MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

Storytime with MrBallen | Tom Segura

Date: August 20, 2025
Host: Mr. Ballin
Guest: Tom Segura

Overview

This special episode marks a new direction for the MrBallen Podcast with the first-ever guest interview. Host Mr. Ballin sits down with acclaimed comedian, actor, and producer Tom Segura to discuss the art of storytelling, comedic process, and the allure of the strange and mysterious. Segura shares insights from his stand-up, the creation of his Netflix series "Bad Thoughts," and reflects on both personal experiences and the broader appeal of dark or bizarre stories. The episode also features an exclusive and chilling mysterious tale delivered in classic MrBallen fashion, sparking a candid conversation about aliens, creativity, and upcoming projects.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Art & Science of Storytelling (02:46–10:10)

• Tom’s Background in Storytelling:

  • Tom credits his mother’s dramatic, colorful storytelling skills for shaping his own, contrasting her strengths with his father’s comically bad approach.
    • "My dad was as bad as you can get at telling a story. A toddler tells better stories." (03:25 – Tom Segura)
  • Early influences helped him notice the importance of painting vivid pictures and punching up details for effect.
    • “[My mom] was, like, a naturally dramatic storyteller, heightening parts of the story, drawing you in, adding color.” (04:21 – Tom Segura)

• Learning the Craft as a Comedian:

  • Storytelling on stage is considered an advanced skill, requiring comfort and confidence built over years.
    • "You can't manufacture being a comfortable comic. It happens because you’ve done it thousands of times." (04:39 – Tom Segura)

• Signature Story – The Lost Wallet (05:48–08:12):

  • Tom recounts a true, awkwardly hilarious quest to return a lost wallet, highlighting his method of providing context and building anticipation through detail.
    • “You understand that there are aspects of the story that I need to appreciate… so that the story matters.” (08:12 – Mr. Ballin)
    • “Context is like, the biggest thing of joke telling, too.” (08:24 – Tom Segura)

2. Comedy, Intrusive Thoughts, and the Birth of "Bad Thoughts" (10:10–16:01)

• Origin of "Bad Thoughts":

  • Segura explains how the show is rooted in universal dark, impulsive thoughts—doing or saying what we usually suppress.
    • “I’ve always felt that human beings… we all have dark thoughts, Bad thoughts, bad thoughts. And part of it is like… you don’t act on it.” (10:30 – Tom Segura)
  • The "Coffee Shop" sketch, born from relatable frustrations, exemplifies taking a real impulse to an extreme for comedy.

• Recycling and Evolving Ideas:

  • Many concepts in "Bad Thoughts" evolved from stand-up material or longstanding personal jokes.
    • The infamous “virtual reality toilet” bit originated from Tom’s recurring prank stories to his mother about grotesque bathroom situations.
    • “I would do that to her, like, every couple years, I would tell her the same thing. She would never remember that I’d already told her that.” (15:41 – Tom Segura)

3. The Creative Process, Experimentation, and Growth (16:01–22:36)

• On Material Development:

  • Good ideas sometimes need years to mature before working on stage, and true comedic growth requires risk, experimentation, and private reflection.
    • "Laziness in comedy… is about all the times you’re not on stage… thinking about, like, that think that’s the work.” (16:12–17:30 – Tom Segura)
  • Comedians can become stagnant if they only repeat proven material, and the excitement (and fear) lies in debuting new bits to live crowds.
    • “You go, I’m just gonna do [the same 20 minutes] because it works… But then the worst thing happens, which is that that 20 minutes… just starts to weigh on you because it’s not exciting or new.” (18:43 – Tom Segura)

• Audience Dynamics & Feedback:

  • Not all crowd reactions are overt—quiet audiences may still be deeply engaged.
    • “Sometimes…you get these very reserved crowds…but they had a great time…You don’t realize it until you’ve done this a while.” (20:57–22:36 – Tom Segura)

4. Storytime: The Case of Rafael Perez (24:06–33:53)

[24:06–33:53]

Exclusive Story Narrated by Mr. Ballin

• Summary:
  Rafael Perez, a young trainee pilot in Mexico in 1976, is on his first solo flight. Lost in heavy fog, his plane becomes unresponsive, starts climbing on its own, and Rafael suddenly passes out. He wakes up over the ocean, far beyond possible range, with inexplicably high fuel and no memory of traveling. When he radios for help, air traffic controller Carlos asks, “Are you alone in your airplane?”—because for almost an hour, the voice from Rafael's plane (recorded in transcripts) spoke robotically, warning of humanity’s violent tendencies and impending doom, claiming to use “the pilot as a microphone.” The incident is quickly buried by officials, and the full transcript is now only available in a remote Mexican library.

• Memorable Reaction:
  "That’s a great story. That’s a great story." (33:53 – Tom Segura)

  • Segura offers entertaining, open-minded speculation:
    • “It’s either a bipolar schizophrenic who is having a pretty crazy episode, or there’s another being involved, which is more exciting... ‘cause we’re in the era now of the government being like, yeah, we have stuff.” (34:02 – Tom Segura)

5. Aliens, Belief, and the Fermi Paradox (34:00–38:29)

• Modern Attitudes on Extraterrestrials:

  • Discussion on society’s blasé reaction to government UFO disclosures.
    • “The thing that we used to make a movie about... now we’re like, yeah, we have them. And everyone’s like, yeah, it’s very strange, right?” (34:30 – Tom Segura)

• Philosophical Thought Experiment:

  • With universe’s vastness in mind, both speakers agree alien life is likely.
    • “For me it just always felt like too arrogant to be like, it’s just us.” (35:30 – Tom Segura)
  • Mr. Ballin references Neil deGrasse Tyson’s analogy about ants and algae, suggesting our failure to recognize or communicate with aliens may be due to immense differences in perception and intelligence.

• Playful Speculation:

  • Segura jokes about “reptilian” humans and the fun of the conspiratorial mindset:
    • “You can let your mind kind of embrace the idea... you're like, that's a reptilian... They’re already here.” (37:47 – Tom Segura)

6. What’s Next for Tom Segura? (38:29–end)

• Upcoming Projects:

  • Tom is set to star in a new movie, a cartel comedy in which he plays two characters.
    • “It’s an R rated comedy… has great story, great dynamics, great characters and it’s outrageously funny.” (39:19–40:07 – Tom Segura)

• Creative Philosophy:

  • Strong comedic stories must be grounded in quality narrative, not just gags.
    • “You have to have great story supporting the... comedy parts of it.” (39:50 – Tom Segura)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Storytelling:
  • "She was like, painting a picture, and you’re like, yeah..." (04:21 – Tom Segura)
  • "Context is like, the biggest thing of joke telling, too." (08:24 – Tom Segura)
• On Dark Thoughts & Relatability:
  • “He says the thing that we all want to say… that’s such a release for an audience.” (10:30 – Tom Segura)
• On Taking Risks:
  • "You always need, like, new. Something new. New is what makes it exciting and moving." (17:30 – Tom Segura)
• On the UFO Story:
  • "The pilot is speaking, but not of his own free will. We are using him as a microphone. Your equipment is too primitive. It is not important who we are or where we come from, only that we are inhabitants of the same universe." (Narration of transcript, 31:54–32:22 – Mr. Ballin)
• On Audience Response:
  • "You’re like, just so you know, you suck. And they’re like, I thought we were having a good time." (22:11 – Tom Segura)
• On Extraterrestrial Life:
  • "It just always felt too arrogant to be like, it’s just us." (35:30 – Tom Segura)
  • Mr. Ballin: “Are you interested in algae?” Tom: “No.” (37:11, 37:19)
• On Upcoming Film:
  • “I get to play two characters… it’s really, really funny script… it has like great dynamics, great characters and it’s outrageously funny.” (39:19 – Tom Segura)

Timeline of Important Segments

• [02:46] – Introduction of Tom Segura; discussion on being a storyteller.
• [05:48] – Tom’s ‘Lost Wallet’ story.
• [10:10] – Inspiration and philosophy behind “Bad Thoughts.”
• [13:03] – Adapting stand-up bits into sketch comedy.
• [16:01] – Creative process, letting material marinate, risk-taking.
• [19:19] – Trying new material with live audiences; euphoria of success and pain of failure.
• [24:06] – MrBallen’s exclusive, unpublished Mexico story.
• [34:00] – The aliens/UFOs discussion.
• [38:29] – Tom discusses new movie and philosophy of good comedic storytelling.

Tone & Style

The episode is lighthearted, candid, and nuanced, weaving moments of humor, philosophy, and suspense. Both hosts balance deep respect for storytelling with a willingness to embrace the weird and the absurd, making the conversation equally entertaining for comedy fans and lovers of the mysterious.

For Listeners

Whether you’re curious about how great stories are built—or simply want to hear a mesmerizing, little-known mystery—this episode delivers laughs, uncanny tales, and inspiration for creatives of all stripes.

Don’t miss:

• Tom's lost wallet saga ([05:48–08:12])
• Exclusive mysterious story about a haunted flight ([24:06–33:53])
• Alien life debates and philosophical speculation ([34:00–38:29])
• Behind the scenes of “Bad Thoughts” and a sneak peek at Tom’s upcoming film ([38:29–end])