Dangerous Minds: How Stephen Glover Baffled Hollywood

Summary

Episode Summary: "Dangerous Minds: How Stephen Glover Baffled Hollywood"

Podcast: Pablo Torre Finds Out
Host: Pablo Torre
Release Date: May 29, 2025

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Introduction to the Episode

In this engaging episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out, host Pablo Torre delves into the intriguing world of Stephen Glover, exploring his multifaceted career and the enigmatic projects that have both baffled and captivated Hollywood. The conversation is punctuated with humorous anecdotes, insightful reflections, and candid discussions about creativity, collaboration, and the challenges of the entertainment industry.

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Revisiting Past Collaborations

Pablo reminisces about Stephen Glover's early appearances on the podcast, highlighting their fifth episode where Stephen and his brother Donald introduced the concept of memes in the '90s and teased a secret Star Wars project. Pablo emphasizes Stephen's achievements, including his two Writers Guild of America awards for Atlanta, which Pablo cites as his favorite television show.

Notable Quote:
Stephen Glover: "I gotta thank my agents at WME. Tom, I love you, man. I gotta thank my lawyer, Lev in the house."
(Timestamp: 03:56)

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Unrealized Creative Ventures

The discussion shifts to Stephen's ambitious yet unrealized projects, such as a trailer for Future's mixtape "56 Nights Crazy" and a prospective movie featuring 21 Savage. Stephen explains the origin of the "56 Nights" concept, detailing how Future's DJ, DJ Esco, was detained, causing Future to restart his music from scratch. These narratives showcase Stephen's knack for blending real-life events with creative storytelling.

Notable Quote:
Stephen Glover: "The mixtape that came out was supposedly inspired by having to start over again."
(Timestamp: 07:08)

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The 21 Savage Fake Movie Trailer

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the creation of a fake movie trailer featuring rapper 21 Savage. Stephen and Pablo discuss the intricate process of developing a believable yet fictional narrative that blurs the lines between reality and satire. They delve into casting choices, including their playful consideration of Dan LeBatard and the humorous attempt to involve Steve Harvey.

Notable Quote:
Stephen Glover: "That's how you know it's a good prank. When people are sad that they didn't get the fake movie that was advertised."
(Timestamp: 21:53)

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Exploring Highbrow and Lowbrow Comedy

The conversation touches on the delicate balance between highbrow and lowbrow humor, a theme prevalent in Stephen and Donald's work. They discuss the importance of blending intelligent comedy with more accessible, everyday humor to appeal to a broad audience. This blend is exemplified in their favorite shows, such as The Simpsons.

Notable Quote:
Stephen Glover: "You gotta mix the high and the low. You gotta mix the candy with the vegetables."
(Timestamp: 10:05)

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Liam Neeson's Controversial Interview

One of the episode's highlights is a dramatized segment featuring Liam Neeson, where he controversially admits to having set out to target black men after a traumatic incident. Stephen and Pablo analyze the implications of such a narrative, discussing its potential to spark conversations about race, violence, and personal transformation. They commend Neeson for his honesty while critiquing how the media distorts such admissions.

Notable Quote:
Liam Neeson: "I went out deliberately into black areas in this city looking to be set upon so that I could unleash physical violence."
(Timestamp: 00:11)

Analysis:
Pablo reflects on Neeson's admission, stating, "the honesty in that... he's actually going to express what was going through his mind. And we are, in fact, better off when people are able to express how they honestly feel."
(Timestamp: 29:19)

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Creative Storytelling and Economy in Scenes

Stephen and Pablo discuss the storytelling techniques used in their projects, particularly the concept of "show, don't tell" versus "don't show and don't tell." They emphasize the power of leaving certain elements to the audience's imagination, enhancing engagement and humor. An example cited is a silent car race scene involving Michael Vick, where the lack of explicit detail amplifies comedic effect.

Notable Quote:
Stephen Glover: "It's kind of like Rocky music... like, the less you show, sometimes it's like, the better."
(Timestamp: 34:29)

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Challenges of Translating Ideas into Reality

The episode also delves into the difficulties of converting creative ideas into tangible projects. Stephen shares experiences from pitching unconventional concepts, such as casting Justin Bieber in a fictional narrative, highlighting the industry's challenges in embracing avant-garde ideas.

Notable Quote:
Stephen Glover: "We literally sent the script, and they were like, are we gonna be able to get Justin Bieber?"
(Timestamp: 38:34)

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Final Reflections and Lessons Learned

Concluding the episode, Pablo and Stephen reflect on the importance of skill and craftsmanship in creative endeavors. They advocate for supporting talented individuals who blend intellectual depth with broad appeal, much like high-quality craftsmanship in everyday products.

Notable Quote:
Pablo Torre: "You should be good at making things. I would bet on whoever is actually skilled."
(Timestamp: 42:51)

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Closing Thoughts

"Pablo Torre Finds Out" offers listeners an insightful and entertaining exploration of Stephen Glover's impact on Hollywood and beyond. Through candid conversations, humorous anecdotes, and thoughtful analysis, the episode underscores the value of genuine creativity and the intricate dance between ambition and realization in the entertainment industry.

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Stay Connected:

• YouTube: Pablo Torre Finds Out
• Instagram: @pablotorrefindsout
• Twitter (X): @pablofindsout
• Newsletter: Subscribe Here

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Note: All timestamps correspond to the provided transcript and serve as references for notable moments within the episode.

Transcript

[Pablo Torre]

Welcome to Pablo Torre finds out. I am Pablo Torre. Today's episode is brought to you by DraftKings. DraftKings. The Crown is yours. And today we're gonna find out what this sound is.

[Liam Neeson]

I went out deliberately into black areas in this city looking to be set upon so that I could unleash physical.

[Pablo Torre]

Violence right after this ad.

[Steve Glover]

You're listening to DraftKings Network.

[Pablo Torre]

I found a kid who swings a golf club like a dream. I'd like to try to qualify him for the US Amateurs coming to Apple tv. Plus, what's your name? I'm not into older guys, but I'm flatter.

[Steve Glover]

A new comedy series. Stick.

[Liam Neeson]

I don't want to go on this trip. Your mouth's saying one thing, but those.

[Pablo Torre]

Eyes are saying something else.

[Steve Glover]

From the home of Ted Lasso, you.

[Liam Neeson]

See your shot at redemption.

[Steve Glover]

This is your mulligan, Owen Wilson. Game takes, and it takes.

[Pablo Torre]

The game's finally giving me something back.

[Steve Glover]

Stick.

[Pablo Torre]

You know, Arnold Palmer iced tea, lemonade. Mix it.

[Steve Glover]

I'm missing a nap for this. Streaming June 4th on Apple TV. Plus.

[Pablo Torre]

When we got to know each other, Steve Glover, you came in with a lot of stories that I didn't know about. About you had done. I'm not here to confront you over whether you had ever driven a car under the police.

[Steve Glover]

Like, oh, my goodness, like, the police are waiting outside.

[Pablo Torre]

Do you have a power ranking in your mind of, like, mm, Young Steve.

[Steve Glover]

Irresponsible man. When I was, like, when I first came into college, I got super drunk, like, with my friends.

[Pablo Torre]

This is a Georgia Tech.

[Steve Glover]

Yeah. There was, like, a club next to it that we, like, went to. By the time I stepped in there, I was just wasted just from, like, pre gaming, and they literally threw me out. They were like, this kid is like, a liability. My friends were like, they, like, picked me up like jazz from Fresh Prince. Fresh Prince, like, threw me out to the club. And then my friends brought me back to my dorm, and then, like, my ra, like, saw them put me in there, and he was like, hey, what's going on? And they just, like, ran, left me. It makes you scared for, like, the future and your own kids a little bit because you're like, oh, man. You look back, and it's, like, lucky that you kind of made it. Like, somebody said something the other day about, like, thinking about the fact that you're here. It's like all these people behind you survived, you know? And it's like, that is kind of crazy when you think about it. There was probably somebody down the Line. One of my ancestors who had a similar experience, he got, like, super drunk and almost got kicked by, like, a horse. He just, like, barely missed. He's like, whoa, that was close. Like, you're just barely making it over and over again.

[Pablo Torre]

So the people who have been subscribing to this podcast from the very beginning remember that my friend Stephen Glover, who was a screenwriter and rapper and actor and producer, was our guest on the fifth ever episode of Pablo Torre finds out, in which we found out that Steve and his older brother Donald invented the concept of memes as children in the 90s and are also currently working on a secret Lando Calrissian Star wars movie for Disney, which immediately made news when he said it on the show in 2023. But Steve is also the guy who accepted in 2017, two Writers Guild of America awards for Atlanta, which remains my favorite television show of all time.

[Steve Glover]

I gotta say, after winning the second one, I'm jaded already. This town's not that great. Everybody here thinks they're so hot. My agent took me to Dantana' Awful. Nah, I gotta thank my agents at wme. Tom, I love you, man. I gotta thank my lawyer, Lev in the house. Lev Ginsburg. Y' all know him for taking me to a real restaurant.

[Pablo Torre]

Jesus.

[Steve Glover]

I've taken down a lot of people. I'm sorry.

[Pablo Torre]

And so if you've never seen Atlanta, which also won a bunch of Emmys and Golden Globes and also mainstreamed Migos into popular American culture, just know that what we're about to do here is talk about stuff like Donald racing Michael Vick and casting Liam Neeson, and also this insane project from last year that involved both 21 Savage, another very popular rapper from Atlanta, as well as Dan Lebatard, you know, my boss here at Metalurk, which we'll explain. But it is not like Steve has been able to make every project that he's ever pitched in Hollywood.

[Steve Glover]

There's always one we talk about where we wanted to do a trailer for 56 Nights, the Future, like, mixtape. I think 56 nights crazy. I think 56 nights crazy. Like, a movie was coming out. Basically, like, about future's life story. Like, just the idea of, like, if you know the 56 night.

[Pablo Torre]

Well, please, for people who don't know 56 nights, refresh our memory.

[Steve Glover]

So Future's DJ and friend, DJ Esco. Well, I guess they were in, like, Dubai. Ends up getting, like, detained by maybe, like, customs or whoever there. And he's put in jail, and he has all of future's music I guess on his hard drive that's also confiscated. So Future is without his DJ and he also doesn't have any of his like songs that he's worked on. So like the legend is he had to like start working, you know, from scratch.

[Pablo Torre]

Like I like that Esko is like the guy with the nuclear football for the president. If you lose this archive we are.

[Steve Glover]

Rappers always have like things like that. You know, it's like this bag with.

[Pablo Torre]

My this unbacked up uncloud.

[Steve Glover]

$700,000.

[Pablo Torre]

So future has to start from scratch.

[Steve Glover]

Yeah, he's cuz Esko is in is locked up and there's no telling when he's getting out. He did eventually get out after 56 nights, hence the name.

[Pablo Torre]

But on night 55 it was real bleak.

[Steve Glover]

Night 55 they almost, they almost got a new DJ.

[Pablo Torre]

They almost recorded an acoustic album.

[Steve Glover]

The mixtape that came out and the subsequent run of music Future had supposedly was inspired by having to start over again. Which is kind of funny. It's funny that rappers all have like this kind of same like Christ like story. We would like make like a fake movie trailer for that, but we never got to do it.

[Pablo Torre]

Wait a minute, hold on. You're acting like I'm so wistful for this idea we never got to do where we made a fake movie for Future and instead had to settle for making a fake movie for 21 savage if you're looking to add something special to your next celebration, try Remy Martin 1738 Accord Royale. This smooth, flavorful cognac is crafted from the finest grapes and aged to perfection, giving you rich notes of oak and caramel with every sip. Whether you're celebrating a big win or simply enjoying some cocktails with family and friends, Remy Martin 1738 is the perfect spirit to elevate any occasion. So go ahead, treat yourself to a little luxury and try Remy Martin 1738 Accord Royale. Learn more at remymartin.com Remy Martin Cognac Fiend Champagne 14 alcohol by volume. Imported by Remy Contro USA Incorporated, New York, NY. 1738 Centaur Design please drink responsibly. So before we get to this fake 21 Savage movie, which I've been meaning to get to for more than a year now, you should also know that there is a thing that PTFO does share in common with Steve and Donald and their group of friends that I have been lucky enough to watch flourish in this industry as both writers and I honestly cultural critics over the last decade from up close, because both of us Love stuff that is extremely smart, but also extremely stupid.

[Steve Glover]

I think that's a good way to put it. It's like eyebrow and low brow. I think that that, like, best describes, like, the kind of comedy taste like, even you like me, Donald. It's like, you know, it's like the Simpsons. That's why we get along. It's like we can make a joke about Mark Twain. We can make a joke about that.

[Pablo Torre]

Do you, Huck, take Becky as your wife? Hey, they done switched to groom with a pig.

[Steve Glover]

No wonder he was pooping so much.

[Pablo Torre]

I say melting cheese on broccoli a lot. Trying to melt cheese on broccoli.

[Steve Glover]

That's what people want. You gotta mix the high and the low. You gotta mix the candy with the vegetables.

[Pablo Torre]

And sometimes, as PTFO has established as well, you also gotta mix in a little bit of Lebitard, as you will very vividly see over on our YouTube channel. Which brings us back to something that, yes, I really did need to find out. So the 21 savage thing, though, me talking about this is so overdue. These people, they think we're savages. It's overdue for a couple of reasons. One of them is that my boss, Dan LeBatard, friend and boss, is in that. Yeah, I mean, we is depicted in it by a guy who. Who looks, I wouldn't say in a literal way exactly like Dan, but is spiritually exactly like Dan.

[Steve Glover]

Just enough so that he couldn't sue us, you know, even if you helped her on her feet. Pretty much. That could be anybody.

[Pablo Torre]

Except for the part where you said, it's him two minutes ago.

[Steve Glover]

Did I say. I think. I think I meant that was Stephen A. Smith.

[Pablo Torre]

The investigation that I went through on, like. So how is it that Dan LeBatard and Bomani Jones, it turns out, were both depicted in the trailer? How would you describe what I'm talking about, what that project was for people, again, who did not get to consume it at the time?

[Steve Glover]

The way we would explain it to somebody is like, there was a video back in the day for Coolio for Gangster's Paradise. A lot of movies had, like, the soundtrack, you know, song that was also had a video. And they splice in, you know, scenes.

[Pablo Torre]

Where the musician is also in the movie.

[Steve Glover]

Yeah. Michelle Pfeiffer actually is in the video. She does the backwards chair.

[Pablo Torre]

So they didn't splice Coolio into a scene from Dangerous Minds. They put Michelle Pfeiffer into the Gangsters.

[Steve Glover]

Paradox, you know, so that's.

[Pablo Torre]

That makes sense.

[Steve Glover]

Paradise.

[Pablo Torre]

The Gangsters Paradise Cinematic Universe.

[Steve Glover]

The multiverse is the blueprint for this. As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I take a look at my life and realize there's nothing left. I like how you're like, explain this to people. I'm like, have you seen Gangsters Paradise? If you're like, no, okay. There's absolutely no way to explain this, which is pretty much how it was. You try to explain it to somebody. Like, what? You're like, all right, well, I feel.

[Pablo Torre]

Like you and Donald and all of our friends who work with you guys, Swank, Ibrahim, Chad, they're all mad when I don't say their names aloud. When I listen to podcasts, I say that you guys collectively like it. When people are like, so this is a real movie for 21 Savage that you guys are making memories in my.

[Steve Glover]

Head, the devil talking to me. It's always a funny joke to us of just playing something so, like, straight or close to it that it's there for a second. You're like, wait a second. Is this real to us? That's always just funny. And it's a lot harder to do than I would have originally thought to make it to really get close. I mean, like, the Goofy, like, episode of Atlanta, the Goofy documentary for people.

[Pablo Torre]

Who haven't seen the Goofy episode of Atlanta.

[Steve Glover]

What is it? Yeah, so Gangster's paradise, right? No, it's just basically a documentary telling the origin of the Goofy movie at Disney.

[Pablo Torre]

And the documentary is named the Goof who Sat by the Door, the Thomas Washington Story, which is already just, like, pretty hilarious. And why, I think, on some level, like, we are friends. It's like, this is both the highest brow and the lowest.

[Steve Glover]

Very, very.

[Pablo Torre]

Like a spook who sat by the door illusion in the name of a fake documentary on a fake black media network about Goofy. It's a story so unbelievable, it could only happen in Hollywood. How did this young, black, unassuming animator from East Atlanta wind up as the CEO of Disney at the company's most powerful moment in time?

[Steve Glover]

Did we just play it so close? Like, the belief is that a Goofy movie is inherently a black movie. It was just this idea of, like, what if it was actually made by a black guy who managed to get in charge for, like, you know, just. Just long enough to make this movie that's the blackest movie of all time. We all voted for this guy named.

[Pablo Torre]

Tom Washington, but we didn't realize that Tom's first name was actually Thompson, not Thomas.

[Liam Neeson]

Thomas Washington was an animator.

[Pablo Torre]

People were pretty upset when they found.

[Steve Glover]

Out they voted for the wrong man. So making this documentary that feels really real to the point where I'm like, yeah, you know, it kind of does feel like that's the truth, you know, he knew that people thought Goofy was dumb, but he wanted to show the systemic factors that Goofy was dealing with. Job, angry kid, and embarrassed by his lack of influence. Man, it was wild how deep he leaned into all this. Cause as far as I knew, Thomas had a really solid home life.

[Pablo Torre]

All of which brings us to why Dan Lebatard was in the 21 Savage fake movie trailer music video.

[Steve Glover]

He's a part of the culture whether he likes it or not.

[Pablo Torre]

I don't think he understands his significance enough to have a developed opinion on it.

[Steve Glover]

I don't know how to explain this to Greg Cody and Stugats exactly in ways that they would understand, but the Internet, I am told, because we are three old people, the Internet has told me that I have beef with 21 savage. I think I could say to either Stugat or Greg Cody that His name is Savage21, and they would not know the difference. But I don't want to be having beef with. With 21 savage.

[Pablo Torre]

I just remember him saying to me, like, what is this?

[Steve Glover]

Yeah, it's like sometimes you're just in the right place at the right time. You know what I mean? Sometimes the universe comes for you. And it was like he had no idea 21 Savage was gonna be such a huge thing.

[Pablo Torre]

So he interviewed on highly questionable RIP to a great show that interviewed rappers a lot. A show that aired on espn. Just to keep in mind what everybody's pulling off here. I love that where Dan and at the time, Bomani and Dan's dad, Papi Gonzalo Lebatard, are interviewing remotely. 21 Savage. Young Savage, why you trapping so hard? Why this capping so hard?

[Steve Glover]

Why you got a 12 car garage? Why are you pulling all these rappers cards? Cuz the. And I'm hard. I turn it into some hard. I grew up in the streets without no hard. I'm praying to my Glock and my carving. The background behind him is like, you know, the buildings or whatever, like kind of like a nice view.

[Pablo Torre]

He has like a green screen.

[Steve Glover]

Yeah, like a green screen.

[Pablo Torre]

A tv. A tv. Fake background in a studio somewhere.

[Steve Glover]

But the way like he's like sitting kind of and like spinning in his chair, it makes him look like an evil villain, like, kind of, you know, and because like Dan and Bomani are kind of like, you know, here's 21 savage, like, kind of talking to him. It's like a little bit. Like, they're a little bit out of their element. It kind of feels like they're scared of him because he's like a super villain. So it's just a thing that immediately kind of became like a meme.

[Pablo Torre]

I mean, 21 Savage has a tattoo, like, on.

[Steve Glover]

On his forehead.

[Pablo Torre]

On his forehead, between his eyebrows. His hair is like an anime character. I was going to say Imagine Coolio was an anime character. And you kind of approximate.

[Steve Glover]

I go Black Saiyan kind of. If you watch Dragon Ball Z, and.

[Pablo Torre]

He is just, like, sort of like, smiling and holding his hands in a way that has, like a Dr. Claw aspect. Like, as if he had just rotated his chair around. And that still frame inspired Donald to play the role of 21 Savage in that interview. The casting, a big gap in the understanding that I had as to how. How much of an homage this was to this specific HQ interview was me then asking around to our group of friends that made this and being like. Like, oh, my God. Like, I would love to talk to the actor who played, like, Dan. I gotta get him on the show. And I believe. I think it was Pham who was just like, that guy has no idea what role he was playing.

[Steve Glover]

He really does. It was funny. I remember that guy specifically was kind of like. Like an actor who's, like, there, like, doing a role. He has no idea of, like, the context of what we're doing. That was also what's funny. You saw me having to explain to you what this is.

[Pablo Torre]

Yes.

[Steve Glover]

So trying to explain your life is.

[Pablo Torre]

Repeatedly being asked by people to explain the weird thing you're working on. And that includes the people who are starring in various parts of the thing that they are helping you.

[Steve Glover]

This is the hardest part about creating anything, you know, is it starts off as an idea to you. So you have to translate this into the real world to other people.

[Pablo Torre]

It's like, all right, so you're this Cuban guy with a dark goatee, and you wear a suit behind this desk next to this old guy and this black dude on the other side, and you have, like, buttons unbuttoned, and you're kind of like, you're that guy. And also, I remember Bomani's complaint that he voiced online. They. They thought that I would get on TV without no jacket on, just with a shirt, a dress shirt with the undershirt out of it, out the pack joint.

[Steve Glover]

We had to do just enough to be like, it's not you guys, you know.

[Pablo Torre]

And the old man in between them.

[Steve Glover]

I remember that day specifically. We're kind of behind, so you just gotta give them the fastest things. I didn't give them the whole Coolio speech. I didn't have time. You know, we were moving fast.

[Pablo Torre]

But that ended up being a thing that people eventually realized, oh, this isn't actually a movie.

[Steve Glover]

That's how you know it's a good prank. When people are sad at the.

[Pablo Torre]

When you're mad that you didn't get the fake movie that this advertised.

[Steve Glover]

But that's the thing. Like, you already know what this movie is. Yeah. That's why it works so good. You know, if they're like, we're making the 21 Savage movie, like, you already know what the highlights are and how Hollywood is gonna twist that. Have you ever seen the like, do.

[Pablo Torre]

Not ask me if I've seen Gangster's Paradise.

[Steve Glover]

Have you ever seen Coolio's video? Have you ever seen the Biggie movie that came out? A couple.

[Pablo Torre]

I saw it in theaters.

[Steve Glover]

This music you got going on, it don't come around every day. When you make it, we all make it. If I don't make it, not going back on the block. What cracks me up about that movie is I think he's. There's like a catchphrase in it. He keeps being like, can't change the world unless we change ourselves. That Biggie is saying, like, over and over again in the movie where you're like, there's no way Biggie ever said that. Right? Like, I don't think he's ever said that.

[Dan LeBatard]

Well, you guys have listened to oral history and you know that the origins of this show were once just a dream for Dan and for Stugats. And that dream turned into the show. And now the business of MetalArk Media and the show that you're listening to today. But starting your own business is a dream that lots of us share. But too many of us let it remain just a dream. So don't hold yourself back thinking, what if I don't have the skills? What if I can't do it alone? Turn those what ifs into why nots? With Shopify by your side, Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, including 10% of all U.S. e commerce. Whether you're Mattel or you're just getting started, Shopify's got your back. Not a web designer, no problem at all. Shopify has beautiful, ready to go templates. Need help with the details? Their AI tools can enhance product images, write descriptions, and even generate discount codes. Worried about finding Customers. Shopify makes marketing easy with email and social media tools. And if I ever get stuck, Shopify's award winning 24. 7 support is always there. Turn those dreams into and give them the best shot at success with Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today. At shopify.com, go to shopify.com batard shopify.com/buttard.

[Pablo Torre]

I remember getting a text if I'm just gonna throw IBRA under the bus. I think it was Ibrah. Ibrah Ake, who is. Again, not to dwell on who IBRA is, but just for people who don't know him. Artist, curmudgeon, professional now.

[Steve Glover]

Professional New Yorker who lives in France now. Yeah, exactly. In the most New York way possible.

[Pablo Torre]

Creative director guy who's worked with you guys. Like, yeah, Beyonce. Now I'm just like, what's the resume is actually crazy. The more I say it aloud.

[Steve Glover]

No, Eva is like a real artist.

[Pablo Torre]

A real artist. Snob, Professional snob. Eva. I got to get a text from him just to give you a sense of the high. He's the highbrow. You could argue he brings highbrow credibility.

[Steve Glover]

He definitely does.

[Pablo Torre]

From now, Paris. Can I get Stephen A. Smith's contact info? We're thinking of casting him in an episode of Atlanta. What was the role for Stephen A. Smith?

[Steve Glover]

It was probably season three of Atlanta. This is the flamethrower episode of season three. I'm gonna donate a million dollars to your school and I'm changing the name from that degenerate slave owner to one of the richest black men this side of the Mississippi. From now on, this school is gonna be named the Robert S. Lee High School.

[Pablo Torre]

Here are the other actors who I guess were being considered for the role. Steve Harvey was our first choice. Then Denzel and Spike and Kevin Samuels.

[Steve Glover]

I am going to pay every single senior's college tuition. Yeah. Who's black? We had wanted it to be Steve Harvey, and I think Steve. Steve Harvey seemed like he was into it, like he wanted to do it, and then he kind of, I don't know, at the last moment dropped out. He might have been.

[Pablo Torre]

You think he read the script?

[Steve Glover]

I don't. I don't even. I don't know, actually. Did he ever get the script? Maybe that was it. He read it and was like, I.

[Pablo Torre]

Can'T host Family Feud after this.

[Steve Glover]

I was gonna say, I think he was shooting Family Feud at the time. I think he was like, shooting Family Feud in Africa or something at the time. That might have been. Why? Welcome back to the Feud, everybody. The Sadira family won the game, and now it's time to play.

[Pablo Torre]

As somebody who has met Steve Harvey, when I, you know, became the owner of the greatest comeback in the history of celebrity Family Feud.

[Steve Glover]

Name the greatest breakfast food ever created.

[Pablo Torre]

Bacon.

[Steve Glover]

Name someone you should never call when you're drunk.

[Pablo Torre]

Your mom.

[Steve Glover]

Name a coin you throw into a fountain to make a wish.

[Pablo Torre]

A penny.

[Steve Glover]

We got a shot. I should have made you ask Steve Harvey why he didn't do our episodes.

[Pablo Torre]

If I knew the backstory in full, then his voice would be right here.

[Steve Glover]

Trying to get people in Atlanta. It's like, that's pretty much what it was. You would just kind of be trying to work your network of like, hey, does anybody know?

[Pablo Torre]

Does anyone know Liam Neeson? Okay, Liam Neeson thing is one of my favorite things that a celebrity has agreed to do.

[Steve Glover]

Eyes open once again, kind of toeing this line of, like, realness and, like, the strange that we love, you know.

[Pablo Torre]

Again, inspired by an actual interview a celebrity gave to someone inspired by a.

[Steve Glover]

Real interview that he did.

[Liam Neeson]

I remembered an incident nearly 40 years ago where a very dear friend of mine was brutally raped. But I'd never felt this feeling before, which was a primal urge to lash out. I asked her, did you know the person? It was a man. No. His race. She said, he was a black man. I thought, okay. And after that, there were some nights I went out deliberately into black areas in this city looking to be set upon so that I could unleash physical violence.

[Pablo Torre]

Liam Neeson says he's not racist. That's in quotes. After controversial interview Liam Neeson has. This is from the BBC. Liam Neeson has denied he is racist after admitting he once set out to kill any black man who provoked.

[Steve Glover]

Yeah, no, I mean, you know, so just.

[Pablo Torre]

Let's just sit in that for a second. And so then you guys are like, we have an idea for Liam Neeson. I mean, and by the way, the quote that I just read in all of its bluntness and discomfort is kind of where there is a place to actually understand why Liam Neeson would want to do this and actually benefited from doing what he did with Atlanta.

[Steve Glover]

Yeah, no, I mean, I think, you know, shout out to Liam Neeson because it was. It was great for him to do this, to even, like, hear us out talking in the Atlanta writers room. We were, like. We were talking about it. We're just like. It's kind of funny because he's doing the thing that we kind of want him to do, you know, he's being honest and, like, telling these, like, this real thing, you know, and it's like, yeah, like, might be uncomfortable, but it's like, this is the truth and, like, we're all better for it. And, like, he should be, like, applauded guy. But of course, nobody. The headline is just, you know, taking him down, which we just thought was funny. Of, like, we always joke, like, you know, you go to, like, a restaurant, you accidentally, like, eat somebody else's food. You get the wrong order, and like, a white guy there, like, that's enough to push him over the edge to racism. He's like, I hate all black people now. You know, all he has to do is have one bad interaction with a.

[Pablo Torre]

Black person, and then you might, quote, go out deliberately into black areas in the city looking to be set upon so I could unleash physical violence. End quote from Liam Neeson, which, again, the honesty in that. He's like, I'm going to actually express what was going through my mind. And we are, in fact, better off when people are able to express how they honestly feel. So the episode again, to fill in the blanks here. It's the season that and the episode, particularly in this case, takes place in Amsterdam.

[Steve Glover]

Yeah.

[Pablo Torre]

And there's a club, a seemingly hallucinatory club, where you go in and everybody who's in there has been canceled.

[Liam Neeson]

How did you get here?

[Steve Glover]

I just followed a local.

[Liam Neeson]

What'd they do?

[Steve Glover]

What you mean?

[Liam Neeson]

Well, did they strangle a fan? A shaggy teenager? I dig it in.

[Steve Glover]

Thank you.

[Liam Neeson]

You don't have to say. It's fine. It's your business.

[Steve Glover]

I mean, not to spoil the episodes.

[Pablo Torre]

We can spoil the. What the are we talking about?

[Steve Glover]

Some people haven't seen.

[Pablo Torre]

Steve. Spoiler alert. Okay, we can speak freely now. You've been warned. You've been warned.

[Liam Neeson]

Well, now I feel that way because you tried to ruin my career. Didn't succeed, mind you. However, I'm sure one day I will get over it. But until then, we are mortal enemies. I'll see you around.

[Pablo Torre]

Vic Lane, I presume there are people who have not seen this, and they should go and watch it, and they should come back to this to find the analysis that we're providing. I now realize, by the way, for the record, whenever we meet up, I have no idea what we're going to talk about. Turns out that I've just realized what Atlanta was through this particular lens, which is a show where you had to, at one point, ask Michael Vick to be on it.

[Steve Glover]

Yeah. Michael Vick out here racing people. He taking bets, too? Yeah, boy, is he.

[Liam Neeson]

Is he doing okay?

[Steve Glover]

Oh, he fine. It's just a good hustle. Yeah, Drunk people just want to race. This his sixth race in the 10 minutes I've been standing here. That boy good. Anybody else? Anybody? Three to one eyes. It's Phil. I kind of want to see this. I'll do it. What are you doing? Sometimes you just got to stun on people.

[Pablo Torre]

The shooting of it in terms of, like, just how you guys told the story of the race, as in stops, right? As Donald seems to, like, get ahead of Michael Vic at the starting line. And then, like, the. The motif of the.

[Steve Glover]

Kind of, like, Rocky music.

[Pablo Torre]

The whole thing of we don't need to show the race.

[Steve Glover]

Yeah, you don't need to see the race. But it's like, how much of the race do you need to show? It's like just him getting a jump on Michael Vic is enough to make you laugh at, like, oh, maybe he's actually gonna do this, you know?

[Pablo Torre]

And then the car. And there is no music. It is dead silent for several seconds, and you don't even know the outcome. Except it's now obvious what the outcome is. And then she says, it's Michael Fick.

[Steve Glover]

Which is the truth. You know, that's what's so funny, too.

[Pablo Torre]

It's such a great economy of showing. And I mean, in this case, obviously, like, in writing, it's show, don't tell. This is the inversion of that. It's don't show either. Like, don't show and don't tell.

[Steve Glover]

It's kind of like. Like horror movies, you know, it's like, the less you show, sometimes it's like, the better, you know, let people's imagination work a little bit, you know? I mean, Donald always had a philosophy on the show, too. Just like, we don't need to explain everything to the audience. We don't need to, like, hold their hand through everything. Like they're going to get it. You know, tv sometimes you're, like, too worried about, like, explaining everything. You know, it's like, I gotta bring Dangerous Mind script.

[Pablo Torre]

It's literally the exact opposite to what I've been forcing you to do for an hour.

[Steve Glover]

Exactly. Michael Vick, man, an Atlanta legend.

[Pablo Torre]

Can you take us inside the origin of that scene? Do you remember how it originated?

[Steve Glover]

I remember me and one of the other writers on the show, Jamal, AKA Swank.

[Pablo Torre]

Yep.

[Steve Glover]

I remember we went to, like, Complex Con one year, like, out here in la, and, like, you go into, like, the bathroom. And it's like a hundred dice games going on like Full Monty. It's like a Star wars casino in the bathroom. And that's what's kind of like funny about, like, Atlanta, like, you know, the strip club or like the parking lot even. It's like there's like a million things, like, going on other side hustles and side adventures happening, you know, all throughout this place. It's like a pool game going on over here for thousands of dollars, you know, it's just this idea that Michael Vick can, like, raise money whenever he wants, you know, just by racing drunk people. Which, to be fair, is a pretty great. I mean, if I was in Atlanta and Michael Vick was in a parking lot and people were racing him, I would definitely be interested.

[Pablo Torre]

I mean, I feel like that's actually a wildly. That's like hot ones now.

[Steve Glover]

That's hot.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Steve Glover]

That was hot.

[Pablo Torre]

I know, I know.

[Steve Glover]

That is still hot.

[Pablo Torre]

It's a.

[Dan LeBatard]

It's a weird show.

[Pablo Torre]

I know. That's like a. That's a complex YouTube franchise, actually.

[Steve Glover]

Speaking of which, man, we should talk to Michael Vick and see how if he wants to race people, he interviews people. Like, they're like, stretching. He's that guy. Like, so, like, what's the movie about? They're both at the starting line and he raises them. He's like, racing.

[Pablo Torre]

Like, you have to answer while you're racing him.

[Steve Glover]

It's like long distance. Like, they gotta race him for like a mile. That's the equalizer with Michael Vick. If you can run for a long time, you know, that's how you beat him.

[Pablo Torre]

What was the pitch to Michael Vick? Was that a hard. Do you remember if it was a hard. Ask if he got it immediately, if he was like, yeah, I'll do that.

[Steve Glover]

I think he was pretty on board. He was actually like, sure, yeah, it sounds cool. I remember he was into it and fine. I mean, with that shot in particular, I'm like, that's just like a perfect, like, kind of picture of, like, doing comedy especially, too, of like, the script. Whatever's in the script there, it was not what it was there. You know what I mean? It's like, you gotta, like, find it. You gotta find the comedic timing. Sometimes that's there, sometimes it's in the editing. I realized that too, like first season, people would read scripts and they would be like, what is this? You know, kinda like, what are we doing? You know, by the time, like, wait a minute.

[Pablo Torre]

Justin Bieber's Black.

[Steve Glover]

Yeah, exactly.

[Pablo Torre]

Wait.

[Steve Glover]

It's cool. It's cool. This is me. This is the real Justin. I'm not. It was always funny with the Justin Bieber episode. I remember we literally sent it to fx, the script, and they were like, are we gonna be able to get Justin Bieber? Like, that was like the kind of the first ask. Cause that's. That's how hard it was for them to understand what was going on.

[Pablo Torre]

Script, like, so you guys want us get Justin Bieber?

[Steve Glover]

They're like, so Donald's gonna get Justin Bieber. Right. Because we're not going. We can't do that. You know?

[Pablo Torre]

But look, the term from literature to be highbrow, right, Is magical realism. Like, that's Spanish literature. It's like, they don't. They're not explaining either.

[Steve Glover]

Yeah.

[Pablo Torre]

Like, why. Why is there this mysterious man on a bus eating like a peanut butter sandwich?

[Liam Neeson]

Resistance is a symptom of the way.

[Steve Glover]

Things are, not the way things necessarily should be. Actual victory belongs to things that simply do not see failure. Let the path push you like a broken branch in a river's current. Nah, nah, I'm not going out like that. But thanks for the advice. Fight this hound.

[Pablo Torre]

At the end of the book, they don't tell you, by the way, that was an allegory. The NBA Finals are almost here, and every second counts. With drafting sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA, you are not just watching history, you're betting on it. And now's your shot to get in on the action. Player props, game lines, live bets. This is playoff betting at its finest. And if you're new to DraftKings, bet just $5. And if your bet hits, you will cash in with $300 in bonus bets. So download the DraftKings sportsbook app and use code Pablo. That is code Pablo for new customers to get $300 in bonus bets. If your bet wins when you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings, the crown is yours. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER in New York, call 877-8-HOPENY or text Hopeny at 467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-78-9-7-777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boothill Casino and Resort in Kansas, 21 and over. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void. In Ontario, bet must win to receive reward. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see dkng Go. Do you think it's harder or easier to make Atlanta now than it was compared to when you guys actually did make multiple seasons, Critically acclaimed and also very, at times, subreddit aggravating?

[Steve Glover]

It's hard to answer that question because in some ways it's like, yeah, it would be hard to get it made, but at the same time, I think people are just as thirsty for this type of thing. So in some ways, the climate is, like, perfect for it, you know?

[Pablo Torre]

Yes, yes. That's the argument for it, is that we are. Whether we can articulate this or articulate it enough, we are starving for stuff that actually does make us think as well as make us laugh at the same time. And doing that's smart. But again, has some cheese melted on the broccoli.

[Steve Glover]

Exactly.

[Pablo Torre]

Is. Is. We just don't have enough of it, even as we're starving for it, even.

[Steve Glover]

When people are asking for it. The timing's gotta be right. You gotta be able to, like, find a way to cut through. I think our show was able to cut through. And, like, in an age where everybody's also like, look at me. I'll do anything to cut through. It's like, how do you subvert that? It's like, well, you just be good.

[Pablo Torre]

I guess I do like how the lesson at the end of this, like, what did I find out today? I guess you should be good at making things. I would bet on whoever is actually, like, skilled.

[Steve Glover]

At stuff. You definitely should. You know, I mean, it's like, I'll go to the, like, farmers market, very l A sort of thing, you know, and there's, like, this bread, like, place that's there, just kind of like French bakery that comes out there. And all the bread is like, every time you, like, come, it's like, most of it's gone. Because I guess people are coming at, like, six in the morning to get this bread or whatever. You want to be like, there's no way this is croissant. Is that good? Or whatever. And then you, like, get one. You get, like, something there. And you're like, oh, this actually is pretty good. And you're like, yeah, you know, like you said, betting on the people who know what they're doing. You could. You could think, like, man, I'll just go to Vons and get a croissant. But it's like, you're gonna pay for that.

[Pablo Torre]

No, you. And by the way, what you need are people who have maybe the ability to, like, communicate and then teach this to younger people, even if they may seem like a strange person to listen to, which does remind me of the movie Dangerous Minds.

[Steve Glover]

Man. We got. Maybe we'll just update Dangerous Minds. I'm thinking Lando. The Lando movies is kind of like Dangerous Minds.

[Pablo Torre]

What if Lando. Lando was Michelle Pfeiffer?

[Steve Glover]

He.

[Pablo Torre]

There's a space school in Cloud City.

[Steve Glover]

There's a lot of these, like, inner cloud city aliens. They gotta pass this test, but they don't believe in themselves enough. You know, they got a lot of issues at their alien home life. We'll pitch that to Disney.

[Pablo Torre]

This has been Pablo Torre Finds Out a Meadowlark Media production. And I'll talk to you next time.