Yassir Lester Returns to Disobey Bridger Again

Summary

I Said No Gifts! — “Yassir Lester Returns to Disobey Bridger Again”

Podcast: I Said No Gifts! with Bridger Winegar
Guest: Yassir Lester
Date: February 26, 2026
Network: Exactly Right / iHeartPodcasts

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EPISODE OVERVIEW

This episode welcomes back comedian, writer, and director Yassir Lester, a favorite repeat guest who defies Bridger’s standing rule and brings a gift. In classic I Said No Gifts! style, the episode dives into freewheeling comedic banter, personal stories, pop culture tangents, practical advice, and the long-awaited unveiling of Yassir’s utilitarian present. Expect insightful goofiness, lived-in rapport, and oddly useful life hacks, all delivered in the duo’s signature deadpan, self-deprecating style.

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MAIN THEMES & HIGHLIGHTS

Returning Rivalry & Set-Up (02:54–04:39)

• Bridger wryly introduces Yassir, joking that the time listeners spend on this podcast is more valuable than things like “reading or talking to a loved one.”
• Yassir opens with: “Top three things you hate about me right now?” (04:13)
  • Bridger: “You’re hideous... personality... and you don’t loan me money.” (04:18)
  • Yassir agrees he should be paying Bridger a regular “stipend.”

Social Satire: Wealth, Algorithms, & Viral Weirdness (04:39–11:08)

• The two riff on Instagram’s weird algorithm, viral “clairvoyant hedge fund wife” videos, and the phenomenon of wealthy people needing ever stranger eccentricities.
  • Yassir: “The rich are that bored at this point... a clairvoyant for the love of the game.” (06:41)
• Russian horror Instagram: VHS-filtered, 30-second jump scare clips. Yassir professes accidental fandom: “I am a huge Russian horror short version fan.” (07:19)
  • Discussion of currency confusion: ruble, rupee, and Zelda’s “rupees.” (08:46)
  • Yassir: “I could buy you a house in Russia,” if horror videos could be monetized more effectively. (09:25)
• Eastern European raccoons as social media stars. Are raccoons considered “parakeets” in Russia? (10:16)

Wildlife Encounters, “Handiness,” & Modern Survival (14:22–23:39)

• Bridger relates a LA dining experience ruined by outdoor mice, sparking a discussion on the city’s “exploding mice population” due to warming winters.
  • Yassir: “If you break out of prison, legally, they should not be allowed to go look for you.” (18:23) (on respecting resourcefulness, even in rodents)
• Chat culminates in tales of home “projects,” dog walking, intermittent fasting, and practical self-reliance.
  • Yassir: "I'm a dog guy… never going to work again anyway." (33:13)
  • On fasting: “It's hell. But... if you left me alone, I would always be eating.” (29:19)

Hollywood Weirdness, Bullying, and Being Recognizable (19:09–27:49)

• Tangent on Hollywood beefs (Tarantino saying he hates Paul Dano), and Yassir’s own real-life story of accidental run-ins with criticism—hosting a tent at Voodoo Fest and overhearing a stranger trash his performance in line at a pizza shop:
  • "You can't be like, and it wasn't you... you're denying reality." (25:08)
• The emotional fallout of public jobs, running into insults meant for you, and making peace with being talked about.
  • "All I ask: When it comes to talking about me, keep your damn mouth shut and don't hurt my feelings." (27:21)

Gift Segment: The Ratcheting Screwdriver (34:07–41:12)

The Gift Reveal

• Bridger calls out Yassir’s disobedience of the “no gifts” rule.
• Yassir offers a “utilitarian” gift: “This is what I find to be maybe the most useful thing for any adult... It’s a ratcheting screwdriver.” (35:10)
  • Yassir: “A ratcheting screwdriver is the one that clicks and then you push, click and turn... you can apply more force.” (38:43)
  • Discussion of hardware, home repairs, and bit knowledge.
  • Bridger earns praise for knowing the term “bits.” (40:09)
  • Both admit their “handiness” stems primarily from necessity, Georgia/Utah upbringing, and COVID-era self-reliance.

On Practical Masculinity & Tim Allen (41:12–44:44)

• Riff on how home repair, trucks, and “handy” identities get absorbed reluctantly with age or through regional osmosis.
  • Bridger: “You've become like a Tim Allen type.”
  • Yassir, tongue-in-cheek: "Spiritually, mentally, physically... I am literally stronger than Tim Allen." (45:03)

Roommate Horror Stories & LA Survival (55:00–63:47)

• Bridger recounts moving to LA: answering a Craigslist ad and ending up living with a couple and their baby, being asked to tell a joke on arrival, and being charged $150/week for groceries.
  • “I would rather live with a single drug addict than a couple... with a baby.” (56:01)
• Red flags: massive Crazy Town poster, requests for group grocery bills, and zero boundaries.
• Consensus: Both are lucky to have survived their terrible first LA housing situations (Yassir’s story: moving cross-country with a near stranger, which worked out since the guy wasn’t a whole family).

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GAME SEGMENT: “Gift or a Curse” (66:48–76:32)

Bridger asks Yassir to rule on listener-submitted items, classifying each as a gift or a curse.
Notable moments:

• A very chatty mail carrier
  • Yassir: “That’s a gift... there’s no end game… other than they’re nice and kind.” (67:34)
• Baby up in this bitch car stickers
  • Yassir: “Full curse... I don’t think babies and children can be cool in the ways adults project coolness onto them… stop.” (69:57)
  • Bridger: “You made the dorky choice to be a parent. Own it.” (71:30)
• Showers with only half a shower door
  • Both: “Curse!” (72:56)
  • Yassir: “It goes from I’m taking a shower to now my entire bathroom is taking a shower.”
  • Bridger: “I want to see a remake of Psycho with the half shower door.” (75:22)
  • (Much laughter about the absurdity and impracticality of hotel “half doors”)

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AUDIENCE Q&A: Wedding Gift Obligation Dilemma (76:36–82:52)

A listener asks if she owes a gift for a destination wedding hosted by a couple whose prior wedding was cancelled (non-refundable) and who didn’t return the gifts.

• Both hosts react with mock outrage and comic exasperation:
  • Yassir: “I mean it sincerely... Luigi Mangione should be free and he should be able to … [deal with] this couple.” (77:32)
  • “We live in a post-wedding world. I don’t think we should allow or have to celebrate the pomp and circumstance of weddings anymore. Absolutely not.” (78:23)
• Strong take: No second gift, and probably don’t go to the wedding.

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PRACTICAL ADVICE: Opening Stuck Bottles (64:34–65:38)

Bridger seeks advice on opening a tightly screwed water bottle.

• Yassir recommends a belt as an improvised “strap wrench”—wrap to create friction and twist. “It’s what they use for oil filters when they can’t get them off in cars.” (65:17)

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MEMORABLE LINES & QUOTES

• On Instagram’s algorithm:
  “No one knows you like the Internet knows you.” —Bridger (07:30)
• On late-night mouse-chasing:
  "If you break out of prison, legally should not be allowed to go look for you." —Yassir (18:23)
• On LA roommate horror:
  “I would rather live with a single drug addict than a couple... with a baby.” —Yassir (56:01)
• On home improvement:
  “Screwdriver seems like a fad. People aren’t going to get into these things.” —Bridger (39:56)
• On destination weddings:
  “Listener, if you're listening... I would say not only do not feel obligated to get a gift. I think you should go full Jared Leto Suicide Squad... mail them like dead animals and be like, ‘I'm a crazy joker guy.’” —Yassir (80:07)
• On shower door design:
  “It goes from ‘I'm taking a shower’ to now my entire bathroom is taking a shower.” —Yassir (74:14)

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TIMESTAMPS FOR KEY SECTIONS

• [02:54] — Podcast opens, lice check, and intro banter
• [04:13] — Yassir asked for “Top 3 things Bridger hates”
• [07:19] — Russian horror videos & algorithm talk
• [14:22] — LA wildlife (mice, raccoons) and city life
• [19:09] — Hollywood pettiness, bullying, and Voodoo Fest story
• [34:07] — Gift unwrapping: Ratcheting screwdriver
• [41:12] — Masculinity, Tim Allen, and handiness
• [55:00] — LA roommate nightmare, family with a baby
• [66:48] — Game Segment: Gift or a Curse
• [76:36] — Audience email: Wedding gift etiquette
• [82:53] — Conclusion and credits

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TONE & ATMOSPHERE

• Loose, sharp, and self-mocking: The episode has a warm rapport, with indulgent digressions and running gags about being disliked, about personal disappointment, and about coping with the indignities of adulthood by way of low-level competence and humor.
• Casual yet precise: Bittersweet but optimistic, practical but never earnest for too long—classic for the show.

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In short:
A rollicking ride through personal humiliations, hardware enthusiasm, social etiquette rants, and the slow, accidental drift toward adulthood—with two very funny friends who love to take swings at themselves, each other, and the world around them. A top-tier I Said No Gifts! episode.

Transcript

[Yasser Lester]

This is exactly right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The greatest to ever play the game, return to finish what they started.

[Yasser Lester]

Welcome to Survivor 50.

[Bowen Yang]

I wanted one more shot to play

[Bridger Weiniger]

the game that I fell in love

[Yasser Lester]

with 25 years ago. I want to win against the best of the best. I chickened out at the final tribal. Season 50. It's an honor. Light your torch.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I've got some unfinished business. Be part of history.

[Yasser Lester]

I have more to play for. This time bigger than ever. Survivor 50 new milestone season begins CBS

[Bridger Weiniger]

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[Bowen Yang]

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[Yasser Lester]

When I invited you here, I thought I made myself perfectly clear. When you're a guest in my home, you gotta come to me empty handed. I said no. Guess your presence is presence enough. And I already had too much stuff, so how do you dare disobey me?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Welcome to I said no gift. I'm Bridger Weiniger. We're here. You're here. I'm glad you're listening to the podcast rather than doing something stupid like reading or talking to a loved one or, I don't know, improving your life. This is where you need to be. You know what I thought as I came into the studio this morning is it's been a long time since I've had a lice check throughout public school. You're getting lice checks and then suddenly they're gone. I might have lice, so that's something that our guests will have to just deal with. I mean, my life is rich and full. Everyone knows my life is rich and full. Don't ask anything. I'm wearing a cute top, and I expect you to be doing the same. If you can't see it, you're obviously listening. Or if you're watching it on YouTube, you get to enjoy my cute top for as long as you want. Is there anything else going on? Let me look at my business. No, no. Just more right wing rhetoric. Our guest is out of control already. He's been on the show before during the, you know, when he, you know. We'll get into that probably. Or maybe not. Maybe I'll avoid the topic. I. Well, everyone loves today's guest. I have a lot of problems with him. It's Yasser. Lester.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, my God. Just top three things you hate about me right now.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, you're hideous.

[Yasser Lester]

Okay. Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And that's just a constant problem for me.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's understandable.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Personality. And you don't loan me money.

[Yasser Lester]

That. Okay, that is a legitimate one. The other two I can't do anything about. I should be giving you money.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You should be giving me money on, like, a weekly basis.

[Yasser Lester]

A stipend.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, a stipend. To have a stipend.

[Yasser Lester]

To have a. Like, I. I think about once a week. I'm like, what if you just had, like, a benefactor.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh. Or even a controlling spouse, truly. If I, like, the spouse can do whatever they want. If I get the stipend.

[Yasser Lester]

Are you. Oh, my God. The idea of, like, I was on Instagram and I saw this woman who, by the way, I really. I do. Outside of the right wing rhetoric, there's the white right wing rhetoric kind of saying, you gotta do the same thing.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

Am I right?

[Yasser Lester]

Right wing rhetoric. But it also always, you know, that's. If that's the tree, the branches are always kind of like, weird fringe conspiracy. And so what got into my algorithm was this woman sitting at, like, a beautiful infinity pool. And she's like. The caption is something like. Everyone remembers me as, like, the Connecticut hedge fund wife. Until one day I woke up and realized I was seeing demons and vampires. And that was the actual essence of everyone's soul that I had been friends with. But like, I was like, okay, a. Like, why are you messing your money up? One, right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Two, just keep the money.

[Yasser Lester]

Just keep. Just keep the money. But two, it was like, but you're still living the life, I think. Unless that was an old video that you put the caption on. But it was interesting in the sense that I was like, oh, like, everyone's so messed up that you even like, rich just used to be its own personality, but now we need a secondary personality.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's not enough at this point. You now need to become broken brain ass.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes, exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Possessed idiots.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes, yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So this. But her new. Her new take is I See Demons.

[Yasser Lester]

She's a very rich clairvoyant. For her, I was like, the first one. Yeah, but that's my thing.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I was like, well, they usually.

[Yasser Lester]

But they start poor and then.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Yasser Lester]

Then they becomes the money. But I was like, wow, you started with money and then was like, I also.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You didn't need this new opportunity to scam people.

[Yasser Lester]

No, no.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow. She's that. She's that bored. The rich are that bored at this point.

[Yasser Lester]

She's a clairvoyant for the love of the game. And you don't see a lot of those.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, that's somebody who's really in it just for the purity.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes, exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow. I should get in touch with you.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah. I hit a quick save on that Instagram post, so I'd be more than happy to say.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And now your algorithm's gonna be feeding

[Yasser Lester]

you more of that. Absolutely, Absolutely. It's that and it's a lot of, like, homemade Russian horror clips. I know. This is like, so great.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, this sounds good to me, actually.

[Yasser Lester]

It's just like people in Russia who. These literally 30 second short horror films.

[Bowen Yang]

I don't know.

[Yasser Lester]

It's really. It's interesting because you're like, the Internet is so terrible. But then you're like, I never would have seen this. And I clearly am a huge Russian horror short version fan.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No one knows you. Like, the Internet knows you, Right?

[Yasser Lester]

Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What are they putting in these horror videos?

[Yasser Lester]

It's a lot of. It's so weird. It's like a young woman going through a house and it's dark and it's empty. And they also. All of them do this. They put on a VHS camcorder filter.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, sure.

[Yasser Lester]

So it looks found footage. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Cheap trick.

[Yasser Lester]

And it's like them like. Oh, yeah, absolutely. It's very. It's very like. I'm trying to think of the. It's like when you go to a barber shop and everything is leather. It's like the same where you're kind of like.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's like, oh, so you saw this on something else?

[Yasser Lester]

Exactly, exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm not buying this.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes, exactly. It's just very. My first barbershop. My first horror film. But it's like them looking through a house, and then they always end with them seeing an evil version of themselves across the room making a crazy face. And then they go. And it ends.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm gonna get into this. I'm gonna start making these.

[Yasser Lester]

And you know what? I saved a few, and I'm glad I did.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They're probably making so much money.

[Yasser Lester]

I mean. Well, here's the thing. And it's like, look, far be it for me to know anything about, like, what's the money they spend in Russia?

[Bridger Weiniger]

The ruble?

[Yasser Lester]

Is that the ruble?

[Bridger Weiniger]

No. Now you're setting me up to sound like a real idiot.

[Yasser Lester]

Wait, hold on. Is rupee India?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[Yasser Lester]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And maybe other countries.

[Yasser Lester]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And also Zelda.

[Yasser Lester]

What's it? Zelda's what?

[Bridger Weiniger]

In Zelda, you collect rupees.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, you mean the literal game. I thought you were naming a currency. That is so funny. I am loaded.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm drowning in Zelda.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes, of course. Okay. Many ocarinas to purchase. I. Here's what I'll say, though, is currency wise. I just feel like you throw up a few horror videos on Instagram. I could buy you a house in Russia, right?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, I'm sure.

[Yasser Lester]

Economy wise.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. I wonder what the exchange rate is. I mean, I can't imagine the dollars soaring. No, but Russia, I'm always unclear as to what's going on. And the things I get from Russia or Eastern Europe are usually people who have 100 raccoons.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, I get a few of those. I don't get the. But I am also part of raccoon Instagram.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think I've talked about this on this podcast before, but I feel like the majority of multiple raccoon owners, when they have, you know, they're all over the kitchen floor, is Eastern Europe, Russia. And I don't understand why. I wonder if there's just, like, not a law that's. I'm just trying to figure out why is it such a. Such a buzzy thing over there? And then it's like the Deep South.

[Yasser Lester]

Right, Right. But is it like our raccoons? They're like parakeets.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, interesting.

[Yasser Lester]

You know what I mean? Like, where it's just like, this isn't a Dog. It's smarter.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right?

[Yasser Lester]

You know what I mean? But, like. Cause I also just, you know, the American attitude towards raccoons, it's complicated. It's complicated. You know what I'm saying? You know, some are our friends, some have made themselves out to be our enemies, and you never know which one you're getting. I feel like maybe the Eastern European raccoons are like, hey, we're here just a piece.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Peaceful.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah. Give me a few Cheetos, give me

[Bridger Weiniger]

a handful of rabbit food and like pierogi or whatever.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Some pickled cabbage. Is that, is that Eastern Europe?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Now this, the rest of the podcast will be us trying to guess currencies and things that people eat in Eastern Europe. We just stop at like 2.

[Yasser Lester]

We can fill the time. Trust me, I, I, that I believe.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Hello.

[Yasser Lester]

Hello.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

I'm Malcolm Gladwell, host of the podcast

[Bridger Weiniger]

smart talks with IBM.

[Bowen Yang]

I recently sat down with IBM's chairman

[Malcolm Gladwell]

and CEO Arvind Krishna, and I asked

[Bridger Weiniger]

him, how can companies use AI to its fullest potential to create smarter business?

[Malcolm Gladwell]

My one advice to them, pick areas you can scale. Don't pick the shiny little toys on the side. For example, if anybody has more than 10% of what they had for customer service 10 years ago, they're already five years behind. If anybody is not using AI to make their developers who write software, 30% more productive today with the goal of being 70% more productive.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah.

[Yasser Lester]

Wow.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

So we are not asking our clients to be the first experiment on it. We say you can leverage what we did. We're happy to bring out all our learnings, including what needs to change in the process. Because the biggest change is not technology. It's getting people to accept that there's a different way to do things.

[Bridger Weiniger]

To listen to the full conversation, visit IBM.com smarttalks.

[Bowen Yang]

This is Bowen Yang from Lost Culture Resources with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. We all know the feeling when life gets really busy. Taking care of yourself can impossible. That's why premier protein shakes are my go to. They have 30 grams of protein, 160 calories, no added sugar, and they taste amazing. So they're a healthy choice you'll actually want to make. It's not just for fitness. It's for getting after life. 30 grams of protein gives you the fuel you need. It's not just for intense gym sessions. It's just for life. With the wide variety of flavors, from cafe latte to cake batter, it never feels boring. There's a flavor for everyone. I personally Love the peaches and cream, but maybe you're a root beer floater, cinnamon roll kind of person. Premier protein powers me to say yes to more. Find your favorite [e-mail] that's P R E M I E R protein.com or at Amazon, Walmart and other major retailers.

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[Bridger Weiniger]

Speaking of wildlife, I last night was eating dinner in Atwater Village and saw several mice at an outdoor situation. Nightmare.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is a new thing in la.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes. Okay, but here's my question. So were these mice of the world or mice of the restaurant?

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's a good question. I think mice of the world, I think they were coming from the street for the food. So that's I guess better.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes, yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But also you think the mice from the restaurant are at least full. They're not coming for me.

[Yasser Lester]

Right? Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

These ones are nightmare situation. But I don't know what's, I don't know what's happening. It's.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, with the exploding mice population.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, exploding mice population. It's such a good string of words. I've lived here for now, I don't know, 15 years or something. And it's in the last two years, it's just suddenly everywhere.

[Yasser Lester]

Well, weirdly enough. So I know this only from living. Me and my wife lived in upstate New York for a little bit as well. And with climate change, it's always climate

[Bridger Weiniger]

change, always goes back to climate change.

[Yasser Lester]

But mice apparently have not like super, not super intolerant, but are pretty intolerant to cold weather. So what would happen is that winter would strike, especially in the northeast, they would all die minus like five. Then they'd repopulate in the summer months. And the warmer months, same thing here. We'd have rain. It'd be a little bit colder. But now it's never cold enough for all of them to die. So they're just reproducing, and it's. It's intense. Because, like, here's the thing. Like, I don't love mice. I go out of my way not to harm them, but I'm not, like, you know, I'm not hanging out with mice.

[Bowen Yang]

Rats.

[Yasser Lester]

Like, you can teach a rat to do stuff.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Rats are very smart.

[Yasser Lester]

They wear pants.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's the one thing ever.

[Yasser Lester]

They do math.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I would believe that. I bet they can do basic math.

[Yasser Lester]

They can. Well, I mean, they at least know mazes, which I know is not math, but if someone was asked me is amaze math, I'd go, yeah, it is kind of math. It has to be.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You would probably find both of those in, like, a Highlights magazine or something.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes, exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Rats can read Highlights magazine.

[Yasser Lester]

That is one thing we do know. So you're seeing. What you're seeing are a new school of winter maze. But I would add, that speaks highly of the restaurant.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, it's good food. Yeah, yeah. And they've got good taste. Yeah, yeah, right? They love Mediterranean food. They're after hummus. This kind of thing.

[Yasser Lester]

So funny. Just, like, walking around like a piece of couscous. A cous. If you will. Did it ruin. I'm. It did.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The answer is yes. It ruined a lot of things.

[Yasser Lester]

Okay, okay. No, Totally fair.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It ruined dinner. It basically has ruined my week. It's ruined that restaurant. It's ruined my friendship with that friend that I was having dinner with. It's all over.

[Yasser Lester]

Okay, That's. You know, we had a mouse at our place here in Los Angeles, and I caught it, and I caught it in a plastic, like, shoe. It was a. It was a clear plastic shoe box.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. You know, one of those comes in a clear plastic.

[Yasser Lester]

No, no, no. I just bought it off Amazon. It's like those collapsible ones that have the little interesting stack, whatever, but.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, okay. I'm getting it.

[Yasser Lester]

You know what I'm saying? You get what?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, it was important that I got. I'm no dummy. I know. A plastic.

[Yasser Lester]

I get this mouse. And I'm talking to my wife, Chelsea, and I'm like, hey, it's in here. Like, do we just let it out in the backyard? Do we, like, take it out to the street as we're having this conversation? The mouse jumps, knocks the lid open of the shoebox, then jumps again, like, Truly, like nine. Like a full nine inches. Just clears this box and then takes off into the backyard. And I was like, well, I mean, first of all, like, I gotta respect that. Like, I can't. You know what I'm saying?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, of course. It's on opportunity.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes, yes, exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Got on its motorcycle.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah. To me, it's like when someone. I genuinely believe this. If you break out of prison, legally should not be allowed to go look for you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Absolutely.

[Yasser Lester]

Like, you're a.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's very hard to do.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes, exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They've made it very difficult at this point.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[Yasser Lester]

And I also. It's like you lost as law enforcement.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah.

[Yasser Lester]

Like, you know what I'm saying?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like, you had your chance, you know,

[Yasser Lester]

when you went trials and like, all sentencing, like, all of these things. And then someone, I don't know, with like a file and a birthday cake figured it out. I'm sorry.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's amazing.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They put in the work. A lot of work.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And they had to think it out. Yeah.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Did you ever see Escape at Dannemora?

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, no, I didn't. That's the, like, the Ben Stiller.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[Yasser Lester]

Rosanna Arquette.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. Patricia Arquette. Patricia Arquette. And Benicio Del Toro. I love a Benicio Paul Dano.

[Yasser Lester]

I love a Benicio Paul Dano.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And you, you're one of two people in Hollywood who hates him.

[Yasser Lester]

What a weird, like, look, far be it for us to talk about Hollywood stuff, but here we are.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is the Holly cast.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah. If you would have made me choose, like, even if you, like, even if you narrowed it down to two choices on each end and said, like, okay, here are two directors. One is Quentin Tarantino and the other one is Steven Spielberg. And then on this side, we have actors. One is Paul Dano and one is, I don't know, Benicio Del Toro. Which director is gonna say something really terrible about one of these actors? There's no world where the combination of Quentin Tarantino and Paul Dano would have made it into my mind. No, it's so objectively funny because, like, it just doesn't make sense. But anyway.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, it's the sort of thing where it's like. It feels like he's, like, reading. You don't really picture Tarantino watching current media or, like, that really crossing his path. So it's like something else must have happened if they had a run in at a restaurant or something, because why else? That poll is so weird.

[Yasser Lester]

I know, but that's what makes it so funny. It would be, like, legitimately if me and you were talking and suddenly you were like, I hate Rob Kardashian. Like, no one is talking about this. I don't know. It really. It really. Look, it was terrible and it was mean and it was cruel. Now, that being said, I did laugh when I first read. I was just like, this is so crazy. Like, and like, in a world where everything is already crazy, the fact that something that crazy could still stick out, I was like, wow, that was. You went for it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. Because it's just so needlessly mean.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes, exactly. Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Simply didn't have to comment on this in any way.

[Yasser Lester]

You know, I think maybe it felt like something someone would do to me, and that's why it feels like I would like someone. That someone would just be like, you know who I hate? And I was like, wow, I kind of love that. This is not aimed at me in a really terrible way. Like, it just, like, it was, you know, like, bullying is. I don't want to say never funny. Sometimes it is funny, but when someone deserves it, you're, like, hilarious. Yeah, yeah, of course. But that one in particular, I was just like, oh, yeah. I think it was, like, striking, maybe. Like, my giggling was like, oh, I'm like, so glad this wasn't me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right, of course.

[Yasser Lester]

You know what I mean?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I hope during his next press tour, Spielberg is like, do you know what? I hated Black Monday.

[Yasser Lester]

Okay, this reminds me of a story. Can I tell you a quick story? Okay, so now, granted, this. This person didn't really. They didn't know me, right? So I. This is years ago. I had to host a tent sponsored by Toyota at a music festival.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Yasser Lester]

Okay. So it was like, here's your next band. And, like, you should also check out the new fully loaded Corolla, of course.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And you should, by the way, right?

[Yasser Lester]

Yes, exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, you talk about a great

[Yasser Lester]

car, you know that a Toyota Sienna. Get out of town. So I'm hosting this tent. I do it for a weekend. It ends up being one of the worst weekends of my life. Like, I legitimately. It was in New Orleans.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Yasser Lester]

It start. It was called the Voodoo Festival. It starts, like, storming. They don't know if they're going to be able to, like, fly us out because, you know, anytime it rains there, it's Katrina. I'm eating dinner. I was eating dinner by myself. My. It was so this is. This had to. It was like 10 years ago. My now ex, but girlfriend at the time had literally broken up with me as I was getting on the flight. So I get there, I've been dumped. I was eating dinner alone. I'm doing this sponsored tent. While I'm eating dinner, I go outside to smoke a cigarette. Someone starts hitting me with water balloons that are filled with black paint. And I was just like, this is like, get me out of it. I was just like, everything about New Orleans is terrible. I get why all these things keep happening, y'. All. Like, I'm out. So I make it back to New York City, and I am in a pizza place called Fiore's. It's on, like, McDougal and Bleecker. And I'm telling my friends the stories of how badly this, like, experience was for me and how I was hosting this tent. And, like, every time I said something, people were like, get off the stage.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right?

[Yasser Lester]

And there's a woman in front of us in line at this pizza shop. She goes, are you talking about Voodoo Fest? And I'm like, yeah, actually. She was like, oh, my God. I had a band there, and it was just, like, one of the worst experiences. I was like, I know. And she goes, and the host was literally one of the unfunniest people I've ever seen. And I was like, what was your band's name? And she tells me, and I go, I was that host. And she's like, no. What? Confidently she's like, no, it wasn't you. And I was like, did they play any other tents? And she's like, no. And I was like, the Toyota tent, right? She's like, yes. And I'm like, and he was wearing glasses. I was wearing contacts at the time, and he was wearing glasses. And she's like, yes. I pull out my glasses. I'm like, these Warby Parker. My friends are crying, laughing. They can't believe it. And this woman is like, it wasn't you. And I'm like, I can tell you every single detail about this interaction. And you're telling me that, like, I'm making it up. And she's like, it wasn't you. And she got mad at me because she was bullying me. Like, I. I don't. She's doubling down on the fact that it wasn't me. Even though, like. And, like, here's the thing, respectfully, you can think I'm the worst, but, like, you can't be like, and it wasn't you. Like, you know what I'm saying?

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're denying reality, right?

[Yasser Lester]

Exactly. You can be like, oh, wow, I'm sorry that I'm caught. You were the worst thing to happen to me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's like, you said that, and we know this is what you're doing.

[Yasser Lester]

Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is the saddest, like, Superman, Clark Kent situation, possible bridge.

[Yasser Lester]

And the point is, always wear your glasses.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Always wear your glasses.

[Yasser Lester]

It was, like, legitimately. So I think maybe that's where the Quentin Paul Dano thing, it felt like completely that situation. A pizza shop and someone's like, hey, Quentin Tarantino hates you. And it's like, I'm sorry, what?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Also, good for you for just, like, continuing to try to confirm this, because

[Yasser Lester]

at this point, I'm like, you know, it's a thing where, like, you know, you, like, you don't just trip, but you trip so hard that you're gonna cry in front of a bunch of people, so you have to get up and laugh. And everyone's like, nah, you wanna cry? And you're like, nope, I wanna laugh.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Your voice is cracking.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, exactly. I actually love bleeding.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That would have been the end of my life.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah. Well, here's. You know, And I will say, then having to buy a $50 slice of pizza because you have no other money is, like, really the icing on the cake in a way that you're just kinda like, huh. I know that you're not supposed to give up on a dream, but what

[Bridger Weiniger]

if feels like a cutout?

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Yasser Lester]

What do you end up with? Someone's like, hey, I actually don't think you should keep pursuing this. That's what she was saying.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Of course.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah. Yeah, it was.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do you remember the band?

[Yasser Lester]

Well, here's the thing. So if it was a band, slash, like, they were technically DJs. Like, I want to say, if I remember correctly, it was Louis the child, if I remember correctly. And if I remember correctly, it was. It wasn't a singular person. And if it was, it's just, like, he had, you know, engineers or whatever, Right? But it was. It was. I. And. And, like, again, look, far be it for me to say that no one should have opinions about anything ever, but when it comes to me, just keep your mouth shut. When it comes to talking about me, keep your damn mouth shut and don't hurt my feelings.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No one hurt Yasser's feelings anymore.

[Yasser Lester]

That's all I ask. Like, and I mean it. Like, the amount of times, like, I tell my wife to constantly, like, I'm like, The amount of times that, like, I'm just somewhere and, like, an insult makes it to me, I'm like, how? Like. Like, I'll just be at, like, Target, and I'll just, like, overhear Someone be like, oh, man. Like, I'm glad that Yasser Lester didn't get the role. And I'm like, what? Like, are you guys following? Like, is someone paying you to be around me?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like, the opposite of PR dude?

[Yasser Lester]

Yes, it truly. It's like, really. It's really shocking how many times, like, especially, like, in 2025, I was telling Charles, like, like at New Year, you know, New Year's Eve, I was just like, if I could change one thing, if I could have a resolution. It's just that, like, all the insults people have, like, I'm like the guy that, like, when you're texting someone else to be like, wow, so and so looked terrible today. You accidentally sent it to me. Yeah. And I'm like, I mean, we. I didn't even know you saw me today, but thank you. You know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right?

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, I feel like New Year's resolution for you is be better.

[Yasser Lester]

But see, there's your solution that it's just. It's not gonna happen, baby.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And you're choosing.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Yasser Lester]

Like, I feel like the universe is chosen for me because anytime. It's like, anytime, like, look at you, right?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Look at me.

[Yasser Lester]

You're swole.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm swole.

[Yasser Lester]

Patrol dog. And, like, if I tried. If I tried that, I would be like, I would shred every tendon in my body. Like, there's no lifting weights for me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I feel like you're in really good shape.

[Yasser Lester]

It's all I do is walk the dogs. We have three dogs, and I just walk the dogs. And I only eat for four hours a day.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wait, is that a fasting thing?

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You do it for four hours a day?

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, from four. Like, every once in a while, I'll get a little loose and do like 2pm to 8pm, but it's usually 4pm to 8pm oh, my God.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You wake up and then go essentially all day without eating.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That seems impossible to me.

[Yasser Lester]

It's. You know, I. Here's the thing. And I wish I could be like, no, you actually stop thinking about it. That's not true. Like, it's hell. It's hell. But you really are just kind of like, at least for me, like, I can't always be eating. And that's the problem, is that if you left me alone, I would always be eating. And also, look, I don't want to be one of these anti meds guys,

[Bridger Weiniger]

but here, this is the podcast for.

[Yasser Lester]

I was on Zoloft for, like, two years, and it spiked my appetite in a way that I Never thought imaginable. So when I started switching and coming off one and going on another, I was like, I need to be able to regulate this a little bit better. So I was like, what better way to regulate eating by not doing it at all?

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then between 4 and 8. Are you going crazy?

[Yasser Lester]

You want to, but like a. Your stomach is just so small and. And like, you can really only do so much eating in four hours. Like, I'm not like, okay, now I'm going to Mikey's Diner to eat the. The 4x4 cheeseburger challenge or whatever. It's like I have like a sandwich and I'm like, all right.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

Wow.

[Yasser Lester]

You know? Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow. Do you have any type of treat or anything?

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, come on. You know, I have a treat, but what I've been thinking about as of late is like, do I open the window to a permanent six hours and then only do a treat like every five days?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, interesting.

[Yasser Lester]

You know? Cause I think that is one of my problems. That, like, I'm not like, I'm a sweet tooth person. I'm like, if anything with sugar is around me, I will have 10 of it. Like, yeah, I can't. Oh, I like, why has no one ever called me that?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I want you to be coming on this hummingbird.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, here he comes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Very intimidating. Hummingbird.

[Yasser Lester]

That hummingbird sure is ugly. I'm like, okay, wait, are you talking about me or. We're talking about you for sure.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I didn't realize you had guys had three dogs now, bud.

[Yasser Lester]

So, okay, so this is a little backstory. Me and Bridge, our dogs go to the same dog walker. Hiker.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[Yasser Lester]

Big.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Big Daddy.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, Big Daddy Saul. And I saw you repost a Saul post about. Wait, I'm not gonna say your dog's name. But I saw you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You don't want her to get kidnapped.

[Yasser Lester]

So I am very open with my dogs names. Both Chelsea Devant as my wife and Chelsea Peretti are very anti people knowing your dog's names at my point.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Interesting.

[Yasser Lester]

And it's because of kidnapping. And I was like, I. And it's not. And I love my dogs so much. It's like, I think if something. Somebody wants something out of me, like, they would just jump me or hurt me or whatever. I don't think they're like. And then get the dog. And then we're gonna. You know what I mean?

[Bridger Weiniger]

And call the dogs.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, exactly. First we're gonna find the trainer. Then we're gonna, you know. But then I'm like, I say, all that, and then someone clubbed Lady Gaga's dog, walks the throat, you know, so, like. But that's Lady Gaga. You know what I mean? Like, you know you're getting X amount of money.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. You know there's a pool of money.

[Yasser Lester]

Exactly. No one's kidnapping my dog.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's a real gamble.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, exactly. Be like, I hope this guy's worked in the past 18 months, because otherwise this is a waste of her time.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I hope he has a decent pension.

[Yasser Lester]

Like, so they're very anti dog names on podcasts, so I won't say it, but that's how I found out. And I was like, oh, look at us. Brothers. Brothers.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Unbelievable.

[Yasser Lester]

Brothers and bow wows.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And like, the way he's. This guy's a magician.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes. Truly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

He's so incredible. He lines them up for a picture.

[Yasser Lester]

Really? Y' all have one?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[Yasser Lester]

Okay, so this is to the original question. You're saying that we have three? Yes, we have three. Now we got one two days after the initial Covid shutdown.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Yasser Lester]

Then almost a year ago. Exactly. We got our second dog because of the fires. And then this third dog we were gonna foster, but it bonded so hard with our second dog that we're like, this feels crazy. Yeah. And it's just like, I'm never gonna work again anyway. I'll just be at home and I'll take care of the dogs. It's fine. I'm a dog guy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, well, there's something else we probably should talk about.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. I mean, I've been trying to avoid the topic for a while. You were on the podcast years and years ago.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes. Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

At the time, you were wearing, like a mic that made you look like you were working in a call center over zoom. It felt like I had called in to complain. But at the time the podcast is called, I said no gifts. And at the time, it was early days. I can't blame you for not realizing what was going on. We've been around for six years now. I assume you know what the deal is. Yes.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So I was a little surprised when you showed up with what's clearly a gift. And I assume it's for me.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do you have anything to say or should I just open it here?

[Yasser Lester]

Okay. Now I'm gonna be real with you. I'm in a utilitarian place in my life now.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Yasser Lester]

So even, you know, even getting someone flowers, I feel like, what is the purpose behind this? Yes. Love and emotion. But, like, can it also be used for decoration?

[Bridger Weiniger]

You know what I mean, cut vegetables, right?

[Yasser Lester]

Exactly. Yes. Will this one day become a nice potpourri? You know, so while this is a gift, I know you, I know your lifestyle, I know the things that you're going through. And so this is what I find to be maybe the most useful thing for any adult. It's a gift, but any adult to

[Bridger Weiniger]

have, and it's a suicide pill.

[Yasser Lester]

It's classical Beats headphones. Yeah,

[Bridger Weiniger]

I like what you're saying because I have collected a lot of things are unusable on this podcast. So we'll see what happens.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes,

[Bridger Weiniger]

Hello.

[Yasser Lester]

Hello.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm Malcolm Gladwell, host of the podcast smart talks with IBM.

[Bowen Yang]

I recently sat down with IBM's chairman

[Bridger Weiniger]

and CEO Arvind Krishna, and I asked him, how can companies use AI to its fullest potential to create smarter business?

[Malcolm Gladwell]

My one advice to them, pick areas you can scale. Don't pick the shiny little toys on the side. For example, if anybody has more than 10% of what they had for customer service 10 years ago, they're already five years behind. If anybody is not using AI to make their developers who write software 30% more productive today with the goal of being 70% more productive.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah.

[Yasser Lester]

Wow.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

So we are not asking our clients to be the first experiment on it. We say you can leverage what we did. We are happy to bring out all our learnings, including what needs to change in the process. Because the biggest change is not technology, is getting people to accept that there's a different way to do things.

[Bridger Weiniger]

To listen to the full conversation, visit IBM.com smarttalks.

[Bowen Yang]

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[Ebay Announcer]

Lately, car buying has become a pretty dull experience. But on ebay, behind every car, in part is a story waiting to be shared. There was a guy who bought a 2020 Porsche Cayman GT4 on eBay. It was well loved. There are plenty of Caymans in great condition on ebay. But this one needed some work. That's just the start of the story. So after this guy gets a great deal on his dream car, he rebuilds the whole thing with all these parts he found on performance brakes, suspension, body panels, the works guaranteed to fit. Next thing you know, this nearly scrapped Cayman was out there on the track as a full blown race car. Your ready to go daily driver, your next rest Amade, hello, Lotus salon and the parts to finish it. Ebay has thousands of cars and is the largest online selection of vehicle parts and accessories. EBay, things people love.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, this is great.

[Yasser Lester]

This is.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[Yasser Lester]

It's not just a screwdriver and this is important. It's a ratcheting screwdriver.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I haven't heard of a ratcheting screwdriver.

[Yasser Lester]

So a ratcheting screwdriver is the one that clicks and then you push, click and turn, click and turn. And the reason that is important is because you can apply more force with a ratcheting screwdriver than you could with a regular head.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I had no idea.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

When I see this sort of thing I just think, oh, it's just like a convenient, you know, cause it has all the different little bits.

[Yasser Lester]

So of course, yes, of course we have multiple bits and like we have, we got, look, we got a Phillips head on there. We have two Phillips heads. I think we have a few torques. We have two flatheads as well. And as someone who has a house, it's just you're constantly, there's constantly something needs. There's constantly something happening. And like, I also think that like, like, I don't know if you're a power tools person.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Mildly, mildly.

[Yasser Lester]

This is something you keep in your kitchen drawer. You always know where it is. Click, click, clack, clack, you throw it right back in there. It's great for like, I mean I even use them to like quite literally, like, I'll just use the Philips part of it. Puncture a tiny little hole in the drywall and I'll know exactly where to hang a picture. Like, I genuinely cannot say enough about ratcheting screwdriver. So that is, that's. You can use it for your car. Like I mean just anything, anything. They're the best.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't buy it. Screwdriver seems like a fad. People aren't going to get into these things.

[Yasser Lester]

That is so funny.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I do want to back up and just say, I don't feel like you were impressed enough that I knew these were called bits.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, no, I. Absolutely.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I feel like I should get a little more credit for realizing, first of

[Yasser Lester]

all, first of all, Utah. Correct.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Utah.

[Yasser Lester]

Okay, so there's. The reason maybe I didn't seem as impressed is because, like, there's just a certain level of osmosis that happens when you're from a place like a Utah. You know, you can't avoid knowing exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The screwdriver has bits.

[Yasser Lester]

Right? Exactly. If you were like, and then these little ding dongs, I'd be like, okay, okay, that's impossible. You're doing this for the. You're doing this for the joke. You know what I mean? But no, it's. It's like, look. And also, again, I genuinely believe that once you reach a certain level of muscular guys just start saying things to you, and so you just have to learn them. You know what I mean? And I think you're at that point where guys are just, like, talking to you about things and saying, even if you didn't want to know, you have to be like, yeah, no, for sure, bitch.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, that's it. I'm at Home Depot every day, just kind of picking up new vocabulary.

[Yasser Lester]

Me and the guys, wire strippers. Cool.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Very cool. Very cool. You've become like a very, like, let's be honest, a Tim Allen type.

[Yasser Lester]

You think so?

[Bridger Weiniger]

You own a truck.

[Yasser Lester]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're giving away screwdrivers as gifts. You're puncturing holes in the drywall.

[Yasser Lester]

No, you know what it is? And I genuinely. It's a twofold thing. One, I'm from Georgia, and that is the osmosis of it. So there's actually three things. There's.

[Bowen Yang]

That.

[Yasser Lester]

There's very much the. Like, I'm not ashamed of my age. I'm.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, he's 17 years old and I

[Yasser Lester]

like to kiss, but I'm 41 and I did not. I didn't expect as much of childhood influence to make it back into my adulthood in terms of just being like, oh, per the truck and all these things. I think that especially when you're in your early 20s, you want to reject all that stuff and be like, no, no, no, no, no, I don't like trucks. What I do like is the criteria

[Bridger Weiniger]

events at the voodoo festival.

[Yasser Lester]

And then one day you're like, oh, but like, I. You Know, again, it's like, I started to see the usefulness of all this stuff, and it lost the meaning of just being, like, redneck. Kids at my school having this stuff and then being like, oh, okay, I actually need a truck because of X, Y, and Z. Mostly. My mom needs things hauled on Facebook marketplace, and it's 90. Like, the amount of, like. Like, me and Chelsea move so much stuff. And then the other 65% of the time, it's just my mom being like, there's a shelf in Santa Clarita that you need to go get by 8am and I'm. Of course. Thank you so much. And the last thing was Covid. I got really freaked out about. I was like, I just don't want to be caught in a situation where I don't know anything. And I knew enough. But I was like, it really, you know, to actually. The last time we were talking on. On the podcast, the last time we spoke six years ago and had that big fight. But I was just like. I just wanted to make sure that, like, a. Like, I was, man, Like. I'm not gonna lie, like, I was a bleach on the groceries. Like, oh, sure.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, there was at least a period. Literally, everyone was so. And then that, like, if you were in a couple that you saw a little bit of a split and then you got back on the same.

[Yasser Lester]

Exactly. So, like, I was like, I don't want people in the house. And, like, so I was just like, on the Internet, being like, how do I do this? How do I do that? And so, like, like. And also lastly, in all seriousness, I love Tim Allen.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, I knew that was.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah. I just. More than anything, his face, it gets better and better. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm just, like, more and more normal. I'm like, whoa, Brad Pitt, Tim Allen, Colman Domingo.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's your Mount Rush. What is Tim Allen doing there, man?

[Yasser Lester]

I. It's. It's. And I know you're asking as a joke, but it is interesting in the sense that, like, you're like, how did he become the guy that, like, not even us. It's not like the world is like, Tim Allen. Like, here's the thing. Guy Fieri. Everyone is like, that is the diner guy, right? Totally. His entire life is like a jalapeno pancake. You know what I mean? But Tim Allen is just, like, you know, you were on a. Like, for a little bit, like, Home Improvement was huge. I'm not. But it's like, you then got to just like, fully adopt the personality it's so weird.

[Bridger Weiniger]

How does love. Like, being like man?

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, exactly, exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like, permanently, right?

[Yasser Lester]

Like, it's not like. He's not like, Mike. What was it? Mike Lowe. Is that the guy from, like, Dirty Jobs? Mike Rowe. Mike Rowe, who literally go in and be like, hey, I changed a sewer.

[Bridger Weiniger]

He went and watched you do it.

[Yasser Lester]

But, like, I don't know. So I say all that to say that I'm literally, literally stronger than Tim Allen. Spiritually, mentally, physically. I believe all of that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You make a really good point. Because he wasn't known as the Tool man guy until that show. And then he was an actor portraying that. And now that's just who he is. And he's like.

[Yasser Lester]

It's like, if you. And here's the thing. Look, you always come with a cute top. We know that. But it's like if just from this episode, you addressing the fact that you're wearing a cute topic, and then all of a sudden, your cute top. Bridger. We'd be like, well, you know, he has other stuff.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You know, I would be like the opposite of Burt Chrysler.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, my God. Whoa.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No top, cute top that, like.

[Yasser Lester]

I don't know what's better. Do you play a venue before Burt, or do you come in after Burt

[Bridger Weiniger]

and remind people how you wear shirt?

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, exactly. And now we're getting dressed.

[Bridger Weiniger]

People are so happy. My shirt is not off.

[Yasser Lester]

Because you're the guy that should have it off.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, people are begging for it. People are begging for it. Get this guy on stage without a shirt on.

[Yasser Lester]

Would you do it?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Would I take my shirt off on stage?

[Yasser Lester]

Like, okay, how about this? What is the amount of money that you're like, I'm comfortable doing 50 dates. No shirt.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're asking the wrong guy. Because still, to me, like, $40 is a lot of money.

[Yasser Lester]

Okay? I mean, if it's $40, then yeah, but I mean, what, 40 times 50 shows, 50 nights? Yeah. What is that? Yeah. That's not worth it. Come on. Come on.

[Bridger Weiniger]

With travel, I don't know the business the way it is.

[Yasser Lester]

That's true.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Ask me in a few weeks, I might need that two grand. And suddenly I'm all over the country driving.

[Yasser Lester]

I need it. Please.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What are you working on around the house? Are you constantly doing projects?

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Yasser Lester]

And it's also like, this is like, maybe. I don't know, maybe it's kind of. I wanna say cheapskate. But again, it's also necessity because, you know, we rent where we live. It's like, we. I really try to avoid Hitting up the landlord, slash, owner of the house as much as possible. So I'm like, if I can just do this, I'll just do this.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, you're always on landlord's sides.

[Yasser Lester]

Well, that's my huge thing. It's literally why I flew to New York to vote against Zoran Mahdani. Madani. I was like, it's gotta Cuomo or the Curtis. What was his name?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I. I can't remember his last name.

[Yasser Lester]

I always want to say Siwa.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. But that's a character.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, but also it's like, like, look, the reality is that we do have three dogs. And so, like, you don't want someone just pop it up. Right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

When you're renting.

[Yasser Lester]

Right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You know you're pushing with animals.

[Yasser Lester]

Right? Exactly, exactly. And, like, you know, they've been cool and all that stuff.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So.

[Yasser Lester]

So I say all that to say that it's also, like, a good. I'm not gonna tear down a wall and fix the plumbing. Sure. But anything that I mostly can do. Like, if I knew plumbing, then I would have done it. But almost anything that happens, I take care of.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, it's a nightmare when there is something that feels so small and you're like, oh, if only I had paid slight attention to how to do this. And then you're now paying somebody to do it. It's humiliating.

[Yasser Lester]

Well, perfect example, our dishwasher, I fixed it twice.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, my God.

[Yasser Lester]

It was a nightmare. It was installed, so. And this is one of the times I called the landlord. It was installed, and then they put in a new floor. And the problem is that now the tile was too high to get the. So I had to cut out the tile. I had to get a cutout tool, cut out the tile. All this stuff, I pull it out, I completely fix it, Filters all this stuff. And then something happened where the tubing from the sink to the actual dishwasher gets messed up.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You.

[Yasser Lester]

First of all, you love this story. Second of all, it gets longer.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm gonna steal the story for parties.

[Yasser Lester]

It gets longer and it gets more boring.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm taking this on the road.

[Yasser Lester]

Dishwasher, like, chanting or you're like, do you want me to take my shirt off?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Talk about the tube again.

[Yasser Lester]

The short version is I couldn't see where the tube connected. Oh. And so I actually did have to call someone, and the guy literally showed up. Within 30 seconds, is like, it's clean. That'll be $250. And I was like, yeah, of course, of course. Of course. It is exactly that amount of money that would have changed my life had I been able to save it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. I mean, and that guy feels so powerful, I'm sure.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, for sure. It's like mechanics, where you're just like, hey, like, you just have the tools for this. Like, almost anyone can change oil if you go unscrew this, screw it back, change the filter, pour oil in, but they're always just like, oh, look at this idiot. Look at this idiot who can't stop crying.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is my problem with surgeons. You know, you've got the tools. Big deal.

[Yasser Lester]

Do you. Okay. Do you think. And I'm not saying that you could be a surgeon, but thank you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I actually appreciate that you. I think I'm that sort of.

[Yasser Lester]

Well, I mean, like. No, no, no. I mean, right now, like, I don't think you just hop in a surgery, but do you think there's emotionally a part of you that could have handled being a surgeon?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, absolutely.

[Yasser Lester]

Really?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Emotionally? Yes, I think I could have been. But, whoa, the, like, the grossness element, I don't think I could have handled. Just, like, I would have been gagging constantly. You don't want to hear your surgeon gagging.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, I mean, yeah, I was gonna say. Well, if you hear them, then that's the worst part. First of all, it's like, oh, my God, I'm awake. What is happening? That is. I got so. Again, very late in life. I just got my wisdom teeth pulled, like, three or four months ago. What were you saying?

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, this is so interesting to me because Jim might have to get his out, and I had mine out when I was 18 and late in life. And let's be honest, you're very late in life.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes, yes, yes, yes. I mean, this might be the last. This might be the last bottle.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Don't say things like that on this podcast, especially.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You've got many podcasts to appear on.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, okay, cool.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I had mine out at 18, and you're having yours out now as an adult.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, it was. I might as well have had open heart surgery. That's how hard my body reacted to the recovery of it. Like, I mean, I was, like, waking up in the middle of the night, like, sweating and, like, Chelsea's like, what is going on? Like, my wisdom teeth. She's like, I'm sorry, what? Like, again, she got hers out when she was 18, and, like, I kept going to the dentist, and they kept being like, yours are like, they're in mostly normal. Like, something may change, but, like, you don't need to do it if you don't need to do it. I was like, fine. But then they started, like, you know, turning and whatever. So I get the surgery, the hard hitting surgery of wisdom teeth. The dentist, when she's taking out this bottom. Sorry, this bottom left one, she's like, hey, if anything becomes. You'll always feel pressure. If anything becomes painful, you have to let me know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So she goes, they did not put you under.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, no, of course not. I think they looked at my insurance. They're like, he's gonna be awake. So the first two they get out in a prom, they get to this one, this bottom left one, and I'm like, ow. I can feel it. I can feel it.

[Bowen Yang]

Something's wrong.

[Yasser Lester]

And she goes, I think you're confusing pressure with pain. And I went, I'm not. Like, I know you just took two out. You know there are two people here

[Bridger Weiniger]

and one is having the experience.

[Yasser Lester]

Exactly. So she literally goes, ugh. Rolls her eyes, like, re. Numbs me or whatever. I get it out a week later. Bridge, I'm in so much pain. Like, I'm just like having a sip of water and just like merely like cusping my lips to the glass is like too much. So I just like hit her up and I'm like, hey, can I just like come in and talk to you? And so I go back in and I swear to God, I'm like, hey, how are you? When she walks in, she goes, I told you this would happen. And I was like, what is going on? Like, did I? Yeah, I was like, I don't know how I made you mad. Like, sincerely.

[Bridger Weiniger]

She got kicked out of her band

[Yasser Lester]

that you opened for. It was awful. Why are you. But I'm also just now on the other side of it. And she called me. Like, she. Or you know, the office called me and they're like, so when do you want to come in for your follow up? And I was like, never. Never. I would rather start with someone who just is like in school. You know what I mean? Completely.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow.

[Yasser Lester]

So I say all that to say that I'm with you emotionally. I think I could do it. And I even think I could handle the queasiness.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Yasser Lester]

I don't know if I don't think I could handle. I mean, I guess that's part of the emotion of it. I don't know if I could handle the, like. If there was like families around. Like, that part really freaks me out. Cause then it's like, you know, it's us. So we have to be like Patch Adams and be like. And so their leg is gone.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Was Patch Adams based on a real thing?

[Yasser Lester]

I believe he was. And I'd also argue there's no way he was as funny as Robin Williams. So they really lucked out.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. This guy was probably an annoying loser. Right?

[Yasser Lester]

Cause, I mean, here's the thing. If you're a doctor dressed as a clown, get a life. First of all, hey, buddy, I don't

[Bridger Weiniger]

want anything to do with it.

[Yasser Lester]

No, no, no, no, no, no. Figure out this hepatitis. Like, I don't. Why are you. Why are your lips red?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, there's nothing about that I want anything. I do not want a professional in my life being funny. Right. Or especially trying.

[Yasser Lester]

Dude, I. Look, man. And it's also why, like, I genuinely. I don't think you can tell anyone what you actually do.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, that is true.

[Yasser Lester]

You have to say you were like. When people ask me, I'm like, I.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Marketing.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes. Oh, see, there you go.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And not for fun things, right?

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's for Pfizer

[Bridger Weiniger]

and not the commercials. Just have to keep fighting.

[Yasser Lester]

The pamphlets. The pamphlets that you see, the doctors, they're very depressing.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Stop asking me questions. No, the moment you tell somebody that, you'll be pitched television shows. They'll be joking. They'll be asking you to tell them a joke. Just hell. Pure hell.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

When I first moved to la, I moved in with a couple and their baby.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, Hollywood. Hollywood swinging at its finest. At its end, I moved to the big city. I was with a couple and their baby.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But the first thing they asked me was to tell them a joke, and I knew it was downhill from there.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, wait, you didn't know them?

[Bridger Weiniger]

No.

[Yasser Lester]

So it was like a Craigslist thing or something?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, literally Craigslist.

[Yasser Lester]

Whoa. Oh, that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Can you imagine?

[Yasser Lester]

That is. How am I alive? Legitimately insane. That is so. I would rather live with a single drug addict than a couple. And how old was the baby?

[Bridger Weiniger]

The baby was like a year old.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, so you were living with a nuclear family?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I believe in the family. Traditional families.

[Yasser Lester]

That is so. Okay, good. Okay, look, I don't want to switch the dynamic, and it really feels like

[Bridger Weiniger]

you're rubbing it in at this point.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, but just here. Okay, so was this a guest house situation or, like, just in there with the family?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Just simply another one of the bedrooms?

[Yasser Lester]

What are you talking about? So it's just like, I'm gonna make dinner. Like, that is crazy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It was. I mean, it didn't surprise. It didn't work out. I was out of there after like three months and they were so mad

[Yasser Lester]

that I left, but.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Sorry, you didn't get me on a year lease. That's your fault.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, you were clearly paying for that baby.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, I was absolutely paying for the baby. But like the whole situation, they asked me to tell a joke immediately. They wanted me to pay $150 a week for groceries. I was like, I'm going to be eating Shredded Wheat. I'm sorry. They criticized, like, my diet choices when I started buying cheap groceries, but it's like, you know, I'm living with a couple and their baby. Where do you think my money is?

[Yasser Lester]

I cannot wait. What part of town was this?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like mid city, West Hollywoodish.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, my God.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right behind the Magnolia Bakery there on third Street.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, well, okay. Hidden part of town. We love that part of town.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We love that part of town.

[Yasser Lester]

I mean, you're near. I believe there's a volcano down there.

[Bridger Weiniger]

There is a volcano.

[Yasser Lester]

You gotta love that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I will only live within walking distance of a life.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, but you're talking to the king. You're talking to the king. Look, that is. Here's the thing, look, people struggle. All that stuff I get. They're like, hey, we need a roommate. Alleviate some of this. I've never heard of a family being like. And you also need to go in on groceries. You know, that is so. To me, that's like, literally like, hey, we're all putting in $10 on this one shirt. It's like very like traveling pants. Like, I'm sorry. Like, we have no idea how this is gonna work out.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I just met you. Yeah.

[Yasser Lester]

Can you imagine Is so much money? That is so much money.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's an enormous. Yeah, like. And then. So that brings up some questions, actually. Are they putting any money in for the groceries or am I paying for all of that? I've never even thought about that. I just kind of assumed, oh, they're paying the other half, which is an exorbitant amount of money. But now I'm like, oh, was I going to just be paying for all of the food?

[Yasser Lester]

Right? And they're just like eating shrimp. That is. Wait, okay, okay, sorry. One more question. And like, actually, maybe it may not be comfortable answering, but how much was it per month?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think it was like 600amonth.

[Yasser Lester]

Did you have your own bathroom?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[Yasser Lester]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So it was like, you know, and I was living in a decent part of town and I knew literally no one in la. It was like a Safe. Ish. Seeming like coming to LA still on paper, a very bad idea. Very bad idea.

[Yasser Lester]

Have you ever spoken to them ever again?

[Bridger Weiniger]

No. But one of them, I think found me on social media at some point. I hope that they're not listeners. We'll get at least three bad reviews and followed me. I was like, I'm simply not following. Because when I gave them the month's notice, they were so pissed. They were furious with me. I'm not going to be friends with you.

[Yasser Lester]

Right? Yeah, Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I lived with you for three months and then you were mean to me. You made me take pictures of the apartment so you could put the apartment back on Craigslist. The only other things I remember about them were at one point she was watching classic movie Jack and Jill, Adam Sandler's Jack and Jill. And somehow I was like, I must have said, how's the movie? And she said, well, it's not Shrek funny. This is like a 45 year old woman crazy. It's like, what is your bar for comedy?

[Yasser Lester]

Are there any. What year was this?

[Bridger Weiniger]

2010.

[Yasser Lester]

There has to be like emails like

[Bridger Weiniger]

you have to have. Oh my God, I should look this up.

[Yasser Lester]

What if.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, I haven't even thought.

[Yasser Lester]

What if they're.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm sure they're there.

[Yasser Lester]

At least they run Warner Brothers.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's David Ellison.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

Yeah.

[Yasser Lester]

Could you imagine?

[Bridger Weiniger]

That is.

[Yasser Lester]

I'm not that like. And I, I had. Mine wasn't super crazy, but like when I moved here, I moved from Atlanta. I was working at a restaurant. The bartender was like, hey, at this other restaurant I used to work at, one of the other guys there is moving to LA. You guys should live together. We met for 10 minutes and went, okay. And then we just got in a car and drove across the country. So it's like, that's great. He's still one of my good friends. But like we weren't like, hey, and also we need to put a family. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yours is a much more normal situation.

[Yasser Lester]

Were you like, were there, there cur. Was there a curfew?

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, there was no curfew. I avoided them almost at all costs.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think that there was really an expectation of me being kind of part of the situation though.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Because I think they were like, they found it like off putting that. I was like, I'm, you know, I'm renting a room.

[Yasser Lester]

Right? Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't want to like be the uncle. Full house or whatever. So God bless. I guess the only. Yeah. The only other thing I remember is they had a massive framed poster of the band Crazy Town autographed. So there were some red flags. I mean, obviously from the very beginning. And then it was just, red flag, red flag, red flag. And worked out perfectly.

[Yasser Lester]

That is okay. Like, and then. And then you moved in by yourself.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, obviously after a situation, like, something will never happen.

[Yasser Lester]

Wow.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So I found something that was like. Like, thank God. Something slightly. I mean, almost the same cost, obviously a much smaller, less fun space. Well, fun's not the word, but. So I never had a roommate again.

[Yasser Lester]

Right. Did they ever invite you to stuff?

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, but they were kind of like, I think at least retired, like, rave culture or something like this, or real party types. They seemed like. With, like, they're the sort of person that you would run into who's a promoter, you know, where you're like, oh, so you don't do anything, right?

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And there was just like. They were both very tan. There was something about them that was like, what was happening to you in the 90s?

[Yasser Lester]

What was the interview process?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Barely. I remember talking to one of them still in Utah on my cell phone in a Walmart, just, like, figuring it out.

[Yasser Lester]

I. Man, this is. Cause here's the thing. It's like, that part of the story is, like, magnificent. That sounds exactly like what should be happening. It's just like, I spoke to strangers, a. I have a cell phone at a Walmart, Utah, and I ended up living with them. That part I'm all for. The part that gets me is like. And now meet our family is like.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So also, like, are they on the other side telling their friends, we once lived with a man we met from Utah. We let a drifter into our house.

[Yasser Lester]

But no, because, like, I'm assuming you didn't put up the ad, being like, any families want to take in a cool guy?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm looking to kill somebody.

[Yasser Lester]

Blake. What? When you. Okay, I'll. I'll ask more questions later. This is crazy. I don't want to waste your time. This is. That is. Yeah, that's a fun one.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It was.

[Yasser Lester]

Wow.

[Bridger Weiniger]

A big swing for me.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Thank God it works out, because that could have. Also, like, the fact that I found another place is like, I'm surprised I didn't just move back to Utah.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Yasser Lester]

What are you talking.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, yeah, that didn't work out.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah. Like, oh, only people in LA are weird families.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. I think it just speaks to how strong of a person I am.

[Yasser Lester]

No, I mean, truly. I mean, again, like, the muscles man, you know, you want. You don't want to talk about it, but I want to talk about it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Listener. You have no idea the things he said to me. Off.

[Yasser Lester]

Right. But you do what you got to do for your friends.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, is there anything left to say about the screwdriver? I'm so excited about this. This will go under my sink, obviously.

[Yasser Lester]

Like, literally all I can say that the only new thing I can say about it is that just don't take it for granted because people start losing bits.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, yeah, of course. And then it's like, well, this thing's almost worthless.

[Yasser Lester]

Right? Exactly. But don't do that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I have a question for you as a handy person. My water bottle is now screwed too tight, and I can't even. I'll put it between my legs and try to unscrew it. How am I gonna get this thing open?

[Yasser Lester]

Okay, so there's a few things you could do. I like. I'm assuming you don't have a vice, which would be the easiest. There's what's called a strap wrench. Or you could also just use, like, a leather belt. But what you want to do is put that around.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Yasser Lester]

Make it tight. There's enough friction usually that you can just as long as you're holding it with something that also has friction.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. Okay. Well, I have my own. One of those things.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Interesting.

[Yasser Lester]

There you go. It's the same thing they use for oil filters in your car when they can't get them off.

[Bridger Weiniger]

A leather belt.

[Yasser Lester]

A strap wrench.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But. Oh, a strap wrench.

[Yasser Lester]

The whole remedy version, if you don't

[Bridger Weiniger]

have one, is just a leather. What does a strap wrench look like?

[Yasser Lester]

It literally, it's. It looks like a handle and then looks like a long. Like a rubber belt attached to it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Almost like holding the dog catcher used.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes, exactly. And then you pull the. You pull the rubber strap through it, and you get enough tension on it, and then you just start pushing it the other way.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow, this is great to know. This is very good information. Thank God we recorded today. The rest of this conversation has been worthless.

[Yasser Lester]

And now you have your water bottle back.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, we should play a game. Yes. I need a number between 1 and 10 from you.

[Yasser Lester]

5.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. I have to do some light calculating to get our game pieces, so right now you can promote, recommend, do whatever you want.

[Yasser Lester]

I'll be right back. Our film the Gutter is still streaming on Hulu. Written by me, co directed by me and my brother Isaiah Lester starring Shameik Mo, Darcy Carden Susan Sarandon, Paul Reiser Jay Ellis Langston Kerman, Adam Brody, Paul Shear, Adam Pally, Monique Gawd. Who else is in this movie? There's. It's. It's names galore. My wife, Tulsi Devonte. Aaron Dewey Lennox.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Start naming extras.

[Yasser Lester]

Okay. My cousin Mike.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's what hooks people like. Okay, fine.

[Yasser Lester]

All right. Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I didn't know my was involved.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's. It's a fun, stupid bowling comedy and you should watch it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Everybody, please go watch that. Watch something that has to do with comedy. That's funny, right? We're begging you, please. We're on our knees begging you. Okay, this is how we play gift rail battle. Sorry. Oh, good. For real Battle.

[Yasser Lester]

Jack a Hari. Jack a Harry Kim Field. Sorry.

[Bridger Weiniger]

One Unbelievable camp.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So crazy.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Everyone go watch it. It's on Hulu. Yeah, Hulu's got it all.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, we love.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, I'm gonna name three things you're going to tell me if they're a gift or a curse and why.

[Yasser Lester]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then I'll tell you if you're right or wrong because there are correct answers.

[Yasser Lester]

Okay. Interesting.

[Bridger Weiniger]

All right, so be very careful.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

All right, this first one is from a listener named Colin. Gift or a curse? A very chatty mail carrier.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, I. I'm not gonna lie. I'm gonna say that's a gift. And the reason I say it's as a gift is because anyone in particular that service, not just like restaurants, people talk to you because, you know, the server talks to you because they want a bigger tip. There's kind of. No. There's no end game for a mail carrier to want to talk to you other than, like, they are nice and kind, and because of that, they want to reciprocate your niceness and kindness. And they always make sure not only are your packages on time, but they hide them for you, especially if you got porch pirates. So I say it's a gift.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Correct. Gift. Yeah, I couldn't. I mean, I can't say anything else.

[Yasser Lester]

So crazy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean. Well, this would be the podcast. No, I love it. First of all, I love to see the mail carrier because I feel like we're on such opposite schedules. It almost feels like seeing a unicorn or something.

[Yasser Lester]

It's like, interesting.

[Bridger Weiniger]

There's the person, they never talk to me, which, you know, I think I just have a deeply off putting personality. Nobody who does any type of service wants anything to do with me or a conversation. So the idea of someone even, like answering, how are you doing? Melts my heart. Also, like these. I'm sure they're full of gossip. They know the neighborhood. These people really are on the ground snooping on your neighbors. They're seeing their mail.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Ask them about your neighbors. Get into it.

[Yasser Lester]

I. You know, I'm in a very. I'm in a precarious situation. I'm in a very, very suburban area where, like, talking about a gift and a curse, is that, like, because of where I am? It's a beautiful place, but I'm also. And you know me, so this is gonna sound crazy. I'm also the most dangerous person on my street. So, like, people, like, see me walking the dogs, they're like, there he is, the bad boy of it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

There he goes again.

[Yasser Lester]

Everybody lock your door.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Dangerous man in Los Angeles.

[Yasser Lester]

So I want. Whereas I want to ask that gossip. I'm afraid again. I get back into my Quentin Tarantino situation, and it's like, oh, no. Everyone hates you. And I'm like, okay, okay, thank you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm throwing a lot of away, a lot of hate mail. I'm trying to protect you. All right. Okay. You've gotten one right so far. This next is from a list. Next one is from a listener named Addie. Gift or a curse? Baby up in this bitch. Car stickers.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, man. I'm going full curse. And I love babies, and I love children, but I don't think babies and children can be cool in the ways that adults project coolness onto them. Like, you know when you see, like, a baby in, like, Warby Parker or something like that? Cdct. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Or, like, you know, like, a Nike jogger tech sweatsuit, you're like, what is like that? No kid should be wearing that. You know what I mean? And so, like, when you do a license or not a license plate, like a bumper sticker or whatever like that, that still reads to me as you projecting that, like, this is either a. A cool kid or that you think you're so cool about your, I don't know, Hyundai Sonata that, like, it's just, like. So, like, I also think I'm just very anti a thing on your car. That is not. We are, Charlie Kirk. I think you have that. That you have. We are.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's your one option.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, but that's just me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, we know that. We assume correct. Curse. Yeah, I. I used to even be against the, like, baby in car, whatever, and then I realized that those are kind of like, they actually have a purpose where it's like, for emergency things or whatever. At some point, I thought people were just, like, bragging about carrying a baby around.

[Yasser Lester]

That is a cynical take, I gotta say. Look at this. Look at this idiot just bragging that they have a baby. It's like, so funny to me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, it's a real thing. But, yeah, this. Nail it. Like, no, you're not cool. You made the dorky choice to be a parent. Own it.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're a nerd.

[Yasser Lester]

Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And now your child is going to be a bigger nerd because you're trying to be cool.

[Yasser Lester]

Right, Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Your child is not into Prince. Your child doesn't love David Bowie.

[Yasser Lester]

Dude, they're three years old. The idea of a three year old listening to Darling Nikki being like, all right, this is Ziggy Stardust. All right? They're like, they want to eat candy, use the bathroom all themselves, and then

[Bridger Weiniger]

go to sleep and listen to the most irritating music you can possibly imagine. Anyone who knows a child knows they want to listen to the worst music ever created.

[Yasser Lester]

It's just a series of, like, bells.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like a xylophone over and over.

[Yasser Lester]

Exactly. That's. Yeah, that, like, baby up in the sticker is the same reason why they do, like, minivan commercials. But, like, the song they use is like Riding Dirty, which is like, it drives me. I'm like, stop.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The insecurity showing there is so embarrassing.

[Yasser Lester]

And it's also like, by the way, minivans, great cars, excellent cars, all wheel drive, tons of space.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You made the earnest decision to have a family. Good for you.

[Yasser Lester]

That's okay. Or buy a Yukon and be that person. But anyway, I digress.

[Bridger Weiniger]

All right, you've gotten two right so far. This final one is from a listener named Brandon. Gift or a curse. Showers with only half a shower door.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, my God. This is. It's crazy. That would even come as anything other than a curse. I. I mean it sincerely. Like, I, you know, before the world fell apart. Every once in a while you're like, I have X amount of money in my account and I have to go on a trip. I'm gonna splurge a little bit. And you go to one of these hotels. The most notorious one is the W Hotel. I had seen it. This is so pitiful, by the way. I only knew what the W Hotel was. Cause I had seen an episode of Curb youb Enthusiasm where they, like, do an event at the W Hotel. And so I was like, going to, like, Dallas, by the way. And I was like, same hotel. It's gotta be the same hotel. I go, I sincerely mean it. I think not only is it maybe the wildest imposition you can put on a guest. But I also. I'm like, what's the money play here? Like, is getting a second pane of glass destroying the profitability of this hotel? The floor is. Is soaked. You get, like, it becomes that. It goes from I'm taking a shower to now my entire bathroom is taking a shower. It drives me crazy. Curse. Curse. Cur for me. Curse.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You win the game, you win the game. You get all three.

[Yasser Lester]

Thank you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

These are a curse. And there's a chance I may have talked about this on this podcast before, but I feel like, you know, like, people like Gen X or whatever got a lot of shit for the sinks that are essentially a punch bowl on top of a cabinet. I think millennials, we've created this half showered. Or this is our, you know, the thing that we would just have to live with the curse we put on the earth. An absolutely worthless invention.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like, you understand for about three seconds. Oh, it's supposed to look cool. And then you realize, like, well, this is supposed to be a practical thing I'm doing.

[Yasser Lester]

Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is so this is just now leading to all sorts of problems for. So it looks a little bit more like an Apple Store. I don't care. Give me a full door.

[Yasser Lester]

Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Give me a curtain at least.

[Yasser Lester]

And I'm also like. And, you know, far be it for me, but I'm like, if I'm a woman, the last thing I want to do is be in a hotel room by myself in some strange city and be like, huh, I wonder how much access someone could have to me. You know what I mean? It feels genuinely. There might as well not be any glass, sincerely, because it's not doing the thing that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Anyway, I want to see a remake of Psycho with the half shower door.

[Yasser Lester]

He walks in, he's like, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You were only supposed to see a silhouette. You did it again, Norman. No. And speaking of the no shower door, when we were living in New York, we had a sublet in Williamsburg for, like, a month, and it was like a very nice. Like, the owner had really, like, done it up to look nice. She had elected to have literally no shower door. She's like, I'm gonna have the most minimalist bathroom alive. She literally had a mop in there because it doesn't work. Like, the water is all over the place.

[Yasser Lester]

I'm sorry. And then you would. So it was like, okay, I just showered. Now I'm gonna mop.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. Literally mops. Because the whole bathroom's the shower.

[Yasser Lester]

Okay, wait, sorry. Is this like a floppy restaurant or is it one of the push.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The push that you squeeze out?

[Yasser Lester]

Yes. Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I would love one of those. Big stinky.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Would be so fun. That's crazy. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Needless to say, she was terrible.

[Yasser Lester]

Right? Right. We hate her. We hate her. We wish she was dead. We wish she was dead.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, well, you won the game. Will you help me answer a listener question?

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

All right. This is people. I should mention people are writing in to. I said nogiftsmail.com or they're sending voice notes. Those have to be under 60 seconds. Do what you need to do with your computer or your phone. I don't care. Okay. This says, hi, Bridger and esteemed guest. That's nice. About a year ago, a friend of mine was invited to a wedding that was called off a week beforehand. It was called off too late to get a refund. So they are still in debt from the first wedding. They never returned their gifts. This year, the same couple has reconciled and is planning a destination wedding. The couple is acting like the first wedding plan never happened. She had another bachelorette party, they redid their engagement photos, etc. I know people go to second weddings all the time, but not usually when it's the same people. What do you think is the gift obligation here? Does my friend need to get another gift? Thanks. Love the pot. Okay, Butter me up, Emily. This is the worst couple that's ever lived.

[Yasser Lester]

I mean it. Sincerely. Luigi Mangione should be free and he should be able to. He gets one more and it's this couple. Allegedly, allegedly, that is. And I like, there's too much and I'm gonna. Maybe this is. I don't consider it a controversial take. I think we live in a post wedding. I don't think we should allow or have to celebrate the pomp in circumstance of weddings anymore. Absolutely not. I think we're like, look, there's no cattle involved. The fact that like, like you can watch any TV show that's ever been made on your phone to me negates the fact that like, weddings are cool. Like, you know what I mean?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[Yasser Lester]

So first of all, that on its own is like its own island. Secondly, the idea that this couple, like, I don't even like it when like people argue in front of me and then I see them next time and things are fine.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right? Right.

[Yasser Lester]

The idea that they split up, literally everyone knows.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Everyone got an email, we broke up.

[Yasser Lester]

That is because there's also the thing when people break up or split, whatever. You're gonna end up talking bad about

[Bridger Weiniger]

one of them at some point for at least a small drunken night or something.

[Yasser Lester]

There's the. And then when they get back together, it's like, okay, I really hope you don't. Hey, just. Hey, just make sure you don't say the thing that I said that was. Cause you were mad. I actually don't feel that way. So you're dealing with that. And then this idea that, like, you would even. And hopefully they're being presumptuous in thinking that this couple wants gifts. But like, if they're asking for also

[Bridger Weiniger]

a destination now, the escalation to a.

[Yasser Lester]

So that is demonic to begin with.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The destination wedding is too.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes, exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

To have the second try. You have to work to break these people up. You have like, this is like a hangover sequel or something where it's like, now we have to break up the couple or something. You have a ticking clock.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You should not be. Do not ask me to destination wedding. I'm not using my vacation money on your part. Your essentially birthday party. But.

[Yasser Lester]

And like. Sorry, keep going. Sorry.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, I mean, that's. I just. That is the most presumptuous thing you could possibly do is say, okay, now everyone, we're going to, like, a perfectly fine vacation spot. And most of it will be spent in weird social situations.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, yeah. It's like, hey, where's a place you've never wanted to go? That's where we're going. And guess what? You will have zero time to yourself.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, exactly.

[Yasser Lester]

You're like, cool. What then? And what's the plus is like, you get to watch people talk to each other.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, and you get to pay for it.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, yeah, you get to pay for it. You like doing that, don't you? Oh, and you have to take time off of work.

[Yasser Lester]

That's fun, man. That is listener, if you're listening. I know you are. I would say not only do not feel obligated to get a gift. I think you should go full, like, Jared Leto suicide squad. Like, mail them like dead animals and be like, I'm a crazy joker guy. Like, really, really be mad. Like, really be bad about her. They've opened the door and you don't

[Bridger Weiniger]

want to go to this thing anyway.

[Yasser Lester]

That's. Cause. Okay, but. And then here's. And I'll leave you. But like, I'm kicking you under the table. But what world? Like, what? I guess, like, how unaware are you that you're like, the second time to the first person is a destination wedding.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That is.

[Yasser Lester]

It's like, literally, it's kind of making me anx. Like, oh, my God. Like, if I was friends with someone like that, I'd be like, oh, something's wrong.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. You like me to work. There's something you need to work through before you get married to anybody.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, and we're pregnant.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Exactly. Like, they're making, like, dangerous life choices at this point.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And they're. They're. It's risky behavior.

[Yasser Lester]

Yes, yes. That is. Man. I look all power to them. Maybe this is. Maybe we're looking at it negatively and it's a test. Maybe they're like, if these people don't come to our second, that's how you

[Bridger Weiniger]

prove you're a real friend. You don't show up this thing. And you do write into podcasts about us, and then we're like, we know we can keep you around.

[Yasser Lester]

Right? Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Talk about the Joker. These people are screwed up.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah. They're loco.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is literally Jared Leto's.

[Yasser Lester]

Oh, God. I. Look, I don't want to. Is that slander or libel?

[Bridger Weiniger]

We don't know that he's done any of these things. We're just thinking, really, about his character. The Joker, Right.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, the Joker. Also him in real life, who's a scumbag. Who's a filthy scumbag.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Disney loves him. Put him in another Tron.

[Yasser Lester]

I know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Anyway, whatever. Well, Emily, we answered your question perfectly. Do not write back in.

[Yasser Lester]

That is so funny.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, sir. I have a practical object. Thank God. Every, like, one in a hundred is something I can implement in my life.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And I'm so happy to have it.

[Yasser Lester]

Like, here's the thing. That one, by the way, you're using, for those of you not being able to see Bridger, he's got a MacBook out in front of him. That one has the Torx bits, so you can actually use it to open your MacBook.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Really?

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, and what would I do in there? Like, look, spread peanut butter around.

[Yasser Lester]

I just put a bomb inside.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This isn't getting enough loose hair in it. Yeah, dust.

[Yasser Lester]

But, no, just look. Upgrade my ram, you know, if you ever needed to look. Cause also, I don't want to go into the nerd stuff anyway. You could open it if you needed to.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's good to know. That's very good to know.

[Yasser Lester]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, I had an obviously lovely time with you. I'm so glad you could come.

[Yasser Lester]

Are you kidding me? This was just. This was just everything we wanted.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is what we've both been begging each other for since the day we met. Thank you for being here.

[Yasser Lester]

Thank you for having me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Listener. The podcast is over. A reminder to send in the voice notes or the emails to I saidnogiftsmail.com, keep them under 60 seconds. If it's a voice note, record it like not in a tornado. And I think that's it. The podcast is really coming to a screeching halt. I love you, goodbye. I said no Gifts is an exactly right production. Our senior producer is Ellis Nelson and our episodes are beautifully mixed by Ben Tolliday. The theme song is by miracle worker Amy Mann. And we couldn't do it without our booker, Patrick Cotner. You must follow the show on Instagram at isaidnogifts. That's where you're going to see pictures of all these wonderful gifts I'm getting. And don't you want to see the gift?

[Yasser Lester]

I thought I made myself perfectly clear. When you're a guest in my home, you gotta come to me empty handed. I said no guests. Your presence is present enough and I already had too much stuff. So how do you dance a song? Obey me.

[Bowen Yang]

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[Yasser Lester]

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[Bridger Weiniger]

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[Yasser Lester]

So here's the idea. You get it now.

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[Yasser Lester]

What do you have to lose? Give it a [e-mail] Switch limited time,

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[Bowen Yang]

This is Matt Rogers from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen. This is Bowen Yang from Lost Culture Research with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. Hey, so what if you could boost the WI fi to one of your

[Yasser Lester]

devices when you need it most?

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[Yasser Lester]

Yeah, it's WI fi that is so

[Bowen Yang]

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