Bowen Yang

Summary

Podcast Summary: Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim – Guest: Bowen Yang (March 31, 2026)

Main Theme & Episode Overview

In this episode of Thanks Dad, host Ego Nwodim welcomes actor, comedian, and former SNL castmate Bowen Yang for a funny, intimate, and reflective conversation. Though the podcast’s original format focused on dads, this season features a broader mix of guests—anyone with a dad. Throughout the episode, Ego and Bowen share gratitude, swap stories about their educational backgrounds, discuss the pressures and transitions of SNL, and get candid about regrets, high school trauma, and their hopes for the future. The episode is a blend of comedic banter, sincere life insights, and shared vulnerability between two close friends.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

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1. Opening Banter & "Thanks" Segment

• Ego and Bowen riff on podcast formalities, with Ego jokingly struggling through Bowen’s “official” podcast intro. (03:19–04:36)
• They both struggle to follow the show’s original “Thanks Dad” concept since neither is a father.
• Gratitude Exchange:
  • Bowen thanks “a delicious sandwich,” Pret coffee, streaming service Peacock, and watching movies at 1.5x speed.
    • “You can watch Below Deck and Hamnet on the same platform. That’s amazing.” (06:28, Guest)
  • Ego is asked what she’s thankful for (unusual for her—usually she’s the one asking), and, after some playful fumbling, thanks her building’s doorman, Marquez, and her dog “Cheefy McWeefy, Chiefy McChieferton.”
    • “He prays for me. It’s so fun.” (09:57, Bowen Yang)

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2. Thoughts on Parenthood & Life Choices

• Kids:
  • Bowen is firm: “Never, ever, ever.” (11:03, Guest)
  • Ego asks: “But you don’t want them. You’ve never wanted them?” (11:29, Bowen)
  • Both reflect on kids facing a tough world.
  • Bowen: “It’s just tough for anybody to raise a child.” (11:54, Guest)
• Career Pathways:
  • Both have medical professional mothers and started as pre-med/chemistry majors before switching to performance—a journey shaped by limited options and expectations.
    • “I think we both had medical professional mothers…made sense to model it after them.” (14:29, Guest)
  • Ego reveals she liked math and chemistry for “the different rules to it” but realized too late she hadn’t pursued subjects she enjoyed.

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3. Navigating College & Early Adulthood

• Discussion on college structure, picking the “right” major, and mimicking parental career paths.
  • “To me, college was four years...I picked up two minors to be like, it’s got to do the fourth year.” (16:32, Bowen)
• Both wish for more agency and perspective, poking fun at their younger selves’ decisions.
• Academic detachment: Ego humorously recalls falling asleep in the front row of early morning science lectures.
  • “I put my book like this and I would lay down in the front row with regularity.” (17:41, Bowen)

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4. The Industry, Social Media, and Escapism

• The constant presence of “industry” news and contacts in their lives, leading to doomscrolling and overwhelm (15:12–16:19).
• Math as escape: Both say they find relief doing math problems or using “pre-algebra workbooks” (16:04–16:25).
• Area code and cell phone banter (22:14–24:28) leads to a discussion about digital disconnection and a recent city-wide Verizon cell tower outage, which made both realize their dependence on technology.
  • “It was just weird to see how much I rely on the phone.” (25:01, Bowen)

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5. Prom Memories and High School Trauma

• Sharing stories of prom, Bowen describes going with female friends as a gay teen, and Ego describes hiring a platonic friend to attend after a chance encounter at Auntie Anne’s.
  • “I thought I was JLO with the Versace green. I had a red dress. Just a red gown.” (36:30, Bowen)
• Discussion of how trauma (even lowercase-T trauma) can shade memories of high school.
  • “It wasn’t. And that’s okay...I guess it’s trauma.” (38:28, Guest)
• Debate on whether high school experiences can be “traumatic” without being capital-T Trauma.

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6. Reflections on Weddings, Friendship, and SNL Absences

• Bowen shares about being a groomsman at two weddings, including his sister’s and Joel Kim Booster’s.
• Discussion about missing major family events due to professional obligations, like Ego missing her brother’s wedding early in her SNL tenure.
  • “Oh, me crying in my dressing room.” (47:21, Ego)
• Exploration of whether it’s ever “okay” to miss a close wedding, and the tension of being present for those we love.

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7. SNL: Regrets, Achievements, and Legacy

• Candid talk about leaving SNL—a recurring motif.
• Bowen reflects on what it’s like not to watch the show after leaving, and the strange sensation of “not being there” on Saturdays after seven years.
  • “I haven’t really been able to watch the show.” (63:33, Guest)
• Both discuss the importance of SNL’s “population”—the crew, cast, staff—in shaping the experience.
  • “The way that place is populated is the thing that I chose the most.” (69:51, Guest)

Regrets & Critique

• Bowen is honest about wishing he’d “worked harder” or hit every mark.
  • “Sometimes… I'm like, I should have worked harder.”
• Ego counters that it’s “part of the dance” and the world outside SNL can never fully appreciate the pressure, quick turns, and often arbitrary show decisions.
  • “You’re not in the arena...You could never.” (72:07, Ego)
  • “My favorite thing about comedy…there’s no universal definition of what funny is. It is always an experiment.” (74:11, Guest)

Notable Underappreciated SNL Sketches

• Bowen: “Garrett from Hinges.”
• Ego: “Me as Cookie lafleuf, Daniel Craig’s last episode before COVID—don’t eat the foil.”
  • “It’s a sketch show. It is not going to unearth some societal truth.” (74:10, Guest)

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8. Social Media: Use, Fatigue, and Changing Platforms

• Both remark on pulling back from Instagram (“the gram”) and feeling a significant cultural shift in how people use social media.
  • “It’s no longer social media, it’s engagement media.” (60:20, Guest)
• They joke about replacing Instagram with “New York Times games.”
• Ego: “I’m a plant and I’m like, so remarkably sensitive.” (61:27, Bowen)
• Humorous banter about what kind of plant each would be; Ego is a birds of paradise, Bowen is “bamboo, but plastic.”

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9. Big Questions: Marriage, Kids, the Future

• Discussing if either actually envisions getting married (Bowen: not sure; Ego: “I do, but I don’t know what kind of ring I want!”).
• Both highlight how expectations around milestones like marriage can be fraught with societal pressure and indifference.

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10. Advice and Listener Interaction

• Last segment references the podcast’s usual listener advice portion, but it’s skipped as Bowen has to leave.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Thanks, King. That should have been the podcast.” (04:38, Guest)
• “You establish form to break form. That was always the intention.” (04:58, Bowen)
• “Never, ever, ever” (on wanting kids) (11:03, Guest)
• “You have the sort of presence and sort of gravitas and people love you so much that… you don’t need to transition.” (11:08, Guest)
• “Showing up did really resonate with me…but the level of disrespect to do that. And I didn’t feel connected to most of my [science] classes.” (18:01, Bowen)
• “You have no idea. So, what I…would love to see people just have a little more—perhaps empathy is the word.” (72:07, Ego)
• “It’s a sketch show. Sometimes it is just frivolous and dumb.” (74:10, Guest)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:19–04:36: Opening banter, show format change, Ego’s intro for Bowen
• 05:51–10:39: Sharing gratitude; building doorman, pet dog, the joys of Pret coffee
• 11:03–14:55: Kids: desires (or lack thereof); reflections on expectations, math love
• 17:41–19:17: Falling asleep in lectures, lack of engagement in science classes
• 22:14–25:01: Cell phone/area code discussion, recent NYC Verizon outage
• 33:42–37:11: High school prom and trauma discussion; “lowercase T” trauma
• 47:12–48:58: Ego missing her brother’s wedding for SNL, regrets, and hindsight
• 63:33–66:05: Bowen’s SNL exit, not watching the show post-departure
• 69:51–71:25: Bowen’s SNL regrets; giving self/others “grace” in high-pressure jobs
• 74:10–76:12: Comedy as an experiment, viral sketches, Lisa from Temecula praise
• 77:23–78:56: Discussing “the last thing people saw of me”—SNL and the memory of sketches

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Tone and Delivery

The episode is marked by playful banter, mutual respect, and a confessional tone. Both Ego and Bowen are unguarded, raw, and often self-deprecating, moving fluidly from bits to earnest reflection. They trade off on who pokes fun and who gets vulnerable, always circling back to laughter and friendship.

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This episode is essential listening for SNL fans, anyone navigating creative or high-pressure careers, and those interested in how humor, gratitude, and honesty shape our memories and ambitions.

Transcript

[Host]

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[Host]

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[Bowen Yang]

When I first heard the words you have lung cancer I was in shock.

[Host]

It's a diagnosis that changes everything. So what does it really mean to advocate for yourself when you're living with non small cell lung cancer? Listen to health discovered on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Guest]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint. You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments. But that's weird. Okay, one judgment. Anyway, give it a try. @mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment of $45 for

[Host]

3 month plan equivalent to 15 per month. Required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full [e-mail].

[Bowen Yang]

Okay, my next guest. Okay, I do need to read it because I don't know this person too well.

[Guest]

You. Someone had to staple that pages.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, you've got a lot going on in your life. No, your publicist sent this over.

[Guest]

That's not true. My publicist has no idea.

[Bowen Yang]

Your publicist?

[Guest]

I got a text last night at 9pm saying can you do thanks dad tomorrow? I was like, absolutely. Not from you. Not even from you.

[Bowen Yang]

I had my people.

[Guest]

You had your people?

[Bowen Yang]

Who are my people, reach out to you.

[Guest]

I'd be like, do you want to come in? I was like, of course.

[Bowen Yang]

Thank you for doing this.

[Guest]

Read your paper.

[Bowen Yang]

Read my damn paper. Do I need to read all of this? Bowen, is it okay if I just do the first bit?

[Guest]

It'd be awkward if it cut off randomly at the bottom of the page, but read it, read it, read it.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay, I'll just do the first bit. I'm sorry to you and your publicist. I'm not gonna be able to read both pages, but that's the intro.

[Guest]

Is this a prepared bit that you've done?

[Bowen Yang]

No, I'm just fucking with you. Okay. My next guest is an actor who you know from. Why am I doing that? My next guest is an actor who you know from Wicked for good. Don't laugh at your credits. Saturday Night Live.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

And his very own podcast, Las Culturistas. It's Bowen Yang.

[Guest]

Hello, King.

[Bowen Yang]

Hello.

[Guest]

Thanks, King.

[Bowen Yang]

Thanks, King. That should have been the podcast.

[Guest]

Well, now that the guests are no longer fathers, you should just.

[Bowen Yang]

I know. Also, I was thinking that today. Do I need to do a rebrand?

[Guest]

I think this is Micah Rucci's doing. Was it his idea to bring on non father guests?

[Bowen Yang]

It Was not his idea. But I think that Micah, he was a proponent.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

And I always was gonna establish form to break form. That was always the intention.

[Guest]

That is your signature. You establish form to break it.

[Bowen Yang]

Is that what you tell people about me?

[Guest]

Bodom's signature is establishing form to break.

[Bowen Yang]

I was always. You're not, but you are you. You're not a dad. You're not a dad in any way.

[Guest]

What are you? No. It's as if we've never met. What's happened there?

[Bowen Yang]

I'm a professional, Bowen. This is my podcast.

[Guest]

This is your podcast about me.

[Bowen Yang]

No. Okay. No. Tell me how you are.

[Guest]

I'm great, King. Do you wanna ask me who I.

[Bowen Yang]

No, don't tell me. He's like, do you wanna do the thing they said you do at the top of your every podcast episode? I'm just saying hi. He's screaming at me.

[Guest]

I am ecstatic to see you.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm happy to see you too.

[Guest]

I'm thrilled.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm so happy. Okay, who or what do you want to say thanks to?

[Guest]

I want to say thank you to. I want to say thank you to many things.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. Okay.

[Guest]

And then I want to ask you because I know you complain about not being asked.

[Bowen Yang]

Nobody asks you.

[Guest]

Nobody asks you. And I genuinely want to know.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. Okay. Okay.

[Guest]

I want to thank for that delicious sandwich I just ate and I think some of the top tier iced coffee in the city sleeper.

[Bowen Yang]

So people don't realize.

[Guest]

Some people don't realize. And it gives me that comforting, sorry, like, franchise y thing where you're like, oh, the pret you're gonna get. The coffee you're gonna get at pret here is gonna be the same you get in London.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes, I know that. Reliability.

[Guest]

I like that.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay.

[Guest]

I wanna thank Peacock.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay.

[Guest]

You can watch Below Deck and Hamnet on the same platform. That's amazing.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. Shout out to Vika.

[Guest]

And I want to thank 1.5 speed. Cause I was really trying to cram it in before the Oscars and I. And I gotta say, you don't lose anything if you're watching the whole thing at the same. At 1.5 or at 2. Whatever you want. Cause it's relative, right?

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. Yes.

[Guest]

The pacing is still. So apologies to the Oscar winning editor and writer and director of One Battle After Another. But I. It all. It all. It all tra. I was like, this is great.

[Bowen Yang]

So it was over in what amount of time? Because I remember being rushed.

[Guest]

It's 2 hours and 40 minutes.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

And so it was over. And what like, sorry, this is math.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm sorry to do that.

[Guest]

No, that's okay. It was like two hours.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay, great. Saved yourself 40 minutes. I know that's worthwhile. I've never thought to listen or to. Or watch anything at sped up speed.

[Guest]

Really?

[Bowen Yang]

And I don't say that as like, oh, I'm virtuous. Like, when people talk about it, I'm like, yeah, part of my thing that I'm always like, my time. I don't have time. I don't have time. I'm like, I should speed shit up.

[Guest]

I feel like you. I feel like you. You could really, I don't know, benefit. No, I'm saying. No, I'm saying, like, this is. You're a busy person.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, yeah.

[Guest]

This really helps with busy people.

[Bowen Yang]

So what's the first with busy people? Let's talk about busy people. Wait, what's the first thing you watched, sped up or listened to? Sped up, if you remember. I feel like watch is a bigger deal than even a podcast.

[Guest]

No, watch is demonic.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

Demon time is demon time. That's the real demon time. What was the first thing that I listened to? Sped up. I don't know, like this American life. Like, early days of podcasting. Okay, so, like, I don't know, cereal.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, you listen to serial sped up?

[Guest]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Bowen Yang]

What? I was like, there for every pregnant pause.

[Guest]

I was like, you were. You wanted. Oh, some podcasts app, including the official Apple podcasts app. Like, we'll do, like, shortened silences.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, okay.

[Guest]

But not by too much, but just, like, just a hair so that you're not. But I guess that. See, that I understand if people take issue with because that is, like, relative. You don't want to lose. You don't want to, like, lose any connective tissue.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. This is something I'm gonna look in, genuinely going to look into because I've just never taken advantage of it.

[Guest]

I think you. I think, again, you could benefit. What do you want to think?

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, okay. Thank you for asking me. Ooh. Who or what do I want to say thanks to today? I kind of. Okay, let's think about it. But. Okay, I'm gonna think I'm gonna take a pause and people can speed through this part as I take my own nine months pregnant pause, full term pause. I. I want to say thanks.

[Guest]

I'm putting you on the spot.

[Bowen Yang]

No, no, it's good. Oh, my God, it's good. Oh, it's good. It's so good I almost wear glasses. I want to say thanks to you. For being able to do this and saying yes to doing it last minute. I love you. I want to say thanks to my goodness. Hold on, there's something.

[Guest]

I'm putting you on.

[Bowen Yang]

No, you are, but it's good. No, I like it.

[Guest]

Thanks.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay, I'm not gonna. Because one thing I'm gonna do, rescind the thanks. I'm not. I'm rescinding that. Thanks. I actually don't want to say thanks to you. Nevermind. Pretend this segment didn't happen. No, but. Okay, I want to say it's really nice. See, I was out of town, so I was seeing my. My door person.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

So nice to just see there's one. He like, prays for me. I love him.

[Guest]

Do you want to say his name?

[Bowen Yang]

Marquez.

[Guest]

Marquez.

[Bowen Yang]

I do want to say his name. Marquez. He prays for me. It's so fun.

[Guest]

How much did you tip him at Christmas?

[Bowen Yang]

Wait, are you supposed to tip them at Christmas?

[Guest]

No, no, not.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh my God. You had to. Oh my God. Because I lived in la. Am I supposed to tip them at Christmas? No, no, actually you're onto something. No, no, but I.

[Guest]

Wait, no, don't take that out. Me advocating for reducing your tips.

[Bowen Yang]

Guys, he's joking. We do comedy. It's joke. Because it's jokes. It's. He's ahahas and hahas. Yeah. No, love him, truly. Every time I see him and I think I'm like, I haven't seen him in some time. So it was like, oh, my gosh, my guy. So yes, that's who. And then my dog.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

Thanks to my dog. Cheefy McWeefy. Chiefy McChieferton.

[Guest]

How's he doing?

[Bowen Yang]

He's so good. He's calmer than ever. I'm very into this phase. Not that he was ever like a maniac per se, but he's just like a calm little sweet baby.

[Guest]

Is he more stately now? He's like, what, three? He's three.

[Bowen Yang]

He turned three a few days ago.

[Guest]

Terrible tubes, even in dog years.

[Bowen Yang]

It's real. It's real. Do you want kids? I'm just thinking about this.

[Guest]

No. Never, ever, ever.

[Bowen Yang]

Are my transitions.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

So bad.

[Guest]

You don't have to be good at transitions. You editors. I think you have the sort of presence and sort of gravitas and people love you so much that you can't. You don't need to transition.

[Bowen Yang]

You're so kind. Thank you. You can just shock someone with a question and go, do you want children?

[Guest]

No, you don't.

[Bowen Yang]

But you don't want them. You've never wanted them.

[Guest]

I was on the fence, and lately I'm like, what? I mean, the kids are struggling now. I don't see it getting better for the kids. For the proverbial kids, there are moments where you're like, oh, they're all right. And then. And then. But then in the grand scheme of the world, I think this. It's just tough for anybody to raise a child.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

And so I. I'm gonna say not

[Bowen Yang]

at this time, not. Not at this moment. But that could change. Sure, that could. I say that could change just because it sound like. It sounds like legalese to be like, not at this moment. But that is something that could change. That could change at some. At some point in the future. But.

[Guest]

Yeah, I know we were both pre med legends.

[Bowen Yang]

Would you.

[Guest]

Do you think now, in hindsight, you would have had fun doing pre law or going to law school? Cause now I think med school is so silly.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

For us, in hindsight, I'm like, what a silly notion.

[Bowen Yang]

For me, exactly. For me, that was never gonna be even remotely right.

[Guest]

When did you know? I don't think we've talked about this. When did you know, Know in the program, in the pre med program at USC that you were like, this is a fucking joke, or like, I'm not in that.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, it's like, it's too serious. Yeah, it's too serious. It's too serious. And I, you know, I don't think until after college legitimately, did I understand. Wait, Aygo, you're a. Okay, this is gonna. How do I. No, no, I'm gonna try my best to articulate this. Like, I think after college, I stopped feeling like in a system, which is the school system or the education system. And it's like, this is the thing. You go. You go from 9th grade to 10th grade to now your freshman year, college. Like, I was just so in the system that it wasn't until after I graduated college. And like a couple of years, to be honest, where I was like, well, of course you didn't like being a biology major. If you think back to high school, you hated all your. Those are not classes you enjoyed either in any way, shape or form. And so, like, you are a person, right. You're not just like this robot in a machine and going through the motions. And so, like, the evidence was there before ego. It actually tracks like you didn't like it then. And I like math a lot, so, like, I kind of enjoyed chemistry because there was math. I mean, physics Is math as well. But, like, I don't think I took a physics class in college.

[Guest]

So chemistry was more fun. Math, because it was like, there was different rules to it. Yeah, whatever.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. And so, like. And you have a chemistry degree.

[Guest]

I have a chemistry degree.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. So, like, I just. It was after. And I think during it, I was being silly the whole time, like. And my classmates were very serious.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

And so it's like, when you look back in retrospect, I'm like, oh, totally, girl. But they were all like, gotta get into med school. Gotta get into med school. And this summer, I'm doing this thing at this internship, and I'm like, I just. But I didn't know I had options also, though.

[Guest]

Of course.

[Bowen Yang]

Did you feel you had options?

[Guest]

No, not at all. I think we both had. We both have medical professional mothers who were like. And we love them, we idolize them, and it made sense to model it after them. Perhaps. I don't mean to project.

[Host]

No.

[Bowen Yang]

But it's true. Yeah. Yeah. That's what I knew. That's all I knew.

[Guest]

Yes. And so I didn't know. Certainly didn't feel like I had options even while I was doing comedy at school. Like, in undergrad.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

You know what I mean? But I relate to this completely. Love math.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

I'm getting things in my algorithm tell that are like, solve for x fun and 3x equals 27. I'm like 9. Or. Why is this, like.

[Bowen Yang]

And why is it. How's the algorithm? Why is algebra in my algorithm?

[Guest]

Right.

[Bowen Yang]

That's how much you love math.

[Guest]

That's how much I love math.

[Bowen Yang]

My algorithm, currently. And I was just talking to Rasheeda about this last night because I feel because of the industry we're in and who we know and who our friends are. And I'm curious if you. You feel this way Sometimes I'm like, oh, you just are, like, overwhelmed with industry stuff. When you go on. On Instagram in this position that we're in, and it's all industry, and you're kind of like, okay, I work in the industry. And then when I, like, go to, like, doom scroll, it's industry. That's who I follow. And then, like, I go to check my email and the news is industry. And I'm like, how do I. I mean, I know how I need to get off the Internet and my phone. But, like, do you ever feel that, like, the. The constant. The constant. Like, it's our job. In your face all the time.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

What we do. Yeah. So. Yeah.

[Guest]

And there's no escaping it. Except for math.

[Bowen Yang]

Math.

[Guest]

Why legitimately does this sound appealing to you at all? Yeah, I order like a seventh grade pre algebra workbook meant for 13 year olds.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

And like instead of like a coloring book situation, I would with that. Like easy math problems.

[Bowen Yang]

I would with that. I genuinely, I enjoyed. I used to love my senior year of college sitting down. So I was a business minor.

[Guest]

Oh.

[Bowen Yang]

And so like I picked it up because. And I have this like ass backwards idea. It's not ass backwards. I just didn't know anything. To me, college was four years. So I was actually done my bio degree.

[Guest]

Wait, what do you mean to you, college to me?

[Bowen Yang]

Because I was like, it has to be four. Four. There's like four. You know what I mean? But my bio degree was actually done with the exception of one class by my senior year, which was also crazy. That like did not.

[Guest]

It could have been three.

[Bowen Yang]

You're saying it could have been three. And like I could have maybe like stuffed one class into that third year or like, I guess take one class my senior year. And I was like. So I had picked up two minors to be like, it's got to do the fourth year.

[Guest]

You are. I love you.

[Bowen Yang]

But I didn't know the things, you know. Now I'm like, oh, oh. And even the way we stacked my classes, I kind of just took their template and was like, yeah, for sure. And let's do them early in the morning and get them. It was all wrong. Everything was wrong.

[Guest]

You didn't go to an 8:00am lecture, honey.

[Bowen Yang]

8:00am and this is probably when I should have known bio pre med wasn't for me. I'd show up to my 8am Biology class, I sit in the front row, diligent student. I put my book like this and I would lay down in the front row with regularity.

[Guest]

Why even go? Why even go?

[Bowen Yang]

I always wanted to ask these people.

[Guest]

I'm like, why are you not only, why are you here? Why are you front freaking row?

[Bowen Yang]

Why am I front row? And it wasn't like a, oh, I can't help myself. It was like, I'm here, set my book up, it's my pillow and I'm this.

[Guest]

That was, that. That was more comforting than staying in bed.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, because staying in bed felt like I'm not doing my responsibilities. But like, I showed up, I put clothes on, we brushed our teeth, we washed our face, I've showered, whatever, I'm here, I'm in my clothes, put a little makeup on to go to sleep. Front Row in front of the professor. I think about that girl and I'm like, honey, what did you think this was? You thought that was a good idea. I know.

[Guest]

And this is. Well, I think this says. What does this say about you? This says that you don't try to compliment me.

[Bowen Yang]

Be real.

[Guest]

I'm being real.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. Go be real. Don't compliment me.

[Guest]

I'm not gonna. You don't know where everything is going. You will show up with just the right amount of detachment.

[Bowen Yang]

I like this.

[Guest]

You know what I mean?

[Bowen Yang]

I like, thank you for that.

[Guest]

That was a compliment.

[Bowen Yang]

It was a compliment and I knew it was gonna be, but it is. I am kind of like, yeah, I know that in high school I cared so much about attendance and that was like, stupid. And in retrospect I'm like, who cares about attendance? And like, showing up did really resonate with me, but I'm like, the level of disrespect to do that. And I didn't feel connected to most of my like, because especially the science ones.

[Guest]

I just like, I never went to office hours once. Yeah, just telling you, star, star. And look at what you know and

[Bowen Yang]

look at how he turned out. Kids in college, this man never went to office hours. And now do you.

[Guest]

I feel like in movies and TV shows, it's like, come to my office hours. It cuts to the next scene or whatever.

[Bowen Yang]

I just wanna live a movie.

[Guest]

I just wanna live like a movie.

[Bowen Yang]

When did you chem was not for you and pre med was not for you years. What was the culture that made you say chemistry?

[Guest]

Chemistry is not for me. Okay. No. Year one, standard chem. I was like, this sucks. You know what really hooked me, which is never, never the trajectory usually was orgo chemistry.

[Bowen Yang]

And that's the thing people struggle with. And they're like, I have drop out

[Guest]

to only it felt like these are puzzles. This is like. This is like a dungeon in Zelda or whatever. This is like a crossword. This is whatever. This is like a logic puzzle. I can do. Like, I want to take the LSAT to just to do the logic puzzles, which I hear are no longer on the lsat.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, so you're like, I don't need to. You don't need to take the LSAT for a number of reasons now anymore, but especially because the puzzles are gone.

[Guest]

Let's take the lsat. Let's take the bar. I want to go to the Javit center and sit in that big ass room and take the bar. And take the bar. That would be fun.

[Bowen Yang]

The way I would fail the bar if I just decided to go pop it into I'm so smart.

[Guest]

That would be fun.

[Bowen Yang]

It kind of would be fun.

[Guest]

We should consider it something very appealing in the opposite way of like. Oh, like a, you know, 12 year old algebra book. I wanna do something that I know I will fail at just to say that I sat through it and did. I know I can just like truly be fit.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

And have it be okay. And this has no bearing on me. Like. Well, of course that makes it different, but you know what I mean.

[Bowen Yang]

Of course. Because it's not our industry, so it makes it a little easier. But I enjoy failing in the ways I like to. But I love to do a thing that makes me so uncomfortable and is so out of my realm of whatever. I do enjoy that. So that resonates.

[Guest]

What do you want to. What's the next.

[Bowen Yang]

What's the next thing?

[Guest]

I think let's go to Javits.

[Bowen Yang]

Let's go. We should take the bar. I will be so bad at the bar.

[Guest]

Let's go with Kim K. Let's go. Did she pass it?

[Bowen Yang]

I think she. I think she passed because when she was at snl, she was taking.

[Guest]

She had a big binder.

[Bowen Yang]

She had her binder and she was like studying for it and she had it. I think it was her second or third time taking it.

[Guest]

When she.

[Bowen Yang]

When we were there.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

She was working on it. I think she passed.

[Guest]

I think she passed.

[Bowen Yang]

We should text her.

[Guest]

You have her number?

[Bowen Yang]

I don't have her number.

[Guest]

I don't think anyone. I don't think she connected with anyone. Except Pete, I guess.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, also, people like that. I feel like a Kim Kardashian probably changes her number all the time.

[Guest]

Of course.

[Bowen Yang]

Do you change your number often or is it the same I.

[Guest]

Where you're genuinely asking.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm asking. Cause I don't know if I have your number anymore.

[Guest]

I have a new one that I don't use.

[Bowen Yang]

A separate situation.

[Guest]

A separate. I have a 917.

[Bowen Yang]

I have a 917 as well. Okay, wait, pause, pause. Pregnant. Pause.

[Guest]

Pregnant. Nine month pregnant.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. The 917.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

Did you get that for business so that you could give. Why did you get the second number?

[Guest]

I got the second number because I was like, just in case, like if, like if the towers go down in Denver. I don't know. I don't know. I don't really know why.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay, okay.

[Guest]

But it was like. I was like, oh, I might as well just. Yeah. I don't know it was a jic. I have no idea. There's no practical reason for it.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. And for our listeners at home, JIC is just in case, or Jesus is Christ. Is Christ. Jesus is Christ.

[Guest]

Why did you get the 917?

[Bowen Yang]

I'm gonna tell you that.

[Guest]

Oh, I'll tell you that.

[Bowen Yang]

But I have a question. No, I'll tell you, but do you. Do you have. Do you have. Are you on a family plan with yourself?

[Guest]

Yes, up until very recently, I defected.

[Bowen Yang]

You defected from your family?

[Guest]

From the family plan.

[Bowen Yang]

So now your family plan is just your. Both your two numbers.

[Guest]

It's just my two numbers.

[Bowen Yang]

I have a 917. My 917 number is not real, but I have it.

[Guest]

Got it.

[Bowen Yang]

Twist.

[Guest]

What do you mean, not real? Like, it's like a Google account.

[Bowen Yang]

It's an app on my phone.

[Guest]

Oh, great. Yes, I understand.

[Bowen Yang]

So that, like, everyone doesn't have to have the number.

[Guest]

But I'm.

[Bowen Yang]

This is.

[Guest]

Do you ever think about this with phone numbers? Area codes aside, there's only, what, seven digits? So there's only.

[Bowen Yang]

Come on, math. Come on, math.

[Guest]

Come on, math. There's only like, a million numbers. And a million's not like. Like, a million's not that much.

[Bowen Yang]

You know what I mean? And he's talking about money.

[Guest]

We're buying up all the. The Internet. We're buying up all the. The Verizons, the.

[Bowen Yang]

I know. Well, it was, like, even having to get. I remember when the Baltimore area code was, like, split because it was like, there's too many four one, zeros. And it was like. Well, first we got area because we were using up all the numbers.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

Then we got area codes for that reason. And then the Baltimore area code split, and I was like, oh, my gosh, my house number's authentic. And then my cell's part of the split.

[Guest]

Am I really authentic?

[Bowen Yang]

I'm like, OG.

[Guest]

Wow.

[Bowen Yang]

OG Authentic. Yeah.

[Guest]

And how do you. And you have, like, the 917 will always be fake in the app.

[Bowen Yang]

I know, but then I think about getting another one. Cause to your point about towers being down, there was a day we're talking about the cell towers.

[Guest]

The cell towers. Oh, my God. You took it there.

[Bowen Yang]

I didn't.

[Guest]

Oh, I'm sorry.

[Bowen Yang]

You did. No, I set him up to take it there. Baby, don't take the bait. Baby, don't take the bait.

[Guest]

Baby, don't take the bait.

[Bowen Yang]

No, but I. The towers were. I don't know what the fuck happened. I don't know if you know about this, because I don't. Verizon. Shut up. See,

[Guest]

I can tell you about 9 11. No, no, no. What happened? What happened? What happened?

[Bowen Yang]

Well, the towers were knocked down. We're gonna cut my part. We'll go to. We'll go to Bowen Ego. Oh, my God. So the towers. The cell towers went down for Verizon.

[Guest]

Went down in Baltimore, Just.

[Bowen Yang]

Honey, in New York.

[Guest]

In New York.

[Bowen Yang]

Gotham City. No joke. I'm not kidding. This was. Okay, right now. The month is March. My concept of time is really fucked right now. So, yeah, I'm gonna say it was January.

[Guest]

Of this year.

[Bowen Yang]

Of this year.

[Guest]

Okay.

[Bowen Yang]

January.

[Guest]

Yes. I remember that day, honey. Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

The cell phones, they stopped working. All of Verizon, the most reliable network supposedly.

[Guest]

Supposedly.

[Bowen Yang]

No, my phone just stopped working. It went into sos. It kind of does that. I got the new phone, and it was doing that already. I was like, oh, okay, I have to shut it down. Like, I got this new phone that gives me problems, but I turn it off. Turn it on. And I'm doing that for, like, 20 minutes in my kitchen. I have errands, meetings to get to. And I was like, well, okay, I guess I have to try to remember the map route or take. Well, I have WI FI in my house, so I get that route. And I take screenshots because I'm like, the phone's not working. And then I get where I'm going. And. Well, first I was like, I'm gonna go to Verizon, because there's one right by my meeting. I go to Verizon. It is, in fact, Gotham City. The staff standing in a line at the Verizon in SoHo and Just Mayhem in the store. A bunch of people. And I could see the staff basically deadpan. Yeah. Dissociated and being like, there's nothing we can do. There's nothing we can do. And people being like, I thought it was just my phone. And I was like, I thought it was just mine. And then everywhere I go, I could hear people. I'm passing in SoHo being like, my phone's not working. The phone's not working. And I was like, this is crazy. It was like that until 10pm so it started at noon. Earlier. Earlier. And it was like that till after 10:15pm red is not stable. It's not. And it was just weird to see how much I rely on the phone. So when you talk about the towers being down. No, no. Genuine. I'm not trying to be fun. I was trying to be funny.

[Guest]

I'm sorry.

[Bowen Yang]

I wasn't trying to be funny when

[Guest]

and so yes and yes. And does that attitudinally change anything for you about having the nine ones? I don't think that makes a difference.

[Bowen Yang]

It doesn't make a difference. Cause if I got another phone number it would be on Verizon. It's just. Cause I'm like I'm not gonna change providers cause that one day. But also they had no explanation. They're like they sent a tweet out at like or threads or a tweet out at like 1pm being like we're aware and we're working on it. And then we didn't hear from them for the rest of and then it was just like my cell service started working at 10:15. We don't know what happened.

[Guest]

Oh, did they never.

[Bowen Yang]

No. No, there was not like this is what happened. No, just Olive Crazy. Yeah. So good to have two numbers.

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[Host]

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[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Host]

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[Guest]

What would be in your like, prepper kit if that were to happen again?

[Bowen Yang]

And like, oh, if this like I'm

[Guest]

equating the towers going down with it felt like society.

[Bowen Yang]

It felt like apocalyptic. A touch truly. Walking through Soho and being like, it was so weird. I'm like, none of us can. You can't use the map. I couldn't call an Uber to Get to. I was like, oh, I don't know. So it is a bit disorienting. I think it can be. I think a hot spot. I keep thinking, yeah, okay, I want a hot spot. Okay, I want a hot spot. I want chief.

[Guest]

But the hotspot also goes down with the towers. Like, the hot spot is just bricked.

[Bowen Yang]

Are you calling me stupid on my own podcast? You can't do that on my podcast. I can't. I know. Just kidding. No. Okay, so. Okay, forget it. I need to just disconnect, is what you're saying. If they go down, I need to disconnect. I'm getting pen and paper.

[Guest]

Yes. Stamps.

[Bowen Yang]

Stamps.

[Guest]

Cause the post office will be open.

[Bowen Yang]

The post office. Rain, sleet, snow, cell towers down. The post office is open. My dog.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

My photos from my high school prom.

[Guest]

Oh.

[Bowen Yang]

Have the album. That's the physical. They have not been digitized by Google. They're in my apartment in New York. I have no storage space, but I have those.

[Guest]

What's. Have we talked about what made prom so special?

[Bowen Yang]

No. But I do want to know from you first.

[Guest]

Sure.

[Bowen Yang]

What made prom so special?

[Guest]

I went with. Junior year, I went with Laura Lockwood. Senior year, I went with Alex Towner. They were both girls. I.

[Bowen Yang]

Did we try not to say last names on this podcast.

[Guest]

You said Micah Rucci.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. Sorry.

[Guest]

Not to say just to protect the identity, but you were saying something really interesting the other day, which was there was an era of reality television where we weren't saying yes.

[Bowen Yang]

I was talking about this. I was like, we just weren't. And it was like, so and so H or so and so last year. But now it's like, whatever. It's all out there now.

[Guest]

But you're right. Because of social media.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

It's like, we want to look them up first and last.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes. Yes. Okay. But you went with these two.

[Guest]

I went with these girls. The big draw was that it was at Invesco Field, Mile High Stadium. Like, the big arena or the big stadium, I should say. Yeah, but it was just, like, in, like, a conference room. It wasn't like, out in the field or anything. There was a chocolate fountain, and people freaked out.

[Bowen Yang]

Went crazy for that.

[Guest]

Went crazy.

[Bowen Yang]

Were you nervous to ask either of them? Did you have nerves asking?

[Guest]

No, because it was. It was very out of the closet. It was so. Like, when you're. When you're a gay guy, it's just like, there's. No, you're not. There's not. At least in my. When we were in high School. It was like, you're not going with another guy unless you're, like, coupled up.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay.

[Guest]

And so it's like, you're just gonna go. You're basically going stag, but your date is, like, an Ally girl, basically. And that's what it was.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay.

[Guest]

Okay. So what was so special about prom?

[Bowen Yang]

My. I stayed out. I, like, went to parties, like, which was a twist. Cause I didn't party in high school. So, like, I did the. Like, I asked a friend, and I was like, he had graduated, I think the year before, and I'm gonna cough. And so that's why I sound like this.

[Guest]

Sponsored by allergies.

[Bowen Yang]

You know this.

[Guest]

They are bad right now.

[Bowen Yang]

Allergies are fucking me.

[Guest]

I'm sorry.

[Bowen Yang]

Do you see my eyes? Do you maybe can't see. Do you hear my voice right now?

[Guest]

I hear your voice. I can't see your eyes. What do you. What do you mean?

[Bowen Yang]

You can't see my eyes?

[Guest]

No, I'm just.

[Bowen Yang]

They're brown. I know they're not baby blue, but you can see my mouth. You can see my. Okay. I don't know if we're gonna cut that out, because I do say we're sponsored by allergies, because allergies are real. And I genuinely don't cut out.

[Guest]

You can't.

[Bowen Yang]

You have to let people know that none of this is perfect. I'm passionate about it. Fashion of the jic. Okay.

[Guest]

Yes. Jesus is okay.

[Bowen Yang]

So I asked. I asked a friend. He had graduated. I was like, I'll pay for your tux rental. Whatever. Just come with me.

[Guest]

You paid for his tux rental?

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, because he did. He. He didn't. We. I don't even know if we even knew each other. Well, like, we knew each other in passing, and he was, like, a nice guy. And I go, oh, my gosh. I don't have a date. I didn't even think about this because I was. I was so not boy crazy in high school at all.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

And so I was like, I didn't think about this, but I do need to ask someone. And I asked him, and I think he worked at Annie Ann's Pretzels, so. And I lived by the mall. And I think one Friday we got dropped off at the mall, or I did. He's working. And I was like, oh, Robert, do you want to go to the. Go to prom with me? And he's like, yeah, I'll go. And I was like, yeah, I'll pay for the stuff. And so he came to prom with me, but it was, like, so platonic. And then I, like, went out and partied with my friends. I was like, oh, my gosh. We're drinking Smirnoff Ice.

[Guest]

Smirnoff Ice. And what else?

[Bowen Yang]

It was coke, weed, ketamine, heroin, Oxy.

[Guest]

You're doing oxy?

[Bowen Yang]

Imagine me. Yeah. Imagine me casually.

[Guest]

I don't know.

[Bowen Yang]

Imagine me. I like. I'm like, I'll have a headache and be like, no, I think my body can beat this. It's ridiculous, but that's what I think that was. But it was. It was. It was very cutesy and was like, okay, it's come and it's gone, and it doesn't matter.

[Guest]

The photos are going in the kit. The photos are going in the kit.

[Bowen Yang]

Because I'm like, I loved my dress. I thought I was JLO with the Versace green. I had a red dress. Oh. Just a red gown. And a deep cut here. It was a deep cut. Too grown. But it was, like, classy because then there was this little, like, rhinestone situation keeping the sides together.

[Guest]

I'm. I'm inspired.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm just like, oh. Cause I feel. I don't have so many memories from high school, middle school. Like, I just feel like I don't. Yeah. I don't have what happened. Do you think trauma made us forget or just life got busy? They swear it's trauma.

[Guest]

They swear.

[Bowen Yang]

They.

[Guest]

But then does the trauma, like. And the trauma is of the time, apparently.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. That's, like, why you don't remember a period, supposedly. I'm not a scientist. I mean, I guess technically we are a scientist. We both have these degrees.

[Guest]

Yeah, sure.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. Would you have described high school as a bit traumatic?

[Guest]

I think so. And I'd say, you know what? The lovely people at my school. In fact, one staff member who is now retiring. His name's Scott Cohen. He was, like, the activities director. He likes. Was kind of the sponsor of, like, the student government and all that was like, the guy, like, all, like, all, like, the squeaky clean. I'll say. Like, kids, like, really, like, bonded with him. And he was a swim coach. He was great. Wonderful, upstanding, honorable staff member. He's retiring now. And then he, in his retirement act, I guess, is doing, like, a hall of fame for the Smoky Hill High School sort of legacy.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

And it's me. And I believe I want to say, not Mark Norman. It was like. It's like some other, like, bro y or standup guy, which is so funny. But they're doing a hall of fame and they wanted. They're asking me if I can go. And I was like, I can. I'm like, I'm in production that week. And I'm also kind of like, it just seems disingenuous to go back to my high school and be like, thank you. This is.

[Bowen Yang]

This was great.

[Guest]

This is great. It wasn't. And that's okay.

[Bowen Yang]

And that is okay.

[Guest]

That's fine. Oh, my God. And my one teacher who I love and adore and changed the course of my life, and it's a wonderful example of teachers in general and just public school teachers just being wonderful sort of community members and whatever texted me this past week and being like, so your old teacher is in town and would love if you reached out and said hi to the students. This old teacher was terrible to me. And so I'm like, no freaking way. So I don't know. Yeah, I guess it's trauma. I guess as I'm describing, it was

[Bowen Yang]

like, not lowercase T. Lowercase T. Is that helpful? Lowercase T?

[Guest]

Maybe. Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

Because sometimes I'm like, something was traumatic, but I'm like, that feels so dramatic to call it traumatic. Like, it's not that. It was. It's not that.

[Guest]

There's a spectrum.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, there's a spectrum.

[Guest]

Lowercase T. Lowercase T. But, like, the top is a little short and it's. Well, I don't know.

[Bowen Yang]

So it's like.

[Guest]

Like a lowercase T with a long top. Long top is like the lowest case. And then as it gets shortened as it starts to resemble, like, uppercase, uppercase.

[Bowen Yang]

So yours falls on. It's a. We're talking high school long top.

[Guest]

I think it's like Jesus Christ. Like, perfect crucifix.

[Bowen Yang]

Got it. Okay, okay. Got it. Right in the middle there.

[Guest]

Well, not even in the middle.

[Bowen Yang]

It's a little bit above middle. Yes, it's a little bit above middle. Got it.

[Guest]

I've envisioned where the stigmata go, where the hands go.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay, okay. I now know I see it. Oh, okay.

[Guest]

What about you?

[Bowen Yang]

High school lowercase T. No T. I don't feel no T. I.

[Guest]

No, you walked me to calling my high school experience traumatic.

[Bowen Yang]

You see what I did there? That's called journalism. No, that's called journalism. I hope the press picks it up, clip it, run with it. No, no, genuinely, I don't. No. I think I had more college tea. But it was also just like, such culture shock. Going to LA from Baltimore. I was so, like, it's okay. Life isn't meant to be happy. Like, like every day and so it's more that, but it was also like, just. I chose the major I had. I kind of chose it.

[Guest]

Like, yes.

[Bowen Yang]

And. And again, the culture shock of moving from Baltimore to la, which is just a very different kind of place. And so. And then also private school. And I did go to public school my whole life, so. Shout out to public school. I want to say thanks to them.

[Guest]

Thank you. Thanks to them.

[Bowen Yang]

Thanks to public school. But, yeah, high school was kind of like, whatever. I just always remember just being like, can't wait to grow up. Can't wait to move. That was always my vibe. Like, can't wait to move to one of the city. The big cities. Yeah.

[Guest]

Well, it always. I remember my. Right about right around graduation, we were just out doing something, some activity, and there were parents there. And then one of them was talking to someone else about their call, like, they were going to see you. Boulder, whatever. And then I remember this, because it sent a chill down my spine. It felt so wrong at the time and still does, but it was this parent going, we'll enjoy college. Cause they're the best years of your life. And I was like, that can't be true.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

Like, I refuse for that to be true.

[Bowen Yang]

I love that you do that, though, in real time. You're like, that's dark. Because even when people say that about high school, I used to hear it about high school. It's the best years of your life. No, no, honey, not by a long shot. Not by a long shot. Thus far.

[Guest]

Thus far.

[Bowen Yang]

And I've lived some life now. And I'm like, wrong. And I knew that was wrong. And I wasn't even experiencing any crazy. I was like, this is fine. This is fine. These are the best years of my life. No way. Yeah. Can't be.

[Guest]

Now we have to apply this to snl. No, we don't.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. Best years of your life. When people say that, would you say,

[Guest]

well, not enough time has passed for us to discern. To discern. I had. I had a wonderful time.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

That's all I'll say.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. Okay, so.

[Guest]

No, no, I had a complicated time. And that. Oh, God, that's gonna get clipped.

[Bowen Yang]

That's clipped.

[Guest]

No.

[Bowen Yang]

Isn't it crazy that you can't just talk to your friend on a podcast in front of microphones and not have it be clipped? Why do I halfway believe that? I'm like, guys, it's not that.

[Guest]

It's not that deep.

[Bowen Yang]

They gotta fill their quota of articles and are like Bowen said. And like, it's.

[Guest]

It's fine, guys. It's fine. It's normal.

[Bowen Yang]

I really want to be like, guys, it's fine.

[Guest]

They're not gonna put that in. But they're gonna put that in the article, though.

[Bowen Yang]

They're not gonna say that part. They're not gonna go where he says it's a job.

[Guest]

But why won't you say it?

[Bowen Yang]

Because I want to ask you how you. Because I.

[Guest]

You're good. See, I always take the bait. And you are so media trained.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm media trained, honey. I took a media training class. Classes at usc. They offered. I was a bio major, but I'm taking media training. I think I'm gonna be famous one day. And I'm in media training.

[Guest]

I think they're. Whatever.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm sure there's some. Some course. Yeah. But I did want to ask you. You're like. You're really pivoting.

[Guest]

I like it.

[Bowen Yang]

Pivot city. I did want to ask you if you knew. From Colorado.

[Guest]

I'm hanging on to everybody.

[Bowen Yang]

He's laughing at me. He's like, who is this version of her?

[Guest]

I love her. She's my.

[Bowen Yang]

Who do you love more? Who do you love more? Of all the versions of me. Honest. Go crazy.

[Guest]

Of all the versions of me.

[Bowen Yang]

This is the question I was gonna ask, but we digress.

[Guest]

I love I got to see wedding version of you. Oh, we've been at two weddings now.

[Bowen Yang]

We have.

[Guest]

Yes, I love you at wed. You at a wedding is a great time.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay.

[Guest]

And not even like, it's. And I hope this doesn't put pressure on you to in the future be like, I guess I gotta turn be on at a wedding. I think you are the perfect sort of frequency at a wedding where it's like, you show up, you look great. Again, showing up with the perfect amount of detachment. Oh, and detachment is even not the right word.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, I.

[Guest]

You show up and you're like, I know my place here. I'm a guest. I'm gonna, like, hang back, have a good time.

[Bowen Yang]

Thank you for. That's very sweet. You know, I will say, when people go to someone's wedding or their birthday party and they're doing too much, I'm always like, you don't need to do all of that. It's kind of like this is about someone else. I've told this story on the podcast before, but I flew from an SNL app. My first episode in my first season from. Yeah, my birthday. Flew to LA for my friend's wedding, which was on the Sunday, which is technically. Technically when the episode was done, so people got me drinks, which is very nice to drink too much, go to LA for my friend's wedding and she and her husband, who just celebrated and it coincides with my birthday, their, like, seventh year, they were like, do you want to say. Yeah. Happy. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much, genuinely. No, I know. I'm like, thank you. Yeah. He didn't text me. Do you have anything you want to

[Guest]

say for your belated birthday?

[Bowen Yang]

No, no, besides that.

[Guest]

I was traveling.

[Bowen Yang]

What was happening?

[Guest]

I was traveling.

[Bowen Yang]

Where were you? I had a party.

[Guest]

I know you did.

[Bowen Yang]

I didn't have a party. Look at him, he's getting dark. I know, my love.

[Guest]

I can't keep up with powerful anymore.

[Bowen Yang]

No, no, no. I didn't have a party in my life. I didn't have a party. I didn't do shit like that.

[Guest]

Keep that in.

[Bowen Yang]

I didn't have it. Keep it in, Keep it in.

[Guest]

Keep that in. Okay, wait, so your friend.

[Bowen Yang]

So in la. My friend in la, they were like, do you want us to sing Happy Birthday? And I was like, at your wedding?

[Guest]

No, no, absolutely not.

[Bowen Yang]

And then they're like, we'll sing it. And I was like, like, no. And then I felt we were going back and forth with the like, well, we will.

[Guest]

Seems like they wanted it more than you.

[Bowen Yang]

So then I. That's kind of what I started to feel like. And I was like, okay, well, if you. And I was like, if you want to. For you just know that I don't need that. That's not at all. Imagine I'm on SNL at your wedding and you're singing me Happy Birthday. I'm like, I'm not a maniac. And so I was like, if you really want to sing me Happy Birthday, I feel like for you guys will feel whatever, but I'm like, please don't. And then my friend who was with me was like, that is so sweet of you. And I was like, so you would have let them sing Happy Birthday? I was like, I have so many of these. God willing, of course you have one wedding.

[Guest]

Do you think they just felt bad that you were flying in, like, on the Very sweet.

[Bowen Yang]

Like, yeah, I'm sure it was some, like, oh, my goodness. You were just. But I'm like, I am so happy to be here to support your union. Beautiful couple. Beautiful couple. But, yeah, people doing too much at someone else's thing. Like, let people have their.

[Guest]

Let people have their thing. Can I ask you something? And we can. We can leave this out.

[Bowen Yang]

Sure. Sure, sure.

[Guest]

I remember. It was like your second week at snl.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, yeah.

[Guest]

And I feel like, is this a wedding? Sort of small lowercase T trauma, you

[Bowen Yang]

know, we don't have to talk.

[Guest]

We don't have to talk about.

[Bowen Yang]

No, no, it can stay in. It's staying in. No. I've said this before. I miss my brother's wedding for my

[Guest]

second week of s. Heartbroken for me.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, me crying in my dressing room, like. But it was. But it wasn't, like, bawling. I just called him, and they were so supportive, he and his wife. And I was like, you look so handsome. And I like. And I'm not gonna. And then I just started crying. But, like, yeah, that I. I think. But going into snl, I was like, I had not a great manager at the time that I started, and I had said, well, this is tough in terms of, like, potentially getting this job. My brother's wedding is October 6th, and I still remember, but I was like, my brother's wedding is October 6th, and he's, like, normal and getting married. And the others of us. Of the siblings are, like, questionable.

[Guest]

And I was like, you were. You include yourself among the questionable ones? Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

I was like, we're weird, the other three of us. I was like, he's so normal. And it's so funny because then after, like, the wedding, I did take a train down to Maryland after, and, like, the whole family is there. And everyone was like, it was magic. It was pure. I'm, like, so happy to see everyone together. Like, my cousins from London, everyone was there, but I was like, okay, so I missed that. And I said one line in the show last night, which doesn't upset me. Like, it was more just like, I'd asked my manager to be like, can you ask them to, like, just. We can flag it now. We can flag it. But, like, before I even get the job, we can flag it. And he was just so, like, SNL is Mecca that he wouldn't even. He wouldn't. He's like, we can't. And I was like, I feel like we probably can.

[Guest]

And now in hindsight, you're, like, knowing what you know now it's like, he absolutely.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh. And even, like, week four, one of someone who worked there was like, I just. I heard it was your brother's wedding, or it was like, week three. They were like, I heard it was your brother's wedding this week. And I. We could have asked. And they were like, we don't know what would have been the answer. But I think we could have asked. I think if we asked, the answer would have been yes.

[Guest]

I think so. I 100% this is not us, like, sort of like keeping like that institutional reputation squeaky clean. It's just like, no. They absolutely would have been like, of course you can go to your brother's wedding.

[Bowen Yang]

Your second episode.

[Guest]

We're not gonna fucking.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. And we know this well in advance. I have my dress, I have my shoes, my little gold shoes. So. But I think what it is, is, like, there are people's weddings who I love and adore and I have missed, but I do try. I do. Like, I'm low key. Not getting invited to, like, I don't know if this is the case for you, but I'm not getting invited to weddings where I'm like, okay, I kind of know you. I feel like you just invited me because it would. You're like, kind of inviting everyone.

[Guest]

Sure.

[Bowen Yang]

All the weddings I'm getting invited to, I'm like, I really love and care about you, and if I can be there, I want to be there.

[Guest]

The beauty of weddings, it's like, it is informational about the people in your life who mean something. Whether or not you're like, oh, we barely know each other. Should I show up? Or. It's like, you're one of the closest people in my life. Like, no matter what. Like, it's a profound thing.

[Bowen Yang]

Have you been a groomsman?

[Guest]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

Groomsman? Yes.

[Guest]

Groomsman.

[Bowen Yang]

In your sister's wedding?

[Guest]

My sister's wedding. And then at Joel Kim Booster's wedding

[Bowen Yang]

recently, in December, did you give a speech at either.

[Guest]

Yes. Gave a speech at the rehearsal dinner for my sisters and crushed.

[Bowen Yang]

Of course you did. Were we reading from paper or from phone?

[Guest]

I was off book. Off book. Off book.

[Bowen Yang]

That's the way to do it. I don't know that I'll ever be able to, but that's you.

[Guest]

Can you memorize words for a living?

[Bowen Yang]

When I saw Autumn accepting the. The Oscar for best cinematography, and I was like, she's off book. And it's so. It's. I feel I'd be so nervous and I'd be so, like, disoriented by the whole day and everything. So her calmly. I know speaking up there, that was hot. So hot. I was just like, how do they do it? I'm like, I would have to surely have written something. So you were off book?

[Guest]

I was off book.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. Okay. I was off book.

[Guest]

And for Joel's wedding, I think it was me. That was a two hander. Was me and Matt Rogers and we were reading off of a phone.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay.

[Guest]

So that was tough.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay, the phone was tough.

[Guest]

Well, it's just visually, it's just, it's

[Bowen Yang]

the visual of the phone, you know, it's the visual of the phone that I think sometimes I'm like, oh no, maybe paper. But then I'm like, like, phone is just so easy.

[Guest]

Phone is just so easy. But paper feels paper. Paper makes sound.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes, paper makes sound into the mic.

[Guest]

I think best option unfortunately is being

[Bowen Yang]

ob ob o b G Y n. I know. I do think off book is good. I. Yeah, I.

[Guest]

Is it okay that we talked about the.

[Bowen Yang]

What Brothers.

[Guest]

The brothers wedding thing?

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, yeah. That's okay. I genuinely. It was just like a crazy. But I've, I've spoken about it and it's just such a, like, oh my goodness, I want to be there. And the whole family is there. They're all there in Maryland right now. And the pictures looked amazing, but they were. My brother and sister in law were so sweet and so supportive and I, I'm very grateful for that. And everyone in my life generally has been by and large like, understand that like we work on. We worked on Saturdays. We worked on Saturdays and that's a tough way. And we worked on Friday. We worked six days a week.

[Guest]

Yeah, basically.

[Bowen Yang]

And technically seven. Because you're like on. You're still working on Sunday.

[Guest]

You're coming up with pictures.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, yeah.

[Guest]

But would you understand it if they were like, for your wedding. They were like, we're not gonna come because it's only fair.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. I would understand if it was not. They would never do that. But I would understand it because here's my thing. My dream wedding is 40 people total between me and the groom.

[Guest]

Perfect. So 20.

[Bowen Yang]

I have a huge family, so that means a slaughterhouse record. That means people are getting slashed left and right.

[Guest]

I'm not getting the Internet.

[Bowen Yang]

No. I just. In my mind. But it's like so romantic to me.

[Guest]

You should just.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm not gonna do it. It's not elurp.

[Guest]

You should alert.

[Bowen Yang]

I've thought about a lerping, but then I'm like, but I want to throw a party. It's very twisted. So I'm like, I, I think we're in the.

[Guest]

We're in a world now where you can be like, no one show up for the ceremony. It's gonna be 40 people. But we're, we're throwing a huge bash afterwards.

[Bowen Yang]

That is true. Well, I have two. Two of my friends just got engaged and they, I Was like, what's the plan for the wedding? And they're like, we've been. They've been to so many weddings. They're always at a wedding in every. Every country. Every. So they're. They're like, we just want to gather our loved ones for, like, a extended weekend. And, like, that's to them. They're like, that's our vibe. We have done discovered from our experience and from talking to grooms and brides over the years that they don't remember anything from the day because it's so stressful. And they're like, neither of us is religious, and so this is what we want to do.

[Guest]

Perfect. Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

Do you ever want to get married? Is that something you desire? I'm.

[Guest]

I. I don't know yet. I have not been. I have not been presented that situation.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. No one's. I understand.

[Guest]

Imagine if you could only answer that question if you'd been proposed to. I think so, but it just depends.

[Bowen Yang]

Imagine that question, of course. But it's not something where if you didn't get married, you'd be like, oh, this thing was missing from my life. You don't think. Okay, that's clear. Yeah.

[Guest]

What about you?

[Bowen Yang]

Do I want to get married? I do. I don't know why I say it like that. No, I'm saying it like that. It's not. For shame. I'm just like a girl who had, like, never envisioned her wedding. Someone asked me, what kind of ring would you want? I'm like, I don't know anything about rings.

[Guest]

And.

[Bowen Yang]

But there's some women who know it, and they know. And they know the cut and the princess and the pair and the. And I don't know anything. I don't know. And I know that's not what getting married is, but, like, it's just.

[Guest]

It informs your vision. It informs your attitude about it.

[Bowen Yang]

Like, I do want to. Yeah. If it makes sense. But also when, like, guys answer that question that way, straight guys go like, yeah, I do. I feel like they're, like, trying to buy time and be like, I want to get married, but not to you. And so it's this very vague, like, yeah, if I meet the right person. And so that's what gets on my nerves when I ask that question. Not just to guys, to ask that question to anyone. And it's largely guys. So, yeah.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

I go, do you want to get married? And they go, to the right person. To the right person.

[Guest]

Well, yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm like, that's kind of the given of the question. That is.

[Guest]

No, you have to marry this child bride.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. I'm like, what do you. And it's. And by the way, most of the time I'm not even romantically involved with a guy.

[Guest]

They answer that way.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm like, yeah, that's. Of course, that's. That is to be assumed.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

As part of the question.

[Guest]

And so I feel like I kind of just did that. The gay guy version was. I've never presented that.

[Bowen Yang]

Like, is it, like, is it a desire of yours? Do you think that would sound nice for you?

[Guest]

I told. I have more foresight. Not foresight. I have more of a vision of that than I do having a child.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. Yeah.

[Guest]

You don't ask all of your questions, but are you asking the non parent guests these questions in general? Not always.

[Bowen Yang]

Do you hate my questions?

[Guest]

I love these questions. Cause I feel like I don't get it. I don't really talk about them.

[Bowen Yang]

Cause everyone wants to know. This one question I do have right now to ask you that we moved from. And it's not family related, was you're going to nyu.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

You were doing comedy. Did you know before you got to nyu, you're like, I want to be in this comedy troupe or this sketch team that exists. Like, I know that. You did know that. Okay.

[Guest]

I researched every single comedy group at all of the schools that, like, I was interested in or the. And then, like, you know, things fell off once, like, I got rejected from schools. I was like, okay, I'm not. I got. I'm not going to Northwestern. Like Titanic Players.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. Okay, close it.

[Guest]

But I did. Oh, God, it's so pathetic. And then I researched the groups at nyu, Hammer, Cats and Dangerbox. I was like, oh, my gosh. The Boys of Derek Comedy. This guy Donald Glover was in this group. And then also he helped. And I went to the Danger Box website and there were names like Fran Gillespie, Anna Drezen, like, all these people. And now they're all wonderful friends. And now they're getting married. And it's. It's.

[Bowen Yang]

I know. Can you believe it's amazing?

[Guest]

But it was. Yeah, I, like, researched it. And even at the time, I was kidding myself. I was like, I'm only doing it as a hobby.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, but you were so clear on, like, all that research. It's so telling. But you have to be like, is this gonna be supported when I say that this is what I want to do professionally? Like, in no. Largely. In no way.

[Guest]

Because you've said this. Right? It's like we would say that we wanted to go into medicine because the reaction it would get from, like, the people we were around, the adults we were around would be like, oh, my gosh. Good for you.

[Bowen Yang]

Great. Yes, that's right. Good, good. That's right. Even I had like, a friend. I was in la, let's say I had been out of college, like three years. And he's like, white dude from Baltimore. But he sent me, we text. He's like, what happened to being a doctor? And I was like, what do you care? He's not. I was like, what are you like? And he wasn't doing it to be mean. He was just like, but what happened to that? I go, you're not. Your parents aren't.

[Guest]

Exactly.

[Bowen Yang]

Again, meant it from a good place. But I'm like, wow, everyone's like, really on board for this doctor thing.

[Guest]

So he asked you that, like, as a way to be like, like, what

[Bowen Yang]

are you up to?

[Guest]

What are you up to? But, like, it's like, it's like if you asked him, like, what happened to international affairs?

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, yeah.

[Guest]

Like, why aren't you a diplomat? You know what I mean? Like, no one's beholden to their major.

[Bowen Yang]

No. In fact, I don't even know why they're making us pick majors at that age. Unless you feel so strongly.

[Guest]

Yeah. Which. God bless, you're one of the lucky ones if you have that conviction.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes. At that age. At that age, honey, I signed up for all kind of student loans thinking, like, this is fake money. That was real money. That was real money. Someone had to pay back.

[Guest]

Absolutely.

[Bowen Yang]

I did not. Someone did. I didn't. My.

[Guest]

You've been served.

[Bowen Yang]

This is why at 9pm he got the text and he said, oh, I'll be there. I have court documents for her. No, what it is, is that company that had my loans actually, like, was sued by the government and then my loans disappeared.

[Guest]

Are you serious?

[Bowen Yang]

I am as serious as a heart attack.

[Guest]

Oh, I love this.

[Bowen Yang]

The power of prayer.

[Guest]

The power of prayer.

[Bowen Yang]

Jic.

[Guest]

Prayer warriors, rise.

[Bowen Yang]

Activate.

[Guest]

Activate.

[Bowen Yang]

It works.

[Guest]

How are the prayer warriors? I feel like, you know, you don't mobilize, you don't call on them as much.

[Bowen Yang]

I used to. I haven't been on the gram in the same way.

[Guest]

God bless.

[Bowen Yang]

Have you been on the gram?

[Guest]

Not in the same way. I feel like something. Something has really turned in the last couple months.

[Bowen Yang]

Right. And it doesn't feel right. No, no, but it doesn't also. So here's. I had, like, gotten it off my phone altogether and I was like, I'm not tripping. Genuinely Started playing my New York Times games even more. Traded an addiction for an addiction, of course. But. But I was like, kind of don't miss this, not being on my phone. And then I was like, but why do I also get the vibe that, like, we're not using this the same way anymore? But. But. But it feels misinformed because I'm like. Or ill informed because I'm like. I feel like people are. But for whatever reason, I'm like in my orbit. Some people that I like, really respect are just kind of like, not on it. They have it. It's not.

[Guest]

I'm not among this. But you would respect me.

[Bowen Yang]

I do respect you.

[Guest]

That's.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, I love you.

[Guest]

Because. No, there was. Someone was saying, like, it's no longer social media, it's engagement media. Which has always been true, but in like an especially severe way recently. It's like, oh, it's really just about whatever. Like, even all the things you're getting served in the algorithm are like things that already have like 40,000 likes. I'm not seeing things that are like, hey, this is something you would like. And it has like 20 likes. And.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. And that's what. Yeah. I feel like every once in a while I have this like existential feeling of like. Like I'm in a machine and all the things I'm mindlessly engaging with. And I don't just mean like engaging on social. I'm like, what is. I. I'm just kind of going through the motion touch phone and more like in morning. And I'm like, I don't like that. That can't be.

[Guest]

So are you doing phone in the other room during bed?

[Bowen Yang]

I need to get to that point. I need a new alarm clock. So I have this Philips sun thing I bought when I got here that mimics the sun and it's old and they have new models now. I need a new one. I do want phone in the other.

[Guest]

You were very in on the ground floor. You introduced me to the happy light.

[Bowen Yang]

The happy light? The sad light. Oh, yeah, it's sad light.

[Guest]

It's the sad light.

[Bowen Yang]

Because I was like my I when I moved here, I was like, where's the sun? And I'm so sensitive. I say I'm a plant and I'm like, so remarkably sensitive.

[Guest]

You're a monstera. Now what plant are you?

[Bowen Yang]

I want to say I'm a birds of paradise.

[Guest]

Oh, love, of course you are.

[Bowen Yang]

What are you?

[Guest]

Um.

[Bowen Yang]

Don't be mean.

[Guest]

No, I'm about to. Cause I've murdered too many plants to claim to. Claim to.

[Bowen Yang]

Don't say you're a succulent.

[Guest]

No, that's. That's. I've killed succulents.

[Bowen Yang]

You've killed succulents.

[Guest]

I am right over there. Bamboo.

[Bowen Yang]

Bamboo.

[Guest]

Plastic.

[Bowen Yang]

Don't tell people that the plants in here are not real. You and Al Roker. Al. Oh, telling people the plants. These are real plants. They have been watered down.

[Guest]

It's got the ramen noodle filler. It's got that stuff.

[Bowen Yang]

A bamboo, but a bamboo. We make things out of you.

[Guest]

Yes, you do. Pandas eat you? Yes, pandas eat me.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. Okay. I like you as bamboo.

[Guest]

Thank you.

[Bowen Yang]

And thank you.

[Guest]

Yeah. Like, I'm. I'm there. I'm on Fire Island. They're everywhere in Fire Island.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay.

[Guest]

I haven't been to Fire Island. Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay.

[Guest]

That's it.

[Bowen Yang]

That's it. I feel like I'm not mad. Aesthetically, I think a real bamboo plant, not this fake one. I'm gonna say that. I'm gonna just clarify. I think that that fits for us now. Now for some serious, real talk.

[Guest]

Let's go.

[Bowen Yang]

I want to confront something that happened. And I'm kidding.

[Guest]

This is. This is the place to do it.

[Bowen Yang]

So I wanted to talk to you about something that happened. No. Okay. How are you feeling post show? Because I do think that people want to know. Honest answer. How are you feeling? Is it disorienting in any way or real talk? Yeah.

[Guest]

Well, can I answer your question with a question?

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Guest]

That will then maybe either bind us together or separate us. Separate us.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay.

[Guest]

I haven't really been able to watch the show.

[Bowen Yang]

You haven't? Have you actively been. Avoid. You mean, like.

[Guest]

I'm not avoiding it.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay.

[Guest]

But this past week, we're in March, like, I kind of like, inundated myself fire hose myself with like, new sensory experiences, I. E. Travel. So it was like Christmas then right into. And that was just like, really, you know, busy and sort of harried because of Christmas. And we're buying gifts and we're doing all the. All these things. Then it was New Year's right into this Japan. I took like eight of my friends, seven of my friends to Japan as, like, I couldn't have done the past seven years without you. Like, let's. Let's, like, please come. Come with me. And that was two weeks. And then after that was Milan for work for. For this network. And Milan was wonderful. Once in a lifetime experience to go to the Olympics. It was still the Olympics. It was crazy, just logistically and, you know, stimulating. And then this Antarctica trip, because it was my parents. It's like my parents bucket list trip. And I was like, I'll go with you. Just three of us. And I got back, like, a week and a half ago, and so I'm. So last week was the first show where I was like, oh, I'm in. I'm here, and the show's happening, like. And you're not there and I'm not there. Where I'm, like, across the river and I'm, like, spatially kind of relatively close.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

And that was weird.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. Eight years of. 8 years. 7. 7 total years of 7.

[Guest]

7 and a half of doing that.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

Of course.

[Bowen Yang]

You're like, this is what I do every Saturday.

[Guest]

Yes, exactly.

[Bowen Yang]

During this time.

[Guest]

During this time in New York City.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

And that was so. So I guess I don't know yet.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay.

[Guest]

But so far, so good. I feel like it'll all be okay. It just. I feel like it all happened the way it was supposed to and, like. But it was a thing where it was like, oh, I've lived through not literal seasons, but, like, in, like, metaphorical seasons here, where I'm like, oh, I remember when it was defined by a time when these people were here and then they left, and then these people were here and then they left. And I think I should just very consciously, with love, make way and not take up too much air in space here.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

And honest to God, it was. And I hope you receive this, it was like, oh, man, King isn't here. And like, my close friends, the people I laugh the most with, have moved on, and it just felt kind of. The winds were blowing in that direction different.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. Yeah, I can imagine. Yeah. It is interesting that when you come in, you're so like, I'm new here. This is so crazy. I'm here. And then you get so accustomed to it and so in a flow and so entrenched in it. And then you're like, wait, I'm the senior now. That shit was crazy. When you're like, oh, I'm the senior now. When did that happen?

[Guest]

It's not like school and systems that we. That we are used to, where it's like, it's delineated by year. Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. And so it's like, that happens. And then you're like, okay, how am I? Am I still the same zeal? Do I still have the same zeal for it? And you have to check yourself there. And it's like, am I just taking up space? Am I taking up space? Because I feel I can, and am I feeling inspired still? I mean, coming up with pitches? I was like, I don't. I don't know.

[Guest]

I don't have it.

[Bowen Yang]

I don't have it this week or next week or this week. And then there's a pattern. So, yeah, it makes. It makes sense that you're like, oh, these people were gone, too. And it just felt like the winds were blowing in that way.

[Guest]

Like, you were very. I'm sure you've heard this from many different people, but, like, in the fall was like, you were very missed.

[Bowen Yang]

Thank you.

[Guest]

And for me especially, I was like, oh. Like, it just. It is so important, and it informs something about this place. Like, the way that place is populated is very, very important.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I do, actually. Which I feel like I hope we're not speaking in code or something.

[Guest]

We're not.

[Bowen Yang]

We're not. Yeah. And I. Okay. Cause I'm like, that is so accurate. And I hadn't thought of it that way. We were like, the way this place is populated is so important. It is, like, it so informs your experience. And I think about our crew and, like, our stage managers and head of hair and Tom and wardrobe, and I'm like, they've seen this happen, like, a thousand times over. So I'm like, are they totally immune to it? And we send, like, love you and miss you texts, but I'm like, are they. I believe they love and miss me, but I'm like, you've done this before. I've done this one time. Leaving. But you've had so many people leave over the years that you've grown attached to for years at a time. I'm like, I don't know how they do it.

[Guest]

I think they just know that it's a beautiful gilded train that is just gonna keep moving and everyone's getting off at different stops, but they know. Yeah, but it was. I was, oh, my God, I'm gonna put him on blast.

[Bowen Yang]

Put him on blast.

[Guest]

But Kentola, I've never seen this man be jovial and great and whatever. And, like, Ken Siblett, like, legendary writer, and he's. He's normally just, like, pretty, like, you know, just been around for, like, he's seen it all. Just, like, I would say, like, lovably, charmingly, surly sometimes, just. And he. And we were just saying goodbye at my last show, and he started. He, like, was tearing up, and I was like, kent. Aww. I was like, I never it was just people like that. That is something that, like, I remember where it's like, oh, like, these are the things that I will always cherish about this place. It was again, so beautiful and it was a really stimulating job. But the things that I will take away from it, and I'm sure you feel the same, it's like the people, the way that that place is populated is the thing that I chose the most.

[Bowen Yang]

Do you have anything you like? This is not meant to be funny. Any regrets? There's.

[Guest]

Yeah, yeah, totally.

[Bowen Yang]

Do you care to share any? Like. Yeah.

[Guest]

Oh, my God. I just. I give myself and everybody honestly a lot of grace. Cause it's such a high pressure job and every week feels like it's the most important week. I sometimes, mostly this is. Honest to God, I'm like, I should have worked harder. I should have liked especially. I've watched sketches of the shows that I've. Since I've left, and I'm like, oh, this person's doing such a great job in hitting all these marks and doing all these things. And I do start to retroactively go like, oh, I should have really put more work into these sketches and really delivered this cleanly or something. But then you remember that that show is so at the mercy of the collective mood of like, the audience that sits down. And the audience will change, as you know, between dressing, between dress and air, between Wednesday and draft. But like, so many stage gates of either complete approval or complete rejection, and it is very hard to not be at the mercy of that. My regrets are mostly like, I could have. I don't know. This is like, this the science student in US where I'm like, I could have worked harder. I could have. The report card could have come back even better.

[Bowen Yang]

I think the audience is gonna go, what the hell is he talking?

[Guest]

No. Okay. Am I, like, not being totally. Am I being a little bit like.

[Bowen Yang]

Because I do think people are gonna be like, what? He did great. What it.

[Guest]

Like, no, no, no. Go back and watch any sketch. I'm like tripping on my lines. I don't know where to look. Like it's.

[Bowen Yang]

I think it's part of the dance. I don't know. I think we worked really hard and I think there's a reason. There's only been so many people on that show in so many years. It's like, it's a really hard job. And as much as people critique the work that's done there, I, low key, want to be like, honey, you're not in the arena. And you like. And I say that with love. And maybe before I got here, I might have been a keyboard warrior.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

With all kinds of opinions. But then when you. My big. I. My. My big thing. I did say this on Caleb Heron's podcast once. Just in general, like, anyone's take about, like, someone should have. They didn't. This is not as funny as that. You have no idea. So what I. What I. You have no idea. I was, like. I said on his podcast, I was like, in general, would love to see people just have a little more. Perhaps empathy is the word, but it's namely to be like, you might not have all the information, and chances are you probably don't have all the information. And so, like, when I see these really hot and strong takes, I'm like, number one, baby, you're not in the arena. Another way for me to say that is you could never. With all due love and respect, you could never love you. You probably have your strengths. You probably have your strengths.

[Guest]

I couldn't do what you do.

[Bowen Yang]

But I mean, like, you. Yeah, exactly. I couldn't do what you do. But the notion, like, you have no idea how many moving parts. Even when I see people be like, that person's not funny, that person's not talented, and that person. I'm like, this show respectfully, was not like a meritocracy. It wasn't like the you.

[Guest]

We.

[Bowen Yang]

There's so many sketches I saw at Table Read that I'm like, this is the funniest thing I've ever heard read. We haven't even seen costumes yet. We haven't even seen a set. This is the funniest thing. And it's not gonna go for a myriad of reasons that are beyond. We weren't always putting the funniest thing or person up. That's just not how it works.

[Guest]

And I'm like, rip Spider Man.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, God. That's fine. Thank you. No, no, no. But it wasn't about.

[Guest]

It's not about Me sketch that Agar

[Bowen Yang]

wrote with Asha Ward. But it's.

[Guest]

But.

[Bowen Yang]

But also not even about me. I'm talking, like, things like Sam J. I saw. Right. Or Gary, right?

[Guest]

No, like.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. And so I'm like. It's just. It's not that. I know, but it does serve a purpose, the show. And it's. It speaks to its audience and it knows its audience. And so. But then I. I feel like at some point in the show, I got. I used to get very protective. I'm like, but you're not there. You don't know. So the whole, like, this person's this. This person's not this that. I'm like, you don't know and you could never.

[Guest]

Well, yes, I completely agree with you. And my sort of companion take that I always say is, it's a sketch show.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

It is not going to unearth some societal truth that shatters your sort of concept of what comedy can be and what it should be. Sometimes it is just frivolous and dumb. And. And on that note, it's like, it's really hard to sort of, like, come. It's like, my favorite thing about comedy, and I say this all the time, is that there's no universal definition of what funny is. It is always an experiment. You never know what's gonna work until it's in front of an audience. And then when it does work, it's the best thing ever. I will always say I've said this many times before on the record. Like, I had to fly to London right after the first Lisa from Temecula show, right after that Pedro Pascal show. And I just. And I was, like, in a very, like, dissociated place in that time because it was just a lot of back and forth. But I remember landing in London and it, like, it just steadily growing and growing and growing in the way that, like, people were like, oh, my God, this is, like, the funniest thing ever. And I was like this. I was like. I told myself I was like, this just made so many hard things worth it.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, thank you. That was a very. Wow.

[Guest]

That is one of the. That's just so many things about that sketch and that show in particular.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. The energy Pedro brought to the show and me saying it with such, like, sadness. No, but I'm just like, man, it's pretty. That was. Thank you. First of all. But it was so cool getting to do that stupid, stupid, stupid, silly thing and the amount of joy it brought me. And it sounds like you. Like, there is nothing like that feeling. There's nothing like that feeling. And sometimes it does just go that well. And then sometimes it's like, yeah, this is pretty funny. And somebody else is gonna think this thing that you think is mid is hilarious. Like, it's. So. Yeah.

[Guest]

What's. What's an underappreciated thing of yours, And

[Bowen Yang]

I'm gonna throw that back to you.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm gonna say, hold on, hold on.

[Guest]

I feel like I think things are appropriately appreciated for the most part, I think.

[Bowen Yang]

Appropriately appreciated. I'm gonna. I. This is right before.

[Guest]

Yep. Yep.

[Bowen Yang]

This is right before. I really enjoyed this. Me as Cookie lafleuf, Daniel Craig, last episode before COVID don't eat the foil. And I know the take on that sketch looks as though we are making fun of Patti Lab now. No, I'm obsessed with Patty for not dropping the paper on the cupcake thing. I'm obsessed with it. So I recognize the take. Looks like that. It's more that I just think. I think it's funny to not drop it. I'm not laughing at you.

[Guest]

You're not laughing at Patty.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, I'm laughing with you. And I'm. I love that you're like, no, no, I'm not letting this go. Cuz that was crazy. I was going to eat the paper. The hell.

[Guest]

Eat the hell paper bad.

[Bowen Yang]

I was like, yeah. Who are you talking to? I'm watching that. I'm like, why are you talking. It's a grown woman. This is the legend. That's probably. But I'm like, the world shut down. I mean, not that I think that that would have in any way gone viral, but I'm like, I loved that sketch. I loved my collar, my outfit. And then the world shut down days later and we were doing sketches in our home.

[Guest]

But then didn't you think like, I think I had. I did just a crazy fucking update feature that show. I was bottle boy.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, I remember.

[Guest]

I don't know why I spoke in like a Cajun like Andrew Desmukes ass accent, but I was like. And that was the last ever Weekend Update feature and I have to live with that.

[Bowen Yang]

And that's the last thing I feel like so many times I felt that though, being like the last thing people saw of me was this thing that I'm not proud of on any given week. Being like, I'm not proud of this thing. And it's been. There's just, I mean there's sketches people were like that obviously people have been upset about. And you're like, oh, the intention there was not that. And I see why you're upset, but like also so much happens between dress and air. That's out of my control. No, no. But I'm like, that's the last thing they'll see of me. There's so much of that. And be like, we would have a show and then go on a three week hiatus and you'd be like, well, that was it. That's it. Whatever. Do you have anything that you think was underappreciated besides. Besides bottle boy.

[Guest]

Bottle boy was maybe overappreciated I think I really love. Even though the audience in the studio is like, huh? I like the Garrett from Hinges.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Guest]

Just cause they were. And that was like, me and the Please Don't Destroy boys kind of, like, trying to come up with, like, the most disgusting type of, like, incel y boy there is. But of course, that doesn't play. That's not gonna be like a knee slapper in nada age. Like, no one's gonna be like, yes. It's just like, this is an uncomfortable person.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. This man's like, no matter what you do, you can't kill these people.

[Guest]

You can't kill these people. Or he's just barging into people's bedrooms. He's, like, showing up at people's weddings, and he's like, so we were supposed to go on a date. But I think that that's something that I. It's not underappreciated. I think it has.

[Bowen Yang]

No. You love it more than you feel like it was. Is that fair to say?

[Guest]

Like, yeah, sure. But I think that's totally normal.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. I think.

[Guest]

And, like, isn't it wonderful to just even talk about this? In hindsight, I think it is.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm gonna say it is.

[Guest]

Clip that, clip that. Has it been, like, two hours? I could do this.

[Bowen Yang]

You want to go home?

[Guest]

No.

[Bowen Yang]

Bowen is so polite that he's so polite that he's like, okay, bitch.

[Guest]

It's no, no, no, no. And this is something I learned in Japan. So the difference between Tokyo people and Kyoto people is if you're at someone's house in Tokyo and they want you to leave, they'll be like, well, I've got an early morning. Seems normal, right?

[Bowen Yang]

Guys do, too.

[Guest]

Yeah, totally. In Kyoto. This is. I think this is so chic. And I think I encourage everyone to adopt this. It's just to be like, so anyway. Oh, that's such a nice watch. And then you get the person to look at. Thank you. And then they go, oh. And, oh, it's late.

[Bowen Yang]

They don't. Wait. What if I make a thing?

[Guest]

Like, it's there. I do.

[Bowen Yang]

What if you don't have a. What if you don't have a watch? So, like, in this room, you just did the Kyoto thing to me. Like, oh, my God.

[Guest]

No, no, no, I didn't do that.

[Bowen Yang]

This has been two hours. Isn't this. I could do this all day. Do you want to do this all day, bitch? This is supposed to be one hour.

[Guest]

I'm not doing the Kyoto thing. Look at. That's a beautiful digital clock.

[Bowen Yang]

You were talking about alarm clocks, ego and how you wanted to to. I'm sorry. I was having fun talking to my friend. This was Bow and Yang. Thanks. Okay. I love you. Thank you for doing this. That was my discussion with Bowen. Yang. Wow.

[Host]

All right.

[Bowen Yang]

That was a good one, wasn't it? I. I think so. You think they're going to clip it? I bet they will.

[Guest]

I bet they will.

[Bowen Yang]

He's still here.

[Guest]

Calls it weird. Bowen. Yang calls his SNL experience weird.

[Bowen Yang]

Weird.

[Guest]

Because I used that word. And you can use it.

[Bowen Yang]

You can. And he rolls his eyes. If they clip that, we'll clip this.

[Guest]

Okay.

[Bowen Yang]

All right. Anyway, if you want advice from me and my guests next time. I was gonna ask Bowen to give advice to someone, but I was like, he's gotta go.

[Guest]

No, I'm just kidding.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm kidding. I'm kidding. You didn't do any. You don't have anyone. Okay. Call 5028-4932-3750-2849-3237. Bye.

[Guest]

Bye.

[Bowen Yang]

Thinkstad is a production of Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and I Heart podcast. I'm your host, AO Woj Him. Our producer is Kevin Bartelt and our executive producer is Matt Apodaka.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Host]

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[Bowen Yang]

But here's an important one.

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[Ryan Seacrest]

That's how much money in refunds the

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[Guest]

Fraud.

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[Bowen Yang]

second and alerts you to threats you

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Host]

Don't use if allergic to Skyrizi. Serious allergic reactions, increased infections or lower ability to fight them may occur before treatment. Get checked for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor about any flu like symptoms or vaccines.

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[Guest]

Learn [e-mail] this is an iHeart podcast.

[Host]

Guaranteed human.