Are You Garbage? — Funny Marco!

Hosts: Kevin Ryan & H. Foley
Guest: Funny Marco
Episode Air Date: October 23, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode welcomes comedian, internet sensation, and interviewer Funny Marco to the Are You Garbage? hot seat. The show’s signature blend of playful interrogation and revealing stories explores Marco’s journey from a humble Kansas City upbringing to social media stardom, featuring a hilarious and authentic look at “garbage” status, generational hustle, family dynamics, and newfound success. Listeners get to hear about Marco’s origins, his creative process, the unconventional path to fame, and how he's redefined his dreams—while maintaining his roots…and a healthy dose of trashiness.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Childhood and Upbringing

• Kansas City Roots: Marco grew up with four siblings in a three-bedroom apartment, sharing a room and bunk beds with his brothers. Life was modest, with his family residing in a Section 8 neighborhood alongside extended relatives.
  • "So my mama had one room and then we, my sister had one room and then the brothers we like share. We all like share." (04:30)
• Generational Welfare: His grandmother and mother both relied on government assistance, shaping his early views on work and stability.
  • "My grandma, so my mama. Mama never had a job. So she...was counting on a government assistance. Gotcha with that...And then my mama seen that. So my mama started doing that. So my mama never had a job because of her mama." (05:36)

2. Moving Out and Eye-Opening Experiences

• Move to Atlanta: At 20 or 21, Marco left home for Atlanta, marking the first time he’d lived outside Kansas City. The diversity and opportunities for Black professionals in Atlanta were a revelation:
  • "When I moved to Atlanta and I seen so many, like, Black people have different jobs, I'm like, this is different... All we had was warehouse jobs." (03:36)
• Philosophy on Change: Marco encourages others to take risks and seek growth—“to find out new shit.” (03:57)

3. School Years, ADHD & Self-Awareness

• Struggles in School: Marco candidly admits he wasn’t a good student, often disengaged due to undiagnosed ADHD and dyslexia.
  • "I was good to other people, but not myself, if that makes sense. I just wouldn't...I just went to sleep, like, at school…" (07:41)
• Late Diagnosis: Only as an adult did he learn about his ADHD and dyslexia, wishing his family had sought help sooner.
  • "I really wish my mama had got me help. Cause I got ADHD real bad. And I got a deal with dyslexia." (08:45)
• No Sports Star: Instead of athletics, Marco gravitated toward humor, video games, and being the “vibes guy.”
  • "Usually people that are funny can't play sports." (09:54)

4. First Jobs & Early Hustle

• Over 80 Jobs: Marco cycled through countless jobs—first at Popeyes (he admits to “stealing a lot”—and even found a fried rat in the fryer).
  • "Popeyes was dope...I was blowing it on Madden...What was picking situation in there?...But I stole a lot." (15:13–15:37)
  • "It was. I was getting chicken out and it was a rat in there. Fried in a grease, just cooking." (15:48–16:04)
• Wildest Job: The water department, climbing into manholes to fix pipelines, was his hardest gig:
  • "I worked for the water department and that was pipeline, where you used to go down and dig up...that was my last job before I became who I was." (13:24–14:25)
• Countless Temp Jobs: He would quit if he wasn’t happy—a habit that continued until comedy and internet success.

5. Start of Comedy & Social Media Takeoff

• Stand-Up Aspirations: Inspired by seeing stand-up on TV, Marco made naive calls to comedy clubs trying to get on stage.
  • "I remember calling the improv and I was like, yeah, I want to come do stand up. Like, who are you? And I'm like, Marco...It doesn't work like that." (20:45)
• Breakthrough in Viral Videos: His “Walmart” prank videos, especially those rapping lyrics to strangers, took off on social media.
  • "I was doing Walmart videos in Kansas City...I was hitting like a million views." (22:05–23:30)
• Rihanna Follows Him: A random DM alerted him that Rihanna had followed him, which inspired him to create tailored content and believe in his potential.
  • "A stranger DM me and he said, oh, you know, Rihanna follow you?...She see it. So I went and did a Rihanna song." (21:55–22:38)

6. Family Ties in Content Creation & Fame

• Family as Crew: Marco’s brothers quit their jobs to film his videos as the business exploded.
  • "I told him to quit his job to come help me film....He came down, he quit his job, and then he start filming for me." (33:27–33:47)
• “Celebrity Babies”: He has three children—one 12-year-old and two toddlers he calls his "celebrity babies." (07:09)

7. Brand Deals, Money, and Newfound Wealth

• First Big Paycheck: After moving to Atlanta, he was offered $20,000 for a waist trainer video, and soon after, $100,000+ for influencer promotions with major labels—dutifully handled by a music-industry manager.
  • "He was just like, it's a waist trainer video for $20,000...I've never seen 20,000." (30:51)
• Buying His First Car: Marco spent his big check on a black Dodge Challenger—“a dirt bag move and we love it.” (34:04)
• Lessons on Managing Money: Initially, he splurged, but now he has a business manager and views his home as an investment.

8. Life Upgrades & Accoutrements of Success

• Home and Lifestyle:
  • Buys a house in Atlanta, adds a pool, hot tub, and is building a basketball court (42:10).
    • "They're actually building a basketball court. They supposed to start today." (42:12)
  • Bought the house from fellow comedian Desi Banks (48:07).
  • Owns a Cybertruck, previously owned a Challenger (wrecked by a friend).
• Brothers Live With Him: His tight-knit relationship extends to adult life—brothers share apartments, get in on parties, and run family cookouts with pig's feet and classic southern fare (60:12).
• Fancy Water: Offers guests fancy bottled water (Saratoga), but wants an office-style water cooler (54:31).
• Spa Treatments: Gets mani-pedis, sometimes as a “date” move (51:15).
• Latest Indulgence: Custom Frank Ocean couch on order, gaming room in the front room, and plenty of snacks for guests, even if snacks “aren’t as good as they used to be.” (58:53, 62:10)

9. Humble Living and “Garbage” Admissions

• Classic “Garbage” Behaviors:
  • Pees and brushes teeth in the shower: "Yeah, I did today." (43:59)
  • Reluctant with cologne unless meeting women (55:23)
  • Eats fried chicken he cooks himself, not a seafood fan, steak “medium well” after steak-shaming at a business lunch (52:38–53:06)
  • Used to love Tombstone pizzas; snacks are for the guests, often old-school (53:52, 62:29)
  • Flies coach unless it’s a long flight (“La, you gotta fly first class”), and has LV luggage for life (64:00)
  • Unique sleep habits—at the foot of his bed, no pillows, sometimes no covers (46:51)

10. Giving Back and New Goals

• Helping Others: Now strives to give back, especially to single mothers, and dreams of a TV show where he rides public transit, learns stories, and gives out cars.
  • "I wanna...like start like a TV show where I ride the bus and...buy them a car." (43:15)
• No Real Vacations Yet: Just got a passport, dreams of visiting Hong Kong or Thailand (56:05–57:28).

11. Reflections on Growth and Industry Impact

• Self-Awareness: Marco remains genuine, humble, and conscious of the generational patterns he’s breaking and the moments he wants to create for himself and others.
  • "I want to give people opportunities up and coming...sometimes it's OK to create a moment." (66:42)
• Quote on Comedic Hustle:
  • "The hardest job is trying to be a comedian because you don't know when the money gonna come...But do the job and the job's gonna work for you." (67:49)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Breaking the Welfare Cycle:
  "It’s OK to use that, you know, but let it be a stepping stone...If you stay in the system so long, what about people that need to come in?" — Marco (06:17)
• On ADHD and School:
  "I really wish my mama had got me help. Cause I got ADHD real bad. And I got a deal with dyslexia." — Marco (08:45)
• Rihanna and Social Media Breakthrough:
  "When Rihanna liked a video, I did...I was like, oh wow, I'm about to go do a Rihanna song, cause she see it." — Marco (22:37)
• On “Manifesting” the Cybertruck:
  "I manifested a Cybertruck...I made a post on Instagram...it goes viral everywhere. I didn't even buy yet." — Marco (49:58–50:52)
• Self-Aware Trashiness:
  "Definitely garbage...But in a very classy way at the same time." — Foley (66:14)
• On Family Thanksgiving:
  "Black prayers, they last for a long time...the one uncle that's about to pass, he'd say it like, oh, really?" — Marco (60:58)
• On Legacy:
  "Sometimes it's OK to create a moment...somebody gonna die out of somebody. And they'd be like, damn, I remember working with him." — Marco (67:00)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | Description | |----------------------|------------------|-------------------------------| | Childhood, KC roots | 02:14–07:00 | Family, upbringing, moving out | | Generational Welfare | 05:30–06:17 | Patterns, early worldview | | ADHD in School | 07:41–08:45 | Learning difficulties | | First Jobs | 12:54–16:26 | Popeyes, water dept, temp gigs | | Social Media Ascent | 21:55–23:32 | Viral “Walmart” videos | | Rihanna follows | 22:05–22:38 | Breakthrough moment | | Brand Deals/Money | 30:48–35:07 | Big checks, promotion strategy | | Buying First Car | 34:04–34:47 | Challenger, first splurge | | Family Business | 33:10–33:47 | Brothers join content creation | | Home & Lifestyle | 41:50–43:30 | House, pool, basketball court | | Garbage Habits | 43:52–47:31 | Shower, bedding, weird sleep | | Money Management | 42:25–43:03 | Having business manager | | Philanthropy | 43:08–43:36 | Single mothers/car giveaway | | First Big Concert | 19:43–20:39 | Juice WRLD | | Unique Cookout | 60:09–60:16 | Pig’s feet at the grill | | On Comedy Hustle | 67:49–68:15 | The grind, advice for comics | | Final Thoughts | 66:40–68:15 | Meaning, legacy, gratitude |

Summary Tone & Final Take

The episode is raucous, honest, and warm. Funny Marco’s unfiltered answers, like quirks with numbers, a lack of pretension about luxury, and his genuine desire to help others, make for a classic “Are You Garbage?” guest—one whose “trashiness” is wrapped, paradoxically, in humility and ambition. The stories (fried rats at Popeyes, sleeping at the foot of the bed, manifesting a Cybertruck) are colored by a thoughtful, comedic heart.

Best enjoyed for:

• Origin story inspiration and laughs
• A peek behind the viral content curtain
• Real talk on generational hurdles and success
• Candid “garbage” confessions with family warmth

Sample Memorable Exchanges

• On getting steak well done at a business dinner:
  • "I did well done one time and everybody, like, I think they look...yeah, they didn't fuck with me." — Marco (53:01)
• On not knowing brothers’ ages:
  • "I don't know anybody age...Numbers stress me out, so I really don't like to think about them." — Marco (04:52)
• On pursuing comedy fame:
  • "I want to cater to those people that...when I laugh, it was like I forgot I was sad. So I was like, I want to cater to those people that, damn..." — Marco (23:00)
• On success and family:
  • "Bought a house...for my brothers in them. So like, when people come over, it's something to do." — Marco (59:45)
• Hosts, on Marco’s “Are You Garbage?” rating:
  • "Definitely garbage. But in a very classy way at the same time." — Foley (66:14)

Conclusion

Funny Marco beautifully embodies the AYG tradition: from humble roots, marked by a loving but scrappy family, to influencer riches—but still brushing his teeth in the shower and sleeping at the foot of the bed. This episode is a celebration of not just making it, but of redefining what “garbage” means when success looks a little different than you thought.