159. Hasan Minhaj Returns: Off with His Head, On with His Jokes

Summary

Podcast Summary: Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out
Episode 159: Hasan Minhaj Returns: Off with His Head, On with His Jokes
Release Date: February 3, 2025

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Introduction

In episode 159 of Working It Out, comedian Mike Birbiglia welcomes back the talented Hasan Minhaj for his third appearance on the podcast. The episode, titled "Hasan Minhaj Returns: Off with His Head, On with His Jokes," delves into Minhaj's latest Netflix special, "Off With His Head," and explores a variety of topics ranging from the creative process in comedy to personal childhood memories and political satire.

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Discussion Topics

1. Hasan Minhaj's Latest Special: "Off With His Head"

• Praise and Comparisons: Mike begins by lauding Minhaj's new special, comparing it to legendary comedian George Carlin. Minhaj responds with humility, acknowledging the high praise.

  • Mike Birbiglia: “This is the biggest compliment.” [00:33]
  • Hasan Minhaj: “This is insane.” [03:29]

• Political Humor and Timing: Minhaj discusses the timing of his special, which was filmed just before a significant political event—the day Donald Trump was shot. This momentous event was selectively excluded from the special to maintain its comedic integrity.

  • Hasan Minhaj: “We filmed it the day Donald Trump got shot. Oh, Jesus Christ.” [04:14]

• Themes in the Special: Minhaj emphasizes that his comedy focuses on what genuinely matters to people, such as financial concerns and personal experiences, rather than being bogged down by demographic generalizations.

  • Mike Birbiglia: “…only pay attention to what matters.” [05:49]
  • Hasan Minhaj: “Here are the issues that actually matter.” [05:20]

2. Developing Standup Bits and Crowd Work

• Storytelling in Comedy: Both Birbiglia and Minhaj share insights into constructing effective standup routines. Birbiglia discusses his challenges with opening material, using his “bird shitting in the eye” story as an example.

  • Mike Birbiglia: “So what a bit. They do with a tag where you just continue to kind of freestyle...” [17:08]

• Crowd Work Techniques: Minhaj suggests leveraging crowd work to enhance storytelling by engaging with the audience, such as asking about their fastest kids in school or their first childhood crushes.

  • Hasan Minhaj: “Do you think I should be looking for more punchlines...” [22:01]

• Escalation and Punchlines: The conversation highlights the importance of escalating a joke or finding a twist to maintain audience engagement.

  • Hasan Minhaj: “This is the joke at peak.” [22:17]
  • Mike Birbiglia: “That's a great tip.” [23:06]

3. Childhood Memories and Personal Stories

• Fastest Kid Anecdote: Birbiglia recounts his experience as the second-fastest kid at his elementary school, blending humor with self-deprecation.

  • Mike Birbiglia: “I must have been 13 yards into the 50 yard dash.” [14:00]
  • Hasan Minhaj: “It was the most important thing.” [15:09]

• First Crush Narrative: Minhaj explores the innocence and purity of first crushes, discussing how these memories can be both heartfelt and humorous.

  • Hasan Minhaj: “There's nothing I literally want to hold your hand.” [25:03]
  • Mike Birbiglia: “I'm in a fit.” [25:36]

4. Political Commentary and Society

• Power Structures: Minhaj critiques entrenched power systems like the DC establishment, Wall Street, and major political parties, suggesting that only unforeseen "Black Swan" events can disrupt the status quo.

  • Hasan Minhaj: “The incumbent entrenched power system...pretty set in their ways.” [07:00]

• Impact on Democracy: The duo discusses the challenges current political figures pose to democratic processes, emphasizing the slow pace of societal change.

  • Hasan Minhaj: “The world will not change as fast as Uber Eats delivers.” [09:35]

• Comedic Responsibility: They debate the role of comedians in reflecting and challenging societal norms without alienating audiences.

  • Mike Birbiglia: “I'm team a lot.” [43:48]
  • Hasan Minhaj: “Being passionate is important.” [43:57]

5. Personal Reflections and Relationships

• Hasan's Faith Journey: Minhaj shares his recent experience meeting the Pope and receiving rosary beads, connecting it to his family's Catholic background and his parents' values.

  • Mike Birbiglia: “He gave us rosary beads...” [37:06]
  • Hasan Minhaj: “It made me feel more in touch with my own personal history.” [37:35]

• Mike's Almost Conversion to Islam: Birbiglia humorously recounts his near-conversion experience in high school, highlighting his curiosity and open-mindedness towards different religions.

  • Mike Birbiglia: “I almost converted to Islam when I was in high school.” [36:07]

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Notable Quotes

• Mike Birbiglia: "Comedy is tragedy plus time." [20:00]
• Hasan Minhaj: “Here are the issues that actually matter.” [05:20]
• Mike Birbiglia: “I'm team a lot.” [43:48]
• Hasan Minhaj: “The world will not change as fast as Uber Eats delivers.” [09:35]
• Mike Birbiglia: “It's a very, very, very moving performance.” [46:42]

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Insights and Conclusions

Episode 159 showcases the dynamic chemistry between Mike Birbiglia and Hasan Minhaj as they navigate through personal anecdotes, the intricacies of developing comedic material, and thoughtful political discourse. Minhaj’s ability to intertwine humor with genuine societal observations provides listeners with both laughs and food for thought. Birbiglia’s reflective storytelling complements Minhaj’s incisive commentary, offering a comprehensive look into the creative processes behind successful standup comedy.

The episode underscores the importance of authenticity in comedy, the power of personal experiences in shaping comedic narratives, and the role comedians play in addressing and reflecting societal issues. Through their engaging dialogue, Birbiglia and Minhaj not only entertain but also inspire aspiring comedians to delve deeper into their creative journeys.

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Conclusion

Hasan Minhaj's return to Working It Out is a testament to his enduring appeal and his adeptness at blending humor with meaningful content. From discussing his latest special to exploring childhood memories and the state of politics, this episode offers a rich and engaging listen for both fans and newcomers alike. Whether you're interested in the mechanics of comedy or the personal stories that fuel it, episode 159 delivers insightful perspectives with plenty of laughs.

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Listen to the full episode here or subscribe to Working It Out on your favorite podcast platform.
For more information on Hasan Minhaj's special, visit Netflix.

Transcript

[Hasan Minhaj]

I'm down to jump off the high dive.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Like when. If we're on, like, a trip with da boys and, like, we, like, climb up, like, we go to a lake and we climb up on the rock.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And you're like, let's jump off of it. I'll jump off.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Me too.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I'll jump off.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Same.

[Hasan Minhaj]

So, like, that. That's probably like my. But in a weird way, it was good for comedy.

[Mike Birbiglia]

How come I'm never on the trip with you with the boys?

[Hasan Minhaj]

Because we didn't go to high school together. I know, but these are, like, my middle school.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Put me on the group chain, drop me in. You know what I mean? Get. No, I think, like, you have zero.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Interest in hanging out with Hit Squad. Those are my. You have no interest in hanging out. You have zero interest in hanging out with Hit Squad.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I would be. I think I would slide right in with Hit Squad. What do you think about me? Doesn't qualify me for Hit Squad.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Do you play basketball?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, I'll play basketball.

[Hasan Minhaj]

All right. Foreign.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That is the voice of the great Hasan Minaj. Man, I love it when Hasan comes on. It's his third time on the podcast. He's a fan favorite. He's actually. He's one of the people. He's one of our first guests on the show. Whenever people ask, where is a good place to start with the podcast? Because, you know, we're well over 150 episodes now. I always say the first Hasan Minaj episode, and after that, the second. And after that, this one today. His latest Netflix special is fantastic. It's called Off With His Head. I love talking to him on this show. By the way, thanks to everyone who's been coming out to my shows. I just added four small shows in March in Largo in la, which sold out immediately. I sent the email to the mailing list. I always say on the show, sign up for the mailing list to be the first to know. We may add more, I don't know. But if we do, again, you will be the first to know. I will be donating a portion of the proceeds from those shows to people affected by the fires. I also added a sixth show in New York City at the Beacon Theater, March 18. Tickets are going fast. Grab those while you can. I was just in Toronto this week. I'm in Baltimore, which is sold out. Palm beach, sold out. Northampton and Burlington, Vermont. Sold out again. Check on Burbigs.com for the details. I'm so excited to share the new show, the Good Life with You all love talking to Hasan. Today we talk a little politics. Rare for me. We dive deep into childhood memories. Who was the fastest kid at your school? Who were your first childhood crushes? Why are those memories so important, so funny? Names have been bleeped to protect the innocent. We talk a lot about how to develop a standup bit from scratch, how to use crowd work strategically to find what's funny about a story. And it's just a nerdy episode. Enjoy my conversation with the great Hassan Minhaj. Working it. First of all, love this special so much. I, you know, you don't want to be hyperbolic to a point where, like, I like, you feel like. I feel like I'm overdoing it. I feel like it's Carlin esque. It's George Carlin esque, you know, and you have to take this compliment, Mike.

[Hasan Minhaj]

This is insane. You know, like, you know some of the best living comedians. Of course.

[Mike Birbiglia]

This is the biggest compliment.

[Hasan Minhaj]

That's an insane.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No. But this is how I felt about this special.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Okay.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And I urge people to watch the special. Yeah. George Carlin was like a very liberal person, very liberal views, if you were going to categorize them. But the way he did comedy refused to be categorized. He was, he was cynical about everything.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

About all parties, all groups, blah, blah, blah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And I was just like, my hat is off to you. I mean, you bet. I think it's prophetic of the election. I think you called out because you filmed it before the election.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And you basically said, I don't think people realize, like, most people are just thinking about money.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And how, how it's going to affect their pocketbook. And it's like, that's what all the exit polls show.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. We filmed it the day Donald Trump got shot. Oh, Jesus Christ.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So crazy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

At the Early Show. And Matt Richards was, by the way, Matt Richards, one of the funniest.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Love him.

[Hasan Minhaj]

One of the funniest comics in the city. Matt Richards. Love him. Matt was the one who came into, like, my dressing room and was like, dude, Donald Trump got shot.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, that's crazy. Oh, my God.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And of course, you can't put that in the special because it's like, God knows how it ends.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And I remember being like, this is this 11 more crazy things are going to happen. We're not going to talk about it. And people legitimately, like, in the green room, like, we should maybe, Right?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Maybe. No way.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You know, insane. You. There's 80 crazier things that are going to happen. And they did happen.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Were you dead set on having the special speak to a moment in time?

[Hasan Minhaj]

To me, like, I wanted to come out right before the election.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I just. I just felt like there was people who know my comedy would maybe be like, what's his take on it?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You know, and I wanted. There was. There were particular things that I think were happening in the culture that I think only maybe my POV could speak to.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And a lot of the kind of the intellectualization of, like, who. Who. Who are black men going to vote for?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Like, what do Latino men want? Or whatever.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. What do Indian men want?

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. All that stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I was like, it. You. I don't think you've spoken to any. Is my first critique.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And yet, do you know any immigrant families? Right. Do you know the way we talk? And so it was just an articulation of that POV of like, here are the. Here are the issues that actually matter.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And you create a grouping that you call beijustan bajustan.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Is that your term?

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes. I mean, I hadn't heard. I hadn't heard the premise. I mean, there's, you know, 10 other comics I could check if they promise. Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But, yeah, I think Beijing is going to be used, but race, I think it's going to be used by people in politics. We're going to talk about that behind the scenes in the next election.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Because I think people are going to go. It's like what Hasan said. We got to speak to Beijersan.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You talk about in the special how every election you get called.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, I got the brown whisper.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I got the call.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. Yeah, totally. Because people are like, we need.

[Hasan Minhaj]

We have to save democracy and voters, but don't, you know, we have to save democracy.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You have to save democracy.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Democracy.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And Hassan's gonna do it.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I wonder, after you've called them out in the special, whether they call for the next election.

[Hasan Minhaj]

They will call. They won't change a thing.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's interesting. Is that your take?

[Hasan Minhaj]

That is my take. Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So you feel like, yeah, these people who lost this election are not gonna. Are not taking notes on why they lost the election.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Not at all.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's interesting.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. I don't think.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I hope they. I hope they try to change.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I don't think the. The. The power structures that be.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

The incumbent entrenched power system. That is whatever you want to call it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Dc, Wall street, the. The dnc, the rnc, they're pretty Set in their ways.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I think the only things that upend that are. Are new phenomenons.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right.

[Hasan Minhaj]

That exist outside of that. That's, that that exists in show business as well.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, that's interesting.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Do you know what I mean? Like, like, it's just a j. It's just, I think a general concept and with anything that involves any sort of like entrenched power.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

That it, it, like it exists as is until one day it. Some Black Swan event kind of changes it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, I think you're right.

[Hasan Minhaj]

How many, how many times have we heard this thing of like, oh, musicals in Hollywood just don't work.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You know what I mean? And then, and then they do. No, I think, do you see what I'm saying? No, no, I think that's that sort of thing.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I think you're absolutely right. I think, like, that's why, you know, as it relates to creativity or on, you know, the show, working it out. It's like, if you're doing something that's unique, keep doing the thing if you're passionate about it.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Because eventually in the cycle, at some point it gets to you.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I feel like we've seen this. Like when I started telling stories.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

In the early 2000s, like, it wasn't very popular.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Not at all.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Everyone's telling stories. Everyone has long stories. The most mainstream.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Pop specials.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'm seeing people open with a 15 minute story.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Like you made the conscious choice to. Or was it also in many ways an act of desperation? I feel like that's what.

[Mike Birbiglia]

How dare you.

[Hasan Minhaj]

No, but that is, that is, that is, that is comedy. That is like standup comedy.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I know.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You mean there are levels to this.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, you're right. But to circle back to like. So when I started telling stories, it wasn't a popular thing to do. And then in the last like 15 years, it became like the thing that people do. And then it'll cycle back, but you.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Just, you gotta do what you do.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I completely agree. So you talk in the special about how essentially politicians are too old. You bring up Pelosi and I mean, I, I do a whole thing about, yes. Mitch McConnell and my thing. Right now he's like freezing. He's like freezing. We're fine with it. Somehow. People are fine with it.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But then I'm like, you know, I bring up Diane Feinstein, who I point out went full dead. She was thousand years old. And everyone's like, you're maybe a thousand. That's sexist. And then she's Full dad.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And.

[Hasan Minhaj]

But, like, average age of Senate, 65.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Is that what it is?

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah, the retirement age, I mean, it's crazy, but.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But it's.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah, it's madness. Yeah. I mean, a lot of the. My perspective in the special is just kind of understanding the world will not change as fast as you would like it to.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, yeah, exactly.

[Hasan Minhaj]

That's. That's actually like. I mean, that's like the real punchline. So what do I like? You have been dealt this hand.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And the world will not change as fast as Uber Eats delivers.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yes.

[Hasan Minhaj]

So, like, what do you want? How do you want to navigate that reality? And that's where I think a lot of the comedy is for me.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Do you think you'll do more political comedy for your next special?

[Hasan Minhaj]

I think it's just where the bits hit me.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Like, I texted you last night about.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's where you go.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah, it's where I. Like where I am.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right. So you texted me last night. It was really funny because it is a thing that I think about a lot. Yes, you texted me last night. Do you remember the fastest kid in your elementary school?

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. Do you remember the fastest kid in your school?

[Mike Birbiglia]

You want to know what comedians text each other is fucking. That is in a nutshell.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You know the fastest kid in your elementary school? No. Like, hey, what's up? How are things? Do you know the fastest year elementary school? Why was that so valuable? Being fast in third grade was a huge deal.

[Hasan Minhaj]

It was. It was the most important thing.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I remember the whole government name of the fastest kid at Pioneer Elementary School, and we'll beep him out.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes. So it was a huge deal. Like, I remember, they're like, it's gonna race.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, yeah. Oh, it's recess. Huge deal. It's a huge deal.

[Hasan Minhaj]

The Internet existed, by the way. Okay, so it sounds like I'm telling a story from the 1930s.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, this is. First of all, you're absolutely right. But don't you think this is a great bit?

[Hasan Minhaj]

This is a great bit.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, it's a great bit.

[Hasan Minhaj]

All right. Now the question is, because people are.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Watching this at home or listening to it, and they are immediately thinking, the fastest.

[Hasan Minhaj]

The names. We bleep the names. But in the comment section, write down the full government name.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, yes.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Of the fastest kid in your school.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Come on. Okay, I'll tell you. Mine will believe it was the fastest. St. Mary's School was the fastest.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And now, judge. Look at that. Look at that. Look at that.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It was like, no, so. But I'll tell you my story. I'm sure you have your story, so. Because this immediately made me think of this.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

50 yard dash. 100 yard dash. I think those are the dashes.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes, those are the dashes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Okay. Okay.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

50 yard dash on your yard dash every year. Michael Gavin on BLEEP would. We actually don't have to bleep Michael because he. I smell like one of my close friends.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Oh, that's so funny.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're good with him. And the other guy's a great guy, too, but. And he wouldn't care. But. But we'll be good. Anyway, so Michael Kavanaugh would win the fifty and the hundred.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Okay.

[Mike Birbiglia]

At St. Mary's yeah. But the rule was that you had to send two different people for two different events. Running events to the town track meet.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes. Where you compete with other kids.

[Mike Birbiglia]

The other kids from the other town.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. Yeah. Were you number two?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, so I. Holy shit. Yeah, yeah, so I. I went. I think it was 15.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Why the. Are you a comedian? You were second fastest at your school.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'm a good sprinter. I'm a bad long distance runner. Oh. I'm a good sprinter. Bad long distance runner.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I can only dunk, but I can't shoot. What? Mike. By the way, you want to have fun on Google Images? Google Image. Mike Birbiglia Young. Go to Images. There are some. My brother, you were a smoke show when you were younger.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, I wasn't. You're a stud. What are you talking about? Talking about you're gonna Google image me as a child.

[Hasan Minhaj]

No, no, no, not as a child. As a young man. There's, like, these Georgetown photos of you. I was like, hey, can we go to series on this pilot? Like, you have number one on the call sheet. Looks like it is Microviglia Young. I remember. Yeah. There's some photos of you. I'm like, you're quite the. Yeah, man. Even here, man. Your jawlines. I mean, it's.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, yeah. That was my first Comedy Central premium blend. No, no, no.

[Hasan Minhaj]

We're firing on all cylinders. There's one. There's one of you in a. In a T shirt. And I was like, one of you.

[Mike Birbiglia]

In a T shirt?

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah, yeah. It's like a smedium. Like, there's kind of like this medium.

[Mike Birbiglia]

All right, we don't have to dwell on this.

[Hasan Minhaj]

We don't have to dwell on this.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But the point is, anyway, I went to the town. Drag me.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And I raced.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And I'm. I'm not kidding. The gun went off or whatever the hell indicated it.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I must have been 13 yards into the 50 yard dash. He was done.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Holy shit.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I mean, he was so far away from me.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And then I faked a toe injury.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Like, what a difference. Half a school. My toe.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, my toe. I just took a dive.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Oh, shit. Because I was so embarrassed.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I was like, you can't show up at the town track meet and lose by three quarters of the race.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes, yes, but that's.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's what. That's the case of, like, small school. St. Mary's School compared to the larger town.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Large publicity.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

But what a difference one exit takes, you know.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

On your athleticism. No, it's probably less than, like, eight.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Miles, but okay, so. So, you know, your grade school.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Racer.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes. And it was. It was. I was just. I'm thinking about this for a bit because I was like, why did that have the highest currency? It. It quickly holds no value.

[Mike Birbiglia]

What, jogging?

[Hasan Minhaj]

Jogging, Sprinting, Running as just an idea. It was. It was the shit, I think, up until, like, right. Fourth grade. Right.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's like crypto.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. Can you run for some arbitrary distance in the field during recess? So that's cool. Up until, like, fourth grade, then you get to adulthood and they're like, never move and stare at the screen for 10 hours.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's great.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Okay. Okay, so now the question is, what direction? What do. What. What does Microbiglia do? Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I think you have to go to the seller and. Yeah, yeah. And talk about it.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And I would. And actually, honestly, I would probably do crowd work and go, who's the fastest?

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Was anyone fastest in their town and just see what you get.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Because you do get.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I mean, I did write this down. I was like, start. Start with a. Just do it as crowd work.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's the thing about crowd work is a lot of times people will. They'll make fun of the Com. The phenomenon of crowd work and Instagram or whatever. But actually, like. Like, I've been doing a bit lately.

[Hasan Minhaj]

But Shotgun a bit is pretty cool.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. Like, I've been doing a bit lately where I say to the audience, I go. I said to my wife, like, she. She seemed upset. What's going on? She goes, nothing. And it's that fork in the road. Do you probe or do you let it lie? Oh. And I go, I've been married 16 years. I don't know who's been married the longest. And they're like, go to the audience. Someone says, 50. Or someone says 40 or blah, blah, blah, Whatever it is, whatever the longest is.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Right.

[Mike Birbiglia]

What do you do? I swear to God, gold. Every time.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. When someone.

[Mike Birbiglia]

All their answers are gold because it's totally real, it's totally spontaneous. And by the way, they're never even the same answers. You would think it would be all.

[Hasan Minhaj]

The same between the early show and the late show. Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

One of them goes. One of them goes, I let it lie. I asked the wife, she goes, I let it lie. And then I said, the guy, what do you do? Sam or whatever? He goes, I probe relentlessly. And I'm just like, brilliant. The crowd goes nuts. It's like I can't do something as funny as that. As, as Sam.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

The 75 year old man saying, I probe relentlessly.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Who didn't think he was going to speak at the comedy show.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I think crowd work is so much about, like, what's the question? And yours is perfect for crowd work because it's this bit.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Who's the fastest?

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. And then who's the fastest in their town? I've already, I've tested out with like seven or eight people and they say the full government name and I'm like, oh, this is going to be. Yeah, you're right. This will be great.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Here's a job. Add to that, because this is an inside joke that Joe. Joe and I always have.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Whenever. Whenever you go to any kind of like town, track meet, town, anything that's like multi city.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You always have the one guy who goes, I'm the best in my town. You're like, I have no way to substantiate this.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Right, right.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So Joe and I, whenever we're trying to brag about something, we just go, I'm the best in my town.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Uhhuh.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And it basically means you. There's nothing you can do. Yeah, yeah. There's nothing you can say. I can just say, I'm best in my town.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. I'm the best in my town.

[Hasan Minhaj]

That's so funny.

[Mike Birbiglia]

We jump straight into the working it out section, which I enjoy. You've been on the podcast so much that, like, you and I, I think, have a. A better rhythm than most.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And also there's a trust fall element of it, which is like, well, yeah, let's talk it through. Like, we know that this isn't done. We know we're trying to figure it out, you know, and it's like some people do that a lot. Like you and I are two people who obsess over this if we're not doing it here on the air, we're doing it on the phone.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Right?

[Mike Birbiglia]

But, like, here's my quandary on my tour right now I have bits that are good and I like, but I can't figure out what to open with. I know what the main story is, but I can't figure out what to open with. So this week I started opening with. I don't know if it'll stay is this story. It's true story, which is one day I went like, I dropped my daughter off at musical camp or something, whatever the hell it was. Like, I make this joke sometimes where I go, yeah, it could have just been like a bin for nine year olds and I would have dropped her in and be like, enjoy bin class.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Go to the. Go to the coffee shop. Go to the coffee shop early in the morning.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Tupperware workshop.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Sure. Exactly. Do they go in the Tupperware? They go outside, inside. Oh, airtight, Airtight. Breathe.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Oh, it's for tactile guy can't breathe.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Well, you know, do. Do. You can do again. Everyone does their best. Best efforts. No, but. So then I go to the coffee shop with one of the other dads, and then it's early in the morning, I look up. True story. A bird 25ft in the air shits in my eye. And it hurt so much. It hurts so much more than I thought it would hurt.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Oh, my God.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And I. And. And I have to say, like, the reason I think it. I didn't think it was going to hurt was that it's liquid, technically, but it's a complicated cocktail because it's. It's fecal matter and urine in one mixture.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And it feels like a solid. And there's also kind of almost a spiritual pain of your inner monologue being like, there's bird in my eye. Moments ago, there was that purchase in my eye. Currently, there's in my eye. And then my friend Rob, who's with me, he looks over, he knows I'm coming in, he goes, well, it's good material. And I go, comedy is tragedy plus time, Rob. The bird shit is still in my eye.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And still warm. Right. And then I go, you know, the tragedy's ongoing. And. And then it's like the bit they do.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You're the joke.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You're the joke.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Later from.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Thank God for jokes.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And then I go. Which is all to say, because I tell a story that is very dramatic for my life in the show about my dad, which is all to say, when I tell you the story that I'm going to tell you tonight, the birds are still in my eye. I'll tell you the quandary of this, of this. Comedically, it's a fun story up top that a bird shit in my eye.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But it's not a banger, right? Like, it's not. You know what I mean?

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Like, people are like, cool, right? Fun story.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And they're like, where's the escalation? Where's the twist?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Where's the escalation? Where is this going? And that is the tease of it. It's like. It's like, there's birds still in my eye. What does that mean? And then we go into the thing, and that might end up in the special. Like, that might be where it starts.

[Hasan Minhaj]

No way.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. That might be the beginning of the special. I don't know. But it is, right. It is right now. Like, on tour right now. That's how I start.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

My question is, do you think I should be looking for more punchlines in the bird shit story, or do you think I should just try other things at the top of show? Because you've been in this situation before.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You've heard the version of. You've heard the. Do your closer as your opener.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right, I've heard that concept. Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So just to be. For people who haven't heard that, some comedians say, when you go out on tour, do your closer.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

From your last special as your opener, so that the rest of the show has to follow the best thing you've ever written or done.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's a smart piece of wisdom.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. Another. Another thing that I felt has totally worked is do the. Do the bit up until it's still. It's still in my eye. There hasn't been enough time. Like, you do the bit up until where you feel like, okay, we're maxed out.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

This is the joke at peak. This is the peak. You ever do this with a tag where you just continue to kind of freestyle slash flail on stage?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

But your subconscious will try to find it or escalate it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

That's what I found, is that you naturally sometimes find an escalation.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, in other words, so I should go on stage, maybe the seller in a small show, and just be like, I'm gonna free associate and riff as.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Soon as it's done. Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And to be like, can I heighten the laugh?

[Mike Birbiglia]

You're absolutely right. Because.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Because really, what you're looking for when we're like, this bit's not work. There's no escalation or there's no twist.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's a great tip. And by the way, if people are listening or, you know, our comics, I think this is a great piece of wisdom, and I do try to do that A lot of times. I'll take something that I'm like, I think the idea is funny.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But at a certain point, the peak is like a 7 or an 8. But I want it to be a 10.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And. But I think that's a good way to do it, which is just go there and be like, I have no parachute. Or the parachute's the next bit.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Support for Working it out comes from Helix. Helix has been a sponsor of Working it out for a long time. They cater to your every sleeping need. They do mattresses. As you might know, I have a sleep disorder. So I. I'm a pretty good source for mattress recommendations. I'm not a doctor. In fact, I'm a comedian. But I can tell you this is my favorite mattress I have ever owned. And I. I do. I really do sleep better on it. By the way, Helix does pillows. Let's talk about pillows for a second. The Helix Dream pillows. Ooh, I love these pillows. They are a. They're the kind of perfect pillows that aren't too firm, aren't too soft. I could talk about pillows and mattresses all day, but we got to get back to the podcast. So go to helixsleep.com burbigs for 20% off. Site wide, plus two free dream pillows with mattress purchase. That's helixsleep.com burbigS for 20% off. That's pretty good. Site wide, plus two free Dream Pillows with mattress purchase. Helixsleep.com burbigs.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Speaking of the bit that I was talking to you about, about the fastest. The fastest. There's also. I was riffing this out. The idea of your first crush.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And what's. So we all remember our first crush. But what's.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But talk about we're gonna bleep stuff out. I mean, I'll sell real off poor names and we'll bleep them off.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. These people. These people are on LinkedIn. They're paying mortgages.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Don't do this forever.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Forever. But here's what's. Here's what's beautiful about. I was riffing this out with. With a buddy of mine, and I was like, oh, that's beautiful. He's like, what's really beautiful about your first childhood crushes? It's like, I don't want to have sex with you. I just want to look at you. Let's go. Maybe hold your hand. It's called like, there's nothing I. Literally, there is.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'm in a. I'm in a fit.

[Hasan Minhaj]

There aren't enough hormones in me to make this an actionable offense. I just. Well, not only that, it's like a roomy poem. It is simply me gazing upon you that moves me. Like, just the idea of you.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I think that bit's done. Have you done that on stage?

[Hasan Minhaj]

I haven't done it on stage.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, I think that's a riot.

[Hasan Minhaj]

But I go, maybe I. Like, do you know what I mean?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Maybe I do.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I do it after the. I. I try to figure out fastest.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Fastest at school in third grade, something, and then. No, I think those two together are fantastic. No, your first crush. Because also, you don't know necessarily what sex is or even almost anything.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And so you're just like, I just want to be in the mix around here.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. I want to be within. Yeah. You know how airdrop works on your. I just want to be within airdrop distance of.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You know how airdrop work on your phone. I want to be on the same wi FI network.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Just want to be within Bluetooth range of you. Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

There's something about the first crush.

[Hasan Minhaj]

How surreal would it be at your age to call some random 917 number and be like, where we at to that name?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Grow up on a 917. Sorry, sorry. You were in the 508.

[Hasan Minhaj]

508.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Sorry.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

917 would be truly major if I called a 508.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. And go, hey, it's Mike Big. I just wanted to go, so.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So it would be. We'll beep them out. Yeah, it'd be. Of course it'd be.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. Why are these names so good? These names are so good. We. We could have done a whole writer's room and we're never gonna be these.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Wait, name yours. We'll bleep them.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You gotta bleep them. There's only one.

[Mike Birbiglia]

She's fire.

[Hasan Minhaj]

She's. I mean, I'm happily married with two children.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But I think.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah, I remember. Yeah. Fourth grade. I remember Miss Class vividly.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. Do we have to bleep miss? Okay.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. I think she's still working. Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But it's like.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You know what I mean? Yeah. So there's something in that idea of like. And I think the bit works because it is so pure. You've taken out like all the ickiness of.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Love that comes later. And it's. It. Yeah. Well, I don't know what I remember.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I remember chasing around the St. Mary's School.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Like courtyard.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

At recess. Just chasing her. And just.

[Hasan Minhaj]

What a metaphor for the feeling.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Of course. Right.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Feeling the fluttering.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I was in third grade.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Right.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I had no. I had no plan. Yeah, let's.

[Hasan Minhaj]

What were you thinking if you caught her?

[Mike Birbiglia]

What if I caught. I was just gonna chase her. I don't know. I don't know what's gonna. And then, you know, my daughter's nine. I witnessed the same thing in their school. You know, someone's chasing or whatever and.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Oh, no. Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But then they, but then they, you know, they think.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

They're like, ah, that kid hates me. He's chasing me. No.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And you have no idea.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No. That kid's in love with you.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Right.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'm sorry, I hate to break it here. Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But it's pretty deep.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. The very memory of you haunts them in their sleep.

[Mike Birbiglia]

The very memory of you will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Right now, he's sleeping under lightning McQueen sheets. But just the very essence of you at recess, that 15 minute break, him chasing Austin.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I love this direction you're going in. I love. Fastest at your school.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Fastest at your school.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And the crush. Your first crush, I think is Neil.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Brennan texted me this text. I texted you and Neil Brennan at the same time. And funny enough, Mike Lawrence. Those are some of my favorite comedians.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And Mike Lawrence is great too.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Mike Lawrence is fucking amazing. But he goes. Neil goes. So funny. He goes. The Presidential fitness test.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

That of like, you have to do.

[Mike Birbiglia]

This many pull ups and pull ups. Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

But the tag he had on it is like, I remember at that age, I would have thought you would have gotten to meet the president if you.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's funny.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You placed first. You're like, you've. You've done 14 pull ups.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You get to meet Bill Clinton.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's funny.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Like, surely you do.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I love, though, that you're. You're going into the pers. These perception things of grade school.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. What does this feel like? Yeah. How do I, how do I articulate this?

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, but I, I think you're. I think you're onto it. I think like, also even like crowd work. Ask people who their crushes were. Shout out your crushes.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Like, because the noise. Names are priceless.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes. Okay, here's a. Here's a crowd work thing. I'm not saying I would do it. But it was a. It's an articulation of. We were talking about politics earlier about like, what. What do people actually care about?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And the. The bit that I kind of roughly had is like things that people care about are, are, Are kind of primal and two syllables or less like money, me, food, sex, God, Jesus, House, house, apartment. Yeah. Type vibes. Y. The idea that I had in my head is like, say I'm eight minutes into my set and I go, here's. Here's what I mean by that. And I just pull out like ten dollars, like a five dollar bill and then five ones.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And just hand it to a person in the front row.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And watch them watch an adult light up at the idea of just holding cash USD in their hand. That's. It's.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I think it's a good idea.

[Hasan Minhaj]

It'd be. It couldn't buy a Chipotle burrito, but it's so visceral in its nature. If it was like a five on the top and then a bunch of ones, Everyone at the table, like, picture the view. Everyone would be like, how much is it? What is it?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Like, they would certainly. It is a. It is a very visceral. And it is a divisive thing. I think three things that are. That are very titillating. God, money, sex.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Everybody, I think, looks at those three things like, very differently.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I think about this constantly with God.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You go like, you might. You and I could sit across the table from each other.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Sure.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And you could go, I believe in God. And I go, I don't believe in God.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And we're very good friends. That's crazy. Yes.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's completely insane.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Right. Right.

[Mike Birbiglia]

We're somehow able to transcend the idea.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That one of us believes this whole fucking thing.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Was created by some kind of entity. And one of us thinks. Nah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. I completely disagree with that premise.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I think there's something there as a bit. Just the idea that every day we're walking around with people who have 100% different worldviews.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And it sort of works.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Like some.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I did think about this. I was like, we talk about how crazy the world is, but I'm also like, still is. The F train is kind of still function.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I think you're right. I know.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I think it's not, but it is no worse.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It comes every.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Seven minutes. If it doesn't come in seven minutes, it comes in 12 minutes.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Bad. I used to some of us not.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Believing in God, that's really funny.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You don't believe?

[Hasan Minhaj]

You don't believe?

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, I don't know. I mean, I'm truly agnostic. I mean, I. Actually, this is a bit that I told you the other day. I respect people who pray. I don't know if I believe, blah, blah, blah. But, yeah, I respect. And I go. I respect my mom. She prays.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

My Muslim friends pray five times a day. I can't get myself to drink water five times a day. You're talking to a fake person.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And I go. And I say to the audience, I go, don't groan, because I'm not saying God is a fake person. I'm saying if you pray five times a day.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

The odds are one of those five times. You're thinking, this is. I go, that's not anti religion.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's prayer pro statistics.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Oh, interesting.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I ran it by Rami the other day. He was like, yeah, that totally works. It's like a. It's a religious joke.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That challenges the notion of God, but also respects it.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You know, what's so funny is the only thing. And this is where, like, evangelical Muslims and Christians are kind of exactly the same. You could still do that bit. The biggest thing that the crowd might take offense to is just the fact that you said, oh, that's interesting. That. That part of it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Like, I played in the south last week.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And that I. And it's very religious.

[Hasan Minhaj]

But you'll be like, I'm not quite so sure. Like, you could literally just do. Instead of bs, Say it that way.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Like, into the.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, Sometimes I go, this isn't true.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Like, I can say it without.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah, but that.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That actually is a good note. But.

[Hasan Minhaj]

But to me, that's like. That is also. And by the way, I think that's Nate Brazzi's brilliance and Gaffigan's brilliance, their ability to do, like. I can do my full set in front of your parents.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

That I would do in front of all of the comedians and friends that I respect.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And it will resonate. No, I love as deeply with.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I love both of those guys for that reason. But I think that's a bit. I think the idea. I think that the F train still runs or whatever still happens, even though some people believe, some people don't. And that's a very big chasm.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

We're talking about, like, a major 100% worldview.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I used to work. I used to work at Office Max, and so people lose their minds during Black Friday.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Like, the idea that a printer is 15% off. People will. The Canon ink. Yeah. I mean, it's like you're saving $30 on the printer, and people are like, it's 4:40am do not cut me in line.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Savings are huge.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

People go nuts for savings.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And so sometimes, like, fights would break out over, you know, they. We would only have a limited supply. And there was a part of me that's like, why doesn't this happen every day?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Like, it's a miracle because these are the same people, but just something in the air savings, whatever, like, is bringing this out of them in this moment. But this type of. This could pop off at any point, and it doesn't. No.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's interesting. Like, are you religious, really? I'm not, but I'm.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I'm about to meet the Pope.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'm open. I got to meet the Pope. Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You're not.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I almost. I almost.

[Hasan Minhaj]

We don't. You're in. This is in the show, right? This is for sure.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'll keep this in.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Okay. I meaning, are we burning material for your new show?

[Mike Birbiglia]

No. No, I don't think so. Oh, no.

[Hasan Minhaj]

So you're not that religious and you got to meet the Pope.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I, by the way, I almost converted to Islam when I was in high school.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Amazing.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. A friend of mine converted, like, three or four of my friends to my high school.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And I was like, all right, I'm listening.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Okay.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I thought I had a lot of merits, and I decided I opted out. I just. I actually just saw. Just saw him. I shouldn't say his name because it's. Whatever.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Sure.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Now I can say it. My friend Abil, I saw recently in my show in Canada.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And. Yeah, he converted a bunch of our friends. I almost went. I almost went there, but I kind.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Of, like, he made a compelling case. He was like, hey, we. We got a lot to offer.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Very strong case.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Oh, that's. That's awesome.

[Mike Birbiglia]

All of my Muslim friends in my life, I've found to have compelling cases. More so than my Christian friends, but. But also, I've heard some good atheism cases, too.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Oh, really?

[Mike Birbiglia]

I don't know. Dawkins and all that. I think I'm fascinated by all of it. I'm a. I'm a curious. I'm a curious person.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Do they. Did you feel the aura when you were in the Vatican, when you were around the Pope? Did you feel the. Did you feel a certain spiritual.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I felt. Well, I will say I felt something. I think a lot of it had to do with it. I gave. He gave us rosary beads in, like, a green satchel that he had blessed.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And I brought them to my parents, and it meant so much to them.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Wow.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And it made me feel.

[Hasan Minhaj]

That's really beautiful.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. It made me feel more in touch with my own personal history. That's what's meaningful to my parents.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I enjoy performing standup comedy. They like Green Green Satchel of Rosary Beans.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Did.

[Mike Birbiglia]

We're into different stuff, but nobody. It attached me to this idea of like. Of, like, you know, I think about my dad's life. It's like, my dad grew up in Bushwick, like, not far from here. You. His family didn't have money. He ended up with a scholarship to a Catholic high school, Xavier High School, Manhattan.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Then he ended up with a scholarship to Catholic college, Holy Cross in Worcester. And that's how we ended up growing up in central Massachusetts.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And it's like, so for him, Catholicism was all good. It was all positive. It led him to this great education with, you know, Jesuits and all this stuff. And so I think as you age, you do somewhat get more connected to the idea of your own past.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. And I think, for me, at least, it's been the powerlessness that you have completely. And just.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And that's part of what I respect about it.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. To be like. To into surrender to the idea, like, you don't know. I certainly don't. You know, and to just be like, okay, I need some guidance in the chaos.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, of course. And that's why I think sometimes AA and religion is hard to differentiate. Some people with aa, they're like, ah, I can't get into the religious stuff. And it's like, well, it's the same principle.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Oh, interesting.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Sort of. It's like we're all powerless.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Got it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So Ronny Chang made fun of you. You and him do shows sometimes where.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You roast each other or we scream at each other. Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And he was like, you were talking about Chappelle and how you didn't get invited to Chappelle's camp or whatever. And he was like, yeah, he doesn't like comedians doing PowerPoint points or whatever.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Hilarious.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But then, in fairness to Ronnie, in your new special, you don't do PowerPoints. I'm like, did you.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Trying to get the invite.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Did you cave?

[Hasan Minhaj]

Oh, did I cave to Ronnie?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, did you cave to Ronnie? Did you take it to heart?

[Hasan Minhaj]

Never. I would never.

[Mike Birbiglia]

All right.

[Hasan Minhaj]

No, I. I also wanted to. I want every special to feel like, what is he Going to do.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, I think that's true.

[Hasan Minhaj]

That's.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I love that. I love that.

[Hasan Minhaj]

That's your impulse, to me, is, like, the exciting part of it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And it was. It was honoring like, that.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I like that.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I remember when we were shooting it, the cinematographer was. We. We basically put the stage in the middle of the venue. The venue is the San Jose Civic.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Isn't made for comedy. Like, they do Japanese wrestling there, and they do other kind of, like, live sports where you put the ring in the middle of the.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. Like Madison Square Garden.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. And so the cinematographer is like, there's people in. In every shot.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I like that.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And I. And I said, I think that's a. That that's. I want it to feel that way.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. That was one of my favorite things.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I don't want it to be a presentation. I want it to be like this. And we took one show. Yeah, we're gonna. We're gonna take one show. And I. That feeling felt right.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And, like, even including, like. Like, I wipe my sweat. I take a sip.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Like, right.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I move the mic stand. We're not like, oh, oh, cut to. Cut to the tight. So we'll just cut around that.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Oh, lift that. Like.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, I loved it. So slow round. What's your superpower that people wouldn't know? They're just like, oh, he's funny. But actually, maybe your superpower is something else.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I'm pretty good at drawing. I'm a pretty good drawer.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Okay. You're blowing my mind.

[Hasan Minhaj]

But I'm not Matteo Lane. Good.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right. I get that.

[Hasan Minhaj]

But I'm pretty good at drawing. And I'm down to jump off the high dive.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Like when. If we're on, like, a trip with da boys and, like, we, like, climb up, like, we go to a lake and we climb up on the rock.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And you're like, let's jump off of it. I'll jump off.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Me too.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I'll jump off.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Same.

[Hasan Minhaj]

So, like, that. That's probably like, my. But in a weird way, it was good for comedy.

[Mike Birbiglia]

How come I'm never on the trip with you with the boys?

[Hasan Minhaj]

Because we didn't go to high school together. I know, but these are, like, my middle school.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Put me on the group chain, drop me in. You know what I mean? Get. No, I think, like, you have zero.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Interest in hanging out with Hit Squad. Those are my. You have no interest in hanging out. You have zero interest in hanging out with Hit Squad.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I would be. I think I would slide right in with Hit Squad. What do you think about me? Doesn't qualify me for hit squad.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Do you play basketball?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, I'll play basketball.

[Hasan Minhaj]

All right.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'm not very good. I'm not very good.

[Hasan Minhaj]

My.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, but I'm fast.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You're fast.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'm fast. I'll get up the card fast, but I'm not great in the third quarter.

[Hasan Minhaj]

But dare I say you're the fastest. One of the fastest.

[Mike Birbiglia]

One of the fastest. Biggest, fastest in my town.

[Hasan Minhaj]

In your town?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. But not. Not faster than.

[Hasan Minhaj]

No.

[Mike Birbiglia]

In my legal.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Kavanaugh is a great name, too. It's like, oh, so he's Cornerback for the 49ers now? Like, doesn't sound like such a. I know.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's a great.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Sounds fast.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. He's a great guy, too. Okay. What are people's favorite and least favorite thing about you?

[Hasan Minhaj]

I mean, I know people's least favorite thing about me is probably, like, my intensity or, you know, my energy. People can be like, you're a lot.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Heard that by myself.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Which. Which. They are right. They are right. I am. I can be a lot. I understand that. And both. And the sad part is, is both parties are right.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right.

[Hasan Minhaj]

My. My spouse, family, and hit squad are like, you're a lot.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And the worst parts of the comment section are like, this dude is a lot.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So, you know, I like your a lotness. I. I'm team a lot.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I think. I think. I think being passionate is important.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yes. Agreed.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. But also. But also, in a weird way, if you've been in. If you've ever been in a comedy writer's room, it is about idea generation. Like, you kind of do have to, like, what are we doing?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Even if you're. If, like, a friend of yours is doing. And I've had to help friends that are prepping for a special, working on a special, prepping a monologue for snl. Like, it is a momentum and volume thing.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, you're absolutely.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You need a lot of ideas. And then. And then.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And you also need people who. The thing you're saying of, like, you're being a lot.

[Hasan Minhaj]

It's like, yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You also need people who are willing to fail a lot.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Like. And that's a. That is like, someone. Something. That's. That. That people who are a lot have, which is they're just willing to be like, yeah, fall on my face again. Then I'll fall on my face again. Then I'll fall on my face again. And then eventually we'll figure out an idea. Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And then. And then the what it makes it perhaps strange in social situations is do you have to have an opinion on everything? Oh, it's that.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And I totally get why that is. It can be annoying. But for our career, right. When people are like, you should talk about who. Who. Luigi. Okay, what about. Yeah. What's the take now? You should, you should talk about the president. Yeah. What about the president?

[Mike Birbiglia]

I know, but that's what's funny.

[Hasan Minhaj]

All like, what is your pod?

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's what's funny about when you talk. When someone we adore culturally says some kind of crazy ass, you're like, yeah, but that's why he's the other thing. He's a lot.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Like, you don't have to. Yeah, you don't have to be married to that person. But like, and respect.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You're right. And respectfully, everyone you love is a lot.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Anyone that you're. You're a fan of, you're a fan of their flavor.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

A lot of their flavor.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Agreed.

[Hasan Minhaj]

That's what you're a fan of.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So agreed.

[Hasan Minhaj]

That's my.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Okay. And then what's people's favorite thing about you?

[Hasan Minhaj]

This is how self deprecating. I don't even, I don't even know. I know. My chief critique, I think I'm. I think I would say, I would.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Say a compliment of you is you're deeply loyal.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes. I was about to say that.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And I think you're also, I think you're also very open minded.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I feel like you're willing to engage with anyone on anything in a pretty.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Open minded way.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. That's probably my best quality. Like, I will, I will call and I will. I'll show up, I'll be like, I'll come to your spot and be like, hey, what's up?

[Mike Birbiglia]

What's a song that makes you cry?

[Hasan Minhaj]

Frank Sinatra has this performance at Madison Square garden in the 70s where he sings I Did It My Way.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, that's nice.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And it's very, very, very moving. And I did the Kennedy center years ago and Mateo Lane opened and I asked him personally, I was like, will you sing I Did It My Way?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Well, that's nice to close it.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And he like brought the house down. He was so. He was Mateo's incredible spectacular.

[Mike Birbiglia]

He's, he's got a killer voice.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Him doing comedy is one of the like one of nine things he could be doing.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, I know. It's so, it's so fascinating.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. He brought the house down. It was truly, it was truly beautiful.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But wow, that's interesting that. That Sinatra.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Have you had Mateo on the show?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. And he's great.

[Hasan Minhaj]

He's incredible.

[Mike Birbiglia]

We're gonna. There's clamoring for more people. Want.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Want more. Mateo on the podcast. He's great. But like, what is it? Why do you think it's emotional that I did it my way? Because you did it your way.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Of course it is. There's a verse in it about taking your licks in life.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And. And to just keep going.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And I think the older I get and especially watching it in my, in my children, the thing that I hope for them the most is no matter what happens, I can't. I can't protect you or save you from what the world will do to you or what destiny has in store for you. But how you play your hand is really all that matters.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. It's beautiful.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Like that's the whole thing.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. I completely agree.

[Hasan Minhaj]

This is the hand I was dealt. How do we play this hand?

[Mike Birbiglia]

This is called working out for a cause. Is there a non profit that you like to contribute to? And we will contribute and link to them in the show notes.

[Hasan Minhaj]

UNICEF.

[Mike Birbiglia]

UNICEF.

[Hasan Minhaj]

UNICEV.

[Mike Birbiglia]

We will contribute to them. We will link to them in the show notes. Hassan Minhaj, congratulations.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Thank you, man.

[Mike Birbiglia]

On your special, which is so funny, dude.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Thank you, man.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Thank you for.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Thank you for calling me when you watched it. It means a lot.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, it's great. And thanks for coming on the show. Working it Out. Cause it's not done. Working it out. Cause there's no. That's gonna do it. For another episode of Working it out, you can follow Hasan on Instagram Hasan Minhaj. You can watch his latest comedy special, Off With His Head on Netflix again. I've recommended this special personally to a bunch of people. I just think it's really, really fascinating, really funny and yeah. So anyway, can't say enough about it. You can watch the full video of this episode on our YouTube channel, Ike Birbiglia. We just went over the 50,000 subscribers mark this week. We're excited about because we just started posting these the videos about a year and a half ago. We're going to be posting more and more, so subscribe. Check out burbigs.com Sign up for the mailing list. And of course, our producers of Working it out are myself, along with Peter Salomone, Joseph Birbigli and Mabel Lewis. Associate producer, Gary Simon. Sound mix by Ben Cruz. Supervising engineer, Kate Belinsky. Special thanks to Jack Antonoff and Bleachers for their music special thanks as always to my wife, the poet J. Hope Stein, and our daughter Una, who built the original radio fort made of pillows. Thanks most of all to you who are listening. If you enjoy this podcast, please rate us and review us on Apple Podcasts. It just takes a moment. If you write down which is your favorite episode, people will know where to start, which is fun. We've had over 150 guests since the start. Ben Stiller and Adam Scott, Tig Notaro, Joe Firestone. Check out our back catalog. It is all free. Tell your friends, tell your enemies. I was at the Comedy Cellar recently and this is. I'm working on, like, if people don't realize, like what I'm doing when I'm at. I pop in at the Comedy Cellar sometimes. I'll do these little segments of, of the larger show that I'm developing. So I'll do like 10 or 15 minutes. And I usually pop in not under my own name. It's another name. And then the other day they said, please welcome Mike Birbiglia. Someone shouted out, tell your friends. Tell your enemies. I couldn't believe it. I said, yes. That is the thing I say on my podcast. That is true. It's catching on slowly. Tell your friends. Tell your enemies. Tell the fastest kid at your school. Give them a call. Call them up and say, hey, I know it's been a while. I remember you were the fastest kid in school. I don't know if you're still running, but if you are, here's something for your earbuds. Check out this podcast, Mike Birbiglia is Working it out, where Mike Birbiglia talks to other creatives about the creative process. See, you may be the fastest, but I have the best taste. Thanks everybody. We're working it out. We'll see you next time.