Comedy Bang Bang: "I Can’t Chase 55s" (Max Silvestri, Gabe Liedman, Will Hines, Ben Rodgers)

Date: November 3, 2025
Host: Scott Aukerman
Guests: Max Silvestri, Gabe Liedman, Arnold Debobo (character, played by Ben Rodgers), Ethan Merck (character, played by Will Hines)

Episode Overview

This raucous episode of Comedy Bang Bang brings together comedians Max Silvestri and Gabe Liedman, both recent entrants to the podcasting game, for a playful debrief about their comedy careers, podcasting origins, and email communication woes. The conversation, full of Comic Bang Bang’s signature meta-humor and character bits, ranges from persistent festival stories to the debut and self-roasting of their new show, I Need You Guys (including frequent shout-outs to co-host Jenny Slate). Later, the show erupts into classic CBB mayhem as characters Ethan Merck (a bumbling bounty hunter) and Arnold Debobo (an off-putting mentalist) join the fun for character-driven silliness that lampoons law enforcement, mentalism, and bad corporate gigs.

Guests Introduction and Festival Antics

[02:01–13:15]

• Scott launches into the main show, welcoming Pen15 and Q Force writer Gabe Liedman for his first official Comedy Bang Bang appearance (“the exclusive One-Timers Club”), and Max Silvestri for his seventh.
• Scott and Max revisit Max's infamous 10-minute set at the 2019 “Great American Comedy Festival” in Lincoln, Nebraska (where Max opened for Dave Coulier), analyzing whether he came out financially “in the black or in the red.” Max spins the tale of parlaying the set’s minor buzz into a 15-minute “mini special” and riffs on comedy econ (“This was my crypto moment... I can go all in and do 15 [minutes].” – Max, 09:46).
• They bemoan not being invited back for anniversaries, joking that Max’s fame now eclipses Johnny Carson's (“I do feel like, yeah. Oh, this is, you know, a special space.” – Max, 12:16).

Memorable Quote:
“...at the end of the day, this festival is about raising Johnny Carson’s legacy. And it seems like perhaps your fame is eclipsing his at this point.”
– Scott, 11:57–12:02

Email Gate: The Great Podcast Pitch That Wasn't

[13:15–32:47]

• Scott and the guests hilariously resurrect ancient podcasting plans: Max and Gabe recall reaching out to Scott by email in 2011, trying to pitch a podcast version of their live show. Scott's advice (“it’s harder than it seems... you need something”) led them to drop the idea, only to revive it now, when the market is more saturated than ever.
• Gabe produces emails from 2009 begging to perform on Scott’s live show, which Scott, then too busy, never replied to. This triggers comedic hand-wringing about booking etiquette and long-held grudges.
• The conversation affectionately flays the podcasting process (“...we waited until it was so, like, oversaturated, fat, like a balloon about to explode” – Max, 20:36), with all agreeing they weren't ready 13 years ago, and that the journey to friendship and podcasting maturity ran parallel.

Notable Exchange:
“I think my other show, Threedom, is just three friends talking... now it’s all based on the personalities and if people like you, then they’ll follow you anywhere.”
– Scott, 22:28–22:49

I Need You Guys Podcast: Concept & Meta-Jabs

[32:47–38:12]

• Max and Gabe unveil I Need You Guys, a laidback chat show with Jenny Slate, using podcasting as a friendship-maintenance tool (“...this is our way of keeping in touch now that we’re adults” – Gabe, 21:02).
• They joke about Jenny's infamous accidental F-bomb on SNL and her ongoing “apologies to children,” and riff on how the podcast differs from "high-concept" shows, embracing guest unpredictability and crowd-sourced life advice.
• Scott suggests that “low-concept” is now the most refreshing move, noting the market shift in podcasting: it's now personality-driven, not premise-dependent.

Memorable Moment:
“We wanted to wait until it was just the love of the game... and you know, we weren’t ready thirteen years ago.”
– Max, 23:10–23:14

A New Era of Podcasting: Workflow, Scheduling, and Friendship

[38:12–40:12]

• The friends trade tips about email responsiveness, scheduling via Zoom, technological ineptitude (especially regarding Jenny’s eternal computer woes), and the honesty required for a lasting creative partnership.
• The trio celebrates how accepting each other’s quirks (non-responsiveness, tech issues) is the true secret to podcast longevity.

Character Drop-In: Ethan Merck, Bounty Hunter

[40:12–54:00]

• Enter “law enforcement” guest Ethan Merck, a self-styled bounty hunter (played by Will Hines). The bit quickly spirals: Ethan describes his freelance services, which sound conspicuously like kidnapping, complete with “vetting” to ensure the “targets” are truly “bad guys.”
• Max gets comically serious about what it would cost to hire Ethan to track his hypothetical runaway wife, fussing over expenses from gas to lunch (“Chipotle or higher,” Ethan, 51:11).
• The segment lampoons procedural TV tropes, private investigator cliches, and client/PI logistics, complete with meandering debates about food and travel per diems.

Notable Quote:
“I can’t chase 55s.”
– Ethan Merck (i.e. won’t take a job unless he feels the target is at least 60% in the wrong), 50:20

Character Drop-In: Arnold Debobo, Off-Putting Mentalist

[67:00–88:09]

• Arnold Debobo (Ben Rodgers) crashes the show as a self-effacing, repellent mentalist who proclaims, “...what makes me maybe the greatest mentalist out there [is] I’m more off-putting. Audiences are uncomfortable around me.” (68:08)
• Arnold demonstrates bizarre “mentalism tricks” by making his targets think about how far away they want him, getting clues from foot massages and microreactions (“...five feet further away”– Arnold, 72:12).
• He delivers a fire truck toy in a pre-mailed envelope, referencing a guest's secret emoji code; later, an ominous letter from Phil Collins emerges (“He signed it, ‘Hey, check out my lyrics to In The Air Tonight.’” – Scott, 85:02).
• Arnold and Ethan riff on being used as “last resort” interrogators, and Arnold admits his career is founded on being “gross enough that it is beneficial to what I do...” (81:05) while everyone explores just how off-putting he is.

Lightning Plugs & Closing Banter

[88:46–end]

• Max and Gabe plug their new podcast, I Need You Guys, releasing weekly (or “every six days... HBO style,” per Scott).
• They plug their other projects: Max with HBO’s I Love LA and Loot (season 3), produced with Alan Yang.
• Ethan’s plug: comedy podcast “Screw, We’re Just Gonna Talk About the Beatles.”
• Arnold: Action Boys podcast.
• Scott plugs CBB merch and action figures, and closes with playful thanks and nods to each guest’s quirks (“The sooner you’re out of here, the better” – addressing Arnold, 94:00).

Notable Quotes & Segments (Timestamps)

• Scott on email ghosting and responsiveness:
  “We all pretend that we don’t have these devices in our hands all the time... We should just respond. But instead, we put it aside... [and] forget about it for weeks.” (28:55)
• Max’s comedically circuitous path to podcasting:
  “We waited until it was so oversaturated, fat, like a balloon about to explode.” (20:36)
• Arnold Debobo’s self-assessment:
  “I’m more off-putting. Audiences are uncomfortable around me.” (68:08)
• Ethan Merck’s professional standards:
  “I can’t chase 55s.” (50:20)
• The theme of staying current, according to Max:
  “Johnny is trying to. And when I say Johnny, I mean the stewards of his legacy. He’s long dead, right?” (12:42)
• Podcasting about friendship:
  “This is our way of keeping in touch now that we’re adults.” – Gabe, (21:02)

Episode Flow

• Catchphrase/intro, guest welcomes, running joke about Max's Nebraska set/festival.
• Deep dive into email etiquette, podcasting journeys, and what advice means in comedy.
• Introduction of I Need You Guys; why “low-concept” podcasts are now king.
• Character chaos: Ethan Merck’s off-the-rails “bounty hunter,” expense negotiations, and “wrongness percentages.”
• Character chaos: Arnold Debobo’s grating, meta magic tricks; uncomfortable (and hilarious) mentalism.
• Round-Robin plugs, gentle roast of closing out the show, and callbacks to the episode’s recurring bits.

Final Thoughts

A classic Comedy Bang Bang episode: a densely packed, self-referential comedic stew brimming with meta-jokes, running bits, and mock earnestness. Silvestri and Liedman riff with seasoned chemistry, poking fun at the showbiz grind and podcast saturation, while the open-door third act brings in hallmark absurdist characters—making for an episode that rewards both deep CBB fans and new listeners alike.