Soder Podcast Episode 62: “Glass In Your Hair” with Adrienne Iapalucci

Host: Dan Soder
Guest: Adrienne Iapalucci
Date: January 14, 2025

Episode Overview

In this candid and hilarious episode, Dan Soder welcomes NYC stand-up comic Adrienne Iapalucci for a nostalgic deep-dive into their early days in comedy, wild New York stories, sibling dramas, the evolution of stand-up, and the changes in the industry. They poke fun at old wounds, trade war stories from grimy clubs, and provide unfiltered commentary on the state of comedy today. The episode is packed with laughs, personal confessions, inside-baseball comic lore, and sharp observations about life both on and offstage.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

FDNY vs. NYPD Boxing & Masculinity in Uniform (01:51–08:26)

• Bravest Boxing: Dan and Adrienne discuss the annual FDNY vs. NYPD boxing match, a "Battle of the Badges" spectacle with audience split between cop and firefighter fans. Dan explains how Correction Officers (COs) from Rikers and Sing Sing often represent the NYPD and dominate the fights.
  • “They just beat the shit out of these... firefighters that are, like, just to sell tickets.” — Dan (02:27)
• Fireman/Cop Stereotypes: Adrienne draws a contrast between the public’s antagonism towards cops ("People are mad at cops all the time") and universal affection for firefighters, even in failure (06:16).

Notable Moment

• “You think firefighters are closeted pyromaniacs?” — Dan jokes (05:03)
• Adrienne theorizes: “I think they’re just guys that wanted a good pension… The schedule is pretty sweet to cheat on your wife.” (05:09–05:14)

Schoolyard Antics & Sibling Warfare (12:01–15:40)

• Glue-Eating & Catholic School: Adrienne and Dan reminisce about school memories like peeling dried glue and getting "pink slips" in Catholic school for misbehavior (“pass it on”).
  • “I got a pink slip for Pass it On. And then…my sister just got a beaten from me.” — Adrienne (13:20)
• Siblings & Toughness: Adrienne describes her sister’s tendency to "rat" so they’d hang out together, and shares how her father would only punish whoever made noise during fights.
  • “I would just be quiet… Eddie would say, ‘I’m only hitting you because I hear you.’” — Adrienne (15:03)

Notable Quote

• “Did it make you two tough?” — Dan (15:45)
• Adrienne: “We didn’t really get into a lot of fights at school… for the most part, me and my sister fought the most.” (15:57)

Street Fights, SATs, and Betrayal (16:22–21:32)

• Glass in Hair & Nails as Street Fight Prep: Adrienne recalls prepping for schoolyard fights by putting nails (and "maybe glass") in her hair—a defensive booby trap for grabby opponents.
  • “You put nails in your hair and then you go… booby trapped your own hair.” — Dan & Adrienne (16:28–16:37)
• The Worst Day/Weekend: Adrienne shares a disastrous SAT-adjacent story: she tells a friend about a boyfriend's cheating right before the test, leading to a bad score, heartbreak, and a losing fight.
  • “She got cheated on, she got beat up, and she did poorly on the SATs. It was not a good weekend for her.” — Dan (20:32)

Teenage Romance & Comedy Roots (21:14–25:44)

• Early Cheating Trauma: Dan confides about getting cheated on in 8th grade—twice—by tough classmates: “Both the guys would have kicked the shit out of me.”
• High School Drug Experiences: Dan discusses shoulder injury, Percocet prescription, and brief struggle with pills. “I was too young to do the thing where you go into crime to get the pills.”
• Adrienne & Dan’s Comedy Beginnings: Recalling early days at Stand Up NY, hanging at bars, doing “check spots,” and navigating the open mics scene. Adrienne notes Dan’s “grungy/metal” era and friendship with Joe Alexander.

New York Comedy Club Nostalgia (29:10–34:47)

• Formative Scenes & Comics: Fond memories of Stand Up NY—Big Jay Oakerson, Patrice O’Neal, Dave Attell—headlining packed rooms (29:16). Adrienne recalls Big Jay’s famous joke (“fat girl with small tits… it’s like looking into a mirror”) (29:23).
• The Crew and After-Hours Antics: Stories about slow clapping for men leaving the upstairs rub-n-tug, and Lorenzo the pizzeria owner brawling with disruptive clientele.
  • “Big Jay, Louis and Dave, the Skanks, pointed me out to the fact that there was the rub-n-tug…” — Dan (31:25)

Comic Hustle & Industry Games (34:55–36:58)

• Adrienne’s “NYC Mean” Vibe: Dan discusses the difference between New York hardness and Midwestern sweetness—Adrienne: “I’m just kind of like an introvert a bit.”
• Wild Open Mics: They joke about open mic host Daniella dissuading joke-writing and waxing onstage about periods and heat pads.

Carny Club Owners & Road Work (40:23–43:12)

• Remembering comedy club “carnies” who ran rooms with sketchy business practices, especially in the pre-corporate era. Side Splitters, Tampa’s Bobby Jewell (bad wig, shifty club owner) and American Comedy Club’s notorious management quirks.
• Industry Tilt: Adrienne: “The industry just really never cares.” (43:20)
• Soder on Stand-Up Survival: “I’ve watched you be this, like, hilarious joke writer...C omics love you. And it's been fun watching the right comics love you.” (42:57–43:12)

Changing Industry, Social Media & DIY Success (43:24–48:09)

• The Old Days: They reflect on how Comedy Central, HBO, and “the machine” used to launch comics’ careers with late-night spots, development deals, and industry showcases (44:01–44:09).
• Rise of Social Media: The importance now of YouTube, social platforms, and podcasts. “You really have to push it yourself…all the podcasts myself.” — Adrienne (46:39–46:41)
• Montreal ‘Unrepped’ War Stories: Soder and Adrienne recount bleak Montreal “New Faces: Unrepped” days, comic solidarity (Ari Shaffir buying dinner for “the Unrepped”).

Cancellations, Creative Freedom & Cultural Shifts (49:01–52:19)

• On “Cancel Culture” Myths: “There's no machine to get fired from…It's all your Patreon and your YouTube following…” — Dan (50:08–50:16)
• Encounter with Outrage: Adrienne discusses (with bemusement) hearing "you're gonna get canceled" threats after her Netflix special.
  • Quote: “From what? Netflix put it out.” — Adrienne (50:28)
• Creative Pandering & Culture Wars: Dan observes the shift from liberal to conservative “pandering” (“Now everyone panders to conservatives to get… the most popular”).

Gender, Croptops, and LGBTQ Observations (54:27–56:25)

• On Men’s Crop Tops and Gender Fluidity: Adrienne and Dan kid about the “rise” in men, especially young or gay men, wearing crop tops, and theorize about the performance of sexuality for attention or access.
• Trans Friends, Shame, and Surprises: Adrienne describes not realizing a friend was trans, then recognizing the absence of “girl shame” about showing her belly.

Audience, Class, and Fans (58:46–62:10)

• Adrienne’s Audience: Finding out homeless people in Toronto listen to her stand-up on a Bluetooth is a proud, amusing badge—“I’ve reached my audience.” (58:58)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On firemen’s allure:
  "Women love firefighters. The firefighter fetish. Do you think cops resent that?" — Dan (05:20)
• On comic resilience:
  "You can do something and just keep doing it—even if it's not good." — Adrienne (26:47)
• Reflecting on career progress:
  "There's no more Comedy Central. There's no more industry. There's no more late night." — Dan (43:49)
• On being “canceled”:
  “You’re gonna get canceled. I’m like, from what? Netflix put it out.” — Adrienne (50:28)
• On manipulating the algorithm:
  “If you know how to manipulate the algorithm, let me know…I got like 13 views on something. I’m like, what am I doing?” — Adrienne (62:47)

Concluding Reflections

• Comics Supporting Comics: Soder highlights Adrienne’s respect among peers and celebrates the success of her Netflix special (“The Dark Queen”), produced by Louis Katz and Ari Shaffir. The behind-the-scenes loyalty and cracks about algorithms tie together old-school grit and new-school hustle.

Key Timestamps

• 01:51–08:26 – FDNY vs. NYPD, masculinity in public service, firefighter/cop jokes
• 12:01–15:40 – Sibling fights, Catholic school, childhood lessons
• 16:22–21:32 – Fighting prep, SAT heartbreak, brutal teenage weekends
• 29:10–34:47 – Early NY comedy clubs, pizzeria brawls, stand-up legends
• 40:23–43:12 – Club carnies, industry changes, comics supporting comics
• 43:24–48:09 – Comedy's changing landscape, Montreal tales, DIY ethos
• 49:01–52:19 – Cancel culture, creative freedom, culture wars
• 54:27–56:25 – Croptops, gender observations, trans friend reveals
• 58:46–62:10 – The breadth and depth of Adrienne’s audience (homeless fans)
• 62:47–end – Algorithm struggles, podcast wrap-up, and camaraderie

Final Thoughts

This episode is a raw, affectionate, and uproarious look at the world of stand-up comedy—its battles, bonds, and absurdities—through the eyes of two industry veterans. With a blend of inside jokes, real talk, and biting wit, Soder and Iapalucci capture the weirdness and warmth that keeps comics coming back for more. Whether you’re nostalgic for NY club life or curious about carving out a comedy career in a fractured industry, this conversation is as insightful as it is laugh-out-loud funny.