Podcast Summary: So True with Caleb Hearon

Episode: "Yedoye Travis is Stretching"
Date: December 11, 2025
Host: Caleb Hearon
Guest: Yedoye Travis
Producer: Michelle

Overview

In this rich, lively episode, Caleb Hearon sits down with comedian, writer, and multi-hyphenate performer Yedoye Travis. Across a wide-ranging and dynamic conversation, they explore comedy’s business and ethos, creative authenticity, stretching (in both the physical and metaphorical sense), the cycles of “yes men” and “no men” in one’s life, and what it means to stay relevant and principled as an artist under capitalism. The two friends blend insightful critique with deep personal honesty, touching on everything from stretching routines to Richard Pryor, Dragon Ball Z, favorite books, and why most comedians are chasing, or resisting, the allure of playing it safe.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Year of Slipping Out & Becoming the “Stretching Guy”

(06:48–09:32)

• Yedoye describes his past year as intentionally withdrawn: work, stand-up, soccer, and stretching.

• He’s unexpectedly become known for stretching, even inspiring Caleb (“When I think of you now, stretching is a huge pillar of you to me.” — Caleb, 08:17).

• Yedoye admits people overemphasize stretching; it’s more beneficial after physical activity.

  Quote (Yedoye, 08:31):
  “I think people are overemphasizing the stretch ... you’re unlocking positions you’re not comfortable in ... and then you’re putting yourself at risk.”

  Insight:
  Stretching, like much self-improvement, can be misunderstood or misapplied. Yedoye sees it as an analogy for how people chase trends or routines without context.

2. The Value of “No Men” and Recalibrating Reality

(10:11–13:40)

• The two discuss the importance of having honest people—“no men”—in your life.

• Yedoye prefers having friends who ground him, rather than “yes men” who echo-flatter.

• Living alone made Yedoye feel he could be “anybody.” Social feedback is crucial for self-knowledge.

  Quote (Yedoye, 11:47):
  “I think you’re supposed to have people in your life that are like, ‘don’t do that.’ ... You need to be reminded of who you are every now and then.”

3. Comedy Career & the Pressure to Articulate a Voice

(15:33–17:47)

• Yedoye taped a comedy hour (“Fatherless Behavior”) at Union Hall and plans to release it on YouTube soon.

• He’s been unable to move forward creatively until finishing the special, viewing it as a foundational stake in the ground for his comedic voice.

  Quote (Yedoye, 16:28):
  “After this point, don’t ask me no fucking questions about what my jokes are about, because I’m not ... talking about how you can’t say nothing no more – because you can. Yeah, you can say something some more.”

4. Reflections on Comedy Venues & Community

(17:52–20:11)

• Union Hall is a recurring touchstone for both comics; a venue that never loses its appeal despite career progress.
• Yedoye notes the venue’s versatility and its ability to draw a performer's “real” crowd.

5. Stand-Up Influences & the Comedy Tradition

(22:21–28:07)

• Yedoye cites Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy as major early influences, sharing the ritual of downloading and repeatedly watching “Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip.”

• He loves puns and wordplay, despite trying to resist their pull in his material.

• Caleb recently read Hilton Als’ essay on Pryor in White Girls and recommends it.

  Quote (Yedoye, 26:47):
  “I’ve done stand up for 13 years ... it has taken me so much energy to resist the fact that I’m ultimately a pun guy.”

6. Artistic Growth & Breaking from Safe Comedy

(34:28–39:33)

• They discuss how Pryor and Carlin evolved from “boring suit-and-tie” acts to revolutionary comics who couldn’t suppress their true perspectives as the world changed.

• Yedoye ties this need for artistic risk-taking to his own life, and expresses boredom and disappointment with comics who milk the status quo for safety and profit.

  Quote (Caleb, 36:33):
  “Their work would have died with them. And now they’re going to live on as legends forever because they actually decided to pay attention and give a shit.”

7. Capitalism, Comedy, and the Cycle of Success

(45:24–47:31)

• Yedoye proposes that stand-up—and art in general—won’t fundamentally change until it is disentangled from the demands of capital.

• He’s trying to move towards sustainable patronage (e.g., ongoing support vs. per-project sales), to decouple creative output from boom-bust cycles.

  Quote (Yedoye, 45:18):
  “Stand up comedy is not really going to change until we remove the yoke of capital from it … not have it be a situation of: here’s this piece of art, you pay for this.”

8. On Ethical Choices and Taking Money

(48:01–51:59)

• Caleb and Yedoye agree that “ethical under capitalism” is a contradiction, but try to make what little ethical choices they can.

• The choices that matter most are for people with the privilege and means to say “no” to tainted sources.

  Quote (Caleb, 49:26):
  “If you’re making the kind of money I suspect that you’re making, I think you easily could have [said no].”

9. “So True” Segment – Over-Intellectualizing vs. Instinct

(52:08–53:47)

• Asked what’s “so true,” Yedoye asserts that humanity’s intelligence is “getting in the way” of our progress; we suppress instincts and feelings in favor of overthinking.

  Quote (Yedoye, 52:12):
  “I think we are too smart for our own good. I think our intelligence is getting in the way of so much of what we could achieve just by feeling shit out.”

  • References System of a Down lyrics making more sense now than ever.

10. Books, Dragon Ball Z, Art and Anarchist Readings

(55:02–66:37)

• Yedoye talks about his love for Dragon Ball Z, Toonami, and its unexpected universality among Black men; gives practical watch order for Caleb.
• On books: recommends Ursula K. Le Guin (The Dispossessed), The Dawn of Everything, and Ecology of Freedom.
• Shares niche knowledge on Kurdish history and Abdullah Öcalan, connecting anarchism, early matriarchal societies, and the social function of storytelling.

11. True/False Lighting Round

(66:39–68:31)

• Yedoye aces a playful true/false quiz (11 out of 15)—winning $50.
• Questions range from science trivia to Atlanta-related facts and Dragon Ball Z minutiae.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the comfort of "no men":
  “I think you're supposed to have people in your life that are like, ‘don't do that’. … You need to be reminded of who you are every now and then.” — Yedoye, 11:47

• On art and the marketplace:
  "I'd much rather put myself in a situation where … if you got a couple dollars a month, just like throw it my way so that I can not have to stress about rent till the next one" — Yedoye, 45:48

• On the boredom of tame comedy:
  "The easy way to do comedy is just play to what everybody fucking knows already … It’s just not interesting to me. It’s so fucking boring.” — Yedoye, 39:34/43

• Dealing with recurring political/ethical debates:
  "None of us get to [exist ethically under capitalism]. I still take money from bad places … But I just wish that more people who had the opportunity to think about these things wouldn’t just … well, it’s $500,000. I couldn’t say no. … I think you could have." — Caleb, 48:59/49:26

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Stretching, Flakiness, and Personal Routines: 06:48–09:32
• The "Yes Men / No Men" Philosophy: 10:11–13:40
• New Comedy Hour & Identity: 15:33–17:47
• Union Hall Venue Chat: 17:52–20:11
• Starting & Influences in Comedy: 22:21–28:07
• Pryor, Carlin, and Breaking Out: 34:28–39:33
• Comedy Under Capitalism: 45:24–47:31
• Ethics and "No Strings" Money: 48:01–51:59
• "So True" Segment: 52:08–53:47
• Dragon Ball Z & Book Recommendations: 55:02–66:37
• True/False Lightning Round: 66:39–68:31

Tone & Language

The conversation is warm and irreverent, marked by mutual respect, playful teasing, and deep dives into artistic integrity and life philosophy. Both Caleb and Yedoye mix comedic timing with genuine vulnerability, modeling the kind of honest, critical friendship they celebrate throughout the episode.

For New Listeners

This episode offers a deep, unvarnished glimpse into the minds of working comics wrestling with art, community, risk, and meaning. Even those outside the world of comedy will find resonance in the show’s meditations on social accountability, principled creative work, and the fight to stay awake and alive to what's "really real.”