A Worm Welcome

Summary

Podcast Summary: Lovett or Leave It – "A Worm Welcome"

Date: June 13, 2026
Host: Jon Lovett
Featured Guests: Jerry O’Connell, Jay Pharoah, Zack Zucker

Episode Overview

This episode kicks off a new season of Lovett or Leave It, recorded live in Los Angeles. Jon Lovett, with his signature blend of sharp political insight and absurdist humor, dissects the week’s wildest political headlines—ranging from Trump’s latest Iran war claims to an actual outbreak of flesh-eating worms in Texas. Special guests Jerry O’Connell, Jay Pharoah, and Zack Zucker join Lovett for lively conversations, audience games, and candid discussions about show business, pop culture, and odd personal joys.

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Major Discussion Points & Segments

What A Week: U.S., Iran, and Political Parodies

• Trump's ‘Deal’ with Iran
  • Lovett skewers Trump’s claim (yet again) that a deal to end the Iran war is imminent, followed by escalating violence instead.
  • Quote: “So how are things going with Jeff? He's obsessed with me and said he cannot wait to hang out after he gets through award season.” (Lovett, 02:30)
• Strait of Hormuz & Oil Tankers
  • Mocks Trump’s ‘secret’ military missions: “You can't secretly move oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz because they're giant fucking oil tankers that you can see from the shoreline.” (Lovett, 04:35)
• Epstein Files Satire
  • Jokes about fabricated White House deliberations—including (fictional) Bert Kreischer participation and disturbing details from real reporting.
  • Memorable moment: Graphic humor about a Trump-related civil suit (06:50)
• Screwworm Outbreak & Bureaucratic Blame Games
  • Covers the return of “screwworm” flesh-eating pests in Texas, the defunding of monitoring programs, and partisan finger-pointing blaming immigrants and open borders.
  • Highlights absurdity in agricultural policy and public health failures.
  • Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley’s confusion about bug vaccines:
    • Quote: “We don't have vaccines for things you can hold in your hand. You represent a farm state—vaccine for bugs? That's a hammer.” (Lovett, 10:20)

Political Oddities

• Primary Highlights and Political Tattoos
  • Maine’s Graham Platner and his controversial remarks. Lovett mockingly announces fake tattoos: “My beautiful wife doing a Heil Hitler in tasteful blackface.” (Lovett, 12:17)
• Sarah McBride's Shade
  • Delaware’s McBride sends subtle pride digs at Nancy Mace:
    • Quote: “Sarah McBride is serving cunt.” (Lovett, 13:26)

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Featured Guest Segments

Jerry O’Connell: Housewives, Acting, and Sliders

• Reality TV & Summer Movies ([17:03–22:09])
  • Jerry discusses watching (and the appeal of) volatile Real Housewives drama; brief detour into Bravo’s Summer House.
  • Promotes his family-friendly film, “Summer’s Last Resort”. Reflects earnestly on being a child actor in “Stand By Me” and the late Rob Reiner’s legacy.
    • Quote: “If you want to make a joke about a screw worm, go… just get crazy, go for it.” (O’Connell, 22:09)
• Advice for Child Actors
  • Credits his parents for keeping him grounded after early fame.
    • Quote: “My success in Stand By Me… didn’t change how they were going to raise me as a child… Education was the most important thing.” (O’Connell, 25:14)
• Sliders, Sci-fi, and Political What-Ifs
  • Sliders predicted a Trump presidency in the '90s! Lovett and O’Connell play a “Which Timeline Would You Choose?” game—with universes ranging from “Epstein as President” to “All food tastes like Peeps.”
    • Memorable banter: “You’re going to consign all human beings on Earth to only basically taste peeps forever…Or you can make a sacrifice and just shit yourself at a random time once a day.” (Lovett & O’Connell, 29:40–30:18)

Jay Pharoah: Music, SNL, and the Art of Impressions

• Music Album "The Odyssey" ([36:02–37:32])
  • Explains the album’s concept—a space journey to discover that love, not material gain, is life’s purpose.
    • Quote: “He realizes that having all of that means nothing unless you have love, man. And he finds love. And that is the greatest theme…” (Pharoah, 37:06)
• On Being Himself after SNL ([38:20–38:46])
  • Reflects on embracing his real voice after years of impersonations.
• Anecdotes: Getting Drunk at the White House ([46:44–48:18])
  • Shares the cringeworthy story of drunkenly offering to get Obama on SNL (“Don’t worry, President Obama. I’ll put in a good word for you.”).
• Impressions Game
  • Delivers advice and awkward news as Sebastian Maniscalco, Keanu Reeves, and Denzel Washington—standout comedy moments.
    • As Denzel: “You’ve been slinging the wood… Now that everybody’s got chlamydia, this is what I need you to do…” (Pharoah, 52:35)

Zack Zucker: Clown Community and Buff Baby

• Clowning in L.A. ([56:15–59:42])
  • Addresses recent drama after a Vulture piece portrayed him critical of the clowning scene: “I have, like, a fatwa against me right now from the clown community.”
  • Defends the value and artistry of clowning, voicing frustration at being misrepresented and how journalism can distort intent.
• Variety in Performance & Identity
  • On being known for his alter-ego Jack Tucker (“the wet guy”): “You have your new special out, which is Jack Tucker… but you’re not Jack Tucker.”
  • Fun flirtation and in-jokes with Lovett, playing up rumors about their “chemistry.”

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Segment: I Don’t Care, I Love It (Fan-Favorite Guilty Pleasures)

([62:09–68:08]) Each panelist shares a passion or odd habit they love, regardless of social judgment:

• Lovett: Diet Coke with two espresso shots and half-and-half (“try it before you judge!”)
• O’Connell: The pure bliss of Q-tips after a hot bath—despite being told it's medically unsafe
• Pharoah: Peanut Butter Crunch cereal (battle scars and all), plus a defense of rapper Ludacris’s greatness (with live freestyle!)
• Zucker: Riding e-scooters through L.A. shirtless with a boom box (“I feel good, so it’s okay.”)

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Lovett mocking Trump’s Iran deal talk
  “So we weren’t two or three days away from a deal at all. I haven’t been this shocked since the time I asked the cast of Real Housewives of Rhode Island to come to my nephew’s recital…” (02:30)
• On the absurdity of political scapegoating
  “We all have dealt with bugs. If you have bugs, you don’t say goddammit, that gardener 3 years ago really fucked up… It’s quick with bugs.” (08:24)
• Grassley and the ‘bug vaccine’
  “We don’t have vaccines for things you can hold in your hand. You represent a farm state—vaccine for bugs? That’s a hammer.” (10:20)
• On fame and childhood
  “My success in Stand By Me… didn’t change how they were going to raise me as a child.” (25:14)
• Lovett on hope versus rage in politics
  “I used to say… politics wasn’t about hope. I was motivated by anger and rage. That was what got me.” (43:30)
• Jay Pharoah as Denzel Washington, giving chlamydia advice
  “You just been doing it… Now that everybody’s got chlamydia, this is what I need you to do…” (52:35)
• Zucker on clown community drama
  “I spent 80 of my 90 minutes talking about how much I love this art form… and 10 minutes slamming the sycophantic psychopaths…” (58:06)

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Memorable Comedy & Banter

• Extended “Sliders Universe” game (28:24–32:27)
• Personal anecdotes of being picked last (and first) for sports in childhood—setting the supportive, self-deprecating tone (41:06)
• Jay Pharoah’s dazzling rapid-fire impressions—each tailored to a unique social scenario (49:15 onward)
• Ludacris rap fueled by cereal pride (66:11)

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Conclusion

“A Worm Welcome” presents classic Lovett: a mix of scathing political comedy, weird real news, pop culture reveries, personal stories, and guest-driven humor. Whether talking about the latest flesh-eating worm panic or the surreal world of professional clowning, the episode blends earnestness and the absurd, with each guest bringing out new dimensions in the show’s uniquely playful (and political) tone.

Recommended for:
Fans of satirical news, political comedy, pop culture deep-dives, and listeners who appreciate a blend of sharp commentary and hilariously weird conversation.

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Transcript

[John Lovett]

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[Jay Pharoah]

Love it or Leave It.

[John Lovett]

It's Love it or leave it. Welcome to Love it or Leave it Live from Los Angeles. Please, please calm down. I'm John Lovett. Pick last for dodgeball. Pick first. We've got a great show for you tonight. Jerry o' Connell is here. Jay Farrow is here. Zack Zucker is here. But first, let's get into it. What a week. On Tuesday night, Trump said we were on the verge of a deal to finally end the war in Iran. We're in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal. And the strait will open up right away. It will open up immediately upon signing, which could be in two or three. Two or three days? Why? It's been two or three days. Let's check in and see if our big boy was right. The US Attacking Iran. Iran now retaliating a dangerous escalation in the war that's now on day 102. Oh, so we weren't two or three days away from a deal at all. I haven't been this shocked since the time I asked the cast of Real Housewives of Rhode island to come to my nephew's recital. As long as they promised to sit quietly and not get drunk and call each other whores. On Thursday, President Trump called into Fox and Friends to discuss the latest strikes. And they're getting decimated, just decimated. And they're dying to make a deal. They want to make a deal so badly. But, you know, you read the New York Times and you read the Wall Street Journal, which is so fake. I mean, I know you guys own it, but it's a real piece of garbage sometimes. He's funny. What are you gonna do? Trump talks about Iran the way your delusional friend talks about her nonexistent relationship. So how are things going with Jeff? He's obsessed with me and said he cannot wait to hang out after he gets through award season. The President went on to say this, not hitting him hard enough. We dropped $250 million worth of bombs on him last night. You know, the whole thing is crazy. But. And they're. And they're really in submission. They just don't know it yet. $250 million bomb. What did he drop on Iran? The Mandalorian and Grogu. Speaking of not working, new Labor Department data released Wednesday found that inflation hit a three year high of 4.2%. Do you miss me yet? Said Joe Biden, his robe wide open. Trump, however, isn't worried. Sir. Mr. President, about the latest inflation number

[Jerry O'Connell]

which came out this morning. Could that be?

[Zack Zucker]

No?

[John Lovett]

I love it. The numbers were great. I love the inflation. So he runs to stop inflation, then personally causes prices to spike through tariffs in the war, and then he says he loves inflation. Like if you insisted on replacing your own septic tank instead of hiring professionals, and then telling everyone in your life that you actually love the smell of raw sewage. Trump also revealed there was a secret mission. You know, I can say it now. Something you didn't know. Do you know we've been taking out millions of barrels of oil? Nobody knows it. You know who doesn't know about it? Iran. Until right now. Shh. Mr. President, that was a dream you had at the Knicks game. This is of course not true. You can't secretly move oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz because they're giant fucking oil tankers that you can see from the shoreline. Trump later posted that this daring heist was successful because the United States of America controls the Strait of Hormuz, not Iran. Their military is defeated and their economy is lost. It's over for Iran. Say it again, but slower, said Lindsey Graham, soaked head to toe in crude oil. Speaking of terrible mental Images Journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan publish an excerpt from their upcoming book detailing the Trump White House's internal deliberations over the Epstein files last summer. According to the report, J.D. vance, Cash Patel, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, comedian Burt Kreischer, for some reason, and Trump's chief of staff Susie Wiles convened in the White House Situation Room to to strategize a response. There was no Bert Kreischer. He was not there. I just say if you're worried, if you like Bert Kreischer, he wasn't in the secret White House deliberations over the Epstein files. I made that up. Trump refused to entertain any plan to release the files, said Trump, we just have to treat this story like a teenage girl and wait six months for it to get old and boring. Everybody okay over there? All right? According to the excerpt in the Times, Vance suggested that Tucker Carlson interview Ghislaine Maxwell in prison. It's an amazing idea. I love it. I am furious it didn't happen. This is like when you find out that we almost had a Superman with Nicolas Cage. It wouldn't have been good. It would have been a disaster. But it still exists. Dan Bongino, who was then FBI Deputy director, tore into Attorney General Pam Bondi over the fiasco, saying, you fucked this thing up from the start, that, that dumb fucking charade with the Epstein files, the there on my desk nonsense. Bongino told the White House that Bondi needed to resign and called the Epstein saga Trump's Iran Contra. This was, of course, last year before Iran became Trump's Iran Contra. In the report's creepiest passage, during yet another meeting in the White House Situation Room, a senior aide described an unsealed civil suit which described an accuser's allegation about and I am sorry, Trump aggressively flicking and sucking a young woman's nipples until they looked incredibly painful. The meeting abruptly ended because everyone puked and shat and died. In other disgusting little worm news, Texas has seen an outbreak of disgusting little worms. Yes, screw worms, eradicated in this country since the 1960s are back. But don't let the name scare you. So called screwworms are actually nothing more than flesh eating bugs that lay eggs in open wounds and in the eyes, ears, nose, mouth or genitals, hatching into parasitic maggots that burrow into the living tissue of livestock, pets and human beings, said RFK junior Yum. Last year, Doge cut funding for screwworm monitoring programs in over 1,000 employees from USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Trump administration also help lifted a suspension of Mexican cattle imports, allowing livestock into the country without monitoring that had been in place. The Trump administration is of course blaming Joe Biden and immigrants. Here's Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins now this does trace back to the last administration and the open border policy and the movement of millions of people and their animals up through from South America through Central America. So let's just understand what she's suggesting here. These dastardly woke screwworms snuck into the country under Joe Biden and then they just hid waiting almost two years to start attacking cattle in order to make Trump look bad. Texas Agricultural Commissioner so fucking stupid. He's been president. I'm sorry but he's been president for two years. They're bull. We all have dealt with bugs. If you have bugs, you don't say goddammit. That gardener 3 years ago really fucked up. We all know how fucking bugs work. It's quick with bugs. Texas Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller slammed the administration for moving too slowly and said that you can look for higher beef prices because of the failure of the USDA to control this pest. Now before I tell you if Sid Miller is a Democrat or a Republican, I'm going to show you a picture of this man and you'll guess. What do we think? Do we think he voted for Kamala or Trump? So hard to know. Imagine if this were your dad and you had to tell him you were gay and that you wanted to borrow his fabulous vest. Now in response, Brooke Rollins slammed Miller who is a Republican and called him quote, an unserious ag commissioner with just a few months left because he, like all of us, will soon be food for the screw worms. Now as of this recording, there are seven confirmed screwworm cases in the US including one dog in New Mexico. Thanks for stepping in to kill that dog infected with screwworm, Kristi Noem said. Kristi Noem. The dog had what now? But not to worry. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is on the case. Here he is questioning Rollins on Wednesday.

[Jerry O'Connell]

It's been a couple months, maybe three

[John Lovett]

months since I talked to you about

[Jay Pharoah]

vaccination for screw worms.

[John Lovett]

We talked about it and you were going to look into it. So what's the chances of

[Jay Pharoah]

use of

[John Lovett]

vaccination to get us beyond this?

[Zack Zucker]

Right, so the screwworm is a, is

[John Lovett]

a flesh eating pest and not a virus or a dise. Chuck, we don't have vaccines for things you can hold in your hand. You represent a farm state vaccine for bugs. That's a hammer. And besides, we're not going to solve this thing by giving cows autism. On Thursday, Rollins unveiled her new plan. Department of Homeland Security. We talked yesterday about using their drones and perhaps through very quick innovation, having an artificial intelligence piece of this where you put AI on the drones that they can fly across all of our millions of acres of wildlife in this state. When reached for comment, the AI drone said, you're right to push back. Those weren't Yorkshire pigs with screwworm. That was a Buc EE's parking lot after a Texas A and M game. My apologies for the confusion. If you'd like, I can generate a list of local funeral homes. Imagine it's 2024 brat summer. You suddenly find yourself transported to 2026, and you find out that the Trump administration is planning to deploy AI drones to fight the flesh eating worms. Then whoosh, you're back in 2024. Do you tell anyone or do you just kill yourself? Well, you made your decision. And in Maine, they made theirs. Graham Platner won the Democratic primary and addressed the controversy surrounding his candidacy.

[Jay Pharoah]

If you believe, as I do that

[Jerry O'Connell]

we can change our politics and change

[Jay Pharoah]

our country, then you must also believe that people can change. And the reason I believe that is because I have lived it. And the reason that I have lived

[Jerry O'Connell]

it is because of my wife.

[John Lovett]

Which is why I am proud to reveal my new tattoo. My beautiful wife doing a Heil Hitler in tasteful blackface. Platner also previewed his attacks against Susan Collins.

[Jerry O'Connell]

She has become just as spineless and corrupt as the establishment she now serves. She got elected promising to protect Roe

[Jay Pharoah]

vs. Wade, only to turn around and put on a justice, put a justice

[Jerry O'Connell]

of Supreme Court who overturned it. She lied to us.

[John Lovett]

Which is why I am proud to reveal my other new tattoo, Ruth Bader Ginsburg doing Ohio Hitler in tasteful blackface. Meanwhile, in South Carolina, Congresswoman Nancy Mace finished fifth in her state's gubernatorial primary, failing to advance to the runoff. For her part, Delaware Congresswoman Sarah McBride had this message for her erstwhile antagonist during a speech to gay advocates. I don't like punching down and I

[Zack Zucker]

believe in the politics of grace. So all I will say is happy pride, Nancy.

[John Lovett]

Revealing a truth Nancy Mace couldn't find in her policing of every women's room in Capitol Hill, Sarah McBride is serving cunt. All right. And we have got a great show for you tonight. We'll be right back with Jerry o'.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Connell.

[Jay Pharoah]

Hey, don't go anywhere.

[Jerry O'Connell]

There's more of Love it or Leave it coming up.

[John Lovett]

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[Jerry O'Connell]

Thanks for being here, buddy. What an honor to be here. Oh man. Just trying to not to get screw worm this summer.

[John Lovett]

Got it.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Hey listen, is there any prevention? Can we use like bug spray or anything or.

[John Lovett]

I think that only. That only excites them.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Also waiting for that straight up Hormuz to open up. Unless like this summer is just. Hey, like sense is so anxious.

[John Lovett]

So so far, yeah, yeah, we got the straight of. We got not enough action on the straight of Hormuz. Too much screw Worm action.

[Jerry O'Connell]

It is funny. I am on straight of horn Hormuz watch. I wake up in the morning, I do personal business. I'm older so I have to go do personal business immediately and I check to see if that straight opened Up. And here we are. Another day. The street's not open up.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, it's a bummer about that. So you're watching Real Housewives.

[Jerry O'Connell]

I have not started watching Rhode island yet. I'm so sorry. I hear.

[John Lovett]

I know it feels. You know what? It's. It's because they all already. It's. You're back in a world where it feels like they have been fighting since long before the camera showed up.

[Jerry O'Connell]

So it is crazy that we do like our housewives to be volatile with each other. No one here condones violence. Like, not at all. Just want to say love it or leave it. Does not condone violence, except if it's in the form of housewives. I do hear that the house that the Real Housewives of Rhode island gets back to just jealous fighting. It's not about, like, selling, like, products. It's just about, like, people, like, getting upset with their neighbors, which is what we look for. I will say I am coming off of the whole summer house thing, which is on Bravo, if those don't know. It's a group of people who've been getting sort of a share, a summer share. And there was a big controversy about people hooking up with people. I've been a little quiet about that because there was a big controversy that happened where one of the housemates who was married, who was no longer married, hooked up with another male housemate and the young lady who hooked up with the other housemaid. I know everyone's confused right now. I'm so sorry. We should probably. A lot of people tuned in to talk about politics, and now they're talking about this. I'm so sorry. But I did take the side of the two people who hooked up because I felt like. I felt like especially. Especially the young lady, Amanda Batula is her name, was looking for. Just looking for a relationship. And I felt bad for her. And that's going to. You're going to get a bunch of comments calling me a monster after saying that.

[John Lovett]

But how could you say that?

[Jerry O'Connell]

I know. I just.

[John Lovett]

With everything that's going on.

[Jerry O'Connell]

But I should be talking more about my movie on tv. Summer's Last Word. I'm not getting paid for it all.

[John Lovett]

Summer's Last Resort. Good.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Very good title.

[John Lovett]

Summer's Last Resort. It's a real. It's a puzzle of a title.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Yeah, it's a really good title. Emily, our writer, came up with a really fun. I mean, I'm not even kidding. It's. It's so funny when I tell people I'm in a Movie called Summer's Last Resort. They're like, well, like, Hollywood types are like, good title. But I play a stepfather who's trying to befriend my new teenage stepchildren. And we go on a vacation, and I'm trying to marry Sophia Bush, my co star. Beautiful young lady, great actress. We had a lot of fun together. We shot in hotels, so it really wasn't work, I imagine. It's what, like, White Lotus is like. Like, you just live in a hotel. And they're like, all right, wake up. You gotta go to work. And it's like, yeah, I'm at the pool already. Just roll camera.

[John Lovett]

Mike White, genius. He's like, I have an idea. We're gonna go to the nicest resorts on planet Earth for six months at a time. What? Incredible.

[Jerry O'Connell]

I know. And it's such a great show as well.

[John Lovett]

So good.

[Jerry O'Connell]

But this is a little more family. Family friendly. Summer's Last Resort. It's not like the.

[John Lovett]

The gays are trying to kill me kind of thing from the White Lotus.

[Jerry O'Connell]

It's not like, yeah, graphic sex. The. It's not like the graphic sex from, like, White Lotus. Remember. Remember when the. When the nephew was with the uncle in the bedroom and. Yeah, there was graphic sex, oral sex.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, yeah. All kinds of stuff happened.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Yeah, there was, but not in your movie.

[Jay Pharoah]

No.

[Jerry O'Connell]

And by the way, I'm sorry to be if we're even affiliated with that. It is a family movie. It's just love it or leave it is a little racier. So I was getting a little racier. It's a really fun family movie. And you know what? I'm actually going to get serious for a second. We have a big star in Summer's Last resort named Violet McGraw, who is a young actress, I believe she's 15, and she's so good. And I want to say, like, I want to get serious for a moment. I was a child actor. I was in Stand By Me.

[John Lovett]

Yeah.

[Jay Pharoah]

Thank you.

[Jerry O'Connell]

I was kind of expecting a larger applause for that. I was a child actor. I was in a little movie called Stand By Me.

[John Lovett]

Thank you.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Wow. Thank you.

[John Lovett]

This is amazing. That's beautiful. Almost too much.

[Jerry O'Connell]

But Rob Reiner, God rest his soul, recently passed away and his wife Michelle. And it made me very reflective about what Rob Reiner did for me, like, in terms of being in the entertainment industry, what is expected of me as a performer, what I'm good at, who I am, not to be afraid to make jokes, like, to go for it. Like you. If you want to make a Joke about a screw worm. Go, like, try it. Like, just get crazy. Go for it. And this is the first summer's last resort on Tubi. Coming out this summer was the first project I did since Rob Reiner passed. And I was working with this young cast member, Violet McGraw, and I was like, I'm gonna try and instill in her what Rob instilled in me. And, like, we had a really fun time. I really have, like, I. Since Rob's passing, I really have, like, a different role on sets. You know, I don't know if it's getting older. I just have, like. Like, I enjoy working with younger people and sort of passing on what Rob really passed on to me in Stand By Me. Sorry to get so serious, everybody.

[John Lovett]

What do you feel like as someone who. There's a lot of people that started acting at a young age, and it is brutal and cruel, and they don't make it out right. It fucks them up for a long time and they struggle. Do you have advice you give to a young person on set? Do you have lessons that you think young actors need to know that the parents of young actors should know? Yeah,

[Jerry O'Connell]

I mean, you know, I was in a little movie called Stand By Me. Audiences always do that, man. It's crazy. And my parents, when it came out and it was really successful, I was fortunate enough that my success in Stand By Me had. Didn't change how they were going to raise me as a child. I don't know if that makes any sense. I think you see a lot of younger actors, if they find success because they're good, because they have that thing, you know, And I was fortunate enough to be with Rob Reiner, who literally, like, day one, was like, hey, Jerry, go crazy in this scene. Like, go crazy, and I'll tell you when to come down. And it taught me to. When I come out on stage to perform, you know, and, like, someone will tell you, like, I mean, Mr. L, you'll tell me when to take it down a notch, right?

[John Lovett]

I mean, I could. I won't.

[Jerry O'Connell]

But my parents. My success in Stand By Me, our family didn't revolve around that.

[Jay Pharoah]

My parents.

[Jerry O'Connell]

My mom was a teacher, my dad worked in an office, and I went to college. You know, education was the most important thing to my parents. And then when I was an adult, I realized, I want to pursue this, like a. I'm good at it, depending on what comments you read on Reddit, but. And also, I've had such a head start being in Stand By Me, you know, if I walk into a casting room, people are like, oh, yeah, you were in that movie. And so I was fortunate enough to not have parents who. So I can't blame the kids and like their decisions. I think it has a lot to do with their parents and sort of the world that they put them in. Tell me when the show starts.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, once we get the cameras in position, we're going to get going. Now, I do want to ask you about a show that I loved, which was Sliders. And it's funny, we were talking about this because you were coming on the show that there's a lot of people now that say something like, oh, once Trump got elected, we slid into the wrong timeline. The Marvel universe is all about different universes now. We live in a post Sliders world. I'm often saying, let me just explain

[Jerry O'Connell]

for the 99.999% who have no idea what you're talking about. Didn't realize you were such a sci fi nerd, Mr. L. But I was. I was in a TV show called Sliders in the mid-90s on Fox, and it was about a group of strangers who slide to parallel dimensions of Earth. And they're trapped, just going from one parallel Earth to the next with slight tweaks. By the way, this is pretty incredible. You can look it up. In 1995, we do an episode where Donald Trump is President of the United States. Yeah, look it up.

[John Lovett]

What?

[Jerry O'Connell]

Look it up.

[John Lovett]

Remember that?

[Jerry O'Connell]

Look it up.

[John Lovett]

I remember the one where the Golden Gate Bridge was blue.

[Jerry O'Connell]

That. That. That was one.

[John Lovett]

And I think you guys should have stayed there, but it was close enough.

[Jerry O'Connell]

I believe. I believe the episode where Donald Trump was in was President of the United States. We quickly slid to another world. Not saying why we slid or not. That's. That was our choice. But the next world we went to. This is not a joke. Look it up. I may be a little bit wrong, but Hillary Clinton was the president in the other world. This is in the mid-90s. I'm not joking. That was our writers. Our writer who created a. Tracy Torme, used to come up with these really cool, cool, like, parallel universes. And just he was very politically minded. And what if he was a time

[John Lovett]

traveler who had slid? People are freaking out about Sliders here. They're loving it.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Yeah, but it was a multiverse show, and it was before, like, the Marvel Universe does all the multiverse stuff. It's. It's occasionally, very rarely, someone will come up to me and be like, dude, you're the multiverse guy. And Like, I really feel like I'm the only you. Like, the three of us. This. This gentleman right here, that's like, it.

[John Lovett]

It's time for a game we're calling Hope. You have the timeline of your life. Here's how it's going to work.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Okay?

[John Lovett]

I'm going to give you two Earth timelines, and you're going to pick the one you'd rather live in. Okay?

[Jerry O'Connell]

These are sliders. Timeline.

[John Lovett]

These are inspired by sliders. Okay, first up, a universe where we have universal basic income, but we also have giant carnivorous sandworms like the movie Tremors. Or a universe where we've eradicated malaria. But Jeffrey Epstein is the President, and you're in a 20 year binding contract to host the Talk.

[Jerry O'Connell]

The Talk was a daytime show I hosted for five or six seasons. Love everybody who was a part of it. Thank you so much. It was a good time. Anything with Epstein has got to go. I'm going to choose the Sand Worms and the Universal. The Universal.

[John Lovett]

Good choice. Good choice.

[Jay Pharoah]

You can't. Wow.

[Jerry O'Connell]

That Epstein stuff. Just way to turn me off.

[John Lovett]

Wow. Sorry.

[Jerry O'Connell]

I would have loved that Talk money for a few more years, but you had to throw Epstein's photo up there.

[John Lovett]

That's what makes it a complicated thing. A universe where Hillary Clinton won the 2016, but all food tastes like peeps. Or a universe where Hillary Clinton won the 2016 election but once a day at a random time, you, Jerry o', Connell, shit your pants. And the paparazzi follow you constantly until it happens that day because it's, like, part of our national culture.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Well, I mean. Wait, what's the. What was the thing with the peeps?

[Jay Pharoah]

Who?

[John Lovett]

For everyone on Earth, all food tastes like peeps all the time.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Oh, yeah. I'll take that. Peeps are incredible.

[John Lovett]

So you're telling me, but listen to what you've just chosen. You have said that you want to consign all human beings on Earth to only basically taste peeps forever. Or you can make a sacrifice and just shit yourself at a random time once a day. Then food is great.

[Zack Zucker]

But.

[Jerry O'Connell]

And.

[John Lovett]

But now nobody will know about the Peeps part of it.

[Jerry O'Connell]

All right, you know what? Let me switch my answer. I'll do the shitting my pants and everybody. Like, it's like, almost like I don't care.

[John Lovett]

You see what I'm saying?

[Jerry O'Connell]

Just like, don't make fun of me, guys. No, I did it for the greater good.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, for the greater good. You better be cool about it. Next up, a universe where you are married to Your Sliders co star John Rhys Davies, but he's cheating on you with your brother Charlie o'.

[Jay Pharoah]

Connell.

[John Lovett]

Or a universe where you and John Rhys Davies are blissfully married, but the world is also populated with cyborg terminators that look just like John Rhys Davies.

[Jerry O'Connell]

I don't know. I'm sort of like, I'm a modern love kind of guy. I wouldn't mind, like, my brother. Myself and John Rhys Davies are at a like, three. No, I'm not. I don't have to have sex with my brother.

[John Lovett]

No, it could be at separate times for sure.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Yeah, I don't have sex with my brother. That's, like, getting weird. But, yeah, I'm okay with John and my brother.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. Okay. Wow. That's how open. That's. Yeah.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Public minded. I'm cool, man.

[John Lovett]

You just.

[Jerry O'Connell]

You're not.

[John Lovett]

You're not going to be jealous?

[Jerry O'Connell]

Come on, Mr. L. You know I'm cool. I'm loose, Mr. L.

[John Lovett]

A universe where palant.

[Jay Pharoah]

Hold on a second.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Remember when Billy D. Williams had to rescind saying he was sexually fluid? Remember someone asked him if. Someone asked Billy Dee Williams if he was fluid, and he was like, yeah, fluid.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah, fluid.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Everybody's fluid. And then someone explained to him what it meant and he was like, no, no, no, no, I'm not. I'm not that.

[Jay Pharoah]

I'm not that. That just made me think of me

[Jerry O'Connell]

going, hey, man, I'm cool. I was about to say fluid, but I was like, no, no, no, no,

[John Lovett]

no, no, no, no. A universe where Palantir has turned the entire world into one cop style reality TV show and everyone loves you on it. You're like the breakout star. Or a universe where we have a food replicator like in Star Trek. But Rebecca Romijn only knows you as that annoying guy she met one time who did push ups to impress her at the 2004 Maxim Hot 100 party in Las Vegas.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Okay, okay, okay. You know what? I think I'm gonna be happy that. I don't know what. I think I'm gonna be happy about this. I don't know what Palantir is.

[John Lovett]

Oh, it's like a big tech kind of surveillance company.

[Jerry O'Connell]

I see. I'm so glad. I don't know what that is. Oh, no. Oh, no. Maybe I should know what it is so that I know that I'm being, like, watched by electric eyes.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, it's like that. Yeah, it's like that. Like, private eyes are watching you.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Yeah, I'm not into that. I'm gonna choose Anything with my wife. I love my wife.

[John Lovett]

Great.

[Jerry O'Connell]

We just need something to eat. I love her.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, but that's how you met, right? You were doing push ups and some sort of an event.

[Jerry O'Connell]

I wasn't doing push ups. We met at a. Your audience is so young. They're not gonna know what. This is Maxim Hot 100 party. It was. Maxim was a magazine with like hot people on. It wasn't Playboy service.

[John Lovett]

Shame on you. You know that that's not true. It was a lad mag at a time. It was with Maxim and stuff and it was called a lad mag and it had articles in it, but also babes and so forth. And it was fine.

[Jerry O'Connell]

It was like. It was like gadgets and boobies.

[John Lovett]

Thank you, Jell.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Hey, thank you so much.

[John Lovett]

His new movie, Summer's Lady. He's on TV this summer. We'll be right back. He's gonna stick around. We'll be right back with Jay Barrow.

[Jay Pharoah]

Hey, don't go anywhere.

[Jerry O'Connell]

There's more of Love it or Leave it coming up.

[John Lovett]

Love it or Leave it is brought to you by stamps.com we could all use a few more hours, even minutes to ourselves. Skip your trip to the post office and stop letting mail steal your precious little time. With stamps.com you can print postage and shipping labels from your computer or phone 247 with up to 90% off UPS, USPS, FedEx and more. No lines, no trips, no waiting. Get everything done in minutes and even schedule free pickups so carriers come right to you. Whether you're sending letters, contracts, important legal documents or packages, stamps.com makes mailing simple for businesses of all sizes, including multiple location offices. You can even send certified mail with proof of delivery right from your desk. There's just not enough time in the day. There's so many things you want to get done. If you can not have to go to the post office, that'll save you a bunch of time. So that's awesome. If mailing is taking more time and more money than it should, try stamps.com for free for four weeks and get a welcome kit. Go to stamps.comloveit to get this offer today. That's s tamps.comloveit stamps.com loveit taxes and fees apply. Love or Leave it is brought to you by cookunity. Eating out at restaurants is great, but it's also expensive. The good news is you can actually get that level of culinary satisfaction at home for way less than a night out. CookUnity is the first chef led meal delivery service that makes your meals in small batches inside local kitchens across the US not factories. So every dish ARR with the kind of freshness you get at the restaurant itself. We're talking meals from michelin starred chefs, James beard winners, and food network stars. Go to cookunity.com lowly or use code LOWLY before checkout for 50% off your first week. I love cooking unity. I use it all the time. I have it all the time. This is what I got this week. I got the night market chicken, which is great. Got a carne asada breakfast burrito, which was great. Chicken and broccoli pasta, soy roasted shrimp chow mein. I got the mediterranean braised chicken. I like to get ones that have a protein, a carb, and a vegetable. You know, cover all my bases. And I get six meals a week, which means just a couple times a week, I know I don't have to cook dinner or I don't have to get takeout or I have to eat something bad. I have a healthy, delicious thing waiting for me. So I highly recommend it. Taste what happens when real award winning chefs make fresh, small batch meals just for you. Go to cookunity.com lowly or enter code lowly before checkout to get 50% off your first order. That's 50% off your first order by using code LOLI or going to cookunity.com/lol. Cookunity.com LOLI. And we're back. Please welcome to the stage comedian, actor, musician, and the real Barack Obama. It's Jay Pharoah. Good to see you. Welcome back. Good to see you again. Come on in.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Okay.

[Jay Pharoah]

Where I sit?

[John Lovett]

Right there. Yeah, that's great.

[Jay Pharoah]

All right.

[John Lovett]

Hi.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah. What's up?

[John Lovett]

Hi.

[Jay Pharoah]

What's happening?

[John Lovett]

Good to see you.

[Jay Pharoah]

Good to see you too.

[John Lovett]

So you have a new album on Friday, and it's called the Odyssey.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yes.

[John Lovett]

And now is it. It's on. And you know that there's like a. You know, about the other. You know, there's another odyssey.

[Jerry O'Connell]

But.

[Jay Pharoah]

But, you know, they. They plagiarized. Yeah. And the reason I say that is because actually we created this two years ago. We just putting it out now. So. Yeah, Christopher Nolan stole from us, you know. Yeah. It ain't the same thing. You're not gonna see no Greek mythology monsters or no half naked white men running around. There's none of that. You know what I'm saying? This is all gonna be. This is all music. It's Jay Pharrell in another type of dimension, but the same type of core values. You feel me? Yeah, because, I mean. Yeah, okay. All right, so. Because this guy had all the. The power in the world. He was. He was on a. He was on a mission to find another planet, so. Because Earth is like. Earth is trash. You know, I mean. You know, I mean, this is later. And. And. And, yeah, he gets all this power and he gets all this money, and he saves these folks, and he realizes that having all of that means nothing unless you have love, man. And he finds love. And that is the greatest theme, you know? And the greatest, greatest gift that you could do is give everything back, because you can't take any of it with you, you know? So. Yeah,

[John Lovett]

I disagree.

[Jay Pharoah]

You disagree?

[John Lovett]

No, no. For me, you have to get as much as you can. Climb the greasy pole, get to the top, and then just. Behold.

[Jay Pharoah]

Go to the parties. Go to the dinner parties.

[John Lovett]

It's all about the parties now. It needs to be loud, cuz. Otherwise, thoughts. You gotta keep it loud.

[Jay Pharoah]

Keep it loud.

[John Lovett]

Keep it loud. Otherwise, thoughts. But as long as you don't let your thoughts in. Success.

[Jay Pharoah]

Loud and loud and slippery.

[John Lovett]

Yes, Slippery. Loud. Wet. Loud. Slippery.

[Jay Pharoah]

Wet. Loud and slippery. Like. Like this.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. That's what life should feel like.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah. Like, look, the pe. Some people are freaked out.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. That impression.

[Jay Pharoah]

That was spot on. I'm not gonna explain what I just impersonated, but it was spot on. You know, for the people who follow me right now. Yeah. Yeah.

[John Lovett]

It's good to see ya.

[Jay Pharoah]

It's good to see you too. You know what, man? I love talking like myself. Cause I'm funny as me, you know, Like. You know what I'm saying? It's kind of cool to just be able to kick it. Y' all don't know whether I'm doing a character, but I promise you this is my real voice.

[John Lovett]

But do you.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Is it weird being yourself now?

[Jay Pharoah]

Because it's like you had.

[John Lovett]

You were. You got to hide behind people for a long time.

[Jay Pharoah]

I did. I did, I did. But you know what, man? I'm 38, dog. Yeah, it's about time to. Yeah, that's right.

[Zack Zucker]

Clap.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah. Clap for the millennials. Yeah, that's right. We could write cursive. Yeah, there we go. That's what we got.

[John Lovett]

The Q is weirder than you think. Remember that Q? Yeah. The cursive cubes. Why is it a two? What are we doing here? It's basically a two. What are we doing here?

[Jay Pharoah]

You know what, man? We had to do home row keys and all of that. Yeah, yeah. We survived school lunches, you remember? Because School lunches were bad for us. They gave us that spoiled chocolate pet milk. Yeah. And then they gave us the rectangle pieces of pizza with the cube pepperonis and that little orange crust at the bottom. Yeah. Nobody told you what the grass crust was. You just ate it. You were a kid. Your body's great, you know, you're not. You're not gonna die. You're not gonna die yet, you know? And then, you know, we had to take the physical fitness test. You remember that? Yeah. Whether you was. Whether you was fat or skinny. Yeah. It was a lot of boys, little boys running around flapping breasts, you know, like. Yeah, yeah. I was one of them. Yeah, yeah, Mine were flapping. All my friends was like, yo, dawg, I ain't know you was so thick. I said, I don't know why you looking at me like that? And, yeah, that was. That was really weird. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. We had to do that. You know what I mean? So, yeah, good.

[John Lovett]

I remember. It's such a crazy thing to make kids. Hey. Once a year, on a random Tuesday, you're gonna have to run a mile.

[Jay Pharoah]

I know.

[John Lovett]

In front of everyone. We don't prepare you for this. We don't tell you. And basically, we're just gonna find out who's first and who's last. And the kids that are first, they're gonna wait for you to finish. That was terrible for me.

[Jay Pharoah]

It was for you.

[John Lovett]

Terrible.

[Jay Pharoah]

It was terrible for us. This is bad for us.

[John Lovett]

I remember we were picking teams for something.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

And it was me and this other little boy, and he had thick glasses and played the clarinet, and I was me. And it came down to just the two of us about who was going to be picked last. And when he looked at me and saw that it was just me and him, he burst out crying. And I'm like, why are you cr. I'm consoling him because he's so sad to be at my level. And I was like, why are you crying? This was always how it was gonna be.

[Jay Pharoah]

This. Hey, hey, look, man, Chuckie Fenster wasn't having it. You know what I'm saying? He didn't like what was going on, man. You got picked last, too. I did, too, but only because I was built like my sister at the time. Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Were you chubby as a kid?

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah, I was chubby. I had hips, you know. And you know what? Still to this day, you know, they still. When I do the squats, I'll be a little weary, you know, I'd Be like, I'll be like, yo, if I keep going, you know what I'm saying? I'm gonna have. I'm gonna be a fatty girl. You know what I'm saying?

[John Lovett]

Jerry was chubby as a kid.

[Jay Pharoah]

You were chubby.

[Jerry O'Connell]

I was husky. I wasn't.

[John Lovett]

But his character in Stand by me was just 40 years.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah. Wow.

[John Lovett]

So Jerry, he represented. He represented the husky.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah, there was a. You remember there was a section in the Montgomery wards for husky folks?

[John Lovett]

Yes.

[Jay Pharoah]

Remember that? You know, husky is just a way of people calling you thick politely, because there's nobody. You ain't gonna walk into a party, you. Nobody's gonna do that. You know, you're fat. You fat, sir. You know, your grandmother. Your grandmother has tried to pacify you. Cause. But, you know, beside her church members, she talking about you. You know, she. You know, they talking about your hips and, you know, they talking, wow, he's. I wish I had them hips or your grandson. It's really wild.

[John Lovett]

But you're also doing music.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yes, I'm doing music. Back to the album. Yes. So Anderson Paak. Think about Anderson Paak. Think about Outkast and think about Childish Gambino. It's in that vein. It's in. It's in that genre. It's funk, rap. You know what I'm saying? Hey, I'm not clapping. Nobody. Talking about shooting people. That not what. That's not me. I'd rather talk about something happy, like, you know, save us some money or, you know, getting a free coupon to get some food, Popeyes. You know, something like that. You know, something like.

[John Lovett]

I find because I. I'm struggling a little bit lately because I've. I've said this in the past, which is I. I hope never. I'm just thinking about it. I'm looking at my. Looking too far.

[Jay Pharoah]

Okay.

[John Lovett]

I'm just. That's where the thought is. Thought. You're here, you're here. My thoughts up there. So I got to go find it, get it down, and bring it to us.

[Jay Pharoah]

Such a good actor. I would have thought Nicholas Cage was up there and he was just going to drop down with some angel wings. But you are so dope, John. You know, like that something. You know, I had to give you one. I mean, come on. All right, here we go. Sorry. Go ahead, John.

[John Lovett]

What I was going to say is I was. I was a very unhappy person for a very long time. And I used to say, say that for me, politics wasn't about hope. I don't really care about hope. I'M glad you have it. Or if it's important and motivating to other people. Obama gave people hope. That was great. Got people to come out and vote and do the right thing. But I was motivated by anger and rage. That was what got me. I was like, I'm mad. And now I'm a happy person. And I'm like, wait, I'm not as mad as I used to be. So now I have to figure out how to be motivated by happier things.

[Jay Pharoah]

Right.

[John Lovett]

And I feel like you're doing an album about kind of figuring out what it is to be happy.

[Zack Zucker]

Yes.

[John Lovett]

And after you've been through the kind of grinder of SNL and what that does to you.

[Jay Pharoah]

The grinder of snl, the fame that comes from being popular on that show, and also just the man, just the accessibility that you have as somebody who is young in Hollywood with, you know, women with freaking, you know, drugs, if you want anything that you want, and being able to realize that, no, those things will never make you happy. And one of my friends had a famous quote. He said, if you stand for nothing, you'll fall for everything. You know what I mean? So. Or is that maybe that ain't her quote? Cause somebody said it in the crowd, you know, I think it's the kind of thing that.

[John Lovett]

On, like, brainy quotes that's attributed to Gandhi or Lincoln. Okay, so it could be whoever you want as well, what I'm saying?

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah. Well, okay, so it could be whoever. Whatever I want. So. All right, I heard it. I thought she created it, but maybe. Maybe she didn't. And she ain't as. She ain't as thoughtful as I thought she was. You know, which is cool. Which is cool. But it's a good. It's a good quote. If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything. Or is it everything? Anything. Right.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Everything.

[Jay Pharoah]

Everything. See, she knows. She wrote it. You know what I'm saying? So being able to. Being able to go through that journey with this project and in my life as a parallel has been beautiful, brother. Because, I mean, now, man, I'm. I'm super connected. I don't. Dude, I don't care. You notice? Yeah. I haven't cursed, right? I normally. I would normally curse. I don't curse off stage anymore. I'm trying to take it from my act because I didn't know I wasn't supposed to do it. I had no clue. Getting closer to my faith. I've been reading more, man, and you're not supposed to. You're not supposed to use those words. And you don't have to, to be funny, you know what I mean?

[John Lovett]

Oh, I think I need them.

[Jay Pharoah]

You think you need them?

[John Lovett]

No, they're. They're a crutch and I need them for real. No, but it's still. I still like them having in my toolbox.

[Jay Pharoah]

I mean, John, you know what I. You know what I love and you know what I always need in my life? Silk drawers. You know why?

[John Lovett]

Why?

[Jay Pharoah]

Because when you move, they touch you. You know what I'm saying? It's. It's real. It's real good, you know, I find. I just find myself sometimes just. Just moving from side to side, cuz. Yeah, it just feels good. And everybody who has. Who wears silk, draws, understands me like this, you know? Yeah, you got to get some. It make you feel better, you know?

[John Lovett]

You're right.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah,

[John Lovett]

I don't. Can you guys make a note of that? That I gotta get. I gotta get silk drawers.

[Jay Pharoah]

Silk.

[John Lovett]

Because it feels good to move around. I don't have them, but I need them. Speaking of being of the kind of world SNL put you in.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

You were once drunk at the White House.

[Jay Pharoah]

Oh, my gosh, Yes, I was. The last party that the Obamas had before everything, you know, trumped out, it was. Yeah, I was drunk. Yeah, I was drinking. So was everybody else, but I was having me a few. And I talked to Obama, you know, and I wish. I wish I didn't that night. And the reason is because the conversation. John, check this out. Now, Obama comes up to me and, you know, we've met before. Very gregarious guy, very amiable. He's Obama, you know, he has no choice. You know, he's got to be like that or they going. Or they gonna write about him. You know what I'm saying? So I see this guy, he goes, well, Jay, man, I wish when you

[John Lovett]

were on the show we could have done something together.

[Jay Pharoah]

And my drunk self just was like, oh, I can still make it happen. Yeah, I can make it happen. You know, I can hit Lauren Michaels up right now. I'm talking to the most powerful man in the world, telling him that I had the pull to get him back on SNL so me and him could do a sketch together. Yeah, I haven't had Don Julio since that night, son. You know what I mean? I haven't had it. It's crazy. So crazy. It's so real, man.

[Jerry O'Connell]

So funny.

[John Lovett]

It's so funny to be like, don't worry, President Obama. I'll put in a good word for you.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah. So that was. That was. That was my 757 hanging out, dog. You know, that's where I'm from. That's that Virginia hanging out there. I should. And. But they wouldn't have done that. So it was just me. I messed up. You know, I don't think you can

[John Lovett]

blame your area code.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah, we got always. You know, that's what the Ludacris said. He had holes in the many area codes.

[John Lovett]

Right.

[Jay Pharoah]

You know, right. Yeah. 757404. My cell phone just overload. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we got that one, too. Keep going, man.

[John Lovett]

Okay. Yeah. Now, before. Now that we've got a little Obama, we're gonna use your skills to help people have hard conversations people struggle to have. So here's how it works. I have a list of scenarios that people might need help with. And then we have eggs, the egg of truth, which is filled with people that you could potentially do an impression of.

[Jay Pharoah]

Okay?

[John Lovett]

So first up.

[Jay Pharoah]

Listen, man, the fact that you got Kevin Hart summer home right here is ridiculous. Why would you do that? Why would you do that?

[Jerry O'Connell]

Cause he's so little.

[Jay Pharoah]

Summer home. That's his. It's golden. He wasn't. Come on, John.

[John Lovett]

Come on. Why would I do that? Kevin Hart's summer home here on the table. First up, you have to break it to someone. Break it to you that your wife wants to open the marriage.

[Jay Pharoah]

Oh, man.

[John Lovett]

And you have to do it as Sebastian Maniscalco. You could tell Jerry. It's Jerry who wants his marriage open. Oh, doesn't want his marriage open. He's about to find out his wife wants to open his marriage.

[Jay Pharoah]

Well, the first thing I'm going to say, you got to make sure that your wife never feels like you like the other chick way more. Because. Because if she does, it's game.

[John Lovett]

Ooh, ooh, ooh.

[Jay Pharoah]

Game over.

[Jerry O'Connell]

You feel me?

[Jay Pharoah]

All right. Also. Also, look into your wife's eyes. You gotta stare into her eyes. If you don't look into her eyes, she's gonna find Big Papa Kane and he's gonna pop a 19 right into your wife.

[Jerry O'Connell]

And then.

[Jay Pharoah]

And then you're gonna be like, P. Diddy.

[John Lovett]

You don't wanna do that.

[Jay Pharoah]

Why, Jerry? Why wouldn't you? Why would you. Why would you do that, Jerry? Show the open relationship.

[John Lovett]

All right, next.

[Zack Zucker]

Amazing.

[John Lovett]

Next up, we have to inform Jerry, who is your dad, that you want to go to school to become a professional clown and not for mechanical engineering like he thought as Keanu Reeves.

[Jay Pharoah]

Whoa. You know, you should really have a Conversation with your dad about switching majors before the next payments come through.

[John Lovett]

Whoa.

[Jay Pharoah]

Because if you do, he'll lessen the. The blow. And I can guarantee you, you want the blow lessened. I took over 20,000 blows during John Wick. It's insane. So talk to him. Tell him from the heart what you want to do, and you'll be fine.

[John Lovett]

All right, let's do one more.

[Jay Pharoah]

Wow.

[John Lovett]

That was amazing. Let's do one more. You have to tell Jerry that your test for chlamydia was positive, and you have to inform all your sexual partners. Let's do Denzel Washington.

[Jay Pharoah]

So you've been out in these streets, huh, rookie? You've been out in these streets, huh? You've been out in the streets. You've been slinging the wood. You just been doing it. You've been pumping it. You've been doing it to whoever you want to, right? That's what you've been doing, right? Okay. Well, the first thing you gotta do now is you gotta strap up. That's what you gotta do first, right? You know what? You take that Magnum, you take that Trojan, and you put it on, and you protect yourself from what they call the ratchet reader. You understand? Okay? Now, now that everybody's got chlamydia, this is what I need you to do. I need you to. I need you to talk to them in a very calm tone. You understand? You talk to them in a very calm tone, Jerry. You talk to them just like this, like I'm talking to you, say, listen, you got it, but it's curable, okay? It ain't the worst. Okay? You know why? Cause it could have been the worst. You know, you could have had something that you could never get rid of.

[John Lovett]

Huh?

[Jay Pharoah]

Could have got that HSV2 one. You know what I'm saying? Huh? That's right. The one that makes the one that makes your thing look like nerds. You understand? Okay. All right. So that's all you got to do, Jerry. Just talk to them just like this. And say, listen, once you're cured, call me again. You understand? Okay. All right.

[John Lovett]

All right.

[Jay Pharoah]

Okay.

[John Lovett]

Thank you, Jay. Everybody, Jay's album the Odyssey, is out as of this record right now. Yes. And you can check out the quiz with balls.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Which we didn't even talk about, but basically, you knock people off with giant balls into the water.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah, Just a regular Friday night for Jay Farrell. You know what I mean? I knock them off with my balls, you know? Yeah, no, it's. It's on Fox. We're in the Third season, baby. And the rating. Yeah, we doing.

[John Lovett]

They get the questions wrong. They get knocked into the water by a giant ball.

[Jay Pharoah]

Big ball. N. Listen, you can do your thing. I. You could curse.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, I'm allowed.

[Jay Pharoah]

Listen. Yeah.

[John Lovett]

J world.com for tickets to see him live. And we'll be right back with Zack. Sucker.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Yeah.

[Jay Pharoah]

Hey, don't go anywhere. There's more of Love it or leave it.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Coming up.

[John Lovett]

This episode is sponsored by Better Help. Not everyone experiences summer as an endless parade of hot dogs, vacations, and pool parties. For some people, life's woes don't abate when the temperature climbs and the days get longer. If you've got the summertime blues or simply feeling overwhelmed, better help is there when you need it. With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 6 million people globally. And it works with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for a live session based on over 1.7 million client reviews. BetterHelp therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the US BetterHelp does the initial matching work for you so you can focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps identify your needs and preferences. If you aren't happy with your match, switch to a different therapist at any time from their tailored recs. Everybody needs therapy. You need therapy. I need therapy. Even if you're busy? Especially if you're busy. Got to make time. If it's important to you, you make time. Everybody needs therapy. You don't have to say yes to everything. This summer, find support in therapy. Sign up and get 10% [e-mail]. love it. That's better. H E L P.com Love it.

[Jay Pharoah]

Quick question. Are you politically engaged and spiritually exhausted

[John Lovett]

if you said yes to both. Welcome home. I'm Erin Ryan.

[Jay Pharoah]

And I'm Alyssa Mastromonaco.

[John Lovett]

And we're the hosts of Hysteria, the podcast for women who care about democracy, culture, and not losing their minds in the process.

[Jay Pharoah]

We break down the news, call out the nonsense, and spotlight the women actually fighting back on Capitol Hill. In classrooms and everywhere, the stakes are high.

[John Lovett]

It's sharp, honest analysis featuring women's voices with humor and zero hand holding.

[Jay Pharoah]

Listen to Hysteria wherever you get your podcasts and watch full episodes on YouTube.

[John Lovett]

And we're back. Please welcome to the stage a man who has dedicated his life to clowning around. It's Zack Zucker. There he is.

[Jerry O'Connell]

There he is.

[Zack Zucker]

Hello. I did.

[Jay Pharoah]

I did.

[John Lovett]

Come on, Bring it In, buddy. Bring it in.

[Zack Zucker]

Do you notice anything different about me?

[John Lovett]

Okay, thank you.

[Zack Zucker]

I know this is an audio medium.

[John Lovett]

Is that haircut? Did you get a new haircut?

[Zack Zucker]

It's kind of what you would say.

[John Lovett]

What is?

[Zack Zucker]

I got a huge hat, Jon.

[Jay Pharoah]

Okay.

[John Lovett]

Everyone hates me already.

[Zack Zucker]

No, I just also want to say I didn't realize I was sitting with three chubby losers. As kids, I was jacked. I was a strong child. My legs were so big. They were like, you must be five children on top of each other. And I was like, no, that's just what squatting from a young age looks like. But I was ripped. And I see people are upset with me right now. But imagine. Imagine this way bigger. I kind of slimmed out as I grew up, but I was ripped as a child.

[Jay Pharoah]

We just came up with our next movie we gonna do together. It's called Buff Baby.

[John Lovett]

Buff Baby. Please, please, please.

[Zack Zucker]

If the industry would dare to make

[John Lovett]

such a film as this. But okay, again, corporate Hollywood afraid to do something challenging. So you recently were in a vulture story about the LA clowning community. And I want to give you an opportunity. Thank you. To address them, because I. Because when. Because when people. When I hear clown, when I think about what clowning is, I think of Zach, because I think of somebody who has. You went to France, you studied it, and you came back and you've interpolated into what you do. And then you're on the record in this article seeming to slam the clown community. And I thought, that doesn't sound like the Zach I know. Care to comment?

[Zack Zucker]

Seems like you don't know me at all. No, it was bullshit. I have, like, a fatwa against me right now from the clown community.

[John Lovett]

Everyone wants.

[Zack Zucker]

Everyone's so mad. I spoke about this and this made me remember that I don't trust journalists. And they're not your friends, no matter how nice they are. Because I spent 80 of my 90 minutes talking about how much I love this art form, how it is my favorite thing in the world, how I love Community, how I love all the people, and how appreciative I am of everyone in there. And 10 minutes, 10 toes down, I will say this. Slamming the sycophantic psychopaths who are in this community who substitute therapy for performance, and. And they terrorize audience members and they say, this is this art form and they ruin it. And there are people who've done one class once, and I think it's awesome. You need to have this opportunity to be bad and get this out there. But the whole article came because some guy from Heated Rivalry took two clown classes, and I'm like, well, if I took two pizza making classes, I'm not a pizza maker, I'm just a guy who did something twice, and so I'm heated.

[John Lovett]

Wow, there's so much. I didn't realize how much energy and emotion there is sitting on this for

[Zack Zucker]

three weeks, dude, it's ruined friendships for me. If you're not taking care of the audience and you're not making people feel safe and you're not doing everything to just. Man, it's an art form of service, and I get so passionate about it because I love it. And so to be. To have been misquoted so flagrantly, with no context, to remove all of the history that I feel, I feel I've added to this, to this community, and then I do with pride to be only, like, coming in 90% of the way in as, like, a wrecking ball dude, it was devastating, it was absolutely devastating.

[John Lovett]

I'm, I'm. Well, I'm glad you could talk about it. Well, because here's the reason I want to bring it up is because I'm all I know about this, I know through you, and. But what people often say about you, specifically, is you decided to learn about clowning, and it made you an extraordinary performer, it changed how you were on stage, and, and I see you as a remarkable performer on stage, and so it just must suck to then have this thing that you love, which transformed how you perform, become something where like, all of a sudden you're seen as someone who's, like, being antagonistic about it.

[Zack Zucker]

No, dude, And I'm like, I'm a hater for the sport as a joke, but, like, I'm a lover first, Fellows, ladies, everyone in between. No, I'm like, I have to remember, I have to also be a little bit funny, too. I've come in hot, but what can you expect? I was a jacked child.

[John Lovett]

Wait, you also have your new special out, which is Jack Tucker, which I feel like a lot of people probably heard of you because of Jack Tucker and don't know that you're not Jack Tucker. You know what I mean? That they see Jack Tucker and they're like, oh, that's just the, like, that's

[Zack Zucker]

the wet guy, but, yeah, you're the

[John Lovett]

wet guy, now you're dry, now you're dry as bone.

[Jerry O'Connell]

I'm.

[Zack Zucker]

Well, not when I'm talking to you, John. All right, you know, just because you're married doesn't mean I'm a married man.

[John Lovett]

I'm a married man. Look, we had. Between us, we had. You had a chance and you fucking blew it. And I'm not gonna read it.

[Zack Zucker]

That's what you wanted me to do.

[John Lovett]

Don't tell me to blow it if

[Zack Zucker]

you want me to blow it, John.

[John Lovett]

So you have a Samtown special on Netflix.

[Zack Zucker]

Almost. It's coming soon.

[John Lovett]

We coming soon.

[Zack Zucker]

The Jack Tucker Special's on YouTube. It would mean the world to me if you guys like it. I have a boy. He's 19 years old. He's small, and he's trying to play. He's trying to play baseball. So it would be so cool if you guys could watch this. And then, yeah, we shot one for Netflix for our variety show.

[John Lovett]

That's awesome.

[Zack Zucker]

Thank you. I noticed I had a seat laid out for you and there was like a. Like a balloon and some flowers there, and it was empty. On show night.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Look, obviously it's just like really hard for me to be in the room for you, watching you perform, because of, like, that's where we met. And so it's like, been difficult and like, I've moved on. I'm clear. I've moved on.

[Zack Zucker]

You say that a lot. It doesn't have to be this way, John. I'll never stop. I'll never stop swirling the rumors.

[Jay Pharoah]

It's great.

[John Lovett]

The rumors, the rumors, the rumors.

[Zack Zucker]

One time someone posted on Reddit saying that we had chemistry and I texted him, being like, can I play with that? And that has been what I've done for four years, allegedly.

[John Lovett]

Now it's time for a segment we call I Don't Care. I love it. I love it. Okay, great. Here's how it works. All of our guests will share something that they love, that other people hate, that they may got shit for loving, but they don't care because they love it. We'll each have 60 seconds to defend the thing we love. And I'll kick it off. I'm going to tell you something that I love, that you may think is gross. And I'm just going to tell you that it's awesome. And I've started doing this, which is I take a Diet Coke and I add two shots of espresso and half. And half. Yeah. And you know what? It's fucking awesome. It's delicious. It's carbonated, it's sweet because of the Diet Coke. It has two extra shots of espresso in it. It's got the creaminess from the half and half. It's awesome. It's Delicious. And everyone looks at me like I'm crazy. It's great.

[Zack Zucker]

That's my man.

[John Lovett]

And you should try it before. You see that part of you that's resistant to something that doesn't sound good to you, that anger or kind of disgust you feel for something new, that's the ice agent in every heart. That's the trump inside of you. That's the trump in you. Something new. Disgusting. No, thank you.

[Jerry O'Connell]

No, I'm sorry. I gotta make that face. Why don't you just have, like, an energy drink? They taste good and they're, like, bubbly, and you're like, I feel that in my veins.

[John Lovett]

Okay, you have that. I'll have my thing.

[Jerry O'Connell]

All right. I'm gonna go with mine. I actually heard this recently. I love taking a hot bath or a hot shower. I crank it all the way up high, whether I'm at my house or at a public bath. I love taking baths. Like, public places, public pools, bath houses, stuff like that. But afterwards, and I actually carry them. I love, after a hot bath, a cotton swab in my ear, in my ear canal. It's just, like. It just, like, really? It's borderline sexual for me. It just hits me, like, right there.

[John Lovett]

It's.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Well, it's my G spot.

[John Lovett]

That's it.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Like, right in there. And I feel it. And I recently told someone about it, and they said it's very bad to do that, that you're actually pushing wax into your brain. And you know what? I don't care. I'm gonna keep doing it. I love the way it makes me feel. It fulfills me. And if it makes me feel good, I'm gonna keep on pushing that wax into my brain.

[John Lovett]

Good. Absolutely. The box doesn't even acknowledge its true purpose. The people, the Q Tip people are like, this is for cleaning your keyboard. You know, it's for shoving it in my fucking ears. You didn't build that big headquarters from cleaning keyboards. You built it from people shoving these things in your ears. Your whole business is about the bus, putting these things in your. You can look the other way. Q Tip. But you know what we're doing. You know what your business is.

[Jerry O'Connell]

I just want to say, with someone who has media training. I never said that brand. I said cotton swab.

[Jay Pharoah]

That was a big difference.

[Zack Zucker]

And as someone who doesn't have media. Media training. I'm only thinking about putting them on my bum for the chlamydia test at the AHF Foundation. You can get free sexual health testing.

[John Lovett]

Beautiful.

[Jay Pharoah]

And as somebody that's Crazy. I just. I just envisioned while you were talking about the Q tip and it. Talking. It had Richard Pryor's voice, and I don't know why I thought that, but just. Yeah, Jack is real messed up in here.

[Jerry O'Connell]

Like, it's just dirty, and it's sticky,

[Jay Pharoah]

and I. I can't move myself. I don't know. There you go. Yeah. Is it my. Is it my turn?

[John Lovett]

Yeah, it's your turn.

[Jay Pharoah]

Yeah. All right, so check this out. I don't care what nobody says, son. Okay? First of all, Peanut Butter Crunch is one of the best cereals ever. I don't care if it rips up the top of the roof of your mouth. Nobody cares, son. That's called Battle scars. If I got.

[John Lovett]

And.

[Jay Pharoah]

And you. You know what? I'mma give you something else. Ludacris is one of the greatest rappers of all time. That's right. Top five for me. Mother up. I'm a monster in this game. Similar to the Loch Ness. My rhymes is nappy rude, and some verses got a process. The truth in this booth ain't no doubts when I'm rapping. If I said it, I either done it, or it's about to happen. Luda. Yes, sir. And I still got 20 seconds. Cause I'm nice, son.

[Zack Zucker]

Yes, yes.

[Jerry O'Connell]

That was lovely.

[Jay Pharoah]

Just give him some wine. He's good.

[John Lovett]

All right, Zach, you're up.

[Zack Zucker]

Damn. I mean, I just. I want to enjoy. There was four seconds left to enjoy. Ludacris. I just want to say we were talking about that backstage, and I. I also. I know everyone's clamoring to know my opinion on it. I agree. And the crowd goes mild.

[John Lovett]

All right, you have 60 seconds. Zach, what is something you love that others hate?

[Zack Zucker]

I think I'm gonna go a bit more local to Los Angeles specific and say I love riding lime scooters with. With speakers around my body

[Jerry O'Connell]

with an

[Zack Zucker]

alleged spliff in my mouth. Sunglasses, no shirt, bathing suit, ripping it down Sunset Boulevard. We are in California, people.

[John Lovett]

What else are we supposed to be doing?

[Zack Zucker]

And yeah.

[Jay Pharoah]

Oh, you're the boomboom.

[Zack Zucker]

Oh, sorry, you mean the good pedestrian on the road practicing hearing safety? I don't have earplugs in my ears. I don't got headphones in my ears. I'm open to the road so I can hear, but I'm vibing out. You think I'm gonna miss that beautiful sunset, right? Is it Crest over Hillhurst? You're out of your goddamn minds. I'm gonna be scooting and booting. I'm gonna be smoking, and people are gonna be looking. I'm like, yeah, I'm nervous what you think about me, but I feel good, so it's okay. And I'm usually listening to Luda. You know what I mean? Oh, God. I'm a household name with game spitting out of my MO I spit it out and about, and I spit it out and about until they recognize the date.

[John Lovett]

Okay?

[Zack Zucker]

No one even knows, but I got you.

[John Lovett]

And that's our show. Thank you so much to Jerry J. And zach. There are 144 days until the midterms. We'll be back next week with a very special pride show. Have a great night and have a great weekend. Love it or Leave it is a Cricket Media production. Our show is produced by Kendra James, Bill McGrath, Kelsey Gante, and me, John Lovett. Our production team includes Hallie Keeper, Sarah Lazarus, David Toles, Claudia Shirley, Jay Banks, Gavin Purcell, and Matt De Groat. And our staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.

[Jay Pharoah]

Quick question. Are you politically engaged and spiritually exhausted

[John Lovett]

if you said yes to both? Welcome home. I'm Erin Ryan.

[Jay Pharoah]

And I'm Alyssa Mastromonaco.

[John Lovett]

And we're the hosts of Hysteria, the podcast for women who care about democracy, culture, and not losing their minds in the process.

[Jay Pharoah]

We break down the news, call out the nonsense, and spotlight the women actually fighting back on Capitol Hill, in classrooms and everywhere. The stakes are high.

[John Lovett]

It's sharp, honest analysis featuring women's voices with humor and zero hand holding.

[Jay Pharoah]

Listen to Hysteria wherever you get your podcasts and watch full episodes on YouTube.