"Kareem Rahma"

Summary

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SmartLess – "Kareem Rahma" (May 11, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett welcome Kareem Rahma—a comedian, media entrepreneur, and creator of the wildly popular online interview shows "Keep the Meter Running" and "Subway Takes." The conversation journeys across Kareem’s path from Vice and the New York Times to viral internet success, his affinity for connecting through genuine conversation, and his musings on aliens, New York City, and hanging out as a career. The episode is spirited, self-deprecating, and highlights Kareem’s philosophy on engaging the world.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Space, Society, and Disclosure

[03:00–09:00]

• The hosts open with a chat about Artemis and space exploration, poking fun at the media hype around moon missions.
• Bob Lazar and Area 51 are discussed, segueing into the rise of public acceptance (or dismissal) of UFO disclosures.
• Notable Quote:
  “People would be shocked. Us just having this sort of really loose anecdotal conversation where we can’t even remember the names of the goddamn... is having a real effect.” — Sean Hayes [08:16]

Introducing Kareem Rahma: Aliens, Belief, and Personal Experiences

[09:28–15:16]

• Will Arnett intros Kareem with a run-down of his accolades as a man “of the people” and a contemporary pop culture voice.
• Kareem reveals he believes in aliens and shares a childhood story about seeing an “alien” who said “zone” to him ([11:21]).
• The discussion veers into what would happen if the government formally disclosed alien contact, with Kareem suggesting,
  “I think the impact on society... it would destroy society. More so than anything else because I think religion... [and] science would be gone.” — Kareem Rahma [12:44]
• They riff on Steven Spielberg’s hypothetical involvement in pop culture “disclosure.”

Kareem’s Origin: From Egypt to New York Media

[15:17–20:57]

• Kareem grew up in Minneapolis, studied journalism, tried (and quit) business school, and moved to New York to “strike gold.”
• Shares:
  “I was like, let me go out East and strike it, like strike gold... That was 15 years ago.” — Kareem Rahma [16:01]
• Worked at Vice, joking that “they pay you in cocaine,” then moved to the New York Times to help launch Times Video—“A lot less coke.” [19:09]

Failures, Pivots, and the Birth of Viral Video Shows

[20:10–27:10]

• Kareem details his string of entrepreneurial attempts: NYC TV (public access online), then Nameless Network (viral videos, “yams in Japan”).
• Admits to multiple swings and misses, learning he was “better at hanging out.”
• The breakthrough: Keep the Meter Running—Kareem rides with a cabbie and asks them to take him to their favorite place, covering the city and “fatherly wisdom” he finds in drivers.
  • “The whole through-line of the show is, like, how to be a better man.” — Kareem Rahma [32:11]

Viral Success & The Power of Hanging Out

[27:11–34:40]

• Kareem describes going viral overnight—after posting "Keep the Meter Running," a bodega clerk recognized him:
  “I go, I’ve been here a million times... He goes, ‘No, taxi! You’re the taxi guy.’” — Kareem Rahma [29:22]
• The caveat: early internet video success often brought massive views, but little money—admitting, “[I] was seeing zero dollars” from viral clips ([33:45]). Only later did he understand the importance of brand partnerships and underwriting.

Creating Subway Takes & the Talk Show Format

[34:41–42:35]

• Subway Takes emerges as a lower-budget, no-frills, two-minute talk show on the subway, frequently featuring comedians and cultural figures.
• Format: Guest gives a “hot take”; Kareem is “100% agree” or “100% disagree”—the show’s fun is in lively disagreement, but respectful dialogue.
• The hosts discuss their own appearances—Will and Jason have been on the show—and the logistics of getting everyday New Yorkers and celebrities to participate.

Sustaining Creativity and Social Energy

[42:36–44:02]

• Kareem describes batch-shooting (e.g., 10 Subway Takes in a day), with the hosts exploring how interacting with strangers fuels stories and social energy.
  • “I have such a fun job, both of my jobs... I’m blessed as a person.” — Kareem Rahma [42:43]

Scaling Up: Future Dreams, Live Shows, and Bourdain Vibes

[43:07–45:36]

• Conversations about expanding the concept—live Subway Takes shows where the audience brings their own hot takes.
• Kareem acknowledges the influence of Anthony Bourdain, hoping to expand globally, visiting different cultures:
  “Exposing all of us to other parts of the world and other cultures of people... We need that.” — Will Arnett [44:32]

Memorable Moments & Rapid Takes

[45:36–56:55]

• Anecdote: Woody Harrelson “took over” a Subway Takes episode, interviewing strangers and amusing the train [45:36].
• The hosts and Kareem share and debate their own “hot takes”:
  • Disliking wedding dance floors ([52:09])
  • Disliking street art/graffiti ([52:34])
  • Wanting citizens to issue parking/moving violation tickets ([53:24])
  • The ongoing NYC air conditioner safety hazard ([58:10])
  • Sidewalk traffic lanes for fast/slow walkers ([55:08])
  • Social media anonymity and accountability ([55:23])

Personal Growth, Labels, and Kareem’s Artistry

[59:01–61:57]

• Kareem reflects on finding career peace later in life (starting this at 33), rebuffing the “creator” label in favor of “entertainer.”
• Reveals:
  • Produced and starred in feature film "Or Something" (on Mubi).
  • Is the frontman for punk rock band Tiny Gun (“Pixies meets the Strokes”)—even played Outside Lands and Newport Folk Festival.

Community, Connection, and Playing at the Top

[61:58–64:47]

• The hosts praise Kareem for engaging with the world, connecting people, and “playing at the top of his intelligence”—proving that thoughtful conversation resonates in modern media.
• Kareem self-effacingly campaigns for a Creative Arts Emmy, inviting listeners and Academy voters to check out his work.

Final Thoughts & Farewells

[65:15–68:17]

• Kareem notes the need for standardized male greetings—handshakes first!—and thanks the hosts for the support.
• Amusingly, Jason Bateman admits he’s never ridden the NYC subway by choice.
• The hosts close by praising Kareem’s authenticity and the genuine appeal of his conversational shows:
  • “He did have an actual talent for it and he is an engaging person... authentic and real.” — Jason Bateman [68:10]

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Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• On virality:
  “I opened my phone and it has like 2 million views.” — Kareem Rahma [29:47]

• On being an 'entertainer':
  “I say entertainer. Because I also make—I wrote a movie, produced it, starred in it... I make music, rock and roll band. The movie’s called ‘Or Something.’” — Kareem Rahma [59:42]

• On the show’s philosophy:
  “It is really an exploration of what it means to 100% disagree but still have a funny, casual, engaging conversation.” — Kareem Rahma [49:42]

• On getting started late:
  “To start at 33 and take this massive bet and then have it work out—it’s shocking. And every day I’m just like, it’s dope.” — Kareem Rahma [59:33]

• Hosts on Kareem:
  “You’re doing the very thing that I wish I could do more—you’re taking chances and you’re engaging in life in such an awesome way.” — Sean Hayes [60:57]

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• Childhood Alien Encounter: [11:21]
• Describing the original Vice office culture: [17:14–19:08]
• First viral overnight success story: [29:22]
• How social media creators get paid (or don’t): [33:09–34:40]
• The logic behind Subway Takes: [35:41–37:53]
• Batch shooting and creative stamina: [40:41–42:35]
• Hosts’ and Kareem’s “hot takes” banter: [45:36–56:55]
• Kareem describes the joy of later-in-life creative success: [59:01–59:33]
• Advocacy for creative Emmy consideration: [63:22–63:44]

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

• Warm, irreverent, and quick-witted—the hosts and guest riff on everything from conspiracies to New York life and digital culture, always circling back to the value of curiosity, conversation, and connection.
• Kareem Rahma shines as a humble, energetic, and inventive creator, championing the notion that “hanging out” and really listening to people can be a meaningful, enriching pursuit.
• The episode is both deeply funny and subtly inspiring—forging the argument that authentic connection and creative risks are still what the world craves.

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For listeners: If you’re interested in the intersection of old-school conversation, pop culture, and modern internet ethos, checking out “Keep the Meter Running” and “Subway Takes” seems an absolute must. Kareem Rahma is indeed one to watch.

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Transcript

[Jason Bateman]

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[Sean Hayes]

You said this place was steps from the water.

[Kareem Rahma]

We just haven't found the steps yet.

[Jason Bateman]

How much did we save?

[Sean Hayes]

Enough.

[Will Arnett]

Enough to get lost.

[Kareem Rahma]

Or you could book a stay with Hilton.

[Jason Bateman]

Welcome to your oceanfront room just steps from the water.

[Kareem Rahma]

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[Jason Bateman]

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[Will Arnett]

Hello, listener. My name is Jason. I am one third of the machine machine you have tuned in to listen to. Speaking of machinery, those two tools are on their way in. Sit tight. Turn it up. Here it comes. Welcome to Smartless.

[Sean Hayes]

Smart, Smart, Smart. Less.

[Jason Bateman]

Hey, guys, guess what?

[Sean Hayes]

What is this show?

[Jason Bateman]

There's our live episodes out now on YouTube with Jonah Hill from the Avalon. Our live episode.

[Sean Hayes]

How can people find it?

[Jason Bateman]

It's at YouTube. Smartless. Is that right?

[Will Arnett]

Say it again. I wasn't writing.

[Jason Bateman]

It's. Yeah, it'[e-mail] smartless and you can watch it. And it's a live show at the Avalon with Jonah Hill. You can see Jon Hill.

[Will Arnett]

You can do a set of heroes.

[Jason Bateman]

This is correct.

[Will Arnett]

All right, well, thanks for the housekeeping there. Anyway, let's get back to things.

[Jason Bateman]

By the way, what do you guys think of my shirt?

[Will Arnett]

I do Notice you're wearing a NASA hat today. Are you. Are you feeling excited about the Artemis?

[Jason Bateman]

Isn't that wild? Yeah, let's talk about that.

[Will Arnett]

Why is everybody freaking out about that? We've been going, like, traveling to Mars.

[Sean Hayes]

No.

[Will Arnett]

Well, like, we, we did the. We did the moon loop. Did the moon landing.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

68, nine, something like that. They're not even landing on the moon. They're just going to kind of do a little lasso.

[Jason Bateman]

They're pussies.

[Will Arnett]

But it's just like, why is everyone like. No, I'm kidd. Oh, God.

[Jason Bateman]

No, I think it's amazing what they're doing. They're, they're, they're, they're spitting it, by the way.

[Will Arnett]

I'm just saying, like, help me understand these.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. No, well, because it's, it's the farthest anybody's been ever. Is that right?

[Will Arnett]

Or.

[Sean Hayes]

I think so. I think it's the farther humans. Yeah. From Earth.

[Jason Bateman]

From Earth, yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Because we're traveling around the back side of it as opposed to landing on the front of it.

[Jason Bateman]

That's correct. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Right.

[Will Arnett]

Well, that seems like they're reaching for a record there, you know, I mean, that's like.

[Jason Bateman]

That's like not going to Jason's house, but just stopping at Will's house.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

I mean, I just don't know if that's.

[Sean Hayes]

You feel. Feels like the equivalent of Oscar bait.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. I mean, what if they did what. How about this? What if they do that one loop, right? So they qualify for Friz, and then when they come back around, land the thing, like, you know, and like, drive the buggy around again and hit another golf shot. That'll be really sensational.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm going to try to get you an email address so you can send this in. I'm sure they.

[Will Arnett]

They're looking for ideas over there.

[Sean Hayes]

Right, of course.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, Jay. But I think they're. I think the idea is to collect more information so that the next one they can land on the moon, like, again. Yeah, I think.

[Will Arnett]

What about if they put, like, build like a little tree house on it or something? Well, I think they're.

[Jason Bateman]

They're talking about that. Yeah, they're talking about, like, colonizing a little tiny thing so that you can launch from there to, To Mars.

[Will Arnett]

Would you ever say if you. Would you ever do one of these rocket launches, like, like, what's his face that the Amazon did?

[Jason Bateman]

Jeff Bezos.

[Will Arnett]

Right. He sent some people up. Would you ever do that?

[Jason Bateman]

I would, yeah. Really? Yeah, absolutely. Wouldn't you, Willie?

[Sean Hayes]

I think I Think I probably wouldn't that be.

[Will Arnett]

You wouldn't pull us out like a day before and go, well, hang on,

[Sean Hayes]

I wouldn't pay for it. I never pay for it. Right?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, well, nobody paid for it. Did those people pay for it on the Bezos ones?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Only in dignity.

[Sean Hayes]

The Bezos people, they pay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like 250 grand or some shit to go.

[Will Arnett]

Really?

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, my God.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

It's crazy money, you know, you can

[Will Arnett]

go up and like, leave the. Leave the atmosphere and come back down or.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. To feel weightlessness. Wouldn't that be fun to feel like.

[Will Arnett]

I'd love to get Neil DeGrasse Tyson back on. Just.

[Jason Bateman]

Why don't we.

[Will Arnett]

That answer he was forming for me.

[Sean Hayes]

And then I think it's all. I think it's all pretty cool.

[Jason Bateman]

I think it's.

[Sean Hayes]

I mean, I'm not obsessed with it, but I think it's pretty damn cool.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, they had some toilet problems on the Artemis too. Did you read that?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Yes, I had a toilet problem this morning.

[Sean Hayes]

Let me tell you something, Jason. You could never go. Because they don't have a shower. Because they don't have a shower next to the toilet up there. So you'd never be able to go.

[Will Arnett]

You can't shower immediately after a bm.

[Sean Hayes]

No, no.

[Will Arnett]

Well, I'm out.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, of course you're out.

[Will Arnett]

I gotta feel fresh, you guys, as

[Jason Bateman]

I explore the universe.

[Will Arnett]

Can. Can you use a flushable wipe up there since there's no flushing?

[Jason Bateman]

I bet, I bet.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Sorry.

[Kareem Rahma]

Wait.

[Jason Bateman]

You know what else, though? But I've been watching that new documentary, the Bob. Bob Lazar S4 thing.

[Will Arnett]

No, what's that? I like a new documentary.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, so you got to see it. Bob, you know, Bob Lazar who. Who worked at Area 51 and has been talking about it for decades. And nobody believes him. And he's like. I keep. He has drawings, he has memories. It's fascinating. And. And he. He's. He. It's called.

[Will Arnett]

Never mind. We'll look up at a little bit.

[Jason Bateman]

It's called S4 the Bob Lazar Story. Oh, go ahead. Sorry.

[Sean Hayes]

No, keep going. I'm saying.

[Jason Bateman]

Prompting you so. Yeah, so he went into s. He used to work. Sean, hurry. I know. I'm hurrying. He went into. He used to work there. And there was this long hangar of like. Of different sections with different parts of alien spacecraft.

[Will Arnett]

I like getting involved.

[Jason Bateman]

I mean, I'm sweating. I'm literally sweating.

[Will Arnett]

So there's a long hangar.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, no, there's a hangar with different sections, and each section has different parts of alien spacecraft that they've collected over the years.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, that's exactly. Yeah, that. That doc we were talking about, I don't know if we were talking about it on the podcast or away, but the age of disclosure, you know, James Clapper and John Brennan, they're talking about like, yeah, we have been doing crash site recovery for years and Bob Lazar's

[Jason Bateman]

been talking about it way before they have.

[Will Arnett]

And, and now I said, well to myself, self, why don't we know about all this in a much more mainstream way? And the is. Is simply, it would be too unsettling and disruptive to society.

[Jason Bateman]

Like, I think now it's slowly coming I think now it's slowly coming out because I think we can handle it now.

[Will Arnett]

Do you think we're helping by having, like, little conversations like this on a podcast?

[Sean Hayes]

This is, this is having a major

[Will Arnett]

impact conditioning the public.

[Sean Hayes]

This is helping turn the tide.

[Will Arnett]

Not for us holding their hand into something unsettling.

[Jason Bateman]

People would be shocked.

[Sean Hayes]

Us just having this sort of really loose anecdotal conversation where we can't even remember the names of the goddamn do is having a real effect and not

[Jason Bateman]

even know that mission of Artemis too.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, exactly. Not even knowing.

[Will Arnett]

You know, listen, this is all good. Talk about a segue. I think this fella might have a nice perspective for us on this now. This is today. It brings us a voice of the current, the relevant, the forward, and the fresh. Okay. This comedian, artist, and media entrepreneur was born in Egypt, lives in New York, spends his time delivering us one of the most viewed and talked about online interview shows around. His work has gathered billions of views, achieved acclaim from the New York Times, gq, New Yorker, Vanity Fair, as well as receiving multiple Webby nominations. Please welcome. Not a fancy schmancy, triple A list celebrity type, you two. No, no, this is a man of the people, a voice of the Hatton, a guy with some helpful hot takes. The host of subway takes. Mr. Kareem Rama, please. Hello.

[Kareem Rahma]

Aliens are real. Truth is out there, right?

[Sean Hayes]

Do you.

[Will Arnett]

Do you think there's. There's a chance this is. This is a real thing?

[Kareem Rahma]

That we're going to the moon?

[Will Arnett]

No, that we're going to. We're going to do a lap. That part's true. We're in the mid lap right now.

[Kareem Rahma]

No, I mean that, that like we're go like that. We're the rockets. Even in space. Who knows if it's even in space?

[Will Arnett]

Oh, oh, let's go all the way.

[Sean Hayes]

Back there. What do you mean, Kareem, what are you saying? Are you.

[Will Arnett]

Do you think that maybe we filmed the landing on the moon in a soundstage?

[Kareem Rahma]

Look, I am not a scientist, but I thought I saw that the. The curve of the rocket, like when it was going in space, kind of looks like it's not going up, it's going into the ocean. I'm just saying I saw one video about this.

[Will Arnett]

If the Ark continued, it's. It's going to plummet.

[Kareem Rahma]

No, it's just gonna go into those.

[Jason Bateman]

No, no, no.

[Sean Hayes]

Short. A short social media video is all I need.

[Will Arnett]

I think, I think. I think that arc is to offset the rotation of the Earth and that's right.

[Jason Bateman]

Actually, it looks like it's going straight up, but it's not. It's going against how it's going with

[Kareem Rahma]

the curve of the Earth, but the Earth is flat, so that makes no sense.

[Will Arnett]

Okay, thank you for joining us.

[Kareem Rahma]

I'll see you guys there. No, I don't believe a disclaimer. I don't believe any of that. I believe in the real world is round.

[Will Arnett]

So you don't think there's any possibility that there is life outside Earth or sort of intelligent beings and that perhaps they may have crashed on this Earth a couple of times and that the government is aware?

[Kareem Rahma]

No, I fully believe that I've had extraterrestrial experiences. I'm surprised none of you guys have.

[Will Arnett]

Welcome back to our episode.

[Kareem Rahma]

No, you guys haven't had extraterrestrial experiences?

[Will Arnett]

Well, I did.

[Sean Hayes]

Well, we, we, you know. No comment. Let's hear what tell. Tell us yours first.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, now, see, now it sounds fake, but I saw an alien in the bushes when I was a kid, like probably like 12. And. And I just saw it and it just looked at me and it said the word zone, Z, O, N, E. And that kind of just like said that a couple times and then it just ran away.

[Will Arnett]

Was it the classic almond shaped eye and head, teardrop head kind of thing?

[Kareem Rahma]

It was similar to that but not as exaggerated. It was more like. It looked like. It just kind of looked like a weird looking. Maybe it was a weird looking guy. Yeah, yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

It might have just been a neighbor.

[Will Arnett]

Was he small?

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, it was small. It was a small, weird looking guy, but he was kind of green and. And big, huge eyes. I mean, it looked like an alien that you think about.

[Sean Hayes]

And when, when he said that, do you feel like he was telling you like. Like, get in the zone. Like, lock in. Like he was encouragement?

[Will Arnett]

Like, hey, yeah, get in Study harder in school and.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Now, all, all half joking aside and all that, would you be surprised if there was a mainstream declaration from the government that we have, in fact, we can confirm that this is more than a possibility and kind of get ready for this multi year kind of trickle rollout information to really make this legitimate and substantial. Like, like they're here.

[Kareem Rahma]

I think the impact on society, I think it would destroy society. I think more so than like anything else because I think religion, like.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, no, it would be gone. Science would be gone. Yeah, but, but like what, what about what somebody said last night that, you know, there's a. But what if there's a possibility. Let's say that there's a group of wise men there in the government that is trying to figure out the best responsible way in which to condition the public to this inevitable reveal. And that Steven Spielberg's next movie, it's coming out the end of this year, is called Disclosure. It's going to be an enormous film. And it is about, from what I can gather from the trailer, the public

[Kareem Rahma]

finally being told, and it's probably funded by the CIA. I'm not even kidding.

[Will Arnett]

And I'm saying maybe this group was. They, they pulled Spielberg in and said, hey, listen, could you help us out with. Could you cover the pop culture end of these, of this and just start to.

[Sean Hayes]

We need, we need you to feed that, like, give the pablum to the people so that they can kind of.

[Will Arnett]

They're not so ambushed when it, when it comes out. And it's.

[Jason Bateman]

I think people, no matter what the news is, they'll just keep scrolling. I mean, there could be aliens among us right now. They'll just keep scrolling. I think that's the conditioned, you know,

[Will Arnett]

you don't think it's gonna, it won't jar them out of it. And they'll think, no, that's not real.

[Jason Bateman]

I don't think so.

[Kareem Rahma]

No, I think people will like, seek out alien porn and like, they'll, they'll do like, weird, like, it'll be more.

[Sean Hayes]

Porn is always on the cutting edge of everything. They always, they're always first on everything. I mean, even, even engagement with, with, you know, ghosts and stuff. It's always porn.

[Kareem Rahma]

Porn's always first. But I think that, that this movie is probably crazy timing and like, and the, and the launch. Like, I do think the CIA is. I sound so insane. I probably sound like the most insane guest you've ever had.

[Will Arnett]

No, no, no.

[Kareem Rahma]

Okay, good.

[Will Arnett]

Okay, we haven't aired those.

[Kareem Rahma]

But, but I Think that the CIA has been known to use like movies to like promote like, oh, we're going to war, the Middle East. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

By the way, they would always do, you know, the government would make film, they would decide what kinds of films should be made at times. Yeah. And to sort of, you know, garner support and get people, lift people's spirits and get them feeling patriotic and that's not new.

[Will Arnett]

All right, so. Mr. Where, where, where, where to begin?

[Sean Hayes]

Where to begin?

[Will Arnett]

I mean.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

What kind of stuff is over?

[Sean Hayes]

I mean, we've got, we went. How do, how do we claw back?

[Will Arnett]

You're let, start, Start us, take us, walk us towards. You know, you're now sort of this, you know, one of these forward voices and pop culture today. How did it all kind of start? Was this a goal like you started in Minneapolis? Yes. You got a journalism degree? Maybe. Yes. And then business degree.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, that was a failure. I didn't finish that.

[Will Arnett]

And then you travel out to New York in pursuit of

[Kareem Rahma]

just not living in a small town. It was really a classic and it was kind of like a, like, let me go out east and like strike it, like strike gold in the same way that, you know, there's a Silicon Valley rush and the gold rush. I was like, oh, I'm gonna go to New York, I'm gonna get rich and famous. And that was a long time. That was 15 years ago.

[Will Arnett]

So any industry you had focused on or is just like that, that town has a lot of different ones. We'll see what hits.

[Kareem Rahma]

I, at the time, I was very much into like entrepreneurship in this, like the social network had just come out. I was like, oh, like, that's like, that's like. That was cool. Remember for a while that was really cool. It was really cool to be like a tech.

[Will Arnett]

Right.

[Kareem Rahma]

Founder. Right. And I was like, oh, that's the way you do it. And all these young people were like making so much money. And I was like, oh, I think I should be a tech guy.

[Will Arnett]

Right. Take technology, use your creativity, your insight, your savviness and see where the two could intersect. Yeah, well.

[Sean Hayes]

But really the ultimate goal was to strike it rich.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, it was, it was definitely in pursuit of. Yeah, yeah. I was like, I was like, let me. And I did the opposite. I did the exact opposite because I got a job at Vice.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rahma]

And Vice pays you. It's like they get three, they get a three for one deal. So they get like three 25 year

[Sean Hayes]

old kids, they pay you in cocaine. Is that what you're going to Say they do.

[Kareem Rahma]

They actually do. At least holiday bonuses short paid in. I remember Christmas. It was like, here's a bag of blow. And I was like, oh, cool. This is so cool. This is so interesting. But I could. I pay my rent with blow.

[Will Arnett]

So you're at vice and you're doing marketing stuff with them? Maybe.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, yeah, I'm doing like content development and marketing and kind of like launching new shows and. And I was never the talent, but I wanted to be the talent.

[Sean Hayes]

Were you working with. With like, with like Shane and Eddie and all those guys?

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah. And at the time, it was like 75 people. So we were all in the same room.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rahma]

And I was listening to them on the phone and I'm like, whoa, this is so cool. Like, it really was like getting. That was a real MBA in business. Because I'm like sitting in this room with Shane and Eddie and. And Soroush and all these guys. I'm like, listening to them. He's awesome. He's such a good guy. Like, I just saw him the other day.

[Sean Hayes]

He's the greatest guy.

[Kareem Rahma]

He's so cool.

[Sean Hayes]

He's so cool.

[Will Arnett]

Well, from a marketing standpoint and, and also a content thing. I mean, that was such an exciting company and, and hearing about it, seeing it coming and, and, and, and getting on board and kind of following it was. You guys did a great job at that.

[Kareem Rahma]

It was really cool. It was really cool. And it felt like we were doing something. Like it was like.

[Sean Hayes]

And Spike was around a bunch there too, wasn't he?

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, he was.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yep. He was like the executive creative director, which meant that he just, you know, got to say that. And he would hang out. Like, he was just like that. Which is. I was like, that's such a cool job.

[Will Arnett]

David Cross was kicking around a little bit too. Was.

[Sean Hayes]

That was early. That was early days. He was.

[Kareem Rahma]

Think that was earlier.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Okay.

[Kareem Rahma]

No, I was there in 2012.

[Will Arnett]

And then. And from there you go to the New York Times.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Will Arnett]

And for them you did less coke.

[Kareem Rahma]

I bet I did the same thing. A lot less coke.

[Sean Hayes]

A lot.

[Kareem Rahma]

A lot less coke. It was kind of like, that's why I quit. Of course, the Times was like, we just pay money. And I was like, yeah, you're like, money can't buy coke.

[Sean Hayes]

It's Christmas and I haven't seen my blow yet. I not perform this year.

[Kareem Rahma]

Emailing the editor in chief, I'm like, hey, dude, I'm going to quit unless I get like a little bonus here.

[Will Arnett]

So what were you doing for. What did you do for New York Times?

[Kareem Rahma]

I was doing the same thing. I like helped start Times Video, which now makes film and television and kind of the podcasting and all that stuff. So it was like laying the groundwork for all that. And. And it was really cool. But then I. I did. So this is like, I think I was like in New York for like maybe seven or eight years, and at that point I was like, okay, I know enough people, I have enough information and knowledge and like, maybe some access to money that I can actually go start my thing. Like my media combine, my own media company. And that was a massive failure. But I did do that for a couple of years.

[Will Arnett]

What was that first swing and miss?

[Kareem Rahma]

It was. Well, there was like a couple in

[Will Arnett]

a row, but it was a long at that.

[Kareem Rahma]

There was a. Yeah, it was. There was like. It was three strikes. Those three strikes. And then I was out. And that's when I was like, maybe I'm not so good at being like a CEO or an entrepreneur and maybe I should just be like, do what I'm good at. Which it seems like hanging out. Like, I'm really good at hanging out. And like, you know, podcasting, just really, you guys are just hangout guys.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, just interviewing, having conversations.

[Sean Hayes]

We're hangout kids, for sure.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah. So. So I was like, maybe I should try my hand at that. But the first swing and a miss was something called NYC tv. And the idea was to do public access television on the Internet.

[Will Arnett]

Right.

[Kareem Rahma]

Which I was like, that's a clever little something something. Yeah. And it just didn't work. And then I shifted that into something called Nameless Network, which. Which was like, do you remember, like now this news, like these, they kind of like made like thousands of viral videos every month. That would be like, this guy is selling yams in Japan on a street corner dressed as a cat. You never saw like, videos? No, no, they were like short, like two minute videos. And it would just be like big text on a screen and it would be like, this school in Turkey is offering free haircuts to young people.

[Sean Hayes]

So just like, I mean, real attention grabbers. Yeah, I mean, stuff that's really mattering to people. Yams in Japan, haircuts in Turkey. I mean. And you're telling me that this did not take off?

[Will Arnett]

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[Jason Bateman]

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[Will Arnett]

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[Jason Bateman]

And now back to the show.

[Will Arnett]

So then a few swings and misses, and then you say, well, maybe I should just grab a camera and a microphone, get in front of it, and start doing what comes natural, which is just kind of being a man of the people. And, and, and see what, see what comes. So what was that, what was that first thing that kind of grabbed? And then you could feel the momentum moving. And this, this, this may be working.

[Kareem Rahma]

The, the, the first big hit was a show that I created. And this is a time when there's like, no shows. Like, there was no short form unscripted vertical video shows. And I, I say that. And, and it was just like everyone was making content, but there was no, like, show in, in this thing.

[Jason Bateman]

Right.

[Kareem Rahma]

And I, I, but I decided to make a show and I was like, why isn't there just a TV show that's distributed on TikTok and Instagram? And it was called Keep the meter Running. And it was this concept where I would hail a cab and just tell the driver to take me wherever they want. And it was always insane. Like, it would just be so crazy. Like, one time I hailed a cab,

[Will Arnett]

so the taxi driver has it flipped on him or her where they're not being told where to go by the person in the back, but you get to take me, the passenger, wherever you driver want to go. And just keep the meter running and tell me about why you like this place.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I would just go, take me to your favorite place and keep the meter running. And, and I would end up, like, one time I ended up like in New Jersey on a helicopter with this guy from Morocco. And he was literally just driving, drinking, drinking and driving.

[Will Arnett]

Really?

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah. Wow. But yeah, he had a pint of Malibu, which I thought was an interesting choice.

[Sean Hayes]

That is an interesting choice.

[Will Arnett]

The white bottle.

[Sean Hayes]

It's smooth. Sure. So you do that. So you do the. Keep the meter running for a while.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, I do like 20 episodes and I'm still going, yes. And now you're still running on this, the meter. Well, I had to stop because at the time it was my first thing and I was a massive failure, remember? And I had no money. And those episodes were obviously, when you tell a guy, keep the meter running, and he goes, let's go on a helicopter ride in New Jersey. By the end of the day, you spent literally $2,000.

[Sean Hayes]

Sure.

[Jason Bateman]

Right?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kareem Rahma]

And so I could only do I Spent all of my money.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, my God.

[Kareem Rahma]

And then I was like, I have to put this on PA Pause. And then I was like. And. And now it's back, except bigger. Now it's like YouTube. It's like 20 minute episodes. It's crazy.

[Jason Bateman]

I'm so surprised. How do you get them to. Because I. I know a lot of cab drivers that I. When the cabs I get in.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, do you, Sean?

[Sean Hayes]

You know a lot of cabs.

[Jason Bateman]

They don't. No, they. They don't want to talk.

[Kareem Rahma]

What?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, they don't want to What?

[Kareem Rahma]

They all YouTube.

[Will Arnett]

I want to talk, just not Sean. Oh, all right, Sean, what do you think?

[Jason Bateman]

Well, maybe I don't. Maybe I don't.

[Will Arnett]

They're usually on the phone and. And they want to just conversation.

[Jason Bateman]

I just assume they want. I just assume they don't want to chat.

[Kareem Rahma]

Oh, they love. You can't tell them to stop talking.

[Will Arnett]

When you get the camera going.

[Kareem Rahma]

Right.

[Will Arnett]

They hang out.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, just maybe just bring up, like, just. Just be like, so how about, you know, like, politics? Don't bring up medallions.

[Sean Hayes]

No, I just figured that that's a real hot topic.

[Will Arnett]

So. So what was the first sign that people were watching? Keep the meter running. How did you.

[Kareem Rahma]

How did you find out out legitimately the next day? So, like, I posted the video and I turned my phone off because I was like another failure. I was conditioned to just fail at that point.

[Will Arnett]

When you say post it, what. What did you throw it up on?

[Kareem Rahma]

I put it on Tick Tock and Instagram.

[Will Arnett]

Okay. Of which you. You had already some followers, but not a lot.

[Kareem Rahma]

Like 30, 000, you know, and so. Yeah, enough to like. Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

For them to then send it out to. To their folks. And that's how viral happens. Right.

[Sean Hayes]

But hang on a second. Yeah, walk us through. Is just your understanding of how this is, isn't it?

[Will Arnett]

An exponential dissemination of.

[Kareem Rahma]

I noticed you didn't say the al. You didn't say the word algorithm in that. You actually said that the friends.

[Will Arnett]

Save that for later.

[Kareem Rahma]

Oh, yeah. The doctor.

[Sean Hayes]

That's his closer.

[Jason Bateman]

It's such a great idea.

[Will Arnett]

So you put it. Yes. So you put it up and you turn off your phone. You turn on your phone later that night and.

[Kareem Rahma]

Well, I go to the bodega the next morning. And at this point, I just did. I turned my phone back on, but I didn't log. Like, I didn't open the apps and I went to the bodega and the guy goes, goes, oh, you look so familiar. And I go, I don't know. I'm a loser. I've been here a million times. Like, I've literally been here. I look familiar because I see you every day, right? And he goes, no, you look so familiar. And then he goes, taxi. You're the taxi guy. You did the show. And I was like, what? And I opened my phone and it has like 2 million views.

[Will Arnett]

No way. In a night.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah. And so many like, like thousands of comments. And I was like, holy. It actually worked. And it felt like, like that moment where I was like, I did something that for the first time ever, people responded to it and it was doing exactly what I thought I could do well, which is hang out. And I was like, oh, my God. Like, maybe I'm. I'm finally found my thing.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kareem Rahma]

You know, I called my mom. I was like, I know what I'm gonna do for a living. I'm just gonna hang out with other people.

[Will Arnett]

And so you immediately tried to double down, triple down, have another episode.

[Sean Hayes]

Bought a Ferrari first. Bought a Ferrari. Going to pan out.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, that's.

[Will Arnett]

What, what year now you're the. The. The new episode. The. The new season is premiering soon. It's the 19th, right?

[Kareem Rahma]

May. May 13th. Whatever.

[Will Arnett]

May 13th.

[Kareem Rahma]

May 13th.

[Will Arnett]

I think that's in. I think this is the 11th today. I think it's in two days.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

So what season is that?

[Kareem Rahma]

This is like the first official season of my. I'm bringing my thesis of making television and putting it on YouTube. But like, it's not a YouTube show because it is television quality production and television storytelling. And like, we have, you know, I went to like the Russian Turkish bathhouse with a guy named Eugene and his friend Boris.

[Sean Hayes]

We'll get into that later. Let's talk about the show.

[Kareem Rahma]

That is the show.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, oh, oh, sorry.

[Kareem Rahma]

And you know, do that. I'm producing. I produced a play for an Irish cab driver named Irish John. That's not his name, but, you know, I call him that. And he goes, I have a one man show. And I go, what's this all about? So he takes me to his basement, he shows me this one man show. I go, cool, let's put it in a theater. So, you know, performing in front of 300 people, all self produced, looks like a standup special. And, you know, go fishing with a Korean guy named Young in Bear Mountain and sketch. And just. It's really remarkable. And the whole kind of through line of the show is like, how to be a better man. Like how to be a better brother. How to Be a better father, how to be a better friend. It's all because these guys have, like, the secret to the universe in, you know, like, you're driving for 12 hours a day, your life is hard, you're sending money home, or you're just supporting your family. And they, like, have this fatherly wisdom. I don't know if any of you guys lost your father early. I lost mine when I was 20, and I started, like, having these convos with these cab drivers because I felt like they had some advice for me.

[Sean Hayes]

Right.

[Kareem Rahma]

You know, and I didn't have Will's number yet, so I couldn't call him. I couldn't call him for advice.

[Sean Hayes]

Sean didn't lose his dad. His dad got lost.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rahma]

So this is true.

[Sean Hayes]

So. So. Wow, that's. That's really remarkable, man.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, that's really cool.

[Will Arnett]

And then. So then tell us about. Since Subway takes happens, you. You feel you get. You get an ide for that, and you figure you can do it at the same time simultaneously.

[Kareem Rahma]

Well, I had run out of the money because the other show was costing, like, $2,000 per episode. And so I was like, okay, this is. This whole, like, short form, unscripted thing is, like, really working for me. What's like another version of that which is less expensive. And again, like.

[Will Arnett]

Sorry, sorry, let me just stop you for one second. Educate me and our listener, because this might be fascinating. It certainly would be to me. How do you run out of money doing that show? Because I guess the question is, how do you monetize a show like that? So you put it up on Instagram and TikTok. How were you even thinking you could get paid for that? How does a creator get paid for that? Can you advertise against those little shorts?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. Like, the guy, he sees your first episode, it's got 2 million views overnight. Are you seeing that in real time, in dollars, coming to you?

[Will Arnett]

You.

[Kareem Rahma]

No, I'm seeing zero dollars. That's right.

[Will Arnett]

That's. That's my question. How would you even hope to monetize that? How. How would you get paid for that?

[Sean Hayes]

You.

[Kareem Rahma]

You would want, like, a brand to essentially say, I love what you're doing. Hey, do you want to pay in every episode? Do you want to use your Chase debit card or credit card, Right. To pay for the cabbies? Or do you want to. Yeah. Or do you want to communicate using WhatsApp exclusively with, like, their families and your friends? So you'd want someone to underwrite the series in the same way that, like, a streamer or a production network would underwrite. It's. It's a brand funded entertainment. But.

[Will Arnett]

So you were pursuing that and getting no bites or you just didn't know to do that yet?

[Kareem Rahma]

I didn't know to do that yet. And I also was like, so overwhelmed and just kind of. I was in panic mode. Like, I don't know what to do with this. You know? I don't. And actually the first thing I did was like, I was like, okay, maybe this should be a TV show.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rahma]

Instead. And like, I should get money from someone in Hollywood.

[Will Arnett]

Right.

[Kareem Rahma]

And. But that whole rigamarole. Yeah. I went on like a wild goose chase with that. I was like, this is. Yeah, it was taking too long. And in the meantime, I was like, let me start another thing while this is baking in the TV world. Let me start another thing to kind of like continue my work.

[Will Arnett]

What made you think that second thing would be something that you would be able to monetize and get money out of?

[Kareem Rahma]

I didn't really think about that either. It was really more so like.

[Sean Hayes]

Like, I'm really noticing a trend here.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, this is.

[Sean Hayes]

You thought. You thought, I'm not making any money with the thing. This thing's costing me money. What I should do is interview Jason Bateman on the subway holding a metro card instead of a microphone.

[Will Arnett]

That'll do.

[Kareem Rahma]

Worked. I'm here.

[Will Arnett]

It did.

[Sean Hayes]

I love jb. I loved your episode. I thought you were.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, man. I did too. What a fun time I had that, you guys. If you guys have not seen Subway Takes and I haven't seen Keep the Meter Running yet, I can't wait to watch that.

[Sean Hayes]

Me too.

[Will Arnett]

Subway Takes.

[Kareem Rahma]

Both of you guys on there tell

[Will Arnett]

people what Subway Takes Takes, what the concept of that is.

[Kareem Rahma]

So Subway Takes is a. Essentially like a. A two minute talk show on the train where I interview, like local standup comedians, regular comedians, musicians, writers, directors, like all. Anyone who I find kind of interesting. And also like people like Jason Baitman.

[Sean Hayes]

Right. So then you. And then you had Jason on.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, it must have. Yeah. You can't appreciate the big ones unless you get a couple of, you know, clunkers.

[Kareem Rahma]

I. I found him kind of of. I was just like, he's kind of interesting. Worked a miracle in the editing room. Interesting.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm curious about the, the, the details of. No, but the episode with jb. Well, okay concept, but I really want to know. What station did you guys get in? Yeah, let's. What. What did you guys do? What train were you on and where did you Get.

[Will Arnett]

We were Lower east side.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yes. We were in Chinatown. On, on the F train at East Broadway.

[Sean Hayes]

Wow.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yes. I remember.

[Will Arnett]

I had to boil my entire body after.

[Sean Hayes]

And you, Jason, you. I mean, what was. Jason, the look on your driver's face when you take me there. What was it?

[Will Arnett]

He said to let you out here. I said, no, no, no, hang on. Just keep the door closed for a minute.

[Kareem Rahma]

Jason. Jason brought an extra pair of pants and an extra shirt and some plastic. He called it his train clothes. That's what he called it, his train clothes. And he was wearing white latex gloves. And I was like, why are you wearing. Why are you wearing those?

[Jason Bateman]

That sounds right.

[Will Arnett]

I love the train. I'm his MetroCard.

[Sean Hayes]

So you, so you go, you decide. All right, so.

[Will Arnett]

But the concept is, listen, is that he has somebody come on and just give one hot take on something, right? And Kareem decides whether he's 100% on board with that or in opposition to that. For instance, my dumbass hot take was, I think all dogs should wear shoes.

[Kareem Rahma]

100% agree.

[Will Arnett]

100% agreed. But then the interview is, well, why do you agree and why do I think? Basically, I just think that. So that, you know, you don't want them to walk into your place and track in all the poo they like to walk around in.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

So anyway, but, but so that's, that's kind of the concept. And it's, it's a, it's a two minute concept and it's pleasurable and we're popping around the city.

[Sean Hayes]

You think dogs, if dogs go to a play, they should go backstage. And see the artist. Sorry, we'll get into that later.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

But Kareem, can we do a hot take to you? Like, cuz I, I just thought of this when you popped on about that show and I was like doing Broadway shows, you know those rickshaws that are super loud?

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

At night.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Like, shouldn't there be a law against the sound, the sound of those ceiling. 100% agree.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah. There's too much noise pollution in.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, Sean. Is this our segment called Old Man Gripes? What are we doing? What are we doing?

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Why did those damn kids slow down in the neighborhood?

[Kareem Rahma]

No, he's right. Too damn loud.

[Jason Bateman]

You're so synonymous with New York. I just thought, you know, what do you think about, like. Because I don't have. I don't have any skin in the game with Mom Donnie. Like, I don't, I don't know if he's good or bad or anything. I don't live, you know, I'm just here part time working. But somebody complained that it's because of Mom Donnie. That the snow banks weren't clear. I'm like, the snow. When there's a blizzard, there's never, never. You can't clear all the snow. Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Where do you want them to put it?

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, well, you gotta. Being the mayor of New York is the worst job in America.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rahma]

Because everyone's just mad at you no matter what you do.

[Jason Bateman]

Right. For sure.

[Kareem Rahma]

It's a historical big L. I would never do it. Although I might.

[Will Arnett]

Have you ever had somebody that.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, have you ever had something talk about breaking news?

[Kareem Rahma]

I would. I would only do it as a joke. And then I would accidentally win. Like, you know who.

[Sean Hayes]

Our boy. Yeah, yeah.

[Kareem Rahma]

Like, whoopsies, I'm the mayor now.

[Will Arnett]

Just trying to sell a book. What? Has anybody come on and not had a take? And then you had to say, all right, well, I'll do one.

[Kareem Rahma]

Well, didn't you go through the vetting process, Jason?

[Will Arnett]

Yes. Yeah, Yeah, I was. I was given a heads up. And. But you know, I'm a professional. I came prepared. Don't you have some of these people come on and just like. Yeah, I couldn't think of anything.

[Kareem Rahma]

And then you see if Jason Bateman had any other ones that we didn't use.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Did I. Oh, did I pitch you? So some.

[Kareem Rahma]

I don't know. Let me check my email. So this. They go to someone on my team.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rahma]

And. And then. And then I don't. There, like, somebody approves that they're good.

[Will Arnett]

Right.

[Kareem Rahma]

And. And then.

[Sean Hayes]

And then like just some Gen Z kid.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah. Pretty literally. Literally young, Young, young lads.

[Will Arnett]

Which. What's the last one you disagreed with?

[Kareem Rahma]

Oh, dude, I don't know. I don't know.

[Will Arnett]

You're doing one. What are you doing one a week?

[Kareem Rahma]

No, we post one a day.

[Will Arnett]

No.

[Sean Hayes]

What?

[Kareem Rahma]

I post one a day. Yeah. It's my skill.

[Will Arnett]

So then you're doing one a day to keep up with the output.

[Kareem Rahma]

No, I batch shoot. I shoot. I'll shoot like 10 in one day. No. And it's really a miserable day. It's an awful day. I'm like a real. I'm like a real working, you know, blue collar guy. I'm on. I'm underground all day.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rahma]

I'm sweating or it's too cold or it's too hot or the train's not working or somebody's trying to stab me or I'm walking. Yeah, it's true.

[Will Arnett]

Don't you find that. Am I just an introvert or a

[Sean Hayes]

lunch pail guy over here?

[Will Arnett]

Am I just an introvert that needs to refill my talk tank a lot? Or does everybody go through sort of like a social exhaustion like me sometimes? Like, how do you not run out of being chatty by doing 10 episodes in a day? How do you keep it going like that?

[Kareem Rahma]

Will's raising his head.

[Sean Hayes]

Well, I've got a thought on this, which is always, you know, when you go and you do interviews and stuff, doing what we do, and you have to go on talk shows. And when I realized that I don't have stuff to talk about, it's. Cause I haven't been out in the world. And so a lot of people we know, including us or whatever, spend these times in this world and we're not out in bubbles and you're not engaged in a real way and about 50.

[Jason Bateman]

So you don't create stories for yourself.

[Sean Hayes]

I would say, like, I gotta. Like, I wanna experience life and that's why I'm always on the move and doing shit. I swear to God, I know how boring that's.

[Will Arnett]

So you're out there walking around, you fucking hate hands tucked in your pockets, just like squinting around town, one hand.

[Sean Hayes]

How. How the.

[Will Arnett]

You think I'm soaking it all in. Hey, good morning, man. How you doing? Have a good day? Huh?

[Sean Hayes]

No, I'm. I'm serious. I'm not saying that I'm a. I'm not saying that like I'm more down to earth or anything. What I'm saying is that I realize that you have to get out there. Sean and I have talked about this a number of times. And. And Jason, you're a lost cause because you're at home or in the golf course. And so, like, that's okay. How the fuck would you have anything to talk about?

[Will Arnett]

I could be fill you in on what Ms. Ms. Now's new are.

[Sean Hayes]

No, but it. But it is true. I think that there is something to that. Right? Just being engaged. I. I don't care who you are, just being engaged in the world, having stuff to say.

[Will Arnett]

I get it. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Is that true, Kareem? Is that. Is that your fuel?

[Kareem Rahma]

I. No, I mean, I. I'm having fun. Like, I. I really am having a lot of fun. I have such a fun job, both of my jobs.

[Jason Bateman]

You're great.

[Kareem Rahma]

Hanging out with cab drivers, hanging out with people like you guys. Guys. Like, it is the. I'm blessed as a person. Like, I have the best job in the world and Everything that I've done thus far has been totally independent. So I, I really have no notes, I have no development. I have, I'm just doing the fun part of the job, which is the making of it. And, and that's all I do. And it's, it's really amazing and I have a lot of energy.

[Jason Bateman]

That's how we feel.

[Will Arnett]

Amen. What would, what would five years from now look like if it continued on this, on this angle of success? What, what is your, what's your, what's your hope for where things go with this? Like to. Well, go ahead.

[Kareem Rahma]

I, I really don't know. I mean, I'm kind of just playing

[Will Arnett]

it by Orient Express,

[Sean Hayes]

just upgrading the

[Kareem Rahma]

train line or gondolas yachts, you know, Leo DiCaprio's yacht. I could just have a permanent spot on there.

[Sean Hayes]

That would be pretty good.

[Kareem Rahma]

That could be fun.

[Jason Bateman]

You just talk to him for 10 episodes.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, I could. Yeah, that would be good. Well, no, I talked to his wonderful guests. I'm sure you guys have been on his yacht.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, I have not, but like, but I imagine, I imagine. Yeah. Kind of going off. Jay, what you were saying, which is like you do have. I love that you did identify what you term as hanging out is actually engaging with people and talking.

[Jason Bateman]

Yes. And being curious.

[Sean Hayes]

That's what you like to do and that's what you're good at and you're curious and you do have a point of view on a lot of stuff, which is great and interesting. And so I guess would the next. The evolution of that is taking that and going and you talk to cab drivers and doing the thing, take me where you want to go and then talking to people on the subway. And then would it be kind of going broader, going around the world, engaging with people in different cultures? I mean, I imagine you'd be really good at that.

[Will Arnett]

Exposing all of us to other parts of the world and other cultures of people.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, that's a great idea.

[Will Arnett]

We need that.

[Kareem Rahma]

Well, but, you know, keep the meter running. Feels like a Bourdain esque. Like people have said this reminds me of Bourdain. And Subway Takes reminds a lot of people of a talk show like Fallon or Seth Meyers or whatever. So like I kind of get to play in both worlds. And that's really cool. We're doing a live show for Subway Takes Live, which is really fun and interesting to me.

[Will Arnett]

How would that work?

[Kareem Rahma]

People come and do what you did. Except it's like, it's like the, the audience is giving the takes and then it's like a panel, like it would be us or on stage and people would walk up to a mic and

[Will Arnett]

say, oh that's cool, cool.

[Kareem Rahma]

I think this. And then we would all go, no, you're, you're an idiot. Blah, blah, blah, blah.

[Will Arnett]

There been some dust ups there on the train. Cuz I remember, you know, we were just, we were riding on. We didn't have a shooting permit or anything like that. We were just on the train. Cameras were rolling, Couple of cameras and these, you know, two guys holding these weird mics and talking and somebody might be recognizable and. And have you ever had like a weird subway passenger like bother you and your guest?

[Kareem Rahma]

Not, not with anyone, like with anyone famous. It's been always, it's always a pleasure to see. Like Woody Harrelson was literally kind of took over the train car and he started interviewing other people and there were all these people like and he was just surrounded by people and just putting this mic in their faces and asking them questions and really creating a circus like in the, in the car. And everyone loved him.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

We'll be right back.

[Will Arnett]

Oh boy. You know, we talk about closets a lot on this show.

[Jason Bateman]

We sure do.

[Will Arnett]

Kicking the door down, coming on out, basically talking about that closets are for clothes. Oh, and I've taken that too much to heart cuz my closet is stuffed. I've been meaning to go through my closet ranch. I should sell it. I mean, listen, you know what feels familiar in my closet? Maybe exactly what someone else is searching for. Buy, sell and discover affordable secondhand fashion you'll love with the resale marketplace.

[Jason Bateman]

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[Will Arnett]

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[Jason Bateman]

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[Will Arnett]

No printer required, and you can even choose a convenient drop off. No matter your style, Depop is where people with all kinds of taste come to sell and shop.

[Jason Bateman]

It really is for everyone. Parents selling, kids wear, people shopping for the perfect outfit for a Friday night out, and anyone who wants to express themselves and play with trends on their

[Will Arnett]

own terms, download the Depop app now and start listening today.

[Jason Bateman]

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[Will Arnett]

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[Jason Bateman]

The timing of the, of, of that concept and you and doing all of this is really great because we're, we're, we're at an apex of like people wanting to connect again. And so it's, it's probably, probably has a lot to do with that, you

[Will Arnett]

know, and the lost art of, of conversation too. I mean everyone's kind of getting all their itches scratched just online and, and with their own little devices and in five second increments. Yeah, they're not talking to people. People.

[Kareem Rahma]

And that's why I always think that the 100% agree, 100% disagree. Like there's no middle for me. And it is really an kind of like a exploration of what it means to 100% disagree but still have a funny, casual, engaging conversation. Like, I personally don't really have that many opinions. Like I'm pretty mellow. But in the show it's like it's a challenge for me to be like, well, here's why I disagree. But it's kind of a showcase that you can, yeah, like have fun doing this. But there was one funny thing. It was like a regular episode that I was filming and there was a passenger on the train filming us film which is completely fine. Like, great. This other guy on the train slapped the phone out of that guy's hand and, and then kicked it across the car all the way to the other side. And then, then that guy that got his phone slapped out of his hand looks at me and he's like, I'm so sorry, dude. And I'm like, why? And he's like, your bouncer just kicked the phone out of my hand. And I was like, that's not my bouncer. That's just a crazy guy that for some reason decided that you shouldn't film me. And there was, like, this confusion where everyone was kind of pointing at each other like, whose bodyguard is that? Or like, do you guys know each other? No one knew each other. It was really fun, funny, and, like, confusing. But that's the closest call.

[Sean Hayes]

Did the guy who slapped it, did he ever explain his position as to why he did it?

[Kareem Rahma]

No, he would just yelled something about, like, Jesus and walked away.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, that makes sense. That tracks.

[Kareem Rahma]

So wait, but I, I wanted to ask Will, Will and Sean, what would your take? Like, if you were on the show? And I said, what's your take? What would your take be? Well, we know Sean's. Something about rickshaws.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, yeah. Sean said the rickshaw.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Willie. What's, what's, what's, what's about New York?

[Kareem Rahma]

Like, no, no. Like, I, One of my, one of mine is that I think that the dancing part of the wedding is the worst part.

[Will Arnett]

Like, I didn't even do it.

[Jason Bateman]

I did.

[Will Arnett]

I didn't dance with my wife on our own wedding because I hate dancing so much.

[Sean Hayes]

I didn't know that. I don't know that. Is that true?

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. I, I, I, that's how much at that moment, it's not so uncomfortable dancing. I, I know it, but I just, I told her early on.

[Sean Hayes]

That is profoundly unkind.

[Will Arnett]

I, I, I know, but couldn't. I couldn't do it.

[Sean Hayes]

I, I'm calling Amanda today, and I'm going to take her out dancing.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, go. Go for it. I encourage you.

[Sean Hayes]

Go for it, please.

[Kareem Rahma]

I encourage it. That's so that, that's, that's a hard line. Like, But I was saying, not at your own wedding, Jason. I'm saying at any wedding, like, like, it should just end at dinner. Like, you just go have a great night, everyone. Like, thanks for calling the wedding.

[Jason Bateman]

I agree with that.

[Kareem Rahma]

And then it's always a force thing. The DJ is like, playing, like, Little John and the Eastside boys from, like, 2002, and you're like, Jennifer, and no one wants to be there.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rahma]

And. Yeah, so that's like. Or. Or like, I have another one, which is that I think. And this one, I think will be problematic, but, like, I don't like street art and graffiti, and I would rather just look at, like, nice, beautiful buildings.

[Jason Bateman]

Okay, yeah, yeah, that's a good one.

[Kareem Rahma]

But a lot of people are going to get mad at me for that. They're really hard.

[Will Arnett]

People are great defenders of graffiti.

[Kareem Rahma]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Street art, graffiti, aside from the people that actually do. You're saying people that just observe it are big fans of it?

[Kareem Rahma]

I think so. I think that there's a cohort of people that think that it's, like, it's nice.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, I enjoy it. Yeah.

[Kareem Rahma]

See,

[Sean Hayes]

I have too many, but all of mine get me in trouble. All of mine are terrible. First of all, I think I should be deputized to be able to give out just to the parking part of the police department. I'd love to give out tickets.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, you would love to give a ticket?

[Sean Hayes]

I'd love to give out tickets. Tickets and also moving vehicle tickets.

[Kareem Rahma]

That's a good idea, citizens.

[Sean Hayes]

And I also think that we should be able to report when, like, you know, like, when, like the cops who do a great job, but when they pull people over and then they obstruct traffic and it's unnecessary.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. They don't need to hang out into the other lane. I mean, I guess they're doing that to protect themselves as they're up at the window. But why don't you go around to the passenger window and then you don't have to.

[Sean Hayes]

I don't even mean on a. On a freeway or anything. I mean, I mean, like, on a regular street, especially in New York, you know, when you're in New York or. But although I am, so I don't want to criticize nypd, because I do. I. I do. It's a rough, tough job, but it

[Will Arnett]

would be nice if they deputized us to give out maybe three citizen tickets for moving violations a month, you know, so you can't. You can't abuse it. You just get three.

[Sean Hayes]

So the.

[Will Arnett]

The three most egregious things you see when you're driving, you're allowed to put the little kak light on on top of your car and go get them.

[Kareem Rahma]

I think it would be nice. Nice if you could also get Sean's. Like, if Sean wanted to ticket the loud rickshaw guys.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rahma]

He could give. Like, we should all be active Citizen like, why don't we have.

[Sean Hayes]

We all have phones and we're taping people anyway. We might as well be able to use it to. But then I thought about. Here's. Here's the flip of it. I was thinking about this yesterday, and then I'm like, how many yellows have I squeezed while driving through an intersection? I'm like. And I'm not. I'm not immune from it myself. And so then I kind of walked it back. But I have so. God, I have so many takes on shit.

[Jason Bateman]

I do, too. Wait, there's two that I just don't have. One is. I don't know if this is a fake post on Instagram or not, but I read that New York is looking into making a law about looking, making, looking into making it a law to traffic the sidewalks like they do the streets so that fast people walkers walk on the left and fat. Which I think is really a great idea.

[Sean Hayes]

New York is a bummer when people stop in the middle of the street and you're like, hey, man. And also.

[Will Arnett]

Or people walking their phone 4 wide on a sidewalk so you can't get around people.

[Kareem Rahma]

Like, four wide's crazy.

[Will Arnett]

If you're a group of more than two, you have to go kind of two by two, kind of single file.

[Sean Hayes]

Here's my hot sec. Here's what I think. If you want to post anything on the Internet, comment, whatever, anything, we have to know your name and your face, your address, your phone number and your face, your face.

[Kareem Rahma]

No Anonymous. No Anonymous.

[Sean Hayes]

No Anonymous anymore. And I think that that would. I think it would clear the world immediately. Immediately, Immediately. Everybody. You have to. There is a record, and we know that they can do it, because things like the blockchain, where you can trace absolutely everything, where you know everything. So if we applied that same logic to that, so you can't go onto anything. You can't make any comment. You can, but we know your name, your address, your phone number, and by that we'll be able to decipher where you work, who your family is, all that sort of stuff. And you are held so that. Because. Because if I make a comment, everybody knows who I am. And so then I get held up to this crazy high standard that everybody else is not held up to.

[Jason Bateman]

But wait, here's my other take is Jason commented on me the other night when we were at dinner that when you order a dessert for yourself and then the waitress comes over with spoons for everybody at the table, and you're like, wait, no, everybody passed on Ordering dessert. I ordered dessert. And when offered everybody else, like, no, I'm good. I don't want to. And then everybody spoons the. Out of your dessert. Like, no, get your own dessert.

[Kareem Rahma]

Good. Unless if you did not opt in, you don't get a spoon unless it was specified.

[Sean Hayes]

Bring us the sundae and bring everybody a spoon.

[Jason Bateman]

That's right. Otherwise, no, don't.

[Will Arnett]

Don't shout out to Odin.

[Sean Hayes]

Remember, we had that. So we did have that the other night at the Odeon. And I ordered this. I started because I said, I want to. I want to get a Sunday. And it was like, oh. And I go, everybody gets your own dessert. You're not.

[Jason Bateman]

That's right. That's right.

[Sean Hayes]

You almost have to announce it this week. You have to announce it dipping in the butter.

[Jason Bateman]

And Jason. Jason was like, don't get the donuts. I got two orders of donuts. He. His face was buried in.

[Will Arnett]

I had six of them. Now, Kareem, with all of this, really cool, very well deserved success. What has changed in your. I'm presuming, very sort of down to earth, man of the people life. What have you. Have you will joked earlier that you,

[Sean Hayes]

like, upgraded your air conditioner, right?

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Or is it still taped to the window and red tape.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, look at that.

[Kareem Rahma]

Don't worry about. Well, that's another. That's another big take that I have. When I was installing this, I was like, it is shocking that they let me do this in New York. And if I'm taping mine, that means that they're. And then I started looking around. There's, like, people that. Their air conditioners are being held up by books. Some people have a little piece of wood, and I'm like, there's not a standard process.

[Sean Hayes]

I agree. I agree.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rahma]

There's a guy over there that has a couple of textbook. I can see. I'm like. And it's so scary. Cause now I can't walk around New York City without thinking about my own self putting in my air conditioner. And you guys obviously see how good of a job I've done.

[Sean Hayes]

I know. I remember Cream. The first time I put an air conditioner in my window in New York and thinking, this is freaking lunacy. This thing can go at any time. I just did this. I'm an idiot. And this thing is gonna fall on somebody and kill somebody.

[Kareem Rahma]

And it's not like the windows are nice. The windows are flimsy. The windows are flimsy windows. They're made out of Saran Wrap, essentially. And. And it's just terrifying. And there's no screws. None of this. There's no tools. No, this is just like the windows holding in place.

[Will Arnett]

You haven't. So you haven't gone to main mainstream air conditioning. Conditioning. What. What have you treated yourself to?

[Kareem Rahma]

I mean, I. There's a lot less anxiety in my life about what I'm supposed to be doing for a living, and that is really scary because I also started doing this when I was 33, which is later than many people, like many comedians or these social media kids. You know, they start when they're like, 22, 21, 25. They. They've. They were in their college improv group. Group, like. So to start at 33 and take, like this massive bet and then have it work out, it's shocking. And every day I'm just like, it's dope.

[Sean Hayes]

It's dope. But I'm shocking. It's not shocking. It's not shocking. You're a smart guy and you are really funny, and I. Do you refer to yourself as it. When people say, what do you. You don't say creator, do you?

[Kareem Rahma]

No, no, no, no. I say entertainer. Because I also make. I wrote a movie, produced it, starred in it. That's out on Mubi. I make music. Rock and roll band. The movie's called Or Something.

[Will Arnett]

Or something.

[Kareem Rahma]

And it's a feature film. It's my first feature.

[Will Arnett]

Find that. Where?

[Kareem Rahma]

On Mubi. Mu B I M U B I.

[Will Arnett]

Okay.

[Sean Hayes]

That's like, I want to ask whether

[Will Arnett]

or not do I have mobi. And then you say, you're in a band, too? No.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, I'm in a rock and roll band called Tiny Gun.

[Jason Bateman]

That's amazing.

[Will Arnett]

Are you singing? Are you drumming? Are you guitaring?

[Kareem Rahma]

I sing, yes.

[Sean Hayes]

Wow.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, and it's. It's kind of like a. Like a punk, like Pixies.

[Sean Hayes]

We love Pixies.

[Kareem Rahma]

The Pixies meets the Strokes kind of situation.

[Sean Hayes]

Speaking my language.

[Kareem Rahma]

Give us a listen. A tiny Gun. Hondo P. We played Outside Land last year. We played Outside Lands, a Newport folk festival. Was really fun. Yeah. Do you guys hear those sirens?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, it's hard not to.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

They kind of sight air conditioner.

[Kareem Rahma]

Well, yeah, that's a ticket. It's Sean. It's Will and Sean.

[Will Arnett]

Sean on his rickshaw.

[Kareem Rahma]

It's Jason Bateman on his motorcycle.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm. I'm so. Honestly, I'm so inspired by how much different stuff you do and how many creative swings.

[Jason Bateman]

That's really cool.

[Sean Hayes]

Once. I think it's awesome. I think that that is you're doing the very thing that I. That I was talking about that I wish I could do more. You're taking chances and you're engaging in life in such an awesome way. I think it's dope as hell.

[Will Arnett]

There's some cultural relevance.

[Sean Hayes]

It's amazing. It's amazing.

[Jason Bateman]

It's really cool.

[Kareem Rahma]

You guys are. That's. That feels like it's so it's such a compliment coming from you guys.

[Sean Hayes]

No, but you're not catering to the lowest common. Like you're trying to do something not necessarily sort of worthy in the sense of, like, you know, helping humanity, but you are, in a way, you are sort of engaging and keeping conversation going and provoking thought and just. I don't know, I think it's really

[Will Arnett]

rad bringing folks together.

[Kareem Rahma]

It's just that it's that classic playing at the top of your intelligence situation, which I feel like, like, because so many people are not doing that. I was like, let me just be a little bit different and try to. Try to be the smartest version of what this thing limits you to, which is a phone, tiny screen, vertical. Like, let me try to do the smartest thing possible.

[Sean Hayes]

And. Yeah, and you're not prancing around in a Speedo. You know what I mean? Trying to, you know, you don't want

[Kareem Rahma]

to see me in a Speedo.

[Will Arnett]

Where do I find that? And selfishly, you're giving us ding dongs that are like, promoting. Promoting stuff this really great, fun, creative style on our. On our. On our press tours to go talk to folks.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, I want. I want to have you guys on.

[Sean Hayes]

I want to come too. I wanted to create.

[Kareem Rahma]

I would have all three of you on at the same time.

[Sean Hayes]

But here's the thing. Jason did it. I want to do just. Just to one up him, obviously. Double that.

[Kareem Rahma]

Of course.

[Sean Hayes]

Double f. Four minutes.

[Kareem Rahma]

No, let's get you out. Let's get you. Next time you're in New York, I'm there. I'll be your York all the time.

[Sean Hayes]

I live there half the time.

[Kareem Rahma]

Great. Then I will do it at literally anytime. Like, I'll step out of the house, you know.

[Sean Hayes]

Can we take the 1 9? Is that okay?

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. I was going to say, what would be your subway?

[Kareem Rahma]

What the hell's that?

[Sean Hayes]

You know, like, what do they call it? The one now? It used to be the 19 on the. On the west side. You know, the Red Line.

[Kareem Rahma]

I've never been over there.

[Sean Hayes]

Really?

[Kareem Rahma]

I'm an east side guy.

[Sean Hayes]

We can do these.

[Kareem Rahma]

It's like. No, no, no. I'll come to you. I'll come to you.

[Sean Hayes]

No, we'll take the six. That's fine.

[Kareem Rahma]

Oh, no, no, no.

[Sean Hayes]

Come here it. I'll take the f. I don't give a shit.

[Kareem Rahma]

Wait, I also want to say something that so I. I. This has nothing to do with what we're talking about. Although I. It kind of does. But, like, going back, I don't want to tout flute my own horn toot my own horn toot my own. I don't want to toot my own float. But I'm. I want to say this here in case any. Any. Anyone from the. The Emmy. What are they called? The Academy.

[Will Arnett]

Sure.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, yeah, we're going. Subway Ticks is going for an Emmy.

[Jason Bateman]

Is it?

[Kareem Rahma]

Okay, so for your consideration. For your consideration. Great subway tank.

[Will Arnett]

But wait, but it's got to be on the telly.

[Sean Hayes]

I love that. I love that you just said that.

[Kareem Rahma]

No, they have little ones now.

[Will Arnett]

Tiny Emmys.

[Kareem Rahma]

Tiny Emmys for your boy.

[Will Arnett]

Isn't that called a Webby?

[Kareem Rahma]

No, it's a creative. The Creative Arts Emmy. You can get a creative arts Emmy for, like, short form.

[Sean Hayes]

Truly.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah. Like, like, you know who submits a lot? Like, like, like, like carpool karaoke is a win winner.

[Will Arnett]

The dude with the hot wings.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yes. Sean Evans from Hot Ones.

[Sean Hayes]

So. So. Okay. So, so. So, Kareem, to be clear, if. If you. If you happen to be listening to this and you are a voter in the television academy, please watch. Please check out Cream's show and consider it.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Thank you, Tiny gun to listen to.

[Kareem Rahma]

Guys, I'm still. I'm still out here doing this. I'm still out here shilling for myself. I love it. No one else is going to do it.

[Sean Hayes]

Good for you.

[Kareem Rahma]

I have this opportun opportunity. Let me. Let me. I want to see you guys there first of all. And if. When. When we see each other there, we should hug.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, with the Emmys.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, if we're at the Emmys, we're gonna hug like hell.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Yep. That's a phrase, right? Hug. I want to hug you like hell.

[Kareem Rahma]

Oh, that was a really. That was a really good take about men is that we haven't standardized our greeting. So, like, I might go up to Will with a hand up in the air, like, what's good, man? I get to see. I might extend a hand to Jason, and then he's. And it's confusing. Or a hug Sean, and it's really confusing. We need a standard.

[Sean Hayes]

My buddy years Ago, Ali Farinakian used to say, you always start road to the White House, which is just a handshake, and then anywhere you want to go after that, but you always start road to the White House.

[Kareem Rahma]

This is good advice. So you extend the hand. Always extend.

[Sean Hayes]

Extend the hand. It's called road to the White House.

[Will Arnett]

Be open to getting pulled in and then wherever you.

[Sean Hayes]

You want.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, sure.

[Sean Hayes]

I always loved that.

[Kareem Rahma]

You should consider driving a cab. That's really good. Cab. Like, that's kind of cab driver advice that I get.

[Sean Hayes]

Hey, man, it might get to that.

[Will Arnett]

Kareem, we. We are thrilled to have you. We love you. We root for you. We're watching, my friend.

[Kareem Rahma]

Thank you guys so much. This was really, really fun. And appreciate you guys letting me be on your show. Seriously. I'll see you in the city.

[Sean Hayes]

We'll see you on the show.

[Kareem Rahma]

I'll see you on the show. I can't wait for it.

[Jason Bateman]

Thanks, Kareem.

[Kareem Rahma]

Okay, bye, guys.

[Will Arnett]

Have a good day.

[Kareem Rahma]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Shaking your hand. Goodbye, digital shake.

[Will Arnett]

There he goes. Kareem.

[Sean Hayes]

There he is. He's good. He's so good. Kareem Rama.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, dude.

[Sean Hayes]

Really great, dude. I love it. Shani didn't invite you on the show?

[Jason Bateman]

No, that's right.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, I noticed that.

[Kareem Rahma]

Right.

[Will Arnett]

Right there at the end. You know what I was thinking?

[Sean Hayes]

I think he's worried about your safety. I think that that was it.

[Jason Bateman]

By the way, I've never written. I've never rode on subway.

[Sean Hayes]

Hang on a second. So maybe that's trying to do my. My. I'm trying to do my. I can't believe that face. I'm trying to. Hang on. Why, Sean.

[Will Arnett]

Sean, that's true, isn't it?

[Jason Bateman]

That is very true.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. Is that really true? Never once on the subway in New York City.

[Jason Bateman]

I mean, if I did maybe once 25 years ago, but I don't remember it.

[Will Arnett]

It's not on purpose. It just hasn't happened.

[Jason Bateman]

I just don't feel. I just rather take a cab.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, so it is on purpose.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, yeah, it's totally on purpose. I don't even know how they work. I don't even know where they are.

[Sean Hayes]

There's. So I. I will give you. It is a hack because you spend a lot more time in New York these days. Days if you have to, it can

[Jason Bateman]

get anywhere in, like, two.

[Will Arnett]

But now it works with your navigation app, like. Like Waze or. Or Google Maps or Apple Map. Whatever it is. You can just say, you know, how do I Get there via walking, via, via car or via subway. And then when you hit the subway thing, it'll, it'll give you a little map how to walk to the subway, what to do.

[Jason Bateman]

But it's overwhelming to me because there's aren't there like 75,000.

[Sean Hayes]

But it tells you it'll walk you. Yeah, it tell you what to do if you don't know it. It'll tell you what to do. And, and I'm telling you, you can save yourself hours of being stuck in a freaking car or a.

[Will Arnett]

It's so good and it's so safe. Like, what?

[Sean Hayes]

It's, it's a little, it is great.

[Will Arnett]

All right, we'll do it together because I love riding on them. We'll do it next time I'm there.

[Jason Bateman]

All right.

[Will Arnett]

We'll hold hands all the way through it. But you guys should check out those two shows.

[Jason Bateman]

Very good.

[Kareem Rahma]

Yeah, I will.

[Jason Bateman]

I, I, I've seen a couple of his clips on, on Instagram and they're always funny and engaging.

[Kareem Rahma]

So fun.

[Jason Bateman]

Like you said, Jason, it's really interesting that he started. Well, you both said it, that he started something out of like, you know, who would have thought that just conversation would be interesting to people?

[Sean Hayes]

Well, I will say this. I think that there probably are, Sean, a lot of people who think like, hey, I'm interesting and I could just do, I'm gonna do a talk show or I'm gonna do a thing. And the truth was that he did have an actual talent for it and that he is an engaging person and

[Jason Bateman]

he's very authentic and real and like. Yeah, you know, Exactly. Yeah, you just know who he, who he is. Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

And I bet he could do it. He probably like, he take it on the road. He could go, he go overseas. He could do it. He could do, definitely do one in, in Egypt because he was born in Egypt. So I assume that he is by.

[Sean Hayes]

Very good, by smart, nice. Smart less. Smartless is 100% organic and artisanally handcrafted by Rob Armjarv, Bennett Barbico and Michael Grantieri. Smart Less.

[Will Arnett]

There's a fire inside you.

[Kareem Rahma]

You can't ignore, stand still, not achieve chance. You're a lifelong learner who's come this far.

[Will Arnett]

Now we are here to help you keep going further. Capella University.

[Kareem Rahma]

What can't you do?

[Will Arnett]

Visit Capella Edu to learn more. Hey, friends. Jason here. We're so excited. The smart list has officially joined the SiriusXM family. We can't wait to announce new surprise guests who we know that you'll love. If you want to be the first to hear new episodes ad free and a whole week early, subscribe to SiriusXM Podcast Podcasts plus on Apple Podcasts or visit siriusxm.com podcastsplus to start your free trial today.