The Brilliant Idiots – “Blanking on Everything”

Hosts: Charlamagne Tha God & Andrew Schulz
Date: October 17, 2025

Episode Overview

This week’s episode finds Charlamagne Tha God and Andrew Schulz diving into recent controversies involving the Middle East peace deal, the backlash against comedians performing in Saudi Arabia, and viral culture “pull-ups” like Alexis Ohanian’s confrontation with Stephen A. Smith. Throughout, they tackle themes of free speech, hypocrisy in entertainment, internet outrage, personal growth, and being unapologetically oneself – all with their trademark blend of humor, irreverence, and social insight.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter & Chris' Absence ([01:29]-[02:25])

• Charlamagne and Andrew open with jokes about Chris’ absence, teasing absurd reasons (hostage swap, political jokes).
• Segue into the Middle East conflict, negotiations, and skepticism about the new peace deal.

Notable Quote:

"Can’t end a war in one place and start a war in your own country."
— Charlamagne Tha God [02:41]

2. Middle East Peace Deal & Hostage Situation ([02:25]-[06:25])

• Discussion around the recent deal for hostages and general distrust in such agreements (“thousands of years of history”).
• Emotional impact of hostage reunions, uncertainty about peace lasting.
• Andrew reflects on the viral stories, sometimes questioning their credibility due to widespread misinformation.

Notable Quotes:

"The hostages being home. Hell yeah. That’s the thing I celebrate the most."
— Charlamagne Tha God [03:57]

"Can you imagine being a hostage for… how long has it been? Almost two years?"
— Andrew Schulz [04:03]

3. Backlash Against Comedians in Saudi Arabia ([06:16]-[15:05])

• Andrew details the uproar over comedians performing in Saudi Arabia.
• Pushback about “selling out” or supporting oppressive regimes; Andrew defends performing for fans worldwide.
• Discussion about freedom of speech abroad vs. U.S., pointing out that the U.S. is an outlier in true free speech; Canada, UK, and India cited as examples where comedians have been arrested.
• The double standard: No criticism for sports or entertainment acts in Saudi, but comedians get heat.

Notable Quotes:

"First of all, I don’t give a fuck about no other country’s freedom of speech. We’re the only country with freedom of speech."
— Andrew Schulz [07:33]

"They think you can’t [make jokes]… They literally was like, yo, you’ll probably be beheaded."
— Charlamagne Tha God [08:34]

"If you’re going to be censored by your own audience, just get a job at Comedy Central."
— Andrew Schulz [20:06]

4. The Saudi Comedy Festival & “Fake Outrage” ([15:05]-[19:52])

• Explores reasons behind differing backlash to comedians vs. sports stars.
• “Political mudslinging” after having politicians on comedy podcasts.
• The fleeting nature of internet outrage: Comedians who reacted and returned their pay are ultimately forgotten.

Notable Quotes:

"If you’re getting fake outrage, you’ve arrived."
— Charlamagne Tha God [18:12]

"These people are not your fans – they’re the people that are perennially outraged."
— Andrew Schulz [18:32]

5. Freedom, Success & Virtue Signaling ([19:52]-[22:24])

• Debate on actual freedom: Corporate America vs. independent creators.
• The importance of authenticity over audience approval; dangers of self-censorship for “the algorithm.”
• The value of being able to pivot and reconsider one’s opinion publicly.

6. Saudi Arabia’s Deep Roots in Entertainment ([22:31]-[24:05])

• Charlamagne lists various investments Saudi has made in entertainment, beyond comedy (e.g., golf, wrestling, concerts, video games).
• They call out hypocrisy on social media: outrage is selective depending on the field.

Memorable Segment:

• Listing Saudi investments: “Liv Golf, PGA, FIFA Club World Cup, ATP Tennis, Dazn, Live Nation…” and the punchline, “So that’s the beautiful thing. You better stop playing FIFA!”
  — [23:27]

7. The Money Discussion ([24:21]-[27:14])

• Andrew clarifies that, for top comics, the Saudi gigs didn’t represent life-changing cash. For up-and-comers, it could be huge.
• Comedians overstating the size of the payday—when many could make similar sums stateside.

Notable Quotes:

"If you do four arenas in four days… it’s the same money!"
— Andrew Schulz [24:42]

"Shut your rich ass up, man."
— Charlamagne Tha God [24:34]

8. The Dave Chappelle Comments ([27:14]-[30:29])

• They analyze Dave’s remarks about it being “easier to speak openly in Saudi than America.”
• Andrew notes, you can joke about U.S. figures abroad since no one knows or cares; not so for local sacred topics.

Notable Quote:

"Yeah, it’s easier to talk about Charlie Kirk [here] because they don’t even know who the fuck that guy is."
— Andrew Schulz [28:48]

9. Realness vs. “Pull-Ups” Online: Alexis Ohanian & Stephen A. ([40:38]-[50:36])

• Discussion about Serena Williams’ husband “calling out” Stephen A. Smith—but only over Zoom, not in person.
• Charlamagne emphasizes that confrontations are only impressive when done face-to-face.
• Reflection on social media hype over minimal conflict.

Notable Quotes:

"Don’t act like this kid from the Special Olympics making a shot and Alex telling a joke and everybody going crazy." — Charlamagne Tha God [44:15]

"You get a lot more points from me if you slam dunk on a person with your nuts in his face."
— Charlamagne Tha God [48:32]

10. Stand-Up, Vulnerability & Comedy Crowd Moments ([32:55]–[37:01], [54:12]–[81:22])

• Behind-the-scenes: Andrew brings Alex on stage during the Saudi festival; he blanks briefly, recovers, and the group discusses the emotional rollercoaster of first-time stand-up.
• Bit about audience support for the nervous comic—"It's like when the kid makes a shot at the game, everyone cheers."
• Extended riffing about bombing on stage versus success; support versus online roasting.

11. Internet Outrage, Pop Culture, & Outlasting the Hate ([17:09]-[19:52], [88:20]-[92:02])

• How minor controversies dominate the online “timeline” but rarely matter in the real world.
• Only a handful of comedians cross over to true mass culture; many overreact to fleeting hate.

12. Lessons, Growth, & The “Rule of 10” ([85:06]-[91:16])

• Discussion on the hardest lessons learned:
  • “Don’t expect you from other people.”
  • Criticism comes with the territory of public success.
  • The necessity of withstanding hate to reach greatness.

Notable Quote:

"That’s the rule of ten: Three people are gonna say you’re good, three people are gonna say you’re shitty, three people…"
— Andrew Schulz [89:20]

Timestamps for Memorable Segments

• [04:11] — Emotional impact of hostage returns.
• [07:33] — On performing in countries with less free speech.
• [20:06] — “If you’re going to be censored by your own audience, just get a job at Comedy Central.”
• [24:34] — “Shut your rich ass up, man.” (money in comedy)
• [28:48] — “Yeah, it’s easier to talk about Charlie Kirk [here] because they don’t even know who the fuck that guy is.”
• [44:15] — “Don’t act like this kid from the Special Olympics making a shot...” (about Alexis Ohanian)
• [48:32] — “You get a lot more points from me if you slam dunk on a person with your nuts in his face.”
• [54:12]–[81:22] — Extended, playful roast about bombing at stand-up, first-timer jitters, and crowd energy.
• [89:20] — "That's the rule of ten..."

Notable Quotes & Speaker Attribution

• Charlamagne Tha God:

  • “Can’t end a war in one place and start a war in your own country.” [02:41]
  • “If you’re getting fake outrage, you’ve arrived.” [18:12]
  • “Don’t act like this kid from the Special Olympics making a shot and Alex telling a joke and everybody going crazy.” [44:15]
  • “You get a lot more points from me if you slam dunk on a person with your nuts in his face.” [48:32]
  • “Don’t expect you from other people.” [85:27]

• Andrew Schulz:

  • “First of all, I don’t give a fuck about no other country’s freedom of speech. We’re the only country with freedom of speech.” [07:33]
  • “If you’re going to be censored by your own audience, just get a job at Comedy Central.” [20:06]
  • "That's the rule of ten: three people are gonna say you're good, three people gonna say you're shitty..." [89:20]
  • "If I got fans there, I'm performing for you. Simple as that." [23:58]

Tone, Humor, and Style

Biting, irreverent, and self-reflective—this episode roasts everyone from comedians to politicians to themselves. Charlamagne and Andrew toggle between discourse on outrage culture, industry double standards, and philosophy of comedy, always looping back to the value of being authentic, embracing critique, and prioritizing one’s own view over online sway. Their playful bickering and mutual roasting underpin the episode’s message: in an age of manufactured conflict and short-lived viral waves, being a “brilliant idiot”—bold, honest, and sometimes flawed—is its own reward.

For listeners who missed the episode:
This is a ride through today’s thorniest pop culture debates, comic circle feuds, and online outrage, peppered with classic Brilliant Idiots wit and memorable punchlines. Topics leap from Middle Eastern politics and stand-up ethics to public call-outs and internet fame, all filtered through the duo’s lens of authenticity and never taking oneself too seriously.