Staying Alive with Jon Gabrus & Adam Pally

Episode: Grow Up & Pro Up (w/ Carl Tart)
Date: September 4, 2025 | Host: SmartLess Media

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of Staying Alive revolves around comedian and SNL writer Carl Tart’s current stint in New York, his evolving fitness journey, and the trio’s “grossly forthcoming” discussions about the challenges of balancing creative work, health, nightlife, and adulthood. The conversation shuffles candidly between big city routines, fitness motivation, medical horror stories, and the realities of growing older—in both body and mind.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The “Monday Morning Blues” of Showbiz

• [00:09-02:28]
  • Adam and Jon share that Mondays in the entertainment business are anxiety-inducing and unproductive, likening the experience to “Groundhog Day.”
  • Adam: “Monday is the second act of Groundhog Day. It’s like where you realize that you’re trapped in this... state, no matter what.” [01:44]
  • The conversation sets a laid-back, comedic tone threaded throughout the episode.

2. Adjusting to New York Life

• [02:31-09:41]
  • Carl discusses adjusting from LA’s car-centric comfort to the hustle of NYC’s public transit.
  • The trio joke about the logistics of commuting and the art of maximizing comfort and free time in New York.
  • Carl is honest about missing the personal space and flexibility of LA, but is slowly “carving out” his routine in the city:
    • “I have one deli in my neighborhood I like. I have one blank. I like... I carved a little life for myself here.” [08:14-08:22]

3. New York’s Social Scene & Late Nights

• [13:26-15:55]
  • Adam reminisces about late-night eating in NYC and the cult of the 24/7 bodega sandwich.
  • Carl describes the contrast between LA and NYC nightlife, particularly celebrating the fact that you don’t need to drive home, so: “I can go out so much and I don’t have to worry about drinking or driving.” [24:18]

4. Fitness Struggles & Finding a Trainer

• [27:46-34:47]
  • Carl candidly addresses the difficulty of keeping a workout schedule in New York, especially with the demands of SNL:
    • “New York has been really tough on the workout schedule. Work has been really tough on the workout schedule. Other people get up and do it. I just don’t be feeling like it out here.” [28:05]
  • He describes the process of “breaking up” with his old trainer (who used sessions as therapy for himself), which led to finding a trainer more focused on physical improvement.
  • Carl’s fitness focus is not just aesthetics but maintaining strength, fighting family history of health issues, and “living a balanced life.”

5. "Grow Up & Pro Up": The Eugene Cordero Moment

• [34:39-36:03]
  • Carl shares a morality-slash-motivation slap from fellow comedian Eugene Cordero:
    • Eugene: “Are you an adult?”
    • Carl: “Yeah.”
    • Eugene: “Well, then grow up.” [34:48-34:57]
  • The group riff on the triggering but necessary impact of being told to “grow up” regarding their personal health habits.

6. Medicine, Doctors & Racial Bias

• [37:26-43:56]
  • Carl recounts a negative experience with a dismissive, non-Black doctor quick to prescribe medication based on his size and blood pressure without context.
  • He expresses the importance of physician-patient fit, especially for Black men who often report feeling subject to presumptions and less personalized care:
    • “This dude made me, like, I want to find a Black doctor. Because I think it was the way that this dude treated me when I walked in was crazy. Immediately prescribing medication...for stuff he hadn’t even checked on me.” [38:43]
  • The hosts discuss the emotional impact of these encounters and the necessity, but difficulty, of seeking regular medical care as men.

7. Weight Loss Drugs & Perceptions

• [49:43-54:32]
  • Adam and Jon discuss personal and societal biases about Ozempic, Mounjaro, and the stigma of using weight loss drugs, both for medical reasons and appearance.
  • Adam describes the urgency brought on by family history of heart disease:
    • “It’s saving people’s lives... I just don’t want to go out like that, you know, I got too much going on.” [50:46-51:10]
  • The crew is open about a spectrum of approaches; while some favor medication, others, like Carl’s father, preach moderation and incremental lifestyle improvements.

8. Eating Habits, Intermittent Fasting, and Food Guilt

• [55:30-58:38]
  • They dissect the pattern of skipping meals and consequently binging late at night—a familiar struggle for comedians and city dwellers working odd hours.
  • “The psychological issue I have is that I go, well, I haven’t eaten all day, so I’m allowed to have something bad.” – John [56:35-56:41]
  • The hosts lament the challenge of finding healthy food after shows and question whether substituting “healthier” versions of meals really makes a difference amid the drinking and late-night eating.

9. Major Takeaways on Health and Balance

• Making “better choices” in food and exercise is a recurring theme—Carl asserts moderation rather than deprivation should be the goal:
  • Carl’s dad: “Son, you gotta watch yourself. Everything you do, do a little bit less. That’s all you got to do. You can still eat your chicken wing.” [49:10]
• Support & Friendship: The episode ends with personal plans and encouragement—Jon and Carl pledge to spot each other on the bench next summer in LA, reflecting the camaraderie and mutual accountability at the heart of the show.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On New York discomfort:
  • “What I value about comfort...it just is just not here.” – Carl [07:28]
• On breaking trainer relationships:
  • “Breaking up with your trainer is like a hard breakup. Oh, it’s like breaking up with a barber or a therapist.” – Carl/Adam [31:09-31:11]
• On the struggle to ‘pro up’:
  • “Are you an adult? ...Well, then grow up.” – Eugene Cordero (via Carl) [34:48–34:57]
  • “Grow up is a really... someone tells you to grow up and you feel left behind.” – Adam [35:12]
• On medicine & race:
  • “I want to find a Black doctor because the way this dude treated me when I walked in was crazy.” – Carl [38:43]
• On weight loss drugs:
  • “Now that everyone thinks Ozempic is just for your looks, people are hesitant to take it because they don’t want to come across as shallow. But it’s saving people’s lives.” – Jon [50:31-50:40]
• On adulting and accountability:
  • “You can’t say, stop saying you don’t have time to work out and start saying, I prioritize blank over working out.” – Jon [35:38]
• On moderation:
  • “Everything you do, do a little bit less. That’s all you got to do. You can still eat your chicken wing.” – Carl’s dad [49:10]

Timestamps: Important Segments

• 00:09 – 02:28: Monday showbiz malaise & comic banter
• 03:29 – 09:41: Carl’s NYC adaptation, transit, and comfort
• 13:26 – 15:55: Food & nightlife as “professional partiers”
• 27:46 – 29:18: Fitness schedule challenges & guilt
• 34:48 – 36:03: “Grow up” challenge from Eugene Cordero
• 37:26 – 43:56: Doctor stories, racial bias in medicine
• 49:43 – 54:32: Weight loss drugs, social stigma, and lived realities
• 55:30 – 58:38: Intermittent fasting, late-night eating, and food psychology
• 58:47 – 59:56: Carl’s podcast plugs & wrap-up

Tone & Style

The episode is frank, irreverent, warm, and full of “grossly forthcoming” humor and mutual ribbing. The trio blends honest admissions of frustration and failure with sincere encouragement, centering lived experience over any claim to expertise. The vibe is that of close friends commiserating and striving together on the bumpy road to “growing up and pro-ing up.”

Carl Tart's Podcasts & Plugs [58:47–59:56]

• Hollywood Handbook (Patreon: patreon.com/hollywoodhandbook)
• Flagrant Ones (basketball)
• The Filthy Ones (baseball)
• Foosballs (football)
• XOXO Gossip Kings (Gossip Girl recaps)
• XOXO Bada Bings (coming soon, Sopranos recaps)
• Saturday Night Live (SNL, NBC)

Final Takeaways

• Health, comfort, and self-improvement are complicated by careers, city life, and personal history.
• There’s value in admitting struggles, seeking camaraderie, and making incremental changes.
• The “grown-up” thing isn’t flashy; it’s about honest self-reflection and accepting what you need—whether that’s a Black doctor, a less grifty trainer, a real sandwich, or just a little less of everything.

A rewarding listen for anyone grappling with adulthood, wellness, or just the endless loop of Mondays.