Soder Podcast EP 116: "Internet Booze" with Mark Normand

Date: January 13, 2026
Host: Dan Soder
Guest: Mark Normand

Overview

In this candid, hilarious, and occasionally poignant episode, Dan Soder sits down with longtime friend and fellow comedian Mark Normand. They dive deep into the intertwined worlds of comedy and the internet, discuss the emotional toll and absurdities of online life, late night TV, sports fandom, parenting in a digital age, therapy, and, of course, busting each other’s chops. You'll find witty banter about the hidden pitfalls of success, the evolving landscape of stand-up, social media’s impact on well-being, and heartfelt insights about friendship and family.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Late Night Comedy & Conan Experiences

[00:41 - 06:06]

• Dan praises Mark as consistently the funniest in late night situations, referencing bits like Mark's "Conan tie" gag.
• Conan O'Brien anecdotes: Both comics recount how significant it is when Conan, still a comic at heart, supports guests after less-than-ideal sets.
  • Notable quote:
    • Dan: "At the end of the show, he went, ‘They sucked!’ — made me feel so much better." [02:21]
  • The importance of the warm-up act for studio audiences; Mark notes how a change in Conan’s opener dramatically affected crowd energy.
• Discussion of the unsung difficulty and "trap" of being a warm-up comic: daily grind, decent pay, but a potential career rut.

Navigating Internet Criticism & Reddit

[07:28 - 14:39]

• The duo bond over the unique hell of reading about yourself on Reddit — Dan likens it to "touching a hot stove," Mark admits to deleting videos after criticism.
• Empathy and online fame: Soder riffs on how everyone should "walk around with 500,000 followers" or have a subreddit post about them, to understand public scrutiny.
  • Quote:
    • Dan: "I feel like everyone should have a subreddit post about them." [08:17]
• The torch-passing dynamic of internet love turning to hate, referencing the Opie and Anthony subreddit’s volatility.

Internet & Empathy

[10:46 - 11:18]

• The comics mourn the loss of empathy online — how anonymous comments cut deep and "kill off" necessary social compassion.
• Quote:
  • Dan: “What the Internet kills off that we need to fight for is empathy.” [10:55]

Online Dating Realities

[14:39 - 16:22]

• Mark shares his Tinder and Bumble experiences — comedic women using lackluster lines, the awkwardness of online dating as a comic.
  • Quote:
    • Mark: "They're trying to bust balls and be neggy...but it's weird, like, what if I was like, my tits are bigger?" [16:09]

Social Media, Mental Health, and Parenting

[17:12 - 41:08]

• They riff on studies and societal shifts: increased suicide rates, Australia’s social media experiments, the shift of hip hop from the charts.
• Internet exposure for children: both express skepticism about letting their (or future) kids near social media, with Mark sharing his child’s tech-free upbringing and discussing how boredom and off-screen play are more valuable than stimulation by screens.
  • Quote:
    • Mark: "I’m trying because it you up. It us up. I think I'm...remember how joyous life was. We just walk around and look at things." [33:15]
• Dan compares first using social media to early cigarettes or alcohol — a form of “social lube” that quickly becomes habit.

The Internet's Impact on Real Life

[41:09 - 61:13]

• Extended riff on how internet exposure — including to violence and shocking content — is rewiring brains.
  • Anecdotes about the shock value of old VHS tapes like "Faces of Death" compared to today's constant exposure.
  • Quote:
    • Dan: “It’s crazy when you think that the Internet is just that [Faces of Death] in your pocket. All the time you’re waking up.” [44:46]
• The permanence of angry online outbursts ("This you?") versus the fleeting nature of real-world emotion.

Stand-up, Scene Rivalries & Comic Habits

[48:08 - 65:17]

• The duo reflect on legends (Chris Rock, Chappelle), the recycled physical tics and cadences among comics, and the territorialism of comedy cities (NY vs LA vs Austin).
  • Impressions and “honest corrections” comics give each other:
    • Dan: “Honesty needs to have a resurgence. Bargetsy one time...was like, 'Hey, you’re doing the Burr shifting.'” [63:37]
  • They laugh about learning to spot their own and each other’s borrowed performance quirks.
• Final notes on community, real-life kindness, and how internet life can stifle or distort authentic connection.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Late Night & Conan

• Dan, on Conan’s empathy after a rough set:
  “He just looks at the crowd, he goes, ‘They sucked!’ — and it made me feel so much better.” [02:21]
• Mark, summarizing Conan:
  “You think they’re just robots...but they feel it. They’re still comics.” [02:27]

Reading Internet Hate

• Dan: “It’s touching a hot stove. The second you do go and you look and it’s bad, it’ll your shit up.” [07:45]
• Mark: “I just deleted two videos the other day because I read some shit...” [07:54]

Social Media, Fame, and Empathy

• Dan: “Everyone should have a subreddit post about them...because you read that...and you see the amount of punches you’re gonna take.” [08:22]

Parenting & Devices

• Mark: “I'm trying...because it you up, it us up. Remember how joyous life was. We just walk around and look at things.” [33:15]
• Dan: “We gotta bring boredom back.” [35:52]

On Therapy and Family

• Mark: “Divorce is very healthy. I think if you get a divorce, it’s usually for the best.” [47:57]
• Dan: “Having a two parent household in that balance versus having phone or no phone...that’s going to make a big diff.” [46:44]

The Internet as ‘Permanent First Reaction’

• Dan: “What I don’t like about the Internet is...when I get riled up about stuff and then you calm down, you go, well, I feel different now. The Internet’s permanent. And it’s very first reaction.” [60:05]

Stand-up Comedy Habits & Honesty

• Dan: “Honesty needs to have a resurgence. Bargetsy one time...was like, hey, you’re doing the Burr shifting.” [63:36]
• Mark: “Somebody told me I was doing norms over here...and I had to drop the over.” [64:12]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:41 - 06:06] — Conan, Late Night Comedy, Warm-up Comics
• [07:28 - 14:39] — Navigating Reddit, Internet Criticism, Empathy
• [14:39 - 16:22] — Online Dating as a Comic
• [17:12 - 41:08] — Social Media Impact, Kids & Tech, Parenting Philosophy
• [41:09 - 49:08] — Internet Violence, Faces of Death, Exposure to Disturbing Content
• [48:08 - 61:13] — Therapy, Divorce, Family, Comic Rivalries, Stand-up Mannerisms
• [63:36 - 65:28] — Self-Policing in Comedy, Final Jokes and Outtakes

Closing Vibe

The episode is equal parts irreverent and sincere, cracking open the weird, often contradictory feelings that come with making people laugh and living online. Soder and Normand’s rapport is warm, brutally honest, and constantly self-aware: two comics who love their craft, love their friends, and worry just enough about the strange world that digital life has made for themselves—and for the next generation.

Host: Dan Soder
Guest: Mark Normand
Podcast: Soder | Episode 116: "Internet Booze"