Joe Gatto's Secrets to Comedy Success & Life Balance | Joe Gatto DSH #1258

Summary

Podcast Summary: Digital Social Hour
Episode: Joe Gatto's Secrets to Comedy Success & Life Balance | Joe Gatto DSH #1258
Release Date: March 22, 2025

Hosted by Sean Kelly, Digital Social Hour invites listeners into candid conversations with some of the most intriguing personalities. In this episode, comedian and television personality Joe Gatto shares his insights on comedy, life balance, family, and personal growth.

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1. On Tour: Life as a Comedian [00:29 - 01:18]

Joe Gatto kicks off the conversation by discussing his ongoing comedy tour. Starting in September and running through June, Joe balances his hectic travel schedule by performing from Thursday to Sunday, allowing him weekdays to spend quality time with his family.

Joe Gatto [01:07]: "I started in September and it's going through June, and then I'll take the summer off to be home with the fam."

He highlights the challenges and rewards of touring, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a balance between his professional and personal life.

2. Favorite Cities and Touring Experiences [01:18 - 02:02]

Traveling across the United States, Joe recounts memorable stops, with Pittsburgh standing out as a favorite. He was captivated by the city's unique architecture and vibrant atmosphere, showcasing his appreciation for diverse locales.

Joe Gatto [01:20]: "Pittsburgh was cool. Really like Pittsburgh a lot."

Joe also touches upon his accomplishments, proudly stating that he has performed live comedy in all 50 states—a goal he achieved two years prior.

3. Transitioning from TV to Stand-Up and Filmmaking [02:02 - 04:03]

Despite his fame from television shows like Impractical Jokers, Joe shares his transition back to stand-up comedy and his aspirations in filmmaking. Moving to California in 2003 to pursue a Hollywood dream, he initially worked at Nordstrom but gradually shifted focus to writing and performing.

Joe Gatto [03:27]: "I'm trying to get going. So I'm on my way back to perform this weekend."

He emphasizes his love for performing and creating content that allows people to escape daily stresses, reinforcing his dedication to comedy.

4. Family Life and Parenthood [04:03 - 08:22]

Joe delves into his family life, discussing his late start in marriage and fatherhood. Married at 36 and becoming a father at 39, he reflects on the dynamics of raising children as a vegetarian and pescatarian household.

Joe Gatto [07:35]: "I have two. I love. I love the Tuesday night. I had one girl, one boy."

He attributes much of his personal growth and understanding to his siblings—two older sisters who helped shape his character and resilience.

5. Hobbies: Chess, Bowling, and Cooking [08:22 - 35:54]

Chess and Strategy [08:36 - 09:22]

Joe and the host engage in a light-hearted discussion about chess, with Joe sharing his history with the game and how he now enjoys teaching his son.

Joe Gatto [08:58]: "If somebody said, you good at chess? You like? Yeah, I'm good."

Bowling Adventures [10:03 - 12:13]

Recalling his high school bowling days, Joe humorously details his average scores and the fun memories associated with the sport.

Joe Gatto [10:55]: "I could have went pro."

Culinary Pursuits [13:00 - 35:54]

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around food. Joe shares his love for Italian cuisine, sushi, and desserts, highlighting family traditions like backyard pizza parties and his wife’s baking talents.

Joe Gatto [35:25]: "I do a good teriyaki salmon with pineapple rice."

He discusses his journey towards a healthier lifestyle, including adopting a vegetarian diet inspired by personal experiences and documentaries like Game Changers.

Joe Gatto [32:18]: "I went full vegan for nine months. Damn, that was intense. But it was the healthiest I ever felt."

6. Technology, Social Life, and Personal Growth [35:54 - 49:20]

Embracing and Critiquing Technology [25:22 - 37:53]

Joe shares his thoughts on the impact of technology and AI on daily life, advocating for a balanced approach to its usage. He reminisces about pre-GPS road trips and criticizes the over-reliance on digital tools.

Joe Gatto [26:59]: "It's just insane technology."

Podcasting Insights [19:22 - 21:54]

Discussing the growth of podcasting, Joe highlights the diversity of guests and the enriching stories they bring, reinforcing the medium's role in sharing varied human experiences.

Joe Gatto [20:57]: "It's just like a different meld. And then you realize that the homes and the parents were kind of the same, just in different states."

7. Entertainment Preferences: Movies and Reality TV [21:54 - 47:35]

Joe and the host explore their favorite movies and TV shows, debating genres like action comedy, horror, and thrillers. Joe recommends classics like Young Frankenstein and modern hits such as The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, starring Henry Cavill.

Joe Gatto [41:05]: "Action comedy. I like action comedy, but I love comedy for sure."

They also discuss reality TV preferences, with Joe expressing interest in game shows while critiquing the mental toll of shows like Survivor and Big Brother.

8. Personal Beliefs and Experiences [47:35 - 49:20]

The conversation shifts to deeper topics such as dreams, beliefs in the supernatural, and personal experiences with loss. Joe shares heartfelt stories about dreaming of his late parents, suggesting a belief in spirits and the beyond.

Joe Gatto [43:18]: "I've had dead people appear in my dreams. It makes me wonder if like that's their spirit sometimes."

He discusses coping mechanisms like microdosing psychedelics, reflecting on their effects and his personal stance against them.

9. Closing Remarks and Future Engagements [49:20 - 51:59]

As the episode winds down, Joe provides information on how listeners can keep up with his work, directing them to his official website and Instagram handle. He concludes the conversation with heartfelt thanks and encouragement for listeners to attend his upcoming shows.

Joe Gatto [51:45]: "JoeGattoOfficial.com gives you all the places where I'll be."

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Notable Quotes:

• On Balancing Tour and Family:

  Joe Gatto [01:07]: "I started in September and it's going through June, and then I'll take the summer off to be home with the fam."

• On Life Lessons from Siblings:

  Joe Gatto [07:48]: "I have two. I love. I love the Tuesday night. I had one girl, one boy."

• On Technology and AI:

  Joe Gatto [26:59]: "It's just insane technology."

• On Personal Growth Through Solitude:

  Joe Gatto [49:10]: "And that's the part where it really made me get in touch with, you know, analyzing, hard working, getting a plan together, how to fix it all. Grieving."

• On Comedy as an Escape:

  Unknown Host [19:22]: "That's why comedy is so important right now."

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Conclusion:

In this engaging episode of Digital Social Hour, Joe Gatto offers a window into his multifaceted life, balancing comedy, family, personal growth, and societal observations. Listeners gain valuable insights into the life of a touring comedian striving for balance and fulfillment beyond the spotlight. For more about Joe Gatto's upcoming shows and projects, visit JoeGattoOfficial.com or follow him on Instagram at @Joe_Gatto.

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Note: This summary is based on a provided transcript and may not capture all nuances of the actual podcast episode.

Transcript

[Joe Gatto]

You know, you get destroyed, but you get lucky. Yeah, but I feel like those kind of games, I like those. They're more communal.

[Unknown Host]

So you like pickleball, then?

[Joe Gatto]

It's on my bucket list to try, but I have tennis elbow currently.

[Unknown Host]

Oh.

[Joe Gatto]

I don't know why I don't play tennis. And I hurt my elbow about a year ago and I went to the doctor and they're like, you have tennis elbow?

[Unknown Host]

I'm like, how about to hit your funny button?

[Joe Gatto]

I must have too much cannolis. Cookies or something.

[Unknown Host]

Love me some cannolis.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, the best.

[Unknown Host]

All right, guys, he is back. Joe Gatto in the building.

[Joe Gatto]

Hello.

[Unknown Host]

What brings you to Vegas this time?

[Joe Gatto]

I missed you.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, thank you.

[Joe Gatto]

Good to see you. Yeah, yeah, No, I came. I'm on my way back from la. I had a couple things to do in la, a couple shows. I'm on tour. Yeah, I live a couple meetings and stuff. I got some scripts. I'm trying to get going. So I'm on my way back to perform this weekend. So.

[Unknown Host]

In New York?

[Joe Gatto]

No, I'm actually this weekend, I'm in Indiana. Missouri, middle. Little bit Middle America. So it made sense to go stop on the way back home and then finish back in New York.

[Unknown Host]

So you're still on tour, huh?

[Joe Gatto]

I'm on tour, yeah. Let's get into a tour. Just. I started in September and it's. Yeah, yeah, it goes through June, and then I'll take the summer off to be home with the fam.

[Unknown Host]

Damn.

[Joe Gatto]

When the kids are off from school, and then they'll start back up, and.

[Unknown Host]

That'S a lot of traveling, man. Well done.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, it's. It's easier. It's like the weekends, you know, I do Thursday to Sunday, you know, I get home and then I'm home during the week with the kids and stuff. So it's good. It all works out.

[Unknown Host]

Any cities surprise you or shock you?

[Joe Gatto]

Pittsburgh was cool. Really like Pittsburgh a lot. I don't know, I just. When got there, I just like, you know, you always seen. You always have, like a vision of a city before you go to it, I think.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

You know, but like, when I got there, the way it presents, you'd go through this tunnel and you just opens up into this bridge and it's this island where you see literally everything at once. It looks like a painting. And I was like. I went there, I was like, this is really cool.

[Unknown Host]

Wow.

[Joe Gatto]

Really nice.

[Unknown Host]

I've never been there, man.

[Joe Gatto]

You never been to Pittsburgh? No, I've been all 50 states. I performed live comedy in all 50 states. I made my I made a bucket list thing and I finished two years ago.

[Unknown Host]

Okay.

[Joe Gatto]

Fargo, North Dakota was the last checkbox.

[Unknown Host]

And where do you rank that last in Fargo?

[Joe Gatto]

No, it's. It was completely different. Like it's way up there. Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

You know, I'd imagine New York is your first favorite state.

[Joe Gatto]

No.

[Unknown Host]

Really? No.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. That's a lie. It probably is, but like California, I love. I love Florida. I've pleasantly supplies with Ohio. I always have great shows in Ohio. Yeah. Columbus, Cincinnati, you know, Cleveland, I love those cities. There's a lot of. A lot of good people there.

[Unknown Host]

It's cold out there, man.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, I'm from New York.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

You're not out here in this desert heat.

[Unknown Host]

Well, I grew up in Jersey, so now I get cold out here right now.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, when the sun goes down, it gets freezing out.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, I mean, you adjust. Like people complain about being cold in Miami when it's like 50 degrees.

[Joe Gatto]

I always. Well, there was this whole weird thing not like a month ago where it snowed in North Carolina and like they had no idea what to do. Like nobody even had like salt. Like what do we do? They just shut everything for three days or like we just wait for this to melt.

[Unknown Host]

When I was in D.C. it smelled like a foot and it was normal, you know, D.C. and I was in. Have you ever been to Where's Sundance Festival? In Utah?

[Joe Gatto]

Utah? Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Park City.

[Joe Gatto]

Park City.

[Unknown Host]

You've been there?

[Joe Gatto]

No, I've been to Salt Lake.

[Unknown Host]

Okay.

[Joe Gatto]

I've been through at another state there, but not. I haven't been.

[Unknown Host]

How is Salt Lake? The Mormon.

[Joe Gatto]

Salt Lake. Yeah. They love comedy, man.

[Unknown Host]

Really?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, they're fun people. It's all like great. It's really cool. It's. It's got like a. It. It does because it has like a stigma to it. Because of the Mormon.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Thing. But I didn't find it to be much different than any other comedy crowd. You just came out to life.

[Unknown Host]

They got a Show by Like 7:00pm yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

You know, good show. You tuck them. There's no electricity, you know, that's not that.

[Unknown Host]

You doing anything on TV anymore?

[Joe Gatto]

No, I'm trying to. I do the stand up stuff now and then. I've been trying. I started. I want to be a filmmaker. That was when I got into this.

[Unknown Host]

That's cool.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. I actually moved to California, Louisiana in 2003 to chase a dream in Hollywood and to be a film. I ended up working at Nordstrom, but a little bit of Thing. But I, I really love film. Always was. So now I'm concentrating on hopefully try to direct the feature.

[Unknown Host]

Let's go a couple scripts.

[Joe Gatto]

Which is cool. And I love writing, so it's fun. But the stand up, I mean I just love performing. I love making people laugh.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Again now making a reason for people to come out and forget all the BS that's happening.

[Unknown Host]

You know, that's who you were on Impractical Jokers. Man. That was. You were the best at making people laugh.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Thank you, bud for translates so well. Yeah. You were doing comedy before that show, right?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, I've been doing it for. Since performing live since 99.

[Unknown Host]

Damn.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, we started our improv comedy troupe in 1999 and we been doing that so. Yeah. Way longer than you've probably been alive.

[Unknown Host]

I was born in 97.

[Joe Gatto]

There you go. All right.

[Unknown Host]

A couple years, man. Birthday is tomorrow actually. Oh, happy birthday. That's Aquarius.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, nice. So your birthday is tomorrow. You got big plans or what you.

[Unknown Host]

Doing n A little birthday.

[Joe Gatto]

Little like.

[Unknown Host]

I feel like as you get older it's not as fun.

[Joe Gatto]

Do you find adults who celebrate their birthday weird?

[Unknown Host]

Yes.

[Joe Gatto]

That's like a big. That's a big conversation.

[Unknown Host]

It's weird people. Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

I think like, I mean you got to, you got to do the bangers, you got to do the decades or give you the half years, you know, 35s, 45s, you know, but like somebody's doing on like 47th birthday, you know, 32nd birthday, just.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, yeah. It's got to end in a.05.

[Joe Gatto]

That's right,05.

[Unknown Host]

And do you think they should stop at a certain age? Overall, no.

[Joe Gatto]

I think then you start celebrating. I think it starts getting more down. It's like you made it, grandma. 88.

[Unknown Host]

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[Joe Gatto]

Placing the over unders on you.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

You scared of aging? No. You're not?

[Joe Gatto]

No.

[Unknown Host]

That's cool.

[Joe Gatto]

No, I'm not. I mean, I just. I lost my dad when I was young. I was 19 years old. My dad passed away, and my mom was pretty young, too. But I was just, like, always taught and felt live life to the fullest, you know, do what you can while you're here.

[Unknown Host]

That's important.

[Joe Gatto]

I think it's really. I think it's. I think it's the most important thing.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Because a lot of people save up and save up. It's like, have some fun now. Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Do it while you can. You know, you'll be responsible. Do what you can. But also, don't be afraid to, you know, put yourself in a position where you have to hustle a little bit to make a little more and make the memory. It's so true. I hear this all the time, and I. I believe it. Now is like, your kids will forget whatever you bought them for. Ask your kids last year what you got them for Christmas, and then ask your kids what their favorite vacation was, and they'll be able to recap the whole vacation and completely forget what you got them for Christmas. When I tried that with my daughter last year and it worked, and she. All she did was she recapped the whole trip to Disney World and didn't even mention one thing. She opened.

[Unknown Host]

Damn.

[Joe Gatto]

Which is.

[Unknown Host]

That's so true, though. I remember my vacation to Greece when I was a kid. Like, back.

[Joe Gatto]

Is that crazy?

[Unknown Host]

And it was my favorite one ever. It's all about Christmas. I can't remember. Single gift for parents.

[Joe Gatto]

It's experiences.

[Unknown Host]

It really is same.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. So you got to live life traveling and experiencing things.

[Joe Gatto]

Making memories is true. Well, because, like, that, too, is like, that's all you leave your family with or your friends with. They remember stories, you know, they don't remember the thing you bought them or the thing, you know, what they did.

[Unknown Host]

So facts. Family's super important for you.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. Yeah, for sure.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Big family.

[Unknown Host]

I grew up in a divorced household, so it was kind of traumatic, but I think I really want kids.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. You should do it, man. It's fun.

[Unknown Host]

How old were you when you had the first one?

[Joe Gatto]

I was 39.

[Unknown Host]

Oh, yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Late game. I didn't yeah, Yeah. I didn't meet my wife till I was 30. I didn't get married till I was 36 or 35.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Okay.

[Joe Gatto]

So I was later in the game for sure.

[Unknown Host]

Getting married this year, man.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, yeah.

[Unknown Host]

28, dude.

[Joe Gatto]

That's awesome. Congrats.

[Unknown Host]

More kids by 30 and.

[Joe Gatto]

All right.

[Unknown Host]

What a few. Okay. I just want one.

[Joe Gatto]

I have two. I love. I love the Tuesday night. I had one girl, one boy. So I was like, all right, that's a set. We're done.

[Unknown Host]

I won.

[Joe Gatto]

You can't pick if you want. If you had your pick, would you want a girl first or a boy first? Do you want a boy, sir? You want an older brother?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Interesting. You have an older.

[Joe Gatto]

So I have a. I grew up with older sisters. I have two older sisters that are awesome, and I really think they help raise a gentleman or a guy who knows how to be handle and not be afraid. Women like being a house full of.

[Unknown Host]

That's an interesting.

[Joe Gatto]

Things like that. So I really like that, and I think later in life it comes in handy. But there is something to have an older brother. Like, I used to get my ass kicked a lot, and I kind of wish I had older.

[Unknown Host]

Really?

[Joe Gatto]

It's an older brother? Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Wow. So you got picked on?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, a little bit. I got bullied a little bit. I was super nerdy when I was younger.

[Unknown Host]

What were you nerding out about?

[Joe Gatto]

I saw the movie Willow. Do you know the movie that's basically like a, you know, Lord of the Rings light, the old magic elves and stuff, and I start creative writing and, you know, fantasy stuff. I was good at math, ch. Things like that. I wasn't good at sports, you know?

[Unknown Host]

Still play chess? I do. You got to play, man.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, yeah? You play?

[Unknown Host]

I play every day.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh. Oh, really?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Are you good? What?

[Unknown Host]

Depends what good is.

[Joe Gatto]

Okay. What? Your version.

[Unknown Host]

So do you know the rating system?

[Joe Gatto]

No, I. I don't want to. I want to say it right to you. Like, do you think, like, you're like. Yeah. If somebody said, you good at chess? You like? Yeah, I'm good.

[Unknown Host]

I'll put it this way. If a random player who's never played before played me, he wouldn't win.

[Joe Gatto]

Gotcha.

[Unknown Host]

Like, there's no way I would lose to just some random somebody on the street. Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Okay. So I would put myself at almost good. Like, I'm between. Okay and good, because I don't play as often as I used to when I was younger. I used to be better, you know, but my son started playing, which Is fun. So that's me to teach him. And it's. It's.

[Unknown Host]

It's so fun, man. I love chess.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, chess is good. I like it because it's also now, like, it's. It came back into. There was that show the Queen's Gambit. Yeah. If you saw that. So it came back into, like, culture a little bit.

[Unknown Host]

That's why I started playing.

[Joe Gatto]

No way. Really?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. I didn't play as a kid.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. I was a late bloomer. Oh, wow. That show brought a lot of people to the game.

[Joe Gatto]

Dude, I'm watching. It was like a perfect storm with that Covid. Every. Like, everybody getting locked up playing the.

[Unknown Host]

Everyone was bored.

[Joe Gatto]

The chess, you know, like, that's the chess app.

[Unknown Host]

Like, been banned twice.

[Joe Gatto]

Did you?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Why?

[Unknown Host]

I talked.

[Joe Gatto]

How do you get banned from a chess app? What are you doing on these streets?

[Unknown Host]

I'll be honest. I'll be honest. I'm a sore loser.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, okay.

[Unknown Host]

So I was talking.

[Joe Gatto]

Okay.

[Unknown Host]

And you're not supposed to talk in chess. No, I think you should be able to.

[Joe Gatto]

Well, it's an app. It's not like a walkie talkie.

[Unknown Host]

No, but there's a chat thing.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, so this side on you, they shouldn't have it then why isn't chat thing there?

[Unknown Host]

Some players can turn it off, but when you both have it on, you could talk to each other. You're like, so, like, checkmate. Yeah. When someone's got a win, they'll be like, go ahead, pussy type. Oh, really?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, but I like that trash talking. Just someone reported me, man.

[Joe Gatto]

But I think there's snitches on these streets. You got to be careful. Yeah, man.

[Unknown Host]

But even in person, because I go to New York. I played in New York once. That's a buck.

[Joe Gatto]

You play in the park?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, I got destroyed.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, they are so great. I used to sit there and people watch hours.

[Unknown Host]

So great.

[Joe Gatto]

I never. I never sat down at those tables, but they were so fun. Talk about trash talking. Yeah, but that's like. That's like. That is like destination things for people. It's like a bucket listing. Like, you said, like, that people are like, I'm gonna go play that.

[Unknown Host]

I went out of my way to play there. Really? Yeah. I. I went. I told my girl. I'm like, we're going here to play. That's like, I know we're in Jersey today, but we're going.

[Joe Gatto]

It's like a pickup game at the West 4th Street Court. So, like, if you want to, like, see if they can play basketball? Like.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, you play basketball?

[Joe Gatto]

I shoot the ball.

[Unknown Host]

Okay.

[Joe Gatto]

That's where the starts and ends. I'm a bowler. I can bowl.

[Unknown Host]

What's your best bowling score?

[Joe Gatto]

288.

[Unknown Host]

Damn. That's almost all. Strike.

[Joe Gatto]

In high school, Yeah, I was. I was a math lead and I was on a bowling team. So that's what I'm talking about. Wonder why I got picked on, but. Yeah. So I was. Yeah. That was a fluke, though. My average was like 2 10, 2 1. But still good. Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

You could have went pro.

[Joe Gatto]

I did well, yeah, but I didn't.

[Unknown Host]

Got no money in that.

[Joe Gatto]

Now, my. My dad was on a bowling league, so he used to go Thursday nights and he would take me and my friend Joey. Joey T. We used to go B. Like, we would. They put the kids on the lane. Like, I was just bowling.

[Unknown Host]

I.

[Joe Gatto]

So I bowled like every twice a week for, like, ever. And then I joined the bowling team in high school and. And I just bowled. But now it's funny because it's like a sleeper thing. Like we're on the road or something. I'll be. People like, yeah, like, let's go bowling. Or I end up at a bowling alley and all. I'm just trying to like, what the hell's going on? Yeah, yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Because you don't lose that. That's like muscle.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, that's it.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. You get like riding a bike.

[Joe Gatto]

That's 100% sure.

[Unknown Host]

I wanted to be good at bowling because pool takes so long.

[Joe Gatto]

To be good at pool, I can't do.

[Unknown Host]

It's so hard. But bowling, I feel like you could get decent.

[Joe Gatto]

I think people look at it like in A Beautiful Mind thing that you figure out, like, I was like, I don't know, like, how to hit the ball, where to hit the ball. That's it. Air hockey. I represent.

[Unknown Host]

You're nice at air hockey.

[Joe Gatto]

I am nice.

[Unknown Host]

Foosball was my game.

[Joe Gatto]

Foosball no good. You're good at that.

[Unknown Host]

That's good.

[Joe Gatto]

Yo, do you know the Italian skeeball? Italians? Like, it's like, to. Basically the sliders. It's like a long table like this, and it's got a 1, 2, and 3. Shuffleboard. Yeah, shuffle guys in ski ball. I mean, shuffleboard.

[Unknown Host]

I love shuffle.

[Joe Gatto]

I love those long tables. You get a nice 16 footer.

[Unknown Host]

Oh, yeah. Those feel great when you hit in the three. Yeah, yeah, that's.

[Joe Gatto]

I like those kind of games because anybody like that? Foosball kind of, but more like air hockey. Anybody could play it.

[Unknown Host]

That's true.

[Joe Gatto]

You know, I mean, they could get up and get played. You know, you get destroyed, but you get lucky. Yeah, but I feel like those kind of games. I like those. They're more communal.

[Unknown Host]

So you like pickleball, then?

[Joe Gatto]

It's on my bucket list to try, but I have tennis elbow currently. Oh, I don't know why. Don't play tennis. And I hurt my elbow about a year ago, and I went to the doctor, and they're like, you have tennis elbow? I'm like, how you must have hit your.

[Unknown Host]

Funny.

[Joe Gatto]

But I had too much cannolis or cookies or something.

[Unknown Host]

I don't love me some cannolis.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, the best. What's your favorite dessert?

[Unknown Host]

Dessert? Oh, cheesecake. Cheesecake?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Good old New York cheesecake.

[Joe Gatto]

Straight up. What we talking? Drizzle. You got a drizzle on.

[Unknown Host]

It was whipped cream.

[Joe Gatto]

Whipped cream? Yeah, drizzle.

[Unknown Host]

I could go without drizzle without playing Jane for me.

[Joe Gatto]

Me? Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

You're cannoli, though, right?

[Joe Gatto]

I'm a cannoli.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

I do A cannoli Or a lobster tail.

[Unknown Host]

Okay.

[Joe Gatto]

I love those.

[Unknown Host]

Like, I've had a lot of bad cannolis, though.

[Joe Gatto]

Have you?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

I'm sorry.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, I'm here.

[Joe Gatto]

I'm here to apologize. I have the canola community.

[Unknown Host]

I'm sure if I had a good one, I would like it, because the concept of it I would like.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, I think you get in the big cities, you're good.

[Unknown Host]

Okay.

[Joe Gatto]

But I'll have people. I'll be on the road in these little towns, and they're like, you got to get the cannoli from here. It's the best cannoli in town. And I go. And I'm like, this is. Yeah, the worst.

[Unknown Host]

The bread ratio is off.

[Joe Gatto]

Well, yeah. So a lot of it falls into, like, if you get a soggy, you know, absorbs so much, the cream, the shell, it's terrible. Like, you need that crunch. It's not. It's. It's not an easy thing to make.

[Unknown Host]

I don't think so. Have you ever made it?

[Joe Gatto]

No, I didn't want to ruin it for myself. I'm not a baker. I'm a cooker.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, I cook more because I love pizza, but making is. It doesn't taste as good.

[Joe Gatto]

No way.

[Unknown Host]

You know?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. Like, did you have a big thing that happened? And I think probably in Jersey, too, was like, the backyard pizza ovens. Do you know those. Like, they did the, like, the brick oven thing. There was a big fad when everybody was doing the outdoor Kitchens. They would do a. A backyard.

[Unknown Host]

Oh, during the pandemic.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

I was always in la, so they.

[Joe Gatto]

Were doing that kind of thing. And it was like everybody would, like, have pizza parties in the backyard.

[Unknown Host]

That's cool.

[Joe Gatto]

Make their own pizzas, which I miss.

[Unknown Host]

Jersey pizza.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

And Italian out here.

[Joe Gatto]

No good.

[Unknown Host]

Not really, because they. They bring the restaurants out here. But it's the water. Yeah, something that's water, right?

[Joe Gatto]

You don't go to New York. New York and get the p. Look at a real slice and authentic.

[Unknown Host]

Nah, Vegas has its restaurants, though.

[Joe Gatto]

For sure.

[Unknown Host]

We can hold up.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, dude, I love it out here. Yeah, I'm out here like, seven, eight times a year.

[Unknown Host]

Damn.

[Joe Gatto]

What's your go to Hotel Aria or Cosmopolitan?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, the Cosmo. I'm actually playing the Cosmo in May. Oh, yeah. May 3rd. I'm at the. I'm at the. Doing the Chelsea. I'm psyched.

[Unknown Host]

Is that one of your biggest audiences?

[Joe Gatto]

It's a big theater. Yeah. That's about where I hang about. Yeah. 1500. Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

You're selling out 1500.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. About there.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Because there's levels to comedy, for sure. You start out in, like, the Hunter person, right?

[Joe Gatto]

You do, like, the comedy club stuff. Yeah. But when I toured with the. You know, with the guys, we did, you know, big rooms and stuff. And then when we started, I started my solo stuff. You know, I started doing stand up. I had to do the little rooms just to see if I took to it and how it went, and I liked it. And then people started coming out, and I actually put together an hour I liked, and I was like, okay, this is nice. This is cool. So I started moving to the theaters pretty quick, and I move around a lot. Like, I, you know, I got a lot of energy. So, like, those smaller comedy clubs are tough. Like those little. I find more jokes when I have more room.

[Unknown Host]

Really.

[Joe Gatto]

So, like, my hour always got stronger when I started moving to a theater.

[Unknown Host]

Nice.

[Joe Gatto]

I remember when I did my first one. So I did. I toured for two and a half years with a. Messing with people. It's a. It's my special.

[Unknown Host]

Messing with people.

[Joe Gatto]

Messing with people. It's on Hulu. So, yeah, you can check that out. But that. When I did that, I remember, like, the last show I did in the comedy club versus the first one I did in the theater. I was like, I found, like. I'm not even kidding. I found, like, 10 more minutes of jokes just because I use my body more, had more room around, you know, I'm pretty physical. My God, you've seen me, you know, like, I'm very physical. My comedy. So, like, when I had that, I was like, oh, wow. So I really enjoy a stage.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Do you have any methods for getting loose with the crowd?

[Joe Gatto]

No, I don't really do crowd work. I. What I do do is I'm not a comic that, like, sits in the hotel room and waits for a show. Like, I'll go outbound town, grab a cup of coffee, a donut, hit Main street, walk around, pop into the shops and stuff. And I'll always garner a story or two from that. So I'll open with that a little bit to. Just to talk about that a little. And then I'll get into my.

[Unknown Host]

Wow. I like that you see some wild stuff. Yeah. But I. Someone walking a wheel on a leash. A wheel of a car. I'm not even kidding. On the. On the way to the studio.

[Joe Gatto]

Dude, I have a. I have a good excuse for that. That's insane.

[Unknown Host]

I was like, oh, well, this is Vegas too.

[Joe Gatto]

So, like, that's. That's probably pretty normal. Like, I was like, yeah, I just took my wheel for a long.

[Unknown Host]

He was probably trying to sell it or something. I don't know.

[Joe Gatto]

So was he. Was it a push or pull situation?

[Unknown Host]

Pull. The wheel was behind him and he had something in his other hand. It was interesting. I think he was homeless, but, yeah, wheels are worth some money or.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You could do a reset. There's a big resale market on this.

[Unknown Host]

I don't know if he stole it or how he got the wheel. That was. That was where my battery head went right away.

[Joe Gatto]

It's like, where'd you get this wheel?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, I don't know how you get one. One single wheel.

[Joe Gatto]

One wheel, yeah. That's crazy.

[Unknown Host]

What's the craziest thing you've seen on the streets?

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, my God, forget it.

[Unknown Host]

In New York.

[Joe Gatto]

I mean. I mean, in New York City. Oh, I didn't think I was gonna tell this story, but in New York City, I had seen. I'm not even kidding. There was two homeless people getting married by a third homeless guy. No, they were having like a full blown. It was down by Wall street and they were having like. I was like. I was like, oh, these people. And then it was just the three of them, and he was like, doing a wedding, and I was like, oh. I was looking around for cameras. I was like, oh, is this like a. Something being filmed? Like, just. And it was just like the three of them. And then they. He like, Got said it. He kissed him. The guy, like, threw rice at them. And then they, like, picked up their car and it just walked away. And I was like, did I just see two homeless people get married on the street in New York? So it was insane. That was, like, one of the weirdest things I did. But love happens anywhere. You know what I mean? Home or not.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. They public love on the streets.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, I'm sorry. I've seen it on the subways. I've seen.

[Unknown Host]

You see some. Well, out here, the. The homeless are hidden. There's a whole documentary on this. They're in the tunnels.

[Joe Gatto]

The hidden homeless. Wow.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. I mean, they have to be, right? Because of the sun all day.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, I guess. It's too hot, right, in the summers.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

I mean, you see people that are, like, in Boston and they're homeless. I'm like, why aren't you trying, like, to go south?

[Unknown Host]

Like, same with New York.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, same deal. Like, I see that. I was like, it's got to be so much harder to deal with the elements.

[Unknown Host]

I'm complaining about moving my trash to, like, the road.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

And then I'm, like, shivering. But these homeless people are out there all night. It blows my mind.

[Joe Gatto]

Crazy. I. I think maybe you get used to that life, too, right? It's like anything, I guess you adapt. Yeah, but I. I can't imagine it, you know?

[Unknown Host]

No.

[Joe Gatto]

But some people, you just see them, they adapt, and it's. You know, they're out there. There was a guy down on. I used to live in. Like I told you, I used to live in L. A in Santa Monica. Busking was illegal on the street and on the promenade so you could play some music and, you know, panhandle, and they wouldn't bug you. And there was this guy that was there for years that was just, you know, homeless and lived, like, on the beach, and he would just be there for years.

[Unknown Host]

Wow.

[Joe Gatto]

And I was like, that's crazy.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

He was just there.

[Unknown Host]

That's nuts. You still taking the subway these days? I've been crazy videos. It's not bad.

[Joe Gatto]

No way. Yeah. Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

The city's crazy, and you probably get recognized.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, yeah, I don't. I mostly. I don't want to get trapped on a train with people that are, like, yelling Larry at me and be like, no, no. But it's. Yeah, it's. It's not. It's not very good. I don't find it. Only in New York. I find, like, everywhere is a little weird.

[Unknown Host]

Really?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. It's a Little weird everywhere. Yeah, you get, you know, people are, you know, it's not a good time right now for a lot of people, so I think the streets aren't as safe as they used to be. And I always have, like, my radar up even more when I'm, like, with the family and stuff. I got my wife and my kids with me. It's, like, a little different, but.

[Unknown Host]

Well, that's why comedy is so important right now. And that's why you guys are crushing the podcast scene.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Oh, my gosh. You guys get the most views out of every genre.

[Joe Gatto]

I know. It's so, so great to just be the escape, you know?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, it's great. Yeah, people made it, but, yeah, shout out to guys like Theo and Schultz. They're just pulling massive numbers.

[Joe Gatto]

So many. Yeah, you're not, you know, what to sneeze at. You're doing pretty good yourself.

[Unknown Host]

Doing all right.

[Joe Gatto]

I'm doing all right. You must be funny.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, not really, but.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, yeah, you get. You get some killer guest stuff, like some cool guests. Do you. Do you do your own reach out or how's it work?

[Unknown Host]

Sometimes, yeah. At first, yeah, it was all me. Now I got a team now we're getting inbound.

[Joe Gatto]

You get. That's.

[Unknown Host]

That's.

[Joe Gatto]

That's when, you know when people are reaching out to you.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, but it was not like that the first year.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, I had a grind. Okay, so you got your own patrol, too.

[Joe Gatto]

How long? Yeah, I have two cool moms, me and Steve, and we didn't start doing guests right away because he's a comedian too. Steve Burn. So we just talked him BS and we filled up the 45 minutes or hour pretty easy. And then we're like, oh, it'd be kind of fun to get another perspective in here. And then we had a lot of fun. We had Q on, of course, we had Myr Sal. And then, you know, we had a. We just had Colby Kalei on, which was really fun. Different, like a different voice. Like, you know, she's a musician out in Nashville, and. And then we, you know, we get these different people, like some bands and Red Clay strays, and it's just like, different people that have, like, you tell your stories about, like, your mom, too, or any of your family, and you hear about their upbringing and just different lives, you know, they were. The Red Clay strays were Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, you know.

[Unknown Host]

Wow.

[Joe Gatto]

And then it's me from New York, and Steve grew up in Jersey and Pittsburgh, you know, so it's like just a different Meld. And then you realize that the homes and the parents were kind of the same, just in different states.

[Unknown Host]

That's why I love podcasting.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

You meet all sorts of characters.

[Joe Gatto]

Sure.

[Unknown Host]

Wow. I've had some interesting ones on this show.

[Joe Gatto]

Top three.

[Unknown Host]

Okay. Top three. Philly, Mob boss.

[Joe Gatto]

Okay.

[Unknown Host]

That was wild. Wow. One guy who remembered being a rock in a past life.

[Joe Gatto]

I'm sorry. I'm gonna go talk. I'm out. Right. That's just to bring it back. Like, he remembered being a rock. So the rock had awareness.

[Unknown Host]

Yes.

[Joe Gatto]

And he. He. In his mind, the rock had a brain and was like, oh, okay.

[Unknown Host]

Yep.

[Joe Gatto]

Do you know the Wheel?

[Unknown Host]

Not just a rock. He remembers all his past life.

[Joe Gatto]

Really?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

He was a little cuckoo or.

[Unknown Host]

No, it depends who you ask.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

I have a spiritual side to me.

[Joe Gatto]

You. So you believe the whole rock thing?

[Unknown Host]

I don't know if I believe the whole rock thing and the whole. But I believe in past life.

[Joe Gatto]

Okay. Past lives is fine.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Being a rock, though, is really where. That's where you loop out of place, where the story starts to get some cracks. Every pun intended. So.

[Unknown Host]

Okay.

[Joe Gatto]

So he thought he was, well, okay, past life, but he was. He put forward a good case. Yeah. Okay.

[Unknown Host]

And he was saying stuff about Atlantis, about the pyramids. Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Okay.

[Unknown Host]

Interesting stuff.

[Joe Gatto]

All right. That's cool. That's definitely a cool.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, that was cool. And then. Do you know Billy Carson?

[Joe Gatto]

No.

[Unknown Host]

Ancient civilization expert?

[Joe Gatto]

No.

[Unknown Host]

Okay. I'm into, like, history, so I nerd out on this stuff.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, God. Just. That's great. That's a great.

[Unknown Host]

But it's hard to pick. I've had 1400.

[Joe Gatto]

1400.

[Unknown Host]

I'm just saying what, like, comes on.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, but I like that when people say, what's your favorite movie? I don't go. Let me. Let me say. Well, I just say whatever, like, comes to my mind about that.

[Unknown Host]

My answer on that question has changed every resort for my whole life.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. Right.

[Unknown Host]

Because I get asked that right now. It's the Departed.

[Joe Gatto]

The Departed, yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Okay. That's a good one.

[Joe Gatto]

That's a great.

[Unknown Host]

What about you? What's on your mind?

[Joe Gatto]

I mean, my. My favorite of all time, always, is Young Frankenstein. Melbourne, Soul School 1. But then also Princess Bride's always up there for me. But I just saw the. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

[Unknown Host]

Okay.

[Joe Gatto]

Which was Guy Ritchie's new one, which is unbelievable. Henry Cavill Stars. And I recommend it to everybody. If you haven't seen. It's a good one. But it was really, really just such A fun, interesting watch. You're a history buff, you said.

[Unknown Host]

I am.

[Joe Gatto]

Gotta watch it.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Gotta watch it.

[Unknown Host]

I love that.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

I'm into nerdy documentaries and stuff.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, I. I would have figured. Yeah, I do. I feel like you're very intellectual. The whole thing you're presenting goes for.

[Unknown Host]

I'm decent, my IQ's decent, my dad's. Holy. Yeah, yeah, he was.

[Joe Gatto]

Dad's.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Yeah. But you don't want to be that smart. No, no. I saw, like, what went on behind the scenes.

[Joe Gatto]

Can never rest, right?

[Unknown Host]

You get in your own head.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. Right. Can't turn it off, right.

[Unknown Host]

No.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. That's why I like being just like.

[Unknown Host]

Slightly above average, I feel like is the best.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

You know?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. Slightly above.

[Unknown Host]

Slightly above.

[Joe Gatto]

So you. Okay, so you say you're slightly above. I.

[Unknown Host]

Well, I took a test, so, Yeah, I guess the test on the paper, but who knows if that actually measures actual intelligence you want?

[Joe Gatto]

Dude, aren't you supposed to take it a couple times to see if you get the same number?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, I should probably take it. I think I've gotten dumber with tick tock and everything.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, everything like that.

[Unknown Host]

I know for a fact my attention span has gone down drain.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

I mean, I can't even watch a movie now without going on my phone.

[Joe Gatto]

But you hold conversation.

[Unknown Host]

Well, I can hold, but that's like a conscious thing, I think.

[Joe Gatto]

Okay, so here's an interesting thing that I'd like to ask you.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

When you're outside the podcast studio and you're out and about, let's say you're, you know, at a club or with friends or just anywhere doing anything, are you able to. When you're not running the conversation, you're able to engage as well?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, if I. If I'm interested.

[Joe Gatto]

Okay.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh. So how quick do you lose interest? Quick. Depends on the topic.

[Unknown Host]

Depends on the topic. You know, what about you?

[Joe Gatto]

I'm. I dive in, man. I love it. I love being around a table with people.

[Unknown Host]

Okay, so you're not checking your phone at dinner. Really?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, not really. Wow. Yeah, I don't do that.

[Unknown Host]

I think that's your generation though, too.

[Joe Gatto]

Partially my generation too. But I also have people in my generation that do that.

[Unknown Host]

Oh, really? Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Like my wife's on the phone all the time.

[Unknown Host]

So it's infiltrated your era too.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, it's made its way in. It's such a big part of everything, though, you know, a lot of it is. I think a big part is like, when you run a business. So, like you know, my wife runs our dog rescue and she, like, is always, like, getting, you know, text messages about, hey, could you help this dog? Or, hey, do you have this kind? So she's always like, I feel like when work invade your. Like, that happened. We. When I was on Joker is like, work invaded my phone. Now that I run my own kind of thing, it's. I could be like, no, just put this away for a minute. Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

That was why you left, right?

[Joe Gatto]

Well, yeah, partially. You know, it was like a lot of personal stuff, but, like, one of the things was like, one of the things I was able to redo was like, okay, I have a family. Like, let me imagine at dinner time.

[Unknown Host]

And that's your point, though. That's why I actually got two phones. I ended up not even using the second one. But my. My thought process was, let me have one personal and one business, and then it just didn't work out.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. So my wife has two work lines, but they're both on the same phone. So I was like, that kind of defeats the purpose. You know what I'm saying? But I think work infiltrate. If work infiltrates your phone, it's way harder to put it down.

[Unknown Host]

And that's where I'm at since the show's kind of new and I got to get it going. But I think down the road, I'll branch off more.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Live like Tucker Carlson. He has no. What was it? No email or something?

[Joe Gatto]

No.

[Unknown Host]

Or no phone. He only uses email.

[Joe Gatto]

It only uses email.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. And one of my guests was like that too. Graham Hancock.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, I took it to the rock guy. You didn't have. It's grindedmail.com.

[Unknown Host]

That wouldn't surprise me, though.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, no. But, yeah, that's. That's gotta be an interesting way to live.

[Unknown Host]

He pulled up with MapQuest, printed out. My dad used to use MapQuest. Yeah. Good old MapQuest.

[Joe Gatto]

Amazing.

[Unknown Host]

And yeah, he was taking notes on MapQuest.

[Joe Gatto]

I drove cross country using. I had a MapQuest. So when I. In 2005, when I had to move back to New York, I had my car out in California and I asked all my friends, I was like, hey, I gotta drive my car back. Say, I'm gonna take a road trip. Take a. You know, I gotta. It's gonna be like five days or whatever. And nobody answered me except Murray Murr. So Murr flies out to California and me and him take a road trip cross country. And this is before, like, GPS was really around 2005.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

And I bought Microsoft Maps. It was a program that you plugged in a USB GPS thing and you put it on top of your car. So Murray was sitting shotgun with a laptop open like an airplane and he was like on the map, like looking. And that's how we got. And I had a printed out MapQuest as a back, which is insane. And like we'd be in the middle of like nowhere, Arizona and we would lose signal. And I, I was like, what did it say? He's like, well, I remember saying go straight for like 120 miles. So I was like, how many miles have we gone? You know?

[Unknown Host]

I was like, I don't know how our parents drove on MapQuest, man.

[Joe Gatto]

I talk all the time about how insane it is. I'm like, you know what? From here I want to drive to Chicago. I put it in and I could go to Chicago. It's insane. It's just insane technology. Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Now when I drive without maps, I feel so lost. Yeah, I'm so.

[Joe Gatto]

You could be around the corner too. How do I get.

[Unknown Host]

I still use it to my studio for house every day. I don't know if I could get here without this like a 20 minute drive. That's.

[Joe Gatto]

Dude, that's a challenge you got to do tomorrow. Try to get here without him.

[Unknown Host]

I want to see what happens.

[Joe Gatto]

Let me know.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, I don't know how people drove, especially across states like you did across every state.

[Joe Gatto]

Damn. Yeah, my dad used to drive us down to Florida. You know, it's kind of a straight shot. But once you get into Florida, there's a lot of, like, there's still a lot of. Because there's, you know, it's a long state. So there's a lot of shoot offs and stuff. Yeah, my dad used to drive and he'd just be like, he remembered how to go after the first year he drove it.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

That's insane.

[Unknown Host]

It's a blessing and a curse, technology, man. Yeah. Because you can look up stuff so fast now. Like you don't even need to memorize stuff anymore at all. Just use AI Actually, that's a big sign.

[Joe Gatto]

Well, I have, I have, I have multiple thoughts about it. I don't personally use it. I will say that I got an awesome photo of me boxing Mike Tyson. Somebody generated with a. And I got it and it was hysterical. And I just sat on it for a while and then I posted that I was going to fight Mike Tyson and I tagged. I tagged Hulu the. The Bellagio and Mike Tyson saying, hey, I'm so excited. And everybody bought it. It got picked up Actually, by a couple of boxing sites, I swear.

[Unknown Host]

Wow.

[Joe Gatto]

It was like, on Instagram and it's like one of my biggest, you know, hits. Viral hits. It was so funny. And when I saw that picture, I was like, wow, this is pretty impressive.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

That it could do something good and, you know, but as far as, like, people like, oh, you can make it write a whole script and then, you know, you just sell a prompt or whatever and then you read those scripts and then you're like, yeah, but there's no human to that. You know, you need human still in some stuff, you know. Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

It takes away the art of script writing, right?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, I think. I think. I think it takes away the art in a lot of things. Takes away the human from a lot of it. Look, some stuff, yeah, for sure. Like, if I need to write, I need a factual report about something and it can give me a breakdown quickly. That's great. That's technology, that's growth.

[Unknown Host]

I use it for itinerary planning. So if I'm going to a new city, it'll recommend restaurants and activities.

[Joe Gatto]

That's. That's perfect. That's fantastic.

[Unknown Host]

It saves me time because if you individually look up everything, it would take, like a bunch of time.

[Joe Gatto]

Do you like the fun of being like, hey, I want a pancake and I'm here. I'm here in Cleveland. Let me find a. A Cleveland pancake. And you just.

[Unknown Host]

I used to.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

But now I'm way too healthy.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, really?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Okay, so I didn't mean that the way you look. I just. You said it so indignantly.

[Unknown Host]

No, I felt like you were judging me, actually. No, I used to eat out a lot, but now that I know about seed oils and all this health stuff, you know.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, gotcha. So what kind of. What do you have, like, a diet you're on or something? Or.

[Unknown Host]

Or you just stay with, like, whole foods, you know? I prefer like, organic crested meat. I know. You're vegetarian.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. Vegetarian, yeah. Pescatarian. I eat. Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

But you eat high quality vegetables.

[Joe Gatto]

Yes. Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Organic, right?

[Joe Gatto]

Yes, most. For the most part. Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Because the other stuff, Pesticides.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. You know, all that, it's. It's hard. Like, how much of it do you believe, though, isn't it? Like.

[Unknown Host]

That's a good question. Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Right.

[Unknown Host]

There's a lot of. Just marketing.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Right. Because who knows if it's actually organic?

[Joe Gatto]

Yes.

[Unknown Host]

There's no proof.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. I just think there's some. You do. That's when you do the research on companies and see how much Integrity. They have.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

You know, some that have been around for a while. I feel like they're a little bit more.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

About it, so.

[Unknown Host]

I mean, I love burgers and pizza, so I'll have a cheat meal once in a while.

[Joe Gatto]

Okay.

[Unknown Host]

Love me some in and out.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, that's in and out, huh? Nice. I haven't had it in and out in a long time, but dude, that was a good. That was a good burger. My wife, it's our favorite, still her favorite. Whenever she's west coast and could get one, she gets. She doesn't eat meat either. She's. She's straight vegetarian and she'll just get. She'll get the packets in like lettuce and that's it. And just had like their grilled cheese version, you know.

[Unknown Host]

It's hard.

[Joe Gatto]

She'll love it.

[Unknown Host]

It's hard to be. Yeah, sure. I'm from New York though, so Shake Shack is big out there.

[Joe Gatto]

Shake Shack is. But I never took to it.

[Unknown Host]

Really?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, I never took to it.

[Unknown Host]

You weren't a fan?

[Joe Gatto]

I liked five guys a lot.

[Unknown Host]

Five guys?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, I like five guys a lot. When I was eating, me not like five guys for a burger, but when the Impossible Whopper came and I was able to get that, like, because being on the road is a comic. Late night's tough. Yeah, yeah. You know, you're late, show you after the meet and greet, you get out. It's like 10:30, 10:00. You haven't had something to eat yet. Yeah, what do you got? You got Burger King, you got a local Denny's, you know, something like that. So figure out what you get. But that once I got that Impossible Whopper, like, it was the only, you know, vegetarian sandwich really, that you can get.

[Unknown Host]

You know, I used to eat Impossible Meat. It tastes good, I'll give it that.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, I. It really texture wise. I was like, super impressed by it. There's actually this new, this new vegan steak company, Marbled, it's called. And it's like they. It's like filet mignons and it's unbelievable the way it cooks and. Yeah, it's really, really cool. It was like one of the things I was like, oh, this is something different, you know, because I think a lot of other companies tried and didn't do it as well.

[Unknown Host]

But did you switch for health reasons or the animal cruelty reason?

[Joe Gatto]

I met a cow named Caesar. No, you did an 800 pound cow at Woodstock Farms. It's. It's up in upstate New York. And they did they do this thing called thanks living where you feed the turkeys. You go up to their farm and you feed the turkeys on Thanksgiving, like around there. So my wife was like, hey, we should go to this. We went and they give you a tour of the facility. And this 800 pound cow, Caesar, comes walking out of the barn. I'm like looking at it, you know, it's like seven feet tall. Comes over, it's like, wow. And it just walked right up to me and I just like rubbed his nose on it, put his head down, and I like pet it like a dog. And I was like, oh my God. And I was like, this is unbelievable. And I just like. I wasn't eating that much meat at that time anyway. My wife was already vegetarian and I did all the cooking. She didn't cook. So I was like, I wasn't making sticks and so I was like, you know what, Let me try to be vegetarian for a minute. So I did it and it stuck. The only thing I really missed was like buffalo wings, a good prosciutto motto sandwich, you know, like that kind of stuff, like those little things. But overall, like, you could this good options. Good enough options that you could get around it, you know. And then I saw, I went full vegan for nine months. Damn, that was intense. But it was the healthiest I ever felt.

[Unknown Host]

Wow.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, really good. And that was in. I saw the documentary Game Changers.

[Unknown Host]

Game Changers.

[Joe Gatto]

That's like a vegan die. But a lot of things didn't hit with me. But what hit with me was I don't have the best track record when it comes to eating. So, like, I think I've damaged probably a lot of my body with the sweets and, and the meats and everything. So it showed like the science about like how you could regain some time and whatnot. I was like, let me try it. I tried the first. Loved it. I did one month, did two months, and then I got up to nine. I was like, I need some spelled too weak, right? I need some salmon.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, yeah. It's hard, man, to look get that many calories.

[Joe Gatto]

Sure.

[Unknown Host]

You did eat 32, 000 calories in a day though, right?

[Joe Gatto]

It was delicious. That, that cheesecake was the best, man.

[Unknown Host]

It was a whole cheesecake.

[Joe Gatto]

No, that wasn't me.

[Unknown Host]

Oh, that wasn't you?

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, that was DiStefano. I was on that podcast with him and he told that story. But I. I almost ate a full. So we had to break between two bits on Jokers and I. You see me have like a sugar crash on tv. It was really funny, actually. But I. I had this huge piece of cheesecake and we were in between. I just eat it and murder is out there doing a turn. And I start, like, getting dizzy or whatever. I was like. And I was like, oh, honestly. But I know what it was. I was like, I just. I'm coming down off this sugar rush too hard and Mer's turn is going on, but it's really good. So the three of us are in the back and I'm like, you know what? Just bring the medic and I'll just sit in the back and cheer them on. So me and so salad queue are just there by themselves and I'm in the back being like, get a marker. I'm going to light. Like, I did a lot of jokes. I was like, we'll never have this opportunity to do something like this again. Which was. Which is really funny. So that. That was one thing that people were like, wow, I can't believe how much sweet you eat. And I was like, yeah, me neither.

[Unknown Host]

I need that audience.

[Joe Gatto]

That was right about the time when I was like, I gotta start. Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Going to the dentist. They found like seven cavities on me last time. Really? I got a sweet tooth.

[Joe Gatto]

You do?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

But you don't eat bad. You don't. You eat well.

[Unknown Host]

I mean, I do have a sweet tooth, though. I eat well, food wise.

[Joe Gatto]

Desserts get you.

[Unknown Host]

Desserts get me.

[Joe Gatto]

Love that. Love that about you. That's why we connect.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Oh, man. I mean, desserts, just so much happiness.

[Joe Gatto]

It's so great.

[Unknown Host]

Childhood memories.

[Joe Gatto]

That was the best.

[Unknown Host]

It unlocks, like a side of me.

[Joe Gatto]

But I think there's something about, like, sharing desserts with friends and it's like a party, right? Like, that's the. It's the. It's the part of the meal everybody gets excited about right now. Be like, check out these appetizers. You know, I mean, like, bring on the cupcakes.

[Unknown Host]

Plus, my fiance is a baker, so that doesn't help. She cooks some amazing desserts.

[Joe Gatto]

Where do you live? So she makes. Does she do desserts at home? Yeah, she's a baker by trade. She does, like, she.

[Unknown Host]

She doesn't sell it. She just bakes for me.

[Joe Gatto]

God.

[Unknown Host]

And sometimes the studio.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, I love that. That's nice. But you didn't do it today.

[Unknown Host]

Not today. Today would have been a good day, actually. I should have had her made some canola.

[Joe Gatto]

Yes. What's her name?

[Unknown Host]

Arielle.

[Joe Gatto]

Arielle.

[Unknown Host]

Next time I have some canoli. Is ready for you next time, man.

[Joe Gatto]

That's kind of. That's cool to be married to a baker, though, right?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

That's good. That's good. That shouldn't do for a job, though, because then you never get. Nobody wants to bake at home if they're baking at work.

[Unknown Host]

That's a tough living, man. Yeah, yeah. But shout out to her. I love coming home to all sorts of cream.

[Joe Gatto]

The house got to smell fantastic and. Right.

[Unknown Host]

We got a garden, too. Oh, do you? Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

You got a lot going on.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, yeah. Plant basil and. And mint and everything.

[Joe Gatto]

Nice.

[Unknown Host]

You're a chef too, right?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, I like to cook. I would call myself a chef. I. I represent when it comes to. Around the stove.

[Unknown Host]

What's your go to dish?

[Joe Gatto]

I do a good teriyaki salmon with pineapple rice. I have to. I plant parmesan is pretty good. My baked ziti is okay. You know, I do a vegetable lasagna I tried a couple times, which went well.

[Unknown Host]

You love pasta.

[Joe Gatto]

It's all mostly Italian stuff. Yeah. But my kids actually love, like, a noodle dish, so I'll do like a lo mein kind of, you know, or Udani kind of thing with them. With some. Sometimes I like some spinach and shrimp and stuff. Like a vegetable e kind of thing. My daughter is pescatarian, too. My son is still vegetarian.

[Unknown Host]

Wow. The whole family is either vegetarian or pescatarian.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

That's impressive.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, my. My daughter just does a little bit of, like. She does the same fish as I do. She like. Likes a big clam salmon. She gave up on shrimp. Something must. She must have had, like, a bad shrimp she didn't like. But she used to love shrimp and she stopped eating that. But she likes, like. She'll try everything. Yeah, she's pretty adventurous. She's nine, he's seven. And now he's just, like, getting into it a little bit.

[Unknown Host]

So. You big on sushi?

[Joe Gatto]

I love. Because.

[Unknown Host]

Love me some.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, man. Yeah. I crush a boat. I love the. I just. Bring me a boat.

[Unknown Host]

I love you.

[Joe Gatto]

I'll bring by myself with friends, but I love going out just like, telling them to bring it. We went. We were in LA last night, and I went out with a bunch of friends and I said, let's. Let's just tell them to bring out stuff. And I love that. Yeah. Because you get stuff you're not really ever going to try, you know?

[Unknown Host]

Agree. My favorite memory is in la. We got a boat. We accidentally ordered two.

[Joe Gatto]

No.

[Unknown Host]

So we were all full after the first one.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, my goodness. You like that?

[Unknown Host]

They're Santa Maria. So we all start churning one more each. I think like five of us puked that out.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, my goodness.

[Unknown Host]

Bro, that is. Those boats. Are they 200 pieces?

[Joe Gatto]

Because you don't even realize, like the multiple layers and things.

[Unknown Host]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah, that was way too much sushi.

[Joe Gatto]

Is that your go to food type? Like if you sushi? Yeah, yeah.

[Unknown Host]

If I had eat one cuisine the rest of my life, it would be Japanese.

[Joe Gatto]

Really?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Because you got sushi, curry and their food's kind of light. You're not like, heavy.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm. I'm pretty close. Italian just edges out Japanese.

[Unknown Host]

Really?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. On the road, my two go to was like, all right, let's find the place. The Japanese place in town or the Italian place. Okay, what's better? But I love Japanese.

[Unknown Host]

I mean, I love Italian, but just sometimes I'm too heavy off through, there's a lot of grain.

[Joe Gatto]

Well, I mean, if you. I don't eat the meat stuff, so my sauces are always a little bit lighter. You know, though just a light tomato sauce normally. And the pastas, they can get heavy if you eat too much of it.

[Unknown Host]

Oh, yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

But the way I lost my weight, a lot of my weight was I stopped eating half. Like, I don't know if, like ever you had done that, but I was like, portion control is so huge. Like, you don't realize, like, you're like, you raised to be like, finish your plate. You know what I mean? It's like, but I ate half the sandwich and I would just stop and be like, oh, I'm full. I'm not gonna eat this half. I'll just say it for later. And I just dropped lbs, like, damn. Very quick.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Cuz you can eat mindlessly.

[Joe Gatto]

Mindlessly, completely. You finish eating and you're like, I feel disgusting. And you're like, I was so hungry.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Especially when I'm watching videos. I'll be just eating until the video ends. Like, it doesn't even matter. Full. Like, I don't even notice.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, it's like popcorn in a movie, right?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, I get the whole thing.

[Joe Gatto]

You no matter what size you got, right. If you get the small one, you eat the whole thing. You're like, oh, I'm full. You get the medium, you. You get the large bucket, you eat the whole thing. You don't realize it's just mindless. That's a perfect word.

[Unknown Host]

They do a great job with that.

[Joe Gatto]

They get you that butter. Damn it. Then they Started the seasonings.

[Unknown Host]

They started the little seasonings now.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, yeah, dude, you're gonna get up on your movie popcorn game, brother. Yeah, they got the little packets. You could, like, make, like, Cinnabon and, like, all this, like, funny little salt shaker.

[Unknown Host]

I don't go to the theater as much as I used to.

[Joe Gatto]

Okay.

[Unknown Host]

I used to love it.

[Joe Gatto]

You gotta go.

[Unknown Host]

I mean, now we got Netflix, Hulu. The only way to watch your movie right now on Peacock. Oh, yeah. All sorts of platforms.

[Joe Gatto]

You gotta get. You gotta get out there and laugh with people, get scared with people. It's the only way to see a movie.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

It's funny because I went to the Ricky Stanicki. It was a movie, you know, I went to the premiere of it, and I saw it in the theater. I was like, oh, this is so fun. It was such a great experience. And I turned it on at home, and it wasn't nearly as funny to me. And I was like. I really. With the crowd, really brought a different energy to.

[Unknown Host]

That's a good point, though.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

I did.

[Joe Gatto]

Laughing with people.

[Unknown Host]

I didn't think of it that way, but you're so right, because the energy.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Of the. Of the room.

[Joe Gatto]

I mean, you still. One of the most epic videos ever is the moment in the Avengers, you know, and when they show the video of the person who was in the movie theater and video. The moment of. In the Avengers movie when the team. Yeah. And the place explodes. When, you know, Captain America picks up the hammer and it's like. To see the video of that is like, wow, that is insane. That piece of art can move a room full of people to insanity. Like, it's a rock concert. It was crazy.

[Unknown Host]

I agree. I mean, if you could be any Avenger, would you be? And why?

[Joe Gatto]

What makes you think I'm not? First of all, defense. That I probably would be. I. I would probably go with Black Widow because I would look great now. No, I think that's the most. I think being able to handle yourself with fisticuffs would be the most important thing.

[Unknown Host]

Okay.

[Joe Gatto]

Out of all of it. You know, Because, I mean, you could say I'd be Iron man and stuff, but then I needed a suit. I don't have my own heart. That's.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. It seems annoying.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, it seems a little annoying.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

I mean, the Thor. Thor's a tough one to beat, though, because I. Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

You know, or is it flat?

[Joe Gatto]

You never deal with traffic. Like, he's just flying all over the place.

[Unknown Host]

I'm gonna go Dr. Strange for me oh, that's a great one. Yeah. Yes. You could time travel. Yeah. Teleport.

[Joe Gatto]

You could move around. Yeah, that's great.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

For me that's some major plot holes I've been with. Because of his powers, you know, like.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Once they started time travel.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, a lot of that.

[Unknown Host]

That's with any series. Once time travel.

[Joe Gatto]

Once. You're right. Once time travel comes in, besides back to the future in which it's based.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

You know.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. But then death doesn't matter once time travel is introduced. So then it lose. Death loses its meaning, you know, because now these superheroes will die. Like we'll have an Avengers, but they're still alive in the next movie.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, we'll bring them back.

[Unknown Host]

Different dimension. Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Different guy.

[Unknown Host]

I still love Marvel though.

[Joe Gatto]

Marvel's great.

[Unknown Host]

It makes you feel like.

[Joe Gatto]

You see the new Captain America yet?

[Unknown Host]

No. How was that?

[Joe Gatto]

Comes out this weekend. I think so. So. No, the premiere was Tuesday. I didn't. It comes out this weekend. I'm looking forward to it. I think they're gonna. They. They're gonna come back with this new next batch. I think they'll get a little bit more focused with it.

[Unknown Host]

I think.

[Joe Gatto]

I think they'll try to stay away from that multiverse thing that confused people.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. What's your genre of choice? What do you gravitate towards when you're watching movies?

[Joe Gatto]

Action comedy.

[Unknown Host]

Action comedy?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, I like action comedy, but I. I mean comedy for sure. Horror, I've dipped into hard now too. I love a good horror. I think there's a lot of great horrors going on too, which is fun. But there's a lot of horrors that masquerade as comedy, which is fun.

[Unknown Host]

That's true.

[Joe Gatto]

You know, comedies that masquerade is horror rather. And I think that's pretty cool.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Too. You know, there's a lot of comedic actors and filmmakers that are making horror. You know, Jordan Peele, Krasinski, and you have some really fun titles.

[Unknown Host]

He'll crushes his movies.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

They're so like thought provoking. I love movies like that.

[Joe Gatto]

Is Hari or genre of choice or.

[Unknown Host]

No, used to be. Now it's more thriller, mystery.

[Joe Gatto]

Total mystery.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Horror just gave me too many nightmares, man. It was impacting me too much.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, really? Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

You don't get nightmares from horror movie?

[Joe Gatto]

No.

[Unknown Host]

What?

[Joe Gatto]

No, no.

[Unknown Host]

Do you remember your dreams?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Oh, wow.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

That's impressive. How do you shut it off?

[Joe Gatto]

I don't know. I don't sleep much.

[Unknown Host]

Okay.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. So I think.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, that works.

[Joe Gatto]

They are giving myself enough Time. It's scared. Yeah, I do. I, you know, I just. Actually, that's so funny. I had a nightmare the other night. I called my wife because I was. I had a dream that my daughter was yelling for me and I was in LA and she's in New York. And I rolled over and it was 445 and then here in LA. So I was like, they're getting ready for school. And I called, I said, I said, where's my. Was she okay? And she's like, yeah. What are you talking about? So she's in school already. She had her early thing. I was like, oh. I said, I just had a dream that she was screaming and that. That was like the only nightmare I have. I don't, I don't have nightmare. I don't think I've ever had nightmares with monsters or ghosts or anything like that. I think I had a recurring one like I think everybody has after they graduate college about you. You forgot your final paper. Oh, even that whole thing. So I had that one for a while, but for the most part I really don't have much. Many nightmares.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. I've had the test taking one. I've had the naked in class one.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, have you?

[Unknown Host]

Sucks. Yeah. I'm surprised you haven't had any. Wow.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Do you believe in ghosts and like dark stuff like that?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, for the most. Yeah. I don't necessarily think it's like. Like there's a woman in like a white dress with like glass eyes. Ye. At the. On a staircase or something like that. I don't think that's real, but I think for the most part there's a little bit of truth to the beyond. You know, I think like. I think spirits happen and go on my. I've had a couple experiences like when my dad. When my dad died and my mom died. I think you. They get to reach out for a little bit before they just go, okay. I think they're given that.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Yeah. So I've had dead people appear in my dreams. It makes me wonder if like that's their spirit sometimes. Oh, you know. Has that happened to you?

[Joe Gatto]

Knows if Pirate captain once. I didn't have any pirate captains in my family. I could see that. That's pretty cool. So you've had people that died show up in your dream? In my dreams I've only dreamt a couple times of my mom and dad.

[Unknown Host]

Okay.

[Joe Gatto]

And they'd always been happy and alive in them, but they always. My dad for a long time and dreamed of him for a while and Then I drunk from. For like a couple months in a row. And that was awesome. It was like I hadn't seen him, you know, that kind of thing, which is cool.

[Unknown Host]

Crazy.

[Joe Gatto]

So I don't know, maybe you got like a. You got like a hall pass for a little bit, hang out for a little bit. I don't know. But it was. It was interesting to think of it that way. I don't really dream of dead relatives. Do you dream of.

[Unknown Host]

Not often. Not often, but it's happened. My dad passed too, and he's been in my dreams. Once I was in his dream. That was wild. So I don't know what happened there.

[Joe Gatto]

How old was he when. How old were you when you passed?

[Unknown Host]

I was. It was two years ago, so I was 25.

[Joe Gatto]

All right. It.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, sorry about that. But yeah, I was in his dream. That was, like, super weird.

[Joe Gatto]

You were in his dream?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, he was showing me his dream.

[Joe Gatto]

Wow.

[Unknown Host]

That nuts.

[Joe Gatto]

That is some onion layered craziness, dude.

[Unknown Host]

That's like that movie with Inception. Yeah, Exception. That's a good one. Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Dude, that ending made me just want to punch myself in the face. I had no idea when. It's hard to dissect how it all fell apart.

[Unknown Host]

That's how I felt with Shutter island too.

[Joe Gatto]

Shutter Island.

[Unknown Host]

That one messed me up for a week.

[Joe Gatto]

I'm gonna go old school for you. If you haven't seen. If you like a thriller, Momento.

[Unknown Host]

I've heard of it. If I need to watch it, that's a good one.

[Joe Gatto]

No, if you're thinking about, like, a good thriller and you like that kind of inceptiony kind of thing.

[Unknown Host]

Okay.

[Joe Gatto]

Memento is fantastic.

[Unknown Host]

I like stuff that makes you think.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, that's a thinker.

[Unknown Host]

Because when I can predict the end, it's a turn off.

[Joe Gatto]

I turn. I don't even. I. I'll be watching a movie and I'll be sitting there, I'll go, oh, come on. And my wife's like, oh, don't tell me. Don't tell me. She'll know. I've got. And I was like. And then I'll just sit there like, you know, you don't know what's him yet. You know, I don't have it like that kind of thing.

[Unknown Host]

So you're intuitive.

[Joe Gatto]

I'm pretty intuitive.

[Unknown Host]

That's cool, man.

[Joe Gatto]

For sure.

[Unknown Host]

I love that. You'd be good on the show I'm watching now called the Traders.

[Joe Gatto]

I've heard about it. I haven't watched it. It's a reality show. I don't Watch. Watch much reality tv?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, I usually don't, but this is skill based. Yeah, yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Did you hear about this other one of those people, the. The escape where your family could take you out off the island by pushing the button? Oh, yeah, yeah. I forgot the name, but it was on. They were showing a million commercials during the street. Yeah, yeah. Extraction extract. Yeah, yeah, that was. That looks really weird. It was like. It's basically Survivor and you want to leave, but your parent, your family has to say if it's okay or not. It's like, what? It's like I'm the one on this island getting bit by snakes.

[Unknown Host]

Pull me out. I would hate that. My mom would pull that so fast. You know that.

[Joe Gatto]

Right out.

[Unknown Host]

If you could go on any reality TV show, what would it be?

[Joe Gatto]

That's a good question. I mean, I. I would love, like, game show stuff. Yeah, like, game shows is so fun. I. I've been fortunate enough to go on. We did the misery index, which is great, but I was on $100,000 pyramid with stray Hand, which was fun. But Hollywood Squares looks like so much fun right now.

[Unknown Host]

Looks like.

[Joe Gatto]

That looks like a really fun one. Fun. I think game show stuff would be fun. As far as reality stuff, I don't.

[Unknown Host]

Think Survivor, Amazing Race, the Bachelorette would be funny.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, that would be funny.

[Unknown Host]

I'm married.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. No, but just for the stories. I think it'd be fun. No, I. I think just to be part of that, like, because you can't help, but for me, when I watch those shows, like, you. You can't help, but my wife watches them and loves them and I got sucked in. Of course. Yeah. But I like when you watch those shows like the Bachelor, the Bachelorette, when you just see them and you see, like, the people in the room, like, do they understand, like, what's going on right now kind of thing? There's like a group mind mentality that nobody really understands how crazy all of it is. I would like to just be part of that. Not about the whole love thing, but just to see what the. Living in a house with all these people, what that does to you.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, it would mess me up, I think.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, for sure.

[Unknown Host]

They're all on the same with Big Brother. They're all in one house. Yeah. Have you seen that?

[Joe Gatto]

Love island, right?

[Unknown Host]

Love Island. What's the one Nikki was that. Oh, Nikki Glaser was Love Island. Right.

[Joe Gatto]

I think Love Island.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Dating ones are wild, man.

[Joe Gatto]

Some of the dating ones are, yeah. Insanity.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

But Survivor, I mean, that's just I can't. I can't imagine. I don't even know how they made that first one. It was like, here's the idea. We just drop a bunch of people on an island, and they just gotta live.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Like, it is, like, great. Let's do it. It's insane. And it's in. It's like 900th season or, you know. Right.

[Unknown Host]

I wish it was like. It's 40 days, so I want to go on that show. But 40 days. I mean, that's 40 days a month.

[Joe Gatto]

You can't even drive here by yourself without the.

[Unknown Host]

I know. We got no phone.

[Joe Gatto]

What do you do? You could be walking around the island. It's like, how do I get to anybody? Where did I put that coconut?

[Unknown Host]

I'd be so messed up.

[Joe Gatto]

Trouble.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. I'm actually thinking about a dopamine detox. Have you heard of those?

[Joe Gatto]

No.

[Unknown Host]

So you don't. You, like, put your phone in, like, a corner and you don't use it for like, three days.

[Joe Gatto]

Really?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Anything that gives you dopamine. So, like, phone electronics.

[Joe Gatto]

Dope means.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, but we're so over. You're overdoped right now. Yeah, everyone's over doped.

[Joe Gatto]

Over doped.

[Unknown Host]

So it gets even crazier.

[Joe Gatto]

That's a term?

[Unknown Host]

No, it is.

[Joe Gatto]

That's merch for you.

[Unknown Host]

Oh, yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Overdoed.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. We should trademark. No. People go in dark caves. Really? Five days. It's like a dark cave. Dopamine detox.

[Joe Gatto]

Do you think that has anything?

[Unknown Host]

I don't know. It's pitch black. And you're there for five days.

[Joe Gatto]

That's. You got that. You got problems, you shoot five. That's not right.

[Unknown Host]

That's not right.

[Joe Gatto]

You know, that's not how you're supposed to live. Yeah, like, you gotta. That's wrong. Like. Yeah. First of all, who owns the cave? Who might own this?

[Unknown Host]

He's got.

[Joe Gatto]

There you go. That's what I'm saying. It's a business, this.

[Unknown Host]

Well, you could prey on people's insecurities. So, like, you say it's a spiritual awakening or whatever. You want to word it? Sure. You know, have you ever been called to do something like that? Spiritual awakening?

[Joe Gatto]

I went to Fargo, North Dakota. No. Spiritual awakening? No, I. I'm pretty in tune with my. With all that stuff. I. I have a pretty good handle on that. I'm pretty honest with myself, I think.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

And honest with other people, too. But I think when I had separated my. From my wife for a minute, I think, like, that was the first time I Lived alone in my whole life.

[Unknown Host]

Wow.

[Joe Gatto]

I was always with my fan, with a family or had roommates or whatever. And then I was like 40. What was that, 47, 46.

[Unknown Host]

That was the first time you lived.

[Joe Gatto]

Alone, sitting by myself in a two bedroom apartment or what the hell happened? Like. And that was like, that's my dark cave.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

You know, I was just sitting there like, all right, so now I think that was a part where it really made me get in touch with, you know, analyzing, hard working, getting a plan together, how to fix it all. Grieving.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

You know, rejoicing, trying to figure it all out, you know.

[Unknown Host]

Did you take some psychedelics?

[Joe Gatto]

I didn't take any. Yeah, I didn't. People, People, you know, said, I, I've never taken a drug, tried a cigarette, or even been drunk in my life.

[Unknown Host]

Wow.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. So people like, oh, you should try that to open your mind. I was like, I don't know what the hell that's going to do to me at this point in my life.

[Unknown Host]

You know, I've seen bad trips.

[Joe Gatto]

I've. I have too.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

You know, I've seen good ones too. I've been around people of good ones, but I, I've seen something have gone wrong. I was like, like it's not worth it for me.

[Unknown Host]

It's a coin toss. Yeah. I wish it was a little more controlled.

[Joe Gatto]

Do you do psychedelics though? I do, yeah.

[Unknown Host]

I microdose.

[Joe Gatto]

Microdose?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. I've done a full trip in eight years. I don't think I'd do a full trip again.

[Joe Gatto]

You've done a, like a full trip.

[Unknown Host]

Is when you take a lot.

[Joe Gatto]

Was the last full trip bad?

[Unknown Host]

No, but I got what I needed out of it, you know.

[Joe Gatto]

This is why you need your dopamine cake.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

So if you micro dose, you're. You're micro dopamine though, aren't you too?

[Unknown Host]

Technically, yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah. So maybe, maybe you try not to micro dosing but keep your phone in your pocket.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. There's worse things if you know for sure.

[Joe Gatto]

But if you went, if you did that dopamine thing, would you stop microdosing? Because that now is kind of regulating you, isn't it?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, it would offset it maybe. I don't know. I don't microdose too often.

[Joe Gatto]

Gotcha.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Just when I haven't.

[Joe Gatto]

I have a couple friends that do and yeah, they do.

[Unknown Host]

Mushrooms, right?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, mushrooms, yeah, microdoses. I have a good friend of mine doesn't love it.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. Because you're not tripping. You're not seeing anything. You're just feeling good.

[Joe Gatto]

You could. I. I could see the difference in him too.

[Unknown Host]

Really?

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Oh, wow. So I made it better or.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, he made him better.

[Unknown Host]

Okay. Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

Like, he made. He just calmer. He. He had like an frantic energy about him, but not a bad one, but it was just very, you know. And then when he's on and it was like, oh, okay.

[Unknown Host]

Definitely helps with anxiety, man.

[Joe Gatto]

Sure. I think it's probably all connected, right? Anxiety makes you frantic.

[Unknown Host]

I had some terrible anxiety in college, dude.

[Joe Gatto]

Did you?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, awful.

[Joe Gatto]

Where'd you go to school?

[Unknown Host]

Rutgers.

[Joe Gatto]

Oh, yeah? Good old New Brunswick campus. Nice. Almost ended up there. Oh, yeah, Yeah, I did. I accepted. There was one of my three that I was going to.

[Unknown Host]

What'd you choose?

[Joe Gatto]

I ended up with the college that's like right around the corner from my house out on Long Island.

[Unknown Host]

Okay.

[Joe Gatto]

Post Long Island University.

[Unknown Host]

I haven't heard of that one.

[Joe Gatto]

Yeah, I went. It was a coin to us. I was going to do Rutgers, but I was out of state, so.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, it's like 20k or whatever. Yeah.

[Joe Gatto]

So I was like. I was like, you know, just go here. My sister was out of that school, so I got to go to. Which is pretty cool. She was a senior. I was a freshman, so I had somebody who was there.

[Unknown Host]

I didn't learn much there, man.

[Joe Gatto]

No, social, right?

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, social.

[Joe Gatto]

It's all social skills, I think.

[Unknown Host]

No, for sure. That was the biggest thing I learned.

[Joe Gatto]

It's always a big takeaway, I think. It makes you grow. It makes you a grown up. That's what it does.

[Unknown Host]

Absolutely. Well, Joe, where are your next shows where people keep up with you, man.

[Joe Gatto]

Joe Gatto Official.com gives you all the places where. Where I'll be. I don't know when this is coming out, but I'm touring through June. I'm coming probably to a city close enough to you, and then on Instagram, it's at Joe Underscore Gatto and that's where.

[Unknown Host]

Awesome. Thanks for hopping on, man.

[Joe Gatto]

This has been so fun. Thank you.

[Unknown Host]

Check them out, guys. See you next time.