Conan and Sona in Morocco

Summary

Podcast Summary: Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

Episode: Conan and Sona in Morocco

Release Date: June 25, 2026
Host: Conan O’Brien, with Sona Movsesian
Location: Recording from a car crossing Morocco, with driver Rashid and crew member Blay

---

Overview

In this special, on-the-road episode, Conan and Sona record from the backseat of a car as they journey through Morocco, heading from Merzouga in the Sahara towards Marrakech. The episode’s core is a playful travelogue—full of banter, behind-the-scenes tales from shooting “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” observations about Moroccan culture, food, and customs, and musings on friendship, travel, and song-writing gone delightfully off the rails. The tone stays loose, silly, and irreverent throughout, with Rashid the driver occasionally chiming in and Sona providing her usual dry humor.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Moroccan Road Trip Context

• [01:18] Conan explains they are in the backseat of a car in Morocco, after wrapping up a “Conan O'Brien Must Go” shoot with a fan named Yasir in Casablanca.
• [04:34] They describe bureaucratic woes at the Casablanca airport, likening their struggle with travel documents to the classic film “Casablanca.”
  • Conan: “Anyone who knows me knows I can do Peter Lorre going, ‘I need my papers, Ray. Hide my papers.’ I can do that for four hours easily.” [05:26]
• [06:00] After Casablanca, they flew east to Merzouga for desert shots and endured intense heat (105°F in the shade).
  • Their time in the desert included “adventures,” most notably Conan and Sona being buried in sand for a traditional hot sand treatment.
  • Conan jokes: “I died for a while. They had to resuscitate me. I was medevaced to a hospital in Aspen, Colorado, and then flown back to the shoot.” [07:32]
• [07:52] The travel continues—now on a long drive to Marrakech via Ouarzazate.

---

2. Moroccan Impressions: Culture, Customs, Food

• [17:43] Sona observes Moroccan driving culture: “Americans are a little uptight, but these guys, if someone’s in front of them and they’re driving slow, they just pass them.”
• [18:01] Conan and Sona rave about Moroccan food:
  • “Every meal we have is fantastic.” [18:06]
  • They specifically mention their newfound appreciation for camels, describing them as “very soulful.”
  • Sona: “I almost fell off getting on and off.” [18:23]
• [21:09] Conan draws comparisons between Moroccan and Armenian food traditions (Sona is Armenian):
  • “It’s lots of plates filled with various dips and breads…everyone reaches in and gloop, gloop, gloop…This must be very much your home.”
  • Sona: “Yes, in that way. Yes. And are we loud?”
  • Conan: “You guys are very loud. You’re the loudest mammal I’ve encountered.” [21:43–22:00]

---

3. The “Marrakesh Song” Bit

• [09:16] Conan proposes composing a new song about Marrakech for the trip. They riff and improvise, referencing the Crosby, Stills & Nash classic, but both attempt (badly) to create their own:
  • Sona sings, “Marrakesh, oh Marrakesh, it’s a land of things to buy…” [10:13]
  • Conan responds, teasing: “You weren’t kidding when you said tone-deaf.”
  • They playfully debate what a “sex sesh in Marrakesh” would sound like, which becomes a recurring bit:
    • Conan: “I want to have a sex session in Marrakesh.” [12:32]
    • Sona: “It’s the least sexiest song I’ve ever heard.” [13:17]
• [19:49] They joke about the awkwardness of the phrase “sex sesh in Marrakesh,” trying (and failing) to say it three times fast and imagining it as a viral phenomenon.
  • Sona: “I don’t like how you’re doubling down on this song. It doesn’t even roll off the tongue.”
  • Conan: “This will catch on. It’ll be huge.” [20:08]

---

4. Travel, Family, and Work-Life Balance

• [24:01] Sona reflects, “I've never been to Africa,” and discusses the long gap since their last work trip together.
• Conan praises Sona’s presence on the trip:
  • “It’s been fun having you. You’ve been a great addition.” [24:07]
  • They talk about her young kids and how her husband Tak is holding down the fort at home:
    • “He’s such a good dad. He feeds them, gets them ready for school...” [25:42]
• Conan jokes about his own parenting skills and how his wife never left him alone with the kids:
  • “Do you think she left me alone with the kids once? No, no, no, she would not.” [26:08]

---

5. Rashid, the Driver, Becomes Part of the Show

• [26:13] Conan and Sona banter with Rashid about his driving prowess and whether he’s ever had close calls, leading to comic confusion.
• Conan teases the idea of Rashid joining the show in Los Angeles and living with Sona’s (very large, mythic) family:
  • “You guys sleep in a bunk bed that’s 13 beds tall. Your dad’s on the top, right?” [27:51]
  • Sona defends her family and especially her father’s mustache:
    • Conan: “I can become Gil at any time by just sticking a napkin under my nose—‘Sona, Sona!’” [28:13]

---

6. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On not tiring of old comedy bits:

“When people don't get something I'm doing, I love it and I do it. I go twice as hard.”
—Conan, [05:41]

On Moroccan food and familial similarities:

"You guys are very loud. You're the loudest mammal I've encountered."
—Conan, [21:45]

On Sona’s song attempts:

“You weren’t kidding when you said tone-deaf.”
—Conan, [10:26]

On inventing new genres:

“Sometimes you’re supposed to mix genres, and that creates a whole new genre, and then you’re remembered forever.”
—Conan, [12:03]

On the “sex sesh in Marrakesh” song:

"It's the least sexiest song I think I've ever heard."
—Sona, [13:17]

---

7. Final Reflections and Looking Ahead

• [28:39] Conan attempts to convey the ambiance by lowering the window for “the sound of the desert,” resulting only in wind noise. He embraces the comedic failure:
  • “I didn’t really think that through, but I thought it was still fascinating and a worthwhile experiment.”
• The episode closes with mutual appreciation for the trip and for sharing these adventures with listeners and each other.
  • “Okay, well, Sona, I love this trip. I can’t wait for people to see what we’ve been up to.” —Conan [29:34]
  • “No, I like mine better.” —Sona [29:37] (referring to her own song lyric attempts)

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment | |----------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 01:18 | Setting the scene: Car in Morocco; show context | | 04:34 | Casablanca airport issues; Casablanca film riff | | 06:35 | In Merzouga; extreme heat and sand burial | | 09:16 | Marrakesh song improvisation begins | | 12:32 | The “sex sesh in Marrakesh” joke takes off | | 17:43 | Driving in Morocco; food, camels, and Moroccan culture | | 21:09 | Food/dining comparisons: Moroccan vs Armenian | | 24:01 | Reflections on travel, family, and work-life balance | | 26:13 | Banter with Rashid, tall bunk beds, family jokes | | 28:39 | Outro: capturing the desert sound, closing reflections |

---

Tone and Takeaways

The episode revels in the unpredictability and joys of travel, friendship, and creative misfires. Conan and Sona, with their signature blend of affectionately teasing banter, offer a lively travelogue, highlighting cultural mishaps, culinary delights, and the universal comedy found in being far from home (and one’s comfort zone). The recurring “Marrakesh song” gag captures their chemistry and willingness to push a joke far past its natural limits—as well as their genuine sense of fun and camaraderie on the road.

---

“I think you couldn’t come for a long time because your kids were so little. Now they’re old enough...maybe you’ll come on more trips.”
—Conan, [25:28]

If you haven’t listened, this episode is a breezy, laughter-filled ride through Morocco—complete with travel disasters, cross-cultural observations, and two friends delighting in each other’s (and their driver’s) company.

Transcript

[A]

When you're on a GLP1, you often experience a smaller appetite. That means for GLP1 users, every bite of food should be as nutritious and delicious as possible. And that's where Sprouts Farmers Market comes in. I knew they'd come in somewhere and I guess now's where they come in. From nutrient dense foods to proteins to supplements that help sustain muscle mass and energy levels, Sprouts has you covered. And with in store wellness experts available, guidance is always within reach for any GLP1 journey or broader health goals. Visit sprouts.com to find a Sprouts market near you.

[B]

Back to school starts now. Get long lasting battery life on the Dell XPS laptop powered by Series 3 Intel Core. So you can work from anywhere now starting at $699 with exclusive student pricing starting at 599. Complete your setup with savings on select monitors and must have electronics and accessories. Limited time deals and free shipping on PCs and more await [e-mail] deals that's Dell.com deal.

[A]

Hey there. Welcome to Conan o' Brien needs a friend. I'm joined, as always, by Sona Mopsessian.

[C]

Hello.

[A]

This is kind of a special moment in our podcast because we at the moment are in a car in Morocco. Sona and I are in the backseat of the car.

[C]

Yep.

[A]

Blay is in the front seat shooting us, I think, for video capture. And Rashid is our driver. Hello, Rashid. Hello. Rashid is helping us out. He's driving. And I may occasionally ask Rashid for any kind of help we might need, like content or humor.

[C]

That's good.

[A]

Yeah. So here's the story. Shooting an episode along with Sona of. Of Conan o' Brien Must go visited a fan who lives in Casablanca.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So we flew into Casablanca. Right. And we shot there for what, two days?

[C]

Yeah. We were there for two nights.

[A]

And we hung out with our fan who was very cool and we had a good time with him.

[C]

Yasser. Can you say his name? Are we allowed to?

[A]

Yes, yes, Go ahead.

[C]

Yasir.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. He's a cool guy.

[A]

Yeah. What'd you say? Can we say his name?

[C]

I don't know. Is this. We can talk openly and say all the things.

[A]

Well, yeah, we're safe. We're far from America. We're in the backseat of a car. I'm driving through the desert. So you can say whatever you want.

[C]

Okay. I didn't know how much of the episode you wanted to discuss because I should have asked questions before we recorded this is.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

I was talking about how we Do It. And I just started.

[A]

You started making yourself laugh really hard. I was gonna launch into, you know, why we're here, where in the country we are, some of the customs and traditions. But you, seconds before we started recording, started laughing really hard. And I asked you why. And you said, because there was that famous song.

[C]

Right.

[A]

This Is How we do it.

[C]

This is How We Do It.

[A]

And then you said online, there was a guy whose name is How We Do It. Right. And why don't you tell us, son, when you get yourself under control?

[C]

There's a picture of this guy. He's just a guy, and his name is. His first name is Howie, and his last name is Do It.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

And then it just has the song looping. That's just saying, this is how we do it.

[A]

Right. And how long were you. How long were you watching that for?

[C]

It's not how long I watched it one time. It's how many times do I watch it in, like, a week.

[A]

And what made you start laughing about this now? Deep in Morocco, near the Algerian border.

[C]

I don't know.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Have no idea. But it was also. Somebody sang the song. And it makes me instantly think of that. I'm sorry. You know what?

[A]

Oh, wow. That was cool. We were almost. Almost hit the car ahead of us.

[C]

Anyway. I'm sorry.

[A]

That was not Rashid's fault. Because the car ahead of us hit the brakes.

[C]

No.

[A]

And it was a mom walking her child across the street.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Which is illegal. She shouldn't have to do that. So let me give everyone. Now that we got. This is how we do it. Out of your. Have your system flew into Casablanca. Right. Then we finish up with the fan, and it's time to go to the desert. Okay. Here's I thought was a funny part of the whole situation. We're at the airport in Casablanca.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And we can't leave because somehow our papers weren't in order.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And we couldn't get on our plane. So we were stuck in Casablanca because we didn't have our papers. Rick. Of course. A nod to the famous film Casablanca. And what's the whole plot of Casablanca? One can leave because they don't have their exit visas. They're trapped. And so I kept going up to the officials and saying, you've got to help me, Rink. You've got to help me, Rick. Like Peter Lori. And they didn't know what I was talking about.

[C]

Oh, they didn't know.

[A]

No, no, they didn't know. And I was jailed for a while.

[C]

Oh, maybe if you went as Ilsa.

[A]

They would have been like, you know what? That was my mistake. I should have dressed up as Ilsa.

[C]

Yeah, that would have been nice.

[A]

Or else Humphrey Bogart. Yeah, she. Yeah, she, you know, just said, yeah, Shane.

[C]

Yeah. No, you should have done that. Well, we were there for what, four hours?

[A]

Yeah, but we were only supposed to be there 20 minutes. And anyone who knows me knows I can do Peter Lorre going, I need my papers, Ray. Hide my papers. I can do that for four hours easily. I could have done it for three days.

[C]

You could.

[A]

And you know what? When people don't get something I'm doing, I love it and I do it. I go twice as hard.

[C]

I know, I know. Do you ever get tired of your own bits?

[A]

Oh, God, no.

[C]

Is there ever a time when you're like, oh, I've been doing this for a long time. Nope.

[A]

No. No. I'm always just so happy to be trapped inside this guy.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

What a weird way to put it. Finally, we get out of Casablanca, right? We get out of Casablanca and we fly. We take a plane and we fly for, I don't know, 45 minutes an hour, way to the east, right near the border, because we want to have some that sweet Sahara sand look. You know, the classic look of camels and dunes. What was the name of the place we stayed? Blay. It was in for the dessert. This is Mersoga. Merzugad.

[C]

Merzouga. Merzouga.

[A]

We stayed in Merzoga and we hung out there and. And it was incredibly hot. So hot that our camera equipment could fry, melt down if we didn't keep it cool enough. And boy, did we found a place I'm never supposed to hang out, didn't we?

[C]

Oh, my God.

[A]

I mean, it was 105 in the shade. It was incredible.

[C]

Just the. Just the elements are working against your biology. And I saw it in real time.

[A]

Yeah, but it was fine. And it's beautiful.

[C]

Yeah, it is.

[A]

And you and I had some adventures there. We had a very special treatment that'll be featured in the show where we get buried in sand, you and I, which is incredibly hot when they first do it. And you think you're gonna die and then your body shuts down. You don't feel it anymore. So that was fun. Yeah. I died for a while. They had to resuscitate me.

[C]

That did not happen to me.

[A]

I was medevaced to a hospital in Aspen, Colorado, and then flown back to the shoot. So that's why this remote is taking us over nine years to shoot Then today was the day where we need to drive because we're now making our way to Marrakech.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So to get to Marrakech is a very long drive. We are on our way to Kwarzazate. Quzazate.

[C]

Is that right, Rashid Korsasati.

[A]

I think the way I said it was more accurate. Rasheed.

[C]

Oh, my God.

[A]

It's so rude of you to correct me. Do I correct you when you say Newton north or Brookline High?

[C]

Two things he's never said in his life and will never say.

[A]

I don't. You know, when he says, hey, let's go over to Roxbury and let's get a roast beef sandwich at Buzzy's Roast Beef. I don't start parsing his pronunciations. Anyway, we are gonna fly from Corzizate to Marrakesh. Then we'll be in Marrakesh and we'll shoot there. Yeah, and Marrakesh is gonna have. That's gonna be a little more lux, I think it's gonna be a lot of shops and bazaars and stores. Maybe I'll buy you something.

[C]

A lot. You'll buy. You can buy a meal. Lotta.

[A]

Well, no, I can't. I don't have a lot of money.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

Very famously, I've not done.

[C]

Well, I'll just charge it to the show.

[A]

You can't.

[C]

Okay? I just want a lotta stuff on a bag. I want stuff for the boys. I want something for tack. I want stuff for my house.

[A]

Okay. Okay, I'm just gonna end that now.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah, I'm just gonna end that now. So we are on our way to Marrakesh. And that got me thinking. It would be great if we could sing a song in the car about going to Marrakesh. And then, of course, there's that Crosby Stills Nash song.

[C]

Oh, I thought you were gonna say, this is how we do it.

[A]

No. Okay, that was my second thought, but not my first thought. You know, Blay, you know this song? All aboard that train, Meet America. All aboard. Well, listen, I bring it up for a reason. I've never liked that song. Oh, no, I don't love that song. And it's the only song I know that's about Marrakesh. And so I thought we should come up with our own song about Marrakesh.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

And then maybe we can use it on this travel show.

[C]

Oh, that sounds fun.

[A]

And if it catches on, we own the rights.

[C]

Yeah, if it catches on. You know, I'm tone deaf, but it's okay. I'll do my best.

[A]

Yeah. So what are you thinking? Any ideas for a song on our way to Marrakesh?

[C]

Marrakesh. O Marrakesh It's a land of things to buy and it's.

[A]

You weren't kidding when you said tongue dip.

[C]

I forgot really bad.

[A]

You can't.

[C]

Oh, Marrakesh. What. What are you doing? What are you contributing to this?

[A]

You sound like you're not even that interested in Marrakesh. You're like. Like Marrakesh passed you. It's nearby. It's kind of across the street. You don't really want to say hi to Marrakesh. She went, oh, Marrakesh. Do you know what I mean? You don't want to stop and chat with Marrakesh. It's supposed to Marrakesh.

[C]

Revelatory Marrakesh.

[A]

Like, dissed you at a party. You've got some beef with Marrakesh, but you still kind of like Marrakesh, but you're not ready to talk yet. That's the way you just greeted Marrakesh.

[C]

Maybe it's a diss track to Marrakesh. Yo, this is Marrakesh. Marrakesh can suck it.

[A]

Okay, you don't want to do that.

[C]

No, no, no. I don't want to go that.

[A]

Yeah, I'm actually.

[C]

And I don't mean it, because I'm actually really excited.

[A]

No one. You know the great thing about you, Sona? No one listens to anything you're really saying. They sort of. They get the gist. But no one's. No one would be offended, even in living in Marrakesh.

[C]

When I first started singing the oh, Marrakesh one, that was me kind of trying to do O Canada, but with oh, Marrakesh, and it didn't work. But what's yours?

[A]

Moving along along to Marrakesh Moving along Along to Marrakesh I could put my troubles on the back of a camel Moving along I gotta go to Marrakesh Breakdown.

[C]

No, when you beatbox, you kill it. No, no, no, no, no. When you. When you also. What genre was that?

[A]

I don't know.

[C]

It started folky, and then you started doing a beatbox, and that doesn't make sense.

[A]

Okay, hold on. Well, sometimes you're supposed to mix genres, and that creates a whole new genre, and then you're remembered forever.

[C]

Oh, you're being an innovator.

[A]

Yeah. Well, anyway, we'll think about that. I don't know. I don't know that between us, we're gonna come up with a song for Marrakesh. Marrakesh I don't know if we're come up with it. Marrakesh.

[C]

Marrakesh.

[A]

Hey, I want to have a sesh in Marrakesh.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Isn't that short for session sesh?

[C]

Sesh. Yeah, but what kind of sesh?

[A]

Sex sesh. I want to have a sex session Marrake. I wanna have. Hey, Rasheed is laughing. Rasheed, do you like this? I wanna. What's that?

[C]

You like it?

[A]

I'm gonna have a sex sesh in marriage.

[C]

He like.

[A]

He loves it.

[C]

I don't think anyone's ever called it a sesh before.

[A]

Well, you know what?

[C]

I like sex sesh.

[A]

A sex sesh is you're having. You're hooking up, you're knocking boots, but you're also keeping records for your tax attorney. You're monitoring the time. You're making sure that any suggestions made during sex are kept and sent to an inner office memo. I'm gonna have a sex sesh in Marrakesh.

[C]

It's the least sexiest song I think I've ever heard.

[A]

Well, but one of the least sexiest. Not the least sexiest. So that means it's kind of sexy.

[C]

What? Oh, I guess. Yeah. No, it's just not. It's just a bad song.

[A]

Hey, this summer, if your group chat's thrown around, we should get away. Consider Scottsdale, Arizona.

[C]

Yeah, sure.

[A]

It's warm. That's kind of the point, isn't it? Because summer in Scottsdale comes with some very cool perks. Like luxury resort rates starting at just 109 a night for a luxury resort.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Sign me up. Ease into your trip and get your Zen on with sunrise yoga, evening stargazing and generous summer specials at area spas. Area spas? Sign me up. Or book a sunrise tee time at a world famous golf course at rates way less than usual. Plus, summer is the easiest time to land a reservation at Scottsdale's award winning restaurants. You know, the ones people usually humble brag about getting into. Do you ever do that?

[C]

Yeah, I sure do.

[A]

I'm like, yeah, I got out of that resort, sure I did.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

No shortage of indoor air conditioned spots to visit. Museums, boutiques, art galleries in the southwest. Largest shopping mall I've driven through Scottsdale. It's very nice there.

[C]

I like Scottsdale. It's fun, it's a good time.

[A]

Visit summerinscotsdale.com and start planning your trip. Summer always changes how you get dressed. You want pieces that feel lighter, more breathable. Things that are easy but still put together. That's where Quint comes in. They focus on high quality essentials that feel and look amazing. Think breathable linen and soft organic cotton and think that now. And Quince goes way beyond clothing. They have custom upholstered sofas, ceramic cookware, premium bedding and more for your home. Now you have some personal experience with Quince, do you not, David?

[C]

That's true. Yeah.

[A]

I just went, well, you know, I'm going on vacation soon. So I went to their vacation. Wait, did I approve this vacation? Oh, this is the. Can I go on vacation soon? Sure, go ahead. Great. So I got a new shirt for the vacation. It's a 100% European linen relaxed short sleeve shirt. And then I got some. You're talking just the way people talk. It's the way everybody talks. Make sure you got there. Yeah, it's 100% well. And then it goes with my Italian leather everyday sneakers that I got too. They're a white sneaker that I think it's going to look great on vacation. You know what, your style has improved recently and I think Quint has something to do with that. Definitely elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to quince.com kona for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's almost a full year now. Available in Canada too. That's qui nce.comconan for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.comconan with the US Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card, you earn an unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase.

[B]

Huh.

[A]

It's a good deal.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

No quarterly activations, no categories to Track, just unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase. Sona, just the other day I bought you this antique wig stand and I didn't get cash back and I regret it now.

[C]

Oh, okay. Well, that's a very thoughtful gift.

[A]

Do you wear a wig or is that your hair?

[C]

Absolutely not. It's definitely my hair. And so it's kind of insulting you would buy that gift for me.

[A]

Well, I'll just return it anyway. But I do wish I got cash back.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Visit usbank.com smartlycard to learn more. The creditor and issuer of this card is U.S. bank National Association. Pursuant to a license from Visa USA Inc. Some restrictions may apply. Ever invest in something that seemed incredible at first but didn't live up to the hype?

[C]

Yeah, like all the time.

[A]

Yeah, I did that with an all potato restaurant.

[C]

Oh, no.

[A]

Marketers know that feeling. They optimize for the numbers that look great, like impressions, but then they don't see Revenue. You know what I'm talking about. Don't you see?

[C]

Oh, yeah. All the time.

[A]

Yeah. LinkedIn has a word for that. Bullspin.

[C]

Bull spin.

[A]

Yeah. Instead, you can get the highest roas of major ad networks with LinkedIn ads. Cut the bull. Spend. Advertise on LinkedIn. Spend $250 and get a $250 credit. Go to LinkedIn.comconan Terms apply. What do you think so far? What are your observations about Morocco?

[C]

First of all, I love how they drive. I think Americans are a little uptight. But these guys, you know, if someone's in front of them and they're driving slow, they just pass them.

[A]

Yeah. Even if cars are coming in the other direction, even if car. Everyone's killed, they still don't mind.

[C]

Yeah. Oh. Oh, God.

[A]

Another thing that I have noticed, the food is great. I mean, Moroccan food, always great.

[C]

Every meal has great.

[A]

Every meal we have is fantastic.

[C]

And then I realized on this trip, I love camels. And then.

[A]

Camels are cool.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

They're very smart. They seem like they have. They're very soulful.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

And man, you're up so high when you're on a camel. It's fantastic.

[C]

I almost fell off getting on and off.

[A]

That would have been good. I mean, it's. No, it would have been good footage if you were falling off, because we could play it, you falling and then bloop backwards and then falling off again and backwards and put sound effects on it.

[C]

I don't know why that's what you think of. You should have. How about, like, oh, I'm so glad you didn't sona. It's nice that you didn't fall off camel.

[A]

Yeah. It's really funny to put a sound effect to someone not falling off a camel. That's hilarious. How you doing up there? Well, I'm perfectly comfortable and I'm sitting very steady on this camel. That's not funny.

[C]

Come on.

[A]

You can't do that. Yo, yo. Sound.

[C]

I think I would enjoy the desert

[A]

as much as I would have loved your. If you had done America's Funniest Home Videos. But all the videos were a kid walking very carefully around a pool and not falling. Someone walking in with a tray of meatballs, and none of them fall off. But you put funny sound effects to it.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Here's some meatballs, and they look just fine. Boing. As they set them down on the table and nothing bad happens. Wouldn't that be a great America's Funniest Home Video?

[C]

That would you just make normal, mundane Videos.

[A]

Yeah. Oh, there's. There's grandpa on the. There's grandpa on the diving board, and. Oh, that was a nice, simple dive, and he seems fine. I'm gonna have a sex sesh in marrase. Wait. Gonna have a sex sesh in. In Marrakesh.

[C]

I don't like how you're doubling down on this song. The sex sesh in Marrakesh. It doesn't even roll off the tongue. Can you say it three times fast?

[A]

Gonna have a success in Marrakesh. Gonna have a success in Marrakesh. Gonna have a success in Marrakesh.

[C]

That's not.

[A]

Gonna have a sex sesh in mar. Cash. Gonna have a sex sesh in Marrakesh. Gonna have a sex sesh in Marrakesh.

[C]

Okay, that was good.

[A]

Not bad. Yeah, not bad. This will catch on. It'll be huge.

[C]

No, it won't.

[A]

Do your trump where you go.

[C]

It's gonna be huge. My trump is gonna be huge.

[A]

Yeah, it's gonna be huge.

[C]

What is gonna be you.

[A]

You are the worst impressionist.

[C]

I really am bad.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

But I. You know what? I commit. I try. Do you do it?

[A]

No, I can't do it. He's not a big enough figure, and he's not. I don't think enough people sort of know how he talks or find him ridiculous. So how can you. How can you do an impression of someone like that?

[C]

Oh, I just did. But okay, you can't do it. That's fine.

[A]

You're rolling along. We're rolling along. We're on our way to the next flight. This has been a lot of travel, but you know what I've noticed? When we sit down and have the food, I keep thinking the same thing, and I keep saying, sona, is this what it's like in your family? Because it's lots of plates that are filled with various dips and breads, and everyone reaches in and gloop, gloop, gloop. And I thought, this must be very much your home. And everyone's sort of shouting and having fun. I mean, our crew.

[C]

You were asking this question. I couldn't tell if you were, like, making fun of me.

[A]

No, no, no, no.

[C]

Or if you were actually saying it.

[A]

You are Armenian. You are not Moroccan. But I've noticed that there are certain similarities. There's baba ganoush, which you love. There's various flatbreads. There's a lot of, you know, fresh, wholesome vegetables.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And of course, the chickens are amazing.

[C]

Yeah, they're so good.

[A]

But it just made me think of your family.

[C]

It's like a collection of little plates and dips and bread and then the main dishes. Yes, in that way. Yes. And are we loud?

[A]

Yeah, you guys are very loud.

[C]

Okay, well, you, like. You guys weren't loud. Six kids.

[A]

Nothing like you. You're the loudest person. You're the loudest mammal I've encountered. I'm including other. You know, I'm just. It's incredible.

[C]

I. No.

[A]

I once tried. Am I. I once tried to help.

[C]

Pretty loud.

[A]

I once tried to help a bear that was screaming for its life out of a bear trap. And you are twice as loud as that bear. And when I let the bear out of the trap, it attacked me because it was my trap.

[C]

I have a hard time.

[A]

I set the trap.

[C]

I'm moving on. I had a hard time believing you and your five siblings.

[A]

We were allowed.

[C]

Were like precious. Sitting, eating your ham and your potatoes and your boiled food.

[A]

Each one of us had our own ham, and it hung on a rope above where we sat at the table. So there were six kids. My mom and my dad and my grandmother. So that's nine hams hanging from nine ropes around a circular table in the kitchen on Kennard Road in Brookline. And like oxygen.

[C]

Oxygen masks falling from an airplane in

[A]

an emergency, a ham would drop down, and we'd all bat at it. And. And then, you know, it was like that scene in the first Jurassic park where when it's over, the person on the roof would raise the hams and they would come up, and it was just bones and pieces of metal. Twisted cage. I just added the cage in there.

[C]

You were allowed to. But we're allowed.

[A]

We've drifted. Anyone who's tuning in right now has no idea that we're in the backseat of a car driving through the desert in Morocco on our way to Marrakech.

[C]

Yeah. If you're just tuning in to this podcast.

[A]

If you're just tuning in. Well, I don't know how it works.

[C]

How do you not know how it works? It's been like eight years that you've been doing one.

[A]

Picasso didn't understand how the paints were made. He used the medium in a masterful way and defined a generation, really created 20th century art. So I think I'm doing the same thing with whatever this is. I don't even have to know what it is. But we're in Morocco, and. And this is cool. We're. We're on to Mar. I've never been to Marrakesh. Have you?

[C]

I've never been to Africa.

[A]

Oh, that's right.

[C]

I've never been to Africa. And we. I haven't traveled with you since like 2017, I think.

[A]

That's right. It's been fun having you. I will say that you've been a great addition.

[C]

I miss this.

[A]

We've been having a really good time. And I think you couldn't come for a long time because your kids were so little. Now they're old enough. You were FaceTiming with them the other day, and I got on and they get. They know who I am, obviously. And I mean, I'm their godfather. Yeah. I'm gonna make them an offer they can't refuse. Isn't that funny? That's pretty topical.

[C]

Yeah, that's good. That's very topical.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

It's all the rage right now.

[A]

It's a movie.

[C]

Godfather.

[A]

Yeah. Use all your powers. Use all your skills. I don't want his mother I'm seeing like this. That's.

[C]

Is that Trump?

[A]

That's my. Use all your powers. Use all your skills on the economy. That's. You know what's funny? I'm doing political comedy right now.

[C]

I know.

[A]

And it's very edgy. And also the New York Times is gonna love it. Cause it's very smart and incisive.

[C]

You know what? Yeah.

[A]

You know what I'm gonna do to Iran? I'm gonna make them an offer they can't refuse. Right. That's just. I mean, that's. I'm gonna get all of the best prizes for being smart, but they can refuse it.

[C]

And they have refused it.

[A]

Listen, but that's part of. Oh, this is. I can't believe I'm a satirist now.

[C]

Yeah, you are. Okay.

[A]

I'm pretty incisive, but yeah.

[C]

No, you're their godfather. They saw you. They were really excited. They love their Uncle Conan.

[A]

But what I'm saying is they can now handle you taking off. So maybe you'll come on more trips.

[C]

Yeah, I would love to come on more trips. This was. This has been so fun. It's nice. It's nice for me to get away.

[A]

And how does Tak do looking after the kids when you're gone?

[C]

He's great. He's such a good dad. And he's able to handle it. He's on top of it. He feeds them, gets them ready for school, takes them all the after school stuff.

[A]

It's getting boring. When you said feeds them, I was like, okay, now we're going to go down the list of meeting basic human needs. He waters them. He makes sure that.

[C]

How nervous was Liza every time she left you alone with your children?

[A]

Do you think she left me alone with the kids once? No, no, no, she would not.

[C]

I won't blame her.

[A]

She blamed her. I would use them for bits, and they would be lost. I'd say, I don't know where they were. The whole bit was, they get on the bus and I don't know where it's going. Oh, no, that's the bit Liza. So, no, Liza's an incredibly smart woman, and that's the last thing she would ever do. Yes, yes. And here's the thing. Oh, wow. Rashid. So Rashid peeks around the truck and look at this. Then he guns it and passes the truck. Now, Rashid, have you ever had a close call where you came around to go forward and then you almost got nailed? You know what? What are you saying? He doesn't want to talk about it.

[C]

Wait, when do you go off road? Off road? No.

[A]

Today? No.

[C]

Okay. Have you ever got gotten close to an accident?

[A]

Accident for last night or what? No. Last night. No one said last night, Rasheed, you just. You just blew your cover. Rasheed, you're wanting for a hit and run. Looking for you.

[C]

No wonder the front of the car's all bench.

[A]

Last night, Rasheed, you would be terrible in police questioning. Sir, do you know anything about a crime? Last night? Murder. Last night. Me, the sorority. Rasheed. Yes, sir. Oh, my God. All right, Rasheed, you're going to have to be a regular part of the podcast now. You're coming with us to Los Angeles.

[C]

Yay.

[A]

You're going to live with Sona and Tak and all of her relatives. You'll sit at a long table.

[C]

We don't all live in one house.

[A]

Oh, please. You know you will.

[C]

That's not how it works.

[A]

You guys sleep in a bunk bed that's 13. It's 13 beds tall. Your dad's on the top, right? He puts little weights on his mustache so it unfolds over the side of the bunk bed. I love Gil, you know that. But he has a mustache. It's ridiculous.

[C]

Don't say it's ridiculous.

[A]

What?

[C]

Gil's mustache is not ridiculous.

[A]

No, no. He's a handsome man. He's a good guy, but it makes him very easy. I can become Gil at any time by just sticking a napkin under my nose and saying, sono. Sono. It's one of my better things. Things that I do.

[C]

Is it better? Is it one of your best impressions?

[A]

My best impression? It's better than my Trump. I'm making offer I can't refuse. I only do that because the movie's so new. All right, so we're going to wrap it up. But this is exciting. People are going to hear this back home.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And this is. And look, I'm going to lower the window, and you're going to hear what it's like outside in Morocco. You can hear the desert. Listen.

[C]

Wow, I'm sorry. Me talking about tech feeding the kids was boring.

[A]

Hey, I'm trying to be international here. Hold on a second. There's a. Oh, there's a policeman, and he's looking at me holding the microphone out the window. Oh, wait, he's. Look, he's scrolling through his phone. We're. Okay. Anyway, I put the microphone out the window, and it's just air passing over a microphone. I didn't really think that through, but I thought it was still fascinating and a worthwhile experiment. Okay, well, Sona, I love this trip. I can't wait for people to see what we've been up to. Yes, and let's continue with your regularly scheduled podcasts. And remember, gonna have a success in Marrakesh, right?

[C]

No, I like mine better.

[A]

Okay, peace out.

[B]

Conan o' Brien needs a friend. With Conan o', Brien, Sonam of Session and Matt Gourley Produced by me, Matt Gourley executive produced by Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross and Nick Leow. Theme song by the White Stripes. Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino. Take it away, Jimmy. Our supervising producer is Aaron Blair, and our associate talent producer is Jennifer Samples. Engineering and mixing by Eduardo Perez and Brendan Burns. Additional production support by Mars Melnick. Talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Bautista and Brit Kahn. You can rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts and you might find your review read on a future episode. Got a question for Conan? Call the Team Coco hotline at 669-587-2847 and leave a message. It too, could be featured on a future episode. You can also get three free months of SiriusXM when you sign [e-mail] Conan and if you haven't already, please subscribe to Conan O' Brien needs a Friend wherever fine podcasts are downloaded.

[A]

Big news. Sona.

[C]

Yeah?

[A]

Did you know T Mobile recently partnered with the National Park Foundation?

[C]

No way.

[A]

Yep. They're making it easier to stay connected, so you're free to wonder.

[C]

Well, that's really cool.

[A]

And I love a national park. I really do.

[C]

I do, too.

[A]

Now, there's one thing you have to have. If you're doing that good signal, it's a priority. You know what I mean? You got your maps, your music, this podcast. Yeah, so take America's best network plus their off grid satellite coverage with you. Look, we're all a little spoiled, but we like to have access to all our stuff and suddenly you don't have it because of a bad single. That's when I throw my phone into the Grand Canyon.

[C]

Oh, okay.

[A]

Literally filled half the Grand Canyon with phones. Then I got T mobile. Never had to chuck them again, you know.

[C]

Good.

[A]

So wander over to T mobile.com and switch best based on analysis by Ookla of speed test intelligence data for 2H 2025 wow, that's some sentence. T satellite with capable device in most outdoor areas in US where you see the sky, that's important. You got to see the sky.

[C]

Yep.

[A]

Service may be limited or unavailable. Included with experience beyond or $10per month auto renews cancel anytime. That was probably meant to be said by a robot really quickly, but I just did it slowly so you could really understand. Disclaimer Please do not throw your phone into the Grand Canyon. I'm just going to say it. There's a Hyundai hybrid for everyone.

[C]

There sure is.

[A]

Yep. The Santa Fe Hybrid SUV seats up to 7. Tucson Hybrid SUV features standard H track all wheel drive. The Sonata Hybrid Limited sedan has exceptional performance and handling and get up to an EPA estimated 52 highway miles per gallon with the sporty Elantra Hybrid Limited sedan. All Hyundai hybrids come with first class safety features, advanced tech, stellar design and America's best warranty.

[C]

That's a good one.

[A]

It is a good one. Hard to beat all those stats. America's best warranty claims based on total package of warranty programs. Visit HyundaiUSA.com or call. I'm going to give you a phone number. Write it down.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

562-31-4603. For more details.