclined to not think that you're you have ulterior motives. I think people do enjoy putting their phones down a little bit, but it's, it's kind of a two way street when I, when I do meet people, if it's if it's only me asking the questions, eventually I'm going to get tired of that. Yeah, I think there's a, there has to be a reciprocity thing a little bit. And one thing I find is, is with the Gen Z's and maybe millennials. They're not, they're not as good at that as I think they could be. They're more they're they're happy to talk about themselves, but they're not really good at saying so what do you do for a living? Or what you know, tell me about you. And I mean, that's how you learn about other people. Yeah,   Speaker 1 ** 57:19 tell me about your your latest book, Turning gut punches into punchlines. That's a interesting title, yeah, well, the more   Greg Schwem ** 57:26 interesting is the subtitle. So it's turning gut punches into punch punch lines, A Comedian's journey through cancer, divorce and other hilarious stuff.   Speaker 1 ** 57:35 No, like you haven't done anything in the world. Okay, right? So   Greg Schwem ** 57:38 other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln. Yeah, exactly. See, now you get that reference. I don't know if I could use that on stage, but anyway, depend on your audience. But yeah, they're like, What's he talking   Speaker 1 ** 57:50 who's Lincoln? And I've been to Ford theater too, so that's okay, yes, as have I. So it was much later than, than, well, than Lincoln, but that's okay.   Greg Schwem ** 57:58 You're not that old, right? No. Well, okay, so as the title, as the title implies, I did have sort of a double, double gut punch, it just in the last two years. So I, I got divorced late in life, after 29 years of marriage. And while that was going on, I got a colon cancer diagnosis and and at this end, I was dealing with all this while also continuing work as a humor speaker, okay, as a comedian. And I just decided I got it. First of all, I got a very clean bill of health. I'm cancer free. I am finally divorced so and I, I started to think, I wonder if there's some humor in this. I I would, I would, you know, Michael, I've been on stage for like, 25 years telling people that, you know, you can find something funny to laugh at. You can find humor in any situation. It's kind of like what you're talking about all the people going down the stairs in the building in the world trade center. All right, if you look around enough, you know, maybe there's something funny, and I've been preaching that, but I never really had to live that until now. And I thought, you know, maybe there's something here. Maybe I can this is my chance now to embrace new experiences. It was kind of when I got divorced, when you've been married half your life and all of a sudden you get divorced, everything's new to you, yeah, you're, you're, you're living alone, you you're doing things that your spouse did, oh, so many years. And you're having to do those, and you're having to make new friends, yeah, and all of that, I think, is very humorous. So the more I saw a book in there that I started writing before the cancer diagnosis, and I thought was there enough here? Just like, okay, a guy at 60 years old gets divorced now what's going to happen to him? The diagnosis? Kind. Made it just added another wrinkle to the book, because now I have to deal with this, and I have to find another subject to to make light of a little bit. So the book is not a memoir, you know, I don't start it off. And, you know, when I was seven, you know, I played, you know, I was, I went to this school night. It's not that. It's more just about reinvention and just seeing that you can be happy later in life, even though you have to kind of rewrite your your story a little   Speaker 1 ** 1:00:33 bit. And I would assume, and I would assume, you bring some of that into your ACT every so   Greg Schwem ** 1:00:38 very much. So yeah, I created a whole new speech called Turning gut punches into punchlines. And I some of the stuff that I, that I did, but, you know, there's a chapter in the book about, I about gig work, actually three chapters I, you know, I went to work for Amazon during the Christmas holiday rush, just scanning packages. I wanted to see what that was like. I drove for Uber I which I did for a while. And to tell you the truth, I miss it. I ended up selling my car, but I miss it because of the what we just talked about. It was a great way to communicate with people. It was a great way to talk to people, find out about them, be the least interesting person in the car, anyway. And there's a chapter about dating and online dating, which I had not had to do in 30 years. There's a lot of humor in that. I went to therapy. I'd never gone to therapy before. I wrote a chapter about that. So I think people really respond to this book, because they I think they see a lot of themselves in it. You know, lots of people have been divorced. There's lots of cancer survivors out there, and there's lots of people who just suddenly have hit a speed bump in their life, and they're not really sure how to deal with it, right? And my way, this book is just about deal with it through laughter. And I'm the perfect example.   Speaker 1 ** 1:01:56 I hear you, Oh, I I know, and I've been through the same sort of thing as you not a divorce, but my wife and I were married for 40 years, and she passed away in November of 2022 after 40 years of marriage. And as I tell people, as I tell people, I got to be really careful, because she's monitoring me from somewhere, and if I misbehave, I'm going to hear about it, so I got to be a good kid, and I don't even chase the women so. But I also point out that none of them have been chasing me either, so I guess I just do what we got to do. But the reality is, I think there are always ways to find some sort of a connection with other people, and then, of course, that's what what you do. It's all about creating a connection, creating a relationship, even if it's only for a couple of hours or an hour or 45 minutes, but, but you do it, which is what it's all about?   Greg Schwem ** 1:02:49 Yeah, exactly. And I think the funniest stuff is real life experience. Oh, absolutely, you know. And if people can see themselves in in what I've written, then I've done my job as a writer.   Speaker 1 ** 1:03:03 So do you have any plans to retire?   Greg Schwem ** 1:03:06 Never. I mean, good for you retire from what   1:03:09 I know right, making fun of people   Greg Schwem ** 1:03:12 and making them laugh. I mean, I don't know what I would do with myself, and even if I there's always going to be I don't care how technology, technologically advanced our society gets. People will always want and need to laugh. Yeah, they're always going to want to do that. And if they're want, if they're wanting to do that, then I will find, I will find a way to get to them. And that's why I, as I said, That's why, like working on cruise ships has become, like a new, sort of a new avenue for me to make people laugh. And so, yeah, I don't I there's, there's no way. I don't know what else I would do with   Speaker 1 ** 1:03:53 myself, well and from my perspective, as long as I can inspire people, yes, I can make people think a little bit and feel better about themselves. I'm going to do it right. And, and, and I do. And I wrote a book during COVID that was published last August called Live like a guide dog. And it's all about helping people learn to control fear. And I use lessons I learned from eight guide dogs and my wife service dog to do that. My wife was in a wheelchair her whole life. Great marriage. She read, I pushed worked out well, but, but the but the but the bottom line is that dogs can teach us so many lessons, and there's so much that we can learn from them. So I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to create this book and and get it out there. And I think that again, as long as I can continue to inspire people, I'm going to do it. Because   Greg Schwem ** 1:04:47 why wouldn't you? Why wouldn't I exactly right? Yeah, yeah. So,   Speaker 1 ** 1:04:51 I mean, I think if I, if I stopped, I think my wife would beat up on me, so I gotta be nice exactly. She's monitoring from somewhere

Gianni and Jeannie discusses a variety of topics including the heat of July, upcoming events where fans can interact with Gianni such as Resorts World Catskills and Fanboy Expo in Knoxville, and numerous anecdotes about Hollywood legends. Gianni shares stories about the Sinatra era, his relationship with Don Rickles, his role in The Godfather film, and amusing yet risky moments from his past. Fans' questions cover interactions with comedians in Las Vegas, Gianni's Sicilian roots, and more personal tales of working with notable figures. New Ventures such as Resorts World deal and upcoming book releases are also highlighted.

Michael Starr (New York Post) kicks off the show to talk about his new book Nothin' Comes Easy: The Life of Rodney Dangerfield. Starr has also written biographies of Don Rickles, Bob Newhart, Bobby Darin, Raymond Burr, William Shatner, Redd Foxx and Ringo Starr among others. Randy Wenger, Chief Counsel with Independence Law Center, gives insight into the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Medina v Planned Parenthood South Atlantic case as well as the work of ILC. Ziggy Marley also jumps in to share about his new children's book Pajammin' (a play on the title of his father Bob Marley's song "Jammin'"), his September concerts in Pennsylvania & Maryland and his U.R.G.E. Foundation. Theodora DeMoss, the youngest of the DeMoss children, helps put the finishing touches on the show by assisting dear ol' dad with Now THAT'S Punny!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textThe most controversial issue that President Clinton tackled right off the back was changing the policy in the United States military banning homosexuals from serving. It would be met with opposition by Bob Dole, Strom Thurmond, Phil Gramm and the Joint Chiefs' of Staff. In fact, even the Democratic Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Sam Nunn, was opposed to the change. But Bill Clinton insisted that the issue would be addressed. After months of debate and study the policy that would be agreed to for years was "Don't Ask don't Tell" it would stand until President Barak Obama dropped the policy and the ban for good during his Presidency. What made this issue interesting , at least for me, and I hope you will pick up in this episode, is that the opposition did not jump on this issue in an attempt to politicize the problem. It was there, and the issue hurt the President in those years, but the Republicans tried to present their opposition in ways that did not inflame the public any more than it already was upset. It was a very different way of acting than what we have seen in modern times. Especially, with an issue as easy to politicize as this one was. It is an interesting episode in which we hear from all the major players, from Bob Dole, and Bill Clinton, to the Joint Chiefs, Strom Thurmond, Phil Gramm,  Don Rickles, and countless others all trying to find a proper solution to the issue.  Questions or comments at , Randalrgw1@aol.com , https://twitter.com/randal_wallace , and http://www.randalwallace.com/Please Leave us a review at wherever you get your podcastsThanks for listening!!

Barry Nichols joined me to discuss his love of the Smothers Brothers; how his brother Nils got an internship at SNL in 1978; being the drummer from Jeannie Cunningham; getting hired to work on Nothing Lasts Forever; being hired by Dick Ebersol; Nick Nolte backs out; an average an average week for him' being in charge of cast tickets; a four hour dress rehearsal; Eddie Murphy, Drew Barrymore; having to bring around Duran Duran; singing backup to Randy Newman; having Stevie Wonder play his bongos; hanging with Huey Lewis, John Candy, Santana; being Lily Tomlin's punk drummer in a cut sketch; being a member of The Garage Band; recording music for sketches; getting residual checks for episodes he was in; joining SAG; Spinal Tap; Harry Shearer; Carol Kane; Pamela Stephenson; the Don Rickles episode; Loverboy only getting one number; Tina Turner; being in David Letterman's NBC Talent show episode; being in on the ground floor of Friday Night Videos; picking the videos including Oingo Boingo; having to be live, in studio, for the video of the week, ZZ Top; Saturday Nights Main Event; holding cue cards on a water slide; Captain Lou Albano; Andre the Giant being twice the size of his bodyguard; his friendship with Gene Oakerland; moving to LA and doing grip and audio work; coming to North Carolina and and doing 15 ESPN Jimmy V Golf Classics; getting hired to edit for thirty-five years and recently retiring; opening the Milton 66 Bear Garden; and his name diversity.

This is a re-upload for Spotify of a conversation originally held in November of 2023. Hit Factory wishes to extend our deepest gratitude and reverence to the National Music Publishers' Association - tireless defenders of intellectual property, guardians of taste, and brave crusaders against independent podcasts that allegedly included a brief clip of copyrighted music within a previous version of this episode.  Journalist and writer Séamus Malekafzali returns to the program for a lengthy conversation about Martin Scorsese's 1995 crime epic 'Casino'. Initially viewed by critics and audiences as a retread of Scorsese's masterful crime saga 'Goodfellas', the film has since been reevaluated as a masterpiece in its own right - one enriched by the director's late period films and preoccupations.We discuss the film's dizzying construction, effectively evoking the glitz and glam of the Vegas strip through extended montages and voiceover (an effect masterfully rendered by Scorsese's deft hands as a director, a firecracker script with co-writer Nicholas Pileggi, and the brilliant editing of longtime Scorsese collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker). Then, we examine the brilliant, career-defining performance of Sharon Stone as Ginger McKenna. It's a role that deserves every possible accolade, and strikes a note that no one but Stone could conceivably achieve. Finally, we discuss the film as capitalist allegory, and how Scorsese thoughtfully weaves commentary on the corporate centralization of the American economy and its steady collapsing of the middle class.We also offer some thoughts on Scorsese's latest, 'Killers of the Flower Moon', and the evolution of the director's views on capitalism, corruption, and consequence. Follow Séamus on Twitter.Read Séamus's Substack on Middle East politics.Read & Listen to Burnt Nitrate, Séamus's explorations of lesser-known and lesser-discussed films.Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Send us a textJoin former child actor Moosie Drier, and author Jonathan Rosen, as they chat with Barry Pearl from Grease!Barry discusses the making of the iconic musical, his work on CPO Sharkey with Don Rickles, appearing on Broadway in Bye Bye Birdie and Oliver!, and much more!Support the show

Send us a textJoin former child actor Moosie Drier, and author Jonathan Rosen, as they chat with Barry Pearl from Grease!Barry discusses the making of the iconic musical, his work on CPO Sharkey with Don Rickles, appearing on Broadway in Bye Bye Birdie and Oliver!, and much more!Support the show

Dana and Tom with 5x club member, Walter Gainer (Founder of Boss Locks Media and Host of The Working While Black Show) discuss Toy Story 2: directed by John Lassiter, written by Andrew Stanton, Rita Hsiao, Doug Chamberlin, Chris Webb, cinematography by Sharon Calahan, music by Randy Newman, starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, and Don Rickles.Plot Summary: In Toy Story 2, Woody (Tom Hanks) is stolen by a greedy toy collector, Al McWhiggin (Wayne Knight), who plans to sell him to a museum in Japan. While Woody meets new toys—Jessie the cowgirl (Joan Cusack), Bullseye the horse, and Stinky Pete the Prospector (Kelsey Grammer)—Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the rest of Andy's toys embark on a daring rescue mission to bring Woody home. However, Woody is tempted by the idea of being preserved forever in the museum, leading to an emotional struggle between loyalty and destiny.Guest:Walter Gainer IIFounder of Boss Locks Media and Host of The Working While Black Show@bosslocks on IG, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn@itsthegreatwalt on IG, @rampagewalter on LinkedInPreviously On: Training Day (2001), Get Out (2017), Man on Fire (2004), The Incredibles (2004)Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Welcome Back Walter04:58 Cast of Toy Story 206:08 Why is Toy Story 2 a Good Sequel?16:56 Background for Toy Story 219:39 Relationship(s) with Toy Story 222:27 Plot Summary for Toy Story 223:17 Did You Know?28:51 First Break30:48 What's Happening? with Walter Gainer32:13 Best Performance(s)45:03 Best Scene(s)54:17 Second Break54:57 In Memoriam57:37 Best/Funniest Lines01:00:37 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy01:08:10 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance01:10:24 The Stanley Rubric - Novelty01:13:20 The Stanley Rubric - Classicness01:16:54 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability01:19:16 The

"X" - The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963) AIP Production #6321  Jeff and Cheryl overdose on eyedrops to take in "X" - The Man with the X-ray Eyes. Produced and Directed by Roger Corman   Screenplay by Robert Dillon and Ray Russell   Story by Ray Russell  Starring:   Ray Milland as Dr. James Xavier   Diana van der Vlis as Dr. Diane Fairfax   Harold J. Stone as Dr. Sam Brant   John Hoyt as Dr.Willard Benson  Don Rickles as Crane  An Alta Vista Production  An American International Release  View the X - The Man with the X-Ray Eyes trailer here.  You can stream Roadracers on Pluto TV, Dark Matter TV or rent on Prime Video or Apple TV+.   Visit our website - https://aippod.com/ and follow the American International Podcast on Letterboxd, Instagram and Threads @aip_pod and on Facebook at facebook.com/AmericanInternationalPodcast  Get your American International Podcast merchandise at our store.  Our open and close includes clips from the following films/trailers: How to Make a Monster (1958), The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962), I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957), High School Hellcats (1958), Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), The Wild Angels (1966), It Conquered the World (1956), The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), and Female Jungle (1955) 

During the waning days of World War II, a group of American soldiers find themselves without a leader nor a mission so they decide to sneak behind enemy lines to attempt to steal a hidden cache of gold which even most Nazi's are aware of.  Clint Eastwood (who plays the titular Private Kelly) leads an all-star cast including Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, Donald Sutherland, Carol O'Connor, and Harry Dean Stanton.  Directed by Brian G. Hutton (Where Eagles Dare), this is as much of a comedic heist film as war movie, let's see how they pull off their mission. Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene GershonSend us a texthttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/

Tom Dreesen joined me to discuss his half white / half black comedy team and the racism they encountered; how he and Tim Reid started as an anti-drug program; first saw TV at 17 (Honeymooners); being a pin boy, caddie, insurance salesman but wanting to be a comedian; The Tonight Show; getting bumped four times; his first appearance; working with Sammy Davis, Jr.; game shows; the exhilaration of working in front of 20,000 people not there to see you; Frank Sinatra always being on time, rising for women, and being a gentleman; how people always ask about the mob and not to have them do you a favor; Jules Podell; would stay at Sinatra's house; became friends; a saloon saloon singer and a saloon comic; Don Rickles; George Burns trying out new material at 95; the new Pope; Sinatra's charity; The Magnificent Obsession; materials own you; David Letterman vs. Jay Leno in love of stand up; Freddie Prinze; bat boy for the Cubs; introducing friends to their idols; Bobby Rydell; Wrigley Field is frozen in time; his one week as a talk show host; the Chicago Blackhawks

Send us a textCigarette smoker Ravenshadow, who is haunted by a personal tragedy, is sent by remote connection to care for an agoraphobic monster, who fears both his neighbours and his own food are trying to kill him. On Episode 667 of Trick or Treat Radio we discuss the Irish Folk Horror flick Frewaka from director Aislinn Clarke! We also talk about what makes folk horror so sticky, what constitutes an actual massacre, and why you don't eff with the faerie folk. So grab the following item; a bucket of piss, a horsehoe, nails, and your smokes, and strap on for the world's most dangerous podcast!Stuff we talk about: Texas Chainsaw Massacre, what exactly is a massacre?, RIP Skype, Texas Chainsaw Manicure, The New Avengers, Thunderbolts (asterisk), Sinners, Event Horizon, Toxic Avenger IV: Citizen Toxie, The First Turn On, Corey Feldman, difference between a nom de plume and nom de guerre, Jason Isaac, Johnny Sinns, The Corpse Vanishes, The Leopard Man, Val Lewton, Horror of Dracula, The Burning, Creature, Poison Ivy, Sid Haig, Erin Moran, Michael Rosenbaum, Deep Impact, The Vampire Diaries, Betsy Baker, Evil Dead, David Keith, Firestarter, The Curse, Horror of the Blood Monsters, Don Rickles, Innocent Blood, Tales From the Crypt, Rod Serling, Erin Gray, Buck Rogers, Armageddon, Dante's Peak, Felix Silla, Mel Blanc, Buck Rogers 25/7, Don't Fuck With the Buck, lead us not into temptation, a New England “7”, Frewaka, Aislinn Clarke, Devil's Doorway, folk horror, The Vourdalak, Ben Wheatley, A Field in England, Kill List, Into the Earth, Na Sidhe, the fae folk, Irish Folk Legends, Die Hexen, Clare Monnelly, Brid Ni Neachtain, Frewaka Texas Ranger, The Ugly Stepsister, Emilie Blichfeldt, The Last Kingdom, Evil Dead Burn, Evil Dead Knievel, A Texas Chainsaw Mascara - A Film By John Waters, and cult leader by carrier pigeon!Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/trickortreatradioJoin our Discord Community: discord.trickortreatradio.comSend Email/Voicemail: mailto:podcast@trickortreatradio.comVisit our website: http://trickortreatradio.comStart your own podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=386Use our Amazon link: http://amzn.to/2CTdZzKFB Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/trickortreatradioTwitter: http://twitter.com/TrickTreatRadioFacebook: http://facebook.com/TrickOrTreatRadioYouTube: http://youtube.com/TrickOrTreatRadioInstagram: http://instagram.com/TrickorTreatRadioSupport the show

In keeping a promise to help ‘keep his name alive', WGN Radio's Dave Plier celebrates the legacy of the late Don Rickles on his birthday by sharing his backstage Vegas interview with the comedy legend. Plus bonus interviews with his longtime best friend, the late Bob Newhart, author Michael Starr of the book ‘The Merchant […]

Jeff would thank you all you for your toughts and prayers to him and his family during his moms passing.National Coconut cream pie day.  Entertainment from 1975.  1st rollercoaster with a loop, 16 year old takes a NYC subway train for a drive, Little Caesars Pizza founded, Coca Cola went on sale.  Todays birthdays - Harry S. Truman, Don Rickles, Ricky Nelson, Toni Tennille, Philip Bailey, Alex Van Halen, Stephen Furst, Melissa Gilbert, Enrique Iglesias.  Eddy Arnold died.Intro - Pour some sugar on me - Def Leppard    http://defleppard.com/Geico commercialCoconut cream pie song - Galt MacDermotHe don't love you (like I love you) - Tony Orlando & DawnShe's acting single (I'm drinking doubles) - Gary StewardBirthdays - In da club - 50 Cent    http://50cent.com/Travlin' man - Ricky NelsonLove will keep us together - Captain & TennilleSeptember - Earth Wind & FireRunning with the devil - Van HalenHero - Enrique IglesiasI wanna play house with you - Eddy ArnoldExit - Its not love - Dokken    http://dokken.net/

Mike Chisholm joins me to discuss how his curiosity leads to conversations; Steve O'Donnell; our first time watching Letterman; meeting Letterman guests on twitch; Rick Sheckman; intern stories; becoming friends with Rupert Jee and speaking at his retirement; Steve Young; Paul Shaffer; swooning over Barbara Gaines;; Steve Weiner; learning how to podcast; Calvert DeForest; Matt Roberts does a three hour episode; editing, PC culture; censoring episodes; the r word; Midget Wrestling Warriors; saying something is gay; Don Rickles; Andrew "Dice" Clay; Howard Stern; blackface; Jjimmy Hat, Andy Kaufman, and Jerry Lawler; Merrill Markoe; befriending Jeff Altman and Dick Cavett; how my OCD affects my show; his ailing father; season 2 and being my Tony Randall

The “Novelty” song has deep roots in popular culture. Masters of the form, like Weird Al Yankovic, Warren Zevon, Tom Lehrer, Spike Jones, and Allen Sherman have illuminated our consciousness and tickled our sense of the absurd. How much WAS that doggie in the window?…., WTF is Marzy dotes and dozy dotes about?…,  They're coming to take me away, Haha…(that one actually scared me). Probably each of us can recall from childhood some goofy ditty that either made you feel smarter, or got stuck inside your head like RFK's brain worm. Let's give thanks to Doctor Demento for archiving and disseminating many of these gems for future generations, and my introduction to Larry Groce's Junk Food Junkie came from one of his collections. Jerry Blavat's One More Time, Back to School may not demonstrate the same amount of cleverness, but its delivered lustily by one of the premier DJs of his time. LARRY GROCEJunk Food Junkie comes from 1975, and is perfectly in key with today's anti-woke sentiments. But, Mr. Groce delivers his mockery with such gentleness and good humor that it creates a universal warmth devoid of malice. Yes, he intimates, you can try to be upright and health conscientious, but the reptilian brain in all of us needs to be satisfied - even if it has to happen under cover of darkness.  Hypocrisy is the target here, and Mr. Groce, cast as the titular shlemiel, puts himself first in line for ridicule. JERRY BLAVATJerry Blavat's “Horatio Alger” story reads like a Martin Scorsese screenplay. His colorful bio, recounting his journey from son of a Philly bookmaker, valet to Don Rickles, mob-connected DJ and club owner, to broadcasting Hall of Fame icon, could be the stuff of a Netflix series. Known as “the Big Boss with the Hot Sauce,” and “the Geater with the Heater,” Jerry swaggered through his bigger than life life like a toreador. But, lest we forget - it was always his love of those Philadelphian musical goodies - that made him a beloved home town super hero. 1965's One More Time Back to School, on the Cameo Parkway label, is an fascinating glimpse into his inexhaustible energy. It's delightfully sadistic as the singer declares the end of vacation time fun. Not only that, there is something in the edgy cacophony of its production, with the clanging cowbells, that evokes that end of summer feeling. 

(00:00) Summer Camp Age Requirement Disagreement This chapter explores a lively discussion about the challenges of managing junior golf programs and the intricacies of communication with parents. I recount a humorous yet frustrating experience with a parent eager to enroll his children in our summer camps. The parent attempts to bend the age rules for his younger, golf-enthusiastic child, who doesn't meet the minimum age requirement. Despite the father's persistence, I maintain the camp's policy, emphasizing the importance of adhering to established guidelines for the benefit of all participants. Additionally, I touch on the amusing mix-up of daylight savings time, which led to some unexpected schedule confusion. Overall, the conversation highlights the balance between accommodating individual requests and maintaining program integrity. (03:33) Golfers Discuss Adding Loft to Shots This chapter begins with a humorous anecdote involving Don Rickles and a New York mobster, illustrating the unpredictable twists of life. As we shift focus, the excitement of the golf season's start is palpable, with the Masters marking the unofficial kickoff. The conversation touches on regional golfing challenges, such as wet conditions affecting courses in certain areas. We share experiences from different locales, including New England's lingering winter and South Florida's seasonal transition. The discussion includes a fascinating lesson from a high-rise apartment equipped with a golf simulator overlooking beautiful vistas. This setting provides a unique take on indoor golf, offering a comfortable alternative to braving the outdoor elements. (17:54) Effective Junior Golf Camp Grouping This chapter explores the creation of successful golf programs for kids by considering the desires of parents, whether they seek fun experiences or potential playing partners within the family. We emphasize the importance of making lessons engaging for children, using real golf clubs from US Kids Golf to ensure proper sizing, and avoiding outdated equipment. Additionally, I discuss strategies for handling children who are initially uninterested by fostering a welcoming environment and recognizing past negative experiences. We also highlight the significance of grouping kids by maturity and physical development, ensuring a supportive learning atmosphere. The ultimate goal is to make golf enjoyable and memorable for young participants. (27:27) Junior Golf Camp Age Groups This chapter explores the dynamics of junior golf and the nuances of teaching young golfers. We discuss how older children can become self-conscious in mixed-age groups and share a story of a parent misunderstanding the group dynamics due to her child's height. We also address the challenges of working with kids who have received golf tips from their parents, offering strategies for respecting parental input while gently guiding young golfers toward effective techniques. The importance of communication with both children and their parents is highlighted, as well as the need for teachers to navigate these relationships with tact and understanding. (31:24) Teaching Kids to Problem Solve This chapter focuses on the dynamics of teaching and coaching young people, particularly teenagers, while managing parental involvement. We explore the importance of encouraging kids to think independently and develop problem-solving skills by reframing information so that it becomes their own discovery. The conversation also addresses how to handle parents who are eager to be involved in their child's learning process, suggesting ways to engage them without undermining the child's autonomy. By inviting parents into the learning experience and positioning them to observe and learn alongside their child, we facilitate a collaborative environment where both parties benefit. This approach helps parents to understand their role better, allowing them to step back and trust the expertise of the coach, ultimately leading to a more supportive and effective learning experience for the child. (39:59) Junior Golf League Equipment Consideration This chapter explores the PGA Junior League, a youth golf program that varies in quality depending on the club or course offering it. We discuss the benefits of introducing children to golf through such programs and emphasize the importance of not pushing kids into the sport if they aren't interested. When children do show interest, it's advised to hold off on buying expensive equipment until they have some experience and understanding of what they need. Renting or borrowing clubs initially is a smart move, and when purchasing, it's crucial to ensure the clubs fit the child properly to avoid bad habits and potential injuries. We compare buying ill-fitting golf clubs to outfitting a child with adult-sized sports equipment, highlighting the absurdity and potential harm of such a practice. (49:54) Choosing the Right Golf Instructor This chapter focuses on the importance of ensuring a good fit between children and their teachers when introducing them to new activities. We explore the idea that children should have the opportunity to meet and connect with their potential teachers to ensure they mesh well, as this can significantly impact their enthusiasm and success in learning. Emphasizing the need for the right lessons and equipment, we discuss how a child's love for an activity can be greatly influenced by their relationship with their teacher. Ensuring the right attitude is also key, as a negative experience can deter a child's interest, even if they have a natural affinity for the activity.

Today on The ReWatch Party, Nick, Anthony, Elise, and Loren take on 1970's Kelly's Heroes, a World War II heist movie that somehow blends Clint Eastwood's squinting, Telly Savalas's endless grenades, Donald Sutherland's hippie tank commander, and Don Rickles trying really hard not to roast everybody. Between the practical explosions, real tanks, and a suspicious amount of leisure time during wartime, the crew digs into what made this oddball classic tick — and why it barely made any money at the box office. We break down the movie's strange mix of gritty action and bizarre counterculture vibes, plus some very questionable German accents. Along the way, we dive into behind-the-scenes chaos like Donald Sutherland's near-death experience, roast the aggressively cheerful soundtrack, and ask the real questions — like how exactly one plans to steal a sailboat home from a war zone. It's equal parts appreciation and roast session. Nick also shares the personal reason behind choosing Kelly's Heroes as his birthday pick. A sentimental connection gives this episode a little more heart, even as the crew debates whether Big Joe's endless grenades or Crapgame's side hustles were the real MVPs. As for rewatchability? Do the movie's laid-back charm and odd characters out-compete some challenges with slow pacing that may make it a tougher sell today?  Listen to find out   https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065938/

Diana and I discuss The Bellinis; Lenny (Luca Brasi) Montana; Hollywood High; auditioning for Marni Nixon Feast, Ozzie's Girls; guest starring in a memorable Happy Days, Chico and the Man, Medical Story, The First Nudie Musical, Starsky & Hutch; Paul Michael Glaser; The Love Boat pilot; Soap; audition; cast becomes family; Hollywood Squares, Dinah!; Perry Como's Early American Christmas; Barney Miller; Steve Landesburg; I'm A Big Girl Now; Danny Thomas; Martin Short; People's Choice Award; American Bandstand "Who You Foolin'?"; All Star Salute to Mother's Day; Bob Hope; Bobbie Gentry; Don Rickles; finding out her show got cancelled while On Broadway; Peking Encounter; A Foot in the Door, Night Partners; Yvette Mimieux; Patti Davis Reagan; Hotel; No Complaints; Harold Gould, Murder She Wrote and friendship with Angela Lansbury; Trapper John, MD ; St. Elsewhere; Throb playing Paul Walker's Mom; success in Germany; The Bruce Diet; Home Free; Matthew Perry, Marian Mercer; Maggie Roswell, and teaching at Manhattanville College

Dana and Tom with returning guest and 5x Club Member, Allyson Techmeier (sister of Tom, daughter of Dana) discuss the revolutionary animated film, Toy Story (1995): directed by John Lasseter, written by Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen, and Alec Sokolow, music by Randy Newman, starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Annie Potts, Wallace Shawn, and John Ratzenberger.Plot Summary: Toy Story is an animated film about a group of toys that come to life when their owner, Andy, is not around. The story centers on Woody, a cowboy doll, and Buzz Lightyear, a space ranger action figure. When Buzz arrives and threatens Woody's status as Andy's favorite toy, Woody is overcome with jealousy. However, after an accident, the two must work together after getting lost in the chaos of a move, leading to an unlikely friendship and a heartwarming adventure.The film explores themes of friendship, identity, and the changing nature of relationships as children grow up. The story is heartwarming, humorous, and full of adventure, with memorable characters and groundbreaking animation that set a new standard for animated films.Guest:Allyson Techmeier5x Club Member - My Fair Lady (1964), Mary Poppins (1964), 12 Years a Slave (2013), Batman Begins (2005), Casablanca (1943) Re-RevisitChapters:00:00 Introduction and Welcome to Allyson Techmeier01:49 Cast and Background for Toy Story04:07 Relationship(s) to Toy Story06:53 What is Toy Story About?07:41 Significance of Toy Story in Animation History16:27 Plot Summary for Toy Story17:28 Did You Know?19:18 First Break20:07 Best Performance(s)29:29 Best/Favorite/Indelible Scene(s)38:30 Second Break39:59 In Memoriam40:55 Best/Funniest Lines43:42 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy49:18 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance59:20 The Stanley Rubric - Novelty01:03:50 The Stanley Rubric - Classicness01:10:34 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability01:14:20 The Stanley Rubric - Audience Score and Final Total01:17:47 Remaining Questions01:24:21 Thank You to Allyson and Final Thoughts01:27:28 CreditsYou can also find this episode in full video on YouTube.You can now follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or TikTok (@gmoatpodcast).For more on the episode, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/toy-story-1995-ft-allyson-duncanFor the entire rankings list so far, go to:

In this episode of The Rewatch Party, Nick and Anthony take a hilarious trip back to 1998 with Dirty Work, the cult comedy starring Norm Macdonald and Artie Lange. Known for its offbeat humor and relentless one-liners, this film has developed a strong following despite its initial lukewarm reception. Anthony, a longtime fan of Norm Macdonald's deadpan delivery, is eager to defend the movie's comedic brilliance, while Nick, always ready with a critical eye, questions whether Dirty Work still holds up after all these years. As they dive into the film's absurd plot—where two down-on-their-luck friends start a revenge-for-hire business—Nick and Anthony break down some of the most outrageous and memorable gags. From the running jokes about Chris Farley's unfortunate nose situation to the ridiculous pranks Norm's character pulls on his enemies, the hosts debate whether the humor is timeless or simply a product of the late ‘90s. Nick isn't convinced that all the jokes land, but Anthony argues that Norm's signature style makes the film endlessly quotable. They also discuss the film's place in comedy history, particularly how it showcases Norm Macdonald's unique brand of humor. With appearances from comedy legends like Don Rickles and Chevy Chase, Dirty Work certainly had the potential to be a bigger hit. The hosts reflect on why the movie never found mainstream success and how it later gained cult status, especially among fans of Norm's stand-up and Saturday Night Live work. By the end of the episode, Nick and Anthony weigh in on whether Dirty Work deserves a spot in the rewatchable hall of fame. Anthony insists that it's a must-watch for fans of irreverent, no-frills comedy, while Nick admits that while he may not love every joke, the film's sheer ridiculousness and Norm's delivery make it a fun ride. Whether you're a die-hard Norm Macdonald fan or just looking for a dose of late ‘90s comedy nostalgia, this episode delivers plenty of laughs and debate on Dirty Work's lasting appeal. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120654/

Hollywood legend Stefanie Powers takes us on a journey through her remarkable career, from starring in The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. and Hart to Hart to working alongside icons like John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, and William Holden. She shares behind-the-scenes stories from her time in Hollywood, including her unforgettable on-screen chemistry with Robert Wagner, her admiration for Don Rickles' humor, and her experiences filming Herbie Rides Again. Beyond the screen, Stefanie opens up about her memoir, One from the Heart, and her deep passion for wildlife conservation. She discusses the William Holden Wildlife Foundation, a cause close to her heart, dedicated to educating and preserving wildlife in Kenya. Episode Highlights: Stefanie's early days in Hollywood and how she became a TV pioneer The magic of Hart to Hart and working with Robert Wagner The origins of the William Holden Wildlife Foundation and its lasting impact Hilarious encounters with Don Rickles and Charlton Heston on the celebrity tennis circu The secret behind her brief role as the voice of HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey   You're going to love my conversation with Stefanie Powers William Holden Wildlife Foundation Memoir: One from the Hart IMDB Instagram Facebook Website Follow Jeff Dwoskin (host): Jeff Dwoskin on Twitter The Jeff Dwoskin Show podcast on Twitter Podcast website Podcast on Instagram Join my mailing list Subscribe to my Youtube channel (watch Crossing the Streams!) Yes, the show used to be called Live from Detroit: The Jeff Dwoskin Show Ways to support the show: Buy me a coffee (support the show) TeePublic Store: Classic Conversations merch and more! Love the books I talk about on the show? Here is my Amazon store to shop.   

2025 is in the house & the entire IIS talk show crew is here for you! We got Luke ripping Don Rickles! Mr. Pink sent in an email lamenting the loss of David Lynch & Bob Uecker. We know how much you folks love your celebrity death watches! Steve is freezing his ass off in South Carolina. The Detroit Lions screwed the pooch. Govier basically skipped the entire Great Recession of 2008. Plus much more from Idiocracy, Bill Pullman playing saxophone & Nirvana's secret track from the No Alternative CD back in the 1990s. We love you all! This talk show is not the same without you listening & emailing us your highly entertaining & thoroughly analyzed thoughts. We close the show with Los Angeles Is Burning by Bad Religion. If any of our nonsense provokes your thoughts, please share them with us at isitsafepod@gmail.com or check out our Discord:https://discord.gg/wXPdgujdSj

Michael Curtis joined me to talk Saturday Morning cartoons; going to SDSU Film Corps; having a local Emmy nominated public access sketch show; working on Return of the Killer Tomatoes; being a PA for many films, then an AD; meeting his partner Greg Mahlins; pitching and an episode of Dream On; a story for The Wonder Years; joining the writing staff of Great Scott with Tobey Maguire; writing The Making of ... and God Spoke, a cult classic; writing for Don Rickles on Daddy Dearest; Diane English being out of touch on Double Rush; play a cop in Who's Harry Crumb; working with Peter & David Paul and Martin Mull; getting a PhD from the Universal Life Church; getting hired on Friends; The Super Bowl episode with Jean Claude Van Damme and Brooke Shields; writing "The One Where Ross & Rachel. ...You Know"; writing the Ms. Chanandler Bong joke; Tom Selleck; how hard it was to write the "Rachel Smokes" episode; Princess Leia episode has a fan in George Lucas; a censored joke; Young Tony Danza; leaving due to exhaustion; going to Work with Me with Kevin Pollack; sneaking on to The Grinch set; The Weber Show; Nikki; writing the Joe Schmo Show; writing a pilot for Dane Cook; Love, Inc.; making three pilots for the Jonas Brothers Show; working with the boys; Fred Savage; moving to Italy; Italian health care system; People learning English from Friends; seeing the talent in Olivo Rodrigo; working with Jake Paul

Episode 464 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Amazon Prime NFL play by play broadcaster Al Michaels. The broadcaster will call Amazon Prime Video's first-ever NFL playoff game on January 11 — the Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens. In this episode we discuss Al's memory of the 1980 U.S. Olympic boycott; calling the Ravens-Steelers game; what it's like to call a snow game; whether he will return to Amazon Prime in 2025; why Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is a can't-miss broadcast prospect should he enter the profession after coaching; working with O.J. Simpson and Tom Landry; his interest in Olympic broadcasting; Howard Cosell interviewing Fidel Castro; meeting Frank Sinatra; why Don Rickles was an incredible dinner guest and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Imagine if Don Rickles was starting out today..he would have a field day. www.cocktailnation.net   Los Machucambos-How Insensitive Oscar Peterson -Come Dance with Me Tony Bennett-All The Things You are Mancini-Champagne and Quail Dinah Washington-Cry Me A River James Spencer-Blue World Coltrane-Too Young To Go Steady Allen Smith Quartet-Estate Nat King Cole-Cherchez La Femme Network Music Ensemble-Aperitif On Ice Miles Davis-When Lights Are Low New Morty Show-Blue Martini Ellen Lafern-When Sunny Gets Blue Daphne Levy-Gentle Rain

The next sequel we will discuss is "Dennis the Menace Strikes Again". For it, I chatted with Hollywood Hairstylist Emanuel Millar. Emanuel has done the hair for the likes of Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie, Bill Murray, Johnny Depp, and more, but his path to get to that 1st credit on a Tina Turner music video was quite interesting. We talked about the typical day as a hairstylist on set, the world traveling he did, Don Rickles, his books "The Kindest Cut" Volume 1 and 2 (link below), and lots more. This was one job I was fascinated by, so it was great to chat with Emanuel. Emanuel's IMDb https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0587666/?ref_=nm_mv_close Buy Emanuel's books "The Kindest Cut" Volume 1 and 2. https://www.amazon.com/Kindest-Cut-Intuitive-Hollywood-Hairstylist/dp/B0D25DH7X4 Your homework is to watch "Dennis the Menace Strikes Again" which is 4 bucks online to rent. Don Rickles and Betty White as Mr and Mrs Wilson, need I say more? Follow us on all social media @sequelsonly and our website is sequelsonly.com Review, rate, and share us with your friends, enemies, neighbors, exes, and even that annoying supermarket clerk!

Today we go over highlights from the career of the great Don Rickles.FOR ALL THINGS BLIND MIKEhttp://blindmike.netFOR ALL THINGS CRAIGGERShttp://www.verygoodshow.orgFOR ALL THINGS HACKRIDEhttp://hackridethedemon.comFOR ALL THINGS DJ ELECTRA FRYhttp://djelectrafry.com

The incomparable JB Smoove graces the podcast! Ted Danson is talking to his “Curb Your Enthusiasm” colleague about dealing with Larry David, the role of fate in JB's comedy career, encounters with legends like Sidney Poitier and Don Rickles, and much more.Like watching your podcasts? Visit http://youtube.com/teamcoco to see full episodes. 

Phil and David encourage everyone to support The Motion Picture and Television Fund. The "Lights, Camera, Take Action!" Telethon for MTPF is airing December 8 on KTLA in Los Angeles and can be seen on KTLA.com. Phil and David are revisiting the time they were joined by actor, writer, director and musician Billy Bob Thornton, an Academy Award-winner, and his Grammy-winning, longstanding musical partner in their beloved band The Boxmasters, J.D. Andrew. for another special episode recorded on the beautiful Motion Picture & Television Fund campus in Woodland Hills, California -- https://mptf.com/. These episodes are in support of the "Lights, Cameras, Take Action!: A Telethon Benefiting MPTF hosted by Yvette Nicole Brown and Tom Bergeron that airs December 9th in Los Angeles on @KTLA. This is a fantastic and far-ranging conversation about life, music, mental health, meeting your heroes with great stories about Billy Wilder, Don Rickles, Marlon Brando and visiting Stanley Kramer at MPTF. To hear Tausha and The Boxmasters' song "As I Ever Was" on Future Youth Records, click here. For tour dates and much more on The Boxmasters, visit their official site here. To learn more about building community through food and "Somebody Feed the People," visit the Philanthropy page at philrosenthalworld.com.

Phil and David encourage everyone to support The Motion Picture and Television Fund. The "Lights, Camera, Take Action!" Telethon for MTPF is airing December 8 on KTLA in Los Angeles and can be seen on KTLA.com. Phil and David revisit a lively lunch with beloved actor and new best-selling author John Stamos (his new memoir "If You Had Told Me" is out now) at the beautiful Motion Picture & Television Fund campus in Woodland Hills, California -- https://mptf.com/. They discuss John's remarkable life in show business from "General Hospital" to "Full House" to "ER" to Broadway and beyond, as well as his amazing decades of experience playing with The Beach Boys and his great friendships with two amazing comedians Don Rickles and Bob Saget. See and support the "Lights, Camera, Take Action" telethon for December 9th on KTLA in Southern California. Order John's memoir here. To see the video John references in the podcast, it's available to download here! To learn more about building community through food and "Somebody Feed the People," visit the Philanthropy page at philrosenthalworld.com.

For this "ReScreen" episode, Michael does a rewatch of the 1999 animated film "Toy Story 2" featuring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammar, and Don Rickles among an all-star cast. What are some of his memories of seeing this film previously and thoughts after seeing the film again? Check it out and see! Be a part of the conversation! E-mail the show at screennerdspodcast@gmail.com Follow the show on Twitter @screennerdspod Like the show on Facebook (Search for Screen Nerds Podcast and find the page there) Follow the show on Instagram and Threads just search screennerdspodcast Check out the show on Bluesky just search screennerdspodcast Be sure to check out the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Goodpods, Overcast, Amazon Music or your podcast catcher of choice! (and please share rate and review!) Want to be a guest or share your thoughts on the podcast? Send me an e-mail! Thanks to Frankie Creel for the artwork

Behar sits down with executive producer Brian Teta to share her distaste for Halloween, her election night plans and why she thinks Kamala Harris' economic plan is superior to that of former Pres. Trump. Plus, she looks back on getting warmed up for comedy gigs and opening for comedian Don Rickles. Have a question or want advice from Brian or a co-host? Call or text us at (917) 960-3037 or leave us a message here: https://woobox.com/kaoojs. Messages may be used on a future podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chicago wakes up to realize Mayor Johnson broke the property tax promise he should never have made. Ben riffs. Adolfo Mondragon talks about the psychology of voters supporting politicians who denigrate them. Also, the Don Rickles impact on MAGA. And the Musk ask—what will he want from Donny in exchange for giving MAGA so much money and love? Hint—hey, unions, you're gonna get screwed. Plus a tribute to threat Fernando Valenzuela. Adolfo is a lawyer who knows election law like no one else. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

GGACP celebrates October's National Book Month by revisiting this 2022 interview with award-winning journalist Mark Seal, author of the sensational book about the making of "The Godfather": “Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli.” In this episode, Mark joins Gilbert and Frank to talk about the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo's 1972 mob masterpiece, “The Godfather.” Also in this episode: Burt Lancaster closes in, Vic Damone bows out, Marlon Brando pulls off a shocking transformation and the mafia takes offense at the word “mafia.” PLUS: The music of Nino Rota! The genius of Dick Smith! Gilbert roasts Abe Vigoda! Mark climbs into bed with Robert Evans! James Caan's performance is inspired by…Don Rickles!? And Richard Castellano ad-libs one of the great lines in movie history! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[SEGMENT 1-1] An indepth look at the debate   If I had a nickel for every time Tim Walz mentioned the burning dumpster fire Minnesota's turned into under his leadership, I'd have a down payment on a Ferrari. What a trainwreck of a debate performance for Walz. When Walz wasn't busy glossing over his hot mess of a governorship, he had the unenviable task of doing two things. First, he had to somehow trash-talk one of the most successful presidencies in American history. And second, his ammo for that? The smoldering wreckage of what's easily the worst presidency in American history—his own boss's. It was like trying to defend the Titanic while still sinking in it. Everyone who'd been paying attention already knew JD Vance was going to wipe the floor with Walz's Midwestern behind. And that beating started from the word "go." As I reflect on the debate, the term "public sodomy" comes to mind. Walz looked like he was one bad question away from asking for a smoke break, which only confirmed the rumors that the guy was sweating bullets before the debate even started. He rambled through his two-minute response, attempting to answer a question I'm not sure he even understood, but he did show us one thing: he's got the preparation skills of a last-minute book report writer. And then it was Vance's turn. JD Vance kicked things off with, “I was born to a middle-class mother.” Mystified, I swear for a second I thought he was about to parody one of Kamala Harris's cringe-inducing stump speeches. But nope. Vance was all business. He explained that his mom had struggled with drugs, that he joined the Marines, and used the GI Bill to go to Yale. [X] SB – Vance opening remarks Addiction Raised by grandmother Not exactly WEIRD was he?   Meanwhile, Walz just stood there watching as his "Midwestern mystique" got yanked away from him in one well-crafted two-minute drill.[SEGMENT 1-2] An indepth look at the debate 2   And Vance? Smooth as butter. He wasn't nervous. Not once. Every question Walz fumbled through, Vance calmly took notes (in his head!) like a kid studying for finals. And the moment Walz' lying lips stopped moving, Vance took a sledge hammer to Walz' nogging. Even more ironic is Vance crushed Walz with (1) Walz's own words, and (2) actual facts. A masterclass in debate. From Iran to immigration, guns to abortion, Vance didn't just beat Walz—he dissected him. It was like watching Sugar Ray Leonard toy with an opponent at the Olympics. Just one jab after another, until Walz was politically unrecognizable.   At this point, I had to run to Verizon because my phone was busted (don't ask, my fault). By the time I got back, CBS was wrapping up their debate coverage, and you know things went south when not one of the “journalists” had a single positive thing to say about Walz. It was all gloom, doom, and misery for the Harris-Walz campaign. When you consider how much of a dumpster fire their campaign has been so far, this debate was just another log on the bonfire. If Walz thought his week couldn't get worse, well, too bad Iran didn't wait a few more hours to launch those rockets at Israel. Maybe that could've distracted the country from the absolute annihilation he just suffered. Too late now.  [SEGMENT 1-3] An indepth look at the debate 2   Debate outcome NUMBER 1: Democrats are LIARS Holy cow did that Tim Walz get caught in his past? Did I warn you? I said the more you learn about the Democrats the less you will like them. By now you've heard a lot about this debate. And I'm fairly confident that you came to the conclusion that any HUMAN WITH A PULSE did, and that's Vance won. But he didn't just WIN! No, Vance played Trump mini-me and DESTROYED WALZ He did it in two ways: he destroyed Walz and the Democrats on Trump's record, and he then watch Walz implode TRUST Who do you think Americans trust the most?   And how do you recover from that. Remember what was said about Walz. He was the only person stupid enough to run with Harris. And now we know why. Can we just dissect this ONE clip?   [X] SB – Walz lies about China Did travel to Asia until Aug. To the folks out there that didn't get it at the top of this  [SEGMENT 1-4] An indepth look at the debate 4   Talk a lot. Get caught up in the rhetoric. Trump should have come on one of those trips. Covid. Trade wars. Trying to understand the world. Teaching, which I was good at. People don't care about LIARS   When Leftists lie, they “misspeak”?   “I was in Hong Kong, in China, and I learned a lot about what needed to be in governance.” Vance should've said “is a good soldier one who abandons his troops when the tough gets going?” “And it didn't take Trump 16 trips to get to know XiXi Ping. They understood each other from day one and Trump doesn't play.” “What else have you lied about?” And the list goes on. @LindaFritz7 He looked like a 3rd grader who got caught stealing, still Never answered the question either. Watching Walz I hear Joe Biden, but I see Don Rickles. @IslesfaninFla   Leftists have this incredible ability, when asked a serious question that they can't answer, to ramble on eloquently about some completely irrelevant and unrelated topic. @AlexC96531   I would give pretty good odds that nobody will ask him about the "mistake" of claiming military honors and rank he never earned.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kevin-jackson-show--2896352/support.

[SEGMENT 1-1] An indepth look at the debate   If I had a nickel for every time Tim Walz mentioned the burning dumpster fire Minnesota's turned into under his leadership, I'd have a down payment on a Ferrari. What a trainwreck of a debate performance for Walz. When Walz wasn't busy glossing over his hot mess of a governorship, he had the unenviable task of doing two things. First, he had to somehow trash-talk one of the most successful presidencies in American history. And second, his ammo for that? The smoldering wreckage of what's easily the worst presidency in American history—his own boss's. It was like trying to defend the Titanic while still sinking in it. Everyone who'd been paying attention already knew JD Vance was going to wipe the floor with Walz's Midwestern behind. And that beating started from the word "go." As I reflect on the debate, the term "public sodomy" comes to mind. Walz looked like he was one bad question away from asking for a smoke break, which only confirmed the rumors that the guy was sweating bullets before the debate even started. He rambled through his two-minute response, attempting to answer a question I'm not sure he even understood, but he did show us one thing: he's got the preparation skills of a last-minute book report writer. And then it was Vance's turn. JD Vance kicked things off with, “I was born to a middle-class mother.” Mystified, I swear for a second I thought he was about to parody one of Kamala Harris's cringe-inducing stump speeches. But nope. Vance was all business. He explained that his mom had struggled with drugs, that he joined the Marines, and used the GI Bill to go to Yale. [X] SB – Vance opening remarks Addiction Raised by grandmother Not exactly WEIRD was he?   Meanwhile, Walz just stood there watching as his "Midwestern mystique" got yanked away from him in one well-crafted two-minute drill.[SEGMENT 1-2] An indepth look at the debate 2   And Vance? Smooth as butter. He wasn't nervous. Not once. Every question Walz fumbled through, Vance calmly took notes (in his head!) like a kid studying for finals. And the moment Walz' lying lips stopped moving, Vance took a sledge hammer to Walz' nogging. Even more ironic is Vance crushed Walz with (1) Walz's own words, and (2) actual facts. A masterclass in debate. From Iran to immigration, guns to abortion, Vance didn't just beat Walz—he dissected him. It was like watching Sugar Ray Leonard toy with an opponent at the Olympics. Just one jab after another, until Walz was politically unrecognizable.   At this point, I had to run to Verizon because my phone was busted (don't ask, my fault). By the time I got back, CBS was wrapping up their debate coverage, and you know things went south when not one of the “journalists” had a single positive thing to say about Walz. It was all gloom, doom, and misery for the Harris-Walz campaign. When you consider how much of a dumpster fire their campaign has been so far, this debate was just another log on the bonfire. If Walz thought his week couldn't get worse, well, too bad Iran didn't wait a few more hours to launch those rockets at Israel. Maybe that could've distracted the country from the absolute annihilation he just suffered. Too late now.  [SEGMENT 1-3] An indepth look at the debate 2   Debate outcome NUMBER 1: Democrats are LIARS Holy cow did that Tim Walz get caught in his past? Did I warn you? I said the more you learn about the Democrats the less you will like them. By now you've heard a lot about this debate. And I'm fairly confident that you came to the conclusion that any HUMAN WITH A PULSE did, and that's Vance won. But he didn't just WIN! No, Vance played Trump mini-me and DESTROYED WALZ He did it in two ways: he destroyed Walz and the Democrats on Trump's record, and he then watch Walz implode TRUST Who do you think Americans trust the most?   And how do you recover from that. Remember what was said about Walz. He was the only person stupid enough to run with Harris. And now we know why. Can we just dissect this ONE clip?   [X] SB – Walz lies about China Did travel to Asia until Aug. To the folks out there that didn't get it at the top of this  SEGMENT 1-4] An indepth look at the debate 4   Talk a lot. Get caught up in the rhetoric. Trump should have come on one of those trips. Covid. Trade wars. Trying to understand the world. Teaching, which I was good at. People don't care about LIARS   When Leftists lie, they “misspeak”?   “I was in Hong Kong, in China, and I learned a lot about what needed to be in governance.” Vance should've said “is a good soldier one who abandons his troops when the tough gets going?” “And it didn't take Trump 16 trips to get to know XiXi Ping. They understood each other from day one and Trump doesn't play.” “What else have you lied about?” And the list goes on. @LindaFritz7 He looked like a 3rd grader who got caught stealing, still Never answered the question either. Watching Walz I hear Joe Biden, but I see Don Rickles. @IslesfaninFla   Leftists have this incredible ability, when asked a serious question that they can't answer, to ramble on eloquently about some completely irrelevant and unrelated topic. @AlexC96531   I would give pretty good odds that nobody will ask him about the "mistake" of claiming military honors and rank he never earned.    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kevin-jackson-show--2896352/support.

Original Air Date: March 14, 2018Oprah speaks to Jimmy Kimmel about the watershed year that changed his personal life and public image. Jimmy reflects on hosting the Oscars, losing his mentor Don Rickles, turning 50 and speaking out on gun control. He also discusses his emotional, tear-filled monologue about his son Billy's rare congenital heart defect.  Speaking from his heart and soul, Jimmy explains how the past year has made him a more spiritually connected person. “I've been praying a lot more, that's for sure,” Jimmy says. He also speaks about the mass shooting in his hometown Las Vegas and the ways he finds peace and shares an update on Billy. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPods  You can also watch Oprah's Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN   

GGACP marks the 30th anniversary of Frank Darabont's classic Stephen King adaptation, "The Shawshank Redemption" (released September 23, 1994) by presenting this ENCORE of a 2020 interview with Oscar-winning actor, musician and activist Tim Robbins. In this episode, Tim joins the boys for a lively discussion on a wide range of topics, including the “New Hollywood” of the '70s, the genius and generosity of Robert Altman and the timeliness of Depression-era screwball comedies. Also, Gore Vidal steals the show, Richard Pryor plays The Gaslight Cafe, Orson Welles runs afoul of William Randolph Hearst and Tim (fondly) remembers Paul Newman, Don Rickles and Robin Williams. PLUS: “Bobbo Supreme”! “Howard the Duck”! Monty Python comes calling! In praise of “The Hudsucker Proxy”! And Tim weighs in on the future of movie theaters! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GGACP celebrates the birthday of comedian, producer and Roastmaster General Jeff Ross (b. September 13th) by revisiting this frequently hilarious 2019 interview with Jeff and fellow comedian Dave Attell. In this episode, the boys talk about performing in the age of political correctness, using comedy as a teaching tool, their favorite lesser-known stand-ups of the '50s and '60s and their Netflix series “Bumping Mics” and “Historical Roasts.” Also, Aretha Franklin flips the bird, Jeff takes down Jerry Lewis, Dave gives props to Steve Martin (and Rod Serling) and the boys remember the never-aired New York Friars Club roasts. PLUS: “The Omega Man”! Uncle Miltie whips it out! Gilbert boards the Maxi-Bus! Dave launches a new series! And Jeff pays tribute to the late, great Don Rickles! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GGACP celebrates the birthday of legendary ventriloquist Willie Tyler (b. September 8th) by presenting this ENCORE of an entertaining conversation with Willie and his longtime partner, Lester, from 2018. In this episode, Willie (and Lester) discuss the history of the “Chitlin Circuit,” ventriloquism-themed horror movies, the mob's influence in Vegas and the golden age of “the Motown Sound.” Also: Steve Rossi teams with Slappy White, George Kirby channels Pearl Bailey, Edgar Bergen offers sage advice and Willie opens for Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder. PLUS: Jules Podell! Shari Lewis & Lamb Chop! Don Rickles takes a front seat! Lester meets George Jefferson! And the many talents of Paul Winchell!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JAMES ADOMIAN comes to talk with Tom about his new standup special, Jon Taffer, Don Rickles and more! Tom competes in yet another SUCK OLYMPICS to determine which songs are real and which were made by AI! And Tom gets a two-for-one call from young baseball player RICKY DELVECCHIO and coach BILL ROTHCHILD! A truly great Best Show! SUPPORT THE BEST SHOW ON PATREON! WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES & VIDEO EPISODES! https://www.patreon.com/TheBestShow WATCH THE BEST SHOW LIVE EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT 6PM PT ON TWITCH https://www.twitch.tv/bestshow4life FOLLOW THE BEST SHOW: https://twitter.com/bestshow4life https://instagram.com/bestshow4life https://tiktok.com/@bestshow4life https://www.youtube.com/bestshow4life THE BEST SHOW IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST https://thebestshow.net https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/podcasts/the-best-show HEARD IT ON THE BEST SHOW PLAYLIST https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2XIpICdeecaBIC2kBLUpKL?si=07ccc339d9d84267 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The gang asks the age-old question: which U.S. president was fed anally? Then, Dan shares a Don Rickles story.To hear the full episode, head over to nevernotfunny.com and sign up for a Platinum subscription. Plans start at $6/month and include a second full episode every week, video of every episode, plus a monthly bonus episode. More perks, like access to our full back catalog, an exclusive T-shirt, a guest photo book and more are also available. Sign up today!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Drew Taylor & Jim Hill start this week's show by talking about how “Inside Out 2” just became the highest-grossing animated feature of all time (barring Disney's photo-realistic “Lion King” of 2019). They also take a look back at “The Rescuers” Throughout this episode, listeners will learn about; Which character was Phil Harris originally supposed to voice in “The Rescuers” How many art students did Disney initially invite to take part in the Studio's inaugural animation boot camp? What advice did Bob Newhart give Don Rickles in regards to voicing Mr. Potatohead in Pixar's “Toy Story” Which Disney featurette from the mid-1970s did the Studio's animation trainees cut their teeth on? What film did better than the original “Star Wars” when it was finally released in France in 1977 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GGACP celebrates the birthday of Tony and Emmy-nominated actress-singer Michele Lee (b. June 24) with this ENCORE of a memorable interview from 2021. In this episode, Michele looks back at her seven-decade career in television (“Knots Landing”), movies (“The Comic,” “The Love Bug”) and on the Broadway stage (“How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" and remembers the bawdiness of Red Skelton, the naughtiness of Buddy Hackett, the courageousness of Don Rickles and the flirtatiousness of Frank Sinatra. Also, Michele cuts the rug with Fred Astaire, treads the boards with Robert Morse, takes directing tips from Jerry Lewis and plays Lou Costello's wife in the infamous “Bud and Lou.” PLUS: “Rod Serling's Night Gallery”! “Scandalous Me: The Jacqueline Susann Story”! In praise of Dick Van Dyke! And Michele shares the screen with Liberace, Danny Kaye and Sammy Davis Jr! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices