
On this episode of Staying Alive, hosts Jon Gabrus and Adam Pally sit down with legendary writer/broadcaster Tom Scharpling (The Best Show, Steven Universe, Double Threat) to talk about their secret friend “food,” eating to live instead of living to eat, hiking, influencers, ice cream, therapy, and Geese. Plus: Gabrus has a Magnum PI fit, and Pally met Larry David who was, unsurprisingly, in a bit of a mood. Follow Tom HERE Check out The Best Show every week! Check out Double Threat with Julie Klausner and Tom Scharpling every week! Full video episodes available HERE. Check out Staying Alive merch at siriusxmstore.com/stayingalive This episode was recorded April 24, 2026 at Forever Dog in Los Angeles CA Staying Alive is produced by Devon Torrey Bryant and Anne Harris Engineered and edited by Devon Torrey Bryant, who also wrote the music Associate producer and video editor is Maddie McCann Executive produced by Jon Gabrus, Adam Pally, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Berni...
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Adam Pally
Smart. Last me, By the way. I don't know if we can do this, but you. Your fit, you look so good today. Your fit is on point. Like you, you're. You're wearing these like you ha. You're giving off Magnum PI the best way.
John Gabrus
It's Sperry season, so I'm wearing myself.
Adam Pally
I know your sperries are out, but those are in. Those are like these shoes now ever. You gotta have your Sperry's and then you have these light wash jeans. You're looking good, dude. Yeah, this is a quality fit.
John Gabrus
What really happened is I was going, I was gonna wear pants today. I went to go grab a normal pair of pants and these been hanging in the closet for two years. These billabong light wash jeans that I bought, they're good. I was like, I wonder if they fit me now. And I put them on and I
Adam Pally
was like, they're baggy on you. A little. They.
John Gabrus
And it makes them look like they're supposed to fit.
Adam Pally
I think you have to go down a size.
John Gabrus
Oh, dog. I. It's crazy. I don't have the money to like go down a size and clothes right now.
Adam Pally
I cannot wait. I can't wait till you're ready to cut to let me go with you. I was gonna say not about anything, about your appearance. You're mental. Because I know you. You know what I mean? Like, I can't wait till you're like, oh, no, no, I'm ready to rock.
John Gabrus
Yeah.
Adam Pally
You know, like, let's go shopping. Because I assume it's gonna be like, what it's like when we go into a restaurant. You know what I mean? Cause like, you're the best person in the world to eat with. So I only assume that when you're ready, you're also gonna be the best.
John Gabrus
But like, where I'm at right now is pretty crazy. It's funny you say that because I've been thinking about that. I am like, I kind of want to get new clothes now, but I also kind of want to be like, should I wait a little longer and see?
Adam Pally
I think you can, you know, you can do. You can like sub in a big. A bigger thing than you normally would, right? Like, and I don't mean like a bigger size. I mean like, like a nice pair of jeans, right?
John Gabrus
Yeah.
Adam Pally
Like go to the store. Go to the. Go to like 3:16.
John Gabrus
Yeah. Get something. Get something for the way down.
Adam Pally
Right? Like, because. Because if you're fitting in those, you can fit in 316.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah.
Adam Pally
I think, like, go to 316 and like text Andrew and be like, what's the. I like this. I like wide leg. Or I like, you know, however you like to wear them.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah.
Adam Pally
And buy one pair and have one pair. And have one pair of like Japanese denim jeans and just throw them in in rotation.
John Gabrus
Yeah.
Adam Pally
And then like I bet you that they'll be your first. It's like, it's like, oh, that's my first like night. That's my nice pair of jeans.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah.
Adam Pally
And then you'll come down from that. And then you come down from that. It's like. And you'll wanna.
John Gabrus
And I did this with like Diesel back in the day. Yeah. Like, and it's like now I have the one nice pair of jeans. I'm like, I should get a second nice pair of jeans.
Adam Pally
And you also have the benefit of, of having like way more connections. Like.
John Gabrus
Yes.
Adam Pally
Like Andrew has been dying to send you a pack.
John Gabrus
I know. I got to get. I got it.
Adam Pally
Like you got like a pack of 3:16. Like that'll change your whole fudgeing life.
John Gabrus
Let's fucking go. Let's go. Yeah. Yeah. I was so pumped when I put these on. I was like, fuck. I was like, no way. These just button. And they just did. And I'm like, well, fuck it. I'm wearing.
Adam Pally
And now after a day of wearing them, they're pretty much bag.
John Gabrus
I know I'm have to get a belt. I hate belts.
Adam Pally
I know belts are big though. Because you know why belts are big now. And I think you've been noticing there's a tuck revolution going on. Yeah. And so I'm talking everything. I also lost a little weight. So it's like you're talking and going
John Gabrus
high waisted, which is a look that looks great on you.
Adam Pally
Thank you. It's because my. I have such a big torso.
John Gabrus
It gives you. I've said this before about some of when you make some of these choices and because of your, your physique now gives you that like old timey box.
Adam Pally
Yeah.
John Gabrus
Like 1920s Jewish box. Yeah. Or any boxer but religion. Well, I feel like in my head, yeah. 20s New York boxer was a Jewish guy.
Adam Pally
Yeah. I get like this. Yeah.
John Gabrus
No, no, like if you had a mustache, it would be like a bridge too far.
Adam Pally
Yeah, I had a mustache in New Zealand. It was wild.
John Gabrus
It was awesome. You. That was a fun moment. When we FaceTimed smoking a J together in, in New Zealand. It was like nighttime by me, morning time by you. And when, when the FaceTime popped up, you had A mustache. And that was a surprise. I was like, this rule. You had a mustache and a joint, and it was a surprise. And I was like, yay. And I ran and got mine.
Adam Pally
I was like, it's Saturday morning, and this is what I'm going to look like for the next.
John Gabrus
Awesome.
Adam Pally
I love it. Great guest today.
John Gabrus
Yeah, we're in. We're. We've been recording this week on his home turf, so if people recognize the
Adam Pally
studio as Forever Dog, honor one of my. I want to say, family members. We're not related.
Tom Scharpling
No.
Adam Pally
But I've. Because he's been best friends with my cool older cousin. Yeah. Since college. I've known him since before he was like. I. I knew him as my cousin's friend before he. What the fuck was even a thing?
John Gabrus
Right. You guys would be on my All Jersey team. All New Jersey team.
Adam Pally
But I didn't even live in New Jersey. I lived in. I didn't. I lived in Chicago, and he was just. I would meet him at Seder because I would go to New York where all my family was. Right, right. And he was just hanging out with Ken.
John Gabrus
That's cool.
Adam Pally
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah.
John Gabrus
Fucking. Tom. Fucking sharply.
Adam Pally
I know, I know.
John Gabrus
Hopefully this episode is our best show.
Adam Pally
I don't think it will be.
John Gabrus
No, no, no.
Adam Pally
We got.
John Gabrus
We had better guess in it.
Adam Pally
Yeah.
John Gabrus
But you'll see. You'll see.
Adam Pally
It's like, Mitch was great.
John Gabrus
Tom. Sharply.
Adam Pally
I'm Sharply, everybody.
Tom Scharpling
So.
Adam Pally
You look amazing, though. Oh, you really do. Like, you have. You are. You are. You. Did you change something? Are you dying?
John Gabrus
You look amazing. Now, did you do something different?
Tom Scharpling
Yes, exactly.
Adam Pally
Oh, no, not just that. I mean.
Tom Scharpling
No, no, I appreciate. I just. I'm. Yeah. I'm trying to just take care of myself a little bit.
Adam Pally
But what does. How are you staying alive? Sharply like, what does that mean for you?
Tom Scharpling
Wow.
John Gabrus
This is the earliest we've ever asked the question.
Adam Pally
Yeah.
John Gabrus
Because.
Adam Pally
Well, I think it's the biggest transformation we've ever.
Tom Scharpling
Oh, well, geez. No, I just. I just eat a little better now. And I try to eat late at night like I did. I'm not eating, like, sad. Like, I was.
Adam Pally
Okay.
Tom Scharpling
So, like, that's probably the biggest one is, like.
Adam Pally
Right.
John Gabrus
Removing emotions from eating.
Tom Scharpling
Moving. Yeah. Making food. Emotions. I'm making food More just about, like, fuel. Staying alive and not just a source of eating.
Adam Pally
To live, rather than living to eat.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah. Not my friend.
Adam Pally
Yes.
Tom Scharpling
My secret friend.
Adam Pally
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
Me and you in the car alone.
John Gabrus
I was gonna say food could be a friend, but what you're Describing is an affair.
Adam Pally
I had one of those thoughts.
John Gabrus
I would have like straight up affairs with food where it's like shut the lights off. I don't even want to.
Adam Pally
I had a one night stand with sugar fish last night. Delivery that lasted. I went three rounds. Three boxes.
Tom Scharpling
Try me over and over. Don't try me.
Adam Pally
I didn't. Don't trust me. Don't trust me.
Tom Scharpling
I don't want to hear about that.
John Gabrus
One piece has jizz on it.
Adam Pally
Sushi. It's like a mix of jelly beans that some. No, this was, this was like I did the full biggest one and then Nozawa I did. And then I did. I. I did like a full other box with a cut roll and several pieces. And then I did a sashimi extra app. It was like they sent three chopsticks. It was like I was.
Tom Scharpling
We.
John Gabrus
We talk about this. Sushi is the. The least destructive food to overeat. I feel like it's the. In the moment you can be super full. But if I overeat any other genre, if I overeat any other cuisine, I feel like dog, dog shit the next morning.
Adam Pally
Yes.
John Gabrus
Sushi I do not.
Adam Pally
But I. And I knew I was going to do it. Like I skipped lunch. I was running around all day. And it was seven. Sixth day of me being alone in a hotel. And that is usually when the tide turns dark. Like six days. Like the first five days is like vaca. Even if I'm working, it's vacation. Like because I'm away from my children, away from my family, I'm away from my routine. And it's like nice. And then six day starts to become like, what am I doing? Like, where is everybody? Am I involved in at home? Am I involved here?
Tom Scharpling
Like at that point for me you get toward that, that six that week in a hotel. It's like there's like this erasure of you because like I put this over here and then I went out and then I came back and everything got reset. It's like you don't exist at a point. Like it doesn't matter what I do to the room. I come back and it's all fixed again.
John Gabrus
And it's easy to forget that my garbage was full of fucking.
Adam Pally
Oh yeah. And there's no pictures of people I love on the wall. So like my memories are slowly deteriorating. I'm just looking at this weird like hotel art. And like, yeah, it's it. And that's when. And I knew. And last night I didn't have any plans and I was like, Kind of run down. And I was like, I'm, I'm, I'm going to go back at like five o' clock and order the food and watch basketball until. And just like drown in.
John Gabrus
When I order food at that early too, I always go like, well, if I want to eat again at 10, I might as well get something else. And then I never, no, never make it. 6:30. It's all gone.
Adam Pally
Oh yeah, I did that like one.
John Gabrus
It's so funny. We're talking about this. This is literally my plans tonight. I'm like, oh, we're gonna get out of here at a decent hour. I'm gonna get home. What am I gonna get high, eat, and then like pull the blanket up to here on the couch and not move for like three hours?
Adam Pally
Yeah.
John Gabrus
And I'm like, I deserve it. I've worked hard.
Adam Pally
But you do. Yeah. I mean, I do think that that is like, there is a certain level, like you're saying live to eat. Right. Like, you didn't do that all week. Right.
John Gabrus
Right. And then I'm also not, I'm not gonna. And I, I, I'm also so bad with like. Well, I used to have like 20 drinks and then also eat. Now I'm not gonna have the 20 drinks. Can I just eat?
Adam Pally
Can I just eat?
Tom Scharpling
Not nothing, right? You're still count to like. Yeah.
John Gabrus
How conscious of an effort was it to like remove the emotional. Like, like, I mean, are there any steps for that too?
Tom Scharpling
Of just a constant struggle, Right. All the time, you know, just like, it just takes a one bad day. And it's just the problem is everywhere you look is your vice is everywhere.
John Gabrus
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
It's like it's the world's fault. Yeah, exactly.
John Gabrus
You don't see beautiful pictures of heroin all the time on camera.
Tom Scharpling
It's like you'd at least have to go into like a bar or a liquor store or a dispensary. Like, you can just stay in your car and get every bad thing you want and just. You don't have to get up where you would drive.
Adam Pally
Were you like, oh, yeah.
Tom Scharpling
I mean, I still am. I just, I just really try to keep things, I really just try to do things when I'm actually going to appreciate it. Not out of some sense of like, need. Some sense of like, need or just like that. This is like, like, it's just a. Well, I should eat right now. So I'm just going to eat garbage. It's like, well, I can hang on till I get somewhere more responsible. Even by degrees. It really is a matter of degrees. I still eat garbage and but I just try to be aware of it. Yeah.
John Gabrus
That's what we talk about a lot is like, it seems daunting to like flip your entire way of being. But it does seem a little less daunting to be like if you drink 12 drinks every night and you knock that down to eight.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah.
John Gabrus
You have improved. You're like, you have made a healthier choice.
Adam Pally
Yeah.
John Gabrus
And it's like when you're getting to be our ages like that shit matters where you're like, well if I, if I really do love in and out, let me eat it once a week instead of four days a week.
Adam Pally
So what is your cheat? Like what do you, what do you like cheat with now? Like when you're like oh this is rough, I need to like hit that and I have hours to sit and be sad and like, you know, it's
Tom Scharpling
like sweet stuff is always the really like ice cream. Yeah. Ice cream is like probably number one. Like just, it's just, it never stopped working for me ever in my life. Cuz it's like fast food from the
John Gabrus
age of like 4. Exactly. Is such a treat when you're a little kid.
Adam Pally
You're crying and your mom's like here, suck on this.
Tom Scharpling
And there was never any like, well we shouldn't say it like that.
Adam Pally
Well that's, that's why I'm, that's why
John Gabrus
I'm still into big naturals.
Adam Pally
Yeah. My mom was all, we're from Chicago.
John Gabrus
Hey, suck on this pal.
Adam Pally
And suck on these frozen.
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Tom Scharpling
But it's like you know how like fast food you could be just like this stuff sucks now like when you kind of know it's awful. Yeah. It's like ice cream is still like amazing even when it's off, even when it's bad, it's just.
Adam Pally
Well.
John Gabrus
And then you can get like top shelf ice cream.
Tom Scharpling
Well you can also get that. Exactly. You can go to places like like we're in like San Gabriel Valley, that area and there's just like, there's this place, Fosselman's, which has been around for like over a hundred years. It's cache only. And there's just like. It's one of those places where there's a line. As soon as it's like a little bit warmer, there's a line out the door because all the families go there and everything. And it's just like the best ice cream imaginable. It's like Tyler, the creator, as a kid went to Fossilness. Like, he's like, I saw Nardwar talking to Tyler Killer once that he mentioned he threw Fossilmans in Alhambra at him.
Adam Pally
Have you ever met Nardoir?
Tom Scharpling
Yes, he's. He's been on the show before.
Adam Pally
He was on the show?
Tom Scharpling
Yeah, he came in and yeah, he's amazing.
Adam Pally
Like, I am fixated because the way the. The knowledge that he gets. But I just always assume that it's a character because he. It's like, how would you ingratiate people that much to get that much knowledge by being so outlandish?
Tom Scharpling
You know, I mean, he just. There's so much prep he does and he's. He's like. He's reached out to me when he was going to talk to a comedian to ask if I knew anything about them. Like, like, hey, did you know, do you know, anything unique or. Or kind of like surprising about so and so? Because I'm gonna hopefully interview them. Wow, that's a deep.
Adam Pally
So he's doing.
Tom Scharpling
He's doing that all the. He must be working every network with all that stuff, right?
John Gabrus
His continues to grow.
Tom Scharpling
Absolutely. Yeah.
Adam Pally
That's crazy. That's.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah. So, I mean, that's like. But like, when he's me. When he's doing somebody who really doesn't have a handle on his thing yet,
John Gabrus
who's like, someone who's like, I have to. I'm doing another interview today. Yeah, exactly.
Tom Scharpling
And then I ate that.
John Gabrus
I ate wings yesterday during my interview.
Adam Pally
And here comes this weird Canadian knee.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah. Guy and all this, like the tartan.
Adam Pally
Yeah. He looks like. He looks like watermelon. It looks like Gallagher. You know what I mean? Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
It's like a Gallagher and then interview a matic.
John Gabrus
It's a street joke, Marin. I feel like this is the place to do those.
Adam Pally
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
Wait, Gallagher come back when he did that.
John Gabrus
God.
Tom Scharpling
Still the funniest thing ever. Gallagher, come.
Adam Pally
No, Gallagher.
Tom Scharpling
It's like Willy Wonka when he's like. He's like, no, please don't. He's like. It's just but, like, when he. When Nardwar blows somebody's mind, it's. It's like. It's, like, childlike.
Adam Pally
In the magic.
Tom Scharpling
You see him mention somebody they went to school with, and they're just like, they haven't literally thought of that person in years. And they definitely didn't think this they
John Gabrus
would be thinking about.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah, yeah. And he always, like, lures people into the thing because he shows up. He. I think they just underestimate him. They think, of course.
Adam Pally
I mean, that's part of it. But then he's got, like, the flyer,
Tom Scharpling
and people like, yeah, yeah.
Adam Pally
Whoa. I haven't seen this in a while. And then he's like, what about this person who died?
Tom Scharpling
Yeah.
Adam Pally
And you're like, I need. And I need some time.
Tom Scharpling
You know, he always knows. He's like, you can have this. Like, he has an album, and then suddenly, like, I get to keep something. So now that he's just got them.
John Gabrus
That's so cool. I got to watch more of his stuff. I've only seen, like, highlights.
Adam Pally
Oh, there's some really good ones.
John Gabrus
Like, I'm more of a vlog guy.
Adam Pally
I'm more. Me. I like. I like the little. What's his name? The little guy that he was, like, with the ufc.
John Gabrus
Oh. Oh, well, it's not Hasbullah.
Adam Pally
It's, like, not.
John Gabrus
Yeah, it's not the. It's not the Lebanese rebels. No.
Adam Pally
It's.
Tom Scharpling
It's.
Adam Pally
I, like, little Hezbollah. The, like, wrestler.
John Gabrus
The dude. The little person you're thinking of is, like, Hasbara or Hasbro. Yeah.
Adam Pally
And he's, like, 45.
John Gabrus
Yeah. Mike Tyson met him and thought he was a kid and, like, picked him up.
Adam Pally
Yeah, that made me uncomfortable.
Carvana Representative
Ye.
Adam Pally
That was amazing. He's my favorite influencer. Yeah. You know, he's kind of on my algorithm lately. And, like, I'm sure he's a nice guy, and I'm sure. But the yes Chef kid. Oh, I don't know the yes, Chef kid. He's just, like, a kid who wears a hat that says, like, yes, Chef, and he goes around to, like, fancy restaurants and, like. And he's like, we're here trying the viral sensation, and then he's always.
Tom Scharpling
It's always.
John Gabrus
It's always just like.
Adam Pally
That slaps, you know?
John Gabrus
It's like.
Adam Pally
And, like.
John Gabrus
But he's like, we have to stop. Like, look, we have to stop listening to kids. I'm sorry.
Adam Pally
I know.
John Gabrus
Like, I'm so happy that kids exist.
Adam Pally
And I mean, he's, like, 22, but.
John Gabrus
Right. But, yeah, But I miss experts.
Adam Pally
Me too.
John Gabrus
I miss people who, like, tried hard,
Adam Pally
like, to learn or have been to the place. Like, I miss. I miss when it's like, you. Something opened and it was given the grace period for the public to figure out if it was good or not before it became, like, a viral sensation, then had an outpost in the cosmopolitan Vegas.
John Gabrus
Well, because restaurants will have, like, their influencer opening, you know, before anyone else gets to eat there or whatever. You're like, I. I'm. I'm hearing, like, this all the time. Yeah, we're gonna have. It's all influencers on the first night. I'm like, what the.
Adam Pally
I know. Not that influencers are bad, but, like, I don't know.
John Gabrus
I. I don't know if I can go straight off.
Adam Pally
Think all influencers are bad.
John Gabrus
No, I don't think. I think people who do. I think the idea that we've created that as, like, a title is the. Is part of the problem. Yeah. But I do think people who are informed and entertaining can definitely do and, like, infotainment. But the idea of, like, the influence adds the phrase influencer to me. Adds, like, the advertisement element of it.
Tom Scharpling
Like, it should be the kind of thing that you're doing a thing, and then somebody says, somebody tells you that you're an influencer. Like, you almost like, hey, you're. You're an influencer with this. And you're just like, oh, okay. Not just like, I want to be an influencer.
John Gabrus
Yes. Yes.
Adam Pally
Right. Yeah. There's like.
Tom Scharpling
You fall into it.
John Gabrus
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
You should realize you're an influencer.
Adam Pally
Right, Right.
Tom Scharpling
It's like giving yourself a nickname. You can't give yourself a nickname.
John Gabrus
It's like choosing to be a spokesperson.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah.
John Gabrus
Like, when you're young, you're gonna grow up to be a spokesperson. It's like, no, you can. Like, that's part of something.
Tom Scharpling
I'd like to be a role model.
Adam Pally
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
Like, it's like, you know, you need to earn. Somebody needs to tell you you're a role mod.
Adam Pally
Who needs a model for someone
John Gabrus
not
Tom Scharpling
just coming in as a role. As a role model.
Adam Pally
So are you. Are you exercising?
Tom Scharpling
Yeah. Yeah.
Adam Pally
Like, what's your. What's your.
Tom Scharpling
I go to the gym, like, two or three times a week.
Adam Pally
Which gym? Out here? Like in.
Carvana Representative
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
Like.
John Gabrus
Like resistance training. Are you doing some?
Tom Scharpling
I have a trainer, and I just go. And it's just like. That's honestly the thing that keeps me. I'm so bad if I'm left to my own devices with it. I Always run out of, Run out of juice with it and just like, I'll do it. And then it's a. Then it's just like the, you know, the slow fading of going. Then you realize you haven't been there in six months. Just like. But like, with like being accountable, I've just like never missed not wanting to
John Gabrus
let someone else down. Super.
Adam Pally
I always found the fine. The financial aspect of it to be the thing. Like when I had. We worked with the same trainer and I would be like, I need to pay you in like 5 or 10 in increments. Even when I didn't have like a ton of money. Can I pay you for one for tomorrow's session or whatever? Because the financial of it is the one thing sunk. Cost of some costs. Like, I. Even if it's like, you got to be here seven in the morning, I'm like, I paid $100 for this. I got to get there.
Tom Scharpling
It is, it's one of the most. I mean, it's not, it's not super expensive, but it's not cheap either. But for what I get from it, it's just the best deal I could. It's just so important because it keeps me just. I show up every single time.
Adam Pally
Are you a talkie train? Like, do you guys have dialogue or is it more just like down. Get me through it?
John Gabrus
No.
Tom Scharpling
Well, we, you know, we talk a little bit. You have your guy, he's all right. But it's not just like, it's not like one of those things where, you know, you talk. Some people are just like, they talk about. I went to therapy and we were talking all about, you know, project Hail Mary as a therapist, and you're just like, that's not therapy. That's just like your friend.
John Gabrus
Like, someone's like, I go to my personal trainer. We talked about my being molested as a gay or whatever.
Tom Scharpling
You're just like, yeah, but I'm just like, no, we just said it's like light.
John Gabrus
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
Chit chat. And that's all I. That's all he wants. And that's kind of all I want.
John Gabrus
We talked about this with Zoe. It's like at some point your therapist relationship becomes a little too friendly. And you're like, I think I need someone who challenges me more. And yeah, I could see that path happening with trainers.
Adam Pally
I think so too. I mean, I think that, that trainers, like, that's part I. I love trainers. I think personal trainers are so important. But I do question like, all things like, like, when do you get so ripped that you don't need the personal trainer anymore. You know what I mean? Like, it's because it's like they get you to a point and they keep you at that point. And it's like, you know, you want to improve, but. But also so much. That is me. It's like, I'm not gonna improve if I'm having a ribeye.
John Gabrus
Right.
Adam Pally
You know, and like, well, there's also
John Gabrus
like the element of like, you know, switch up your therapist, switch up your trainer too. Focus on something else. I don't have like, I like going to the. I like lifting weights. I can do it on my own. I could pro, but I still go to a trainer once a week because we'll just do. It'll I'll go and I'll be like, oh, I should be pushing myself harder when I'm here. I'm like, if, if I left my own devices, the days are a little easier, right?
Adam Pally
Yeah.
John Gabrus
Like, oh, and. And like I work out with a shout out. The trainer we both worked with, Addie Twa Fitness on Instagram, she'll push me in the gym in our session, and I'll be like, oh, this one hour workout is more bang for my buck than like the three 90 minute workouts I did on my own.
Adam Pally
Jeez, those workouts can be really intense. I mean, I've puked many times.
John Gabrus
I have not barfed yet. But my, I'm not doing super intense with her. My shit is all like, stuff I won't choose for myself, which is like lunges and rotational and one arm and
Adam Pally
like she has a liner movement stuff with the like. Yeah, the water bag and stuff. Yeah,
Tom Scharpling
that's like when I first started, like, it was probably like two, two, two years ago, something like that, you know, like when I left those that first session, I was just like. I remember like walking down the like five stairs and I was just like, this is not good. My car was like, I'm holding both sides of the rail. And then like, I got out. It was so bad that like I was walking down the side, I had like step off the curb and I was just like, I don't know if I can. I don't know if. I don't know if my legs will go down without me buckling and falling on the street. I know, like, just stepping off a curb.
Adam Pally
Yeah, yeah. But then you're like, then you're like, Gabriel said to me once, like, you want to be able to run like four miles when you're, when you're this Age. So that when you're 10 years old, you can run three miles. Yeah.
John Gabrus
It was like a shout out. I quoted Dr. Peter Attia, who no one's talking about anymore because he's all over the Epstein, but he would say, like, if you, you're not gonna be able to run 8 miles when you're 60, if you can't run 10 miles when you're 40, you're not gonna find
Tom Scharpling
it all the time.
Adam Pally
Yeah, but, but, but how many kids can you eat? Chrome dosage is through the roof.
Tom Scharpling
But the thing with pushing yourself and like trying to hold yourself on a thing, it's like, I honestly look at it as like just trying to like, like being in the general line of work that we're all in. It's like so much of the stuff you're required to be like a self starter all the time.
John Gabrus
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
That it's like I just, it's like this is one thing I can't be a self starter with for everything.
John Gabrus
Right.
Tom Scharpling
Like I just, like I will delegating someone else like that I need help with. So I'm going to ask for the help. I'm not going to try to prove some, some conceit to myself that I don't need help with that. It's like, you know, I can't, I can't do everything.
John Gabrus
Yeah. It's like a finite amount of willpower and ambition that person has. And it's like if you could offload some of that. That's.
Tom Scharpling
That's exactly.
Adam Pally
And how much podcasting are you doing a week? Like, are you, are you behind the mic?
Tom Scharpling
Like you do two shows a week on the whole, like on the whole way. Like it's best show on Tuesday, double threat on Friday.
John Gabrus
Right.
Tom Scharpling
So we do. Yeah. But then there's extra things here and there. But, but that doesn't. Baseline is too.
Adam Pally
That sounds doable to me. Like that sounds. That's like a lift that could keep you fresh.
Tom Scharpling
It is. And it's also. They're different. One is that show is just me in the chair and I'm in charge of the whole thing. And double thread is 50. 50 with Julie. You know. Yeah. We just. And we have a whole other thing going on. So it doesn't feel like I'm just doing like variations on the same thing, you know, endlessly.
John Gabrus
Right.
Adam Pally
That's good. And you build your training around that because the gym is here sometimes. That was always how I like to do. It's like, well, if I'm going to be in a different Place in my house. Then let's. Let's. Let's leave the house and do everything we have to do, and then let's come back to that.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah, I try not to go to the gym and then go back home again. Like, ideally I would just. Like, that would start my day. And then I just. I'm out.
Adam Pally
Are you? Three meals a day.
Tom Scharpling
Sorry?
Adam Pally
Three meals a day.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah, I mean, I like, breakfast is usually just some kind of like, yogurt thing. Just something. I just need some kind of something. And then lunch, it generally goes. It's like some kind of small thing to be something in my stomach. Lunch, I kind of have the latitude to be less smart about. And then, like, dinner is responsible. Try to do it that way.
Adam Pally
I want to be that, but I just can't do it. It's like I leave everything for the end still. Like, I leave it for the big.
John Gabrus
I lock it in for breakfast. And because again, like if off my random hip fire comment that willpower is finite, I think I use it on breakfast and lunch. Well, let's order.
Adam Pally
That's. And I. And I truly do, like, live to eat dinner. Dinner. Going out to dinner is my favorite
Tom Scharpling
thing in the world.
Adam Pally
Sure.
Tom Scharpling
No, I love it. And if it's a special thing, then you want to get the most out of it.
Adam Pally
But it's not. The problem for me is it's not special. It's just like every night you're out
John Gabrus
to dinner about it is that when you make everything special.
Adam Pally
Right.
John Gabrus
And I make everybody. And that's like. I do that too. Where I'm like, this is everything should be a treat. And I'm like, well, maybe something should just be a meal to help me develop muscle and give me energy to get through what I need to do.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah. Because it's like, you can't. You can. Like, your mind will do the gymnastics to justify literally anything. We're just like, well, it's like, well, I'm sad, so I'm gonna have a milksh. Yeah. Happy. So I might as well have a milkshake.
Adam Pally
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
Because that's just like. That's just not.
Adam Pally
Well, now you can have a milkshake whenever you want. Exactly.
John Gabrus
It's like, I ate, like, all day. Who cares? Just throw a milkshake on top of it. It's like, yeah, I've been eating clean all day. I can have a milkshake.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah. Like, it's like your brain just. It just. You just need to just hold the line. Sometimes it's hard. I mean, it's a constant struggle. I'm like, I'm definitely not on the other side of anything. It's like, it takes, like, reframing it, like the time.
John Gabrus
I'm sure. Yeah.
Livy Dunn
I'm Livy Dunn, All American gymnast and Vuori athlete. When you travel and train as much as I do, you find happiness where you are on the mat or on the sand. Movement and comfort are essential. That's why I live in performance. Joggers by Vuori. Made from Dream Knit fabric that's made of 89% recycled materials, effortlessly soft and made to move as much as I do. My happiness starts here in the softest joggers on the planet. Get 20% off your first purchase at biore.com libby that's V-U-O-R-I.com L I V-V-Y exclusions apply. Not only will you receive 20% off your first purchase, but enjoy free shipping on US orders over $75 and free returns. Go to viori.com libby and discover the full versatility of Vuori clothing. Exclusions apply. Visit the website for full terms and conditions.
Tom Scharpling
Mom, can you tell me a story?
Carvana Representative (Female)
Sure. Once upon a time, a mom needed a new car.
Tom Scharpling
Was she brave?
Carvana Representative (Female)
She was tired mostly. But she went to Carvana.com and found a great car at a great price. No secret treasure map required.
John Gabrus
Did you have to fight a dragon?
Carvana Representative (Female)
Nope. She bought it 100% online from her bed, actually.
John Gabrus
Was it scary?
Carvana Representative (Female)
Honey, it was as unscary as car buying could be.
Tom Scharpling
Did the car have a sunroof?
Carvana Representative (Female)
It did, actually. Okay, good story. Car buying. You'll want to tell stories about. Buy your car today on Carvana. Delivery fees may apply.
Carvana Representative
Substance use disorder and addiction is so isolating.
Adam Pally
And so, as a black woman in recovery, hope must be loud. It grows louder when you ask for help and you're vulnerable. It is the thread that lets you
Carvana Representative
know that no matter what happens, you will be okay.
Livy Dunn
When we learn the power of hope, recovery is possible.
Ad Council Representative
Find out how@startwithhope.com brought to you by
Livy Dunn
the National Council for Mental well Being
Adam Pally
Shatterproof and the Ad Council.
John Gabrus
Was there something specific that caused them to stop eating for sadness and start joining a trainer? Or was it just kind of like an accumulation of like, I really. I'm the age where I got to start taking this seriously.
Tom Scharpling
There's a fair amount of that in there, but there's also. I just was less sad also. Well, so I just. I just didn't need. If you're less sad in your life Then there's that at least that might be less on the table to eat for sadness if you're just honestly not as sad.
Adam Pally
Do you think that that came from California?
Tom Scharpling
Oh, yeah, totally. 100. Like, that shift, there just is something where it's, you know, the whole thing with the seasons, that whole thing that everybody goes back to just like, well, you get the. Oh, I would miss the seasons if I was. And just like anybody says that to me, I'm just like, you have to realize, though, it's one season, but it's a nice season.
John Gabrus
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
All the time.
John Gabrus
It's like spring ish. Summer forever.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah, exactly. And just like, it's so like, that just takes this, like, constant shifting of just like, well, I'm gonna be cold for half the year, so I need to put on. I'll probably put on weight because I'm gonna be cold. And that's just how that goes. And I like. And just that stuff gets out. Like, the consistency helps and I just am happier, so.
Adam Pally
Right.
John Gabrus
And then that we get into like, chicken and egg territory here where, like, you're a little happier and then you're starting, it's a little easier to take care of yourself. Then all of a sudden you're like, wow, it's making me happier. Eating clean and getting exercise. My whole life I've been a meathead because of sports. And I was obsessed with like, Arnold and Sly growing up. So I've always. Weights have never been an issue. But in like the last six years, like, pandemic. To be honest, the pandemic really pointed at it for me that, oh, I actually need to exercise because it makes me feel better.
Adam Pally
Yeah.
John Gabrus
And I didn't realize I was getting that from it. I was just all about, like, aesthetics or, like, getting stronger or whatever. And then once I realized that it's like that took me to be. I was. Was, you know, 40 then. And I was like, whoa. And then all of a sudden, I could clock it now and I'm like, oh, I'm miserable. And I. Bad choices come faster, come closer together. It's like I'm so momentum based or inertia based, whichever angle you're looking at it. That I'm like, I've been down a dark path and it's like, oh, I'm feeling like. And I'm. I could chart my choices that make. That got me here.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah.
John Gabrus
And that's like a. To just notice that. And then like in the middle of it, be like, I'm sad, I should eat. I'm like, no, break it. Don't do it here. You're sad. Go for a walk. Get, like, don't you. Don't go to your old toolbox. Go to the new. The new toolbox.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah. It's like, you. I know. It's like this. This like. Like, hacky cliche thing of just like, nobody ever leaves the gym. Feel regretting it and stuff, but it's like 100% true. It's like, honestly, there's like, every single time I leave, I feel better than when I walked in.
Adam Pally
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
It's like literally every single time. So it's just like that says everything right there. Like, it changes my mindset for me.
John Gabrus
Yeah.
Adam Pally
Yeah. I mean, I. I find, like, run, like. And it's just. Jim is. Therapy is not necessarily, like, the thought that you're getting from the thing. It's that you're tiring. Like, the. Anytime you're. You're, like, wound up. What do people say? Like, relax. And, like, the way to relax is to take your mind off the thing that is bothering you. So if you go and push your body, you're taking your mind off that thing. It's just inevitable.
John Gabrus
Yes. It's hard to spiral about some bullshit
Adam Pally
you just get from whatever is happening in that little time that you're pushing your body. Even if it's like, every three seconds, you're like, oh, God, my life sucks.
Tom Scharpling
It's like, you're still something.
Adam Pally
You're moving it away.
John Gabrus
You know what another cliche that I really like is that depression can't hit a moving target. I really like that phrase. And it's like, I. I feel that. I feel that completely. Sometimes you're just like, I. I feel like absolute today. And it's like, I just have to, like, get outside. I have to walk a little bit. I have to get some weights. I have to get in the pool. I have to get hot. I have to do something. I have to sweat, you know? And it's like when you. And then you make that choice, and it seems so daunting. And if you go three days without the exercise, that it seems impossible. You go eight days. It's like, if I go three days without exercise, it's. There's a good chance I'm going 20, right. If I go three days in a row with exercise, there's a good chance I'm going 20 of getting it in. And it's like, that's just the way
Adam Pally
my body and, you know, and it's so. It's so unfortunate because I like you take it, get those three days, and then on the fourth day you're like, you know what? I am going to go back in there. You do it. And you're like, this was great. Yeah. Like, it was so easy to skip three days, you know? And now I'm like back doing it, you know, why can't I just skip a couple days? Like, it's like that's. It's all over. Cuz I missed a couple days.
John Gabrus
That's kind of where my brain goes. Unfortunately too, is just like, oh, well, I didn't go to the gym. Might as well just eat like absolute pig tonight. All right, fine. I'll just jerk off in my car. You know, it's like I just make like 10 nasty choices.
Adam Pally
Yeah, I'm a right on left. So are you hiking?
Tom Scharpling
No, I really don't like.
Adam Pally
You don't like, I really don't. You're not out there with Kevin Neal?
Tom Scharpling
Yeah. No, I know you.
John Gabrus
So you bought into some California stuff,
Tom Scharpling
but not all of it hiking. I just never, ever appealed to me, like, ever. And anytime I've done it.
Adam Pally
Sorry, are you outside?
Tom Scharpling
Yeah, I like. I like walking. I just don't like urban hiking. Yeah, I like walking through a neighborhood and listening to like, music or whatever.
John Gabrus
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
But like just the. The act of hiking is such a bummer to me. I just don't. It's like. Because first of all, I just like, I sweat like crazy and it's the most. It's just the worst, most embarrassing feeling when you're just like, you're the one. If you go hiking with people and you're the one just soaking wet.
Adam Pally
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
It's just now I'm just like. I just. It just really isn't for me for a bunch of reasons. And. And then like, it's like, I don't want to see a snake.
Adam Pally
Yeah, no, no, of course.
Tom Scharpling
Like, you know, everybody's just like, of course.
John Gabrus
What a specific concern.
Tom Scharpling
I just don't want to.
Adam Pally
You don't want to deal with it?
Tom Scharpling
No.
Adam Pally
No.
Tom Scharpling
Fine.
Adam Pally
And can I ask you something? Just outside?
Tom Scharpling
Because I just want to hear what you think.
Adam Pally
What do you think about the geese? The geese.
Tom Scharpling
Chaotic.
John Gabrus
Good marketing.
Adam Pally
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
I mean, look, is. Is. I feel like it sucks that that's what it takes now for.
Adam Pally
Right.
Tom Scharpling
For that. That's the kind of thing that a band would have to do to get any attention out of. Just to go from like, nothing to something.
Adam Pally
Right.
Tom Scharpling
I mean, I don't blame. They didn't cheat, but they certainly. It's like, it's like they're counting cards a little bit.
John Gabrus
You know what I mean? I guess it's legal, but I have to throw you out of the.
Tom Scharpling
It's not great. I mean, it's certainly not great.
John Gabrus
Put your head in a vice downstairs.
Adam Pally
Can you explain it to me a little? Because I guess I. I don't see what the. Like, there's always. Because I like. I like the record. I like New York band. I'm like, oh, like, I'm full on the right.
Tom Scharpling
I think. I think it's. I think they're great.
Adam Pally
So I'm like. I guess I'm like, didn't they always do that? Like, didn't people. Labels always.
John Gabrus
Payola forever.
Adam Pally
Pay the radio stations to like.
Tom Scharpling
It changes shape with the. With the technology, that stuff. Whether it's a guy walking into a radio station with an envelope. Like, back in the 50s, these guys
John Gabrus
are called the wonders.
Tom Scharpling
But it's like now it's just people faking the enthusiasm. It's like, fake it. It's a version of fake it till you make it. Like, they created a fake version of hype, and then real people see the fake version, and then the hype is real because real people. But they started it off. It started off with a lie. When you say, when you create fake accounts, right?
Adam Pally
It's like, fake a bot. Like, creating a bot to do anything is kind of like the line, well,
John Gabrus
it's not illegal, but it should be frowned upon. Yeah, we should make this brings into my whole, like, let's bring back, like, a little bit of shame in the world. Like, like, like, let's shame people. Like, some people should just get a little shame. I'm not saying they have to be excommunicated from society, but, like, a little shame should come back for stuff like that. You should feel a little bad getting
Tom Scharpling
caught doing something because if you create these accounts that aren't real, and they're saying, like, Geese is one of the best live shows I've ever seen. And there's like. And there's hundreds of them doing it. There's a cumulative effect where people are just like, well, what's this, like, this geese live thing? And then, then it's like. It's like Pinocchio, in a way. The, the. The. It becomes a real boy in the, like, once it starts moving. But it was not real to begin with. Yeah, exactly. It was based on.
Adam Pally
No, but like.
John Gabrus
And this is someone that. This is like a band that backed it up.
Tom Scharpling
And this is real. They're A good band, but there's only
John Gabrus
a matter of time where there's, like, an AI. Pop star.
Tom Scharpling
But see, that's. Well, I mean, that's happening now, right?
John Gabrus
I mean, that gets. Gets geese.
Tom Scharpling
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Adam Pally
But, like, Marty's. Like, how do we know it's not happening in movies? I mean, don't they work in movies and tv?
Tom Scharpling
Like, I mean, they just throw everything against the wall with. So when the. When the real money is on the line. Yeah, it's just like.
Adam Pally
Like, I'm sure that that Marty supreme is, like, got, like, thousands of bots being like.
Tom Scharpling
I mean, I don't know. I just know with that, it was like. I was just. Actually, I was really impressed by when it was like. It was like Christmas Day and then the NBA games were just like. Like, there was like, Timothee Chalamet, like, was like the character running through the game.
Adam Pally
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
Like. And you're just like. Well, this is, like, crossed over. And I think that's amazing because that's, like. If you take a step back, that is like, an incredibly weird movie that it's not a conventional movie by any stretch. And they through. Through Chalamet, selling it and through the. Just getting reviews and all stuff, it just, like, transcended its weirdness and reached, like, real people. And I just think that.
John Gabrus
Top of the sphere.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah. It's like, stuff like that. It's like. Because there's a version of things where, like, nobody sees that movie.
Adam Pally
Well, yeah, but I know, right?
John Gabrus
Because, like, I mean, there's a million great bands that no one ever gets. Yeah.
Adam Pally
Especially in the last, like, 30 years when, like, you know, guitar music has, like, really, you know, like, rock. And there hasn't been, like, a really good American rock band in a long time.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah. I mean, it's just not in. It's not, like, in favor in terms of, like, what labels are pushing and, like, with stuff like that. But people want it still. But now everything's so shattered now. Anyway, there's, like. It used to be, like, the music industry had their equivalent of how there were three channels on tv. Like, like, that was like how, like, the Eagles would sell 25 million copies of an album.
John Gabrus
Right?
Tom Scharpling
And it's like, Nobody's gonna sell 25 million copies of anything ever again. But more people are in the mix overall to where there can be. I think at its best, there can be, like, a solid middle class where people can carve out a living from their art.
Adam Pally
Right.
Tom Scharpling
And they're not gonna. Maybe they won't be insanely like that. Maybe those people, you can count on one hand how many get to that place. But if there can just be like a healthy middle class. And it's the same thing with like podcasts. Yeah, just like just you want to make. You want to just get paid for the thing you do. You're not looking to be, you know, Joe Rogan with this stuff and need to just like the ridiculous paycheck.
John Gabrus
Because you don't have to go full smart list.
Tom Scharpling
You don't have to go full smart list. You can go half smart list. Yeah, you go smart.
John Gabrus
Yeah, try smart.
Adam Pally
Try smart. How about we try smart before we start Smart less.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah, it's like.
Livy Dunn
I'm Livy Dunn, all american gymnast and viori athlete. When you travel and train as much as I do, you find happiness where you are on the mat or on the sand. Movement and comfort are essential. That's why I live in performance. Joggers by Viori. Made from Dream Net fabric that's made of 89% recycled material, effortlessly soft and made to move as much as I do. My happiness starts here in the softest joggers on the planet. Get 20% off your first purchase at Vuori.com Libby that's V U-O-R-I.com L I V-V-Y exclusions apply. Not only will you receive 20 off your first purchase, but enjoy free shipping on US orders over 75 and free returns. Go to Vuori.com Libby and discover the full versatility of vuori clothes. Clothing exclusions apply. Visit the website for full terms and conditions.
Carvana Representative
I sold my car in carvana last night. Well, that's cool. No, you don't understand. It went perfectly. Real offer down to the penny. They're picking it up tomorrow. Nothing went wrong.
Carvana Representative (Female)
So what's the problem?
Carvana Representative
That is the problem. Nothing in my life goes as smoothly. I'm waiting for the catch.
John Gabrus
Maybe there's no catch.
Carvana Representative
That's exactly what a catch would want me to think.
Carvana Representative (Female)
Wow. You need to relax.
Carvana Representative
I need a knock on wood. Do we have wood? Is this table wood?
Carvana Representative (Female)
I think it's laminate.
Carvana Representative
Okay. Yeah, that's good. That's close enough.
Carvana Representative (Female)
Car selling without a catch. Sell your car today on carvana.
John Gabrus
Pick up.
Carvana Representative (Female)
These may apply courage.
Ad Council Representative
I learned it from my adoptive mom.
John Gabrus
Hold my hand. You hold my hand. Learn about adopting a team from foster care@adoptuskids.org you can't imagine the reward Brought to you by adopt us kids, the U. S. Department of health and human services and the ad council.
Adam Pally
So. So what do you want to plug sharply? What do you got going on?
Tom Scharpling
Well, I do a best show every Tuesday.
Adam Pally
Oh, it's still doing it.
Tom Scharpling
Oh, it's still am, yeah. Huge fan.
John Gabrus
Oh, I love the show. You wore like a black shirt on it the other day. That's like the kind of compliments you get.
Tom Scharpling
15 seconds. Yeah.
Adam Pally
How is Worcester? You talk to him like, where is he?
Tom Scharpling
Is he. He's. He's been on tour with mountain goats. The last ask.
Adam Pally
Are they still on tour?
Tom Scharpling
I think he just got back.
Adam Pally
Okay.
Tom Scharpling
So he was just like, tell him other side of the globe. I will. Yeah. But yeah, we do it every Tuesday.
Adam Pally
That's so nice. It's so awesome. I mean that, that is like a constant in your life for 30 years.
Tom Scharpling
Half my life.
Adam Pally
That is amazing.
Tom Scharpling
It's like I never would have like signed up for. It's like, hey, you want to do this thing for the rest of it? For the rest of your life? Like, no, of course not. Yeah, but it's like one, it was like one six month, four month thing at wfmu. The radio station started at be like, I'll do it for four months on the next schedule, then the schedule, like six month schedule. And then you turn around and suddenly it's like, oh, this is my thing. This is like my. Each episode is like a brick in this giant thing that apparently I've been building this whole time.
Adam Pally
I mean, it's a true world building. I mean, you were the first.
John Gabrus
And it's adapted with, with the, with the times. It's like, yeah, you're like, okay, yeah. People aren't doing terrestrial radio. I got other ways that you can keep hearing us. Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
And honestly, I, it's one of the best examples I could ever want to give to anybody who wants to figure out. Like, if you want to get anywhere, you need to just like do a thing where it's just like you doing something without thinking of like results from it. Because then you just do the thing in its purest. It's like the best version of yourself, does the thing right. And then that's where the results come from. Because you're. You've got a thing showing you, doing you. It's you at your best because you're just having fun with no consequence. I'm not coming in here sweating career stuff. When I do it, it's actually like a break from that stuff.
John Gabrus
Right. And you never knew as you were doing it, you never thought, I need a career.
Tom Scharpling
But I've Gotten so much like. Like real jobs came from the fact that I was funny doing this. And just like so much of everything I've gotten came from just this thing that I did that didn't promise anything.
John Gabrus
Yeah. And you just never know what 10 years from now looks like in any way where you sit down there. Like is this good use of my time and that's.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah. Any. It's just like if you count. If you go in trying to be calculated with it. It's just like I'm just glad that whatever if whether was like that the way the times worked out that I got to do things like just as the Internet was starting, like Internet radio and things like that was just starting to. To be a thing and I kind of got to ride that initial wave. We started doing the radio show as a podcast in 2005.
John Gabrus
So like one of the original.
Tom Scharpling
One of the. Yeah. It's like I got to and but just like I never did it for the wrong reasons. And I just like thank you for
Adam Pally
having me on to promote Dirty Grandpa, by the way.
John Gabrus
That's why that movie was so ubiquitous.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah.
John Gabrus
You guys had that. You had the chaotic good marketing and
Adam Pally
right now it's about to get its second life.
John Gabrus
I think about like can't plan for like what the future, what success. The joke I always make is my college major was radio, TV, film. I graduated before and I'm like radio. LOL. It's dead. And now cut to 20 years later. I mostly do radio and I'm like I don't do any TV film.
Tom Scharpling
That was like what like that's like with Marin like we hit it off, you know, because he's like a scary dude when you don't know. You just hope he likes you and like. But like I was doing radio. He was doing radio because he was doing Air America, all that stuff and there was just like this common ground that it just like we did this thing before podcasting was the thing and then just like there's a certain amount of like you just log a certain amount of hours doing that thing and then you see somebody else who did it and you just kind of like you have this shared experience. So yeah.
Adam Pally
To like you're both in Vietnam.
Tom Scharpling
It really. I like you're both things with war. Like literally Normandy. It's always my favorite. We both have that thousand yard stare I always loved. Yeah.
John Gabrus
You're both scary in the way that
Adam Pally
I haven't found that. I think I might have beyond this better because I never found you or Mark scary I've never was.
Tom Scharpling
I found Mark scary.
John Gabrus
Me.
Adam Pally
I don't know what's wrong with you.
John Gabrus
I never found Mark scary, but I did find, like, I'm not sure if he'll like me.
Adam Pally
Yeah, okay, well, that's.
Tom Scharpling
To be fair, I was not scared. Like, oh, no, I hope.
John Gabrus
I hope this 5 foot 7 guy with a flavor saver doesn't kick my ass.
Tom Scharpling
Like, because I remember I would see him in New York all the time. Like the Monday night comedy thing, like, eating it just this down the show on lounge. Yeah, no, it was like right around the corner from Katz's.
John Gabrus
Okay, okay.
Tom Scharpling
On like, Love.
Adam Pally
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
Was it piano? It was a block away from piano. So it was.
Adam Pally
It was essentially like the beginning, but
Tom Scharpling
it was like that whole area. Yeah, it was. So then, like, I would see. He would. He went up every single Monday night and I was. It was like this, like, you got to see him, like, tell his life every single week. And then, like, I remember, like, he was doing a one man show at this theater and I went to go see it and I came up to him afterwards. I was just like, oh, yeah. I go, I see loon all the time. And the show was great. And he just went, yeah. And then, like, I was just like, oh, God. I just like. And then I was just like, oh, he didn't like me. And then just like it took like years before finally we're just like. Like we kind of figured each other. Like, he just was like, okay, I like you. And I was like, I like you. And then just became friends. And it was just like. But it was just that. That thing where it's just like, I got the.
Adam Pally
Oh, I had. I had one of the worst of those ever with Larry David. I was on a show with Steven Weber, who's like the greatest guy, just the funniest, nicest human being. And you know, we get close to people. So he knew I was a big. And he was in Sour Grapes, which is, you know, and he's very close to Larry.
Tom Scharpling
Sure.
Adam Pally
So, you know, I knew that. And I was, you know, big Larry David fan. And so we were at like a party, like, promoting something for the show. And Larry was there and Steven's like, larry, Larry, come here, I want you to meet. I want you to meet Adam. And Larry comes over and he's like, this is Adam. This is the star of the show that I'm doing. And Larry goes, okay, yeah, hell yeah, the worst. And I was just like, but yeah, I didn't even get a chance to like, be funny or charming or, like, make him like me. Because he was already mad at Steven.
John Gabrus
Yeah.
Adam Pally
For, like, calling him over. Yeah. So this is why he's like, okay. And he's like, stephen, what do you want from me?
John Gabrus
That's a special case, though, because I would be just as honored to have Larry David. I was.
Adam Pally
No, I was psyched. I was psyched. But then, like, he walked away, and Stephen goes, he's in a mood. And I'm like, yeah, I fly. Fucking David.
John Gabrus
I know. He's been made nine seasons of a TV show off of that.
Adam Pally
Yeah, 18.
Tom Scharpling
There was one time with the director, and, like, we'd worked on a thing, and like, I saw him at a thing recently, and I was just like, hey, we worked on that thing, you know, a few years ago. He's like, why not know? Oh, I was just like, oh, my God.
Adam Pally
Oh, my God.
Tom Scharpling
Like, kind of turned. I was like, we hung out, Cole. Like, why are you being awful?
Adam Pally
Yeah, but people, I, I, I think that, like, there is a certain. You do these jobs and you're, like, with people for, like, three weeks to, to six months, and you, like, get close or, And. But the, the actual job means so much about the way you feel about, like, it takes a special person to be like, no, the experience was great, and I'm not clouded by the judgment of how it affects my career at all. And especially here in la, I feel like when I see people that I haven't seen before, it's like, I don't remember that the movie we were in bombed. So I'm like, hey, dude, what's up? And he's like, oof.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah.
Adam Pally
Do not want to be seen with you.
John Gabrus
You are reminding me about that flop. Yeah, I didn't do it.
Adam Pally
I didn't do it. For me, it's like, yeah, trying to
Tom Scharpling
do another one with you. It's not like you're coming to, like, we gotta, we gotta bring the, you gotta get the team back together again.
Adam Pally
It's like, no, I know that, but I'm excited to see you.
John Gabrus
That's my, Like, I, I, I don't work that frequently for long, extended period of time. And if I ever do, in my head, these people are my friends for life. And then. But they also continue to work on, like, hundreds of other things. And I'm like, hey. And they're like, I'm sorry. And I'm like, oh, Yeah, I remember 12 years ago, we did a funnier dive thing.
Adam Pally
Oh, my God. I have that all the time. I have that all the time. Yeah.
John Gabrus
And then I'm like, I got. I think I got to stop telling people I'm friends with you based on your reaction.
Adam Pally
Oh, we're not friends.
John Gabrus
Okay. All right. I got to go edit some podcast episodes.
Adam Pally
Right. Don't call Reggie Watts.
John Gabrus
Yeah,
Adam Pally
well, sharply. You're the best.
John Gabrus
Thanks for letting us.
Tom Scharpling
Awesome. Thanks for having me on. It was so much fun.
Adam Pally
Oh, it was awesome. I hope it was a light lift.
Tom Scharpling
Oh, that's all we want from you.
John Gabrus
You come back next season when we all have six packs and we'll talk.
Adam Pally
No, no joke. Your arms look.
John Gabrus
Your ar look. Huge arms. I caught bicep definition a couple of times.
Tom Scharpling
No, that's one of the things I'm. Look, I'm not going to.
Adam Pally
You're working on the arms.
Tom Scharpling
I am.
Adam Pally
You could tell, dude.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah. Well, thank you. That's very nice. I appreciate what.
John Gabrus
What do we got over here?
Adam Pally
I'm not really. I don't take my shirt off. I mean, you, you, you, you d. I've always.
John Gabrus
I always had mass, but now that I've lost, like, the 30 pounds, everything looks a little tighter.
Adam Pally
Yeah.
John Gabrus
Yeah. That's bulkling.
Adam Pally
Yeah.
Tom Scharpling
Look out. I'm gonna fight people in the parking lot.
John Gabrus
Meet me in the forever Dog parking lot.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah.
Adam Pally
All right, that's it, dude.
Tom Scharpling
Podcast studio.
Adam Pally
We'll get down. You meet me on the podcast studio that rent other podcasters, and you here are gonna throw it out. Mensch me.
John Gabrus
What a mensch. He said he's a sweaty guy.
Adam Pally
He proved it at the picture.
John Gabrus
Yeah. When we. When we put our arms around.
Adam Pally
But I was a little sur. He's embarrassed about sweating. Cuz like, I sweat like I thought I. I just feel like as we get older, like sweat has become. It's like we're all sweating, you know, I mean, we're all sweating.
John Gabrus
It has to be a specific situation for me to be self conscious about sweating.
Adam Pally
Yeah. Like, if I sweat through my. Like, which I have done. Like, if I set sweat through a shirt and the jacket of a suit.
Tom Scharpling
Yeah.
Adam Pally
Then it's like, okay, something.
John Gabrus
I'm super sweaty on set. I feel self conscious. Yeah. But here. Or like. Or like, you know.
Carvana Representative
Oh.
John Gabrus
When no one else is sweating. Sometimes. Sometimes you're like. It's like it's not even that hot. You're like. Yeah. I don't know what's going on.
Adam Pally
You know, when I start to sweat, like. Like uncontrollable. My. Like, I get. It starts on my forehead whenever there's like, whenever I Am in slight peril. Like not, not like life threatening, but like if I get a text, like,
John Gabrus
like, like a high anxiety situation.
Adam Pally
Yes. Like, like for example, like, you know how your phone, like when you upload, when you do a thing, will sometimes put the wrong numbers and wrong things, whatever. So I was texting my agent's assistant to be like, what's the address of this thing? And instead I got back, oh, this is something. Something from the production company. I'm sure the numbers must have gotten thing. And I started to like, broke out that. It was like I was in a sauna. Like head, arms. Everything broke out fast. It was just because I was like, you know, which never used to happen to me, but it happens now.
John Gabrus
I'm also glad we got to talk about the music industry and like the sort of streaming and all that stuff, because having a guy who's kind of plugged into that world and getting to talk about it was informative.
Adam Pally
Most of my conversations with Sharpling are
John Gabrus
like, state of the.
Adam Pally
When will AI I come and take me?
John Gabrus
Yeah, when. When will they kill me?
Adam Pally
When will they.
John Gabrus
Hopefully soon. I'm trying, I'm trying to.
Adam Pally
And I hope it happens.
John Gabrus
I'm baiting AI to come kill me as soon as possible.
Adam Pally
You're like the Japanese scientist that pushed the one over when it's starting to walk.
John Gabrus
I had. This is so random. I had this big laugh the other day. Someone's like, someone posted a clip of like they did like a jet, like a robot race. Like I think it was in Japan, but it was like all these robots were racing. They were like, I think we have some time till AI kills us. It's like we' robot took two steps, tripped, fell and shattered on the ground. And it's clearly like costs like 28 grand to make or something. Insane amount. And immediately shattered like a million people.
Adam Pally
Like, well, like eventually they will like obviously it'll be Terminator Silo, like the, the, the. These micro magnet and. And like it'll obviously be human like eventually and they'll get it right. But like right now, when you see like at the halftime show when they bring out like a robot to shoot a free throw and it like gets it up and then throws it into the crowd and tilts over and its feet are rolling like this. Like, it's like we're not there yet.
John Gabrus
One of my favorite things I saw was like, they're trying to teach the robots to walk so they're less threatening. So they look like humanoid, but they were like a robot would Actually move much faster if it did this. And it cut to like one of those human things. Human looking robot on all fours, running like a spider. And I was like, that was the scariest thing I've ever seen.
Adam Pally
That was intimidating. His head went around in a circle.
John Gabrus
I think about that with like the delivery robots. They are like so purposely cute. Like, you know, they have like big fake eyes and they're soft with like big tires. But if that thing was like, like a scorpion or something, you would have fucking shoot it.
Adam Pally
First of all, I saw one of those hightailing dog ones. Our neighborhood. I think it's our L A neighborhood because we share an L. A neighborhood.
John Gabrus
I walk in with headphones, smoking a joint. This thing scared the fuck out of me. It came on me so fast.
Adam Pally
I think it's where we live in L. A. I think if we lived in a different area of L. A because this is where we both like. We both like West Hollywood and always have. Yeah, I think it would be different. But I was pulling out of on like San Vicente by the postal service.
John Gabrus
Yeah, yeah.
Adam Pally
Postal service by the postal.
John Gabrus
Such great heights.
Adam Pally
I can't believe that my packages never get picked up. I just leave them by the post.
John Gabrus
And I got cut off by a death cam for cutie. So stupid. Stay alive.
Adam Pally
Amazing. You deserve that one.
John Gabrus
Didn't even finish our stories. Doesn't matter. You have been listening to Staying alive with John Gabris and Adam Pali, a Smartless media production in association with Sirius xm.
Adam Pally
Produced by Devin Tory Bryant and Anne Harris, Engineered and edited by Devin Tory Bryant, who also wrote the music.
John Gabrus
Associate producer and video producer is Maddie McCann, social media producer Tommy Galgano, assistant engineer Kyle McGraw.
Adam Pally
Special thanks to Jared O' Connell at SiriusXM.
John Gabrus
Executive producers are John Gabris. Ooh, me. Adam Pali. Ooh, you. Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Richard Courson and Bernie Kaminski. Do us a favor. Just rate and review the podcast. It actually helps.
Adam Pally
Just so everyone knows we do not have a discord.
John Gabrus
Don't reach out to us.
Adam Pally
See us on the street. Walk the other way or you'll catch hands. You know, the Dave Portnoy of it all is like the pizza guy. It's like, that is like truly. What is.
John Gabrus
We got to get Dave on the pot.
Tom Scharpling
Oh, he'd be fun. What a hoot.
John Gabrus
Make him run a 40 yard dash
Tom Scharpling
when he got hit by the. When like somebody threw the thing at him.
Adam Pally
Oh, my God.
Tom Scharpling
One of the funniest things I've ever
Adam Pally
seen in my Life.
John Gabrus
Yeah, that clip of that, him racing on a 40 yard. Yeah. And he's like moving like so slow and you realize how weird his like proportions are.
Adam Pally
My one long torso was that like early on in the pizza things he would be like, like there would. Cuz I, I would ask the same question that a lot of like the chat would ask, which is like how do you eat pizza every day?
Tom Scharpling
Yeah.
Adam Pally
And not gain weight? And he would, he would address this sometimes in a way that was very like Charlie Sheen esque, you know what I mean? He's like, oh, when you got the jeans. You know, I work out every day now. Look at that motherfucker.
John Gabrus
It catches.
Tom Scharpling
Caught up pretty quick though when you got the jeans.
Carvana Representative (Female)
Smart.
Adam Pally
Bless me.
Ad Council Representative
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John Gabrus
Hi, I'm Pedro Pascal and I can't
Adam Pally
wait for you to see my new movie, the Mandalorian and Grogu, hitting theaters on May 26th.
John Gabrus
Second.
Adam Pally
See you there.
John Gabrus
What are you waiting for?
Adam Pally
I like this kid. This summer, Star wars is back.
Carvana Representative (Female)
We have to stop the Empire on the big screen.
Tom Scharpling
Are you scared?
Adam Pally
You should be like never before.
John Gabrus
Hang on. Good shot, baby.
Adam Pally
The Mandalorian and Grogu, rated PG13, may
Tom Scharpling
be inappropriate for children under 13 in theaters and IMAX May 22nd. Get tickets now.
Date: May 14, 2026
Podcast: Staying Alive (SmartLess Media)
Guests: Tom Scharpling
Hosts: Jon Gabrus, Adam Pally
In this episode, comedians Jon Gabrus and Adam Pally welcome Tom Scharpling—comedian, radio host, and podcaster (The Best Show, Double Threat)—for a candid and characteristically irreverent discussion. The trio dives into their evolving approaches to health and wellness, the struggle to separate emotions from eating, accountability in self-improvement, and how lifestyle and happiness can feed into or flow from healthier habits. The episode also features a laid-back, funny critique of influencer culture, podcasting as a career, and encounters in showbiz, all delivered in their signature bantering style.
The episode is friendly, highly conversational, and irreverently honest. The hosts and guest mix humor, self-deprecation, and directness, making the episode accessible and relatable, especially for listeners navigating their own health and self-improvement journeys.
End of Summary