WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:10.640 You're listening to the downbeat on ninety seven one of the Freak Happy Friday Metroplex 2 00:00:10.759 --> 00:00:15.279 of course Rangers Astros Game five. It's at four pm today. Pluckers and 3 00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:18.839 Plano is where the bit and Skin show and the speakeasy will be. And 4 00:00:18.839 --> 00:00:23.839 I would imagine that Pluckers and Plano will be pretty lit as everyone can I 5 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:27.760 go enjoy the speakeasy with Jeff and Julie. I think Jesse Holly's in with 6 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:32.280 them today, as I'm sure Ryan's is going to the game. But that's 7 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:35.079 a time you can watch the game. You can watch the game, enjoy 8 00:00:35.119 --> 00:00:38.479 the show, all that good stuff. Good times at Pluckers and Plano for 9 00:00:38.520 --> 00:00:42.520 the Freaking the Weekend series. I'll be at the game. We'll go on 10 00:00:42.600 --> 00:00:45.799 out there for Game five. We'll see if we can pull one out of 11 00:00:45.799 --> 00:00:49.320 our ass. But joining us now live in studio thok. We got a 12 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:53.719 new friend here. I do too. He's gonna be at the Plano House 13 00:00:53.719 --> 00:00:58.880 of Comedy October twentieth and twenty first. That's tonight and tomorrow. Eat your 14 00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:03.200 tickets at TX dot House Ofcomedy dot net. Paul Maturio's in the house, 15 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:07.200 great man, Thanks for having me. Yeah, I have a nice chat 16 00:01:07.239 --> 00:01:10.159 off the air. You guys are awesome, man, Thank you. So 17 00:01:10.200 --> 00:01:14.840 you're performing tonight, So look, you can watch the damn Ranger game and 18 00:01:14.879 --> 00:01:18.280 then go see some stand up. You might need some mirth in your life 19 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:22.200 after what I watched. Yeah, that hotel and I watched most of the 20 00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:25.359 game. I was watching it on the plane and then I wanted to almost 21 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:27.120 broke the TV in my hotel room when they did some like little thing on 22 00:01:27.159 --> 00:01:32.000 how great Jose Altubo is and I'm like cheeter and I started banging it can 23 00:01:32.120 --> 00:01:34.159 but nobody listened to me, like like, you know, it's so it's 24 00:01:34.239 --> 00:01:37.239 just like I don't get it, you know. I guess it's like, 25 00:01:37.319 --> 00:01:40.560 you know, the networks need to do their thing. But I'm going my 26 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:42.640 Red I'm a Red Sox fan. They're out of it. I'm rooting for 27 00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:47.719 the Rangers. I've been amazed at how honestly Fox has seemed a little blind 28 00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:51.040 to the fact that a lot of America hates the Astros. Yeah. I 29 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:53.239 just think it's the product, right, and they want to keep putting the 30 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:55.640 product out there and going everybody loves a product, then they stand there. 31 00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:57.040 He goes, oh, he's five foot six and look he hit a ball 32 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:00.400 from nine inches from the ground and three foot from his Yeah. Yeah, 33 00:02:00.439 --> 00:02:04.359 well you know it's like I'll just never forget him coming home and going don't 34 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:08.680 pull my shirt off because I'm wired. Yeah, there's no proof, there's 35 00:02:08.680 --> 00:02:14.280 space. It was a Columbian drug. Water was turned over on to the 36 00:02:14.360 --> 00:02:17.560 Feds. Right, but yeah, and so you have enough context, you 37 00:02:17.560 --> 00:02:23.360 don't need proof. Yeah, clearly there exactly. You said Red Sox originally 38 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:27.719 New Englander. Yeah, just get a little bit of background. Rhode Island. 39 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:30.240 I grew up in Rhode Okay, and my wife and I were actually 40 00:02:30.280 --> 00:02:34.439 together both we went to high school together, Okay, Providence and Providence, 41 00:02:34.479 --> 00:02:37.960 ok And I grew up in a family furniture busin. My wife and I 42 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:43.759 dated fifteen years before we got married. She proposed finally. Yeah, I 43 00:02:43.800 --> 00:02:46.520 can't tell you her exact words. They understood really emotional, but they ended 44 00:02:46.520 --> 00:02:51.039 with or get off the pot. And it was that kind of thing. 45 00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:55.360 And then uh yeah, and then I was I ended up being a lawyer, 46 00:02:55.479 --> 00:02:59.879 and I was working on Wall Street doing like merger deals and stuff, 47 00:03:00.280 --> 00:03:02.840 and I started writing jokes as a hobby and then I met Jay Leno with 48 00:03:02.919 --> 00:03:07.000 a private function and I didn't plan on anything. I don't know why I 49 00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:09.199 was writing jokes, but I had whole bunch of jokes written. And I 50 00:03:09.199 --> 00:03:13.919 went up to him after this before after his performance, and I said, 51 00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:15.759 I'm never gonna use these. I'm a lawyer. He wants these jokes. 52 00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:19.280 And he was like, okay, my man, and like he took the 53 00:03:19.360 --> 00:03:23.759 jokes. And then a couple of days later, my phone rings and it's 54 00:03:23.159 --> 00:03:29.960 more jokes. It's jay Leno exactly. He really does like talk like they're 55 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:34.719 letting helium out of a balloom very slowly. It's like and I go yeah 56 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:38.159 and I and he says it's jay Leno. Was pull there, And I'm 57 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:39.159 like, there's no way jay len was calling me, right. So I 58 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:43.280 told my friend who likes to pull pranks, and I thought it was my 59 00:03:43.319 --> 00:03:46.159 friend pulling a prank pretending to be Jay Leno. And I go, yeah, 60 00:03:46.199 --> 00:03:47.000 really funny. He goes, no, it's really jay Leno. I 61 00:03:47.000 --> 00:03:49.719 go, David, look, I'm in the middle of like a steal, 62 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:52.719 like I'm crazed. I can't go now is jay Leno? And he goes, 63 00:03:52.759 --> 00:03:53.879 I go stop. He goes now it's Jay Leno. And I actually 64 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:59.039 said to Jay Leno, you do a lousy j Leno. He was doing 65 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:00.759 an impression of himself right, exactly love it and he's like, no, 66 00:04:00.840 --> 00:04:02.479 I think I do it. Give me. I'm like, oh my god, 67 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:04.919 it's Jay Lenna, right. And then a couple of days later, 68 00:04:05.199 --> 00:04:08.840 but a week later, he calls me and says, uh, hey, 69 00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:13.400 I'm gonna do one of your jokes on the Tight Show tonight. And I 70 00:04:13.560 --> 00:04:16.199 got a bottle of champagne with my girlfriend now my wife and another couple we 71 00:04:16.279 --> 00:04:18.600 watched it. He did it, and it paid me fifty bucks for this 72 00:04:18.680 --> 00:04:20.839 joke, and it blew my head off my shoulder, and you realize I 73 00:04:20.839 --> 00:04:24.680 can make money due this is like fifty bucks a joke, right, And 74 00:04:25.560 --> 00:04:29.040 yeah, and didn't plan on it. You know, people always say you 75 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:31.079 plan I'm like no, they and then they're like, were you funny? 76 00:04:31.079 --> 00:04:33.439 And I put it like in context, yeah, I guess I was like 77 00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:38.319 always the funniest lawyer in my law firm, like, which isn't really saying 78 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:41.480 much, right, It's like kind of saying you're the sexiest I guy, 79 00:04:41.639 --> 00:04:45.120 And uh, basically it was just that. And then That's how it started. 80 00:04:45.240 --> 00:04:47.000 And then we kind of went on. You've parlayed that into now being 81 00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:53.399 a kind of a staff writer and uh yeah, yeah, yeah, we 82 00:04:53.480 --> 00:04:56.680 go back and you know, I'm carrying Stephen every day. He's drinking a 83 00:04:56.680 --> 00:04:59.399 lot. There's no question. It's like a lot of rum in that guy's 84 00:04:59.399 --> 00:05:02.319 body. And yeah, it was you know, started on the Daily Show 85 00:05:02.360 --> 00:05:06.560 and like honestly took the job just to make some I was just starting out 86 00:05:06.560 --> 00:05:10.560 as a comic and like, oh okay, this, like all TV gets 87 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:13.959 canceled, so we all thought it would get canceled after like six months, 88 00:05:14.439 --> 00:05:16.240 right, and the next time yeah, and it's like and then it just 89 00:05:16.360 --> 00:05:21.360 kind of took off because they left us alone. Like Comedy Central was a 90 00:05:21.399 --> 00:05:27.120 different network then it was like it was still like an underground little kind of 91 00:05:27.160 --> 00:05:31.000 thing. So they there was they were just more liberal about like not politically, 92 00:05:31.079 --> 00:05:34.439 but just like what they let us do. Yeah, Like we did 93 00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:42.120 this piece about Disney. It's we called it the disneification of Times Square. 94 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:45.240 So remember Times Square had all the smut shops and whatever, and then like 95 00:05:45.399 --> 00:05:47.279 Disney and all these big companies came in and turned it into all these like 96 00:05:47.439 --> 00:05:53.639 entertainment type things, and so we sent a like a correspondent out to do 97 00:05:53.720 --> 00:05:57.240 a peace saying, well, you know, the Time Square has been really 98 00:05:57.240 --> 00:06:00.199 cleaned up, but has it been? And he goes, I'm here at 99 00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:01.879 the Disney store. And then and I don't know if I could say this 100 00:06:01.959 --> 00:06:05.560 word. Yeah, of course, bildo, you say it all the time 101 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:10.920 because I have one in my pocket now, and so I basically go So 102 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:15.000 the guys in said j J said, I could do I could I could 103 00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:18.959 have it, but whatever, anyway, sorry, I hate it when it 104 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:21.319 goes off. Oh good, And you have a turkey based because my wife 105 00:06:21.360 --> 00:06:25.720 can't get pregnant. Yeah, get turkey based here for no good reason a 106 00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:30.439 radio show. You can impregnate her with the turkey baser. And then satisfied 107 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:33.279 with what you have in your co podcast, Carol, you're getting pregnant tonight. 108 00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:40.279 Listen say hi to your lover. Yeah. Our listener by the name 109 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:43.839 of freak Jesus sent that up here. So and then there's a Rice Christmas 110 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:50.040 for an after post coital snack. Why not? That's awesome? And then 111 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:55.439 I think you just dumped the last ten seconds of what we said. You're 112 00:06:55.639 --> 00:07:00.639 I don't think that thing. We were not even sure if thing. Yeah, 113 00:07:00.839 --> 00:07:06.199 well it discount a game show, buzzard, How was the show great? 114 00:07:06.199 --> 00:07:10.240 Well, he kept leaping himself for no reason at all, the guy 115 00:07:10.279 --> 00:07:14.959 who works on TV but doesn't know anything about radio. So what was I 116 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:23.279 talking about? Disneyfication? So the correspondent is now in the Disney store that 117 00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:27.680 just opened, and Disney's happy to have us because we would say, oh, 118 00:07:27.759 --> 00:07:30.040 yeah, we're a news show from Comedy Central. But then we would 119 00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:32.319 go in and like whatever story we're doing, we'd be ragging on the people, 120 00:07:32.360 --> 00:07:35.160 and then once the shot thing was over, they realized, oh wow, 121 00:07:35.199 --> 00:07:38.959 they just scragged on us. But now we had the film and we 122 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:41.680 could do what we want to. He goes, so I'm here in Times 123 00:07:41.720 --> 00:07:45.600 Square and it's a Disney store and they say that the things are being cleaned 124 00:07:45.680 --> 00:07:47.279 up, and Disney is the best example of that, or is it? 125 00:07:47.319 --> 00:07:53.079 And then he would just grab the most innocent, like the Mermaid doll or 126 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:55.800 whatever, and you go, this may look like the Mermaid doll, but 127 00:07:55.839 --> 00:08:01.120 it's a dildo. And then he'd grab another thing like Mickey Mouse. Nope, 128 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:07.959 vibrator right, And so so we cut the piece together. You know, 129 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:11.120 when you do something wrong and your father or your mom is so mad 130 00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:13.800 at you they're screaming, they can't see straight. Yeah, like so or 131 00:08:13.800 --> 00:08:18.600 your program director whichever, okay, right? Perfect? Right? So then 132 00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:22.879 so the president of the network, we would have Friday would be what we 133 00:08:22.920 --> 00:08:24.079 call it dark day, which is that you don't tape me just in the 134 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:28.240 office. He came in and he goes and he's like shaking. He goes, 135 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:33.600 I saw that piece about Disney. What are you guys doing? We're 136 00:08:33.639 --> 00:08:37.600 like what. He goes, you can't say dildo twelve times in a four 137 00:08:37.639 --> 00:08:41.879 minute piece. We're like, now we're trying not to laugh at dad, 138 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:45.960 right, And we're like, he goes, we are you laughing at it? 139 00:08:45.960 --> 00:08:46.519 We go, well, we didn't know there was a rule about how 140 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:50.039 many times you can say dildo. You told us to go for it. 141 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:52.600 We're going for it. He goes, well, you can't do it, 142 00:08:52.960 --> 00:08:54.799 and so I go, well, we go, what do you want us 143 00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:56.799 to do? He goes, don't be a smart ass macurial. I go, 144 00:08:56.879 --> 00:08:58.399 we just what do you want us to do? But he goes, 145 00:08:58.080 --> 00:09:03.639 you need to edit it down? How many times can we say? Do 146 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:09.440 the four you could say it four times. It's an arbitrary exactly. Do 147 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:13.120 we don't have a censorship per person or standards and practices persons or whenever we 148 00:09:13.159 --> 00:09:16.320 would see them after that, like at a party or something, we'd go, 149 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:20.159 hey, there's for dil do Doug right there. Yes, it sounds 150 00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:24.360 like we work in very similar industries. It's the same thing. It's always 151 00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:28.120 push the envelope, push the envelope until you cross the invisible line that gets 152 00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:31.799 you in trouble and then you get scolded, written up, and sometimes fire. 153 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:35.759 I think now though, I think our leadership wants us to get compliants 154 00:09:35.960 --> 00:09:37.840 and things. I think they're just trying to get rid of us. I 155 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:41.240 think that, Yeah, we had a show pulled. I'm kind of proud 156 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:43.600 of this as a joke that I actually wrote and caused the show to be 157 00:09:43.679 --> 00:09:48.879 pulled and never reaired because it was about and this was on the daily daily, 158 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:52.639 and so you know, we would if you like, you know, 159 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:56.559 we would make a joke about something and sometimes we would like take their face 160 00:09:56.639 --> 00:10:00.639 their headshot or whatever, and they would we'd mock it up with something, 161 00:10:00.679 --> 00:10:01.960 you know, funny hat or whatever. Right, So this was, uh, 162 00:10:03.879 --> 00:10:09.399 this was somebody having an affair and then the in like was a really 163 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:13.559 nasty affair and it was very public. It was, oh, it's Lewinsky. 164 00:10:13.559 --> 00:10:16.879 It was that that long ago, and it was yes, it was 165 00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:20.879 a long time ago. So basically, and I think we got incense that 166 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:24.879 like, you know, Chelsea was a little kid, and then Lewinsky was 167 00:10:24.919 --> 00:10:30.159 out like getting endorsement deal like remember like she got like ags and she was 168 00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:35.159 on the cover of like Cosmopo, one of those like Vanity Fair, and 169 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:39.159 she was like had like this little picnic thing going on with like a little 170 00:10:39.240 --> 00:10:41.480 like your t shirt tied off and stuff, and she was shy, so 171 00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:45.080 and we just thought it was like, you know what, this is gross, 172 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:48.320 Like you shouldn't be like you just broke almost broke up a family. 173 00:10:48.080 --> 00:10:52.159 So I said, we wrote, this isn't the only thing that she's doing 174 00:10:52.159 --> 00:10:58.000 to realabilitate her career. She's getting endorsement deals from different products, including the 175 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:01.240 milk industry. And then we had them put ash shot of milk on her 176 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:05.720 face and I know you for ten minutes and I'm like, yeah, this 177 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:11.320 is all check job. I'll ever have this standing in the graphics department leaning 178 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:13.799 over a guy in a computer, going, no, no, it needs 179 00:11:13.879 --> 00:11:18.399 to look more like something something else, like milk, like milk, It 180 00:11:18.440 --> 00:11:22.039 needs to be more translucent. He goes, what it is translucent? And 181 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:24.679 I go, just like you can see through it. I'm like it was 182 00:11:24.759 --> 00:11:26.240 like and it was like and I go, no, no, it's can't 183 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:30.159 be a little. It's gonna be a lot. It's gonna be keeping from 184 00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:35.080 everything from her ears of course. So apparently it's been real proud of this 185 00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:37.399 bit. Yeah, this is like you know again, I'm take the hair 186 00:11:37.480 --> 00:11:41.519 jail from something about think about that, why are you going to go to 187 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:43.639 law school? Well, so I can do these kind of things. So 188 00:11:43.879 --> 00:11:48.559 apparently, so what we did was when you finished. So the routine is 189 00:11:48.320 --> 00:11:50.720 working on a show. On shows like that, it's like taking a final 190 00:11:50.759 --> 00:11:56.080 every day, because we would it's day of deciding what stories we're gonna do. 191 00:11:56.120 --> 00:11:58.600 So we sit around table like this and there's like a dozen of us, 192 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:01.080 including the pretty uses and stuff, and we're just going like, so 193 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:05.080 I was. Everybody was assigned the newspaper. I can't remember what mine was 194 00:12:05.159 --> 00:12:07.480 on a Wall Street journal of or something. And you go through and you 195 00:12:07.519 --> 00:12:11.240 say and you pitch stories to the table what about this? What about this? 196 00:12:11.279 --> 00:12:13.360 What about just like a TV a show would do like a new show 197 00:12:13.480 --> 00:12:16.559 or a newspaper, and they go, Okay, well let's see, we 198 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:20.799 got we got this, Let's do these six right, and then you go 199 00:12:20.840 --> 00:12:24.240 off and you have three hours to write as many funny jokes as you can 200 00:12:24.360 --> 00:12:26.919 and hope to God that you're funny that day. And it's like literally taking 201 00:12:26.919 --> 00:12:31.159 a college final every day. Yeah, yeah, it was like that, 202 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:33.759 and that's why. But until I started. We're going to show why they 203 00:12:33.759 --> 00:12:37.559 have a group of writers because you may be off someday and I'll be on. 204 00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:43.240 So you you accomplish it. So so we're, you know, we're 205 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:46.759 doing our thing, and we're writing the joke, and then a one or 206 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:48.039 so. By the way, I don't know if this is inside baseball and 207 00:12:48.120 --> 00:12:52.279 too boring for people how this stuff works, but I'll stop talking about this 208 00:12:52.360 --> 00:12:56.440 if you want. But we basically would then write the jokes, then produce 209 00:12:56.519 --> 00:12:58.559 the jokes, meaning get everything ready if you need, like sound bites or 210 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:03.240 one hats drawn on people or whatever, and then at four o'clock you rehearse 211 00:13:03.320 --> 00:13:07.519 the show. Then we rewrite the show between five and five thirty and then 212 00:13:07.559 --> 00:13:11.960 Tavia at five thirty, is there an audience in the rehearsal, No, 213 00:13:11.080 --> 00:13:15.559 good question, it's the staff. You bring the staff out, which kind 214 00:13:15.559 --> 00:13:18.879 of sucks in a way because like some of like some of the staff and 215 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:22.360 crew are like teamsters, guys who like only laugh at fart jokes, so 216 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:24.840 like if that gets the best, like you go, please don't laugh at 217 00:13:24.840 --> 00:13:26.759 the fart joke. Ye laugh at the part joke, and that's the one 218 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:30.080 that gets on the then the like the smarter joke doesn't. But but it 219 00:13:30.120 --> 00:13:33.519 all worked out. It was great, but we have enough bodies in there. 220 00:13:33.559 --> 00:13:35.360 Also, you just get to get it out of your mouth, like 221 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:37.960 Steven the host whoever, like even me, like when I'm writing a new 222 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:39.200 joke for my act, like you just got to say it. You got 223 00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:41.919 to just start getting the words out so you get the rhythm of it. 224 00:13:43.679 --> 00:13:48.399 And so while the audience is being seated and put into the studio, we're 225 00:13:48.440 --> 00:13:52.279 rewriting the show one last time. So it's literally like there's never enough time. 226 00:13:52.279 --> 00:13:54.840 You're always like another like you just don't because you have to get the 227 00:13:54.840 --> 00:13:58.440 show shot by a certain time to then get it shut up to a side, 228 00:13:58.600 --> 00:14:01.879 shut up to a satellite and whatever. So you know, we're basically 229 00:14:03.559 --> 00:14:07.759 you know, so the show that graphic I just described, the show airs 230 00:14:07.799 --> 00:14:13.399 at eleven o'clock, and the story is that the same president Network saw it 231 00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:16.399 was in the first act. But we the reason I told you the background 232 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:18.480 how the show works is because you're supposed toen the script into standards and practices 233 00:14:18.519 --> 00:14:22.000 at like around four o'clock. So we just left the graphic out and said, 234 00:14:22.039 --> 00:14:24.679 TBD, it's just a graphic of you know, the period. We're 235 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:28.279 just working on it, like that's all we said. Because funny hat bunny 236 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:35.799 hat, because because the writing didn't indicate what it was. And so apparently 237 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:39.279 he sees the thing and he picks up the phone and he goes, who 238 00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:43.080 on the rise that picture? Pull the show? They pulled the show and 239 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:46.960 they never reaired because that show would reair four times a day and they never 240 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:50.279 reaired the show. Really, that's when I found that out. The next 241 00:14:50.440 --> 00:14:54.639 morning, I immediately went to graphics and I said, before you delete that 242 00:14:54.679 --> 00:14:56.320 picture, give it framed, and I have it framed. Him. That's 243 00:14:56.840 --> 00:15:01.559 that's beautiful. Okay. Hold on, so you're uh was recent. Paul 244 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:05.919 mccurio is who is joining us and you're you're at the Plano House of Comedy 245 00:15:05.960 --> 00:15:09.039 tonight and tomorrow night, and tickets are at t X dot House of Comedy 246 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:13.519 dot net. A year ago I read the Daily Show book, which I 247 00:15:13.559 --> 00:15:16.039 don't know how you know how accurate those things are, but it's a good 248 00:15:16.120 --> 00:15:20.559 oral history book. There's a lot of people in it. And one thing 249 00:15:20.600 --> 00:15:24.200 they do talk about I remember them talking about the Chelsea Clinton, you know, 250 00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:26.639 the scandals. Is that issue right there, So that's what you're referencing. 251 00:15:26.759 --> 00:15:31.840 But also they did talk about the Kilbourne days and then when John Stewart 252 00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:37.919 came in and there were some people very resistant and John's first few months they 253 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:41.879 were struggling to find out what the show was going to be because it was 254 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:45.919 going to be different than what Craig's version of the show was. And you 255 00:15:46.120 --> 00:15:50.840 were in for both both, you know eras of that, So you're one 256 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:54.039 of the guys who I mean, because it was in the book. They 257 00:15:54.120 --> 00:15:56.679 in the book, the way they painted out is there were ki Kilbourne writers 258 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:00.759 who were just very resistant to change the way they do things when John came 259 00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:06.360 in, and the people that stayed were likely people who are more open minded 260 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:08.240 to what John's vision of the show was. Yeah, there was a couple 261 00:16:08.279 --> 00:16:12.519 of people that whatever. I mean, John's great, But was that transitionary 262 00:16:12.519 --> 00:16:17.320 interrupt Was that transition easy for you? It was? It was I think 263 00:16:17.320 --> 00:16:22.519 it was, Well, John's got a big drug problem, and so we're 264 00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:23.639 like, well, how's this guy gonna do it? Because he's asleep half 265 00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:26.480 the time, he saw whatever, or it's coke, and he's all over 266 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:33.039 the place and he's got hookers in the room. Here's what happened that that 267 00:16:33.159 --> 00:16:37.039 shoke got created. I work for drug addicts and alcoholic I love doing that 268 00:16:37.080 --> 00:16:47.960 to my friends. You know, when you when you're proud of something you'd 269 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:51.159 make right. We were there from we built it from scratch, right, 270 00:16:51.480 --> 00:16:56.240 and so you become protective of it. And I think initially, and John's 271 00:16:56.480 --> 00:17:00.279 amazing, and he's so right, he's so smart, and he's such a 272 00:17:00.279 --> 00:17:03.079 funny guy. But you don't know, if I think people were like, 273 00:17:03.119 --> 00:17:07.599 well, is this going to get turned into like a traditional late night show 274 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:11.720 with a band and whatever and this and that, because we wanted to keep 275 00:17:11.799 --> 00:17:15.039 our edge and that was the thing, and we didn't know if that was 276 00:17:15.079 --> 00:17:17.680 going to change, because you know, John was a big name, and 277 00:17:17.720 --> 00:17:21.519 so when a big talent comes in like that, they can bagasy. They 278 00:17:21.559 --> 00:17:25.839 have the power to dictate changing the show in the way they want it to 279 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:29.920 be, as opposed to if you hired a non name and then that non 280 00:17:30.039 --> 00:17:33.799 name, non person without a big name has to sort of adhere to what 281 00:17:33.880 --> 00:17:36.440 the show is, you know what I'm saying. Sure, and so, 282 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:38.680 and I knew John a little bit from the stand up scene, but he 283 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:42.279 was way before me and higher on the food chain than I was, So 284 00:17:42.759 --> 00:17:45.359 even I just knew him to be friendly around the clubs and stuff, but 285 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:48.000 I wasn't a close friend, and so I think that was like the core 286 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:52.839 of the concern. So any sort of tension that there was was just I 287 00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:59.440 always felt and still feel from a good place out of caring and being protective 288 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:02.559 and a healthy of something whatever, as opposed to you want that instead of 289 00:18:02.559 --> 00:18:03.599 people who working go I don't care, do whatever you want to do, 290 00:18:03.640 --> 00:18:06.839 and this thing is a piece of crap anyway. Yeah, and so that's 291 00:18:06.880 --> 00:18:07.759 what happened. So there are a couple of people that were, like, 292 00:18:08.279 --> 00:18:11.920 you know, a couple of correspondents that didn't feel like it was a place 293 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:15.839 for them to be anymore, and then they left and then you know, 294 00:18:15.480 --> 00:18:18.559 the rest of us stayed and you know whatever, and it evolves. Yeah, 295 00:18:18.599 --> 00:18:22.599 but you know, it's a creative it's a creative process. And the 296 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:27.079 creative process, if it's ends up good, is messy. Talk to any 297 00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:30.519 director, talk to a painter, talk to a guy that builds a house, 298 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:34.440 right, like anything that where you're creating something. I mean, you 299 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:37.960 guys work and radio, you're very successful. You've probably worked on other shows 300 00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:42.119 too. You have you talked about program directors, and I know from being 301 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:45.759 doing a lot of radio, you get you guys get notes and feedback. 302 00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:48.880 You should do less of this and more of that. If I would imagine 303 00:18:48.920 --> 00:18:51.799 that you're in the room pushing back a little bit at times. Otherwise if 304 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:53.759 you don't, you shouldn't be in that job because you don't care about your 305 00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:57.799 job enough. Yeah, And that's all that was. And sometimes it gets 306 00:18:57.799 --> 00:19:00.039 blown out of proportion a little bit, you know. And I think for 307 00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:03.799 John it was hard on him and fairness to him, and then looking back, 308 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:07.359 like you know, he came into like a thing that was already set, 309 00:19:07.359 --> 00:19:11.680 and I think he was nervous about things too, and so it was 310 00:19:11.799 --> 00:19:14.640 just like you know, an initial date. You know, it's a little 311 00:19:14.680 --> 00:19:18.480 whatever awkward, Well you work through it, like what do you know we're 312 00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:21.160 all at Del's here, you know, I guess. And also there's you 313 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:26.079 know, there's kind of like that that that power tier system dynamic too to 314 00:19:26.200 --> 00:19:30.640 where well his name is on the damn show, he's got ultimate I guess, 315 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:33.400 final say, you know, it's everything is taken under advisement and into 316 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:37.039 consideration, but ultimately it's going to be my choice. And that can really 317 00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:41.559 rub people the wrong way if in fact they've been there for a substantial amount 318 00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:44.799 of time and then here's the new guy. But the new guy's got more 319 00:19:44.839 --> 00:19:47.240 power than me, and more say than me. That's got to be a 320 00:19:47.240 --> 00:19:52.319 really difficult thing to kind of evolve together into something that stays together and becomes 321 00:19:52.359 --> 00:19:55.359 even more successful than maybe what it was before. That's a really good point 322 00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:59.920 because you know John's like, you know, first of all, he's tiny, 323 00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:03.480 like five four, Like why do you even get that? They carry 324 00:20:03.559 --> 00:20:06.359 him around in a Sherpa bag like you know, little dogs are taking dog 325 00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:08.599 Yeah, and little little face sticks out. You feed him like little little 326 00:20:08.680 --> 00:20:12.000 kibble and stuff. It's amazing that he's able to travel that way in that 327 00:20:12.079 --> 00:20:15.759 hair piece and never falls on It's insane, not a lot. I told 328 00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:18.920 you not to talk about the hair piece on the air, and Ruin hit 329 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:22.079 the staples. But again, no, you know, it's a really good 330 00:20:22.119 --> 00:20:30.200 point because Craig, I thought it was. Craig did not have that final 331 00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:37.160 editorial. Say nothing against Craig, but he didn't have that comedy skill set. 332 00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:41.599 So that was with Liz the one of the co creators of the show, 333 00:20:41.640 --> 00:20:45.000 and Madelie Smithberg. They created the show. John came in. He 334 00:20:45.160 --> 00:20:48.440 had the right to have that because he had the chops for it, and 335 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:51.960 he had the he had the power to negotiate for that, and he should 336 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:55.359 have because it's his name on the shingle and you do have to write for 337 00:20:55.400 --> 00:20:57.319 his voice. So personally, that was never an issue for me. I 338 00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:00.160 don't think it was really an issue for many people. But it was, 339 00:21:00.200 --> 00:21:03.519 like I think we were concerned in the beginning, like are we going to 340 00:21:03.599 --> 00:21:10.440 take the show away from this edge that we created and make it more late 341 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:12.880 night fluff? Kind of not that there's anything wrong with that, but like 342 00:21:12.920 --> 00:21:15.039 a different like, you know, we're gonna have more guests, We're gonna 343 00:21:15.079 --> 00:21:19.279 start having a house band and do well, you take the unique quality out 344 00:21:19.319 --> 00:21:22.680 of it, you know in your head about what it could be. Yeah, 345 00:21:23.359 --> 00:21:26.880 before even I give SNL credit. The only other show at that point 346 00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:30.680 that was doing sort of edgy topical stuff, but it was only weekly and 347 00:21:30.720 --> 00:21:34.200 it was only like eight months out of the year was SNL Weekend Update, 348 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:38.160 and there was no footage and no sound bites. And what we created was 349 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:41.279 every if you go back and look like, every joke had to be set 350 00:21:41.359 --> 00:21:45.319 up using footage and sound bites because we're doing a parody of a news show, 351 00:21:45.720 --> 00:21:48.079 so you have to have footage and sound bites. If were don't have 352 00:21:48.119 --> 00:21:51.519 footage and sound bites, you couldn't do the story because we wanted to then 353 00:21:51.559 --> 00:21:56.119 come back from the sound bite and then there's your punchline. The SoundBite is 354 00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:59.960 the setup, right, And so we had created this really cool kind of 355 00:22:00.200 --> 00:22:02.960 thing and just you know, yeah, so it all worked out. I 356 00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:06.000 mean, you know, John came in and he focused, and I think 357 00:22:06.039 --> 00:22:08.720 that was a smart move on his part. He made the show more about 358 00:22:08.759 --> 00:22:12.400 politics in the media's coverage of politics, which you no one had done. 359 00:22:12.680 --> 00:22:17.480 And he's like a really bright guy and and he and and and then we 360 00:22:17.480 --> 00:22:21.039 were able to kind of start to execute you know what he wanted to do. 361 00:22:21.640 --> 00:22:25.759 And and you know if you didn't, you know, he kidnapped my 362 00:22:25.799 --> 00:22:29.240 dog for a couple of weeks until I gave in a hair piece game for 363 00:22:29.400 --> 00:22:33.400 me exactly. Oh no, did he would change it up. The blonde 364 00:22:33.400 --> 00:22:36.000 curls was weird. I'm like, hey, you're Jewish, that's not working 365 00:22:36.359 --> 00:22:38.759 and not working. How often did you come to town, Paul? I 366 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:42.440 come back once a year. I was actually here like twice within two months 367 00:22:42.480 --> 00:22:45.960 because just before I did the ployt playing on House of Comedy, I did 368 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:48.640 a corporate gig, a private gig for Old Capitol Bank, that's the big 369 00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:52.920 bank here. I guess we don't have any money, no place to put 370 00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:59.640 it is Frank. I took the president's ATM card, So it was a 371 00:22:59.720 --> 00:23:02.960 it's a great gig for me. I had a lucrative trip. Uh So 372 00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:06.880 once a year, Yeah, next time your town, we can hang out 373 00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:11.519 with us again. Yeah. I have a million questions, so many these 374 00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:12.960 questions like this, and and then I it's weird because you can tell them. 375 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:15.519 I said it on the air, like, uh, I get self 376 00:23:15.559 --> 00:23:18.279 conscious because I'm like, do people really care about this stuff? They're like 377 00:23:18.279 --> 00:23:22.759 get in their car. And I even wanted to get into the whole the 378 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:27.880 culture of comedy and how it goes through phases and evolves and changes. Well, 379 00:23:29.799 --> 00:23:30.640 are you about to leave? What are you about to do right now? 380 00:23:30.680 --> 00:23:33.240 You got craft to do right? No, I'm good. I mean 381 00:23:33.319 --> 00:23:37.279 I'm doing something with the with these guys a podcast like about a half hour. 382 00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:40.799 I'm trying to have to ruin your day. No, could you give 383 00:23:40.880 --> 00:23:42.599 us five more minutes after the break. We have to get good ratings otherwise 384 00:23:42.680 --> 00:23:45.519 they'll fire us. Oh yeah, sure, we have to break it. 385 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:48.000 Wait, what are you applying that I just hurt your ratings. No, 386 00:23:48.039 --> 00:23:52.440 I'm saying, you know what, We want you to stay. Yeah, 387 00:23:52.440 --> 00:23:56.200 I'll say absolutely right, Okay, awesome. Paul meccurio is coming back for 388 00:23:56.279 --> 00:23:57.200 a few more minutes next ninety seven One for You.