#4424 The Duplassity Of Human Nature

Summary

TBTL: Too Beautiful To Live – Episode #4424: "The Duplassity Of Human Nature"

Release Date: March 17, 2025
Hosts: Luke Burbank and Andrew Walsh

In episode #4424 of TBTL: Too Beautiful To Live, hosts Luke Burbank and Andrew Walsh delve into a heartfelt and humorous exploration of their personal lives, particularly focusing on their feline companions, while also gearing up for an insightful interview with the renowned Duplass brothers. This episode seamlessly blends personal anecdotes with professional aspirations, offering listeners a genuine glimpse into the hosts' camaraderie and interests.

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1. Professor Banana’s Health Saga

The episode opens with Andrew Walsh sharing a poignant update about their beloved cat, Professor Banana. Over the past year, Professor Banana has faced significant health challenges, including pancreatitis, leading to concerning changes in her behavior.

Andrew Walsh [03:27]: "She's just so nervous all the time. She's always been a nervous cat. But she will not leave this closet."

Luke empathizes with Andrew’s distress, highlighting the emotional toll of caring for a troubled pet.

Luke Burbank [05:52]: "There are black hearted, right? I mean seriously, like they can't tell you how they're doing."

The hosts discuss the difficulties in diagnosing Professor Banana’s issues, contemplating whether her anxiety stems from physical ailments or deeper neurological concerns.

Andrew Walsh [10:00]: "I don't think it's digestive. I think something's going on with her brain grapes."

This segment underscores the universal challenges pet owners face when their animals exhibit unusual behaviors, blending humor with genuine concern.

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2. The Bubbles and Holly Dynamic: A Feline Sitcom

Transitioning from health concerns, Luke introduces the quirky relationship between their other cats, Bubbles and Holly. Their interactions resemble a comedic sitcom, with Bubbles’ hyperactivity complementing Holly’s laid-back demeanor.

Luke Burbank [11:15]: "The dynamic between Bubbles and Holly... it's kind of like a sitcom where Holly pretends that she's annoyed with Bubbles all the time, but secretly she likes it."

Andrew adds his own spin, coining potential sitcom titles that humorously reflect the cats' antics.

Andrew Walsh [13:21]: "We could call it 'Meet the Rimmers.'"

This lighthearted discussion highlights the hosts' ability to find entertainment and relatability in everyday pet behaviors, resonating with fellow pet enthusiasts.

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3. Preparing for the Duplass Brothers Interview

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to Luke’s anticipation of interviewing Jay and Mark Duplass, prolific figures in the film and television industry. Luke shares his admiration for their work and discusses insights from their book, Lake Brothers.

Luke Burbank [16:47]: "They try to get it to 80% of the best that they can do. And then they start turning it over to other people to kind of like, punch it up and tell them what's working and not working."

The hosts delve into the Duplass brothers' collaborative creative process, emphasizing their disciplined approach to filmmaking and their ability to balance personal relationships with professional endeavors.

Andrew Walsh [27:18]: "They love that."

Luke reflects on his own creative journey, contrasting his feelings of inspiration with the Duplass brothers' disciplined methodologies.

Luke Burbank [16:47]: "It frees them up to try to be creative."

This segment not only builds anticipation for the upcoming interview but also provides listeners with valuable insights into effective creative collaboration.

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4. Listener Interactions and Community Engagement

Throughout the episode, Luke and Andrew interact with their listener base, sharing shout-outs and responding to emails. They highlight the supportive nature of their community, fostering a sense of belonging among their audience.

Luke Burbank [46:11]: "Anna says it gives me great pleasure to donate in a dazzling manner to the work these three pod pals put into my daily source of entertainment."

Andrew provides a transparent update on their email subscriber count, balancing transparency with humor.

Andrew Walsh [60:35]: "We had some new subscribers. We had some people unsubscribing, so it gives us a 0.2% increase."

These interactions reinforce the podcast’s commitment to its listeners, acknowledging their contributions and the vital role they play in the show's continuity.

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5. Lighthearted Banter and Closing Thoughts

As the episode progresses, Luke and Andrew engage in their characteristic banter, touching upon topics like fantasy baseball, favorite TV shows, and personal anecdotes. This section serves as a testament to their long-standing friendship and ability to find humor in diverse subjects.

Andrew Walsh [62:04]: "Good luck to all."

Luke Burbank [61:58]: "Have a great Monday, wherever you are."

In closing, the hosts remind listeners of the upcoming Duplass brothers' interview and encourage continued support from their community.

Luke Burbank [45:52]: "In the meantime, have a great Monday, wherever you are. Take care of yourselves and please remember, no mountain too tall."

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Notable Quotes

• Andrew Walsh [03:27]: "She's just so nervous all the time. She's always been a nervous cat. But she will not leave this closet."

• Luke Burbank [11:15]: "The dynamic between Bubbles and Holly... it's kind of like a sitcom where Holly pretends that she's annoyed with Bubbles all the time, but secretly she likes it."

• Luke Burbank [16:47]: "They try to get it to 80% of the best that they can do. And then they start turning it over to other people to kind of like, punch it up and tell them what's working and not working."

• Andrew Walsh [60:35]: "We had some new subscribers. We had some people unsubscribing, so it gives us a 0.2% increase."

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Conclusion

Episode #4424 of TBTL: Too Beautiful To Live offers a blend of personal stories, professional insights, and engaging humor. Luke and Andrew’s candid discussions about their pets, upcoming interviews, and interactions with their community create a relatable and entertaining experience for listeners. Whether you're a long-time fan or a new listener, this episode highlights the authentic connection between the hosts and their audience, making it a standout installment in the TBTL series.

Transcript

[Luke Burbank]

And we've become great friends. I mean, close. We'll just sit in the front room and we'll sit there. He'll walk. He'll go to the front door, kind of knock on the door, and then sit down. Then I'll sit, then he stands, and he's out in the front. Then he'll come in. We just sit there, and he'll stand and I'll sit. And then. And then I stand and you sit. And then we're both looking at each other and we're just nodding like a couple of nodders. Right?

[Andrew Walsh]

Tbtl.

[Luke Burbank]

Okay. Ah. I've been waiting for this moment for months, and it's finally here.

[Andrew Walsh]

I'll say, what's up, Joe? Let the fun be getting tomorrow. I'm. I'm. I have. I'm easily. I. I don't. Hmm. How did. Do you follow.

[Luke Burbank]

How drunk are you? A lot to vary. I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed or buy anything sold or processed. Process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career. I don't want to do that. What do you say we go out and get some Carvel?

[Andrew Walsh]

I got the time if you got the diapers. Jalapeno. Jalapeno.

[Luke Burbank]

Well, all right. Hello, good morning, and welcome, everyone, to a Monday edition of tbtl, the show that just might be too beautiful to live. It's an audio files nightmare. My name is Luke Burbank. I am your host. How about Prisca coming to you from beautiful Burbank, California. California got sunshine in the prestigious urgent care district along Pass Avenue and Oak Street. Yes, here we are in Los Angeles, or more technically, Burbank, because I'm going to be off interviewing Jay and Mark Duplass, the Duplass brothers, here in an hour or so. And I gotta say, I don't usually feel nerves around these TV interviews, but I'm a little, you know, I'm, like, seriously excited.

[Andrew Walsh]

I'm kind of shy, but mostly excited.

[Luke Burbank]

These are a couple of guys who've made a lot of stuff that I've watched over the years. And as I was digging into it over the weekend, I found myself really wanting to do a good job with this, which is a rare feeling for me. I'm going to try to do a good job here on episode 4000, 424 in a collector series, which is where we've arrived. Let the fun begin. When I wasn't obsessing over the oeuvre of the Duplass Brothers. Over the weekend, I was basking in a very hot hot tub in a upscale spa in Portland and I feel warm and I'm levitating. Getting the silent treatment, but kind of liking it. We'll talk about that, too. Oh, you know who I want to tell that about? I want to tell my good friend, the longest running cobra of the show, maybe call it Friendo. Maybe best known for his depictions of the tall ships. He's a known hot tub enthusiast. He's Andrew Walsh and he's joining me right now. Good morning, my friend.

[Andrew Walsh]

Good morning, Luke. Sorry if I'm a little distracted. I'm giving Genevieve, beat by beat updates of the minute behavior of our cats because one of them just emerged from the closet for like the first time in three weeks.

[Luke Burbank]

Wow. Yeah. You said right before the show that you needed to deal with something cat related, but it might be good.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. Our situation. I've mentioned this on the show a while back. I think I did. It's been kind of an ordeal for the past now. It's been at least three weeks. But a quick recap. About a year ago last February, out of the blue, Professor Banana stopped eating. We were very, very concerned. She lost. Really thought it was, it was bye bye time. But luckily it wasn't. She had pancreatitis, we think. There's never anything super conclusive about.

[Luke Burbank]

Cut back on her drinking.

[Andrew Walsh]

We cut back on her drinking a little bit. I mean, weekends. Yeah. Holidays, nights and weekends. It's called the Framley plan. It's called Catley plan. Anyway, so that was a year ago. She ended up getting through that, through various medicines, you know, appetite stimulants and that type of thing. And then she was fine for a year. And then we thought we saw that happening again almost exactly a year later, as in about a month ago. And she kind of was losing her appetite and definitely like, kind of like holing up in this one little like kind of this very deep storage cupboard, almost like closet thing we have down in the basement. And, you know, she's been holing up in there. And so we took her to the doctor again, ran the same battery of tests. Still nothing, like super concerning. Like, you know, she's 15 years old. She's. She has root beer for blood. But aside from that, like, she's in good shape. And so it was just one of those things. It's like, well, how do you, how do you solve a problem like Professor Bananas? Like Professor Bananas and anyway, so it's been this big mystery and now she's eating and has been for like weeks. But like she only comes out of her closet. Like the good news is all of her vitals are great. She's using the litter box, she's drinking water and she's eating twice a day and then some snacks here and there. But she's just so nervous all the time. She's always been a nervous cat. But she will not leave this closet. And it's been weeks now. She comes out, you know, she'll do her business, she'll eat a little bit, but then she immediately goes back in immediately and just spent. And you know, it's just, it's, you know, emotionally draining, frankly. I love this cat. And she's like, clearly something's not right with her. The doctors don't really have any ideas other than to like spend a lot more money on tests that will maybe tell us stuff that is either inconclusive or would cause us to spend a lot more money to, you know, go to extreme measures for a cat who's, you know, getting up there. You know, like, you have to think about these things somewhat logically.

[Luke Burbank]

There are black hearted, right? I mean seriously, like they can't tell you how they're doing. And so, you know, and vets obviously are highly trained and very smart individuals. But at some point it's kind of like, well, we could throw 3,000 more dollars at this and then see what happens.

[Andrew Walsh]

Right. And then, and then, and then also it's like, well then there's something wrong with her brain. Do you want to have some sort of severance like operation in the basement? And you're like, well, I don't know if we want to go through those extreme measures for a cat. You know, put, put her through that kind of stress.

[Luke Burbank]

Just got back from her ort bow. She hasn't been right.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's right. It's really, it's unclear if this is her inn ear, her outie that we're even dealing with here. So all of that is to say the reason I'm a little bit distracted now is so we had a kind of a normal morning here. You and I dialed up a little bit earlier. And so you throw in another cat and that just sort of adds to like the mixture of things I do. He follows her around everywhere. He's poking her all the time, like when she is walking around. And he's not a mean cat. I'm talking about bingo here, her younger brother. But I think when she's feeling super fragile. She doesn't need that in her life. So we're like, okay, I don't know. What would she be acting like if he wasn't around, you know? Anyway, I'm upstairs. I'm getting some coffee. You and I are just about to dial up Genevieve says goodbye, walks out the front door, and then I turn around, and who's behind me but Professor Bananas? And she's like, hey, buddy, what's going on? I'm like, hey. And she's like, hey, is that Bingo's food over there? Did he leave some. I'm like, yeah, Bingo weirdly left some food in his bowl. This is all going on. This is all exactly the transcript I'm reading from the court, verbatim. I can't believe he's wearing that hat in a meeting. And he said, the guy at the store said, I can't get grease on it.

[Luke Burbank]

Sorry, Professor Banana's pot.

[Andrew Walsh]

For people who have no idea what I'm talking about. I've just, like, randomly half dropped unexplained references from a whole bunch of things into this tirade. But all of that is to say, I turn around, and there's bananas. And she's like, I want to eat some of Bingo's food. I'm like, do it. Do it, my dude. And so I was very excited, and I was like, well, what's happening? Can I get her to stay upstairs? Can I get her to, like, relax? But then I had to come in here and turn my back on the whole situation, and now she's back in her closet again, which makes me think that he pro. You know, she probably caught a whiff of Bingo, you know, maybe. And again, I don't think he's being mean to her, but he's just being active. And I can't keep them separated when I'm in here because I got to have. They all got to have access to the litter box and all that stuff. So anyway, I was a little distracted, but it was sort of good. It was very nice. I turned around, and I saw something I hadn't seen in weeks and weeks now, which was a Professor Bananas just sauntering upstairs in the kitchen being like, hey, bud, what's going on? You're going to finish that? So I was kind of happy.

[Luke Burbank]

Is it possible she's just kind of over you?

[Andrew Walsh]

And, yes, she's a teenager.

[Luke Burbank]

Like, is that maybe what's going on here? Like, you guys can't do anything right? Never mind.

[Andrew Walsh]

I have thought of that. She yelled at me, you're not my real dad, which kind of stinks.

[Luke Burbank]

Do you think she knows that biologically, she's not your child? You think maybe she's been doing some 23 and Meow research?

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, that's pretty.

[Luke Burbank]

A pretty bad way to start the week, and I apologize.

[Andrew Walsh]

Pretty good. No, that's pretty good, I will say, because I have a feeling, and I'm not necessarily inviting this, although, you know, I always appreciate people's concern. People will probably write in with a whole bunch of theories like, oh, my. Maybe don't. Yeah, I mean, I don't either way. But I. One thing that I'm wondering about and then I'm sorry, we can wrap up the cat talk and get into your adventures and misadventures. But the thing is, like, I almost wonder because it seems so much like a brain thing. Like. Like she's so paranoid and so nervous and like at first when we were putting down the food, she would like, go up to it like she was hungry, but then back away right away. She was scared of it. Like, she would jump away from it the middle of giving her one of these churu treats that she loves, which is like a little. It's like a little meat.

[Luke Burbank]

Meat tube.

[Andrew Walsh]

It's like a meat tube. It's like a ice pop. Remember the ice pops we had as kids? Imagine one of those pops were the.

[Luke Burbank]

Ones we would go with.

[Andrew Walsh]

Exactly, but only filled with like some sort of meat slurry. Anyway, the cats love these things. Including this guy who's about to mute my mic if I don't keep him on the floor over here.

[Luke Burbank]

You got one cat that's avoiding you. One cat that won't avoid you.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, because he misses her.

[Luke Burbank]

Dude situation.

[Andrew Walsh]

I'm telling you, this is the time where usually they'd be up on the blanket together having their, like, kind of post breakfast, like just like, you know, digestive nap or whatever. But I was going to say she'll just like stop in the middle of eating something that she loves and then just suddenly run away. Like, she was doing this a couple of weeks ago and I was wondering, could it be a sense issue? Like, could she be losing her eyesight to a point where like, her instinct in her tummy says, I'm hungry, I want to eat now. But then, like, she can't pick up what she's seeing. And so it's just like screwing startles her.

[Luke Burbank]

Like she has some. She kicks into some sort of survival instinct because one of her senses that she used to have is failing her.

[Andrew Walsh]

I don't know, I'm just trying to. It doesn't seem to be your ears because I opened a can of cat food the other day and I feel that she could hear it from the other room. So anyway, I don't know, but that's one thing. I just don't think it's digestive. I think something's going on with her brain grapes.

[Luke Burbank]

So her vitals are decent though, which is.

[Andrew Walsh]

I guess she's eating, drinking, using the cat box. Just like me. I'm doing all those things too. As set the example.

[Luke Burbank]

Three out of four.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. Trying to set this up.

[Luke Burbank]

We're gonna get you using that cat box effectively soon enough. You've gotta hold it until you get there.

[Andrew Walsh]

Sometimes I'm just. Sometimes I just need. I don't have a good way of kind of expressing my feelings, so I just go in the middle of the room.

[Luke Burbank]

The dynamic between Bubbles and Holly, which is the cat that I got a couple years ago and then abandoned at my girlfriend's house and then her long standing cat, Holly, is kind of similar in that Holly is a pretty. Is a pretty. I don't want to say shy cat, but she just likes her. She likes her private time and she likes to kind of sit on the couch in. In the living room with the lights out and just kind of chill. Like that's a great afternoon for her. And Bubbles is hyperactive and Bubbles is obsessed with Holly. Anything Holly goes like. And Holly doesn't hardly do anything all day, but if she does, like if she wants to come sit by me and Becca or she wants to come sit in like a box somewhere in the kitchen, immediately Bubbles then shows up and starts trying to get into the box with her and annoys the hell out of her. And then she goes back to her little hideaway. The thing is, I don't want to be gross. Holly must excrete whatever that churu is from the southbound end of a northbound Holly. Because there is never a time when Holly is walking around in the house that Bubbles is not trying to human centipede her. And on the bad end of it, the one that you don't want to get. And I don't know what that dynamic is or what's going on with that, but I tend to think of them as sort of like. Like a sitcom where Holly pretends that she's annoyed with Bubbles all the time, but secretly she likes it. I don't know if that's true. I have to tell myself that. Otherwise I adopt. Or adopted. I shopped a cat that's what they say. Shopped, don't adopt. Right? Famously.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes, exactly.

[Luke Burbank]

I shopped a cat. I. I've abandoned my child, left her at my girlfriend's house, and now that cat is terrorizing and annoying the cat that was living a great life by itself there before Bubbles showed up.

[Andrew Walsh]

I am trying, and I shouldn't even bring this up, but if there's an awkward pause here, it's because I'm trying so hard to think of what this sitcom would be called based on these two cats, but given the description of their physical relationship, everything I'm thinking of is just wildly inappropriate.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, because you're thinking of the butt stuff.

[Andrew Walsh]

I mean, the cleanest I can think of is Meet the Rimmers. And like, that even. That's.

[Luke Burbank]

Rimmers is a plural.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

And this is more of a Rimmer.

[Andrew Walsh]

That is true.

[Luke Burbank]

This is. Bubbles is the only one who's into this particular salad tossing. Nobody asked for.

[Andrew Walsh]

And then it's upsetting because I know the theme song. Toss salad and scrambled eggs, I believe. Bring it back.

[Luke Burbank]

Finally get Kelsey Grammer some of that residual money. The. The. The. I mean, the. Well, a couple things on this. I know I just said that she's annoying Holly. I think low key Holly kind of enjoys it.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

Like, that particular moment, I don't think she hates it. She doesn't run away. Like, that's not when she growls at Bubbles when Bubbles is back there putting in work. Like, I think it's probably a pleasant sensation. But then the problem is I can't look at Bubbles the same way again, you know, after that, when. If she does come over and actually want to, like, hang out with us, because then it's like, well, I just saw where you're. Where your mouth just was. And now, like, I'm tempted to want to, like, pet you and. And snuggle you and be close with you. But I. But I just. I literally just saw that. And somehow with dogs, like with Rudy and stuff, I was able to employ, I guess, a little bit of, you know, what do they call that? Intellectual? No. Basically, like, I could.

[Andrew Walsh]

Dissonance.

[Luke Burbank]

Cognitive dissonance. Thank you. That's exactly what I was trying to remember where, you know, I saw the gross things that Rudy would pick up in her mouth out in the yard and stuff. But I just somehow I could put it out of my mind with the Bubbles and Holly thing, because I've just witnessed it in the moment. I can't unsee it. And it's affecting my relationship with Bubbles as well.

[Andrew Walsh]

Well, One of the weirdest things about that particular relationship is they also have these little tiny ring lights and little cameras on mini cat tripods all over the place while they're doing that activity. And so I'm wondering, are they streaming? I am wondering if they might have some sort of a streaming service or some Only Cats situation going on.

[Luke Burbank]

I feel like I also went to Only Cats. I feel like there's something stronger.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, there is something. Maybe I have set up. Like, I've got. I have, like, sort of the structure of a lot of jokes today, but not the landing on any of them. So my apologies for the lameness of the Only Cats and Meet the Rimmers. I mean, I'm. I'm just not. Not getting home runs today.

[Luke Burbank]

No, that's all right. We're trying. It's the iterative process. I've got this on the mind because I'm going out to interview these guys, Mark and Jay Duplass, and I have been watching a lot of their movies and TV stuff, a lot of which I'd already watched, but then they also wrote this book. And the book is really good, actually. It's called Lake Brothers, and it's kind of a meditation on creativity and on their relationship as brothers, but also their working relationship and the ways that they figured out how to not totally get on each other's nerves, but also they do get on each other's nerves, but they have some systems for trying to kind of de. Escalate, and a bunch of stuff that is like, you know, they have this thing they call, like, 80 is enough. And their ideas, if they're writing a movie or a TV show or whatever, they try to get it to 80% of the best that they can do. And then they start turning it over to other people, you know, writers, editors, friends of theirs, to kind of like, punch it up and tell them what's working and not working. Like, they just. They. They're just like, you know, we're not. This is not going to be 100%. We're okay with it being 80% of the way there. And that somehow kind of like, you know, frees them up to try to be creative.

[Andrew Walsh]

Jerry Depot would love that.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, my God. I'd take 80% as a mariner fan.

[Andrew Walsh]

He's like, we're only trying to get 54% over.

[Luke Burbank]

Here they are stepping back, the Duplass brothers from the moviemaking continuum.

[Andrew Walsh]

Are they pressing pause on the winning?

[Luke Burbank]

They're pressing pause. They're pressing pause on the continuum. But I'm really Like I said, I really enjoyed the book. And I had this weird experience reading it because I'm 48 years old, soon to be 49. I'm no spring chicken, but, like, I feel like if I would have read this book. First of all, they wrote the book three years ago, so this isn't even possible. But if I would have read this book when I was 22, I think I would be a filmmaker now, or at least someone who had tried really hard at it, because it's very inspiring the way that they just kind of tell their story, like, basically their career. The short version is they were, you know, these kind of these brothers who were really interested in film and stuff, and they were always trying to make stuff and make little short films and whatever. And they got. They. After college, they got this job making a documentary for a dot com, and it paid a lot of money. So they had all this money in the bank for making this documentary. Ironically, the dot com shut down when they delivered the movie because the bubble burst. So no one ever saw the documentary, but the check cleared. So they had this money and then they spent all of their money on this feature film that they made called Vince Del Rio, which is the only name that sounds more made up than Luke Burbank. Vince Del Rio. And they made this whole entire movie with a professional crew and actors, and they edited it and they realized it wasn't good, like, and they just buried it, which is a crazy thing. Like, I can't believe that they had the. The discipline to do that. I think I would have put out whatever piece of garbage it was because it just was. It was, you know, it was our life savings and our life's work. So then they're just kind of like living in a shitty apartment in. In outside of Austin. And now they're getting towards 30 and they have this little editing business, but it's kind of barely struggling along. And the story goes, one day, Mark Duplass just, like, gets up off the couch. They're watching Raising Arizona. And he just says to Jay, the brother goes, we're making a film today. And he. He drives to 7:11 and you'll like this to get a mini DV tape. They had like, one of those, you know, kind of like one chip, like digital cameras that a lot of, like, it was like their parents digital camera. And it wasn't even that good, but it was probably like a VX1000 or something. One of those. One of those ones that a lot of people got their hands on at that time. If they were kind of interested in trying to make movies or shorts or videos or something. The big step up from like high eight, but. But not anything that's, you know, super professional. Anyway, he goes to 7:11, he gets the mini DV tape, he comes back and in the time that he's been gone, his brother J. Duplass is like, well, I did have this experience recently where I was trying to record my outgoing message on my answering machine and I couldn't do it and it took me like 25 times and I got really in my head about it and then I just had kind of a mental health crisis. So he just says to Mark, this is the premise for the film we're making today. You're trying to leave an outgoing message on your answering machine and you're having a hard time. And so Mark just improvs this like 20 minute scene of this guy having a meltdown trying to leave his outgoing message. And they have a friend edit it together, they send it to Sundance, it gets into Sundance and it basically like launches their. The beginnings of their actual real career. And like, that's exactly the kind of story that a 22 year old Luke would have just been like, okay, my life changes right here. I'm every day I'm just getting a mini DV tape and I'm making some kind of movie. Even if it's shitty like it was. It's. I find it very inspirational. And it's weird though, to get this moment of inspiration as I approach 50 and definitely feel like that door has closed long ago for a variety of reasons. One, my energy level. B, I don't think I have anything creative to say anymore. Like the way that I might have at 22. I feel like it's a young person's game anyway. But yeah, it's very. It's an interesting experience to be getting completely inspired to change my life when my life is more than. More than half over and I'm not going to change it.

[Andrew Walsh]

They do usually say the older you are, the fewer stories you have to tell. That is true. It's only young people who have.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah, but I just feel like my. You've heard my story.

[Andrew Walsh]

It's my wife, she doesn't laugh at my joke anymore.

[Luke Burbank]

That's what I was trying to. Hey, you want to know the next level of that New Yorker cartoon? Imagine trying to redescribe it to your girlfriend and getting it wrong.

[Andrew Walsh]

I need to just find the original, literally.

[Luke Burbank]

No, but I'm saying I tried to explain it to Becca this weekend. And I couldn't remember. I go. It's something about how she doesn't laugh at his joke. Like, he has one joke, and she's like, oh, yeah, I could see that.

[Andrew Walsh]

I swear it takes place at a bar because you. Here's where I'm getting caught up on trying to remember it. Veeves and I literally had a physical copy of this. I think she hung it up in her confrontation because it was so passive aggressive. But I swear it's like a depressed guy talking to a bartender, and he's like, oh, my wife, she doesn't laugh at my joke anymore. I keep on wanting to say that the bartender says, why the long face? But that's not how New Yorker style cartoons work. Usually there's not two different lines of dialogue. I want to go back to this Duplass Brothers thing. This is going to be kind of a ridiculous question, I'm assuming, one that you wouldn't ask them.

[Luke Burbank]

But are they hiring PAs?

[Andrew Walsh]

But are they hiring PAs? Are they.

[Luke Burbank]

Does it pay $100,000 a year?

[Andrew Walsh]

Was it a complete coincidence that the. That they were watching a Coen Brothers movie? Another, like, brother duo movie that inspired them? You said they were watching, I think, Raising Arizona or something?

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah, I think that's one of their favorite movies.

[Andrew Walsh]

Do they address that?

[Luke Burbank]

Well, not in that moment, but I do like that in a different part of their book, they talk about, like, how there are stories of some of these brother duos, like the Coen brothers, who just show this incredible talent early. And they said, we did not show any of that talent. Like, the first movie they. They made as kids because their parents got a video camera, was Karate Master. There was really something going around in that era, I think, because everything that Peter and I were making, a lot of it revolved around martial arts as well. There's a lot of karate films happening by white kids who didn't really know karate. But I don't know if they were drawn to the Coen brothers because of them being brothers or just because they love that kind of filmmaking. One other thing. I don't know why I'm just here reciting this book to people, but I just read it, so it's really on my mind. They got cable. They grew up in Metairie, Louisiana, which is, like, outside of New Orleans, by the way. I was emailing with their dad last night, which was kind of funny, because I was trying to get some more intel on them. It's funny emailing with Larry Duplass, but they got cable TV in the early 80s and they talk about how they had HBO and HBO just put on whatever movie they wanted to put on at any time of day. So these like, you know, five year old and nine year old kid would just be sitting around watching like Kramer vs Kramer on repeat and then like the Deer Hunter and just like whatever was coming down the pike on HBO like in the middle of the day on a Saturday. They were just getting kind of this film class of this, what's considered to be a real golden era of filmmaking, which would be the 70s and maybe into the early 80s when some of these incredibly important, you know, films were getting made. And, and so that was a very big influence on them. I don't know if that was when they were seeing, originally seeing Raising Arizona. But, but, but yeah, they, they didn't go to film school or acting school as far as I understand. What I'll say is like most of the time when I go into these interviews, well one, this is where I try to make it a feature, not a bug. I don't really love sitting down and writing out a bunch of detailed questions and having a bunch of notes with me. One, because I'm too lazy to do that. But the way that I try to make it like a flex is I don't need a bunch of notes. I'm just having a conversation, you know what I mean? Like, I try to, I try to make it so that that's an improvement over if I were to be thoroughly researched and have a bunch of my questions printed out and I was holding them like I don't like, I don't like that it makes, I don't like looking down and referring to the questions. I like it just feeling like we're chatting. And that is generally what I do. I am going into this interview with a lot of notes and a lot of questions that are laid out in a kind of a sort of chronological timeline, I think, because I want to do a good job. And I also want them to like me and think that I am somebody who is not like every other TV reporter that they've talked to, which has been many, many, many of them. That was another thing I was getting from the book is they're talking a lot and just other interviews they've done, they're so prolific, they make so much stuff all the time, whether they're writing a movie or producing a TV show for Netflix or acting in stuff or all of the above, that their time is very, very scheduled out every day. And, and so one of the things they talked about is how like they end up doing a lot of media interviews and are basically kind of like, is this a good use of our time or not? You know, like they're always kind of asking themselves is like, they stopped taking general meetings when they were really young. Like, the general meeting in Hollywood is just like, there's no specific point to it. It's just kind of like a cotillion. You kind of go around and you just get, you know, you have a cup of coffee with so and so at wherever and then you leave the meeting. And you always say, we got to do something together. And then like, nobody ever does something together. And they just decided at some point that they had spent 200 hours driving to these meetings over the course of a year or two and that that's about the time it took them to write a movie script, was about 200 hours. And they were like, we could just write another movie script or we could keep doing these meetings that don't go anywhere. And so they told their management they're not doing those meetings anymore. All of this has led me to be like, I really want this to be a good use of their time. I want to have my shit together. I also want them to be like, this guy could have, we could have. This guy could have been our third collaborator. Like, because I'm never going to become a noted filmmaker in this world and it's okay. I want to at least have the Duplass brothers believe that I could have been. Is that, is that too much to ask from a 90 minute interview, Andrew, for them to leave going, you know that guy from cbs, if things had gone differently, he could have been the third amigo.

[Andrew Walsh]

You got a mumble. First of all, they love that.

[Luke Burbank]

If I understand that's the core of the mumble.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's the core of it. I also assume that that is the style of question. Like somehow you'll turn that into a, into a question at the very beginning so that they will retroactively regret not working with you earlier.

[Luke Burbank]

That's, that's, that's one of my, that's going to be my number one flex. You know, the story on that, Andrew, is kind of interesting.

[Andrew Walsh]

Basically the story on you guys not.

[Luke Burbank]

Working together, the story on mumblecorp.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, okay.

[Luke Burbank]

So that's, if you don't know kind of a style of filmmaking that's. I think they, I don't know if they exactly pioneered it. Sorry. We've got some sort of a law enforcement event happening here in Burbank, California.

[Andrew Walsh]

Or you found your sound Effects box again. And we're doing Blur stays.

[Luke Burbank]

And I'm. For some reason, that's what I'm going with. You're right. I was heavy on the Siren the other day. Mumblecore is this kind of style of cinema where people are talking in a way that feels really naturalistic. And it's just kind of. It doesn't feel so movie ish. It feels more just like you're kind of tagging along in a real intimate conversation. And I think, again, I don't know if they're the. If the Duplass brothers are considered the founders of it or just like people who trafficked heavily in it, but I guess there was a thing where basically at some point Mark Duplass had a bunch of physical problems happening, where he had a lot of like, carpal tunnel and other things. Because he was also a serious guitar player and a touring musician. He basically couldn't type. And he was trying to write this movie they did called the Puffy Chair. And he couldn't sit at a computer. And he was pretty, pretty freaked out by it because he saw this as like, my job is to sit at a computer and write movies and I can't sit down. I become totally, like, locked up. And so he started using this Dictaphone that was like his dad's or something. And he started just talking these movies out, these scripts out in a way that was not specific. You know, not the way that a movie script looks, but more just like, scene. This is the person and then this other person and this happens, and then maybe one line of dialogue that had occurred to him. And this became the process. And it actually, he thought, really improved, I guess the sort of believability or whatever you want to call it, the natural listic tendencies of the whole thing. So, yes, but to answer your question, I will be mumbling a lot in the interview.

[Andrew Walsh]

But also just like, it's important that you lead with it. That you lead with a very, like, sort of clunky, I don't know, half joke, half question. Because that's what they want to kind of be known for is like that kind of. That catchphrase, that code word of mumble core. Hey, in all seriousness, here's. Let me ask you a question that I'm actually serious about. So the funny stuff isn't that funny today. Just. I'm working on my. I'm just working. I don't have my stuff today, man. I don't. I don't know what to tell you. Like, sometimes you just go out There. And you don't have your stuff. Luke, how. Hold on. This is. I actually have a duplass question that I want to ask you that is for real. But I also just want to say, how are we still over a week away from opening day? Has this been the longest spring training of your life or not? For me, just going through something. Because I think the difference is you.

[Luke Burbank]

Are, A, signing up for fantasy baseball tonight, and B, you've probably listened to a fair number of the games, right? Already.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, here and there. I catch as catch can. I literally bought my. I was.

[Luke Burbank]

By the way, that's the Mariners defensive strategy this year.

[Andrew Walsh]

Well, that's one. That's one position they have locked down. But I bought my peanuts already for opening day. Cause I was like, oh, my opening day must be this Thursday. So I bought. My tradition is just to. My tradition for opening day is to stay at home and watch a baseball game. But I do like to, like, have my peanuts set out. I don't know if I assume I'll be doing it solo again this year. I don't know. But like, I already bought my bag of peanuts and I'm like, wait, it's.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, because they start out the season on the road, they don't start out at home.

[Andrew Walsh]

I'm not sure where they're starting this year.

[Luke Burbank]

Honestly, not going.

[Andrew Walsh]

I don't. Have I ever been doing. I think I only went to opening day once. You know, Luke, to be honest, and I do want to get back to my question about the Duplass brothers. I really want to remember it. I'm. I like going to ball games. I don't know that I need to be there for the. For the kind of ceremony.

[Luke Burbank]

Pomp and ceremony.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, exactly. And so I've been to an opening day, but I'd rather go to more of a mid season game when the crowd isn't there.

[Luke Burbank]

You're a grinder.

[Andrew Walsh]

I loved, like college, when everybody would leave for the weekend or the holidays, whatever, and then I get the campus to myself. That's how I.

[Luke Burbank]

You're a. What's the word? You're a grinder. You're a. Wait, you're on grinder or you're a grinder? No, you're a rounder. I guess you're a rounder. Okay, let's use a poker term. Like, you just like to go to a game. Like a Tuesday game against the Detroit Lions is perfect. Andy Times.

[Andrew Walsh]

Because probably Tigers in this case. I'm going with the Tigers in this case.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, they're not going to play the Detroit Lions.

[Andrew Walsh]

I do not want to see the Mariners.

[Luke Burbank]

Aiden Hutchinson led Detroit Lions squad.

[Andrew Walsh]

Imagine what the Lions would do to the Mariners. Kneecaps. I can't even bear to think about.

[Luke Burbank]

Kneecaps left, which would be bad. Blanco's already on his third kneecap. This would be bad news. No, you're. Yes, the Detroit Tigers. You like to go to a game that is probably not though, maybe the premier game for everybody else, but for you, it's like you can take the. You can take the light rail down there and you can kind of do your little rituals and just have a nice time. Versus opening day is going to be so much Tom Hutler. And I say that with peace and love to Tom. Hut one, hut two, Hutler. But like, it's just going to be announcement after announcement after announcement after honoree after honor. It's just a. It's a lot of folderol. None of which involves Ryan Court.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. And I don't mind the folderol. I don't. You know, and again, I've been there for big events. I was there for. Now I'm just giving you my bona fides. Like, you know, I loved being there for the All Star game and the All Star weekend and everything. Like, that stuff was fun, but honestly, the crowds are ridiculous. And so for opening day, it's kind of like, it's less about like the, the pomp and circumstance, more about the like, oh, my God. Like, it's just. It's so much harder to manage the park when, like, everybody is there because it's opening day. And I'm actually. Well, yeah, maybe this does sound a little bit snobby. Like, I think a lot of the people who go for opening day are probably less even interested in the game, you know, I mean, just generally speaking, than a random, you know, Wednesday in. In July or whatever. So, yeah, I think that part of it too is kind of like, oh, everything just moves slower. It's just jam packed with people. They're more interested in the Modi pizza or whatever that is than they are in actually who's pitching. Like, which is fine. I'm not saying you have to go to the ballpark. You have to be obsessed with it. But like, for me, I'd rather go there when the crowds are just a little bit.

[Luke Burbank]

You mean mod intense.

[Andrew Walsh]

Is it ma. No, no, no, not mod. What's the one that, you know, people called Modi? It's not Modi either. Sorry. Bingo is really.

[Luke Burbank]

I see this bingo just.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, that's Right. My camera's back on. You can see he doesn't usually do this. We're all in a different place today, I think, because, yeah, everything's all messed up. But what is Modi Pizza?

[Luke Burbank]

Do they bring it out with, like, a little, like, robot or something?

[Andrew Walsh]

No. There was this pizza joint in Seattle, the type of place that I don't. I still want to come back to the Duplass Brothers. I have one more question for you, but it was this type of.

[Luke Burbank]

Andrew, here's the thing that we have to get back to the Duplass Brothers, but it has to get onto the subject of somebody kind of, like, allowing something bad to happen so that we can use the word duplicitous, because I feel like that would be a really strong show title. So anyway.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, I like that.

[Luke Burbank]

What's Moti Pizza?

[Andrew Walsh]

Is it Moto? Maybe? Moto. Is that the one? It existed outside of the Mariners realm for a long time, and people were on waiting lists. Like, literally. I remember getting a text from my friends.

[Luke Burbank]

I'm looking this up.

[Andrew Walsh]

I've never heard of this place we were gonna do. Somebody on a text thread said, hey, do you want to do something? I was like, no. The pizza that I ordered four months ago is finally ready for me. Like, I'm not joking. It's like, one of those kinds of things. And then they opened one, like, a little stand in the. In the ballpark. And so there's, like, huge lines for this pizza that, like, I don't know what their deal is now, but literally, people were on waiting list for months to get one of these pizzas so they could bring it home and take pictures of it for Instagram. I mean, enjoy it. So.

[Luke Burbank]

But you're just saying, like, that's not what draws you to the ballpark.

[Andrew Walsh]

Exactly. I'd rather go to the ballpark on more of a day when it's just, like. It's a little. The crowds aren't quite as intense, and. And I can just go about my merry business. Okay, so here's what I wanted to ask you. This is not fun or funny. It's just relevant to our lives. And I'm wondering.

[Luke Burbank]

That can be a thing.

[Andrew Walsh]

That could be a thing. You're talking about kind of broing down with the Duplass Brothers. Like, you are three men in the rare circle who've all been to Larrima, Australia. Like, that's. Oh, yes. Right.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, yes. And this is. Okay, so this is the thing I'm sitting on. Well, I'm sitting on Three kind of three overlaps with them of life. And I'm not sure when or if to deploy them and if it just makes me seem thirsty or if it makes me seem relatable or if it even matters. And one of them is a really sad thing, actually. So the sad one is, you know, I was friends with the director Lynn Shelton, who passed away very unexpectedly and who worked on a lot of films with them. So we have this mutual friend. Probably not going to start there because it's just kind of a bummer. But then the other one is many years ago we did a live wire. Excuse me. We did a Detroit Lions. Excuse me. We did a TBTL event in Eagle Rock, California. We did it at, in fact, the very bowling alley that I had once exaggerated about trying to purchase.

[Andrew Walsh]

Do you own that place now or what? What's the deal with it?

[Luke Burbank]

It's a lot of lawyer, you know, lawyers, Andrew and leg. And.

[Andrew Walsh]

Sure. That's why you don't take anymore.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah, there was a bowling alley in Eagle Rock that I was always really charmed by and. And we did a TBTL like meetup there years ago. This was like. Right. I think pretty shortly after we became maybe a podcast only or something. Like we weren't on the radio, if I remember right. But we did that in Eagle Rock and somebody at the time who lived in the, I think the guest house of the Duplass family was a big, big TBTL listener. And she came to the. To the TBTL event and she brought Katie Azelton, who is the actress and also married to Mark Duplass and the co star of the Puffy chair and also was on that show the League and has done a whole bunch of stuff. So Mark Duplass wife was dragged to a TBTL event 15 years ago, which just seems funny to me because she must have been like, what exactly is this? She seemed very nice in our brief chat that. And then the third one is that you just pointed out, and this is actually the best one. They made that documentary about Larima about Patty Moriarty going missing from the Pink Panther pub. And we of course also went to Larama. That is a weird, weird thing for all of us to have done, by the way. Assuming that they actually went, oh, that's true.

[Andrew Walsh]

They. They made the documentary, but they might not have produced it.

[Luke Burbank]

I mean it would. I don't know how these things work. Like, my guess is that they went there and if so, I would love to compare notes with them off air also.

[Andrew Walsh]

Wait, actually double check that it was them that might have been. It was them thing. It wasn't just one of them.

[Luke Burbank]

They are the same person.

[Andrew Walsh]

I thought that that might have been a solo project of one of them.

[Luke Burbank]

But you have maybe check. Yeah, I've got a half hour.

[Andrew Walsh]

I'm just like, just be careful when you meet them. Make sure that they both worked on it, not one of them.

[Luke Burbank]

Also make eye contact, give a firm handshake.

[Andrew Walsh]

Ask about the guy who. They'll love this because of their just so such close connection to this and something they can answer. Ask them about the guy in the league who got canceled because everybody found out he had just been making up stories about being in one of the buildings on 9110 and 911 and essentially led to. I actually, when I lived in la, I had a friend who actually is a friend from college who was living in LA at the time and he actually worked on the league. I think he was a freelance cinematographer of some sort and did. It was one of his regular gigs was the league. And I remember when this was all going down, he's like, yeah, that work is not continuing now. Like, I don't know what the plans for that show was, but that guy did not help things in the light years.

[Luke Burbank]

I feel kind of bad for that guy. Maybe I shouldn't because obviously that's. That's a. I guess if you call it valor. So the story was there was a. Yeah, this, this guy who was a comedian who had started out, I think his. Before his life, before he was a comedian, he was in finance. I forget his name and I don't want to guess at it because there's another comedian that has almost the same name.

[Andrew Walsh]

I don't know if I can pronounce it right. Steve Rannazizi. Rannazisi.

[Luke Burbank]

And this guy's story was his kind of bio. He became a successful comedian. Then he got on this show, the League and Which was about a fantasy football league and the people in it. But he was always talking about how he had been in one of the towers when it was hit and because he had worked. Worked at like Merrill lynch or something, one of those. And it turned out he hadn't been there. And it's a. I, you know, that's a. Like, that's not a cool thing to exaggerate or lie about because so many people were there and died or were family members of people. You know, it's like it's not a good. It's not a good exaggeration. Even like Brian Williams exaggerating about what Helicopter. He was in, like, not great, but like, no.

[Andrew Walsh]

And he's all. But he's also a newsman. Like, that is what's so galling about that.

[Luke Burbank]

But in this case, it's like, I guess just. I could see. I could see how this story gets out of control. Like, for this guy who's. I. I've not seen him again. I don't know if he's rebounded from this. I certainly haven't noticed him in the pop culture since this kind of went down. But, like, he, you know, I could see how it was like he was in New York, you know, on 9 11. Probably he was in New York. But then, like, you know, you're talking about it with people, and then you're like. You started getting closer to the event. You're like, I was. I was, you know, below 16th or whatever. I was like, I was down near the Tower. And then it was like, I was. I was working at a financial company, but I was across town at the other office. But it was still crazy because I lost core. Like, you just. And you're kind of like. You're sort of echolocating. You're kind of like upping the. The drama factor of the story, and you're getting a stronger and stronger reaction. And then at one point you're just lying and saying, yeah, I was in the tower and I got out, or. Or I was supposed to go to the tower that day, or whatever his exact lie was. And then you're just. Now you're. Now you're stuck with it. Now you've been saying it to a bunch of people. And then to have it exposed like that. Oof. I mean, again, a bad thing to lie about. But, man, I kind of feel for the guy.

[Andrew Walsh]

So I'm on his website now and it says 2024 is going to be a big year for.

[Luke Burbank]

Yes, he's squarely in the driver's seat.

[Andrew Walsh]

No, it is. Honestly. It's a little.

[Luke Burbank]

Steve Fingers ran a Z.

[Andrew Walsh]

It's a little bit like that website. What is the name of the guy we're making from the Eagles?

[Luke Burbank]

Don Fingers Felder, the man who brought the rock edge to the Eagles.

[Andrew Walsh]

I mean, I know that I started a tradition today of just like, just saying absolute babble, stream of consciousness, babble of references that were never explained. But anyway, it is kind of interesting because the website is clearly up to date as far as his touring schedule is concerned. He's hitting hilarities later on this month in 10 days.

[Luke Burbank]

That's Alec Baldwin's Wife.

[Andrew Walsh]

Right, that's in Cleveland. It is.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, I'm sorry. Hilarious.

[Andrew Walsh]

Hilaria. World of Depression, one of our greater show titles actually going to Cleveland in 10 days and then, oh, look, it looks like doing a few, few shows in Cleveland actually coming up. All of that is to say the calendar is up to date, but the bio is still. Just says he's been making audiences laugh. Currently he stars and writes alongside Katie Aselton, Mark Duplass, Nick Kroll, Jonathan Lajoy and Paul Scheer on the critically acclaimed FM comedy series the League, which I do not believe he is current. I mean, literally the word currently.

[Luke Burbank]

I would say none of those people are doing that right now.

[Andrew Walsh]

Let's update that. And while we're talking about websites, how about this headline from Eater Seattle? This is from 2023. Seattle's buzziest pizza is so popular you can't order it. Moto Pizza has a months long waiting list even after opening a second location. What's all the fuss about? I added the Seinfeldian voice to the last.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, you did?

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, that was me just interpreting it. But this is from a couple of years ago, so I don't know what the deal is now, but I was just proud of myself for getting some of the details right. Yeah, you were absolutely of it. But I knew it was pizza that you had to wait for.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah, I'm sorry that I doubted you. I just had never heard of Moto Pizza that I could remember. And then also there was this whole mod pizza moment.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

Which was like a kind of a big thing. And you know, Carrie worked there and stuff. But yeah, you know, it's like, I don't want to pile on or I don't want to tell anyone how to have their fun at the baseball game. Like, if you can get some of that sweet, sweet Moto Pizza, go for it. I wonder if that's. That's the best expression of it at the ballpark, possibly being cooked by somebody who's volunteering for their daughter's gymnastics team fundraiser. Because that's the. You know, I feel like so much of the time when I interact with a concessionaire at Safeco or what do we call it now?

[Andrew Walsh]

T Mobile Park?

[Luke Burbank]

Keir Egan Park? Is it Lumen?

[Andrew Walsh]

What do we call it?

[Luke Burbank]

Wait, no, it's Glass Block Park. No, it's Glasgow Block park or whatever. No, but like every time I'm interacting with an overwhelmed concessionaire, most of the time it's a person who has literally showed up that day because their kids, whatever activity has you know, is raising money. And so all the parents agree to go, like, work a concession stand area. They've all had up to five minutes of training, and they're just running around like chickens with their head cut off, trying to just sling dogs or whatever. I always feel. I like, I love to see that they love their kids. I also feel kind of bad for them.

[Andrew Walsh]

I love that, apparently, and I don't know if this is true or not, but Edgar Martinez has been telling the batters when he's coaching him, let, let the hand of Kier guide your bat. And I don't know. I don't know if that's really the energy we need to be bringing into 2025, but there you are.

[Luke Burbank]

We. We are not going to be able to finish. What's the name of the project they have mark on?

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, Cold Harbor.

[Luke Burbank]

We are not gonna be able to finish Cold harbor without Cal. Raleigh. Really, really knuckling down on this. We was hoping for some razzle dazzle. Razzle dazzle. That's right, man. Razzle dazzle. On your mark. On your mark. Get set, get set now.

[Andrew Walsh]

Ready? Ready.

[Luke Burbank]

Go, everybody. Razzle dazzle. All right, let's thank some dazzling donors until that sweet, sweet Netflix money rolls in. Andrew. Like, until we get that duplass style revenue stream happening across multiple platforms, until that point, this is how we're supporting ourselves.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's right. By asking our generous listeners.

[Luke Burbank]

And friends.

[Andrew Walsh]

And friends. Exactly.

[Luke Burbank]

In the case of the first name on this today's list, these folks are donating a dazzling amount of dough every month voluntarily. They don't have to do it. They choose to do is how the show can happen five days a week. We're starting with our friend Anna Anafi. Seattle, Washington, just saw Anna yesterday.

[Andrew Walsh]

Hi, Anna.

[Luke Burbank]

I bet you did. I see Anna on Bluesky. I'm following Anna on Bluesky. By the way. Anna says it gives me great pleasure to donate in a dazzling manner to the work these three pod pals put into my daily source of entertainment. Honestly. And it's not because Andrew threatens to tell embarrassing stories about me if I cease my contributions. Have you been doing that, Andrew?

[Andrew Walsh]

I have been tamping down a lot of the things that I. There's a lot of good content. I could be scared.

[Luke Burbank]

It's called catch and release. It's the oldest tabloid trick in the book, my friend.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's right. I'm following in the proud footsteps of some very honorable men in doing. Yes.

[Luke Burbank]

Such as David Pecker, the Inquirer. Let's see. I love the community here, the slack page is a great place for getting my warm fuzzies in podpet form for sharing garbage anxiety and even sharing real anxiety. Wait, you've got real anxiety, Anna, I don't know what that's all about. I haven't seen anything anxiety producing. But okay, good luck with that. Also the real anxiety about the turmoil in the US I know it's John Richards of KEXP who has the mantra of you are not alone but I feel that the most. I feel that the Most with the TBTL 10s community there's no, there's no quirk too odd that you can't find at least one other 10 who can relate. That's an interesting. I really like that.

[Andrew Walsh]

Sounds like a challenge.

[Luke Burbank]

And don't, don't test it please, because you've got some quirks that may not be echoed in even one person.

[Andrew Walsh]

Have you heard of only Cats? Okay. Have you heard about this new sitcom that Luke is working on?

[Luke Burbank]

Yes. Yeah. The idea that the tens community which is again a small but incredibly loyal and loving and supportive of group of folks that in that community there's a good chance that whatever you're into, whatever your hobby is or a part of the show you love or part of the show you hate or whatever, there's probably some person out there in the tense community who kind of feels the same way and that's a nice thing. That's feels really good to feel less alone in this world. Looking forward to any live event.

[Andrew Walsh]

Secret cabal of just like blurs day lovers out there who are too ashamed to show their face and most in most popular social media circles. Sorry, go ahead.

[Luke Burbank]

Anna says. Anna says. Looking forward to any alive event that I can attend and Friendo meetups for 2025. That seems like a gentle reminder from Anna H. I've got over 200 characters left. What can I say, but that's a pretty good spoof. Power out.

[Andrew Walsh]

Thank you.

[Luke Burbank]

Well, thank you Anna. Really appreciate you for all the contributions to the show monetarily but also just you know, content wise and being a friend and also helping Andrew out on the popup.

[Andrew Walsh]

Like I more help Anna out of the pop up these days.

[Luke Burbank]

That's fair. No, that's actually fair. So you're welcome Anna. Maestro, on your mark. On your mark. Get set, get set now.

[Andrew Walsh]

Ready?

[Luke Burbank]

Ready. Go. Everybody rattle dazzle. Oh my goodness. It's our friend Nick Marchant in Bothel, Washington.

[Andrew Walsh]

We probably said this last time but the pronouncer that Nick offers and I think we always Say marchant. And the pronouncer is. Is marsh. Like, you know, like a.

[Luke Burbank]

Yes.

[Andrew Walsh]

How would you describe a swampy area.

[Luke Burbank]

And then where it needs to be drained?

[Andrew Walsh]

A U, n, T. And the thing is, that's regional, right? Have we already done this with Nick's name? Like, I would say ant there. So is it marchant? But probably not, because you would just do aunt, like the insect.

[Luke Burbank]

Well, you know what's funny is that I would say aunt, like my aunt Mary Lou.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

But in this case, I would say aunt, and I don't know, I could be doing it right. I could be doing it right. Wrong.

[Andrew Walsh]

No, I think you're right. Because if it was ant, it would just be spelled like. Like a N, T. A N, T. So anyway, just. Interesting. Interesting.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah. Nick is in Bothell, Washington. Now, here's what comes to my mind. Was it our friend Broadcast Barry, who sent us a. A still photo from. I want to say it might have been Harry and the Hendersons, some movie set in Seattle in like the 80s or 90s where. Okay, every time Bothell, Washington comes up, we go on a. A 20 minute conversation about the sign that says welcome to Bothell for a day or a lifetime. That's a. That's a frequent, you know, hobby horse of mine. But this thing that Barry, I think it was Barry sent us, it could have been J Dog J. Howser, one of these. One of one of our friends who send us things. And it was a picture that said. It was a sign that said welcome to Seattle for a day or a lifetime. But it was in a movie.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes, that's right. Everything.

[Luke Burbank]

And I was mad because I was like, I think they stole that from Bothell.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes.

[Luke Burbank]

Because I lived. I grew up in Seattle. I drove those roads. I've. I've worked these streets. And not in that way, thankfully, but, but like. And I also grew up going to church up near Bothell, and I vividly remember the Bothell sign. And I'd never seen a Seattle sign. And I have a feeling some, you know, production person on this movie saw the Bothel sign and then, speaking of stolen valor, stole that valor and then brought it down to Seattle.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes. I bet you like a scouting crew. Yes. And they were like, oh, this is a great little sign. But like, let's make that a Seattle thing. I'm going back.

[Luke Burbank]

Yes.

[Andrew Walsh]

By the way, I'm very disappointed. You, me and Barry have not texted since February 23.

[Luke Burbank]

Australia. Right now, running in Australia. I know because I see his Strava things.

[Andrew Walsh]

I'm looking. Oh, yeah, there it is. Okay, I saw that. Okay. The movie was say Anything. It took me for anything. I saw this in the movie say Anything. I just don't know what to believe anymore. Says our friend Barry. And it's a picture of a sign that says welcome to Seattle for a day or a lifetime. And it looks like.

[Luke Burbank]

It's almost like anything set in Seattle.

[Andrew Walsh]

I think so. I've never seen say Anything.

[Luke Burbank]

Boy, do I ever need to rewatch that movie or something.

[Andrew Walsh]

I thought it was. I believe you.

[Luke Burbank]

I just. I can't believe I. I can't believe I wasn't clocking that. As a kid who grew up in Seattle like, I was. I was, you know, obsessed with anything that referenced the city I was in. I also was probably not allowed to see a movie like that at that time. It was probably considered fresh.

[Andrew Walsh]

It says it takes place in Seattle and some scenes were filmed in la. But I'm just kind of grabbing this, like, off of Internet scrubber AI.

[Luke Burbank]

Okay, well, back to Nick Marsh, aunt who's in Bothell, Washington, the original home of For a day or a lifetime. Nick says, hey, fellas. You guys have been a bit of sunshine in my Pod Catcher for years. Somehow this funny little show has become appointment listening for me. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Oh, thanks, Nick. We're equally confused as to how we've become this for you, but we'll take it. I'd like to give. Oh, my gosh, Andrew. I'd like to give a shout out to Luke and broadcast Barry.

[Andrew Walsh]

There you go.

[Luke Burbank]

I did not, as we've established, the other day when I was trying to say Gillian's name. I do not pre read these.

[Andrew Walsh]

No, you don't even know how to read, let alone pre read.

[Luke Burbank]

No, I'm learning as I go. Yeah, I had no idea this was the rest of Nick's message. I'd like to give a shout out to Luke and broadcast Barry for the suggestion of somebody somewhere. Growing up in both a similar family situations and a small town. It was great to see a group of misfits find community in a place that isn't always immediately accepting of the other. I see a lot of similarities in the choir practice of the show and the TBTL community. And I am proud to call myself a 10. Keep up the great work. Work. Signed, Nick. Now, here's the thing, Andrew. This is where it just keeps. This whole thing just keeps folding in on itself. Executive producers of somebody somewhere. Duplass Brothers.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, really? You may have mentioned That I forgot now.

[Luke Burbank]

I had not. Remind me, did you watch any of that show? All of that show? None of that.

[Andrew Walsh]

No, I haven't seen any of that.

[Luke Burbank]

Man. I know you. I know you don't. I know you don't probably want me pressuring you, but it is really good. And, like, I was really, really into the first two seasons, and then I kept, I don't know, waiting till the right moment to watch the third season. And that came on Friday night, Andrew, because I was going to be interviewing the Duplass brothers, and this is a thing they've done. And so I went ahead and booted that third season up. And I just tell you, I think it might be in the top five television. Top three seasons of television I've ever watched. It is so just emotionally true. It's. It's the perfect blend of being funny and relatable and not corny, but also not taking itself too seriously. The dialogue is spectacular. The acting is really great. I was. I was texting Barry. I don't know again, he's probably in Australia right now. I was, like, updating him on every time I was crying, which was a lot, actually, but not in a bad way. Just in a way of, like, seeing these characters on this show just express their feelings towards each other in a way that, because it's so well written and well delivered, it doesn't feel corny. It doesn't feel like a corny show that's trying to, like, make you feel a certain way or like, now's the part where you're supposed to, you know, have this reaction as the viewer. It's just. It's just such a subtle little thing that. Anyway, I really, really love it. And I'm glad, Nick, that broadcast, Barry, and to some degree me, were able to turn you onto the show. And I guess I would just say, as a person who has now finally watched the entire third and it turns out final season of that show, would recommend it to anyone out there. I'd start at the beginning. If you haven't watched it at all. And it's highly. I highly recommend it. Thanks, Nick.

[Andrew Walsh]

Here I go once again with the email. Every week, I hope that it's from a female.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, man. It's not from a female. All right, Andrew, Maybe tomorrow. Although, you know what? I'll probably have a lot of Duplass download to do with you. I was gonna say, at some point, I want to tell you about this meditation spa that I went to in Portland where I. It was right out of Dune 2 it was like a dark basement chamber with, like, tonal music, just tones playing, and it was darkened, and it was complete silence. And then hot pool and cold pools. It was pretty interesting.

[Andrew Walsh]

I was hoping it was more like a White Lotus spot. Here's a thing we can talk about tomorrow on the show because you were just talking about. I'm blanking on the name of that show that you love. What's the name of Somebody somewhere. Somebody somewhere. How.

[Luke Burbank]

How is it you can't remember such an incredibly specific name? Like that thing, that place.

[Andrew Walsh]

I. I don't know why I haven't been watching that. Some shows, like, it's funny, like, even, like, the. The Good Place, which is so fun, filled with, like, love, and I love that show. Somehow I just haven't watched things that I know are sort of imbued with emotion. Maybe I'm not drawn to. Not because I don't like them, because I'm like, well, when I'm in the right place, I'll watch it or whatever. But I have really been enjoying just, like, it's been a while since, like, Sunday TV has been a thing in our house, at least for me to, like, sit down and pay attention. But, like, to actually be having. To show. Having to be having two shows, to be juggling two shows right now, now in both Severance and White Lotus. It's just kind of fun again to, like, kind of be watching a lot of tv. And Genevieve has been asking me, if you could choose one White Lotus location to spend a week or two yourself, which would you choose? And I think it's a good question. We don't have to get into it now, but, like, the current season in Thailand is amazing, but it's also a health spa, you know, And I was like, oh, I think I would choose Thailand. She's like, really? You're gonna go to a health spa where you can't. You have alcohol? Do they. Or do they have to go off campus to get that alcohol? Are they drinking alcohol on the. On the actual.

[Luke Burbank]

You know, that's a good question. I think I assumed they were. Oh, they never get. They never get one.

[Andrew Walsh]

I'm trying to think because you see people drinking fruity drinks, but yeah, like.

[Luke Burbank]

The trio of women are definitely getting a little tuned up in the first couple of episodes.

[Andrew Walsh]

But you see some plain old brown booze, I think, with. What's his name? Walton? Gossip Goggins, I think is drinking whiskey.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, sure.

[Andrew Walsh]

On the site, I think so.

[Luke Burbank]

But it's. You're right, it's not The. It's not the thrust of the. In fact, similar to this place that I went. It's definitely no alcohol. Becca and I went there and it was funny because they give you these cups because everyone's hydrating, because you're like, in a steam room and then you're in a sauna. It's like. And everyone's got these cups with them, and the cups just have herbal tea or water in them. That's it. But it's. But you're in a pool and it kind of feels like you're at. When you go to this upper level, it feels like you're at a hotel, like a resort pool. And everyone's got cups and they're happy, but no one has alcohol.

[Andrew Walsh]

Wait, how are you guys happy if there's no alcohol?

[Luke Burbank]

That I'm trying to understand.

[Andrew Walsh]

How does that scan? So what I was going to do now, though, because we are a little bit crunched for time. You got to get out of there. I wanted not share an email with you from a listener, but share with you an email subscriber report. At one point, I threatened or promised to do this every Monday at the beginning of the show, which, like, instead of stepping on a scale the way you guys used to, just like, let you know where we are with our email subscribers to the TBTL newsletter. And I noticed today, usually it'll just. Every Monday morning I wake up to an email from Squarespace saying, here's your email subscriber report for tbtl. Like, do you have new subscribers? You lose anybody? How many total subscribers do you have? And I'll just be totally transparent with the numbers here. This was a big weekend for us for some reason, and eight new subscribers over the past week. I wonder if that's from you talking about accidentally unsubscribing and then resubscribing. I don't know what caused it. I will say, though, I don't like to report this, but we had two people unsubscribe from the newsletter, so I don't know what happened there. Maybe I said something offensive in my last email. Maybe somebody's just consolidating and maybe, you know, I like to sometimes tell myself, well, this person didn't unsettle subscribed. They just signed up for a Gmail account and lost their Yahoo account or something like that. Like, that's what I.

[Luke Burbank]

Maybe they moved there. Like, that email is defunct. So they.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's why.

[Luke Burbank]

That's the only. That's the. I mean, I feel bad sometimes. There are things that I am still subscribing to because I don't want to, like, hurt the feelings of the person or nonprofit that I, you know, like, you know, whether it's somebody's substack or whether it's like a nonprofit that I've donated to at some point. But maybe I know some of the people there. There are some emails that are coming in that, like, I'm always tempted to unsubscribe because I don't read them, but I never do. And I would just ask our listeners to have the same sort of, you know, extend the same grace to us. And don't unsubscribe even if you want to.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's right. Never unsubscribe. I am looking here. I want. So I realize you can't play sound from your end, so I am going to play. Do we want drumroll or drumroll with cymbal? Symbol crash.

[Luke Burbank]

Let's do the symbol crash. Let's give them the full service.

[Andrew Walsh]

You have a really long version of this. This is not as long, so. But I'm going to give you the total percentage change. We had some new subscribers. We had some people unsubscribing, and that gives us a 0.2% increase. Total Percentage change.

[Luke Burbank]

Fanfare sound effect.

[Andrew Walsh]

I don't know if I have that, but I can sing it.

[Luke Burbank]

That was actually, you know, honestly, you were kind of in.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, here.

[Luke Burbank]

I think you were pretty much in range right there. Yep.

[Andrew Walsh]

All right, there we go. Thank you, everybody.

[Luke Burbank]

We deleted that sound effect.

[Andrew Walsh]

We did it.

[Luke Burbank]

Listen. It's.02% here and.02% there. Andrew. Pretty soon it's.06%. Wait, is that how Fractions here and there. That's not even a fraction. I don't know what that is.

[Andrew Walsh]

I don't know.

[Luke Burbank]

I'll ask the duplass brother. Okay, right after I asked them about Mumble Corps and the guy who lied about 9 11.

[Andrew Walsh]

Start with a mumbly question about the guy who lied about.

[Luke Burbank]

That's actually. You know what? Honestly, I told you, I want to be efficient with this. That's the perfect way to do it. All right, we are going to be back here tomorrow with more imaginary radio for all of you. So please, if you can join us for that, I'll be here in Burbank for one more day. In the meantime, have a great Monday, wherever you are. Take care of yourselves and please remember, no mountain too tall.

[Andrew Walsh]

And good luck to all.

[Luke Burbank]

Power out.