SmartLess: "INTRODUCING: I Need You Guys"

Guests: Gabe Liedman, Jenny Slate, Max Silvestri (w/ Sean Hayes)
Date: November 6, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of SmartLess features a crossover with the new podcast "I Need You Guys," hosted by Gabe Liedman, Jenny Slate, and Max Silvestri—joined by SmartLess co-host Sean Hayes. The episode is a freewheeling, comedic discussion punctuated by deep friendship, confessional stories, a major internet meme controversy involving Jenny Slate, and a hilarious advice segment about nose picking etiquette. At its heart, the talk explores the joys and pitfalls of creating together, being vulnerable in public, and surviving the minefields of internet culture—all while keeping things playfully absurd.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter: Horror Movies & Philly Accents (00:42–04:10)

• Blair Witch Project Rewatch: Gabe fears the movie as a child ("shat myself with fear" – Gabe, 00:58), and now re-watches with a comedic lens, noticing its improvised feel.
• Accents and Identity: Max launches into his "Delco" (Philly) accent. Gabe talks about running away from his own Philly roots after moving to New York (“Said water once, got the look. And then I became like a, like a newscaster.” – Gabe, 02:40), sparking a playful exchange about hometown dialects.

2. The Nick, Medical Oddities, & Improvisational Silliness (03:22–05:04)

• The hosts riff on the TV show "The Nick" and its absurd historical treatments, leading to a barrage of musical improv and penis jokes ("Otherwise from the neck, it's so sleepy." – Jenny, 03:41).
• They consider what topics could kill a network: “This is when SiriusXM, like, actually eats its own poison pill and is like, we're done, we're done..." (Jenny, 04:48).

3. Jenny’s Meme Conundrum: Public Image & Political Co-option (05:20–12:02)

• Situation: Jenny discovers a meme from "Parks & Rec" using her likeness (Mona Lisa Saperstein) posted officially by the White House—twisted into an anti-immigrant joke.
• Emotional Fallout: Upset at both the cruelty and having her comedy co-opted for “absolutely evil means” (Jenny, 06:08).
• What Should She Do?
  • Gabe: Recommends not engaging on social media—“Ordinary, nice, normal, sane people cannot jump in there every second with these cuckoos.” (Gabe, 07:03)
  • Max: Points out the pain of one’s work being “co-opted into cruelty”—but suggests that simply posting “this sucks” can be cathartic: "They're using your work as a meme because they think it's funny...and the person who made it being like, nope, this sucks." (Max, 10:01)
  • Jenny finds resolve in stating her truth on the podcast: “I fucking hate that. I think it sucks. I think those people aren't funny and that they're deeply cruel.” (Jenny, 11:15)

4. Sean Hayes Joins: Podcast Friendship Origins & Advertising Detour (14:16–16:44)

• Sean reminisces about starting SmartLess during the pandemic: "We've been friends for 20, 25 years... let's just do this and hang out." (Sean, 15:02)
• The group riffs on old shampoo and toothpaste commercials—how advertising shaped their earliest 'jokes' as kids.

5. Comedy Origins: Childhood Gags & Early Laughs (16:45–19:13)

• Gabe and Jenny share their “first jokes” performed as kids. Gabe relives yelling “Super Grover!” after falling on a bus—his comedic “origin story.”
• Sean describes staging pratfalls at graduation to live up to his class “Superlative”—Senior Most Likely to Trip.

6. Handling Internet Meme Drama: Jenny’s Dilemma, Sean’s Advice (20:21–27:47)

• Jenny restates her meme situation for Sean; he affirms: “You know what to do, which is nothing. You just let it go…You were just a pawn in their messaging.” (Sean, 22:19)
• Sean shares a personal experience of being lied about publicly and choosing not to respond, on legal and emotional advice. “All you want to do is show the receipts...But on the great advice of my lawyer…and friends and family—don’t do anything.” (Sean, 25:44)

7. Bisque Catastrophe & Domestic Oversharing (26:23–28:28)

• Jenny and her family have a culinary disaster: Jenny made a bisque, left it out too long, resulting in “diarrhea all night” and her husband Googling “what is heart attack”—comedy gold about TMI friendships.
• They brainstorm “biscuit” as a food/medical hybrid: “It gives you both diarrhea and heartburn. It’s a biscuit. But it’s nothing like either the British or the American biscuit.” (Max, 27:57)

8. Friendship, Work, and Podcast Chemistry (31:01–34:47)

• Max asks Sean for advice about preserving friendship while running a podcast together.
• Sean’s wisdom: “Of course, we’ve gotten in arguments...It just makes you closer and it makes your bond tighter…On the other side is just a closer relationship.” (Sean, 31:38)
• They riff on their on-air chemistry, sexual tension ("not in any of the directions you'd think" – Max, 32:46), and Jenny’s infamous ability to process her thoughts out loud (“Jenny doesn’t have dreams because everything gets processed while she’s awake.” – Max, 33:48).

9. Audience Question: Nose Picking Etiquette (36:47–40:56)

• Colorado listener asks: “Is there any amount of nose picking that is acceptable in some kind of etiquette idea? … What do you do with what you get out of it?” (Caller, 37:39)
• Panel’s consensus:
  • In private? Fine, even satisfying!
  • In public? Try not to; it’s about respecting others.
  • Sean: "My mouth waters...the satisfaction of clearing out your nose." (Sean, 38:56)
  • Jenny: “Try not to do it in public. That's what I would say.” (Jenny, 40:50)
  • Gabe: “The etiquette is don’t do it in public.” (Gabe, 40:53)

10. Nostalgia: Landlines, Prank Calls, and Dial-Up Internet (43:20–45:45)

• Sean recalls calling gay chat lines and getting caught via the phone bill.
• The group laughs over the inability to get away with prank calls nowadays—a very ’90s childhood memory.
• Max shares a story of racking up a $750 AOL bill downloading “a .gif of Tiffany Amber Thiessen…took 15 hours…cost my parents $800. Sorry, Mom.” (Max, 45:26)

11. Reflections on Comedy, Mentors, and Sean Hayes (46:36–49:52)

• Jenny and Gabe heap praise on Sean Hayes, comparing his comedic prowess to “Olympic-level” performance (“Whenever Sean lands a joke, it's just like, it's crazy.” – Gabe, 47:37).
• Jenny expresses authentic awe at getting to work with one of her comedy idols.

12. Lighthearted Farewells and Upcoming Plans (50:04–50:30)

• The hosts discuss upcoming plans (Max’s pumpkin light show with his son), joke about sending memes to the White House, and say heartfelt goodbyes.
• Closing production credits and reminders to submit questions for future etiquette discussions.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jenny on being meme-ified:
  "First of all, deeply upsetting on so many levels to make that type of a cruel joke. And then also to be the person that somehow has included that and it’s used for, you know, just absolutely evil means.” (06:08)

• Gabe on not engaging:
  “Ordinary, nice, normal, sane people cannot jump in there every second with these cuckoos.” (07:03)

• Sean on letting go:
  “You just let it go…You were just a pawn in their messaging.” (22:19)

• Sean’s tradition advice:
  "All you want to do is show the receipts...But on the great advice of my lawyer...don’t do anything." (25:44)

• Nose picking wisdom:
  "Try not to do it in public. That's what I would say." (Jenny, 40:50)
  “The etiquette is don’t do it in public.” (Gabe, 40:53)
  "My mouth waters...the satisfaction of clearing out your nose." (Sean, 38:56)

• Sean on friendship and conflict:
  "Of course, we've gotten in arguments...It just makes you closer and it makes your bond tighter...on the other side is just a closer relationship." (31:38)

• Jenny’s awe at Sean:
  “I don’t feel that it’s normal to be able to talk to Sean Hayes...to be like, oh yeah, I get to talk to one of the funniest people on TV.” (46:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:42 – Introductions; Blair Witch, Philly accents
• 05:20 – Jenny’s meme dilemma introduced
• 10:01 – Max on public image and memes
• 11:17 – Jenny’s on-air response to being meme-ified
• 14:16 – Sean Hayes joins, reminisces podcast origins
• 16:45 – Childhood joke origins, early comedy
• 22:19 – Sean’s advice on responding to being misrepresented
• 26:23 – Food disasters and family oversharing
• 31:38 – Friendship, podcasting, and working with close friends
• 36:47 – Nose picking etiquette
• 43:20 – Landline nostalgia and AOL stories
• 46:36 – Sean Hayes, comedy influences, and gratitude
• 50:04 – Goodbyes and closing thoughts

Final Thoughts

This episode blends irreverent humor with real talk about public image, vulnerability, and navigating life under the gaze of both fans and trolls. It showcases the tight bonds between comedians, the wisdom found in creative friendships, and the power of honest conversation—even (especially) about the gross or embarrassing stuff. For fans of SmartLess and comedy podcasts, it’s a funny, heartfelt, and occasionally profound listen.