Fitzdog Radio: Eddie Pepitone – Episode 1116

Date: November 14, 2025
Host: Greg Fitzsimmons
Guest: Eddie Pepitone (“The Bitter Buddha”)

Episode Overview

In this uproarious, honest, and intimate conversation, Greg Fitzsimmons welcomes comedian Eddie Pepitone, known for his raw, rage-fueled comedy and cult status among real stand-up fans. The two discuss Eddie’s winding career path, the emotional engine behind his rage-based humor, their upbringings, the nature of dark comedy, the collapse of society (and self), and the bittersweet realities of growing older as a comic. The episode oscillates between philosophical insights, raucous personal anecdotes, and observations on show business—peppered with moments of gallows humor, vulnerability, and classic New York banter. Eddie also discusses his new special, "The Collapse," and the challenge of staying true to his comedic voice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Role of Anger in Comedy

• Eddie’s Anger Onstage (14:00 - 15:16):

  • Eddie describes his comedic persona as one driven by “pent up hostility,” often manifesting in rage at trivial things, like road construction.
  • He notes the necessity of making rage seem absurd for it to work onstage:

    “The key to rage as a comic is you have to make it look absurd. Because if you’re truly rageful, everybody gets uptight.” – Eddie Pepitone (15:12)

• Audience Interactions & Breaking the Fourth Wall (15:16 - 16:26):

  • Stories about handling noisy audience tables, economic realities of stand-up, and the difference between “you money” and “excuse me, I was in this line before you” money.

Inheritance, Family, and Grief (16:42 - 21:30)

• Navigating Loss and Family Dynamics:
  • Eddie discusses recently losing his father and splitting an inheritance (“Excuse me, I was in this line money.”), contrasting his experience with Greg’s anticipation of someday losing his own mother.
  • The conversation pivots into sibling rivalries over inheritance, referencing Agatha Christie plots, and the practicalities of mourning versus moving on.
  • Eddie jokes about unceremoniously disposing of his mother’s body (“We just dropped my mom, body and all, from a helicopter into New York Harbor. She loved the ferry.” – 20:37).

Growing Up in New York & Italian/Jewish Heritage (21:01 - 24:16)

• Childhood Games and Gritty Nostalgia:
  • The two reminisce about New York street games like Ringolivio and Kick the Can, and how these experiences shaped their humor and worldview.
  • “This was before antidepressants. If you were on antidepressants, you would not have played that game.” – Eddie Pepitone (24:52)

Exploring Darkness & Material Boundaries (25:01 – 27:51)

• The Pull Toward Dark Material:

  • Eddie and Greg explore why their acts lean dark and absurd, including bits that push boundaries or are, as Eddie puts it, “related to the rage.”
  • Greg praises Eddie’s unique approach:

    “It’s like watching Dave Attell… Why isn’t this guy—are you working against yourself?” – Greg Fitzsimmons (27:21)

• Eddie on His Career Path:

  • Eddie reflects on his late, circuitous evolution in stand-up, moving between primal screaming, improv, one-man shows, and finally building confidence as a stand-up:

    “My path has been weird, dude… I started doing standup in New York… I would throw up in the bathroom before my sets. But I knew I was, this was my thing.” – Eddie (28:20)

Societal Collapse, Civil War, and Satire (32:15 – 35:29)

• Satirizing America’s Collapse:
  • They riff on society’s ominous direction, envisioning a new Civil War fought only by reenactors, complete with muskets and lice:

    “Let’s fight it this time, but the only people allowed to fight are current Civil War reenactors... but it’s real!” – Greg Fitzsimmons (33:10)

  • The pair discuss the normalization of fear and the absurdity of being desensitized to looming authoritarianism.

Life on the Road & Comic Realities (39:09 – 42:41)

• The Joys and Miseries of Touring:
  • Both comics compare material pleasures—a new Mustang versus a loyal, meat-stained Honda Element—and the sometimes humbling realities of working small venues:

    “You’re brilliant, but you’re playing Elk Lodges. Let’s be real.” – Greg Fitzsimmons (27:56)

  • Eddie reframes working odd-ball dates as a way to meet true fans and “spread the Pepitone message,” showing gratitude for those who truly “get” his comedy.

Clean vs. Dark Comedy & Audience Expectations (43:03 – 57:13)

• Reading a Critical Email (43:03):
  • Greg shares a listener email criticizing his “X-rated topics” and urging him to do clean, “Comedy 101” material. Both comics debate the merits of clean vs. honest, cathartic comedy, referencing their own backgrounds and discomfort with sexual repression.
  • Eddie contextualizes his darker material as a truthful response to life’s brutalities:

    “Doing clean material is a whitewashing of the brutal fucking world we live in. Yeah, it’s brutal. It’s run by insane people.” – Eddie Pepitone (56:13)

Sex, Porn, and Confessions (46:24 – 52:52)

• Honesty about Sex in Material:

  • Both comics discuss how their sexual content in comedy serves as both catharsis and confession, with Eddie referencing deeply personal stories about his relationships, his mother’s mental illness, and early experiences stumbling into Manhattan sex shops.

• Memorable Bit:

  • Eddie: “I just like to mop sperm, you know, and it’s always been a dream of mine to mop a lot of sperm.” – (Job interview sketch described, 51:29)

The Dark Side of Showbiz & Honest Confessions (58:28 – 62:57)

• Hollywood Frustrations:
  • Eddie jokingly thanks Judd Apatow and Greg Garcia “for overlooking me my entire life,” poking fun at being underappreciated despite his reputation among comedy insiders.
• Eating Habits on the Road:
  • The impossible challenge of maintaining veganism during road gigs, and stories of moose jerky in Alaska.

Psyche & Upbringing: Two Types of People (71:52 – 73:06)

• Deep Dive into Parental Impact:
  • Eddie theorizes the world is made up of two types: those who were loved as children and those who were scapegoated. This lens colors both comics’ view of humanity and their material.

Comedy Clubs, Friars Club Stories & Found Family (74:00 – 80:19)

• Club Culture & Personal History:
  • Eddie contemplates joining clubs now that he has a little money; Greg reminisces about his father’s radio career, the Friars Club in NYC, and meeting his wife there:

    “The night of her initiation, she brought her friend, who is now my wife... I said, I’m gonna marry your friend someday.” – Greg Fitzsimmons (77:54)

Money Troubles, Friendship & Redemption (80:24 – 81:38)

• Borrowing & Paying Back:
  • Eddie admits to borrowing money in his “De Niro in Mean Streets” phase and losing friendships along the way.

The Collapse – Eddie’s New Special (83:19 – 87:18)

• About “The Collapse”:
  • Taped at Lincoln Hall in Chicago, directed by Steven Fine Arts, exec-produced by Patton Oswalt.
  • The special parallels personal unraveling with societal collapse, blending physicality, emotional depth, and signature modulation:

    “A fall isn’t an event. One event. It’s a long descent into hell, Apple Watch. That’s what a fall is.” – Eddie, describing a bit from the special (84:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Comedy and Rage:

  “The key to rage as a comic is you have to make it look absurd.” — Eddie Pepitone (15:12)

• On Small Gigs:

  “You’re brilliant, but you’re playing Elk Lodges. Let’s be real.” — Greg Fitzsimmons (27:56)

• On Clean vs. Dark Material:

  “Doing clean material is a whitewashing of the brutal fucking world we live in.” — Eddie Pepitone (56:13)

• On Childhood and Humanity:

  “There’s two types of people in the world. Those who have been loved when they were young... and those who weren’t.” — Eddie Pepitone (71:52)

• On “The Collapse” Special:

  “A fall isn’t one event. It’s a long descent into hell, Apple Watch.” — Eddie Pepitone, from his new special (84:31)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Anger as a Comedic Engine: 14:00 – 15:16
• Inheriting Family and Grief: 16:42 – 21:30
• Growing Up New York Italian/Jewish: 21:30 – 24:16
• Material Darkness & Bizarre Acts: 25:01 – 27:51
• Societal Satire & Civil War Bit: 32:15 – 35:29
• Comedy Careers & Road Life: 39:09 – 42:41
• Email on Clean Comedy: 43:03 – 57:13
• Sex, Porn, and Onstage Confessions: 46:24 – 52:52
• Hollywood, Clubs, and Friars Club: 58:28 – 80:19
• Parental Impact & Humanity: 71:52 – 73:06
• Promotion of New Special “The Collapse”: 83:19 – 87:18

Conclusion & Tone

This episode’s tone is equal parts vulnerable, confessional, and riotously dark. Both Greg and Eddie dissect the emotional realities of being a comedian, navigating pain and absurdity, family and failure, all without shying away from uncomfortable truths. If you love comedy that’s more than just punchlines—if you want the psychological machinery behind the humor—this is an hour-and-a-half master class.

Catch Eddie Pepitone’s new special, "The Collapse," on YouTube November 11th. For tour dates and more, check EddiePepitone.com.