Podcast
TanGent Show
Hosted by Rajiv Satyal · EN
Comedian Rajiv Satyal couldn't pick just one thing. How the heck can you do that in a world so big? And when he's JUST SO SMART? The Cincinnati-born, LA-based standup comic conducts holistic conversations with his guests, who hail from fields as diverse as entertainment, politics, business, religion, and tech.
25episodes
Episodes
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Godfrey
Jul 701:09:42Tap to summarizeGodfrey is one of those comedians who's impossible to mistake for anyone else. Whether you've seen him on 30 Rock, Louie, Zoolander, Our Cartoon President, or heard him holding court on The Godfrey Complex, you've probably noticed the same thing I have - he's an unmistakable talent. This conversation feels less like an interview and more like getting caught in the orbit of someone whose brain is firing in ten directions at once. We start by talking about comedy, but quickly end up covering everything from growing up as the son of Nigerian immigrants to why New York comedians are built differently, and why he believes conversation, not polished punchlines, is where great comedy actually comes from. I loved hearing Godfrey talk about race and Hollywood with a level of honesty that's equal parts thoughtful and fearless. He's passionate about representation, allergic to phoniness, and has absolutely no interest in saying what people expect him to say. Somewhere in between all of that, we accidentally turn the episode into a love letter to New York comedy, spend way too much time helping promote Stand Up New York's new ownership, and somehow convince ourselves Jerry Seinfeld should stop by. It's outspoken, opinionated, hilarious, and surprisingly philosophical. Which, now that I think about it, is probably the most accurate description of Godfrey himself. See Godfrey, live, on tour. Pick up some Godfrey merch. Follow Godfrey:Website Instagram Threads YouTube TikTok
Transcribe →Dr. Vivek Murthy
Jul 300:14:22Tap to summarizeDr. Vivek Murthy has served twice as Surgeon General of the United States, becoming one of the nation's leading voices on public health, mental well-being, addiction, loneliness, and preventive care. Before serving as "America's Doctor," he co-founded Doctors for America and multiple public health initiatives, earned degrees from Harvard and Yale, and has dedicated his career to making medicine more human. He's also the bestselling author of Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. I knew we'd spend some time talking about medicine and public health. What I didn't expect was just how quickly the conversation would turn into something much more personal. We cover everything from the opioid crisis, health education, and what the Surgeon General actually does day-to-day. We also hit on growing up as the son of Indian immigrants, the values his parents passed down, and what it means to build a life rooted in service. But what stayed with me most wasn't a statistic or a policy discussion. It was hearing Vivek talk about fatherhood, love as a guiding principle, and why understanding yourself may be the most important education you'll ever receive. There are moments in this conversation that feel surprisingly funny, moments that feel deeply practical, and a few that honestly made me stop and think long after we wrapped. I especially appreciated how thoughtful Vivek is. He has every credential imaginable, yet he approaches even the biggest questions with humility and curiosity rather than certainty. This is a conversation about health, but not just the kind you measure in a doctor's office. It's about the kind that shapes how we treat ourselves, each other, and the world we want to leave behind. Read Dr Vivek Murthy's book, Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. As his final act as the 21st U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy offers this parting prescription for the well-being of the country: read Dr Vivek Murthy's "My Parting Prescription for America" Subscribe to Dr Vivek Murthy's Substack Follow Dr Vivek Murthy: Website LinkedIn Instagram Facebook X (Twitter) TikTok
Transcribe →Rajiv Joseph
Jun 3001:39:44Tap to summarizeRajiv Joseph is one of the most acclaimed playwrights of his generation, with works including Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (a Pulitzer Prize finalist starring Robin Williams on Broadway), Guards at the Taj, Gruesome Playground Injuries, and Animals Out of Paper. He's also written for Showtime's Nurse Jackie, but as you'll hear, theater is where his heart has always been. There was something oddly comforting about this conversation. Maybe it's because Rajiv and I both grew up in Ohio. Maybe it's because we're both storytellers who obsess over completely different things. Or maybe it's because we accidentally spent two hours bouncing between Robin Williams, Chipotle orders, Breaking Bad, NFL trivia from the late '80s, Senegal, the Browns, and why The Shining somehow keeps getting better every time you watch it. Somewhere in the middle of all that, Rajiv casually drops some of the best advice I've heard about creativity. Not in a "here's my TED Talk" kind of way. Just in the way someone who's spent years wrestling with stories talks about his craft. We get into why finishing something mediocre is better than never finishing something great, why limitations can actually make you more creative, and how he finds himself writing about worlds he knows almost nothing about. I also loved hearing him talk about success without pretending he's ever "arrived." Even after Broadway and television, there's still that quiet anxiety every artist understands: now you have to do it again. It's an honest conversation with someone who's thoughtful, funny, and refreshingly uninterested in pretending to have all the answers. I walked away wanting to read more plays... and maybe order Chipotle. Read a recent article from Playbill with Rajiv Joseph Follow Rajiv Joseph:IMDb X (Twitter)
Transcribe →Savan Kotecha
Jun 2600:43:06Tap to summarizeWith more than 300 million records sold and songwriting credits for artists including Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, One Direction, Britney Spears, Ellie Goulding, Usher, Maroon 5, and many more, Savan Kotecha has quietly become one of the most successful hitmakers in modern pop music. But what surprised me most wasn't the resume. It was the person behind it. We sat down in Savan's studio expecting to talk about chart-topping songs, hit-making formulas, and the music business. We did plenty of that. We get into the craft of writing global pop records, why melody matters more than lyrics, the realities of streaming, working alongside legends like Max Martin and Madonna, and what it actually takes to give a song a shot at becoming a hit. But the conversation kept drifting somewhere more interesting. Savan talks about being inspired by movies, books, and even magazine confessionals. He explains why he still watches emotional TV dramas, why fame often looks very different from the outside than it does up close, and why some of his proudest accomplishments have nothing to do with Billboard charts. Along the way, we discuss Britney Spears, Grey's Anatomy, Swedish pop music, and the surprising story behind "What Makes You Beautiful." This is a conversation about creativity, ambition, and what happens when someone spends a lifetime chasing great songs while trying not to lose sight of everything else that matters. Listen to a collection of Savan Kotecha's work. Follow Savan Kotecha:Spotify IMDb Instagram
Transcribe →Drew Tarvin
Jun 2301:02:37Tap to summarizeDrew Tarvin is a humorist, author, and speaker who has built a career around one deceptively simple idea: work is better when people laugh. As the founder of Humor That Works and the author of "Humor That Works: The Missing Skill for Success and Happiness at Work", Drew has helped organizations use humor to improve communication, leadership, creativity, and company culture. Long before that became his full-time mission, he was balancing a career at Procter & Gamble with nights doing improv and stand-up comedy. I had a feeling this conversation would be fun, but I didn't expect it to get so practical. Drew doesn't just argue that humor belongs in the workplace, he explains why it works, where it goes wrong, and how almost anyone can use it without trying to become the office comedian. We talk about improv, presentations, brainstorming, leadership, why PowerPoint so often puts people to sleep, and the surprising psychology behind what actually makes something funny. We compare notes on stand-up, hip-hop, puns (far more than any reasonable podcast should contain) and why some of the best lessons about communication come from comedy clubs instead of conference rooms. I especially enjoyed hearing someone who thinks about humor as analytically as I do, while never losing sight of the fact that the goal isn't to be the funniest person in the room. It's simply to make the room a little more human. If you've ever had to give a presentation, lead a meeting, or wondered whether work really has to feel so serious all the time, I think you'll get a lot out of this one. Subscribe to Drew's Blog Pick up one of Drew's best selling books Work with Drew and Humor That Works Watch Drew's viral TEDx Talk Follow Drew Tarvin:Website LinkedIn Youtube Instagram Facebook
Transcribe →Ravi Patel
Jun 1900:23:31Tap to summarizeActor, filmmaker, writer, and entrepreneur Ravi Patel is known for Meet the Patels, Master of None, The Pursuit of Happyness, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Animal Control, and films including Long Shot and 80 for Brady. He's also built companies, created television projects, and somehow manages to make every career pivot seem inevitable in hindsight. I've always enjoyed talking with Ravi because he has this rare combination of ambition and perspective. We get into everything from his unlikely journey through investment banking and the poker boom to Meet the Patels, what happened after the documentary, and the projects he was building next. But the conversation really took an unexpected turn when we started talking about success. Ravi shared one of my favorite answers I've ever gotten to the question, "Have you made it?" His take on ambition, fatherhood, redefining success, and learning to love the pursuit instead of waiting for the destination genuinely stuck with me. We still manage to squeeze in plenty of laughs (and a surprisingly competitive game of blackjack), but this one became a much deeper conversation than I expected, and I'm really glad it did. Watch Ravi's real-life romantic comedy "Meet the Patels" Follow Ravi Patel:IMDb Instagram
Transcribe →Willis Turner
Jun 1601:50:28Tap to summarizeComedian Willis Turner has spent years touring comedy clubs across the country, sharing stages with comics like Loni Love and performing everywhere from small-town Montana to military bases overseas. But what started as two comedians swapping road stories turned into an extremely thoughtful conversation. We begin with life on the road, opening for other comics, unforgettable gigs, and the strange realities of stand-up, before the conversation naturally shifts into much bigger territory. Willis and I dive into politics, race, American history, generational perspectives, why travel changes the way you see the world, and whether comedians have become today's philosophers. I first met Willis backstage at the Comedy & Magic Club, and after talking with him for just a few minutes I knew I wanted to keep the conversation going. I'm glad we finally did. It's funny, thoughtful, and occasionally provocative. Follow Willis Turner:IMDb Instagram Facebook X (Twitter) TikTok
Transcribe →Priya Rai
Jun 1200:40:30Tap to summarizePriya Rai is one of the most recognizable Indian-born performers ever to work in the adult entertainment industry. Adopted from India and raised in Arizona, she built a successful career as a featured dancer, adult film star, entrepreneur, and online creator, becoming one of the few South Asian women to achieve mainstream name recognition in an industry where representation has historically been rare. I wasn't quite sure where this conversation would go, but that's part of what made it so fascinating. Priya is disarmingly open about everything - her adoption story, becoming a mother at a young age, raising two kids, entering the adult industry at 29, retiring, returning years later, and the complicated realities that most people never hear discussed honestly. What struck me wasn't the shock value of any of it. It was how matter-of-fact and thoughtful she was when talking about choices that many people spend their lives judging from a distance. We get into everything from stigma, relationships, family, and financial independence to how the internet completely changed the adult entertainment business. Along the way, she made me laugh far more than I expected, challenged some of my assumptions, and reminded me that the most interesting conversations usually happen when you're willing to talk with someone whose life experience looks nothing like your own. Follow Priya Rai:IMDb Instagram X (Twitter)
Transcribe →Jade Catta-Preta
Jun 901:20:51Tap to summarizeJade Catta-Preta is a Brazilian-born comedian, actress, television host, and stand-up comic whose credits include hosting MTV's Girl Code, appearances on shows like Manhattan Love Story and Those Who Can't, and a stand-up career that has made her one of the most recognizable voices in comedy today. We somehow bounced between Brazil, India, Game of Thrones, pilot season heartbreak, language, fashion, reality TV, and the weird psychology of performers, yet it all somehow connected. Jade is incredibly funny, but what stood out to me was how thoughtful she was about identity - growing up Brazilian in Virginia, trying to fit in, and eventually realizing that the things that make you different are usually the things worth leaning into. There were also a handful of moments where she said something that made me stop and think long after we moved on to the next topic. That's my favorite kind of guest - someone who can make me laugh and quietly change the way I see something in the same conversation. Watch Jade's recent Comedy Special "Jaded" Follow Jade Catta-Preta:Website IMDb Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok Youtube
Transcribe →Sujata Day
Jun 500:35:32Tap to summarizeI first became aware of Sujata Day through her work with Issa Rae on The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, but by the end of this conversation I found myself just as fascinated by the way she thinks as by anything she's made. Sujata is the writer, director, producer, and star of Definition Please, and one of those rare people who seems completely comfortable betting on herself - whether that means leaving a stable consulting job, cold-emailing Hollywood managers, cashing out stock to finance her own film, or building opportunities for other South Asian creators instead of waiting for someone else to do it. What I loved about this conversation is how practical it gets. Sujata doesn't talk about success in vague inspirational terms. She talks about the actual mechanics of it. We get into how a random Twitter follow led to her meeting Issa Rae before either of them were famous, why persistence matters more than any single project, how she landed representation through sheer hustle, and why she believes South Asians are finally starting to build the kind of creative community that other groups have benefited from for years. There's also plenty of fun along the way - spelling bee trauma, shooting a feature in her childhood home outside Pittsburgh, and her surprisingly strong case for wearing sweatpants to fancy events. More than anything, I came away impressed by how intentional she is about lifting other people up. That's a theme that runs through this entire episode, and it's probably the thing that stuck with me most. Follow Sujata Day: IMDb Website Instagram Facebook X (Twitter) Vimeo Youtube
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