Power Point Night

Summary

Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend - Episode: Power Point Night Release Date: January 23, 2025

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Introduction

In the "Power Point Night" episode of Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Conan engages in a lively and insightful conversation with Cooper Wingert, a 26-year-old Civil War historian from Washington, D.C. The episode delves into Cooper's passion for history, his teaching experiences, and the intersection of personal interests with everyday life.

Guest Introduction and Background (02:24 - 04:48)

Conan welcomes Cooper Wingert, highlighting Cooper's unique profession as a Civil War historian. Cooper shares his lifelong fascination with history, tracing it back to a pivotal fifth-grade field trip to Gettysburg.

Notable Quote:

Conan O’Brien [03:01]: "Are you in your late 20s? Are you in your 30s? Give us an age."
Cooper Wingert [03:13]: "I'm 26, and I am a Civil War historian."

Passion for the Civil War (04:48 - 07:31)

The discussion deepens as Cooper explains how leading tours at Gettysburg allows him to connect with students through human interest stories rather than just military strategies. Conan expresses his own interest in battlefields, recounting his attempts to visit historical sites with his wife.

Notable Quote:

Cooper Wingert [05:11]: "I think the human interest stories are really how you get to the students."

Teaching and PowerPoint Night (08:00 - 10:56)

Cooper elaborates on his role in a summer program for rising high school seniors, emphasizing his enjoyment of activities like "PowerPoint Night." This segment highlights the creative and fun methods Cooper employs to engage students.

Notable Quote:

Conan O’Brien [09:07]: "How did Nicolas Cage blow his fortune?"
Cooper Wingert [09:42]: "A series of very strange purchases. Like a dinosaur skeleton that ended up being repossessed by Interpol."

Personal Life and Dating (10:56 - 12:07)

The conversation shifts to Cooper's personal life, where he candidly discusses his single status and reluctance to bring up Civil War topics on dates. Conan humorously contrasts his own dating experiences with those of Cooper.

Notable Quote:

Cooper Wingert [11:06]: "I try not to bring up the Civil War stuff on dates."

Civil War Reenactments and Personal Stories (17:05 - 25:30)

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to Civil War reenactments. Cooper shares his brief and humorous experience being conscripted for a reenactment at age twelve, while Conan reminisces about his own childhood involvement in such activities. The exchange is filled with humor and mutual appreciation for the historical passion they share.

Notable Quotes:

Conan O’Brien [18:05]: "That's where I met Liza. She was a corpse."
Cooper Wingert [18:43]: "I have. When I was, like, 12, I was conscripted into one for 10 minutes, and I quit."

Leadership and Historical Hypotheticals (22:30 - 24:50)

Cooper poses a hypothetical question to Conan about his potential as a Civil War general. Conan humorously self-deprecates his leadership abilities, suggesting he would excel at avoiding conflict rather than engaging in it.

Notable Quotes:

Conan O’Brien [22:42]: "I think my cowardice, I'm going to say, is a plus."
Cooper Wingert [24:17]: "Well, I mean, considering that I quit reenacting after 10 minutes because the uniform was too hot, you know, probably not."

Conclusion and Farewell (25:30 - 26:31)

As the episode winds down, Conan offers words of encouragement to Cooper, praising his dedication to teaching and his passion for history. They share a lighthearted moment about future collaborations and mutual respect.

Notable Quote:

Conan O’Brien [25:43]: "I really do. And so bless you, sir. And I hope we meet in person one day on a fake battlefield."

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Key Takeaways

• Passion for History: Cooper Wingert exemplifies how a deep-seated passion can shape one's career and personal life, illustrating the impact of historical interests on teaching methods.

• Engaging Education: The use of creative activities like "PowerPoint Night" highlights innovative approaches to making history engaging for students.

• Balancing Interests and Personal Life: The conversation underscores the importance of balancing personal passions with social interactions, especially in dating scenarios.

• Humor in History: Conan and Cooper's exchange demonstrates how humor can be effectively used to discuss and share interests, making niche topics accessible and entertaining.

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Relevant Quotes with Timestamps

• Conan O’Brien [03:01]: "Are you in your late 20s? Are you in your 30s? Give us an age."
• Cooper Wingert [05:11]: "I think the human interest stories are really how you get to the students."
• Conan O’Brien [09:07]: "How did Nicolas Cage blow his fortune?"
• Cooper Wingert [11:06]: "I try not to bring up the Civil War stuff on dates."
• Conan O’Brien [22:42]: "I think my cowardice, I'm going to say, is a plus."
• Conan O’Brien [25:43]: "I really do. And so bless you, sir. And I hope we meet in person one day on a fake battlefield."

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This episode offers a blend of humor, historical insights, and personal anecdotes, providing listeners with a deeper understanding of Cooper Wingert's dedication to Civil War history and the innovative ways he engages with students. Conan's playful yet sincere interactions create an engaging narrative that appeals to both history enthusiasts and general audiences.

Transcript

[Conan O'Brien]

Save the date, prepare for chaos. Get ready for your cordially invited, a hilarious new movie starring comedy icons Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon together on screen for the first time. I cannot believe they haven't done a movie together.

[Sona Movsesian]

Me neither. I love them both.

[Conan O'Brien]

Hey, listen to this. It's written and directed by Nicholas Stoller of Forgetting Sarah Marshall and neighbors. Find out what happens when two weddings are accidentally booked on the weekend at the same remote venue. That sounds like trouble. Uh oh. Yeah. Is that what you do when you hear trouble? Uh oh. In a laugh out loud battle of determination and grit, the father of the bride, played of course by Will Ferrell and sister of the other bride, played by Reese Witherspoon, chaotically go head to head, and we'll stop at nothing to pull off an unforgettable celebration for the ones they love. I like the premise.

[Sona Movsesian]

That's nice. It sounds wacky.

[Conan O'Brien]

And if you think you've been to weddings where crazy things happen, prepare for alligator attacks, sabotage, shipwrecks, cornhole, all star comedy cameos. Will the couples make it down the aisle? Will fire regulations be violated? Find out. In this perfect blend of hijinks and heartstrings. They still say hijinks.

[Sona Movsesian]

I know.

[Conan O'Brien]

Incredible. It's time to RSVP for Ferrell vs. Witherspoon in the new wedding comedy. You're cordially invited. Watch it now only on prime video. Sona, wouldn't you say that life is full of personal wins?

[Sona Movsesian]

I would, Conan.

[Conan O'Brien]

Thanks, Sona. Whether it's cleaning your house, getting that dream car, or checking off your to do list, winning at life is a great feeling. I'm pretty good at winning at life, aren't I? Sona, are you okay? Keep moving. State Farm helps you win by helping you create an affordable price just for you. Doesn't that sound like a win, Sona?

[Sona Movsesian]

That I like an affordable price just for me.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes, you do. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can bundle and save with the personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on ratings plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amounts of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state. That's my low voice.

[Sona Movsesian]

Conan O'Brien needs a fan. Want to talk to Conan? Visit teamcoco.com call Conan. Okay, let's get started.

[Conan O'Brien]

Hey, Cooper.

[Cooper Wingert]

Welco. Tikonan O'Brien needs a fan.

[Conan O'Brien]

Hey, Cooper. How are you?

[Cooper Wingert]

Good. How are you?

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, I'm gonna ask you to pretend to Be excited to see me, because.

[Cooper Wingert]

Right now I'm excited.

[Conan O'Brien]

You just look like you're in the eight items or less aisle, and you're just. I mean, I want you to just manufacture. Right? Just to manufacture a little, like, wow.

[Sona Movsesian]

Be excited. Be so excited.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. No, seriously. How are you, Cooper?

[Cooper Wingert]

I am really good. I'm so excited to be here.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, well, now you look like you're a hostage, saying the stuff you've been told to say by your captors, which, in a kind of way, you are. Where are you coming from, Cooper?

[Cooper Wingert]

I live in D.C. okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay. And tell us a little bit about yourself, Cooper. All I know is you're Cooper. You're from D.C. you appear to be a young fellow. Are you in your late 20s? Are you in your 30s? Give us an age.

[Cooper Wingert]

I'm 26, and I am a Civil War historian.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, my God. Okay. I'm glad to talk to you. I'm a bit of a Civil War. I'm a bit of a history buff, and Civil War is one of the areas that I'm kind of interested in. Have you been a Civil War buff your whole life, or is this something you came to later on? I have.

[Cooper Wingert]

I've been a history buff my whole life. When I was in third grade, my teacher wrote on my report card that I watched too much History Channel.

[Conan O'Brien]

Wow. Held back a year. Enough history.

[Cooper Wingert]

Yeah. Which basically meant I couldn't shut up, so. And then it was a fifth grade field trip to Gettysburg that really got me onto Civil War, and I haven't really stopped since.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, Gettysburg will get you. I've visited many battlefields, and my wife drew the line when we were in Georgia, and I tried to make her come see Andersonville, which is the famous Confederate prison where they kept a lot of Northern prisoners, and they all died of dysentery. And my wife was like, wait, where are we driving to now? And I said, we're off to Andersonville. And she said, what happened there? Thousands of people died of diarrhea. And she said, nope, not on our honeymoon. Not on our honeymoon. So haven't been there. I blame her. But Gettysburg, that is. It's incredible to walk that area. It was such a pivotal battle. And to walk that area and kind of. You can see the topography still the same. So you can kind of get a feel for why things played out the way they did.

[Cooper Wingert]

It is. It's really amazing. And I get the chance to lead students on tours there every year, and you can tell not all of them are really into the military. History. But I think the human interest stories are really how you get to the students. Like when I. When I lead a tour of, shall I say, older people, they really want to know the nuts and bolts of where was the right flank of the third? Alabama. But when you're engaging with high school and college students, it's the human interest stories that, like, really blow them away at a place like Gettysburg.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, you tell them, here's where Taylor Swift reloaded her musket. I would just lie to the students. I would just plug in all kinds of the latest pop stars and reality stars just to get them interested. Yeah. Here's where the Real Housewives of New Jersey let a charge. Cooper, you're allowed to lie if it keeps them interested.

[Sona Movsesian]

No, you're not.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, you're not.

[Sona Movsesian]

Cooper, you can't lie about the Civil War.

[Conan O'Brien]

Can I ask you a question? One of my favorite books, like, one of my desert island books. If I was allowed, like, five books on a desert island, one of them would be Killer Angels by Michael Scharra, which I think is one of the most beautiful. It's a novel, but it's historically accurate to the battle of Gettysburg, and it takes place over three days, and all the main players are in there. And I've read that book maybe seven, eight, nine times, and I just find it haunting and beautiful. Killer Angels. Michael Sharrow. You don't even have to be his Civil War buff to find that a powerful book, I think. Do you agree?

[Cooper Wingert]

Yeah, I read that when I was very young. It's a good book.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, okay. So you're so smart. You read it when you were. You're like, yes, I read that when I was 2. You read it just before everybody pooped with dysentery.

[Cooper Wingert]

Yeah, exactly.

[Conan O'Brien]

You got to bring it back. Okay, well, so I like you. We have similar interests. I think this date's going well so far. Cooper. And you live. You know, I would think it'd be hard not to get into some of the history, because if you live in D.C. and you live in that area, you know, you can't walk 15ft without being on ground that was somehow involved in something historic, you know, And I felt the same way in Massachusetts. Growing up, it was all about the Revolutionary War. You know, you could take a trip to Lexington and Concord or even if you're walking around Boston or in the hills around Boston, Bunker Hill, it's all stuff where history played itself out. So I think that helped fuel my interest in history was just that I kind of grew up around It, Yeah.

[Cooper Wingert]

Absolutely the same for me. I mean, I grew up a little bit north of Gettysburg, so I kind of grew up in an area where Civil War history was, you know, all around me. And then moving to D.C. for grad school, obviously I'm next to the archives. I'm immersed in history all the time, so almost. Almost to the point where I take it for granted, but I try not to.

[Conan O'Brien]

So tell me a little bit about your life. So we've covered the Civil War part. Tell us more about Cooper. What's your last name?

[Cooper Wingert]

Cooper Wingert.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, Cooper Wingert. Tell us about Cooper Wingert, the man. What's going on? What's happening?

[Cooper Wingert]

I guess my two hobbies besides I love reading and writing, I love teaching. That kind of is an extension of my work. So that's a big part of who I am. One of my favorite things professionally that I do is each summer, I do a summer program for rising high school seniors. It's aimed at first generation college students. So I actually get to live in the dorms with these students. I'm like their ta, their ra, I'm like basically their, you know, a glorified babysitter. So I get to kind of help them transition to, you know, doing college level coursework. But at the same time, I have to, like, you know, just be like the adult in the room and make sure they don't. They look both ways before they cross the street. So it's kind of one of the fun things I get to do. I get to be really silly. I get to do, like, PowerPoint night with them. I have a fan favorite, Nicolas Cage.

[Conan O'Brien]

PowerPoint. Wait a minute, wait a minute. So every now and then when you guys really want to just rip the lid off this thing and go totally loco, you have PowerPoint night.

[Cooper Wingert]

I know, it's.

[Conan O'Brien]

How old are these kids, by the way?

[Cooper Wingert]

They're 16, 17. So we gotta keep them fun and not crazy entertainment.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, but when do you get to. When do you get to the fun part?

[Cooper Wingert]

Cooper or crazy entertainment?

Yeah, no, they get to design the PowerPoint. So they design a PowerPoint about some crazy topic they pick. And then we, as the staff, also design our own PowerPoint. So I designed one about how Nicolas Cage blew his fortune, and they seem to like that one.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, okay, all right. Wait a minute. I'm liking this. Now. How did Nicolas Cage blow his fortune?

[Cooper Wingert]

A series of very strange purchases. Like a dinosaur skeleton that ended up being repossessed by Interpol.

[Conan O'Brien]

I think, you know, there's nothing worse than when a Skeleton you bought is repossessed. It's one thing when they come take your Maserati, but when they take your.

[Cooper Wingert]

If I Had a Dime.

[Conan O'Brien]

God, yes. Didn't he? He bought some bones and then they were controversial. Maybe they were even counterfeit. Who can say? I don't know. But look, Nick Cage, terrific actor, great body of work. But maybe what you're saying is we shouldn't go to him for investment counsel.

[Cooper Wingert]

Maybe not. That's kind of the theme of the presentation.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, well. Okay. It sounds like you guys are having a good time. PowerPoint. PowerPoint. Ye. What about your life? What's going on in your social life?

[Cooper Wingert]

I live in DC. I'm in the final stage of my PhD program, so I am kind of like on the job market. So I'm like, potentially moving anywhere in the country. So everything's kind of up in the air right now. But it's kind of a good position to be in because I don't really, like, the choices are in some ways out of my hands. So I'm kind of just kind of seeing where things go right now.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, but what about, like, dating? Are you on the apps? Like all the young people, are you on the apps?

[Cooper Wingert]

No, I am single. I try not to bring up the Civil War stuff on dates.

[Conan O'Brien]

Wait a minute. I said, are you on the apps? And you went, no, I'm single. Well, I'm married and I'm on the apps and I am cleaning up. I'm like Liza, Kiki. And Palm Springs is into it. Some trips are better in an Airbnb. It's just true. Like the trip you want to take with extended family, where you want to stay close but not all be sharing one bathroom. That's key for me. Okay. That's why Airbnb is the choice I often want to make. Or, for example, the couple's getaway where you'd rather have your own pool than share one with a bunch of strangers. Oh, when I'm in a pool with strangers, I start shrieking.

[Sona Movsesian]

Okay, that's weird.

[Conan O'Brien]

Or that last minute local getaway when you just really need to get out of the city for the weekend but don't want to deal with the airport. You know, I have to say, I've used Airbnb a couple of times, and it always makes me feel like I'm at home, even when I'm away. Do you have that?

[Sona Movsesian]

I do, too. I mean, I have, you know, I have two small kids who are loud. And so when I'm in a hotel, I feel a Little uncomfortable.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, you're loud too.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, yes. Okay. Yeah, we're all loud. And then in an Airbnb, I just feel much more comfortable.

[Conan O'Brien]

You're not as self conscious.

[Sona Movsesian]

No.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. And also you're staying in someone's home. It's got that vibe of comfort, relaxation, normalcy instead of some stuffy hotel. I don't want to mint on my pillow. Hey, Blay, you use Airbnb, don't you? I do.

[Blay]

I love it. And I will say there's. Staying in someone's place really does add a lot. I'm a huge Stephen King fan and the last Airbnb I stayed in had this book from a Buick 8, which is one of the few Stephen King books I haven't read. So I actually started reading it in the Airbnb. It was pretty awesome.

[Conan O'Brien]

And you know what I do sometimes when I'm at an Airbnb? I often travel with a picture of myself in frame.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, boy.

[Conan O'Brien]

And I take it out and I put it up and it feels like home. I travel with my own framed headshot.

[Blay]

Do you leave it there for as a gift?

[Conan O'Brien]

No, that's mine. Those things are precious. So if you're booking a trip soon, my number one tip is to check out Airbnb first to find the perfect place to stay, because your accommodation really does make all the difference. Really hard to fit fitness into my schedule. You know, I'm very busy, but people expect Conan O'Brien to have an incredible body.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah, you need to. We imagine you yoked.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes.

[Sona Movsesian]

You know, well, I mean, fit and.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes.

[Sona Movsesian]

Chiseled.

[Conan O'Brien]

Exactly.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

That is how people think of me. I'm sort of a icon of fitness. That's why Peloton really makes it easy, because they have a variety of challenging classes that will fit my schedule.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

You know what I mean? I can't like, oh, I better be there at nine. No. Peloton makes it so easy for me. Peloton has programs to keep you on track from marathon prep to four week training programs. It's pretty cool. Peloton has programs and classes that can adapt to any goal, challenge yourself anywhere. With Peloton's All Access membership, you can work out where you need to, like at home, on your bike, tread and row, or anywhere with the Peloton app. You know what I mean? It's amazing. They've got it all, I'm telling you. Find your push, find your power with [e-mail] Blay Yes.

[Sona Movsesian]

You don't want to miss.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay.

[Sona Movsesian]

You're cordially invited. It's a hilarious new movie starring comedy icons Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon.

[Blay]

Love them.

[Sona Movsesian]

I saw the trailer for this and this is right up my alley. I love anything with the two of them. And just like I miss good old fashioned comedies, chaos ensues when two weddings are accidentally booked on the same day at the same venue.

[Blay]

Get out.

[Sona Movsesian]

Will Ferrell plays the father of the bride and Reese Witherspoon is the sister of the other bride.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh Ruh Ro.

[Sona Movsesian]

As they go head to head to deliver a spirit special day for the ones they love. Don't miss this laugh out loud Showdown. It's feral versus Witherspoon and you're cordially invited. Watch it on January 30th only on Prime Video.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sona Movsesian]

That is actually pretty sweet.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Cooper Wingert]

No, I am on the apps.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay. Okay, good. Okay, good. Okay. All Right. And. And you want to kind of hide the Civil War stuff for now.

[Cooper Wingert]

I. I think let it out in moderation. I don't want to scare somebody on a first date. You know, it's kind of like I. I almost imagine giving, like, you know, the cards they give you in, like, a soccer game, the refs, like, they hold up a card if you do something, like commit a foul. Like, that's what I need for, like, when I start going off about the Civil War, I need somebody to just be like, you're cut off.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay.

[Cooper Wingert]

Like, this is your warning.

[Conan O'Brien]

So, Cooper, this could be bad advice, but I couldn't disagree more. I say you lead the Civil War and go hard. I say. Yeah. I say you should. You should be dressed on the apps as a Civil War soldier.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, boy.

[Conan O'Brien]

With. With the kooky beard and the musket. And you should talk to them and say, like, I just got back from battle. We had a. I was in the hornet's nest. It was. The fire was coming pretty fast and thick.

[Sona Movsesian]

Why is he talking like that? You know what? Civil War reenactments.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes.

[Sona Movsesian]

You can meet someone at a Civil War reenactment. You've done a Civil War reenactment?

[Conan O'Brien]

Sure, I did. I did. Yeah. We did it down in. Was in Atlanta.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Cooper Wingert]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

That's where I met Liza. She was. She was a corpse. We were, too. Corpse corpses right outside Atlanta. And I just like the way that she was laid out, you know? Oh, dear. Laid out. And we couldn't move much, but I was like, hey. And she was like, hi. And I'm like, I got shot in the chest. And she's like, I got a belly wound. And I'm like, those are bad. Those get infected. And one thing led to the another.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

And. Yeah. So have you done any Civil War reenactments?

[Cooper Wingert]

I have. When I was, like, 12, I was conscripted into one for 10 minutes, and I quit.

[Conan O'Brien]

I'm sorry. You can't be drafted in a fake war.

[Cooper Wingert]

No.

[Conan O'Brien]

How?

[Cooper Wingert]

Yeah. How?

I think one of the reenactors, like, had to leave for some. Something. He just got in his car and drove away. So they gave me a uniform, and they said, like, carry this baked potato from here to the cannon and put it in the cannon or pretend to.

[Conan O'Brien]

What?

[Cooper Wingert]

And we're gonna.

[Conan O'Brien]

Baked potato. What kind of reenactment is this? I like a. No, you know what I like? I like a no starch reenactment. No starches on my reenactment. That's hilarious. Well, I was a very odd child, and I remembered writing a play about Lincoln's assassination at Ford theater in the third grade and making Scotty McGregor play Lincoln. And I played Booth, and we staged it in the gymnasium so I could yell six semper tyrannis and jump from the top. They had bars that went up to the ceiling for gymnastics. And I leapt and then crawled into a little crawl space and hid. And the play lasted, like, three minutes. And the whole third grade. Booth, too.

[Cooper Wingert]

It was so dark and.

[Conan O'Brien]

I know.

[Sona Movsesian]

I know. Why did you choose to be Booth?

[Conan O'Brien]

Because I wanted Scotty McGregor to be Lincoln. I thought he was a good. And I wanted to make that leap. Sic semper tyrannis. And then leap. And then I crawled into a little hole, and I had to stay there because there was no way out until all the students left. So I crawled into a little hole at the Michael Baldwin School in Brookline, Massachusetts.

[Cooper Wingert]

Were you in costume?

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes. I had a little mustache, and I had a little overcoat, and I think my derringer was just a baked potato, because that's the go to in Civil War reenactments. So I killed Lincoln with a baked potato. But, yeah, I got. I'll never. I don't know why I remember that very well. Scotty McGregor asking him in the playground, can you be my Lincoln? And he was like, sure. What do I do? You just sit there and watch a pretend play, and I shoot you, and then I climb into a hole and hide there until the whole auditorium leaves. So I'm a weird guy. And I like you. I like you, Cooper. Oh, my God. Well, I don't think you have to hide the fact that you have these interests. You seem like a really nice person. I think, you know, I think you can be. I think you can be open about it. Yeah.

[Cooper Wingert]

Because what if you meet someone that's just as into it as you are?

That would be surprising.

[Conan O'Brien]

Would you even want that?

[Cooper Wingert]

Or do you kind of like to keep it for yourself?

I mean, to be. To be honest, I don't think that's ideal in a partner. I think if there's too much similar interests, I don't know that I want to hear about the Civil War from somebody else. I like to listen to myself talk about it all day, but I don't know if I want to hear somebody else's voice talking about it.

[Conan O'Brien]

I just love you going saying, if I hear one more word about Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, I'm going to lose it. I don't. I just. You seem like an exemplary young fellow, doesn't he? I mean, this is the kind of person we need more of your teaching. You're helping people. You're obsessed with the Civil War. These are all the qualities that I find mandatory in a human being. Where are you right now? In your house? Cause there's nothing hanging on the wall.

[Cooper Wingert]

I know. I actually stress so much about my zoom background. Basically, I just moved apartments, so I was gonna do, like, a bookshelf, so I looked very professorial, but just life got the better of me. So you're getting the hostage background.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's okay. I like how the light switch is painted the same color as the wall.

[Cooper Wingert]

So I thought it was a nice.

[Conan O'Brien]

And the shelf fragments, too. Yeah, everything blends into everything else, but, man, does your green sweater pop. That's for sure. It's going well. It is going well.

[Cooper Wingert]

Do you have a question for Conan?

I do. So I'm curious. I know you have a big love of the Civil War. If you were a Civil War general, I want to know what skill sets or. Or liabilities you would bring to the.

[Conan O'Brien]

Battlefield in real life. I think my. I think my cowardice, I'm going to say, is a plus.

[Cooper Wingert]

How so?

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, it's very good to save lives, and the best way to do that is to lead everybody away from the fight. Now, would I be leading them so much as just running first? I don't know. I think I'd be really good around a campfire at night, you know, spinning a yarn, entertaining people. And then the next day, when the fighting broke out, they'd notice. I don't see him either. I don't know where he went. Maybe he got killed. But then I'm back at the fire that night, and I'm like, I tell you, did you see the way Lee took off on his horse? Oh, that right flank. He ran faster than a man. That right flank crumpled, like, you know, and then I would just be making jokes and stuff, and I'd be laughing again next. No one knows where I am because I found one hollow tree nobody knows about.

[Cooper Wingert]

Just like Booth, you're in your little hole.

[Conan O'Brien]

In my little hole, I'm like any threatened animal. I like to just go find a little hole and hide in it until all. Everything calms down. But I think I'd be a lot of fun around the campfire. I really do. What about you? How do you. What are your. Do you think you'd make a good leader? Let's say we get in a time machine. You go back to 1863. Battle of Gettysburg, of course. Summer, you know, you're there in Pennsylvania. Do you think you'd. You'd do a good job?

[Cooper Wingert]

Well, I mean, considering that I. I quit reenacting after 10 minutes because the uniform was too hot, you know, probably not, but if you give me a baked potato.

[Conan O'Brien]

Sure.

[Cooper Wingert]

I mean, I could probably launch that thing.

[Conan O'Brien]

Right? Okay. And of course, and I hate to bring it up, but, you know, most soldiers did die of disease back then, so, you know, what is that? What's your point there? My point is that, Cooper, you'd get real sick real fast.

[Cooper Wingert]

Oh, probably.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. And me, I wouldn't because I'd be far from the battlefield, eating wholesome, just a lot of apples.

[Cooper Wingert]

You'd be at some hot springs, just convalescing.

[Conan O'Brien]

I find a five star resort that's adjacent to the battle and I've got.

[Sona Movsesian]

Binoculars.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, no, no. What are they put on their eyes in spas? What do they put. I've got cucumbers on my eyes. Y. Stop bringing up potatoes. Anyway, well, I wish you well, Cooper. You seem like a good guy. I really do. I think you're a good guy. And I think you haven't said it yet, but I can tell you really admire me and think I'm a great man. And I'm just going to fill that in and you can just keep nodding with about as little enthusiasm as I've ever seen. Go for it.

[Cooper Wingert]

I admire you so much. I'd love for you to blurb my next book, but for it to be something totally unrelated to the book. Book.

[Conan O'Brien]

I'll do that. Sure.

[Cooper Wingert]

Like. Like this book about the Civil War. This. This had the greatest tomato soup recipe ever done.

[Conan O'Brien]

I'll do it for you. We'll reach out to you. We'll contact. What's your next book going to be about?

[Cooper Wingert]

My next book is about the destruction of slavery during the Civil War.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, good. Well, you probably don't want to have, like. I don't want a funny blurb on the back of a white.

[Cooper Wingert]

The whitest guy.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, exactly. I'm the whitest guy in the world. Did you see Conan's comedy blurb on the back of this book on slavery? That seemed inappropriate. I think you're trying to destroy my career, Cooper. I'll wait till the next book after that. But I do wish you all the best. I think teachers are doing God's work. I really do. And so bless you, sir. And I hope we meet in person one day on a fake battlefield.

[Cooper Wingert]

Sounds great. If you ever want to Tour Gettysburg.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay. All right, we'll figure it out. All right, take care. Thanks a lot. Bye.

[Cooper Wingert]

Conan O'Brien needs a fan 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 Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino Take it away, Jimmy. Supervising producer, Aaron Blair Associate talent producer Jennifer Samples Associate producers Sean Doherty and Lisa Berm Engineering by eduardo Perez. Get three free months of SiriusXM when you sign [e-mail] Conan Please rate, review and subscribe to Conan O'Brien needs a fan wherever fine podcasts are downloaded.

[Conan O'Brien]

Hey, I'm Paul Scheer. I'm June Diane Rayfield.

[Paul Scheer]

And I'm Jason Manzoukis.

[Conan O'Brien]

And we're the hosts of how did this Get Made? A comedy podcast where we deconstruct, make fun of and celebrate the best work movies ever made.

[Paul Scheer]

Have you ever seen a movie that's so bad that it's actually good? That's what we're talking about.

[Sona Movsesian]

From blockbuster franchises and made for TV.

[Conan O'Brien]

Romances to bonkers 80s action flicks and obscure sci fi musicals, we cover it all.

[Paul Scheer]

You can find. How did this get made? Wherever you get your podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode.

[Conan O'Brien]

Idiot. You know, FedEx doesn't know you're a small business yet. Okay, but what FedEx does know is that running a small business is hard enough without the hassle of complex shipping. That's where there's FedEx One Rate. Did you know that with FedEx One Rate, you can ship your holiday packages cheaper than the post office?

[Sona Movsesian]

What?

[Conan O'Brien]

I hate to root against old Uncle Sam, but go, FedEx, go. You can send packages as low as $14.50 for small boxes.

[Sona Movsesian]

That's cool.

[Conan O'Brien]

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