Louis CK Is The Greatest Standup

Summary

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Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade

Episode: "Louis CK Is The Greatest Standup"
Date: November 6, 2025
Podcast Host: Audacy | Guests: Louis CK

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Overview

In this highly anticipated episode, Dana Carvey and David Spade welcome one of comedy's most revered and discussed stand-up artists, Louis CK. Spanning topics from the rigors and science of stand-up, the realities of childhood and broken homes, to the creative process behind both stand-up and writing fiction, the episode serves as a deep dive into the mind of a comic who is relentlessly honest, innovative, and beloved by his peers. With classic banter, comic discoveries, and a showcase of mutual respect, the trio discusses legacy, process, risk-taking, and the enduring awkwardness and glory embedded in the craft of comedy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Dana Carvey Show and Early Comedy Careers

• Nostalgia and Education:
  Louis, Dana, and David reminisce about the Dana Carvey Show, with Louis reflecting on his time as head writer and the immense pressure and learning it offered.

  • (32:07) “He watched. We watched it. And I was proud of the set. And Dana stood next to the TV and he pointed at the TV afterwards and he said, do you understand that when I was out there ... if you had a set like that back in ... the 70s or 80s ... You would have been a huge. Never to look back again.” — Louis CK

• Discovery of Talent:
  Anecdotes surface about the group of now-famous comics (Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, etc.) employed on that show and the energy of working with hungry, generational talents.

  • (28:32) “Carell’s. Oh, Colbert now. Oh, they’re... movie stars are incredible. … Oh, Louie... Louie became the greatest stand up potentially.”

2. Louis CK's Novel ‘Ingram’ and the Art of Fiction

• Outside the Comedy Box:
  Both hosts are astonished at how "Ingram," Louis's new novel, is such a marked departure from standard comedian memoirs—evoking American literary giants.

  • (08:34) “I was astonished that it’s one more different move that… would never know it was Louie, it would just... This is a... well-written, interesting. Yeah. Riveting book.” – David Spade

• Authenticity in Storytelling:
  Louis discusses how writing fiction is an act of caretaking for his protagonist, how he draws on the American literary voice, and likens the process to “carving a sculpture.”

  • (14:46) “It’s kind of like carving a sculpture. It’s like the rock is there. You can try to find something in it, but it’s not up to you what’s really there.”

3. Childhood, Single Mothers, and The Comedy Instinct

• Shared Experiences:
  The comedians share their own stories of growing up with single mothers, financial struggle, and how hardship influenced their comedic worldviews.
  • (23:06) “She was the best phone call I would ever have. I still. She’s the voice I reach to.” — Louis CK (on his mother)
  • (24:03) “Hey, don’t let them get you down that bad. We love you here at home. You’re loved. That’s how she sent me out the door.”

4. Stand-up, Risks, and Comedy as Emotional Warfare

• The High Wire Act:
  The heart of the episode is a deep, passionate exploration of stand-up as a science—how tension, discomfort, and honesty produce the best material.

  • (36:38) Louis describes experimenting with breaking tension in a bit: “For me the worst... well, besides one of my daughters dying and having to tell the other one... And I just stopped talking and the place just went… awkwardness... It’s so interesting to watch a room change like that.”

• Carrying Discomfort and Playing with Silence:
  Louis advises the importance of not rushing through discomfort, letting moments breathe for greater comedic effect.

  • (45:58) “The most dangerous thing for a comic is: I don’t like the way I feel when they’re not laughing... Study what happens.”

• Comedy Growth and Mastery:
  The more a comic is willing to be uncomfortable and not chase "what works," the more the comedic spectrum grows.

  • (39:34) “The more you do it, the spectrum grows of what you can see, what is possible. As long as you’re willing to be uncomfortable…”

• Advice from Dennis Miller:
  Spade shares that Dennis Miller encouraged him to stick true to his weirdest, most authentic material, regardless of audience reception.

  • (44:59) “Do that. … And if it doesn’t work, then you’re not supposed to be a stand up. But don’t try to second guess it.”

5. Touring, Pauses, and the Science of Timing

• Translating Authenticity to Big Rooms:
  Louis talks about learning from Jerry Seinfeld, and the difference in delivering material to 3,000 people as opposed to a club.
  • (48:44) “Stay in the bit. Stay in the moments, keep inhabiting that moment that got you that applause.”

6. Direct-to-Fan Approaches and Anti-Establishment Moves

• Pioneering Distribution:
  Louis details how he became one of the first major comics to eschew traditional ticketing and media intermediaries, selling specials and tour tickets directly to his fans.

  • (53:26) “What would happen if I sold it myself? ... I did it, and it made a shit ton of money right away. And then I had all these emails, and so I was able to--when I toured--blast out and sell tickets.”

  • On battling Ticketmaster, Louis describes exploiting industry loopholes not out of resentment, but ingenuity and a desire to be closer to fans.

    • (56:24) “I just was like, let’s see if there’s another way. ... So I created an alternative... Our tickets were way cheaper, and we hired people who were ex scalpers to keep our stuff off the secondary market.”

7. FX, ‘Louie,’ and Artistic Autonomy

• Negotiating Total Creative Control:
  One of the classic comedy lore stories is confirmed: Louis taking less money for full control over his show at FX.

  • (62:39) “I said, the only way I’m doing that is if I hand you a DVD... and we don’t talk between those two things. He’s like, done.”
  • (63:18) “I had this. The power I had was joyful… I don’t feel like it, so let’s just not do the show. I’ll give you back the hundred thousand dollars.”

• The Importance of Structure and Play:
  The group discusses Louie’s innovative format—half-sketch, half-memoir—illuminating the evolution of traditional sitcoms.

  • (64:35) “He... helped me come up with what the show was and…”

8. Comic Icons, Technique, and Personal Style

• Analogies to Greats:
  Discussion of Woody Allen films, mid-century American fiction, and lessons from other stand-up legends pepper the episode, showing how inspiration crosses generations and genres.

• Signature Moves and Physicality:
  Dana and David dissect Louis's stage toolkit, with Louis noting self-awareness and the tendency to want to evolve or abandon familiar voices and mannerisms.

  • (51:22) “Some of them I would try to get rid of... I have a voice that when I hear it, I go, get out.”

9. Mentorship, Legacy, and Comedians Helping Comedians

• Paying It Forward:
  Throughout, the hosts and guest display the unique way comics support each other, from Dana encouraging Colbert and Carell as “such gentlemen,” to Louis challenging young comics to risk failure.
  • (42:10) “That moment is everything... Getting past that panic without doing something safe... that’s gonna make all the difference for you.”

10. Memorable Anecdotes and Quotes

• David Spade’s Role in Louis’s Early Break:
  (68:39) “He saw me, and I saw him do this. Oh. Oh, this guy. Come here, sit down. He’s made them all sit down and said, yeah, watch him. Watch this guy. ... I didn’t get the job. But the next day, Jim Downey called Robert Smigel and said, I’m not going to hire this guy, but you should. And he gave me... Conan.”
  • (69:43) “So I appreciate it. Thank you.” – Louis CK to Spade

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On tags and laughs:

  “Tags are different because tags are. They're like extra farts. They're just like, you know what I mean?” — Louis CK (35:34)

• On tension and discomfort:

  “The most dangerous thing for a comic is: I don't like the way I feel when they're not laughing. … For me … if I put something out there that confuses them or upsets them, I've just changed the chemistry in the room.” — Louis CK (45:58)

• On 'Ingram' and authenticity:

  “He just tries to do better... The way I can take care of him is give as honest and accurate an account of what he's feeling.” — Louis CK (12:14)

• On comedy legacy:

  “Louie became the greatest stand up potentially.” — Dana Carvey (28:44)

• On helping young comics:

  “Getting past that panic without doing something safe is ... everything... That's gonna make all the difference for you.” — Louis CK (42:10)

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Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• Louis on ‘Ingram’ and the writing process: 10:00–16:00
• Childhood adversity & the single mother experience: 17:00–24:00
• Working on the Dana Carvey Show, Carell/Colbert: 27:00–33:00
• Deep dive on stand-up risk, tags, and tension: 35:00–46:00
• Touring, timing, and the challenge of big rooms: 47:00–51:00
• Ticketing innovation and anti-legacy industry moves: 52:00–57:00
• The birth of 'Louie' on FX and total creative control: 62:00–65:00
• Louis’s big break, Spade’s assist, and comedy lore: 68:00–70:00
• Final advice and thoughts on comic presence: 71:30–74:00

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Tone & Flow

Lively, candid, and deeply analytical, the tone is both reverent and irreverent—the hosts and guest swapping philosophical insight and hard-won real world lessons with quick asides, inside jokes, and plenty of warmth. The episode succeeds both as a loving comic reunion and as a masterclass in the subtleties, science, and soul of comedy.

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For New Listeners

If you’ve never listened, this episode offers a front-row seat to legends breaking down not only their craft, but each other’s impact. You’ll come away with stories behind stand-up’s hardest rooms, the ethos of risking failure, and what it means to spend a life in comedy—plus actionable advice for writers, performers, and anyone who cherishes artful honesty.

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Books & Plugs:

• Louis CK’s debut novel Ingram is out now.

Tour Info:

• Louis is currently touring internationally, with recent and upcoming dates that highlight the global appeal of English-language stand-up.

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“As long as you keep trying, as long as you're willing to be uncomfortable, as long as you're willing to have discomfort in the room . . . that’s going to get narrower 'til one day you're going to go, I can't do this.” — Louis CK (39:34)

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

Yeah, it's not just about eating better. It's about time. I'd rather spend 30 minutes working on a bit for my hilarious act than 30 minutes staring into my oven going, is this thing even on?

[B]

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[A]

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[B]

Yes, thank you for not feeding me the leftover lasagna for the 12th time.

[A]

Listen, Dana, if you're like me, you're like me a little bit.

[B]

I think so, yeah.

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[C]

Right.

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[B]

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[A]

Dana. Did you know? We finally did it. We finally did it. What did we do? We made merch.

[B]

We made merch. They said. They said it couldn't be done. It wouldn't be done. And they had a point. But guess what? Guess what. I'm so excited, I can barely talk. Scooby Doo. That's right.

[A]

Stepped on me.

[B]

I didn't give you something to say. Are you excited, Scooby Doo?

[C]

Okay, there you go.

[B]

He's excited. He's excited at the idea that we made merch. That's right. Now you. And I'm calling you, Dear listener.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Can get your very own Fly on the Wall hoodie, sweatshirts, T shirts, and speaking of mugs, David.

[A]

Sweatpants. Everything, of course. Fly on the Wall trucker hat. Because it's me. And that's. I wear stupid hats all the time. But these are cool. Very cool. Comfy, right?

[B]

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[A]

I don't know if it's guaranteed, but it's very probable slightly funnier. And you can point out and go, ooh, fly on the wall. And then it has our little spade carvey on there. That's the coolest part, actually.

[B]

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[C]

Only.

[B]

Only one week. Making it kind of illicit, folks.

[A]

Time limit. Grab it before it's gone. Go to shopfly on the wall dot com. Shop Fly on the wall.

[B]

Hey, David, I just thought of this. I think Fly on the Wall merch would make a great gift for your friends and family. Wait a minute. Hold on. Thinking for the holidays, right?

[A]

Yep. You know, I'm telling you that there's literally no better gift. And no one would be mad. They'd be ecstatic. It looks very cool. This is black with blue stripes. The one I have. And. Oh, you have the sweats, too, on your legs. Anyway, get. Get yourself something too for yourself. Don't miss out. Order your flying wall merch from November 6th. Pay attention to the 13th. That's all.

[B]

That's it. And then, lights out, it's closed.

[A]

Shop Fly on the Wall dot com. All right, so check them out, folks. See if you like it. Before we let Louie go.

[C]

Well, I want to mention before I.

[D]

Go, I want to say something nice about David Spade. Tags are different, because tags are. They're like extra farts. They're just like, you know what I mean? People, if they really liked A joke. They would just, just. They take a long break of applause. And I was like, what the am I supposed to do? I'm standing there and they're applauding. They've. They've shut down my show.

[B]

Louis CK I don't want to break. But I kind of gave him a start. No, I hired him as my head writer on the ill fated or great show, whatever you think about it.

[A]

Dan Carvey show Much discussed Dana Carvey show because it's. It, it had its place in history.

[B]

So it was fun to see him because it's been so long. And he was talking about how nervous he was. He never seemed nervous to me, but it was, it was a new thing and watching Colbert and Corella and all that.

[A]

Oh, he was nervous on your show when he was writing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

Like 1996. He's like, you know, read out high.

[C]

School or something like.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

20S or whatever he was. But it was interesting to.

[A]

And he's arguably one of the best out there. I mean for stand up. For just straight stand ups. He's in the discussion.

[B]

We do break that down a lot. And I found it interesting just to get into like his methodology of what he likes to introduce very uncomfortable premises or.

[A]

Oh yeah.

[B]

And gets the audience on their heels a little bit. And then he deconstruction, deconstructs it. Gets them really laughing. Shames them for laughing at the previous one. I mean, it is high level stand up.

[A]

It's great. The things he was saying about his opener and how he was challenging him. And so it's so interesting, I will say that, because we talked pretty much just straight comedy the whole time, like breaking down everything and how the performance and the joke and he's such a wordsmith. But I, I was, I could have gone out. We could do him again easily because we went on and on and on.

[C]

Yeah, he's.

[B]

He's a scientist about it and he loves it.

[A]

He also has a book out, Angam, which is a real. Not a comedy book. It's not his life as a comic. Ingram is a kind of a bleak.

[B]

Riveting story about a young person's journey, leaving, leaving their home at such a young age and everything they go through. So. And it's written, you know, in the world of John Steinbeck or, or Mark Twain, it's.

[C]

Yeah, it's.

[B]

Leave it to Louis to write this.

[A]

Great book with great reviews. Yeah, I mean it's, it was. I watched, I read the first chapter and I'm like. Would never know it was Louie, it would just. This is a.

[C]

No, it's a well written, interesting. Yeah.

[A]

Riveting book. Yeah. Well, there's Ingram and there's Louie and he's got. He's doing comedy all over. So you know him. And here he is. Bad news. Dana could make it. Oh, hey.

[B]

Long time.

[A]

No, I know. Look at these two.

[D]

You look just the same.

[A]

He doesn't like. He looks good.

[C]

How old were you? I mean, hey, I said for the podcast.

[A]

No, it's already started. Go ahead.

[C]

It's always starting.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

We have nothing. We have no notes, we have no questions.

[D]

Good.

[C]

We have no statements.

[D]

Good.

[C]

It's called carrying the Podcast with Louis ck.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I have a really nice thing to say to you. Yeah.

[A]

Okay, let's start.

[C]

Really nice. Yeah, yeah. It's always on it. Always, always early. So I thought this was kind of sweet and you would hear it.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Like it. So I read the first chapter, Vingram.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I'm like, holy, holy shit. I mean, what's going on here? Like, and my wife is a reader. Like, doesn't all fiction reads everything. Everything. So I said, honey, will you read this first chapter? I just went and did a couple things. She goes, it's incredible. I. I just ordered the book.

[D]

Wow. Yeah.

[A]

Grape.

[B]

Because I thought, well, I can give.

[C]

Louis an honest compliment. No kiss assing. This is exactly what happened. And I'll put her on the phone if I have to. But I thought, you know, and I talked to Dennis about it and goes.

[A]

Christ's sake, it's the sea.

[C]

Can't turn it into the next Steinbeck over here. I didn't talk to Dennis, but I.

[A]

Have to say, I was a little shocked too. I. Louie has a book called Ingram.

[C]

Yeah, Ingram.

[A]

And I just read the first chapter because Dana was talking about it. He sent me the book and I was astonished that it's one more different move that. Listen, comedians write books.

[D]

Sure.

[A]

I wrote a book about my life. I wrote a book about stupid books. Mine's wacky and stupid. Exactly what you think a five year old could do.

[B]

Mine.

[A]

But it was even from the first paragraph, I'm like, okay, this is. I wouldn't know who did this. You know what I mean? It's not like, oh, this is typical. So it's just like a writer writing a great book.

[C]

The fact that our little character, our guy.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

You get so attached because all this stuff's happening and he's just describing it, you know, he's not emotional or, you know. Yeah. And it's so. It's getting you in a different way, where you're invested already. Like, what is going to happen to this little person?

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, so it's amazing. I would love to think I could do that, but I can't.

[D]

I hope the second chapter is as good.

[A]

It really falls apart.

[B]

Well, I don't know.

[C]

I mean, the art of it, I'm just. Just the sentence construction. So you've got your narrative in a way, you've got your story. And then it's like. Without giving it away.

[D]

Yeah. How.

[C]

How will I describe his dad walking by?

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, and I guess you're just. It's a discipline and you're just really going. When you get it, you're high as a kite. Right. Well, one sentence.

[D]

Yeah, it. I had never done this before. I've written fiction, I've written short stories, which I've never done anything with. It's what I really want to do when I was a kid, you know, more than anything. And. And so I just started doing it last few years. And this thing came because I just wanted to hear. I read a lot of American fiction, like Flannery o', Connor, Mark Twain and, you know, Faulkner, guys like that. But also like, you know, what's her name? The Mockingbird. I'm really bad with names.

[C]

To Kill a Mockingbird.

[A]

Irma Bombach. I'm kidding.

[C]

Susan Mockingbird.

[D]

Yeah, Susan Mockingbird.

[C]

Why don't we know her name?

[D]

Susan Mocking. Mockingbird was. No, Harper. Harper Lee. Yeah. So anyway, there's this thing about the American voice, like the way that Americans. That there's an eloquence to it.

[A]

Also.

[D]

I read a lot about Abraham Lincoln and like, he was like, educated by somebody who knew two things more than him. But he. There's this way that American like soil speaks. And I wanted to feel that voice somehow. I wanted to see, do I have that in me? You know, I was raised here. I was a boy in America, and I started to write this kid's. This kid started talking to me. And I cared about him and I wanted to see what. I felt like writing him was a way of taking care of him. But these terrible things kept happening to him and I would just go, it's rough.

[A]

It's a rough beginning.

[C]

Why am I doing this? Yeah.

[D]

I wish I had. I wish I had another. But the way I can take care of him is to give as honest and accurate an account of how. What he's feeling and how he's seeing it. And I kept being impressed that he's just. Sees it and he reflects on it, and he's poetic about it, even sometimes humorous about it. And he just processes what's happening to him. And he says when it hurts, but he doesn't complain when it hurts. You know what I mean?

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

He just tries to do better.

[A]

It's very old school.

[C]

I'm fascinated by a lot of things. I, you know, I went to state.

[D]

College, but, yeah, I didn't go to any college.

[C]

The good over me.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Who else didn't go to college? That's a genius.

[A]

All comedians.

[D]

Chris Rock.

[C]

The power of the spoken word. So we have all this media coming out. All different kinds.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

But I'd gone a few years ago, and I went to the Lincoln Memorial. We're inside, and I just looked up. I read the Gettysburg Address, and I just had tears coming down. The power of the spoken word is still number one with the bullet.

[A]

I'm Casey Kasem.

[B]

There's still nothing more powerful than the.

[C]

Written American, original American word. So that's why I can't imagine the satisfaction. And I assume you've gotten a lot of feedback on accomplishing that. You know, it's a. It's quite an achievement.

[D]

Well, I got. I was sort of anxious as I read it, wrote it, that I would not finish it. I knew that there was a whole story to tell. I knew it was a book. After about three days, I was like, this is a book. I got to tell a long story here. I didn't know where it was going. I didn't.

[A]

Oh, you didn't have it, like, mapped out like a movie?

[D]

No, I didn't do that. I just would sit down every day and go, so what happened?

[A]

And he's getting farther away from the house.

[C]

What happened?

[D]

Yeah. Does he come?

[C]

Okay, so you're speaking to the book in real time.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

So what happened today?

[D]

What happened today? Yeah, what happened now and then? There was points where I kind of felt like, that's part one. Like, it just hit me, that's part one. And we're going to later, or maybe we're going to right after, but something has shifted.

[A]

Right.

[D]

And I would feel his voice start to get more eloquent as he got older, which in a sense, doesn't make sense because it's all in past tense. The one thing that kept me feeling okay about it was that it was all in the past tense. So I'm like, well, he's not dead.

[C]

And you know what I mean? You're still the puppet master.

[D]

I never feel that way, though, with.

[C]

Fiction you feel like it's driving.

[D]

You feel like I've got a responsibility to report what sort of the story.

[A]

Like, you're like, I can't do this. It won't make any sense right here.

[D]

Right. Well, it's kind of like carving a sculpture. It's like the rock is there. You can't. You can try to find something in it, but it's not up to you what's really there. You know what I mean? In a sense, that's a little bit.

[C]

I think one of the hard parts, if you. If with ADD prevalent, is like, you get to an idea and you go, 25 pages like, God, should I. I have this other idea, you know? Yeah, maybe I'll go to this other idea. So stick to one thing for that long a times.

[D]

I didn't think I could do that. But I've done a lot of work over the last few years on myself and on my. What's going on in here. So I've got a calmer spirit. So I'm worried. I wrote another book after this one.

[C]

I wanted.

[D]

I just wanted to keep going.

[A]

How long does it take for this calm spirit?

[D]

Yeah, it's right. It's good.

[C]

Well, that's the whole thing.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

That's what Jesus said to his disciples. Peace be with you. Peace. I give you peace. Absolutely. I don't remember that.

[A]

Oh, yeah, he talked a lot.

[C]

Peace be with you. Which movie did he say that with?

[A]

You know, Passion.

[C]

What's his name? Melvin Gibson. Melvin Gibson's coming out with the Resurrection. He's gonna. Yeah, yeah.

[D]

Well, he. That's a nice thing about. Did you go to church when you're a kid or do you.

[C]

Lutheran. Lapsed Lutheran.

[D]

Now I'm a Catholic, so I grew up in Catholic church. And you turn to your neighbors and say, peace be with you.

[C]

Yes.

[D]

And I always liked that part of it.

[C]

That is my current favorite part, because I realized that is the greatest gift.

[D]

You shake hands with somebody next to.

[C]

You, you shake hands, you say something.

[D]

Kind of old and funny feeling, peace be with you. You don't say that in real life. No. When you're leaving the farmer's market to the valley, to the valet, you're connected.

[A]

When they give money, tightens up, they go, put a quarter in. And then he goes, yeah, I don't like this part. You get.

[C]

You foster more empathy, you become a better person, you know?

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

You're just fostering these teachings from 2,000 years ago.

[D]

Yeah. You don't agree, though. You seem a little against.

[A]

I got Lost a little bit ago.

[B]

Johnny.

[C]

Yeah, he's still on Ingram. How do you spell that name?

[A]

I still. I'm like, I g. No ing. And Ingram was his name.

[D]

That's right. That's right.

[C]

Now, didn't Shatner do a spoken word album on Ingram? It's going to out later.

[D]

I hope so.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

I would want that. Like a, you know, interpretation.

[C]

Didn't like the gray highway, whatever you called the gray, gray road.

[A]

The hard gray arms swinging like tools in the shed in the wind. Possibly something like that. Right.

[D]

That was his dad. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

What makes me thought. Did it make you go back to your own childhood? Because we all. I mean, he had a really. That silver spoon. Easy child. Where'd you grow up?

[A]

I'm the Joe Dirt guy. I'm Arizona.

[C]

Yeah, he had some rough and.

[D]

But were you Joe Dirt?

[A]

I was a little bit like that. Even Ingram reminded me of that a bit. It's starting from sort of nothing and then parents are gone, you know, in the. I don't give the whole movie book away, but I grew up in Arizona, you know, middle, lower, whatever. Dad left, so we had three boys. Mom just trying to work and two jobs to keep us around, but trying to be home. But also, how much do you pay a babysitter? Yeah, that's how much she's making. But yeah, once the dad splits on a dime, there's really no plan. It's just, are you guys good?

[D]

That's what my mom was. Raised us alone. My dad left when I was 10.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

And my mom worked. My dad didn't contribute.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Anything, exactly. Either way. So my mom was like, all right, guys, four kids. And she's like, wow, I got a microwave. That was the big move. We got a microwave.

[A]

And there's a Lean Cuisine in the shed.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

Fight over that. Yeah, that's on the. Good night.

[D]

Hot dogs are 30 seconds each. I remember her telling us that's how you figure out how long to microwave anything. You just microwave hot dogs. 30 seconds. So if it looks like to make it 60, like the size of a hot dog was the unit.

[C]

That's nice.

[D]

And she came home at 7 o'. Clock. And sometimes I'd want to make her something, you know, But I was alone and I grew up in a suburb. So we just own the kids, just own the streets. You just went out?

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Nobody knew where you were.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Child support was optional back then.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

There's only one thing a lot of.

[A]

People passed on it.

[D]

Yeah. It's weird, isn't it?

[A]

That they were like, my dad took a hard pass.

[C]

There is one thing worse than the dad leaving.

[D]

Yeah, what's that?

[C]

Dad stays. Stays.

[A]

And yes, it is.

[D]

Definitely. I'm not glad my dad wasn't around.

[C]

Yeah, you did.

[D]

I'm glad he wasn't around.

[C]

Did you ever reconcile with him or.

[D]

He for like a few minutes.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Okay. Yeah, we had like a 12 minute conversation that felt like. I'll take that. That's good.

[A]

He's like, we good here?

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

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[D]

What about you?

[A]

You're cute. Nice. Tough dad.

[D]

Tough dad.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. He. Yeah. Saw some stuff. Yeah. And I. I just was. I. I got for better, for worse. I got a Disney face when I was younger.

[D]

That's how you survived.

[C]

I was a Disney face. So I'd go on stage and I have shaggy hair and I'd be. Know all these voices and laugh my ass off and.

[B]

No.

[C]

And people would go, well, you had a great child. I mean, look, you know, it was all just. Just an illusion.

[D]

Of course it was.

[C]

But it's. It goes to some pretty dark places.

[D]

Same. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

So, yeah, being a boy is. I mean, that's the one. I know and I know it's tricky.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

And you're a little alone in it. There is a cultural thing of like, you do. You do this, you know, for boys. It's on you. At least for. For our generation, maybe my generation. Like, this is on you. And I. I did have a great mom. My mom was a fantastic person. And she was very. She was raising four kids by herself while working. So she had limits that were just there. But she was a great friend, especially in adulthood later.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

She was the best phone call I would ever have. I still. She's the voice I reach to.

[C]

I think that you know the word heroes tossed off a lot. But a single mom working full time with 4 kids and making it through.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Just getting everyone through the sacrifice.

[D]

Getting everyone.

[C]

Her life is just on nothing deep.

[A]

No dating. No, no, forget it.

[D]

Forget that.

[A]

Just. Are you okay? Do you have a food? Do we leave an apple? Are you.

[D]

That's it. And then a little humor. Always. She was always like, hey. I remember once I was going off to school and I was in a lot of trouble. I had just caused a lot of problems. And I was going to school to face them. And my mom said to me on the way out the door, hey, don't let them get you down that bad. We love you here at home. You're loved. That's how she sent me out the door. Like, this isn't the end of the world. Like, go face it. But.

[A]

I feel.

[C]

Smart thing to say to a kid.

[A]

I was scared to stress my mom out, so, you know, I always do something wrong in school or bad grades. Yeah. I was getting Good grades. And I'm like, I gotta keep this up. Because she gets so happy.

[D]

I couldn't do it. I had terrible grades.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

And I had a period of just doing a lot of drugs. And I. I stressed her out a lot. It hurt just to see her how stressed out she was.

[A]

Did you tell her, I will be a millionaire soon?

[D]

I never.

[A]

Just relax her a little bit.

[D]

I did it. I did. She did get to see it happen.

[A]

That's the greatest. Unbelievable. Because it's all. I would give 100% of it to my mom. Like, I would never have gotten through.

[C]

Anyone who comes from nothing and then becomes. Gets on TV and makes a lot of money.

[A]

It's.

[C]

It's like a fever dream. It's almost like that. It really is. It really. Did it happen?

[D]

You mean for the family?

[C]

The family, my siblings or myself? The likelihood of it, you know, I would tell. I get laughed out of the room. And when I started doing stand up, you know, the neighbors would go, well, whatever. You really end up doing this will kind of help your confidence.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

It was.

[C]

Nobody in my high school. Nobody has ever gotten on tv. It's.

[D]

No.

[A]

It's not even an option. Not even.

[D]

Do you remember when we were working on your show?

[C]

There was the Dana Carvey show.

[A]

Let's get into that.

[D]

Abc.

[C]

Perfect time slot. How do we fumble that home?

[D]

Yes. So that. That there. We had auditions for cast members in a guy named Carrie Prusa auditioned and he was wonderful. I don't know where he is now, but he did one of his. He did characters.

[B]

Yes.

[D]

He just stood in the room and there was like five of us. And one of his characters was my uncle. When I told him I was auditioning for this show, and his uncle goes, you ain't never gonna be on.

[C]

No.

[D]

Those are professional actors that you ain't never gonna be on. And we almost wanted to give it to him because.

[C]

Based on that. Yeah. Yeah. But, you know.

[D]

But yeah. Being so. I don't know. Being a boy is. It is. It's. It's. I feel like Ingram is like me without my mom in a sense. Or a mom that was just so inundated and so the. The heaviness on a person.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

That she just couldn't.

[C]

She couldn't just.

[A]

The mom part got to me even in chapter one.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

I haven't got to the part where he's on Star Search, but it takes. I know it's worth that took me by surprise.

[D]

That's where it's going.

[A]

It's so predictable. This is. This is Ingram's like yada. I did it.

[B]

I made it.

[A]

Yeah. I want to hear more about the show. When you guys started, who found. Who did you find?

[C]

Louis Smigel was said, go meet Louie. So we met at Bryleston Gray, right? Yeah. He was a fresh faced kid.

[A]

Who was handling you? Was someone handling you?

[D]

I wasn't with Brillstein. I was writing on Conan.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

And then I was on Kona for two years and it just burnt me right out.

[C]

I remember you saying this.

[D]

It was just too hard.

[A]

It was.

[D]

Because every show, they treated it like it was SNL every night.

[A]

Like.

[D]

Yeah, it was every night.

[C]

I could imagine. Yeah.

[D]

So I was like old when it was over and I was 25.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

But Daily Shows are beating because you guys did a lot of bits and sketches. It's just like. It's not.

[D]

The show is. For those two years that I was there, it was just hate it. It was.

[B]

You got the hated ones.

[D]

And so. Yeah, it just was hard, hard, hard, hard, hard. And then I went and wrote for Letterman for a short while because he. I wanted to be on there as a stand up and I basically got told if you write on the show, then maybe they'll. If you take the writing job, maybe they'll. So I did it and was. That wasn't a good experience for me. And then. And then you guys started your show.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So I.

[C]

You were great. And you stupid pranks are still. But think of my point of view. So I have this show. There's for a reason. It's a disaster in a way, but I want it out. Even before it started, it was way too. I was.

[D]

I remember that.

[C]

Yeah, I was ready to go. It was just like. Because Heather Morgan would come in and pitching me sketches, I go, I'm. What? What? I was just fighting for parts on snl. Now I'm in my own show. Well, I didn't know. I had Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert, who I adored. And the first day I rehearsed with them, I said, I must be rusty.

[D]

Right?

[C]

I must be rusty.

[D]

How so? Because you.

[C]

Because they were just so.

[D]

Yeah, they were quick.

[C]

Ten years younger, no kids. They were just like, like.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And brilliant. You know, I must be rusty. But so I'm sitting back in life and I go, oh, Carell's. Oh, Colbert now.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Oh, they're.

[A]

Yeah, they're hungry.

[B]

That's one of the odds. Two guys, cast members and their, their.

[C]

Movie stars are incredible. He's got his show and everything and like oh. Oh, Louie.

[A]

Oh.

[C]

I almost, almost blushed. Oh, my goodness. Louie Louis became the greatest stand up potentially.

[B]

Well, I. I hate.

[C]

Because I do. I. He's a nice guy, but I've. We were here with Andrew Santino. He's just. Yeah, yeah.

[D]

Nice kid. I do. I like that he's funny too.

[C]

Casually as a throwaway.

[B]

Go.

[C]

Well, Louie's the greatest stand up.

[D]

Oh, that's nice.

[C]

I'm just telling you. I hear that. Fun to hear, but.

[D]

Well, it feels good to hear.

[C]

Does it?

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Because I don't want it to come.

[D]

Off like I, I respect Griffin or something. Santino. He's good. He's really good.

[C]

No, he just said it like. It was just like. It's good. I don't know that we can talk about that, but it is sort of interesting, that story. I know you've told a lot. You can picture being honest on stage.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

And then it just went from there.

[D]

Well, I want to say, though, about your show, the Dana Carvey show.

[A]

Taco Bell. Dana Carve.

[D]

Taco Bell. Sometimes the Mountain Dew.

[A]

Dana after Taco Bell Bay.

[B]

Talk about.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Jimmy Kimmel. We were losing everybody.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

It wasn't like.

[D]

I think actually the press was reporting that we were losing.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Sponsors. Even though we. We. We engineered it that way. We got PepsiCo to sponsor the show and we asked them to put a different one of their brands on every week. So we were shift. It was our idea. But the press was like, oh, I guess Taco Bell bailed. No, we switched on purpose.

[C]

We had it plan.

[D]

But we. The idea was to get a company that. A parent company that would let us have a different sponsor every week. But anyway, for me, I was very young. I was way over my head for the job that I was the head writer of the show.

[C]

I don't think so.

[D]

And I had no idea how to.

[A]

Stressful.

[D]

It was so stress is the most stressful time in my life. In my 58 crime show.

[C]

I'm sorry.

[D]

That was the most stressful job I ever had. But. And I was. All of that stress melts away. I'm left with a massive education I got from it.

[C]

But.

[D]

But working with you was a big deal for me. You were legendary. How old were you when we did the show?

[C]

61. No, I was. I was 40.

[D]

Isn't that funny that we're 41. We were younger than all of us. We were way younger. 40 is another. Is light years.

[C]

Oh. Oh, yeah.

[D]

And you were the. But I loved working with you because you were. You had this great Deep, traditional background of comedy. And you were a purebred. You're just. You're just a, you know, hall of fame guy. You're great at what you do.

[A]

Thank you.

[D]

And you still are. And are we recording?

[C]

Yeah, I just want to make sure.

[A]

We just found a clip.

[D]

So. Good. But. And you're very kind. And you were very generous with sharing your history and stories about where you'd been. And I remember one time, because I was still doing stand up when I was on that show.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

And I did my second shot on the Letterman show, and I just sort of left work and ran over and did Letterman. And I came back to work, and the next day you said, weren't you on Letterman last night? And I was like, yes, sir. Like, I was just sort of like a guy that works. There you go. Weren't you on the David Letterman show last night? And I said, yeah. And how did it go? And I said, it was good. And so you said, I want to see it. And you went and got someone to get a tape of it. And he and I sat in the office, just the two of us.

[A]

Oh, and you watch it together?

[D]

And he watched. He said, I want to watch it. And he watched. We watched it. And I was proud of the set. And Dana stood next to the tv and he pointed at the TV afterwards and he said, do you understand that when I stood, when I was out there doing what you're doing, being a stand up. And if you had a set like that back in whatever the 70s or 80s.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Superstar.

[D]

You would have been a huge. Never to look back again.

[A]

Star like a Kinnison, like a.

[D]

You'd be Roseanne Walk everywhere. You'd walk. Give you a standing ovation. You'd be the next guy.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So I was right.

[D]

Well, it took a lot of time, which is okay. It's actually better that way. But. But anyway, that just meant so much to me.

[C]

I'm glad to hear that. I.

[A]

It's true. Those are building blocks at that point.

[D]

I learned a lot from you. I still. I quote things you told me. Like, I once pitched a joke to him. It was when we were doing my favorite bit we ever did on the show, which was Tom Brokaw recording several versions of one of the best sketches.

[C]

I was just in it.

[D]

Gerald Ford. Yes.

[C]

Gerald Ford is dead tonight. He was attacked by a circus lion in a convenience store.

[D]

So that was the joke.

[C]

Oh, that was the.

[D]

The joke was he was preparing.

[A]

In case he died.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Yes, in case he died.

[A]

Cover every fossil. One that could throw up. Yes.

[D]

So Gerald Ford died today. He was mauled to death by a mountain lion in a convenience store. And so we did it in the first take. In the second take, I approached the desk and said to him, just put a pause between mountain lion and in a convenience store.

[C]

That was a good note.

[D]

And he did it, and it got two laughs. And I just sitting back there, just doing my job. Dana goes like this to me and brings me over, and he goes, you bought me an extra laugh. Do you understand how powerful it is? You bought me an extra laugh. That's big.

[A]

You're valuable.

[D]

That was meaningful to me. And I say, I repeat that to young comics all the time about timing and about the class of the moment.

[C]

Everything I like. I do like helping younger comedians. I enjoy it. I mean, with Carell and Colbert, you know, same. Same kind of thing. I. They were such gentlemen married. They're kind of conservative in that way. In their real lives.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

And so sweet and earnest and. And then obviously so talented.

[D]

I also loved Heather Morgan. I loved her. She was so strange and enigmatic. I put her in a movie after we did that show, and I loved her. I don't know where she is now, but she was like a groundling person. The ground.

[C]

She was so funny. Was it Pat Nixon in a cell or something?

[D]

So her thing was. We did was First Ladies. As do dogs.

[B]

Yes.

[D]

I think you can see it on YouTube or whatever, but it's her dress.

[A]

Not biting on that skin.

[B]

First lady.

[D]

All the first ladies. But then she would find a dog that they were like, and she'd do them as dogs, and it was genius.

[C]

Yeah, Brilliant.

[A]

You know, it's funny. You're saying about that double laugh. Like, I mean, Nate Bragazzi comes to mind, but when you're watching and you have an audience that's really in your vibe and they're laughing at setups like you're getting extra stuff on your weightier. Big part.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

It's great. When you get a good crowd and you're on your game, there's nothing like a joke turning into three.

[D]

That's right.

[A]

And then some tags.

[D]

Tags are tricky. To me, it's different. Tags are different because tags are. They're like extra farts. They're just like. You know what I mean? It's just a little.

[C]

How much more can we fart out until the audience.

[A]

Some. Some audiences, you can't fart that much.

[D]

No, you can't, because they. They.

[A]

They barely buy the punchline.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

And you go, here's Right. I used to have nine tags. I'm bailing right now. Because they didn't buy this fart.

[D]

No. Right. And. And sometimes it's. It's like when Muhammad Ali punched out George Foreman. He. There was this incredible one punch and George starts falling and he. And he had the next punch cocked, but he never threw it.

[C]

That's right.

[A]

So you knew he's going down.

[C]

He watched twist him turn.

[D]

But he. And he kept it because otherwise he would have. It would have been like two tags.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

But I like a thing I've been doing on stage recently. I'm on tour again now. Is there. It's almost like a pre tag. It's like they haven't laughed yet. But I'm going to stop here. Or like, this is a bad idea to say this. So I'm going to say it and then stop talking.

[A]

It's interesting.

[C]

If you say something, I'll give you.

[D]

They're laughing and it's part of every show I do. And then I. I don't know. Whatever. It'll be out there. I don't care. I'm talking about the hard. What's the worst thing that can happen to you? Like it's a subject about what's the worst thing?

[B]

Such a Louis ck, Right.

[D]

What's the worst thing?

[C]

But it's already funny, so.

[D]

Well, because it's somebody that told me, always prepare for the worst.

[B]

Right.

[D]

Which means you have to first decide what's the worst.

[C]

The worst.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

And so the bit I had been doing was that for me it's about. It would be getting my. Somebody torturing my balls. And it's a long bit that I'm not going to repeat here about ball torture. And it's all easy laughs. It's just huge.

[C]

Daniel Craig had it in Casino Royale, I believe, seated in the chair, naked. And.

[D]

Yeah. And the ball just all ball just jokes about.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

And. But one night I was doing it and I said, I'm about to say, for me, the worst would be someone torturing my balls. And I. And I just said, for me, the worst. Well, besides one of my daughters dying and having to tell the other one that she's dead.

[C]

Yes.

[D]

And then I just stopped talking and the place just went.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

And I just waited and there's whispering and awkwardness. One guy shrieks, laughing, and everyone looks at him. And I'm just watching.

[A]

Awkward laugh. Yeah.

[D]

I'm just watching. It's so interesting to watch a room change like that and then go, okay, you're done. All Right now, the ball stuff. And it still kills. It doesn't hurt. The. The ball stuff is just the ball stuff. We all forget it happened. But there's a moment.

[A]

Pause. Is the more interesting.

[D]

Really something. Something.

[C]

I've done charity events where right before me is a terminal patient in a wheelchair. Yeah. And I thought, oh, man, it's over.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

And they need the release.

[D]

Of course they do.

[C]

So bad when I go up that.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

It's actually, you know, because.

[D]

Well, because you live in the world with that. So it's like you're. If you're being funny, you live in the world where people get hurt and where there's tragedy.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

It's all in the same world. So if you, if you toss the salad a little bit more and let these things be next to each other more, are you kind of.

[C]

I mean, I don't know where you're. It's just seems like. Are you even more playful with the form because you already broke it in the early knots. There were. There are so many things we have to talk about that nobody had ever talked about and made it work. Like the guy who makes the. The. The latte and you walk away and that word comes in your head. Like, I. I watch that in awe. Like, how did he land this? How did you make it. Okay, so you broke all that. So now it seems like you're as fingali was. Stand up and playful with it because you already have your iconic. So is it more fun in a way to dance outside the lines?

[D]

So it's. The more you do it, the more you. The spectrum grows of what you can see, what is possible. And as long as you keep trying, as long as you're willing to be uncomfortable, as long as you're willing to have discomfort in the room. So if you always go for what you know works, that's going to get narrower till one day you're going to go like, I can't do this.

[C]

Yeah, you're bored.

[A]

That's my act.

[C]

Go ahead.

[D]

It's natural.

[C]

If I have a second of silence, I go, crap.

[A]

Also, one second.

[B]

One second of silence.

[A]

Well, also, you know, you've got trained audiences. Sometimes they yell out when I have a pause and it's right. It's the toughest thing because, yes, you want those things you're trying or you want to just. You need a two beats, not just one. You need two before something. And they get in there and you're.

[D]

Like, that's the worst. Because when you feel that, it makes you go faster and that throws it off, but that's the. Like, I had a young guy open for me, Dan do Simo. Very funny young kid who I saw on TikTok and wanted to. It's the only thing I look at in these apps is stand up, because I don't know everybody out there anymore. And I saw this new voice. I'd never heard of him before, and he's from Chicago, and I was going there to play the Chicago theaters, actually just a couple weeks ago. So I asked him come do five minutes at the top of the show. And it's interesting to take a guy who's just really a beginner and make him open to 3500 seat in a major classroom. So I watched all of his sets and I gave him a challenge. I said, do a different set every night. You're doing three nights. And he said, I'll do it.

[A]

Got to work with Louie. My is pants.

[D]

So first show, he's really killed. I said, great, show me something else tomorrow. Second shot. Second show, he did 10 minutes. Killed. Second, third show, I said, you're only doing five. And I again, I want it different. And the crowd was tougher the third show. And I saw him. And I saw him go up there like, this has been going great. And I saw him go, whoops. And then right before the end, he went to a bit I'd seen before and. So did you spank him? I can't. You look so hopeful.

[A]

Was he grounded during your set?

[C]

Well, sometimes, you know, if you say.

[D]

Something really, that would have been a good character for you. A guy who always goes there just with every information.

[C]

Very little energy toward it. Did you. Did you spank him? Yeah. Did you spank him, guy, in case.

[A]

You'Re into it too? Did you think. Yeah. Oh, you did?

[D]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

That's my catchphrase. But I'm fascinated you're up there also.

[D]

Let me just finish with Dan. Yeah. So he. I asked him, what happened? Why'd you go to.

[C]

Good question.

[D]

He said, there was a moment I felt I dropped. I felt the energy drop. I felt, oh, and now you're here, you're watching. It's high pressure. I said, that's this is that moment is everything that panic. Getting past that panic without doing. Without servicing it by doing something safe is going to be. Your whole thing is if you can get past it and go, I'm still going to do something that's not necessarily a great idea because this guy, big guy's watching me. Fuck him. I gotta do this thing. It's important to me. Yeah, that's gonna make all the difference for you.

[C]

One thing I found out about myself is I'm just completely different in a small room because I can do one man sketches. I do the world's first sociopath in ancient times, you know. Hey, where's Steve? I don't know. What's that arm coming out of the ground? It's Steve. I hit him with a rock. Am I weird? I don't know. There's only 39 of us on the planet, so you might want to tamp that down. Well, sometimes I leave the tent at night and I scratch myself with bushes. Oh, that's strange. You're weird, aren't you? So I can't do that in 3,000 seats or a corporate date, but in a small room. And then what happens to me if the audience is not laughing? Yeah, I love it because I'm doing some. I'm doing.

[D]

You mean in a small room?

[C]

Yeah, because I can sense. I see them not laughing and I'm doing the most ridiculous thing. And that makes me laugh. But this is, you know, 50 years in, you know.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

It's so funny when they don't laugh.

[D]

It's hilarious when they don't laugh. Yeah, it's fucking. It's the only funny thing in the world. But it's an unlughing audience. It's the great, hysterically funny Louis CK.

[C]

Plays the silence, throws a party at the hotel.

[D]

When you do a thing and they're just sitting there, you're just like, that's the best.

[C]

But you're doing it unfamous, all this stuff. And then you're doing it famous. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

You know, Dennis Miller, you know. And we love.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

So was my favorite. Still is one of the top guys out there. And no doubt such a wordsmith. And so I was opening for him.

[D]

Great.

[A]

And he saw me, says, why don't you come on the road? Same thing. It's like a huge deal. So I do it. And then he goes, you're from. When he saw me, I had done different stuff. And he goes, what happened? And I go, oh. He goes, where was the stuff I saw? And I go, well, I had done a couple road gigs that I wasn't killing. And they said, you gotta. Some of your stuff is a little weird. And so I tweaked it to think it would be stuff that would do better. And he's like, jesus, dude. He goes, I liked you for that.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

He goes, do that. He goes, fuck that. Go back to that. And if it doesn't work, then you're not supposed to be a stand up. But don't try to second guess it.

[D]

That's very good advice.

[A]

He goes, cause this isn't making you laugh. No, that was the greatest. I was like, yeah. And he's like, just whatever you were doing, whatever your thought process was, just keep doing those type of jokes. And if they don't work, then it's just not working. But that's the stuff that I like.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

And if you can get through that, like you say you push through it, it somehow catches on. It was such a great observation from.

[D]

Ice because you could. Then you're yourself. And audiences come with expectations, but they, they drop them in a hot second when they see you doing something interesting. They go, well, I want to hear some jokes. And then they see you being like, well, I don't know what that guy's doing, but I'm in, I'm in a.

[A]

Weird joke where you don't get. I always go like, what is this guy doing?

[D]

Well, the thing is, there's so much potential in a moment on stage. The beside, beyond the one laugh that if you don't get, if, if you're willing, if you can detach emotionally or you don't put your ego in it.

[A]

Right.

[D]

That's the, the most dangerous thing for a comic is like, I don't like the way I feel when they're not laughing.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Because it's like being a scientist and you put in some whatever and then it doesn't. And you go, wait, but why isn't it changing into ammonia? Like, you should just be studying what happens. And for me, like, if I put something out there that confuses them or upsets them, I've just changed the chemistry in the room. That means I have a whole bunch of other things I can do now that are beyond that moment. That different laughs. Laughs that feel different because they came after discomfort or after confusion.

[C]

Instead of just 50 years. I feel I'm in a class, master's class, I mean, but that, that's amazing. I'm really curious of the first time you leapt to a giant room. Did you have to fight harder for being this authentic in each moment? Because Louis CK's here.

[D]

The big, big rooms.

[C]

Well, the first early big rooms, it's pretty quiet for 10 minutes. When there's 20.

[A]

Are you talking like a master?

[D]

It takes longer to. You mean really big room? Really, really.

[C]

Well, whatever. The first room where you're a little intimidated, like maybe you had to try a little Harder to be your.

[D]

Well, the very, very first time I did a theater was I opened for Jerry Seinfeld when I was 19 and he. I got to open for him in a club in Boston and he liked me, so he took me to some like, thousand seat theaters. It was before he had his show, but he was already a big deal.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[D]

And he took me to like five gigs and I. A huge education for me.

[C]

Yeah. And he's a Jerry something else.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

He's a guy to study as far as a writer. Can I give you this one Jerry Seinfeld thing I love to do? He has a new album out. It's an lp.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

And it's called Paper Clips.

[B]

Why?

[C]

So I just like that joke. I don't know why I did it for Jerry. Paperclips. Why? With a big smile. Anyway, so go ahead. So you're.

[A]

You have to work on pauses and stuff. If it's a big, big room.

[D]

Yeah. So I learned this from Jerry. So I did. I opened for him and I've just said 19 year old, been doing comedy for like two years or one almost. And I'm just doing my stuff. And this. It was the 80s and there was more. There was. People used to talk about. APPLAUSE breaks back then, you know, it was a thing then.

[A]

That's what you wanted.

[D]

Yeah. So there was like, people, if they really liked a joke, they would just. They'd take a long break of applause and I was like, what the am I supposed to do? I'm standing there and they're applauding. They've just. They've shut down my show.

[C]

I love the physicality.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

It's just like a lot. You're like Ingram locked.

[D]

Yeah. It's like three minutes into the set.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

So I asked Jerry, what do I do? And he said, stay in the bit. Stay in the moments to keep inhabiting the moment. That got you that, that. Applause.

[A]

Right.

[D]

If you're like angry and the bit is about anger and they're applauding, just stay in that. Stay in that and carry it to the next moment.

[A]

Still the bit in their heads too, they're like, you don't just drop it.

[D]

No.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

And I think about that now because a lot of the bits I'm doing in this tour are more about a feeling than words. They're more about conveying a ridiculous emotion. But it's real to me. So I keep. When they get. They're laughing and I look at them sometimes like, why are you laughing at this and that? If you Stick with it. You see it, you feel it start to actually rise. The laughter starts to turn into. And you can feel it changing.

[C]

And it's because of your attitude informing it, your body language.

[D]

Yeah. Because you're still in it. You don't just go like. Anyway, that's that. A lot of comedians have a habit of dropping their eyes down to their feet between bits. Anyway, I've done it.

[C]

You know, sometimes I have a yellow pad and I have my stuff and I just write, stay there.

[D]

That's great.

[C]

And for me, if I'm. Let's just say I'm doing Joe Biden or something. Just stay there. If they love it, it'll be 15 minutes.

[D]

That's right.

[C]

Doesn't matter.

[D]

That's my new idea in my head is when I'm in a bit, I want to be thinking, I. This is what I came here to talk about.

[A]

Right.

[D]

This one.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. I'm just here.

[D]

This is it.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

So that's in the big rooms, like, because some of the bigger ones, it feels like you have to pump a lot of gas into the room before you can light it and there's a lag. But if you keep your timing and you keep your.

[A]

They find you. They find. They find your timing.

[D]

They do. Because also you are one. You think you're 35 against 3500 against one, but they each think they're one to one.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

So you have to know that your perception is distorted.

[A]

Yeah. People used to say, how is it going on TV with 20 million people watching? I go, it's probably two at a time.

[D]

Yes. And they're all watching one guy and.

[A]

They'Re just in a room with two people. It's not that big of a deal on snl.

[C]

You're just trying to get that audience to laugh. You're not always cognizant. One thing I was interesting, found interesting watching you over the years is that you do have a tool kit. Like, you have a lot of physicality, you do a lot of act outs. You have certain voices that you'll use and you also have. Which everyone has is some. You have a certain. Occasionally you'll just let out a big smile and a big laugh, you know.

[A]

Sure.

[C]

And I talked with Jerry about that, that all the greats have that moment to signal to the audience or. Or to actually just let out release.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

But you have a lot of little moves you do that are Louis CK moves that are little act outs. Are you aware of these?

[D]

Some of them I would try to.

[C]

Get rid of really? Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Just change.

[D]

Yeah. Like, I have a voice I try to get off of. I have a voice that when I hear it, I go, get out.

[C]

What is it? Is it sort of.

[D]

It's this guy and he's. And he's trying to explain, and he starts cracking because he doesn't think you're getting it. And then he's really upset, but inside he's going like, what are you doing?

[C]

Stop it.

[A]

So.

[D]

And maybe it's an age thing. I'm trying to be this guy. Open the throat. I go on with hot tea. I open my throat.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

I'm talking like this. And I'm talking.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

I'm a human being and I'm talking in the moment.

[C]

Right.

[D]

I'm not chasing a moment or running away from one. I'm in it. And if I start to feel like I'm chasing, I go, okay, okay. All right. Get back into it. Take a second. Anything.

[A]

I got a question about your Ticketmaster thing. When did you go from. I always thought it was so interesting. You've got to be the first guy to do it where you sort of. Everything's run from Louis ck, Everything's run from emails. It just. You didn't need anyone after a while. Right. And did. Did you get any blowback from ticket places or do you say, no more? Ticketmaster. I'm just gonna.

[D]

Well, it was back when the first thing I did was sell my own special on my website.

[A]

Oh, that was a big deal. Yeah.

[D]

Because I was doing a special each year. I was filling theaters. I was. I was only doing stand up at the time, and I was loving it. It was like the height for me, and I could do two hours. It was crazy. And. And I could fill any place I asked to play. And I saw. So I wanted to do a special, and no one was doing them. Sometimes that happened back then. There was no Netflix then. And HBO had quit it. They were just like, we don't really.

[A]

It was like a lag. Yeah. You don't want to go to Comedy Center. You don't want to go to something too small.

[C]

No.

[D]

And it was. There was nothing around. And I thought, well, I'm. I'm one of the top guys. Like, I'm some people's favorite. So, like, whatever. I'm in the alds. I'm in the division league series.

[A]

Fair.

[D]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Fair statement.

[D]

And so how do I use that leverage? Well, what would happen if I sold it myself? What if I created a whole. A store for one product and sold this thing by Myself. Yeah. And I got. I hired some guys that do that, and they interviewed me about how I wanted the store to look. And I thought about all the things I hated about shopping for things like having to put in on your address and make you. Make them your best friend. I said, just tell them they can buy it and they'll never hear from me again and just drop your email if you want to hear from me, you know? And so I did it, and it made a shit ton of money right away. And then I had all these emails, and so I was able to. When I toured, I was able to blast out and sell tickets. And then I started looking at things like Ticketmaster, and, you know, the fact that a lot of my tickets were getting sold for like, a thousand dollars on StubHub and Stuff, and that was a drag. And people on Ticketmaster were paying, like, $12 on top for extra fees, and the tickets were a lot. And I always charged less than other comedians. I used to look at what is Kathy Griffin and Jim Gaffigan's price and go a little under. That was my smart. That's how I priced my tickets, a little under those folks, because I respect those two. And I thought, I just want to be an easy ticket to buy. That's all. So. But that made me more easy to scalp, like, it was a better investment. So my fans. Anyway, this is a long story.

[A]

I don't want to spend it because it's so interesting. That happened. And that's what Theo's been talking about. When we were doing this movie, he's like, why don't we do, like, Louie? And we just. You just buy it.

[D]

I think it's a good idea. It works if you already have a following, which you guys obviously have. But it's risky.

[A]

And I go, I don't think people have done it. Maybe they've done it with movies. I go, should we be the first? I mean, I go, let's watch someone fuck it up. And then go, oh, here's what they did wrong. Now we do it.

[D]

That's right.

[A]

But to be first is tricky. To do.

[D]

It can be. And I had confidence because I was selling so well and because I had an audience that wanted to see me. But then I started thinking about how Ticketmaster has the emails of everybody who buys your tickets. They have those. Those are the Glengarry leads, you know, like, they have the emails and they can contact everyone who has seen you, but you can't. And so we found a ticket company called Etix who would do exactly What TicketMaster did for $12, and they charged like 50 cents, and they make it white label, which means it looks like it's your company. And so we. We decided, let's just do that. But then we learned that Ticketmaster has a large monopoly on this stuff and that they pay theaters to not use other. They pay them a premium to not use.

[A]

Start finding that shit out, which is.

[D]

Smart for them to do. And I didn't have a problem with Ticketmaster.

[A]

They just.

[D]

They had a lot of power. And I just. So I created an alternative. We. Our tickets were way cheaper, and we hired people who were ex scalpers to keep our stuff off the secondary market. It cost a lot of money to do this, so I made like a quarter that tour of what I would have made.

[A]

But you put it in place, and it was fun.

[D]

It was so fun to do this. And I never had a. I never was anti a Ticketmaster. I'm a capitalist at heart.

[A]

Full Pearl Jam.

[D]

No, I just was like, let's see if there's another way. And. And sometimes we would find a room that didn't have a Ticketmaster partnership, and we would engage. Call us back and say, ticketmaster found out we were doing. But we made that room a bunch of money. So do you.

[B]

Four wall rooms.

[C]

I mean, you rent?

[D]

I did back then, but now I just don't have that kind of leverage now. Now I just. I use Ticketmaster. I let them charge what. You know, I just. I'm just one of the guys now.

[A]

That's a Pearl Jam dude. Eventually, this. It's too.

[B]

It's too overwhelming.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

And you don't have the time.

[C]

No thing. The money. The money. Aaron Brock business. And then the. The fun, you know, and like, they'll go, well, we got you this much to play this casino or whatever. And then I go there, and the tickets are like, way overpriced, too much, and then there's a few empty seats. You're like, no, I want a cheaper. They.

[B]

They don't.

[C]

We live in different parallel universes.

[A]

All right, so this one, Dana, this is Pura.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

This is sort of a new move here.

[B]

I know. Reimagining the future of fragrance.

[A]

Interesting, right? It's the smart home fragrance brand that's redefining how people scent their spaces. So this is an app control diffuser. Right. And it's got premium, clean, safe fragrances. So you just. You pick one and you pick intensity, and you can throw it when you want, as strong as you want. Because, you know, sometimes you go In a house and you go, this house is like an old person's house. Or you go in and you go, oh, they like to party or whatever.

[B]

You go into yours and it's like lots of hair products. It's like, oh.

[C]

Spray.

[A]

Yeah. Straightening irons.

[B]

I mean, you need pure, I'll be honest, you can personalize it for your environment or your car and it can be a gift.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, you tell someone, hey, let's judge up that car, let's judge of that house. But some people want that because they go, listen, my car, I bought it, I don't love the smell and let's fix it, you know, and.

[B]

Or maybe you just want new car smell.

[A]

Right?

[B]

Forever. I'm sure they can do that with smart sensing technology.

[A]

I hear it's like sleeping with sort of a noise behind you or something. Like put you in a better mood, that kind of thing. The promo details are November 1st to the 31st and get a few. You get a free Pura set when you subscribe.

[B]

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[A]

You did that pretty well.

[B]

I know. I said it really well. I just thought of it.

[A]

You thought of it. For a limited time, you can get a free set when you subscribe to two cents monthly for a year. I'm saying the word scent.

[B]

It's kind of nice because you can customize your experience with the app, controlled tech they've got and enjoy premium long lasting scents in a sleek modern device. Just in time. Oh, just in time for holiday hosting. So it's going to smell like the Christmas tree.

[A]

People over, you can tweak it a bit. That's a good idea. It's like having music. It's something like that.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

Background music, background rounds.

[A]

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[C]

The thing that will also impress me was when you went to FX and they're like, Louie, you know, make a show for genius. And comedians will quote this. What? What do you have to pay me? What's the least amount you'll pay me? Where I just go make the show and hand it to you.

[B]

Is that correct?

[D]

Yeah, more or less. I mean, John Langraff, who ran a. He still runs fx, okay? He. It was a dialogue with him. So he was like, I'll give you 150,000 first. It was like, I'll give you 100,000 to do a pilot. And I said, the only way I'm doing that is if I hand you a DVD. You wire me 100 grand and I'll hand you a DVD. We don't talk between those two things. He's like, done. So we did it. I handed him a dvd. They went nuts for it. They had a bunch of. I had a notes call. And then after the notes call, I called him. I Said I'm, I'm not doing that.

[A]

I did the whole call.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

I didn't listen to one.

[C]

Everything a comedian would hate. You just said, no.

[D]

Well, because I had this. The power I had was joyful. In other words. Yes, because he said, he would say, well, you know, it's standard practice. And I'd say it should be. It's smart of you to give notes. But I don't feel like it, so let's just not do the show. I'll give you back the hundred thousand dollars.

[C]

It always ends with, let's not just.

[D]

Let's just not do it. Here's a. I don't feel like it. I think you're really doing the right thing. I don't, I'm not. And he was like, ah, okay. But then when we went to series, he, he wanted to do the show for very low again. And I would say, well, give me more. And he'd say, okay, but I gotta ask the boss for that money. I'm giving you checks I can write at my desk.

[A]

Right.

[D]

And no one asks, but if you want more money, you need more interference. So he kept me. He was a, that guy's brilliant guy.

[C]

So he was, it became an ally.

[D]

That's right. And he also, when I pitched to give him credit, when I pitched the show, when I went there, he was like, I want you to do a show. And I said, I don't really need a TV series. I was on the road and I said, maybe a sketch show. And he said, I don't want a sketch show. And he said, I want you to do a show about your family, the stuff you talk about on stage. And I said, I don't, I don't. I would sell that for a lot more money somewhere else. That's what I said to him. And he said, why? What if you do a show that feels like sketches but has a central theme of your life?

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

And I said that reminded me of Annie Hall. There's like animation. And I said, and he goes, if you want to make Annie hall the TV show, I'm happy to have you do that. So he, he, he helped me come up with what the show was and.

[C]

That that became an iconic and their.

[A]

Currency, their currencies, ratings, it's also awards for them.

[D]

It's all awards.

[A]

They want to be awards and that just gets it. It can do be a show that's does nothing, but it wins and they love it.

[C]

That's another thing. When that show came out and big deal, it was like, it was I. I don't. I. Using the term loosely is. It was Woody Allen level of writing and humanity and your character, you know, I don't know. What's your favorite Woody Allen movie?

[D]

Hall is a huge one, so Crimes and Misdemeanors. He has a bunch tied for first. Crimes and Misdemeanors, Husbands and Wives. Annie. So what's. Hannah and Her Sisters.

[C]

Love them all.

[D]

Beautiful. And then the early ones, Take the Money and Run. Yeah, it was hysterically funny.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

There's one in Bananas.

[D]

I mean.

[C]

Yeah, I love all of them. Well, every few years, Paul and I will just sort of go through Woody, you know?

[A]

Right. Zellig, the one where he is sort of ahead of its time.

[C]

Zelig Zelic.

[D]

He's turns into, like. He's a chameleon and what do you call it? Bananas. He's in a court. It's a courtroom scene.

[C]

Right. He does the whole.

[D]

Yeah, but there's this one part where he says to the. He goes to the judge, this trial is a mockery and a sham. He says, do you know that there's not one homosexual on this jury? And the judge says, yes, there is. And he goes, oh, which one? Is it the big guy at the end?

[C]

There's a movie that's kind of. You'll know it when I tell you. But it's something in the modern era that makes me feel so good. And it's a Woody movie, and it's a touchstone for my wife and I that we will revisit it. And that's Midnight in Paris.

[D]

I don't see it.

[C]

Holy.

[D]

Wait, is it. Does he fly through the air with Goldie Hawn? No, that's some other.

[A]

It's like 2014 Midnight Express.

[C]

What happened with it is that he finally found the best surrogate, Woody. So Woody can't play the part, so we put Owen Wilson in.

[D]

Oh, he would be good.

[C]

Sort of had the same kind of rhythm.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

Maybe we could just live here in Paris, you know, but it's. It's. It's a really fun. If you're ever bored, check it out. Yeah, definitely should.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

I. I like to guess before we let Louie go. Well, I want to mention.

[D]

Before I go, I want to say something nice about David Spade.

[C]

Yes, please. Okay.

[D]

So I was a comedian in New York, and the bottom fell out of comedy. Like, all in one day. Like, all the clubs were closing.

[C]

Like 90.

[D]

90. It was 90. This was 1992.

[C]

Cable TV had come in and usurped.

[D]

Everything, but all the clubs closed. Everyone was. And every. So SNL had a big changeover of writers and staff, cast. And so they were coming to see everybody at Catch. Rising Star, all the comedians were getting seen. And I did a showcase, and it was. David Tell was on it. Laura Kitelinger, Jenny Garofalo, Jay Moore. I mean, a bunch of people got seen that night, and I was put on first. And I hated that I was on first, but there was. The club owner was very. Didn't like me very much. Jon Stewart was hosting the show. And so this is like, I got. No, I can't pay the rent. Like, this is. I need. I just want a writing job. I'll take anything. But this felt like the last train leaving for comedy for a lot of us. So we're gonna do. The show starts because it's. They're not there. No SNL people are there. And the show starts, and. And he goes, you're going on first. I'm like, they're not gonna see me. They're not here. And he goes, too bad. Jon Stewart stretched as long as he.

[C]

Could to kind of set the table.

[D]

Try to get someone to be in the room while there's an empty table.

[C]

Okay.

[D]

There was no people to watch.

[A]

It's, like, pointless to go on.

[D]

Yeah. No one's gonna see me.

[C]

Oh.

[D]

And so finally, Stuart looks at me and goes like this. I'm sorry. And he brings me on and I start doing my set for no reason now, because, I mean, I'm happy that there's an audience there, but there's nobody. And then they come in while I'm on stage. Like 12 people. Jim Downey.

[C]

Oh.

[D]

The whole bunch of them come in talking, and I'm like, this is hell. David is in the group. I don't know David at the time. Didn't know him. Maybe a hello once in a while, a little bit. But he saw me, and I saw him do this. Oh. Oh, this guy. Come here, sit down. He's made them all sit down and said, yeah, watch him. Watch this guy. He settled this table down and he made them watch me. And I didn't get the job. But the next day, Jim Downey called Robert Smigel and said, I'm not going to hire this guy, but you should. And he gave me the. I got the other last train going, which was Conan.

[A]

Oh. So it did work out.

[D]

Yeah. So I appreciate it. Thank you.

[A]

Because that must have. If that's the Jay Moore, of course. I'm glad I did some. Something right. Yeah.

[C]

The whimsy.

[A]

Jay Moore. Got and kite Langer.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Because she did a year or two. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was a big night.

[C]

You hosted four times.

[A]

Yeah. You hosted four times.

[D]

Hosted four times.

[C]

You're traveling the world. I just thought this. This is something that comedians talk about.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

Recently about you and I think Jerry mentioned this just again. Hey, hey. Imagine this. The family trip. The family trip. And you get the kids and the luggage and you put the wife in and then you walk around the car and that's your vacation.

[D]

That's your vacation. So that is the walk from the car to your door.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

That's just such a well observed moment. And it was done. So I just sticks with me. And the recent one which blew my mind. I guess I saw YouTube or something was that you did this bit about Good Will Hunting. I guess you hear about that because it was like, oh no. What?

[B]

He can't. What is he. This movie's for 30.

[C]

And yet it was completely relevant. It was so funny. The physicality of the hand. You're doing him typing. Oh yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Him typing the movie and just doing. I'm like a really tough guy, but I'm amazing. I'm a genius.

[A]

And I beat up everybody, but I beat everybody up.

[D]

It's incredible.

[C]

Yeah. And that's just funny seeing that and doing fun. Doing slightly altered.

[A]

You get such a long video. I watched it before you came over this morning. And you get so much out of it. Thanks. There's a lot.

[D]

Thanks.

[A]

I still watch your clips. Instagram is good because they come in like you said. Watch. Watching stand ups. You'll see new ones. But you're on there. So I see these bits and I was trying to remember them to go when he comes in. I got to say this but there's too many. So it's always good to see when I haven't seen.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And I'm like this guy's still.

[B]

I'm pushing these killer bits for now.

[C]

Trying to sum up your advice. It's a little bit like the emotional warfare of stand up. Like if you're in a kitchen and had a drink in you with friends.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

That voice back there is not really. And you're kind of telling a story.

[D]

That's right.

[C]

That's not there.

[A]

No.

[C]

You're not future tripping past. You're just. And so to take that. But have 20,000 look at you or 300 and emotionally calm that down and just be centered.

[D]

Well, it's saying this to yourself about every moment. This feels new and jittery. But it's okay, this isn't the last moment.

[C]

Get comfortable.

[D]

And there's potential in this moment. And. And it's. You're. It's gonna pass. And don't, don't. And savor it, no matter what it is. So I. I feel that way in life and on stage. It's been helping me a lot.

[C]

I was asked this once on one of these type of podcasts, how do you. How do you turn someone on?

[D]

How do you turn someone on? Yeah, I don't know how.

[A]

Well, whatever you guys are doing right now is working.

[C]

All right. Do you need a blanket or something?

[D]

I thought it sounds like a riddle. I thought it was a riddle.

[C]

I just said to him, turn yourself on. And they go, no one's ever said that.

[D]

I like that.

[C]

Turn yourself on. Sometimes I do try to find a way out of the boredom and the tedium of stand up to get excited and whether I'm altering something or stepping outside, whatever I'm doing to make myself feel joyful, because sometimes you don't feel.

[D]

Sometimes I do think that there's, like, there's a phenomenon that happens to me sometimes. I shoot two shows to do a special, and the first show, I'm just too. I got too much adrenaline and the crowds dry, so I really struggle. And then a second show, I just feel great. They've been out already. They're later crowded or looser, and it's wonderful. I go back and look at them. When I edit it, I end up using the first show more because the first show, I'm, like, on edge and I'm not happy, and that's. That's funnier. I'd rather watch a comedian who's really not comfortable. We, as comedians want to be like.

[C]

We just want to be like, that's me.

[D]

Hey, man, it's going great up here, but that's not fun. It's not fun to watch for stand up. It's not fun to watch somebody who's in the pocket and feeling really great. It's fun to watch somebody who's like, I don't know how to explain this to you, and I kind of hate you a little right now, and I want to go home. I'd rather watch that.

[C]

Okay, that's great. I'm gonna do a set tonight and apply all these techniques.

[D]

Good.

[C]

And there's going to be a giant. I've already made a little text. There's gonna be a huge picture of you at the Comedy Store behind me. And I go, this is the guy who told me to do this.

[A]

Set.

[C]

And when I'm.

[B]

When I.

[C]

They take me off in handcuffs. Yeah. I go. It's very interesting. Well, God, that's fascinating. No wonder you're still at the top here.

[A]

Whatever. The Istanbul improv. I'm looking at Dana. All these places.

[D]

I'm going to Istanbul. Yes.

[A]

Crazy.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

My act.

[C]

Have you been there before?

[D]

Yeah, I'm almost going to India Valley. Never been to India. Never been to Turkey. I've been to Athens is. And Bucharest, some of the places I've been to.

[C]

And they. They all speak English.

[D]

They all stand up. Stand up in English is all over the world now. It's a big thing. Yeah. I play a lot internationally.

[A]

Well, my stuff about Ralph's work, I.

[D]

Don'T explain what Ralph's is. Yes.

[A]

Oh, you got to give it a little of that first.

[D]

Just a little. Yeah.

[A]

Supermarket. Now we're in.

[C]

Do you mind if I get a selfie? Oh, no, sorry.

[A]

Well, thanks.

[C]

Can you come back in like a few months again or whatever you want?

[D]

I'm really happy to be here.

[A]

I could do it for another two hours.

[D]

That was really fun talk.

[A]

Thank you. Louie. Great to see you're Louis C.K.

[C]

You'Re David Spade.

[D]

I wrote a book. It's on.

[C]

Oh, Ingram go. Yeah.

[B]

Do you have that book?

[C]

Can we hold it up?

[A]

Ingram is the book.

[C]

You have the Ingram book? Yeah, let's hold that up. We can cut this part because the COVID is really cool. And the. The texture of the good thick.

[D]

I like it.

[C]

Did they show that they.

[D]

I. Book people are so different than TV people? Because tv, like, you're like, you guys don't know what the fuck you're doing. And they ask stupid questions. Book people are smarter than me. So, like, I got an email from this woman saying, like, I went through the book yesterday. Like, she went through the whole book. She's like, I think that your original strategy for commas in the book was better than what the editor. The editor did. And I want to restore it. And I wrote back to her, said, I gotta be really honestly, I don't know what the you're talking about. Yeah, do whatever you think is best. So the COVID They, they. I showed them a cover of Grapes of Wrath that I really liked, a vintage version. And I said, this is the vibe. And they. They just. They came up with this. So.

[C]

Well, it's all how it's done and it just. It just looks really cool.

[D]

Yeah, it's a nice. Feels good.

[A]

Ingram here.

[C]

You know, the gentleman joins us. Louis CK he's gonna be at the Comedy Store.

[A]

Tonight, the Ice House. Tuesday, Thursday, he'll be at Sir Laughs.

[C]

A Lot in Fresno.

[B]

But right now he's got a new bestseller, Louis ck.

[A]

It's called Ingram, funnily enough.

[C]

But anyway, that is a cool. See all how that's faded? I don't know. It's a Photoshop thing.

[D]

It's pretty cool.

[C]

Painted it.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

It does kind of draw you in. So that's another. But that's full circle. What we wanted to talk about. This is your. Your latest achievement, or have you had enough compliments? Is the pouch full?

[D]

A little more, please.

[C]

But it is. It's impressive as hell.

[D]

Thank you.

[C]

And when I finish it, I'm going to call you. Good.

[B]

When you're in.

[D]

I hope so.

[C]

I talked to Dino today on the way here.

[D]

He's my buddy.

[B]

I know he's.

[C]

There's only one Dino.

[A]

Yeah. Hey, guys. If you're loving this podcast, which you are, be sure to click follow on your favorite podcast app, give us real review, five star rating, and maybe even share an episode that you've loved with a friend.

[B]

If you're watching this episode on YouTube, please subscribe. We're on video now.

[A]

Fly on the Wall is presented by Odyssey, an executive produced by Danny Carvey and David Spade, Heather Santoro and Greg Holtzman, Maddie Sprung Kaiser and Leah Reese, Dennis of Odyssey.

[B]

Our senior producer is Greg Holtzman and the show is produced and edited by.

[A]

Phil Sweet Tech booking by Cultivated Entertainment.

[B]

Special thanks to Patrick Fogarty, Evan Cox, Maura Curran, Melissa Wester, Hillary Schuff, Eric Donnelly, Colin Gaynor, Sean Cherry, Kurt Courtney and Lauren Vieira.

[A]

Reach out with us. Any questions be asked and answered on the show? You can email [e-mail] that's a U D a C Y I dot com.