Podcast Summary: Pablo Torre Finds Out

Episode: Stephen Glover on His Secret Star Wars Movie, Inventing Memes with Donald, and Inspiring Atlanta
Date: September 14, 2023
Host: Pablo Torre
Guest: Stephen Glover (screenwriter, rapper, producer; Atlanta head story editor)

Overview:

In this episode, Pablo Torre sits down with writer and producer Stephen Glover—known for his acclaimed work on Atlanta and upcoming project in the Star Wars universe. Their conversation traverses Stephen’s high school football days, the inspiration behind Atlanta, stories of early viral content, navigating internet culture, and his collaboration with brother Donald Glover on current and future projects. It’s an in-depth, comedic, and revealing talk about creativity, risk, and cultural impact.

Key Discussion Points

1. The Secret Star Wars “Lando” Project (00:51–02:30)

• Stephen clarifies: While initially reported as a Disney+ show, the current plan for the Lando project is a movie, not a series.
  • “No, the idea right now is to do a movie... right now, because of the strike, it’s kind of like telephone. All the information.” – Stephen (02:11)
• The effect of the Hollywood strike is highlighted; details about the project are scarce, even for those directly involved.
• Pablo jokes about nerds reading lips to decode their conversation.

2. Stephen’s High School Football Experience (04:00–08:10)

• Stephen reminisces about his brief and humble football career as a running back:
  • “Me getting to see the devaluing of the running back position personally affects me.” – Stephen (05:34)
• Shares a vivid, morbidly humorous speech from his coach foreshadowing how most high school players’ careers end.
• Reflects on how football, unlike basketball, has no afterlife in casual or pickup games.

3. The Origin and Realism of Atlanta (08:22–17:08)

• Pablo points out that Stephen is the real-life inspiration for Paperboy and is behind the show’s original rap tracks.
  • “I do all the tracks. That’s me.” – Stephen (09:24)
• True stories inspire Atlanta, such as an episode based on Stephen and his friend Swank’s college arrest:
  • “The second episode of Atlanta... That was me and Swank. We went to jail when we were in college.” – Stephen (10:37)
• Hilarious account of being arrested for a music video shoot; the only evidence (a gram of weed) was lost, mirroring the absurdity seen in the show.

4. From College Jail to Hollywood Success (17:41–22:12)

• Stephen opens up about the surreal arc from being jailed in college to winning awards for Atlanta.
• Despite accolades (Golden Globes, WGA Awards, Emmy nominations), Stephen admits he doesn’t always feel highly respected in Hollywood:
  • “Do you feel highly respected in Hollywood?”
  • “No.” – Pablo & Stephen (18:54–18:57)
• Reflects on being simultaneously celebrated (“dancing at Golden Globe parties”) and later critiqued as public opinion shifts.

5. The Risks and Rewards of Creative Ambition (22:12–27:11)

• Discusses the pressure and public scrutiny that comes with high-profile projects like Star Wars.
• The internet’s dual nature: source of inspiration and intense criticism.
  • “I’ve gotten to see the love and the hate several times in just different contexts.” – Stephen (22:53)
• Using “Swarm” (another Glover project) as an example, he demonstrates how reception can shift unexpectedly and why he tries not to get “too high or too low.”
• Stephen believes “everything that’s worth doing has some risk.”
  • “We don’t want to do things that are just gonna be mediocre... that was fine enough.” – Stephen (25:52)

6. Internet Memes, Early Creative Experiments, and the Glover Family’s Humor (31:38–39:13)

• Donald Glover claims they “invented memes” as kids through “clip art jokes” and digital comic-making with PowerPoint and games like Spider-Man Comic Book Maker.
  • “We would just make funny stuff... memes based off stock clip art...” – Stephen (33:13)
• Their family’s comedic spirit nurtured creative experimentation; even their sister joined in.
• Stephen ties their creativity back to necessity and imagination during their childhood.

7. First Encounters with the Internet and Tech Nostalgia (39:13–41:58)

• The brothers’ early experience with the internet (Juno email, basic web surfing circa 1999) shaped their understanding of culture and technology.
• Fondly recalls how their dad’s embrace of new tech, like computers and weird music CDs, spurred their innovation and gameplay—most notably with odd games like Monster Rancher.

8. Monster Rancher, Batman Soundtracks, and Culture Cycles (42:05–44:12)

• Hilarious digressions into '90s pop culture:
  • “My dad had the original Batman soundtrack that Prince did. He actually had like three Batman soundtrack CDs.” – Stephen (42:27)
• Culminates in listening to Method Man’s “The Riddler” from Batman Forever’s soundtrack, reveling in its strange, dated brilliance.

9. Surviving the Spotlight: The Eli Manning Analogy (27:33–31:38)

• Stephen likens himself to Eli Manning: an underdog succeeding in the most high-pressure environments.
  • “Me and Eli are—We’re like kindred spirits. He’s the younger brother too...” – Stephen (31:30)
• Pablo and Stephen dissect how, in New York (or Hollywood), surviving relentless scrutiny is its own badge of honor.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On creative risk:
  “Everything that’s worth doing has some risk to it, especially when you care about the quality of things.” – Stephen Glover (25:52)
• On internet culture:
  “I’ve gotten to see the love and the hate several times in just different contexts.” – Stephen Glover (22:53)
• On the real Paperboy:
  “I am the real Paperboy.” – Stephen Glover (08:35)
• On Atlanta’s source material:
  “A lot of the stories are based on stuff that I’ve seen and gone through—but also like our friend Swank... The most absurd that is in the show seems to be inspired by you and/or Swank’s actual real life adventures.” – Pablo Torre/Stephen Glover (09:33–10:17)
• On jail food:
  “I personally hate bologna. I’ve always hated bologna. So... I wish it was turkey. A turkey sandwich in jail would’ve been great.” – Stephen Glover (15:55)
• On being a Glover sibling:
  “Donald likes to be like, we invented memes. We invented memes in the 90s, early 2000s.” – Stephen Glover (31:57)
• On Monster Rancher Easter Eggs:
  “My dad had hundreds and hundreds of CDs... There’re super rare ones you could only get from certain discs...” – Stephen (40:02–40:43)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Lando/Star Wars Project Details: 00:51–02:30
• High School Football Stories: 04:00–08:10
• Atlanta Origins & Personal Tales: 08:22–17:08
• Jail Story & Real-Life Episode: 10:37–17:08
• Success, Awards, and Hollywood’s Mixed Reception: 17:41–22:12
• On Creative Risk and Internet Trolls: 22:12–27:11
• Eli Manning/New York Metaphor: 27:33–31:38
• Clip Art, Childhood Memes, and Glover Humor: 31:38–39:13
• Early Internet & Monster Rancher: 39:13–41:58
• Batman Forever Soundtrack & Method Man’s Riddler: 42:05–44:12

Additional Highlights

• Stephen’s humility, humor, and honesty make for a conversational, self-deprecating look at fame, creativity, and the hazards of nostalgia.
• The episode closes with Pablo extracting a promise (sort of) to play a space senator in the Lando movie—a pivotal win for podcast host ambition.

Final Note:
This episode will delight fans of Atlanta, Star Wars, and the ever-evolving internet, offering rare insight into what motivates and challenges creators like Stephen Glover—through laughter, risk, and relentless innovation.