Transcript

Jeremiah Watkins (0:00)

Foreign.

Greg Fitzsimmons (0:08)

Hey, welcome to Fitz Dog Radio. I am just. I am. You know, I think that's gonna be the name of my next special because I was listening to Eckhart Tolle, the Power of now and he said, you're not supposed to think about I was or I will be. Just I am. So I want everybody take a second, close your eyes, take a breath and just say I am. Don't say it out loud or your wife is going to say an asshole or somebody's going to fuck up your chi. But feel good about. Feel good about yourself. I was. Can you tell? I was in therapy yesterday. I started therapy a few weeks ago, which is just amazing. It's such a good feeling to be 60 and talking about your mother in therapy. And I love my mother, but yet it comes up, it's got to come up. And, and I realize someday my, my kids will talk about me in therapy. But yeah, hopefully I'll be dead by then. Anyway, my therapist said I should do gratitude pages. You know, where you write down all the things you're grateful for. But then I thought, well, who am I writing it to? You know, like I have a lot to be grateful for. Like literally on paper. I could not be happier with my life. It's just all there and marriage, kids, I'm a. I'm worth $7 million. I'm not, but I'm comfortable. And then I think, why am I not happy? And I say, so who am I thanking? Who the fuck am I thanking? It almost makes me feel worse cuz I go, I got all this shit and I can't be happy. I'm not writing gratitude pages. Then I feel like sad for the people that don't have all the stuff I have, you know, And I think, how fucking sad are they? What, what do their gratitude pages look like? I'm friends with Greg Fitzsimmons. Anyway, we're going to get into it right away because I have a great interview today. I just wrapped up with Jeremiah Watkins, so we'll talk to him if you want to come. Oh, do I have ads? I don't know if I have any ads. Let's just say buy stuff. I will be in Escondido at the Grand Comedy Club April 24th and 25th. Brea Improv May 8th, Boston at Laugh Boston on May 29th and 30th, Rochester, NH at the Opera House June 5th, Agunquit, ME, Jonathan's on June 6th. And then I'm going to be in St. Pete's Cincinnati, Columbus, La Jolla it's all@fitzdog.com. check it out. Buy some tickets. Come on down. Oh, by the way, Amber, do you want to open for me down in Brea? Okay, Amber will be there. One of the producers of the show. She's very funny. And let's get to it. My guest today, you know him from his Amazon prime special, family Reunion. We talked about a lot of his credits on the show, so we'll get those. But he co hosts the Trailer Tales podcast. He hosts Stand up on the Spot. He's got a lot of great sketches online, does a lot of stuff with Dr. Phil and really fun. Cool guy. Here's my talk with Jeremiah Watkins. All right, here we are. My guest, Jeremiah Watkins, in the always communicative Green studios. We're talking about Australia, where he's going to go, Melbourne. Melbourne, as he said it.

Summary

Fitzdog Radio w/ Greg Fitzsimmons: Jeremiah Watkins (April 23, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this lively, honest, and often hilarious episode, veteran comedian Greg Fitzsimmons is joined by stand-up comic, podcaster, and improviser Jeremiah Watkins. They cover a wide gamut—from the perils and rewards of comedy roasts to generational anxieties, the importance of community, parenting, and growing older in show business. The conversation moves fluidly between genuine insights and rapid-fire roasting, never straying far from the irreverent tone fans expect.

Key Topics & Discussion Highlights

1. Therapy, Gratitude, and Aging

Greg opens up about therapy and the paradox of gratitude journaling at 60. He jokes about his therapist recommending gratitude pages and questions who he’s supposed to thank—while quipping about his “$7 million” net worth. (00:08)
Aging and therapy: Both discuss confronting mortality, the changing priorities as an artist, and reflecting on legacy.
- Greg: “I turned 60...I feel like I’m at the point where I've accomplished a decent amount. I’ve raised a couple kids. I’ve got this podcast, I got this fucking crew of people...I’m transitioning.” (18:10)
- Jeremiah: "You have to figure out a way to deal with it and lean into it head on because it keeps coming, keeps happening.” (17:29)

2. Comedy Culture: Roasts & The Comedy Store

The history of Roast Battle and “The Wave” (08:08)
- Greg: “It was lightning in a bottle...pure silliness. You guys would rip shirts off and dry hump each other.”
- Jeremiah: “Anything for a laugh. Just anything physical, stupid, whatever.”
On comedy’s sometimes brutal honesty:
- Jeremiah: “Some battlers will agree on what’s off-limits, but sometimes a comic goes for it...talking about a dead relative, you see them actually get hurt.” (10:05)
- Discussion about boundaries in roasts, referencing Tom Brady’s roast and what should be “off the table.” (11:01)
Community at the Comedy Store and comic camaraderie:
- Jeremiah: “If you don’t have a social life, what’s better than just being a shitty comic and getting to hang out with all these people?” (27:56)

3. On Loss, Friendship, & Comic Support

Remembering Alex Young, Comedy Store door guy: (21:23)
- Jeremiah: “I watched his memorial through Zoom...the amount of comics and people who came out for him really spoke to how loved he was.” (22:15)
- Both discuss the importance of nurturing friendships and not only “chasing career.”

4. Parenting, Marriage, and Sexual Politics

Greg asks about Jeremiah’s family and love life: Jeremiah reveals he only slept with his wife, discussing abstinence and ultimately, “one love.” (50:32)
- Greg (laughing): “You’ve only had one lover? That’s amazing.”
Humor about sex during pregnancy, aging bodies, hemorrhoids, etc. (15:11)
- Jeremiah: “I always say it’s like hooking up with a completely different person.” (15:28)
On being a good lover:
- Jeremiah: “I have nothing to compare it to...she could be the best or the worst ever.” (52:16)
- Greg: “Ignorance is bliss, my friend.” (52:23)

5. Race, Segregation, and Representation in Comedy

Greg and Jeremiah reflect on the Black/White divide in clubs and podcasting (35:16-37:49)
- Greg: “Comedy is still a very segregated world...Earthquake should be so mainstream...”
- Jeremiah: “Black podcasting and white podcasting...it’s like two different camps.” (36:51)
On bringing diverse openers and the exposure challenges for Black comics.
- Greg: “I try to bring black comics on the road with me...sometimes they get bumped up and start headlining.” (37:49)

6. Comedian Lifestyle: Cars, Basketball, & The ‘Hang’

Car troubles and humble rides: Jeremiah’s beat-up Honda CRZ, dreams of a new VW electric bus, and why Subarus are “lesbian cars.” (29:55–31:59)
Comedians’ basketball league:
- Jeremiah: “I only play with people in the industry because they have something to lose.” (32:31)
- Greg: “I played hockey in a police and firemen’s league...those guys were animals.” (33:29)

7. Life as a Working Comic: Hustle, Therapy, Success

Anxiety, stress, and advice for young comics:
- Greg: “Don’t stress. It’s gonna work out...Picture yourself as a kid and tell yourself it’s all gonna work out.” (20:01)
- Jeremiah: “This is the thing. I’m living the thing. I’m in it...I’m literally gonna pursue my dream full time, all the time.”
The comedy grind and the unpredictable path to “making it.”
- Greg: “At 60, you know which things are working—pick one. Relax.” (19:08)
- Jeremiah: “You gotta do it all at that age, and you don’t know which thing’s going to really stick.” (18:53)

8. Memorable Roasting Exchange (Comedian Insults)

(07:17–07:59)

Jeremiah: “You look like the old turtle from Kung Fu Panda.”
Greg: “You look like the guy that carries a tiki torch and Trump says is one of the good guys.”
Jeremiah: “You look like one of Dana Carvey’s deleted characters.”
Greg: “You would have laid on your back in medieval times and they would have told time by the shadow off your nose.”

9. Show Business, Opportunity, and The Internet

On self-producing specials, YouTube vs. streaming platforms: (61:41–62:18)
- Jeremiah: “I invested a bunch of money into the special...but I want to keep betting on it...I’m gonna put it on my YouTube, get eyeballs on it.”
- Greg: “You want people to fucking see it...you want to ask your fans to pay $9 to see it?”

10. Miscellaneous Comedy Bits & Fastballs Segment

Fast-paced Q&A covering charity work (The Miracle League/Dodgers), arrest records, worst feature act stories—plus topics from JFK conspiracies (60:04) to dreams of winning an Academy Award (58:36).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On gratitude and happiness:
Greg (01:31): “Who am I thanking? Who the fuck am I thanking? It almost makes me feel worse ‘cause I go, I got all this shit and I can’t be happy.”
On comics going too far in roasts:
Jeremiah (10:06): “They go for that thing and you see it hit them...that was not on the table to roast.”
Advice for creators:
Jeremiah (21:00): “This is the thing. I’m living the thing. I’m in it. I’m literally gonna pursue my dream full time, all the time.”
On 'door guy' culture:
Greg (28:11): “If you don’t have a social life, what’s better than just being a shitty comic and getting to hang out with all these people?”

Important Timestamps

[00:08] Greg waxes on therapy, gratitude, and existential crisis
[04:01] Roasting, Australia & Irish history
[07:09 - 07:59] Rapid-fire roast jokes between Greg & Jeremiah
[08:08] Roast Battle, “The Wave,” Comedy Central, impact of roasts
[10:05] Roast boundaries and emotional impact backstage
[17:29 - 18:10] Mortality, loss, and shifting priorities
[21:23] Mourning Alex Young, the role of community
[27:56] The social scene of Comedy Store as a safety net for unsuccessful comics
[29:55] Old car talk: Jeremiah’s Honda and family “car shame”
[32:31] Comedian’s sports league: industry folks only!
[35:16] Segregation in stand-up and black/white club divides
[50:32] Jeremiah discusses his one-love approach and losing virginity at 22
[58:36] Dream awards (Jeremiah wants an Oscar)
[62:05] Choosing YouTube over streaming platforms for his new special

Final Thoughts

This episode is a masterclass in quick wit, inside comedy shop talk, and authentic glimpses behind the curtain of stand-up life. Fitzsimmons and Watkins blend raw honesty, self-deprecation, and warmth with perpetual bits and hilarious asides—making it essential listening (or reading) for comedy fans, performers, or anyone navigating ambition and meaning over a lifetime.

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Jeremiah Watkins | Greg Fitzsimmons