"Foo Fighters" w/ Yasi Salek

Summary

StraightioLab Podcast Summary

Episode: “Foo Fighters” w/ Yasi Salek
Release Date: June 23, 2026
Hosts: George Civeris & Sam Taggart
Guest: Yasi Salek (Host of Bandsplain)

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Episode Overview

In this lively episode of StraightioLab, hosts George and Sam welcome music podcaster and cultural commentator Yasi Salek for a deep, digressive, and highly comedic dive into the intersections of “straight culture,” Madonna’s legacy, and the uniquely straight energy of the Foo Fighters. Yasi, fresh from her exhaustive Madonna series on Bandsplain, brings both hard-won expertise and a playful irreverence to topics ranging from music podcasting as a woman, generational pop culture gaps, to the inner workings of straight-coded rock bands.

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Segmented Summary with Key Themes, Discussion Points & Timestamps

1. Pre-Show Banter: Sandwiches, Eating & Podcast Logistics

• Timestamps: 03:13–07:35
• The hosts riff on the ritual of eating massive sandwiches before podcast recording, with much self-mockery about podcasting as “the hardest job someone can have” (04:02 – George).
• Musings on the lost genre of “eating and drinking on podcasts,” with references to Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Jessie Ware as models to aspire to (05:13–05:46).

Quote:
"Recording a podcast, as we all know, is one of the hardest jobs someone can have... if you record before you eat, you can't think straight. If you record after you eat, you're sleepy." – George (04:02)

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2. Yasi Salek Joins: Madonna Obsession & Podcasting Marathon

• Timestamps: 07:36–13:33
• George and Sam heap praise on Yasi’s Madonna Bandsplain series, admitting near-obsessive listening.
• Yasi describes her “brain-damage” post-deep-dive research marathon (11:54). She details the physical and emotional toll of podcasting: “Sometimes I'm borderline...I think I'm getting a UTI but, like, let's ride it out, you know, because I'm committed to my career.” (09:11)
• Conversations about modern stimulants (Celsius, Four Loko), and the recurring riskiness of generational energy drinks.

Quote:
"I feel, like, brain damaged. I feel unwell. But I kind of always feel like that because I do this with every episode. I can't help it." – Yasi (11:54)

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3. Madonna Deep Dive: Cultural Legacy, Context, & Generational Change

• Timestamps: 13:33–25:13
• Yasi discusses surprising findings about Madonna’s early struggles, especially crossing racialized radio barriers and her authentic punk-to-pop trajectory (15:18).
• The group examines the flattening effects of time on pop culture’s memory, and contrasts Madonna’s era of references requiring deep cultural dig to today’s algorithmic ease.
• Discourse on Madonna’s aging, her endurance through changing standards (“she was literally 34 and people said ‘retire’”), versus today’s pop stars like Taylor Swift or Charli XCX (19:06–20:19).
• They mourn the first gay generation not to know “Confessions on a Dance Floor” (21:32), highlighting differences between rock and pop’s intergenerational memory.

Notable Quote:
"When she was putting out her first singles, radio was literally black radio and white radio...and we’re just not gonna put your picture.” – Yasi (15:18)
"She had to push through [the age barrier] so that you know now...Taylor are in their mid-30s...no one would even cross their mind to be like, they're too old to be a pop star because, because Madonna did that." – Yasi (19:06)

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4. Madonna vs. Gaga, Referencing & the Nature of Art

• Timestamps: 16:01–22:56
• Madonna as the original pop “curator” vs. later self-referencers (Gaga, Taylor).
• The challenge of referencing in an age where all inspiration is instant-Googleable.
• Yasi discusses Madonna’s unique personality and sense of humor, and how she’s been misinterpreted as always “dead serious” when her work is often campy or ironically self-aware (24:46).

Quote:
"Madonna's whole career is referencing other things...but there was no pop star she was referencing. She was referencing other types of music and fine art." – Sam (15:35)

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5. “Straight Culture” Segue: Playing with Language and Tropes

• Timestamps: 32:41–37:55
• Hosts and Yasi dissect “the straight culture of it all” as a phrase and Hollywood critique, identifying how language and critique have become coded with straight or Hollywood energy.
• Yasi reflects on Bandsplain’s demography: if gay guys come for Madonna, will they stay for classic rock?

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6. “Straight Shooters”: Madonna-Themed Rapid-Fire

• Timestamps: 39:10–43:36
• Cohosts bombard Yasi with rapid-fire “this or that” Madonna questions – full of in-jokes and silly binaries.
• Yasi gamely chooses Madonna literally every time.
• Humorous self-awareness about the “softballs” tossed her way.

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7. Contemporary Pop Stars, Taylor Swift, and Stan Culture

• Timestamps: 43:36–46:47
• Discussion of the impossibility of contemporary stars reaching Madonna’s cultural dominance, with Taylor Swift cited as the only monocultural exception.
• The hosts describe their “neutral” attitude toward Taylor (45:21), contrasting with Swifty mania or hater culture.

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8. STRAIGHTIO TOPIC: Foo Fighters—The Straightest Band?

• Timestamps: 49:50–62:01
• Yasi establishes Foo Fighters as a “straight” band par excellence—not dangerous, more “dad-straight” than aggressively macho (55:54).
• The band’s appeal to “the dad that listens to NPR and goes to three concerts a year.”
• Encounter with a gay Foo Fighters fan as a conversational dead end (57:01); Foo Fighters as "Google image search for 'band'."
• Brief cultural genealogy: Dave Grohl’s trajectory from Nirvana through DC hardcore to Foo Fighters, and their role as an everyman stadium rock band (59:22–60:56).

Quote:
"It's like the aura, right? It's the cargo shorts. I'm just picturing a stadium full of Foo Fighters fans, and it feels really straight. It feels dangerous." – Yasi (55:40)

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9. Music Fandom, Gender, and Podcast Demographics

• Timestamps: 62:01–76:11
• Yasi on being a woman in the very male podcast and indie rock world (“I like to think I bring a little panache and color to it as well as a great deal of vocal fry”).
• Hostile listener feedback detailed with dry humor (“I love this podcast, I just wish I had a different host.”).
• Yasi’s Bandsplain audience: “80% middle-aged straight guys,” plus “a small but devoted contingent of 18–22 year old girls and clergymen” (70:43).
• Relationships between guitar rock, gender, coming out, and how taste and identity morph.

Quote:
"Record players come with boyfriends and they leave with boyfriends...the next time will be when a boyfriend comes again. They will bring theirs." – Yasi (69:34)

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10. Aging, Perimenopause & the Pop Cultural Discourse

• Timestamps: 76:14–79:37
• Wry observations about the rising discourse and industry around perimenopause, both as a personal experience and cultural moment.
• Yasi’s candid, funny take on late-30s/40s womanhood, writing, and “weaponizing” her audience (“My therapist told me recently...have you ever just gone on there and been like, I'm single?”).

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11. The Great Peptide Reveal & LA/NYC Wellness Culture

• Timestamps: 81:38–87:24
• Yasi gives an unforgettable account of her first peptide experience: being injected by an unlicensed man in a West Hollywood apartment, subsequently losing her house (and peptides) to a fire (83:32–86:05).
• Differences between LA’s democratized vs. NYC’s exclusive wellness/beauty culture.

Quote:
"God intervened because then literally one week later, my house burned down with all the Peptides in it. And that was God's plan to protect me from myself." – Yasi (85:49)

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12. Shout-outs: End-of-Show Homages & Personal Recs

• Timestamps: 92:09–96:51
• Sam and George shout out local fans, indie musicians, and friends who shaped their tastes.
• Yasi recommends Bay Area band Badrill and the thrill of non-fitness adult classes (she’s doing ballet).

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Notable Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “I crave it. Like, I crave… I think it’s Serial season one levels of obsession.” – Sam on Yasi’s Madonna podcast (07:46)
• “If you told a sketch artist to draw four guys… It would be the Foo Fighters.” – Yasi (61:08)
• “Record players come with boyfriend and they leave with boyfriends…that’s none of my business.” – Yasi (69:34)
• “It's like, the way perimenopause is sold is anything can be caused—like if you're having better sex than ever or worse sex than ever, both can be thoughts.” – Yasi (77:04)
• “Auto elder abuse is like: I'm taking my shirt off whether you like it or not.” – Sam (81:00)
• "No, but Foo Fighters just in particular are just like..." – Yasi, trailing off as all agree they've tangented away from the topic (79:56)

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Episode Tone & Style

Bursts of snark, meta-commentary, playful self-deprecation, and warm camaraderie characterize this episode. Yasi’s dry wit and the hosts’ hungry, slightly sleep-addled riffing foster both irreverence and insight, with jokes spiraling off into broader meditations on music, culture, gender, and the peculiar joys and trials of podcasting.

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For New Listeners

Whether you’re a Madonna stan, ’90s alt-rock nostalgist, clued-in podcast fan, or just curious about what makes a band “straight,” this episode delivers:

• Unexpected micro-histories and big-picture takes on music and memory
• Feminist and generational reflection on pop culture
• Hilarious, personal stories (including a jaw-dropping wellness escapade)
• A consistently funny, fast-paced, and spiky but affectionate tone

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Listen-By-Topic Quick Guide

• Madonna As Cultural Chameleon/Curator: 08:09–25:13, 35:38–37:16
• Foo Fighters’ Place in Straight Culture: 49:50–62:01
• Gender, Podcasting & Audience: 62:01–71:59
• Peptides, Wellness, and LA Stories: 81:38–87:24
• The Great Madonna vs. Gaga Debate: 13:33–22:56

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Summary Verdict

A rich and wide-ranging episode blending music nerdery, gender analysis, and high-level absurdity—this StraightioLab is a must-listen for anyone who wants their cultural commentary funny, fast, and wildly digressive, with moments of surprising depth.

Transcript

[Yasi Salek]

This is an iHeart podcast, Guaranteed Human

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It's more than just fireworks.

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Join this landmark celebration and get your America's Block Party Tickets now for $17.76 at america250.org LA I turned off news altogether.

[Yasi Salek]

I hate to say it, but I don't trust much of anything.

[Sam Taggart]

It's the rage bait.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

It feels like it's trying to divide people.

[Yasi Salek]

We got clear facts. Maybe we could calm down a little.

[George Taveras]

NBC News brings you clear reporting. Let's meet at the Facts. Let's move forward from there. NBC News reporting for America. What's up, y'? All? Summer's got a different tempo. Everything's a little looser, brighter. One plan turns into another. You hear something, you stay a little longer. Next thing you know, you're somewhere you didn't plan to be. It's those in between moments. That's where the ideas hit. Conversations stretch out. Little memories sneak up on you. Sometimes it's just about what's in your hand. That color, that chill. The new Tropical Butterfly refresher from Starbucks. Guava and passion fruit flavors with mango pineapple flavored pearls. Yeah, that feels like summer before you even taste it. Funny how one small stop becomes the best part of the day. Start your summer rhythm with Starbucks. Try the new Tropical Butterfly refresher from Starbucks. The old gays are back with Silver Linings, their lovable podcast from iHeart's Ruby Studio in partnership with Veeve Healthcare.

[Yasi Salek]

Virginia.

[George Taveras]

Robert, Mick, Bill and Jesse strut back down memory lane for season two, sharing lessons on life, love and loss. These are the kinds of insights that only come from experience. So tune in to Silver Linings with the old gays on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Tour announcement starts now. Hello everyone, it is me, Sam, and I am going on tour this summer. I'm doing my hour of incredible stand up comedy and I would love, love, love to see you there. So I will be in San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, D.C. boston, Philly, and maybe a couple more. But if you are in any of those places, please, please, please get tickets. I would love to see you all there. And, and I'm really, really excited because I Love touring now. So see you there. Okay. Enjoy the app. Bye. Podcast starts now.

[Sam Taggart]

Wow.

[George Taveras]

We are once again doing our brand new tradition. That is my favorite tradition, which is having maybe the largest meal we could possibly have right before recording.

[Sam Taggart]

Right before recording with guest. We respect and wanna be articulate for uncomfortable.

[George Taveras]

I'm full. I'm sleepy as hell.

[Sam Taggart]

I have to say, not to victim blame, but like, we got these giant sandwiches. We said we're gonna have one half.

[George Taveras]

You said you were gonna have one half.

[Sam Taggart]

So you had one half. And I could see you making the decision. You said, I'm gonna have both halves.

[George Taveras]

Well, here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna take that other half to go, and guess where it's gonna go? The trash can.

[Sam Taggart]

Disagree. You are not gonna have it after this. I'm gonna have it after this recording. It's gonna be amazing. And then I'm having a sushi dinner tonight. Light. So then it's gonna be warranted that. I had three meals.

[George Taveras]

I was really, really hungry.

[Sam Taggart]

I get it.

[George Taveras]

Feeling attacked. Here's the thing. Recording a podcast, as we all know, is one of the hardest jobs someone can have. And no one makes time for meals because if you record before you eat, okay, you're starving, you can't think straight. You're making connections that aren't there. You listen back two days later, and you're saying, what?

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, how did I get here?

[George Taveras]

Then you record after you eat. If you're full as hell, you're sleepy.

[Sam Taggart]

This analysis,

[George Taveras]

I'm being attacked for daring to think something through.

[Sam Taggart]

The only two people that have figured this out, Jesse Ware and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, both of whom have podcasts where they eat while recording. So Jesse Tyler Ferguson, famously past guest, has a podcast called this one's on me or something, and he's eating with his guests at restaurants. And then Jessie Ware is having people over, and then her and her mom cook, and she's sort of like pretending that she's super homey and, you know,

[George Taveras]

so we need to change our. It's now gonna be which foods are gay and which foods are straight.

[Sam Taggart]

Ooh, that's really.

[George Taveras]

Which restaurants are gay and which restaurants are straight. Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, my God, that's gonna kill.

[George Taveras]

That's gonna be so good.

[Sam Taggart]

It's already been ordered to series from hbo. Max.

[George Taveras]

You know what genre has died?

[Sam Taggart]

What?

[George Taveras]

Drinking. While on the podcast. People used to drink alcohol on podcasts and be like, I'm crazy.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, well, I think that's. Cause those people now are like 57 years old. And so it used to be that, you know, everyone has gotten older is something that I keep realizing day in and day out. You know, you go, you kind of like revisit the kind of comedy bang bang universe. You're like, amazing. Everyone just graduated college. You're like, we have grandkids.

[George Taveras]

Yeah, but like, why isn't our generation drinking on the podcast? Well, we don't have grandkids.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, let's do it. Where's the bartender, you know, who's drinking on the pod? Watch what happens live. That's the only place that's still doing that. He's getting those women drunk, he's underpaying them and then he's saying, get them.

[George Taveras]

You know what I've never understood about the women on those shows?

[Sam Taggart]

What?

[George Taveras]

So in theory, they're drunk all the time and they look amazing.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, jury's out.

[George Taveras]

How do you do both?

[Sam Taggart]

So when you say amazing,

[George Taveras]

I mean snatched.

[Sam Taggart]

Sure.

[George Taveras]

They don't look puffy in the face.

[Sam Taggart]

This is dangerous territory.

[George Taveras]

They just don't have drunk face.

[Sam Taggart]

They don't have two gay guys talking about a woman's appearance. We're above that.

[George Taveras]

You can, if it's praise, gay guys just aren't allowed to critique.

[Sam Taggart]

Would you say that if you saw a woman and you say you're drunk but you don't look too puffy? Is that praise? If I'm saying, should she then say thank you?

[George Taveras]

I'm saying it's amazing how you're constantly drunk but it doesn't show in your face.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, it's like your famous joke that everyone in LA has it both ways because they both are in bed by 10pm and are on cocaine.

[George Taveras]

Yes. Because they do it when the sun is still out.

[Sam Taggart]

That's right.

[George Taveras]

Which is crazy. But respect.

[Sam Taggart]

Speaking of Los Angeles based creators who

[George Taveras]

can weigh in on many of the

[Sam Taggart]

things we have discussed, who did cocaine

[Yasi Salek]

before they came here?

[Sam Taggart]

And yet, and yet you're very mellow and chill. It's weird. It doesn't have people in my system. Got it. Got it. Were you prescribed cocaine by a doctor?

[Yasi Salek]

Exactly.

[Sam Taggart]

That is what doctors in Los Angeles do be doing. Of course. They're like, just have a little cocaine.

[Yasi Salek]

If it's a naturopath.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

It's a non medical doctor.

[Sam Taggart]

It's a homeopathic cocaine.

[George Taveras]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

I want to say we are about to bring Yasi in, but I just want to say like this is kind of a non traditional episode because we between booking her and having her on, we have both listened to approximately 6 to 12 hours of her new series on Madonna.

[George Taveras]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

On the podcast Bansplane, which she hosts. This is the most amazing intro I've ever done.

[Yasi Salek]

That's really good backwards.

[Sam Taggart]

And I would say we are going to bed dreaming about it and waking up thinking about it.

[George Taveras]

I crave it. Like, I crave.

[Sam Taggart]

I don't know, I'm thinking it's Serial season one levels of obsession where I'm like, what about the Nisha call? Remember that? Barely. Anyway, that was the whole thing in Serial season one. And so I want to do our podcast normally, but I also just want to talk to her about what it was like to create a 12 hour phantasmagoria about the greatest artist of our time.

[George Taveras]

And even beyond creating it, I almost want to talk to her as if she is Madonna's spokesperson.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[George Taveras]

Because there's something like. I feel like this podcast is so impressive because you're providing so much incredible context that, like, obviously time erases.

[Sam Taggart]

And do you like how we haven't introduced you, so you're not allowed to respond to anything we're saying, nodding silently.

[George Taveras]

But I'm literally like, okay, so you were there because you have done all the research. You're essentially like, okay, I can talk to. You're like a civil warrior.

[Sam Taggart]

Please welcome Yasi Salik, host of the Ringer's Bandsplain podcast.

[Yasi Salek]

Thank you so much for having. And for that gorgeous intro. I was really worried you guys didn't understand what I do, and it feels like you do.

[George Taveras]

I mean, I think we understand a really small scale of it.

[Yasi Salek]

Well, just, like, given. I don't want to minimize the work that you do here, but given the intro and like, the real, like, war that you're having with the eating schedule and stuff. Yeah. And I was like, we really literally record for five to six hours at a time. Like, in the trenches.

[George Taveras]

When do you pee?

[Yasi Salek]

We have a small break.

[George Taveras]

Okay.

[Yasi Salek]

Sometimes I'm like, borderline. Like, I think I'm getting a uti, but, like, let's ride it out, you know, because I'm committed to my career,

[Sam Taggart]

I keep waiting for you to be more. You maintain a level of professionalism throughout that is shocking to me because I keep waiting for you to kind of crack out on. Well, I'm sure I have Celsius or whatever.

[Yasi Salek]

Let's just edit it out.

[Sam Taggart]

I'm sure that happens because we have had moments where it's like, okay, we're doing like a bunch of episodes in a row, or we're like, hungover or whatever, and it's just like, we hit a wall.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

And I'm like, what are you on that you're able to do this? Answer.

[Yasi Salek]

First of all, I literally just tried Celsius for the first time during these Madonna episodes because shout out to my first guest, Mel Ottenberg, a gorgeous man. He has a very tight schedule, so he had to, like, do it at, like, 4:30pm and I usually don't record that late because we go for five hours and I wake up at 6:30 because I live in Los Angeles.

[George Taveras]

Wow.

[Yasi Salek]

And I was like, I guess I could just have a wee Celsius. People drink this. There's. I know people who drink it every morning. That is a class A drug that needs to be regulated by the law. That is meth in a juice form. And I can't believe they just let you have that.

[Sam Taggart]

It's shocking to me. And we basically have this exact debate every generation where it's like, Red Bull, Four Loko, Celsius, Sparks, babe.

[Yasi Salek]

Never forget Sparks.

[Sam Taggart]

Right? Like, how have we not figured it out yet? Someone is going to die.

[Yasi Salek]

I mean, someone did Panera, right? Caffeine drink.

[George Taveras]

I think Four Loko killed a couple people as well.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[George Taveras]

But, you know, everyone's got to try to reach the heights and then fall eventually.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

It's.

[George Taveras]

It's a boom and bust.

[Sam Taggart]

You're a combat.

[Yasi Salek]

Okay, I see that. You're like the. The Ford Pinto. Do you remember that? This many people can die. And then it's like, okay, because we'll pay this much. Do you remember this?

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. Or it's Vanessa Hudgens saying, yeah, people are gonna die. Remember that?

[George Taveras]

And it hurts. I respect it.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, I see it.

[Sam Taggart]

I respect it. But, like, come on, that was crazy

[George Taveras]

when she dropped that, because I was like, wait, she's spilling.

[Sam Taggart]

I love now when people are like. And that's basically the government's policy, like, wow, you ate that.

[George Taveras]

Commentary boots.

[Sam Taggart]

Commentary boots. So, Yassi, I want to actually kind of give you. I was saying to Sam, someone like you, you do this big project, and then you just have to, like, move on to the next one. You're like, okay, great, now we're tackling some other band. And you don't go around doing, like, a press tour in the way that you would if you were Charlize Theron starring in, you know, a Netflix film. No. And I want to give you the space to, like, talk about what it feels like to be done with this insane, gargantuan project. How do you feel? You have been literally only researching and Thinking about Madonna for, like, months of your life.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah. Well, it took, like, yeah, like, two, ish months. I feel, like, brain damaged. I feel unwell. But I kind of always feel like that because I do this with every episode. I mean, this is, like, quite a bit longer than the other ones, but I think I'm just like this. I can't help it. And then I emerge like, the light. And then 10 days passes, and I have no idea what happened. I have, like, this big plan where I'm like, okay, you're gonna get that art framed. You are going to fold that laundry that's been sitting there for, like, you know, two months. And then 10 days pass, and I'm like, I played a little Zelda Breath of the Wild. I stared at the wall silently. And now it's time to start researching again. That's the process.

[Sam Taggart]

The eyes are, like, staring into the distance. You're like, what it feels like for

[Yasi Salek]

a girl that's truly, like, I'm. I'm fine.

[Sam Taggart]

Were there any hugely surprising things you found out about in the research that you didn't know about? Were there things that impacted you emotionally that you didn't expect to have an effect on you?

[Yasi Salek]

I love that you're like, please rifle through the past two months of your learnings for Google Docs.

[Sam Taggart]

No, we don't want. We don't want. And I'm aware of, like, we don't want to make this into, like, episode seven of the. Because I know. I realize the last thing you want to do is, like, keep talking about Madonna.

[George Taveras]

I want to say that I feel like I was a Madonna fan, and I listened, and I was like, I'm not a Madonna fan. Like, I don't know about Madonna going album by album and, like, and song by song and song by song. I was like, you know, I feel like I knew the Immaculate collection, but I didn't know, like, the first four albums or whatever.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah.

[George Taveras]

And when. When it was like, I'd, you know, see one in a record store, I'd be like, well, I don't need that. I have the immaculate collection.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah.

[George Taveras]

And I was like, oh, my God. It, like, bums me out in an existential way where, like, time just sands everything.

[Yasi Salek]

Totally flattened it. Yeah. I think that was for me. I mean, I knew a fair amount, but, like, not anything from what I learned. And I just was, like, blown away by, like, what an incredible person, like, what she was able to accomplish, like, through. Through literally, like, the skin of her teeth. Like, this. The story of coming up In New York. You know me because I'm largely a rock music person. Guitar, rock music. And not like so much a pop girly, but like knowing that she was like playing instruments, playing at CBGBs, in bands, in post punk bands. Like, said, what's up to Thurston Moore, like in the hood or whatever. Like, that stuff was so cool to me. And I think we don't have a lot of pop stars that come from any sort of like, authentic, for lack

[George Taveras]

of a better word.

[Yasi Salek]

I'm sorry, that word is so annoying.

[George Taveras]

Well, they come from Disney Channel now.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, they come from Disney Channel. Or like. I mean, Gaga was a little bit, I guess, like that, right?

[Sam Taggart]

Like nyu.

[Yasi Salek]

You went to nyu. She's kind of like, yeah, you know, but again, but she kind of like, the world was different by the time she came in. So it's like to learn. And also just like there was no predecessor. Like, she. Okay, I have one that I thought blew me away, which was that when she was putting out her first singles, radio was literally like black radio and white radio. And they were like, we don't know where to put this. It's R and B based. So we can't put on white radio. So we're just gonna put on black radio and we're just not gonna put your picture.

[George Taveras]

Well, that's Hearing that was crazy to me.

[Sam Taggart]

Like, the idea, basically the debate is like, if we do put her picture somewhere, the positive is that she's the most beautiful woman alive, so that'll help. The negative thing is that people will realize she's white, so then it'll be hard to get her on black radio. I think I might be able to

[Yasi Salek]

get away with maybe she' Puerto Rican.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, that's literally what they did, and it worked. But I think to your point about Lady Gaga, obviously Madonna's whole career is referencing other things. Yes. But there was no pop star she was referencing. She was referencing other types of music and she was referencing fine art and she was referencing whatever. But the way that Gaga was from the get go, a mix of basically Prince, Bowie and Madonna.

[Yasi Salek]

Well, I think Madonna was also referencing Bowie and definitely a Little bit Jackson 5. She was very into Mike. You know, this doesn't get talked about a lot, but I. I can see it. And so it's just a theory. It hasn't really been explicit. But like, when you look at old photos, this is a deep one. The Slits, like Viv, Albertine, her look is very like early Madonna look. Like with the rags tied in, the hair. And, like, the lace and, like. So I wonder if she had seen that. She definitely was referencing Stu, but it's not as easy to, like, clock as it would be now. I feel a little guilty right now because, like, I'm sorry, I don't know when this comes out, but it's currently Pride Month. I posted a clip of the podcast that was like, honestly, I'm ashamed of myself. But it was Karen Ganz and I discussing Born this Way, Express Yourself and Madonna sort of performing snippets of it in her tour. And it really felt.

[Sam Taggart]

And adding a part of She's Not Me as shade.

[Yasi Salek]

And it felt like throwing, like, a stake into, like, the gay community. And it's just. I just, like, stood back and then, like, 900 comments of just infighting. And I was like, this was homophobic of me. This was a hate crime. And I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have done this.

[George Taveras]

There is, like, a compartmentalization that has to happen in my brain because I want to. Of course, listening to your podcast, I'm like, oh, my God. Madonna is, like, so much. There's a so much richer, like, history and context for her than there is for Gaga, who went to nyu. But then I also, of course, am like. But I stand Gaga harder than anyone.

[Sam Taggart]

Not everyone can be.

[George Taveras]

So I'm like, I have not.

[Sam Taggart]

One is Madonna.

[Yasi Salek]

No.

[Sam Taggart]

And that's okay.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, it's okay.

[George Taveras]

But it's sad.

[Sam Taggart]

No, it is true.

[George Taveras]

Well, you know, like, will we ever. We will never have another Madonna.

[Sam Taggart]

We will never have another Madonna for multiple reasons. And one of them because she basically captured each day. I mean, what's so shocking about her now is that she. No, she no longer is at the forefront. You know what I mean? Like, what she is doing. She's not a leader. She is more of a follower. Which I know is what Linda Perry said in some clip of a podcast that was served to me. But for a while, it was 80s, 90s, even 2000s, she could define. Her biggest skill is, like, scanning the room and figuring out what's cool and then making it her own. And that is a talent. And not only that, that is at this stage in culture, that's the number one talent everyone is supposed to have, because we live in a culture of everyone being a curator, basically, when all the past references are so easily accessible online and stuff. What art is is sampling. Like, what art is is, like, remixing things in your own way.

[Yasi Salek]

Well, there's that whole discourse about how, like, people are, like, swapping taste for Personality Completely.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

So maybe it's gone a little.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, I know that's the thing. I mean, one of the things that you said on the podcast that I thought was so interesting is that referencing used to be more of an art form because you had to dig to find something. Whereas now you Google Frida Kahlo painting and you find the one that you like in two seconds and you're like, okay, great, let's reference that.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah. Or Stems of XYZ song and. Yeah, let's do. Yeah. I just, I had a lot of fun with it because she touches every major like thing that was cool in my entire lifetime. And I like, I like to see the intersections that she had and I don't. Not to be like the most 44 year old woman, like perimenopausal that you've ever had on here. But like also like, I think one thing people never, or maybe they do, but they don't talk about enough is that like Madonna was literally a smooth 34 years old and people were like, retire, bitch, you're old. Like, what are you doing? And now people like Charlie and Taylor are in their mid-30s. No one even bouts tonight. No one would even cross their mind to be like, they're too old to be a pop star because, because Madonna did that. She had to push through that so that you know now and, and she's still doing it now. And I don't know if it's gonna, I don't even know if that frontier will be crossed where like one day people will be like, oh, it's okay to be a 67 year old pop star because she's still out there with her machete trying to get through it.

[Sam Taggart]

But oh, she's, she's trying slicing and dicing.

[George Taveras]

She's at least swinging that thing.

[Yasi Salek]

And good for her.

[George Taveras]

And good for her.

[Sam Taggart]

No, the Madonna being too old thing is something that I legitimately, because of my exact age, my entire lifetime. The thing with Madonna is she's still at it from when she was 37, however old she was when I first became aware of her. And I remember even at the time just being like, wow, she's the old one. She was 39.

[George Taveras]

Well, yeah, I remember being maybe 20 years old and living in Chicago and I was interning at this theater and the older gays were going to see the Madonna concert that night and I was like, God, old gays are obsessed with this fucking lady. And like, little did I know, like, cut to a few years later, I'd be like, and Now I am as well. Now it feels like such a rich tradition to be an old gay obsessed with this lady.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, you were saying earlier off mic that Gen Z doesn't know Madonna. She just hasn't, I guess.

[Yasi Salek]

Like, again, not that I have like a ton of comings and goings with Gen Z gays, but like, I.

[Sam Taggart]

It'd be crazy if he did. He just had a friend group that was all Gen Z, that was just

[Yasi Salek]

all 21 year old. Is that still Gen Z? Is that younger? But I was like, did they don't just like hand you a text? Like, I don't understand. Is there not where. What happened to the. Like, are we not passing on the traditions? Like, what's going on?

[George Taveras]

I mean, we kind of aren't.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, I think for our age group and even a little younger. Basically what I'm trying to say is the last album that genuinely captured the culture was Confessions. Like in a real monoculture way.

[Yasi Salek]

Totally.

[Sam Taggart]

So for people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, it all depends on if you interacted with that at all. Even if it meant hearing Hung up on or even if it meant like a Glee cover of Hung Up. I don't know, like, I don't know what it is, but I do think at this point, because it's been literally 21 years since Confessions, we are witnessing the first generation to not know Confessions on a dance.

[Yasi Salek]

That's crazy to me. Cause coming again from like a rock background, like, nobody isn't. Nobody's like, oh, the Velvet Underground. I don't know her. You know, like it's like. Or like Nirvana.

[Sam Taggart]

That's the difference between rock and pop.

[Yasi Salek]

Like, you follow, like the tradition is, you know, important.

[Sam Taggart]

But. Yes, but I do think, I think pop is almost right.

[Yasi Salek]

It's meant to be, like, meant to be forgotten. So modern.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. It's meant to be capturing a specific moment.

[Yasi Salek]

Right.

[Sam Taggart]

I would love to. To live in a world where like in 40 years people were referencing Brat, but I wonder if Brat is something that needed that context to make sense.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Also.

[George Taveras]

She's so personality based.

[Yasi Salek]

Madonna or Charlie?

[George Taveras]

Madonna.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah.

[George Taveras]

And so I think when her personality is not making sense, it's hard to understand the fantasy. I don't think I fully understand her until I watched Truth or Dare. And then I was like, oh, I fully get it. I'm all in. But before that, I was just like, sure, she has some good songs.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[George Taveras]

And so I think, like, we need

[Sam Taggart]

to like, you know what that was. Yeah, Well, I mean, I think I, I think I Off the gate with immaculate collection. I think I knew that what her place was. But I think the Confessions tour, it's the one where she does live to tell. On a cross.

[Yasi Salek]

Yes. Is. Okay. Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

Confessions. And she's wearing, like, a riding helmet on the COVID of the dvd.

[Yasi Salek]

Yes. And on the cross, she's wearing a literal crown of thorns.

[Sam Taggart]

Yes.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

Which has diamond. Like emerald. Not emerald. Emerald's green. Whatever.

[Yasi Salek]

Ruby.

[Sam Taggart]

Ruby Blood teardrops.

[Yasi Salek]

It was so major.

[Sam Taggart]

Wait. Okay, sorry. I know we have to move on from Madonna, but I wanna say something else, which I think you did a really good job of covering, which is Madonna's sense of humor. And that ties into our podcast and the things we're interested in as well. I think last night my friend was telling me about how she was listening to some old Mariah, and she was like, it's crazy how Mariah has a true interest in sketch comedy when she does Obsessed. Or when she does the video where it's her fighting with a brunette version of herself. Whatever. And I think somehow Mariah. Mariah's sense of humor has been recognized. I think Nikki's sense of humor has been recognized with Madonna. People have never gotten when she tries to be funny, except when it's literally her with Ollie G. Like, she has to have a ref or Austin Powers. She has to have a literal, direct male reference in order for you to be like. Okay, got it. You have a sense of humor.

[George Taveras]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

And what you said, which I think is true, is like, the sex book is cheeky and campy and meant to be funny.

[Yasi Salek]

It's not like hardcore pornography as the way people remember it. It's totally, like, light and whimsical and like, LOLs, you know?

[Sam Taggart]

But that. But that, to me, was like a huge. It's like at any point, she's being misunderstood on multiple levels. But that was a big way she's being misunderstood is people thinking she's always dead serious.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah. I think she's kind of always actually, like, winkingly ironic.

[America 250 Announcer]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

Which is, like, what's really cool about her.

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[Yasi Salek]

I hate to say it, but I don't trust much of anything.

[Sam Taggart]

It's the rage bait.

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It feels like it's trying to divide people.

[Yasi Salek]

We got clear facts. Maybe we could calm down a little.

[George Taveras]

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[George Taveras]

To move on from the Madonna conversation though before we don't have to.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

No, no.

[Sam Taggart]

We should.

[Yasi Salek]

Do you guys have a large Gen Z gay male listenership?

[Sam Taggart]

We have I would say like a healthy. A healthy.

[Yasi Salek]

I just feel like if you guys are listening. Yeah, just like cue up the Music videos. Like, yes. I think your hearts and minds will be captured pretty immediately. And then you want to know more.

[George Taveras]

What do you think about Confessions 2 and what has come so far and what do you think about the future?

[Yasi Salek]

I actually was. And I feel bad because I say this about almost every late career artist because I deal with a lot of like career artist music in my job. I'm always like, think, you know what, I'm glad that they did that for themselves or whatever. But this, it's pretty good.

[George Taveras]

I like it.

[Yasi Salek]

I went to. Not to brag, but I went to the Abbey for the.

[George Taveras]

Oh, sure. That big release.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, absolutely. A Fellini film. It was one of the craziest things I've ever experienced. Bruce Valanch was there. It was just so insane. But they played a bunch of the songs.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, like unreleased ones.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

And they were good.

[Yasi Salek]

Really good.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh my God. Amazing.

[Yasi Salek]

I know some people who have actually heard the entire album and they said it's like gen. And people whose taste I really trust are like, it's genuinely good. I mean, Stuart, you have to remember Stuart Price is like my age, right? So Stuart Price is still like, definitely in his prime of like music creation. They had such a great chemistry. There's no reason it wouldn't be. Be good to my sense. So I can't wait to hear it. The rest of it.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Well, great.

[Sam Taggart]

I love that.

[George Taveras]

I'm really excited. Yeah, it's working for me.

[Sam Taggart]

No, it's working for me too. To be honest. My only not critique, but the red flag for me was the idea of it being Confessions too, rather than a new thing. Because Madonna, for all her self referencing and you know, as you say in the podcast sort of post Ray of Light, there's always an element of reference in her own career. However, that said, she's never done a sequel. She's never fully cashed in on the nostalgia factor. And the fact that that's how she's deciding to frame this new album worried me in the beginning. Cause I was like, don't look back. It's a sign of weakness to be like, remember that was the last album I had that captured the culture.

[Yasi Salek]

No, no, I totally get what you're saying, but I actually think it's like, first of all, she could have referenced classic Madonna, you know, like there's like. If she really wanted to like, go back to the greatest hits, like, Confessions is probably not where I would start. It was actually not like crazy commercially successful.

[George Taveras]

Really.

[Yasi Salek]

Not compared to like, well, not Prayer or like, you know, right.

[America 250 Announcer 2]

Right, Right.

[Yasi Salek]

I. I think it's. Again, it's. Because it's not something she's ever done. It's kind of not something she's ever done. I don't know. I think it's pretty cool. I mean, I'm probably just like, full Madonna Stockholm syndrome now, so I'm like, whatever you do, Queen, go out, sis. But I think it's also savvy. Like, it's like, there's. She's nothing if not extremely savvy. And it's like, she really tried some insane with the last couple of albums, which, by the way, I kind of stand Madame X and People.

[Sam Taggart]

God Control. Amazing.

[Yasi Salek]

And I'm like, you guys. Okay? You just don't like it when A likes to be experimental. Bjork can do it. She can't do it. But I do think this one is still going to have a lot of the, like, elements that are on every Madonna album. Like, can a white girl speak a little Espanol? You already know that's gonna be happening here, because I think Bad Bunny is on it. You know, like, to return always to, like, the classic tenants of Madonna and then just kind of.

[George Taveras]

I love that that's a theme of hers.

[Yasi Salek]

Babe, I genuinely. I. And I should know this, but I'm. I'm willing to bet cold hard cash that there is not one Madonna album that. Where she doesn't speak a little bit of Spanish.

[Sam Taggart]

I mean, when you reveal that, like, San Pedro is not a play, it is.

[George Taveras]

But she wasn't referencing.

[Yasi Salek]

She was driving on 110, and she was like, that sounds cool. And I was like, like, respect to the people of San Pedro, California, but that is, like, kind of a shithole.

[Sam Taggart]

No, she's literally like, I've never been to an Isla Bonita in my life.

[Yasi Salek]

No, not at that point.

[George Taveras]

She's just like, us for real. Like, she's just, like, being like, okay, I'm sure I'll record today. I guess I'll write this.

[Yasi Salek]

She was full. I love Lamp. Such a millennial reference. But she really was.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

She was.

[Sam Taggart]

I love Lamp.

[George Taveras]

Yeah, she was Lamping.

[Sam Taggart]

Okay, if you have one more thing, I promise it's last.

[George Taveras]

No, please. I could go all day.

[Yasi Salek]

I'm on my Charlize Theron Netflix press tour.

[Sam Taggart]

Are you okay talking more about Madonna?

[Yasi Salek]

That's fine. Are we getting more listeners for my podcast? Let's do it.

[Sam Taggart]

I think other people are like, this one's annoying, and I want to listen. I don't think anyone's saying that, but I do Think we're gonna get to the straight culture of it all. One of my biggest pet peeves of it all, and I don't know why I said it. We need to style literally, like, shoot me in the.

[Yasi Salek]

That's really straight culture.

[George Taveras]

It's really straight culture of it all

[Yasi Salek]

is, like, a really straight thing to say.

[George Taveras]

It's also so Hollywood.

[Sam Taggart]

It's so Hollywood. That's the thing. It's like you have, like a.

[George Taveras]

So about the marketing of it all.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, yeah.

[George Taveras]

If you loop back to the social media.

[Sam Taggart]

But also when someone has a critique and it's. Let's say the critique is like, you know, they don't like the shoes you're wearing. Like, so about the shoes of it all, it's like, I didn't know there was enough at all. Like, I was just wearing shoes. But in terms of the straight culture of it all, I do think there's a potential for you to gain listeners because gay guys need to listen to Bandslang.

[Yasi Salek]

I'm in, like, deep fear of this because I've, like, you know, been, you know, welcoming them into the bands playing community. I've been seeing, you know, they're coming hordes, and I'm like. And then I'm gonna go right back to doing, like, rock music, and they're gonna be like, oh, call me when you do Janet.

[Sam Taggart]

You know, which, by the way, you should.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, totally. I think now that I know that I can do a pop star, I really didn't know that I could do that.

[Sam Taggart]

What other, like, truly pop musicians have you done?

[Yasi Salek]

None.

[Sam Taggart]

None?

[George Taveras]

What made you. Well, I guess. What made you want to do Madonna first?

[Yasi Salek]

I don't. I think because Madonna was, like, my first favorite artist and, like, I have such a long history with her. And also, I genuinely kind of don't. I consider her more than a pop star. I'm such, like, a Stan. I'm so embarrassing. But I really do, like. I think she's, like, kind of transcends just being a pop star. And I knew there was, like, so much to talk about that and that I could culturally, contextually speak to that. I was like, oh, this will be a good one. Because I don't. I just sometimes I don't know that with other things. Yeah, Like Karen Ganz, God bless her. Our friend Shout out, she was like, will you do Kelly Clarkson? And I was like, all of the love and light and respect in the world to Kelly Clarkson. But I just am not really sure that's the right fit for podcast. Like, it's Like Sonic Youth, Kelly Clarkson.

[George Taveras]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

Ringer Bandsplain fans. To be like, tuning in to hear about how six part Kelly Clarkson series. Yeah. Featuring Matt Rogers, our friend, who's the biggest Kelly Clarkson fan. Anyway, so the last thing I wanted to say was it probably will not be. To be honest, it won't be. But the next thing I want to say is something that I found very insightful that I had never considered is we are huge ray of light stands, as are you. But you and Paul made the point that it's interesting that that's considered the artistic masterpiece when it is, in fact safer than a lot of her other work and also less gay in a literal sense. It's like, if you think about the themes, motherhood, like, it isn't. She's not queening out. And it's also, in this weird way, could be perceived as conservative because she's saying, like, I'm no longer take my tits out because I'm now kind of like doing yoga.

[Yasi Salek]

I've realized. Yeah, it's also religious.

[Sam Taggart]

I mean, it's.

[Yasi Salek]

Religious might be not the right word,

[Sam Taggart]

but like, it's like her going on Oprah and talking about how she has finally found peace.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

There's a way. I don't think this is how she meant it, but there's a way to interpret it. It as like, wow, so you have. After the sex book and after all the controversies, you've righted.

[Yasi Salek]

Wrong. Right, Right. You've repented.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. Which I think. But again, I love Raven. I mean, it is still, but I

[Yasi Salek]

don't think that's what it is.

[Sam Taggart]

Probably my favorite, Madonna.

[Yasi Salek]

It's the classic arc of a person where I think we talked about it on the podcast too, but I can't remember that. That's sort of like when she realized the divine feminine, you know, which is

[Sam Taggart]

like, well, this is my favorite.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yes.

[Sam Taggart]

Which I didn't want to bring up. But now that you're brought up, you

[Yasi Salek]

know, I think a lot of you can look a lot at a lot of art through that lens. Like the divine masculine. Divine feminine, sort of trying to marry the two. And you know, when you line up with that like Madonna did in Ray of Light, it really, like, it really fucking hits.

[Sam Taggart]

Because you say first she tried to be a girl, tried to be a boy.

[Yasi Salek]

Well, I think she, like, it was ambition and goal orientation and like, that sort of thing is masculine.

[America 250 Announcer 2]

Right.

[Yasi Salek]

That's. Those are like archetypically masculine traits. And like, that was sort of like the engine of her early career. And Then you get to, like, the sex book, which is also, like, I think, in the way maybe she was doing it. Also kind of masculine.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, it's like, I'm taking control. I'm the one doing the fucking.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Exactly.

[George Taveras]

I'm doing the gaze of myself.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

And then, like, it's sort of, like, built up that tension, then went back the other way into, like, oh, actually, like, here's the divine feminine motherhood. You know, literally birthing.

[George Taveras]

In that sense, she's queen and mother

[Sam Taggart]

and among other senses. Well, shall we end Madonna segment with doing our Madonna straight shooters?

[George Taveras]

Yes.

[Sam Taggart]

Unless you have one final thing to say.

[George Taveras]

No, no, no. I have one million things to say. But, of course, none of them are interesting.

[Yasi Salek]

Oh, he's like, none of them are about you or your personality. They're about Madonna.

[George Taveras]

Shoot. Basically.

[Yasi Salek]

And your job.

[George Taveras]

It's actually funny that you brought up playing Zelda, because I haven't craved. When I played Zelda, I got so my hands, like, needed to be holding a controller.

[Yasi Salek]

I need to.

[George Taveras]

And I feel that way about your podcast right now, where I keep being like, I need it. I need it in my ears.

[Sam Taggart]

No, it really is. I haven't been this engrossed in, like, an audio storytelling in a very long time.

[George Taveras]

Well, and we're making all of our other guests, like, self conscious because literally, the person before I was like, so the guests we're having on later did this amazing podcast.

[Sam Taggart]

No, we kept talking about you, and

[George Taveras]

then yesterday also, we were doing it.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah.

[George Taveras]

So just. Just. Just felt that you should know.

[Sam Taggart]

Unpaid boots, an amazing creation of gay guys and Karen Gans.

[Yasi Salek]

I thought I nailed it. I knocked it out of the park with the. The guest booking.

[Sam Taggart]

I mean, we keep doing an impression of a gay guy talking about Madonna that's, like, so fab.

[George Taveras]

So now.

[Sam Taggart]

So Madonna.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Gorge.

[George Taveras]

She's gorge.

[Sam Taggart]

This is the most beautiful she's ever looked. Oh, my God.

[Yasi Salek]

Unfortunately, they're right.

[George Taveras]

No.

[Sam Taggart]

And then it's like the next theater is like, oh, my God, the brunette.

[George Taveras]

So gorgeous.

[Yasi Salek]

The brunette, Patrick Sandberg pointed, pointed out that we had said, this is one of the. This is one of my top two Madonna songs, like, 32 different times. And he was like, the math is not.

[Sam Taggart]

No, completely.

[Yasi Salek]

And I was like, this is not a real thing. This is just a beautiful expression of love. It's not about math.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, it's always shocking throughout when someone doesn't like a song because you're like, well, yeah. You're like, we're doing here.

[George Taveras]

Are you allowed to say that?

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah. Well, you know, sometimes you have to. Episode 4 you.

[George Taveras]

Yeah, I haven't gotten there.

[Sam Taggart]

I know that's.

[George Taveras]

And I worry. Scared. It's like the crash, except it's not like drugs or alcohol. It's just quality of life.

[Yasi Salek]

There's a lot of good stuff in there, I think.

[George Taveras]

Sure, sure. Okay. Our first segment is called Straight Shooters. And in this segment we're going to ask you a series of rapid fire questions. It's basically this thing or this other thing and you pick one. And the only rule is you can't ask any follow up questions or we'll scream.

[Sam Taggart]

And they are Madonna themed.

[George Taveras]

They are Madonna themed.

[Sam Taggart]

Ray of light or gay is right.

[Yasi Salek]

Ray of Light.

[George Taveras]

The immaculate collection or the collapse of our elections.

[Yasi Salek]

The immaculate Collection.

[Sam Taggart]

I'm starting to sense a pattern. Live to tell or please don't yell.

[Yasi Salek]

Live to tell.

[George Taveras]

Madonna meeting a pivotal gay or Bono singing It's a beautiful day.

[Yasi Salek]

It's a tough one. Conflicted Madonna meeting a pivotal gay.

[Sam Taggart]

Confessions on a dance floor or depression at the Peace Corps. That's a tough one.

[Yasi Salek]

It's really hard not to go with confessions.

[George Taveras]

Blonde ambition or brunette Superstition.

[Yasi Salek]

Not to be like self hating, but Blonde ambition. Right.

[Sam Taggart]

What it feels like for a girl or Jason Lee in My Name is Earl.

[Yasi Salek]

What it feels like for a girl. But that was hard. It's challenging.

[George Taveras]

CBGB's for a show or Eenie Meenie Miny Moe.

[Yasi Salek]

I'm thinking. I think CBGB is for the show.

[Sam Taggart]

Wow. Wow. Silencing my phone so I can.

[Yasi Salek]

Is this because. Okay, so I had a lot of trepidation about coming on here because I was like, like, you know, scrolling. I'll be honest. I have had not listened to this podcast.

[Sam Taggart]

Thanks for being honest.

[Yasi Salek]

I'll be triply honest.

[Sam Taggart]

You could have lied.

[Yasi Salek]

But my friend Albert, who is also friends with you guys, alerted me that you guys, you had shouted me out. So of course, because I love attention and hearing about myself, I went ahead to that episode. I scrubbed straight to the end.

[Sam Taggart]

Right, right. It was at the very last.

[Yasi Salek]

Let me hear about myself. And then like the next day you were like, do you want to come on here? And I was like, well, I'm medically incapable of not doing. I can't go on a podcast. In fairness, I don't listen to a lot of podcasts. But I was like, okay, now I gotta go listen. And then I was like, okay. It's interesting seeming every guest on here is a literal worldwide celebrated professional comedian. And okay, I'm Gonna. So I'm just saying I feel like you made those, like, extra dumb dumb easy for me. You were like, okay, we have this, like, not that funny person coming. Let's just make these, like, crystal clear as day what she needs to choose.

[George Taveras]

No, no, no. Not at all.

[Yasi Salek]

A little bit. Softballs. Eeny miny moe. Did you expect me to pick that?

[Sam Taggart]

So como sidi? Say iny miny moe.

[Yasi Salek]

What do you mean?

[Sam Taggart]

Do you mind if a white podcast speaks a little espanol?

[Yasi Salek]

I do really love My name is Earldo, so.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

That was.

[Yasi Salek]

That was tough. Yeah, he was really great on that show.

[George Taveras]

We do rank our guests on a scale of 0 to 1000 dubs, which

[Sam Taggart]

is song, by the way. Are you you Gaga?

[Yasi Salek]

I really loved the first couple of albums. I haven't super kept up, but I do really love her. And my mother and I went to see the Monster Ball together, and I did put Coke cans in my hair.

[George Taveras]

So really, that's monster code.

[Yasi Salek]

You can love many pop stars, of course.

[Sam Taggart]

True.

[Yasi Salek]

You don't have to choose.

[George Taveras]

And you weren't like, when. When she was coming out, you weren't like, ugh, she's just doing Madonna.

[Yasi Salek]

No, I mean, when I heard Alejandro, I was a little bit like, we have a bonita at home. Yeah. I was like, also like, sure, go ahead. Everybody's doing Madonna. Like, that's true. That's not unusual. Like, every pop star I see in my life is doing something that Madonna did before or participating in something that wouldn't be available to them. Wow. I am the world's leading Madonna apologist.

[Sam Taggart]

You are?

[George Taveras]

Well, okay. Is there something. Have we talked about this?

[Sam Taggart]

Wait. Zero to $1,000?

[Yasi Salek]

Oh, sorry. Yeah. What's my score?

[Sam Taggart]

Well, I mean, I think it was really funny that you picked the Madonna ones. Picked the Madonna ones, but then kept pretending that it was a difficult choice. Like, that was a great.

[George Taveras]

That was genius.

[Sam Taggart]

That was like.

[Yasi Salek]

Well, there was one way.

[Sam Taggart]

And so.

[Yasi Salek]

You got me really bad. What was it? It was like, gay's right to choose or something. It was.

[Sam Taggart]

Gay is right. Yeah. Ray of light or gay is right. I had to go with my heart.

[George Taveras]

You nailed it.

[Yasi Salek]

Ray of light's really good.

[George Taveras]

Well, I think 928 does.

[Sam Taggart]

I agree. Congratulations.

[George Taveras]

That was really impressive.

[Yasi Salek]

So nice. Thank you.

[George Taveras]

Do you think current day pop stars are just doing old pop stars, but they took the substance

[Yasi Salek]

and that. Like, they look better.

[George Taveras]

They're all just being like, I'm this. But now.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

Yeah.

[George Taveras]

Like, Sabrina Carpenter is like, I'm Dolly Parton.

[Yasi Salek]

But now, yeah, I. I love you again, like, I'm not a pop girly, probably largely because I don't find modern day pop girls that interesting. Like, I like some of the songs. Madonna was up here burning crosses and

[Sam Taggart]

like, Janet the things.

[Yasi Salek]

Janet was totally a literature. Like, even Michael. I mean, we can get into it, you know, like, we don't have male pop stars anymore, but that's. That's an eroded.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, you're not a Harry Styles stand.

[George Taveras]

Hey, there's choice of. On. He exists.

[Sam Taggart]

What if you were a huge Terry Styles fan?

[Yasi Salek]

They. They exist.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

I just, I. Every time I want to, like, I want to care, right? I'm like, oh, I'm gonna get into this. And then I'm just like, I like Charlie a lot and I like Charlie for a long time. And I interviewed her when she was like, 19 years old, and she's like, always been so major and smart and, like, ahead of the game. And I'm a. But, like, past that, I'm just like, okay.

[Sam Taggart]

I do think Charlie breaks through the noise in this way in a huge way.

[Yasi Salek]

But. But isn't. Unfortunately, because of the world we live in, she'll. It's like, you can't. She won't reach the levels Madonna did.

[Sam Taggart]

There's no way.

[George Taveras]

It's impossible.

[Yasi Salek]

Taylor Swift really is the.

[Sam Taggart]

She's the.

[Yasi Salek]

In terms of cultural dominance, monoculture.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah. Not anything else, really, I don't think. But, I mean, tourist spectacle.

[George Taveras]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

Like.

[Sam Taggart]

But sorry, where is the spectacle? Torres Money. Like, yeah. Just in terms of.

[George Taveras]

She wears sparkly boots.

[Yasi Salek]

She does wear sparkly. I know. I. I listened to a couple episodes and I was like, oh, they're not Swifties.

[Sam Taggart]

No, it's.

[Yasi Salek]

I'm picking up on it.

[Sam Taggart]

We are. We pioneered the. We actually have gone back on it because now we're like, full on haters. But we pioneered what.

[George Taveras]

We're neutral.

[Sam Taggart]

We pioneered being neutral about Taylor Swift.

[Yasi Salek]

They will hex you. Yes, we.

[Sam Taggart]

Because everyone is either like a Swifty or like a huge hater. And we're like, we're neutral.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Neutral.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah. I'm like, even, like, a little more positive than neutral in the sense that, like, I could care less about her personhood. Don't care at all. It doesn't exist to me. But you have some fingers and I will listen to them.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Of course.

[Yasi Salek]

That's it. Don't care what you do. Don't care what you say. Certainly don't care what you wear. But, like, I wish she's got some jams.

[George Taveras]

She's got some jams. Yeah. Yeah. I wish I could be all in on her.

[Yasi Salek]

You don't have to.

[Sam Taggart]

No. So many things in our culture feel like you are being forced

[George Taveras]

to.

[Sam Taggart]

Literally lied to, waterboarded. Like the whole, like, geese clipping thing. Like, I'm like, even if it's fault, even if it's bullshit on a literal level, that is what it feels like to exist in the world. It's like everyone is constantly trying to convince you that everyone's talking about.

[Yasi Salek]

I feel this way about films all the time where I'm like, I'm sorry, did I go to a different film than everybody else? Yeah, Marty Supreme. But I'm just like, okay, y' all could have that. I guess.

[George Taveras]

It's weird.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah. Good for you guys.

[George Taveras]

I'm feeling lied to in many, many

[Sam Taggart]

times the worst person in the world. But then he got me with sentimental value.

[George Taveras]

Hey, love sentimental value. Shout out.

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[Yasi Salek]

I hate to Say it, but I don't trust much of anything.

[Sam Taggart]

It's the rage bait.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

It feels like it's trying to divide people.

[Yasi Salek]

We got clear facts. Maybe we can calm down a little.

[George Taveras]

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[George Taveras]

Let's get into the straight topic. I would love that.

[Yasi Salek]

I already forgot it.

[George Taveras]

I remember.

[Yasi Salek]

Okay, great.

[George Taveras]

So you were telling us before that your straight topic is Foo Fighters.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, Well, I was. I was saying to you guys that I had. This was like, the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Like, way harder than two months of

[Sam Taggart]

Madonna theme with you. You're like, this is the hardest thing I've ever done. Like, I didn't want to come on this podcast, but you forced me.

[Yasi Salek]

Well, that's not what I said, is I was scared because I didn't think I would rise to the occasion. I wouldn't be good enough.

[Sam Taggart]

I do want to tell you that like. Like what I did with you, which is like cold DM you. I'm not a type of person that does that. Like, I'm not constantly, like, making online friends. It's like I was genuinely moved to reach out.

[George Taveras]

I thought you knew each other.

[Yasi Salek]

I can't wait to like, really do this to George right now, but I feel comfortable. Apologies to Hannah Einbinder, but we've met.

[George Taveras]

I knew this.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

What?

[George Taveras]

How could you not have met?

[Yasi Salek]

Wait, tell me. I was like, holding this eye.

[Sam Taggart]

This is huge.

[George Taveras]

No one's ever done this.

[Yasi Salek]

It was like, so brief, like five seconds. And obviously I'm not very memorable. Unless you love my podcast. It was at Nomi Fry's birthday party and the pouring rain outside of whatever that venue was.

[Sam Taggart]

This year?

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, it was like the dungeon.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

Went on to Docset.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

But what bar?

[George Taveras]

What bar?

[Yasi Salek]

What was Laura Fish bar. No. What is it? What is that?

[Sam Taggart]

I can't remember.

[Yasi Salek]

It's like the ceiling is.

[Sam Taggart]

We were in that line.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh my God. That was humiliating. To wait in a line for your own friend's birthday party that you were invited to. And then the people that I was with ditched me because they had an in.

[Yasi Salek]

I was there at 8pm So I didn't wait in the line because I was like the third person there. Cuz I like to be on time.

[Sam Taggart]

So wait, so then in what context

[George Taveras]

did we meet and what you talk about?

[Yasi Salek]

Side with Joe Coscarelli.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

That's what it is.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[George Taveras]

What'd you talk about?

[Yasi Salek]

We talked about. But that's crazy. I just have a good memory for people.

[Sam Taggart]

No, I remember that moment. I just like, you know, with the rain.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

Sure.

[George Taveras]

The rain sort of didn't register sometimes

[Yasi Salek]

when you're in a line, I don't mind at all.

[Sam Taggart]

Just Australia. Now that's someone who's praising Taylor Swift.

[Yasi Salek]

They love her. Good friend here. My greatest all depending is like, guess what? Art is subjective.

[Sam Taggart]

Don't say that.

[George Taveras]

Don't say that.

[Yasi Salek]

It's so. Okay.

[Sam Taggart]

Wow, you're blowing my mind.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

I know.

[Yasi Salek]

Can you believe it? I brought such a revelation here.

[Sam Taggart]

Not only that, but it's like, that was recent. I probably discovered the podcast a week later. Like genuinely, because this all just happened.

[Yasi Salek]

God's plan, babe.

[George Taveras]

No, I'm just like.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

Like I don't.

[Yasi Salek]

If someone loves something great, awesome. Love that for you. And if I don't like it, that's also fine. Like, don't tell me your opinion. Like it's fact. It pisses me off.

[George Taveras]

See?

[Yasi Salek]

And that's it. Just like, leave me alone. It's like my whole thing with criticism where I'm like, critics are just people with opinions, you know? Like, they're not these like neutral institutions. They're just people who like what they like and don't like what they like. And if they end up in places, it's.

[America 250 Announcer 2]

It's.

[Yasi Salek]

That's just what happens. I hate it when people call me a critic.

[Sam Taggart]

Institutional power.

[Yasi Salek]

Hate it. It's like a slur to me.

[George Taveras]

Wait, what did you say?

[Sam Taggart]

When people call me a critic, how

[Yasi Salek]

do you identify Dumb Ken Burns?

[George Taveras]

That's genius.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah.

[George Taveras]

Call Interview Mag.

[Yasi Salek]

There's the head right there.

[Sam Taggart]

Wait, you know what? I read that you once tried standup comedy.

[Yasi Salek]

You did this to me because I said that we've met.

[Sam Taggart]

George was not

[Yasi Salek]

gonna get through this whole thing outing my checkered past.

[George Taveras]

Every guest George has some piece of dirt on in case they come for him. Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

So watch it.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, yeah.

[George Taveras]

What year and where

[Yasi Salek]

you're in Los. Actually, you know what's really funny about this? It was like a year and a half and I was 36 years old, which is an insanely old age to start stand up comedy. Did I take a class at Flappers University? Yes, I did. Thank you so much for asking. I'm a Flappers University alumni. They should put me on the wall.

[Sam Taggart]

Honestly, they literally should.

[Yasi Salek]

I did have success. It's just not in stand up comedy.

[George Taveras]

Did you meet Jay Leno?

[Yasi Salek]

I didn't meet Jay Leno, but I met many alternative comedians of Los Angeles. And also because I was already so old and like, knew so many people, I was like, next thing I know, I'm like putting out on a fundraiser at the Bell House, like with like Julio Torres and like all these, like major comedians. And I think Naomi Wolf did that one too. This was like 2016 and someone dropped out.

[Sam Taggart]

Wait, sorry, not Naomi Wolf. Michelle Wolf.

[America 250 Announcer 2]

Sorry.

[Yasi Salek]

Michelle Wolf.

[George Taveras]

Okay.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, I was sort of like, so sorry.

[George Taveras]

Michelle makes sense soon.

[Yasi Salek]

No, Michelle Wolf. I'm so sorry. See, I'm so out of that world. I can't remember Michelle Wolf. And someone dropped out and I had to go on before her. I've never bombed that hard in my entire.

[Sam Taggart]

You're in your Padma Lakshmi bag. Because, you know, Padma's whole thing is that she wants to be a stand up comedian and she keeps hosting shows at the Bell House.

[George Taveras]

She exclusively does the Bell House.

[Yasi Salek]

Really?

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. It's like her big and she. I don't want to be mean. It's so the classic John Hammond 30 Rock Thing of being so beautiful.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

That obviously no one has ever given her honest feedback.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah. And also, like, you're not supposed to be funny.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

Right.

[Yasi Salek]

That's our thing.

[George Taveras]

You're kind of supposed to be, like, serious.

[Yasi Salek]

I was really ugly. I don't want to have this personality. I wanted to have floated through life having been beautiful and untouched, but I had to survive. But anyways, I was actually kind of good at it. So Thanksgiving, I just, I'll be honest, I hated going outside at night.

[Sam Taggart]

I was 36 year old and I

[Yasi Salek]

was tired and I was like, no,

[Sam Taggart]

being a comedian is literally working in nightlife. Like, I'm Amanda Lepore.

[George Taveras]

No, it's crazy.

[Yasi Salek]

I have every night open mics. Are you kidding? This is not for me,

[Sam Taggart]

it has to be in the evening. Like, there's no.

[George Taveras]

I want to go back to Foo Fighters.

[Sam Taggart]

Yes.

[Yasi Salek]

Foo Fighters.

[George Taveras]

We haven't discussed it at all.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. So Foo Fighters are a straight topic, obviously. Self evidently. Such a straight band.

[George Taveras]

What to you is straight about it?

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. What if you were to describe what is straight about Foo Fighters, what would you say?

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

It's.

[Yasi Salek]

It's like the aura, Right?

[George Taveras]

It's an aura.

[Yasi Salek]

It's like the culture. It's the cargo shorts. Like, I don't know. I'm just picturing a stadium full of Foo Fighters fans, and it feels really straight. It feels dangerous.

[George Taveras]

It's good.

[Sam Taggart]

But I don't think that it's interesting you say that because. Because it's straight in a dad way.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, I know.

[Sam Taggart]

Does it feel dangerous?

[George Taveras]

No.

[Yasi Salek]

I mean, unless you want to be like.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, actually, it's like, Insane Clown Posse is dangerous.

[Yasi Salek]

Actually, they're very.

[George Taveras]

I feel like it's music for people that hate music.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah. I'm not a major Foo Fighters fan, for the record.

[Sam Taggart]

I'm getting that.

[Yasi Salek]

I just think they had some bangers. The first album was pretty good.

[George Taveras]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

But, yeah, I think it's, you know, the dad that listens to, like, All Songs Considered and, like, goes to, like, three concerts a year and is definitely up on Geese.

[George Taveras]

Up on Geese that will be going

[Yasi Salek]

to the Foo Fighters tour every year because David Grohl is coming to town,

[George Taveras]

met a gay guy.

[Yasi Salek]

Oh, congratulations.

[George Taveras]

Within the year. Within this year. Within the last six months, yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

Wow, you're still making new ones.

[George Taveras]

I met a gay guy, and, you know, we're talking about music. Oh, what music do you. Oh, you know, I don't know.

[Sam Taggart]

I can't believe we're.

[George Taveras]

I go, oh, what music do you. He's like, I don't really listen to Much respect.

[Yasi Salek]

The most psychotic answer to me. I don't really listen to music. What.

[George Taveras]

Which. That's scary. Then we're like, oh, well, what do you have? Anything you like. He's like, you know, I really love the Foo Fighters. And I said, now, this I've never seen before. I don't know where to go from here. Because it was sort of like. Like, I just never imagined this world where I'd be at Julius talking about the Foo Fighters.

[Yasi Salek]

Right. Were you able to, like, keep up your end of the conversation?

[George Taveras]

I was not. I think I failed as a conversation partner. I think I was in shock and awe. You could hear the sort of, like, bomb going off, ringing in my ears.

[Yasi Salek]

You were like, that guy was in Nirvana, Right? Am I getting this right?

[George Taveras]

Am I getting this right?

[Yasi Salek]

Right?

[George Taveras]

Well, even like to say Foo Fighters as opposed to say Nirvana. This is a type of person I haven't met in a while.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

Do you mean this is your version of when someone told me their favorite artist was Jeff Koons?

[Yasi Salek]

Oh, I listened to that episode. That was very funny. Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

Because it actually brings the conversation to a halt. Because you're like, the building blocks of language have to be built from the ground up.

[Yasi Salek]

We have to be human. The chasm that is now between us, we're like, I don't have anything to say.

[Sam Taggart]

I'm Amy Adams, holding the sign that says Human in arrival. Because you just told me that your favorite band is Foo Fighters.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah.

[George Taveras]

Well, it's even like when someone misremembers your relationship. One time I. I saw someone and they were like, oh, I haven't seen you since, like, last summer. And, you know, I wanted to agree with them, of course, to be agreeable, but I was like, well, I was at your wedding a few months ago.

[Yasi Salek]

Or like, George was like, hey, it's so nice to meet you. Would you like to come on my podcast? And I'm like, yeah, I met you two weeks ago.

[Sam Taggart]

I can't believe this.

[Yasi Salek]

I'm just kidding. I'm just. Just kidding.

[George Taveras]

But there's just. There's certain things that bring a conversation to a halt, and I.

[Yasi Salek]

And Foo Fighters is one of them.

[George Taveras]

Foo Fighters, one of them. And I. I want it to be. It just requires more context, I think, because I'm like, I get it. They're a popular band. I'm sure many people like them.

[Yasi Salek]

They have bangers.

[Sam Taggart]

Can you actually. Can I utilize your brain as a music expert and ask you to give a very cursory. Just cultural history of the Foo Fighters? Just in a few sentences, let's say someone has just been beamed in from Mars and doesn't know anything about them. Like, what is their origin story and the evolution of their kind of. Type of cool.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Okay.

[Yasi Salek]

I like how you make it short, which is super. Not my strong suit.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, I don't mind it if you make it. I just want. I was trying to have it be less pressure on you.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

Okay.

[Yasi Salek]

Dave Grohl came out of actually a really cool hardcore scene in D.C. was the third drummer of Nirvana, but obviously the most memorable and notable drummer of Nirvana. Nirvana obviously ended for reasons that we all know about. And then he started a new band called the Foo Fighters with the rhythm section of Sunny Day Real Estate. A fantastic band that you guys should all listen to famously, actually. Then fired the drummer and redid all the drum parts himself. And the first Foo Fighters album was just a much more palatable poppy rock thing than as compared to Nirvana and was quite popular. And it was perfect timing too, because it was like, by the time that Foo Fighters album. I'm sorry, I don't remember the name, was it self titled? I don't know.

[Sam Taggart]

And that's late 90s.

[Yasi Salek]

It was like. Yeah. I want to say it's like 97. Does that sound right? 96. 97. It was like, right when the fatigue of grunge had fully settled in because, like, by like 94, people were like, we want Weezer Blue album. We want, like, something brighter. We want Green Day. And so like, it really hit, you know, like gangbuster and has just like, over time become like one of those cornerstone, like, stadium rock legacy institution bands like Pearl Jam. Like, there's a. You two that are a couple that because they've stayed together for so long and continued to make music, they've just. That's. These are the bands that people are like, I'm gonna go to the stadium this summer, check out the Foos.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

Was that a good, Decent.

[America 250 Announcer]

Yes.

[Sam Taggart]

And I actually think them being just Google Image banned is a big part of the straight element. It's sort of like it's universal enough. U2 is another great example of this. Like, it's universal enough that, like. Well, who doesn't like U2?

[Yasi Salek]

Like, if you told a sketch artist to draw four guys.

[Sam Taggart]

Yes.

[Yasi Salek]

It would be Foo Fighters.

[George Taveras]

Yeah. They're in a band. It'll be the Foo Fighters. That's interesting. So Joy Division to New Order is

[Sam Taggart]

Nirvana to Foo Fighters, Joy Division to New Order is Nirvana.

[Yasi Salek]

DFUFA Very good. Very good.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Wow.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah. Wow. That's very good. So you have something to say. Say back now.

[George Taveras]

I. I should have said that. But it's tough because he does doesn't listen to other music. So I don't know if he'd know.

[Yasi Salek]

It would be really crazy to be like, he loves Foo Fighters, but you're like New Order or Joy Division.

[Sam Taggart]

He's like, I. I would imagine he doesn't know New Order if. If he's a gay guy who only listens to Foo Fighters.

[Yasi Salek]

I feel like New Order has such a big gay fan base.

[Sam Taggart]

I guess that's true, but they do.

[Yasi Salek]

Maybe not that kind of gay guy.

[George Taveras]

Yeah, exactly. It's like the alt gay, alt gay loves New Order.

[Yasi Salek]

What are your guys Favorite guitar rock based musics.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, my God. I mean, this is the thing, honestly, my insecurity with you because you're now, you know, you're like, I'm gonna come on this podcast with comedians. My secret is other than, like, you know, my music is like Fiona Apple. It's like, that's what I gravitate towards. But in terms of male rock bands,

[Yasi Salek]

it doesn't have to be male.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, okay, then.

[America 250 Announcer]

Hole.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, you said you loved Hole. That's a good one.

[George Taveras]

I was big at the Pavement, Silver Juice universe.

[Yasi Salek]

Hell, yeah. That's my brother.

[George Taveras]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

Pavement and Silver Juice.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

I'm trying to think. But who do I love generally?

[Yasi Salek]

Sam's a sad man.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, Sam's just much more indie rock than I am. He, like, actually, it comes authentically to

[George Taveras]

him, whereas it used to. Now I'm. Now I'm so pop star pilled. I, like, don't keep up.

[Yasi Salek]

Like, you guys listen.

[Sam Taggart]

Like, Kim Pat, literally. Wow, that sounded like a slur.

[America 250 Announcer 2]

No, I'm just.

[Sam Taggart]

I do think floating it. I do think, Sam, I think you genuinely were like, indie rock guy and then came out and we're like, okay, well, the right thing to do now is to switch to pop stars.

[George Taveras]

The joke I make is that, like, you know, when I came out, I was sort of like, you know, but this doesn't change my personality. Like, it's not gonna. I'm still me. And it was like, of course my personality changed entirely. All my interests just flipped. And it's like, oh, okay. So I was putting on a little bit of a show.

[Yasi Salek]

So you don't really have a soft spot anymore for, like, Pavement.

[George Taveras]

I still. I mean, luckily, it's like when some gay guys are closeted long enough that they like football. I do have a real soft spot for Pavement and, like, that era of Pretty straight.

[Yasi Salek]

Honestly.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

Straight culture.

[George Taveras]

That's pretty straight.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah.

[George Taveras]

I went to their, like, Brooklyn concert three years ago or something. It was. And I was like, wow, I'm really in straight country. It was crazy.

[Yasi Salek]

So that's a good. I mean, there's a lot that aren't Foo Fighters that kind of occupy. It's like, I. I mentioned Pearl Jam before. It's like, there's a lot of real estate in this area that I feel like is sort of straight dominant.

[George Taveras]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

I never had, like, an older male mentor figure to teach me about. I know I keep saying male, but, you know, it's like, that's the. The stereotype is that.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Right?

[Sam Taggart]

Because these bands are men.

[Yasi Salek]

I Don't know about guitar rock music, but.

[Sam Taggart]

But right, so it's like, I don't know what you're doing. Do you ever?

[George Taveras]

Yeah. So which man tells you what to say?

[Sam Taggart]

Do you have, like, a brother or

[Yasi Salek]

something who taught you about this?

[Sam Taggart]

But my embarrassment, what I'm ashamed of is, like, when I really got into the only time in my life that I've, quote, unquote, been into rock music at all is like, the hate of, like, late aughts 2010s, Pitchfork Music. Like, literally, like, Vampire Weekend. Like, I wouldn't.

[George Taveras]

A little height, A little more height.

[Yasi Salek]

Bethany's one of my best friends, but

[Sam Taggart]

it's like Beach House.

[Yasi Salek]

Sure.

[Sam Taggart]

What are the other Animal Collective like, all like?

[Yasi Salek]

That's Grimes.

[Sam Taggart]

Yes. I love Grimes. But I'm trying to think of, like, rock. It's like I went to coachella in, like, 2010. Like, that was my apocalypse.

[Yasi Salek]

That's like, a really, like, blind spot

[Sam Taggart]

for me, which is just such an inherently embarrassing. Like, that era, the era of, like, the indie hipster, is so deeply embarrassing to have that be your youth. You know what I mean?

[Yasi Salek]

Because you were, like, 18, right?

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, that makes sense. Like a little older.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, yeah.

[George Taveras]

You talked before we were recording about how sort of the gendered element of hosting a music podcast.

[Yasi Salek]

Okay, well, I didn't say those words. I really wish you wouldn't say that.

[Sam Taggart]

I said you were talking earlier about how women can do it all.

[George Taveras]

You said. You said you came in here wearing

[Yasi Salek]

a pink hat, and we were like, please remove that.

[George Taveras]

Yeah, I'm with her. I'm still with her.

[Sam Taggart]

We want to talk to you about being a woman.

[Yasi Salek]

What's it like to be a woman in podcasting?

[Sam Taggart]

But literally, like, think of all the male dominated fields. Podcasting, ringer network, indie rock.

[Yasi Salek]

True.

[Sam Taggart]

Hello? Hello.

[Yasi Salek]

What is she doing?

[Sam Taggart]

Are you okay?

[Yasi Salek]

What is she doing here?

[George Taveras]

Is there a gun to your head? Have you been abducted?

[Sam Taggart]

Like, how do you feel about, like, the archetype of cool rock girl?

[Yasi Salek]

Like, Manicured Dream podcast girl.

[Sam Taggart]

Like, sort of like, literally Juliette Lewis. You know what I mean?

[Yasi Salek]

Like, like crazy.

[Sam Taggart]

Like, like, who's. Who's an example?

[George Taveras]

I think both of these are correct.

[Yasi Salek]

Like, Cool Kennedy from mtv who turned out very right wing actually, in the end.

[George Taveras]

Oh, they always do.

[Yasi Salek]

Idallis. She was Latina. I'm not really thinking of one.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, wait.

[Yasi Salek]

Janine Garofalo. She was sort of in the Gen X music space.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, totally, totally. Girl who can hang in rock music.

[Yasi Salek]

Right?

[Sam Taggart]

What do you think of that? Archetype and how do you engage with it on a day to day basis?

[Yasi Salek]

Go, okay,

[George Taveras]

let us ask a question and then we'll move on.

[Yasi Salek]

You know, look, I love my job. I'm actually deeply, very interested. When I do it is really funny because it's an extremely male dominated space. I like to think I bring a little panache and color to it as well as a great deal of vocal fry, which I'm reminded of almost every day by men who, I suppose the government has come to their home with a gun to their head and said, listen, if you don't listen to bands playing, we will tax you double. And then they're like, well, I had to listen to your podcast and I hate how you talk. I'm like, well, you simply could not listen to my podcast.

[George Taveras]

That's so hurt.

[Yasi Salek]

People angry that it's like they're in a hostage situation where like, they, they're like, yeah, but you're talking about the national. I must listen to this. But why do you have to talk that way? Like, we'll get comments that are like, I know. And don't read the comments. They're like, I love this podcast. I just wish I had a different host.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

And I'm like, what do you think this podcast is? Aside from the host? Not to be like, like, what is it? What is the mechanism of this podcast? What's going on here besides me?

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

So that person is saying, I like music, right? Like, they're saying, like, it would be cool if there was a podcast about music.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah.

[George Taveras]

That person's literally going to take your podcast, send it to AI, say, send this back to me in voice of

[Sam Taggart]

man, voice of Dave Grohl.

[Yasi Salek]

And I hope, I hope they do that. That would be great for them. I just. And then I'm also like, why did I choose this? It's really hard. I don't get any free stuff. I mean, I do, but it's like,

[Sam Taggart]

do you get free concert tickets? Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

And like vinyl. But like, I want skincare, I want clothes. I'm a girl. Like, no one's sending me to like an activation around like drunk elephant or

[George Taveras]

whatever episode about Kim Petras.

[Sam Taggart]

I'm sorry, first of all. Yeah, literally do an episode about Kim Petras, and then she will absolutely invite you to a billion activations.

[Yasi Salek]

Okay, Good to know. Thinking about it.

[Sam Taggart]

But I also. Sam has worked with Kim Petra, so watch it.

[George Taveras]

We shared the screen together.

[Sam Taggart]

There's nothing bad about Kim Petra. They were colleagues together in a production where Sam later got caught that's not true.

[George Taveras]

I shut down the shoot because you

[Yasi Salek]

brought the patient there. Okay, you were the patient zero.

[George Taveras]

I was patient like four in Chile.

[Sam Taggart]

You know what's funny is what you're describing is the opposite of my experience, where the free things I get are so, like, exactly coded to your. No, no, I wish they were coded to me, but it's like, whatever. I don't want to call out a specific, but it's like I recently did get a package of. Of skincare stuff from a brand I don't know or care about. So now I suddenly have to.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, I have to deal with this, deal with that.

[Sam Taggart]

Whereas if someone gave me free concert tickets to see, you know, Madonna or frankly, even Foo Fighters, I would be like, amazing. Like an experience.

[Yasi Salek]

Please don't take away the free concert tickets. I love them. And honestly, I love the vinyl too. Do I have a record player? The answer is no, but I love it.

[George Taveras]

Really?

[Sam Taggart]

That's shocking to me that you don't have a record player.

[Yasi Salek]

Record players, this is main greatest held theory, actually. Record players come with boyfriend and they leave with boyfriends. And that's none of my business. And the next time will be when a boyfriend comes again. They will bring theirs. I don't know about audio systems. I don't know chord progressions. I don't know what an arpeggio is. And I'm certainly not an audiophile.

[George Taveras]

I really relate to what I do.

[America 250 Announcer]

I.

[George Taveras]

My. The speakers that I currently. I do have a record player, but the speakers are now. Husband boyfriends.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

And.

[George Taveras]

But it was like, I like, just this year I was like, I could buy my own speakers. I don't have to have these.

[Yasi Salek]

I just can't. I am a girl. I can't be knowing about that. I don't know how to get into that.

[George Taveras]

You already overstepped your gender exactly enough.

[Yasi Salek]

I can't go even further and know about audio equipment.

[George Taveras]

The CIA will have to take you out if you learn about audio equipment. She is.

[Sam Taggart]

Next thing you know, she's running for president.

[Yasi Salek]

I'm saying, hey, I'm with her. But you know what the weirdest part is? The weirdest part is probably an. And I don't want to typecast what your audience is totally who your audience is. But most podcasters, their audience mirrors them pretty one to one. Right?

[Sam Taggart]

And yours doesn't is what you're saying.

[Yasi Salek]

Audience is 80% middle aged straight guys,

[George Taveras]

which is checks out.

[Yasi Salek]

That's my bread and butter, babe. I'm happy. You're welcome. I love you never leave. I love my job. I love the checks. But like, like, it's so strange. I'm like, this is. And then every time, like, I have three favorite fan bases that are smaller. One is young girls, like 18 to 22 year old girls. And they'll be like, I love Pavement now because of you. And I'm like, cool. Did it. I did it. One is clergyman.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

What?

[Yasi Salek]

Actually, maybe it's only two. Yeah. I have, like a very small but devoted fan base of. Of different dominations of clergy.

[America 250 Announcer 2]

People.

[Yasi Salek]

It's men. It's not people, it's men.

[George Taveras]

What does clergyman mean?

[Yasi Salek]

A man of the faith. Like I have. There's priests, there's a reverend. My favorite, and I don't want to say favorites, but my favorite is a literal Catholic monk who lives in a monastery in Kansas. Writes me emails. He wears the robe well.

[Sam Taggart]

Do you think it's just like a lot of solitary time, you know, you listen to music, you like, get into music. It's like one of the things that I can imagine.

[Yasi Salek]

I think clergy are people too. And they like, like, you know, Gen X clergymen also love guitar rock music, and they're happy to hear this. Dumb.

[George Taveras]

I got to say, my father in law is a preacher. He's a. He's a man in charge of the church. What are they called?

[Yasi Salek]

A pastor.

[America 250 Announcer]

Pastor.

[Yasi Salek]

I think it kind of depends what church it is. But yeah, let's say pastor.

[George Taveras]

Okay.

[Yasi Salek]

Could be a priest, could be a reverend, won't be a priest. Because priests you take a vow of. Oh, that's the Catholic. Oh, yeah. They're not married.

[George Taveras]

I forget which one's which.

[Sam Taggart]

That would be really awkward if he was supposed to be so awkward, but

[George Taveras]

he would absolutely gag for your podcast. He is.

[Yasi Salek]

So I'm still gathering more obsessed with

[George Taveras]

cool chicks talking about rock.

[Yasi Salek]

It also might be because I do often say things like, I think all music comes from God, so they feel. They feel safe.

[Sam Taggart]

Or you do have a spiritual element and you're into like astrology. Not to. That wasn't meant as an insult.

[Yasi Salek]

The clergy people are not that into that. Actually, the Catholic monks sent me this. This. I don't even know what the saint is. I think it's like Benedictine because he was like, I heard you talking about tarot and I feel worried that you're summoning the dark forces and you need protection. And he mailed this to me. I don't feel the dark forces have been summoned. I mean, sometimes in like the comment section, but like, we're. We're none of us are safe from that, you know, legit.

[George Taveras]

Wow.

[Yasi Salek]

Wow. Do you guys read the comments?

[George Taveras]

Yes. Every single one. I read every single comment. George. You don't get the Spotify ones, but I do read them.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, I don't read them.

[Yasi Salek]

You can just go and look at them.

[Sam Taggart]

What do you mean I don't get them?

[George Taveras]

Like, they come to me in an email.

[America 250 Announcer 2]

No.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, because we signed up, like all the click on the show and they're right underneath. Yeah, No, I know, but usually those are positive. I mean, I don't know. I don't. I definitely don't read Spotify comments.

[Yasi Salek]

They're 99% positive.

[America 250 Announcer 2]

Right.

[Yasi Salek]

But it's the 1%.

[Sam Taggart]

What happens, I would say once every few months, I check in on Apple podcast reviews and those are again, 90% positive. But the negative ones are so crushing. Because what it is, ultimately, what it is, is people that have stuck with you for five years and then you said one thing that made them turn against you. And it's basically like a teenager yelling at their mom. It's someone being like, I could deal with this, I could deal with this, I could deal with this. But I can't believe what you said about, you know, pajama sets being straight.

[George Taveras]

Yeah, we got one. This one's reasonable. We just got. I checked it today. We got a Spotify comment. It's just that someone said, as an LA native, you guys are starting to make me sick.

[Yasi Salek]

Wow.

[Sam Taggart]

I mean, we, we're negative about la. Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

And we have to stop LA culture.

[Sam Taggart]

I know, but people are. People are mad. I. I need to stop being like, you guys deserve Spencer Pratt.

[Yasi Salek]

But it's how, it's how it works. Because every other city is garbage. So, like, if they didn't hate la. Yeah, like that's, that's the train.

[Sam Taggart]

What am I going to do? Hate Bloomington?

[Yasi Salek]

What are you going to do? Hate New York? Sucks. But, like, everyone there has to live under the delusion that it's awesome and fun.

[Sam Taggart]

Can't do this with you.

[Yasi Salek]

In order to.

[George Taveras]

But this, this, this time, we've had a few Los Angeles natives. Yourself included.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah.

[George Taveras]

So now they can't say that anymore.

[Sam Taggart]

You're from Torrance.

[Yasi Salek]

That's right. Famously.

[George Taveras]

Which is la.

[Sam Taggart]

No, my. My longest term ex was from Palace.

[Yasi Salek]

Oh. Yeah. Nearby.

[Sam Taggart]

Nearby.

[Yasi Salek]

It's a South Bay.

[Sam Taggart]

Crazy.

[Yasi Salek]

There's no reason for you to.

[Sam Taggart]

Crazy time. Sort of a like an Orange county conservative.

[Yasi Salek]

Palace Verde is not Torrance.

[Sam Taggart]

Not Torrance. Torrents is more like a beach town.

[Yasi Salek]

Torrance is Like a no man's. I don't know how to describe it.

[Sam Taggart]

It's like, I've been there. That's the first place I ever went to. Lemonade is Torrance in all fours.

[Yasi Salek]

Excuse me?

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, fours in Miranda July.

[George Taveras]

Does she go there?

[Sam Taggart]

I think that sounds familiar.

[George Taveras]

I think she might go there. That's why I've heard that.

[Yasi Salek]

I thought she went east.

[George Taveras]

Oh, brother.

[Sam Taggart]

East where?

[Yasi Salek]

When she went to, like, the motel to redecorate it or whatever.

[George Taveras]

But I don't. I don't freaking know.

[Sam Taggart]

Do you feel like your listeners have read all fours?

[George Taveras]

No, our listeners are people who have read all fours.

[Sam Taggart]

Our listeners have read all fours. That's the difference between you and.

[Yasi Salek]

I'll tell you what. I think maybe two of my listeners have read all fours, and the rest of them are like, that should be

[Sam Taggart]

the only exit interviewer for podcast. Like, if you want to know your audience. Audience. It's like, have you or have you not read all fours? Because it sort of says what we need.

[Yasi Salek]

I definitely talk about perimenopause more than any of these men have ever heard that word in their life.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, that word is trending.

[George Taveras]

It's trending in a big way.

[Yasi Salek]

You invented it two years ago.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

Literally.

[Sam Taggart]

It's crazy.

[Yasi Salek]

I'm so sorry that that was never a thing. It was never a thing until I had it. And then I was like, why is it everywhere? And I have to take a supplement for it and you're selling me a gummy.

[Sam Taggart]

It explains any health issue you might be having. My friend was just talking about this because she is a writer and she's contemplating writing about the perimenopause discourse, which I think is like a overdue article idea. It's like, so where did this come from? Like, for the cup sort of thing

[Yasi Salek]

in some sort of bananas.

[Sam Taggart]

And then it's like a photo shoot. That's like a tampon that's like screaming, yeah, A Polaroid. Yes. What was I saying? Oh, yeah. And she was like, the way perimenopause is sold is anything can be caused. Like, it's like, if you're having better sex than ever or worse sex than ever, both can be thoughts.

[Yasi Salek]

Well, that doesn't apply to me. None of that applies to me. I do think, like, not pink pussy hat, right?

[George Taveras]

Pink hat stays on.

[Sam Taggart]

This episode stays on.

[Yasi Salek]

I do think it's, like, actually psychotic that, like, no one's talked about it until now because is. It is so insanely debilitating. And then you kind of uncompletely understand the patriarchy. You're like, oh, yeah. Because an entire gender is, like, kneecapped at the exact age where men are like, I'm a CEO now. And they're like, I haven't slept in four weeks because I have hot flashes.

[Sam Taggart]

And you're like.

[Yasi Salek]

And also, everyone was like. Like, I think about my mom. And it's like, they just were like, yeah, you just deal with it. Like, there was no inter. Like, we can't help you. And now it's like, I don't care if it's because they want to make money out of it. Help us.

[Sam Taggart]

Right?

[George Taveras]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

The brain fog. I was like, oh, my God. My job is to talk and say sentences that more or less make sense, and if I can't do that, I'm gonna be out of a job. So can you give me one of those hormone patches or whatever, and I'll slap that shit right on my ass, babe, and call it a day like that. That's hot and sexy.

[Sam Taggart]

That's not really our audience.

[George Taveras]

Is we so rock hard from hearing that?

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

My therapist told me recently that she was like, have you ever talked about being single on your podcast? And I was like, what do you mean? And she was like, have you ever just gone on there and been like, I'm single?

[Sam Taggart]

It would be an amazing way for you to weaponize your male listenership is to be like, do any of you want to date?

[George Taveras]

You know, you wouldn't be the first one. Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

Was that true?

[Sam Taggart]

As in, like, people dating their listeners,

[George Taveras]

People weaponizing their audience to get dates?

[Sam Taggart]

That's true.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

True.

[Yasi Salek]

I think that's a little weird. But also, I mean, I haven't asked my therapist. I was like, is that a little desperate? And she was like, I think you

[Sam Taggart]

can sprinkle it in. Just be like, the other day when

[Yasi Salek]

I was being super single.

[Sam Taggart]

Being single.

[George Taveras]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

The other day when I was petting my cat and contemplating going to a film and had no one to go with because I'm really single. But instead I came and talked about it here, where I'm sure the audience will be, no, everyone's beating down my door to go on trip a date.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, no, they're actually going to be beating down your door to, like, stand you, which is like a sort of, like, the other side of the coin. Like, there's not enough straight men to be, like, beating down your door to go on a date. They're literally like, can we kind of lift you up parade style? And, like, like, sort of, like, carry you across the town square and be like, yeah, that's so much better than dating. And then it's like they're wearing T shirts. That's like perimenopausal AF, but it's like the 22 year old gay guy.

[Yasi Salek]

Menopausal AF is so dark.

[Sam Taggart]

Write that down.

[George Taveras]

Write it down.

[Sam Taggart]

Merch for banter. None of your listeners will want it.

[Yasi Salek]

Except for the clergy.

[George Taveras]

Clergy.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, okay, first of all, do you have any final thoughts on Foo Fighters as a straight topic?

[Yasi Salek]

No, I forgot we were so sorry.

[George Taveras]

It doesn't always happen.

[Yasi Salek]

No, but Foo Fighters just in particular are just like.

[Sam Taggart]

Dave Grohl as a figure is also some.

[George Taveras]

Well, because he's so wholesome, he has like the good reputation that's been sullied by his big affair.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

Yeah.

[George Taveras]

Which I actually do quite like, but I am sort of like.

[Sam Taggart]

Wait, which part do you like? The fact that his reputation was sullied by the affair.

[George Taveras]

Yes.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, okay.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Okay.

[Yasi Salek]

I. I find him to be. You know what? No one's gonna hear this. That, that.

[Sam Taggart]

No.

[Yasi Salek]

No one listens in that world. No. But just like in that world, you'd be surprised what I find him to be. The second most annoying man in rock music.

[Sam Taggart]

Who's the first?

[Yasi Salek]

Tom Morello, who's like constantly bringing his like, elderly 95 year old mother onto his podcast. Elder Abuse. Like, leave your mom come out of this.

[George Taveras]

There's a lot of elder abuse.

[Yasi Salek]

She worked and raised you.

[Sam Taggart]

The music industry runs on elder abuse, babe.

[Yasi Salek]

I say it all the time. I'm like, oh, we're parading Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett. Yeah. Out again.

[George Taveras]

Joni Mitchell dragged onto a stage.

[Yasi Salek]

They haven't. Yeah, like you put a catheter in this and shove them on stage to make a few bucks. Leave Bob Dylan alone.

[George Taveras]

Well, he's doing it all on his own. He is obsessed. The amount of abuse, auto elder abuse, Iggy Pop does.

[Sam Taggart]

Auto elder abuse is like, I'm taking my shirt off whether you like it or not.

[Yasi Salek]

The Rolling Stones are doing that as well.

[George Taveras]

Oh, yeah. But Bob Dylan at least also abuses his audience.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, that's true. I like that. He's like, just fucking mean to them. Yeah.

[George Taveras]

And just like plays something that no one wants to hear.

[Sam Taggart]

You know who has never looked younger? Paul McCartney. What is he on peptides? Is he not like 105 years old? I'm sorry, but the Beatles are like my grandparents generation. Like, what is happening? How is he so nimble and articulate?

[America 250 Announcer 2]

It.

[George Taveras]

And how do you feel about the Paul McCartney John Lennon binary.

[Yasi Salek]

The what now?

[George Taveras]

Paul McCartney. John Lennon binary.

[Yasi Salek]

I'm going to tell you, the Beatles is a thing I just don't think about that much.

[Sam Taggart]

Really?

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah. Not no shade, no tea or whatever you guys say. I like the Beatles as much as a normal person, but, like, it's not just I don't spend a deep amount of time thinking about them. Do you guys. Are you guys on peptides?

[Sam Taggart]

No, we were just talking about crazy. So you are.

[Yasi Salek]

Well, I guess you're only 33.

[Sam Taggart]

Sorry. It's crazy that we're not on peptides. Aren't they. Can they kill you?

[George Taveras]

Yeah. Should I be on peptides?

[Yasi Salek]

Celsius could kill you.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, you should definitely get off of that too.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, I'm a. I'm a big peptide proponent, so.

[George Taveras]

Where do you put it?

[Yasi Salek]

I don't. This is not medical advice. I'm not a doctor.

[Sam Taggart]

Are you doing that skincare reason really?

[Yasi Salek]

Well, it's a. It's a. It's a shot. It's a shot. Yeah.

[George Taveras]

Okay. Does it hurt?

[Yasi Salek]

No.

[George Taveras]

Okay.

[Sam Taggart]

All right, we're starting them.

[George Taveras]

We're gonna go ahead and do peptides after this.

[Sam Taggart]

It really is a New York versus LA thing not to.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, once again, people in New York do it, but I think they have to, like, get it shipped. And it's like, it's the continuation of that thing where it's like, you're not ugly or just poor, you know, like. Or you're not like, old, you're just poor. Like, it's just that. Again with a new batch of things.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, I think in New York those things are frowned upon because you other. No, no, it's not that. It's not that. Oh, my God, you're attacking me.

[George Taveras]

We need this. We need this.

[Sam Taggart]

No, we do need this. No, I think in New York what happens is like, skincare, wellness, health stuff is very, like, immediately coded as luxury. Whereas in la, it's almost like people rush to democratize that they're like, everyone needs to have access to peptides in la. Whereas in New York, I think there's. Everything in New York is all about, like, exclusivity and lines, right? So it's like you have to first go through the phase of peptides being something that only the facialist to the stars can give you. And then generation two, it's like how in la, you know, anything goop coded first is everywhere in la and then suddenly it's like. And Ear one is opening in the Village, you know?

[Yasi Salek]

Wait, do you guys want to hear my first peptide experience. Because it's actually an insane story.

[Sam Taggart]

Okay, okay.

[Yasi Salek]

I'm not gonna say I was mentally healthy at this time.

[George Taveras]

Well, a few of us are.

[Yasi Salek]

But I definitely found myself through a referral in a man's apartment in West Hollywood. A gay man. In my mind at the time, it turns out actually it was straight. But just so you can get into your headspace.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

In my. Yeah. And again, I'm in an apartment. This is not a medical professional. He has no medical training. That I couldn't speak of. Next thing I know, I'm buying 3,000American dollars of peptides. It was for six months. This was a long time.

[George Taveras]

Whoa. That's a deal.

[Yasi Salek]

I'm being taught how to inject them by his trans assistant. She was very nice. It was k. It was Kim Petras. She has a lot of jobs. I don't know if you guys know, she looked really cute. She had a little nurse outfit on. So that's already pretty Rock bots.

[Sam Taggart]

Sorry. And how Rockbots. I'm gonna have to citizens arrest you for that. How did you find the West Hollywood gay acting straight man?

[Yasi Salek]

So a girl I was like, like didn't know, but was followed online, tweeted about it.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

See I know first 100 people that

[George Taveras]

show up at this apartment get $3,000.

[Yasi Salek]

This is like full on, like need to go to the grippy socks. Do you know what I mean?

[George Taveras]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

And then my. But I had a mutual with this girl and she had written her be like, I need the info. And I was like. And I text her, I was like, I need that info too. So then I get the info. I go whatever. It was actually tying right back into the beginning of the convo. It was at like the very. I had just finished a big sprint of work. Right. And I always get sick after that. It's like like clockwork. And so I go out to dinner that night full chock full of peptides. Also, this is why you'll get why I thought maybe he was gay. He was like, do you also want to lose five pounds? And I was like, well, yes, of course. Everybody also wants to lose five. There's not one person on earth who doesn't say yes to that. And so he gave me one peptide that was like, like a not on market yet and still I think isn't on market. It's like two years ago. GLP1. First of all, I get so sick like almost immediately.

[Sam Taggart]

So you lose the weight?

[Yasi Salek]

Well, I didn't eat for three weeks.

[George Taveras]

Whoa.

[Yasi Salek]

I got back. Well, didn't eat three weeks. I was like, okay, that was bad. And then God intervened because then literally one week later, my house burned down with all the Peptides in it. And that was. That was God's plan to protect me from myself.

[George Taveras]

I see the spirituality now.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah.

[George Taveras]

Wow, that is a scary.

[Yasi Salek]

Can you believe I waited till now to play my tiny violin about my house burning down when I could have been engendering so much sympathy and getting the audience on my side? From the moment I got here, the restraint that it took to. Oh, my God, I'm fine if I want to make it weird. Yes, of course. Look, I'm thriving.

[George Taveras]

That is so wild.

[Yasi Salek]

That was pre House burning down, what I just told you. I got better.

[Sam Taggart]

I think it's. It's like the house burning down put things into perspective.

[America 250 Announcer 2]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

You were like, I should have a cracker.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

Anyways, he's now like the. A millionaire. Like, he was like, he's like a millionaire peptide guy. And he was like, you were my second ever client. And I was like, good for you, sis.

[Sam Taggart]

You know, I have to say, a gay guy telling you you should lose five pounds. That's what I'm saying. A gay guy telling you you should lose five pounds. Obviously offensive, but like, like, I guess

[Yasi Salek]

he didn't say you should. He said, do you want to.

[Sam Taggart]

But a straight guy asking you if you. If you want to lose five pounds, that's like fully, like, kind of offensive.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, I was like, I mean, if you think I need to.

[George Taveras]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

I was wearing. He's like, as a straight man, like, do you want to lose £5?

[Yasi Salek]

Behoove you.

[Sam Taggart]

Right.

[George Taveras]

He's like, I'm taking my straight man hat off and I'm putting my casting director hat on. Do you want to lose five pounds?

[Yasi Salek]

I was like, I host an audio only podcast at that time.

[George Taveras]

He's like, keep telling yourself that, sweetheart.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

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[Yasi Salek]

I hate to say it, but I don't trust much of anything.

[Sam Taggart]

It's the rage bait.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

It feels like it's trying to divide people.

[Yasi Salek]

We got clear facts. Maybe we could calm down a little bit.

[George Taveras]

NBC News brings you clear reporting. Let's meet at the Facts. Let's move forward from there. NBC News reporting for America.

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[George Taveras]

Should we wrap up?

[Yasi Salek]

That's a great place to end. Yasseh. Thank you so much for that story.

[George Taveras]

I'm scared.

[Sam Taggart]

Sorry about your house. Goodbye.

[Yasi Salek]

I feel uncomfortable.

[George Taveras]

I don't know how to deal with this. I can't have this conversation go any further because I don't know what else is under there.

[Sam Taggart]

I love it. I literally could talk to you about Madonna for hours. And now that I have your number, I might be texting because as we said, we're literally. Neither of us is done with the stream.

[George Taveras]

Not even close. I'm nearing the halfway point.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. I don't even know if I'm at the halfway point. And now I'm learning there's a mailbag episode I have to listen to after.

[Yasi Salek]

And a movies episode just came out today.

[Sam Taggart]

Fuck. Really? Wait, there's a guy.

[Yasi Salek]

Guess it's Sean Fenis and Amanda Dobbins of the Ringer Big Picture podcast.

[Jana Kramer (Ad voice)]

Whoa.

[Sam Taggart]

Have you ever seen Swept Away? The guy Richie directed Madonna movie? No. Oh, crazy, Crazy town.

[Yasi Salek]

You got to watch it.

[George Taveras]

I don't think I've seen any of the movies you've discussed in the podcast so far.

[Yasi Salek]

Really?

[George Taveras]

Yeah. I've never seen Dick Tracy.

[Sam Taggart]

I never saw Dick Tracy is the second Seeking Susan.

[George Taveras]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

You've never seen Desperately Seeking Susan?

[George Taveras]

No.

[Sam Taggart]

Suddenly Seeking Susan. I. I. Desperate.

[Yasi Salek]

Suddenly Susan, I believe, was a sitcom.

[Sam Taggart]

Right.

[George Taveras]

That's where it gets complicated.

[Sam Taggart]

And then it's like Suddenly Seymour, which is what I was thinking, is a song from Little Shop of Horrors.

[Yasi Salek]

Oh, sure. But, yeah, you should watch that. It's really good.

[George Taveras]

Okay, I'm going to. I mean, I'm gonna do a lot of Madonna consuming over the next couple days.

[Sam Taggart]

Best Madonna film is the music video for God Control, where she solves school shootings.

[Yasi Salek]

That's so tough.

[Sam Taggart]

It's a tough one.

[Yasi Salek]

That's a tough one.

[Sam Taggart]

But she's writing in her little typewriter.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah, it's a tough one.

[George Taveras]

Our final segment is called Shout Outs. And in this segment we pay homage to the grand Strait tradition of the radio. Shout out. Shouting out anything that we're enjoying. People, places, things, concepts. And we make them up on the spot. And George and I do go first. And do you have one?

[Sam Taggart]

Sure. I want to give a shout out to the chica who works at the Intelligentsia close to our studio. The that is a big fan of the podcast and gave Sam a free coffee cake this morning when I was not part of. When I was not with him.

[George Taveras]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

I have just now made the decision that I'm going to eat the coffee cake which Sam offered to me earlier, but I wasn't hungry enough. And so I want to thank you. Belatedly. You thought you were eating the. Sam. I'm going to be the one eating it. I hope that's okay. And I just want to say, I feel, you know, LA isn't my home. I live in New York. And so when. And I have, you know, the idea that I would go to Twin Intelligentsia in Hollywood, of all places, and be recognized. You have no idea how much that means to me. I kind of feel like I am Madonna during the Desperately Seeking Susan promo tour. And I have to say, you know, Intelligentsia coffee is pretty good. So I think it's nice that we have fans in places like Intelligentsia and not sort of like a flop coffee shop where I wouldn't want to go and get my business. So shout out to all Third Wave Coffee everywhere and shout out to Los Angeles and California. I think you guys can turn it around.

[George Taveras]

What's up? Freak solutions and perverts around the globe. I want to give a huge shout out to my dear college friend, Gary Canino. Gary Canino told me everything I needed to know about music ever. He lives in la, Los Angeles, California. There is a music scene here. He does play music and he tells me that it exists. I have only been to one to two of his shows here, but they do exist. Check out Dark Tea. Everywhere you consume music. You know, if you don't have a guy in your life who tells you what music is, I don't know how you learn about it. For me, it's all about having a guy. And, you know, I have to check in with Gary every year or so to be like, so what do I listen to now? Because basically my taste comes entirely from him. And if it weren't for him, I wouldn't know pretty much anything. And he also took an acting class randomly, L.A. shout out California. It changes us all. And Peptides will be in my diet starting tomorrow.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, I'm. I'm literally texting.

[George Taveras]

I'm texting my Peptides guy and I will be over there shortly. So have them warmed up and ready to inject me. Mama. XOXO Sam.

[Sam Taggart]

And shout out to Joe Costcarly. I'm sorry that I came for you and I love you and I forgive you for not liking Charlie xcx.

[George Taveras]

I'm still questioning.

[Sam Taggart]

Okay, yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

Oh, okay. Well, you guys covered so much there. You brought back how you're still hungry because you only ate half the sandwich. He ate the whole sandwich. You had to remind him that he had a little sandwich. Okay, what's up? What do you guys say? Freaks and losers.

[George Taveras]

You say whatever you want.

[Yasi Salek]

What's up, Freaks and losers? I have a couple. I have a few music ones. There's a band called Badrill in the Bay Area. If you guys want to be like very early adopters, Badrill is my suggestion to you. They're awesome. It's like very like dense sludgy beautiful, dreamy shoegaze.

[George Taveras]

How do you spell that?

[Yasi Salek]

It's like B, A, D, V, R, I, L. Okay. They're available on the Spotify platform or wherever you find music. Give it a listen. Really good. Also, you know, if you're a tear up. Ice Age, a well known band, just put on a new album. Really, really, really good. Really love. And then thirdly, I would like to give a recommendation of taking an adult class that is not a fitness class. That makes you feel uncomfortable, damages your ego a little, but ultimately helps you grow as a person. For example, I just started taking adult ballet.

[George Taveras]

Really?

[Yasi Salek]

That's right.

[Sam Taggart]

It's something I do know from following you on Instagram.

[Yasi Salek]

And because I need everyone to know

[Sam Taggart]

about it, I kept almost bringing it up to ask you, like, do you think it's straight that you're doing that, or do you think that it's queer that you're doing the idea of taking an adult ballet class as a woman

[Yasi Salek]

in music, as a woman of musical experience. I don't think it's queer.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

Is it?

[Sam Taggart]

I think if I think it's straight, but in like, a wonderful, expansive way.

[Yasi Salek]

Despite, like, my presentation, I'm unfortunately, like, deeply straight.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, totally.

[George Taveras]

Which we celebrate.

[Yasi Salek]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

Like, and that's okay.

[Yasi Salek]

I think real. It's a disease. Get well soon. Style. I love it. I wanted to feel. I wanted to feel more feminine.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

And I want to wear belly shoes, of course. And it's fucking hard. And I love it.

[George Taveras]

I'm sure.

[Yasi Salek]

And it's not about exercise, which I really, really like. It's not like a Pilates class. They're not like, pump your groin or whatever they say, you know?

[Sam Taggart]

Are you on point?

[Yasi Salek]

Maybe in three years of adult ballet, when I'm 47, I'll invite you guys to my recital.

[George Taveras]

Can't wait.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, my God, I would love to.

[George Taveras]

Adult ballet recital in la.

[Sam Taggart]

In la.

[George Taveras]

I'm going to an adult ballet recital in Los Feliz. That'd be fun.

[Yasi Salek]

You guys are gonna make a sketch comedy out of this, aren't you?

[George Taveras]

No, no.

[Sam Taggart]

That would require me to actually put pen to paper and fire a final cut pro.

[America 250 Announcer]

This. This.

[Sam Taggart]

Which happens approximately once a year.

[George Taveras]

Media has sucked us dry of putting pen to paper.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. It's crazy.

[Yasi Salek]

Now we're like, whatever gets talking and somebody writing. People are like, hey, do you want

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

to write a book?

[Yasi Salek]

I'm like, I'd rather.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, that's literally the issue is that you get some creative energy out somehow, and then it's not pent up anymore, so you don't need to sit down and write.

[Yasi Salek]

And writing is really hard.

[Sam Taggart]

It's so hard. And it pays so little.

[Yasi Salek]

So little. Do you want to write a book?

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

No.

[George Taveras]

God no. I can barely read one. Well, thank you for doing the podcast. This has been such a true treat.

[Sam Taggart]

And everyone can listen to Bandsplain Yasi's podcast plenty. And specifically the Madonna series, which I just found out is still ongoing.

[Yasi Salek]

We got a little comment today. That guy was like, sorry, is this a Madonna podcast now? I feel like it's been several months. I thought it was an indie rock podcast.

[George Taveras]

Well, it.

[Sam Taggart]

It is sort of crazy how you're punishing your listeners, your male listeners.

[Yasi Salek]

It's been five weeks. It's not been several months. The hyperbole is excessive. And it's not an indie rock podcast either. And just like, okay, fine, come back. It's free.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[Yasi Salek]

This is available to you free of charge. Yeah, I'm sorry it didn't please you, sir. Come back next week. We'll have something else.

[Sam Taggart]

Wow. Okay, well. And on that angry note, goodbye.

[George Taveras]

Goodbye.

[Sam Taggart]

Podcast ends now.

[George Taveras]

Stradiolab is a production by Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and iHeartRadio podcasts created

[Sam Taggart]

and hosted by Sam Taggart and George

[George Taveras]

Taveras, executive produced by Becca Ramos, produced

[Sam Taggart]

by Casey Donahue, edited and mixed by Lawrence Stumpf Social video done by Hot Dog Sandwich.

[America 250 Announcer]

This July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party. Hosted by America250. America's Block Party is a can't miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

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[America 250 Announcer]

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[Yasi Salek]

This is an Iheart podcast. Guaranteed human.