TCB Infomercial: Kelsey Cook Returns!

Summary

The Commercial Break
Episode: TCB Infomercial: Kelsey Cook Returns!
Date: March 4, 2025
Guests: Kelsey Cook (comedian), Hosts: Brian Green & Krissy Hoadley

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Episode Overview

This lively, irreverent episode of The Commercial Break welcomes back comedian Kelsey Cook, celebrating her meteoric rise in the comedy world. The hosts, Bryan and Krissy, catch up with Kelsey about her new special "Mark Your Territory" (now on Hulu and YouTube), life and career changes, her partnership with fellow comedian Chad Daniels, and the realities of balancing fame with a desire for a normal life. The conversation is jam-packed with banter, backstage anecdotes, and honest funny takes on jealousy, relationships, touring life, and the world of modern comedy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kelsey's Career Surge & New Special ([00:58]–[13:10], [47:48]–[49:05])

• Acknowledgment of Kelsey's successful trajectory:
  The hosts congratulate her on her rapidly growing career, newly released special "Mark Your Territory," and increasingly sold-out shows.
• The “TCB Bump” (jokingly):
  The hosts humorously take credit for her surge in popularity, demanding backstage passes and popcorn at her next tour stop in Atlanta.
  "And I'd like to take credit for that. And I'd like her to admit that here on the show that if it wasn't for the commercial break, she wouldn't, in fact, have a new special out on Hulu and YouTube." — Brian ([02:13])
• About the new special:
  • Title: "Mark Your Territory"
  • Platforms: Hulu & YouTube (strategies behind simultaneous release)
  • Filmed at Comedy on State in Madison, WI in one night, two shows ([29:19])
  • Released with 800 Pound Gorilla Records
• Getting “bucket list” venues:
  Kelsey reflects on performing at the Wilbur in Boston, noting the shift from club gigs to storied theaters:
  • "Getting to do theaters has been the coolest feeling." — Kelsey ([13:10])

2. Navigating Fame, Success & Personal Goals ([12:09]–[19:08])

• On “smelling the roses”:
  • Kelsey talks about struggling to “arrive” in comedy since there's always a new mountain to climb, yet is focused on appreciating the milestones:
    "If you don't, it's like once you get there, there disappears..." ([12:09])
• Balancing ambition with quality of life:
  • She admires comedians like Taylor Tomlinson and Nikki Glaser for their achievements, but desires a more balanced life in Minnesota, playing pickleball and maintaining normalcy outside touring.
• Relationship with Chad Daniels:
  • Kelsey appreciates their “comedy incubator” life in Minneapolis, both having successful careers while enjoying a less chaotic city.

3. Life, Love, Jealousy, and Territoriality ([21:11]–[31:18])

• Kelsey’s “jealousy” bit:
  Kelsey discusses the truth behind her viral stand-up about feeling territorial over Chad as her “forever person,” especially as a touring comic with an attractive partner.
  • "I think it comes from a place of passion... It's not like a psycho place. It’s just more of a, like, oh, this is a feeling I didn’t know I’d feel so strongly…” ([22:39])
• Stories from the road:
  • Viral crowd-work moment: Woman professes love for Chad ("He's so hot!"), which led to a 15-million-view clip ([24:53]).
  • Clarification: The woman meant no disrespect—her love was tied to a personal, emotional moment after losing her mother.

4. Modern Comedy—Touring, Platforms & Industry Insights ([31:39]–[47:09])

• Releasing a special on Hulu and YouTube simultaneously:
  • Exposure to press opportunities (Hulu) versus direct audience engagement (YouTube).
  • "Multi-platform is so important... you want as many people to see that as possible." — Brian ([31:39])
• Touring life and venue horror stories:
  • Kelsey recounts an “active shooter” scare at the Syracuse Funny Bone (in a mall with frequent shootings) ([36:26]).
  • Touring out of Minneapolis is strategic due to location and flight options.
• Changing expectations for comedians:
  • Unlike musicians, comedians must constantly generate new material; fans expect a new hour every one to two years.
  • Crowd work and social media “clip” culture demand near-constant content generation.
    • "Clips really, like, infuse your channels with new lifeblood. Like, oh my God, yes, I have something new to post. It’s a sickness. It’s horrible, but...” — Kelsey ([47:09])
• Live shows are the bread and butter:
  • Specials are primarily for exposure and ticket sales, rather than big upfront pay.

5. Personal Life in Minneapolis & Sober Living ([39:36]–[51:35])

• On Minnesota winters:
  • Hilariously describes “power pooping” in –26°F weather; details of living in Northern MN (Fergus Falls, “Schitt’s Creek–sounding”).
• Life milestones out-of-order:
  • She and Chad bought a house, got life insurance, and plan to marry (“doing everything backwards... and loving it!”).
• On Sobriety:
  • Both Kelsey and Chad are nearly a year sober and find it transformative for life and health.
    • "It hasn’t been quite as hard as I thought. You don’t even want, like, it feels so good you don’t want to drink." — Kelsey ([51:14])

6. Comedic Community & Future Plans ([48:49]–[49:05], [55:14]–[56:45])

• Upcoming shows:
  • Kelsey and Chad are co-headlining select tour dates in Long Island, Montclair, NJ, and Philadelphia, including theater and casino gigs ([48:50])
• Podcast plug:
  • Their podcast, "Pretend Problems," is mentioned for fans to check out.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On comedy and career success:
  "You're right. She very much looks like an innocent, like a Midwestern girl. And that's... when you watch her special, you realize that there's some dirt behind those eyes." — Brian ([03:35])

• On industry realities:
  "You can't just enjoy what you want, listener. You now used to demand that Kelsey come out with a new hour every 15 minutes. It's not a reasonable expectation." — Brian ([46:53])

• On active shooter moment:
  "Right before the show was about to start, there was a shooting in the mall. And the manager came back ... 'Okay, there's an active shooter in the mall.'" — Kelsey ([37:30])

• On winter in Minnesota:
  "Our poor dog, when he has to go outside to in that weather, it's like a power poop. It's like you've never seen a dog poop so fast in his life. He sprints, poop, sprints back in." — Kelsey ([19:08])

• On being sober:
  "Just you get older and you're like, it's too much... It's hard to add hangovers to it." — Kelsey ([50:28])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00] – Opening IUD sticker joke from Kelsey Cook
• [11:42] – Kelsey describes the “bucket list” moment of major venues
• [12:09] – On “smelling the roses” and shifting motivations
• [15:04] – Admiration for Taylor Tomlinson, Nikki Glaser; thoughts on lifestyle
• [19:08] – Power-poop stories & living in Minnesota
• [21:11] – The “jealousy bit” and personal vulnerability in relationships
• [24:53] – Crowd work viral moment & fan interactions
• [29:19] – Behind the scenes of filming the special, details on Hulu/YouTube deal
• [31:39] – Distribution strategies; exposure vs. creative ownership
• [36:26] – Touring horror story: active shooter in Syracuse
• [39:36] – Winter anecdotes, Fergus Falls, and negative 50 degrees
• [43:45] – Generating new material post-special and the “Zeppelin paradox”
• [46:53] – Social media and constant pressure for new content
• [50:28] – Sober living implications for touring comics
• [48:50], [49:05] – Upcoming tour with Chad, podcast plug
• [54:18]-[56:45] – Outtro talk: repeats, industry community, aspirations

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Memorable, Funny Moments

• Kelsey’s IUD sticker bit:
  Starts the show with a joke about getting an IUD expiration sticker and sticking it on her windshield beside the oil change sticker — "vulvoline" sticker joke ([00:00]).
• Kelsey on jealous girlfriends:
  Reflecting on her own surprise at her new possessiveness: "I moved to Minnesota in the month of January to be with this man… we have life insurance… bought a house together… taxes!" ([27:33])
• Bidet in Minneapolis joke:
  Brian loves Kelsey’s joke: "using a bidet in the middle of Minneapolis in the winter—it’s like getting local anesthesia on your asshole.” ([53:44])

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Final Thoughts

The episode is a showcase of comedian camaraderie, blending behind-the-scenes career talk with hilarious, personal moments. It’s a must-listen for fans of contemporary stand-up, aspiring comics, and anyone intrigued by the realities of chasing fame while holding onto normalcy. Kelsey Cook’s candor and quick wit, paired with the hosts’ affectionate ribbing, make for an episode full of laughs, honest insights, and some truly “just fine” podcaster-chaos energy.

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For More

• Kelsey Cook tour dates & specials: kelseycook.com
• "Mark Your Territory" special: Hulu & YouTube
• Podcast: "Pretend Problems" with Chad Daniels

(All timestamps are approximate to the best fit with provided transcript.)

Transcript

[Kelsey Cook]

An IUD can stay in you for eight years. So after they're done, the nurse hands you a sticker with a date on it. Of eight years from that day so you know when to replace it. So I just pop that on my windshield next to my oil change sticker. Where else am I going to put that thing? I got one that says one that says vulvoline. I just keep an eye. I told my dad about the sticker thing and he goes, oh, that's interesting. I wonder if it works the same way as a car where it goes by either the date or the mileage.

[Brian Green]

On this episode of the commercial break and making a triumphant return to the show is Kelsey Kelsey. Welcome back.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yay. Hi, guys. Thanks for having me back.

[Brian Green]

Well, we couldn't be happier that you agreed to come back on the show. Not something that happens very often.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Surprised?

[Brian Green]

We're surprised.

[Kelsey Cook]

You guys are great. I love it.

[Brian Green]

You know, we often say on the show that there's only two reasons why someone comes on the show. They're on their way up or on their way down. You are definitely on the way up. The next episode of the commercial break starts now. Oh, yeah. Cats and kittens, welcome back to the commercial break. I'm Brian Green. This is my dear friend and the co host of this show, Chris Joy Hoadley. Best of you, Chris.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Best to you, Brian.

[Brian Green]

Best you out there in the podcast universe. TCB infomercial Tuesday with yet another repeat customer, Kelsey Cook.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

I can't believe it.

[Brian Green]

Seeing her moment. She's seeing her moment. She's having her moment. She's coming on the show even though she's much more popular than she was even just six months ago, which I find hard to believe. Thank you, Kelsey.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Obviously, our show helped catapult her. There is no doubt into the realm of superstardom.

[Brian Green]

No doubt that we played a huge role in her success. And I'd like to take credit for that. And I'd like her to admit that here on the show that if it wasn't for the commercial break, she wouldn't, in fact, have a new special out on Hulu and YouTube. And if it wasn't for the fact that she came on the commercial break, she would not be as popular and making as much money as she is right now. And when she admits that, I'll be happy as long as she gives us tickets to her next appearance here in Atlanta. That's one thing we need to ask all our guests. If you come to Atlanta, backstage passes, drink tickets for the kids, and a bucket of popcorn.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Yep.

[Brian Green]

That's what I would like.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Yes, those are our demands.

[Brian Green]

Yes, those are our demands. That's our rider, Kelsey Cook. And I'll have you know that I will take no shit. I will take nothing less than free popcorn. At your next event, Kelsey Cook.com is where you can find more information about Kelsey, all of her tour dates. She's on an extensive tour right now, so I'm sure she's coming somewhere close to you. So go to Kelsey Cook.com to buy those tickets. And the brand new special on Hulu and YouTube, which I'd like to ask her about.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

It's so funny. I have to say. It's from beginning to end. It's really funny.

[Brian Green]

Everybody here has watched the special. Everybody has given it a. They've given it a Michelin star.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Well, I think we were talking about this earlier. I think what makes it even funnier is because she does not look like the person that is saying the stories that she say.

[Brian Green]

No, it's true.

[Kelsey Cook]

No, it's true.

[Brian Green]

You're right. She. Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I don't know what else to say. I mean, Kelsey is. She very much looks. She very much looks like a innocent, like a midwestern girl. Yeah. Yeah. And that's. That's no knock. I mean, no knock on the way that she looks. She's beautiful. But I'm just saying when, you know, there's certain. Like when you look at Madison from Love is blind.

[Rachel]

Right.

[Brian Green]

She looks like a troublemaker. Yeah, right. She just. In those eyes, there are years of experience and she looks like a troublemaker. But when you look at someone like Kelsey, she seems like she could do no wrong. Right. She just seems like a very innocent, nice human being. But when you watch her special, you realize that there's some dirt behind those eyes. And I'd like to talk to her about that too. Of course, she's got the podcast also that.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

That she does with her boyfriend.

[Brian Green]

She does with her. Yeah, she does. Her boyfriend Chad, who's also a very famous, very popular comedian. Hold on one second. Because I'm looking at Hulu here. She's got a link on her website and I am trying to. Oh, watch on YouTube. Hold on one second. Let me see if I can pull this up. The Hustler is. The one that she did a couple of years ago was the Hustler. And then mark your territory is the new one. I wanted to mistakenly call it the hustler, but it's mark your territory. It's. Is the new special, 800 pound gorilla who is supporting great comedy. 800 pound gorilla has a ton of comedy specials. And I don't know who those people are, but they're doing. They're doing great work to support good comedians. And I say yay, sir. Yay to you. So Kelsey will be on in just a few minutes. While we're at it, we'll talk more extensively about this later on in the week. But I wanted to share that on last week's show, we were talking about Love is Blind.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Yes.

[Brian Green]

Was talking about Madison, and I was talking about how Madison was having a conversation with one of the guys in the pods. And the guys in the pods started to catch on to her shenanigans a little bit. Right. He. And he pushed back. He was. He said, hey, listen, I don't think I could deal with the way that you handle things or that doesn't. That's not the way that I would handle it. That's not the way I would prefer it to be handled. And so while I.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Conflicts. I think it was conflict.

[Brian Green]

Attachment style conflicts. Then there was another question about sex. There was another question about the way that you deal with the way that you run away when someone does something. Avoidance. The way that you don't want your partner to be involved in fixing you. And he just. All these little hints that she was dropping, he kind of picked up on and said, that wouldn't be good for me, actually. I don't like that.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Kudos to him.

[Brian Green]

And kudos to him.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

He probably wouldn't have said it if he had been seeing her. If he had looked at her.

[Brian Green]

I agree with you there. I agree. If she was at the bar and they were having that conversation face to face. I said it before. I'll say it again. He would have rolled like a puppy dog. Because those eyes are like, I don't know, like the Cheshire cat. Little swirling eyes that hypnotize you. You're like. But now, because we're talking about it here, my phone's listening. I'm getting all of these reels about Love is Blind. And I come to find out that this guy. And I don't want to give the name away because I want. If you haven't watched Love is Blind, I want you to be able to watch it right. Without interference from Brian. But this guy apparently is not the dorky, nerdy kid who he claimed to be, number one. And number two, he's not the nice guy that he claimed to be, according to some people in Minnesota.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

I cannot believe that somebody on reality television is lying.

[Brian Green]

Do you know what I mean?

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

It seems unfathomable.

[Brian Green]

It seems unreal that we would get a twisted story from the producers of such hits as Baby reindeer, Love is Blind. Did you cheat on me lately?

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

What's the other show they did that Nick and Vanessa do?

[Brian Green]

Oh, are you the one? Yeah. Ultimatum. Ultimatum, yeah. Which is a terrible show.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

It really is.

[Brian Green]

Put your loved one in with another attractive human being and sexual sex.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

But it's a terrible idea.

[Brian Green]

It's a terrible idea.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

It's a great for tv.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. It's a cheating factory. And by the way, no one that walks into those ultimatum, which is couples, go in together and they get to, like, peruse around the other couples to see if there's someone they like better. No one who's secure in their relationship would ever go on that show. No. You think I would bring Astrid into a room full of hot 30 something guys? No, because I don't stand a chance. I don't stand a chance. I try and keep her. Actually, I try and keep Astrid out of all rooms with hot 30 something guys. That's it. That's my rules. Those are my rules. But anyway, these women in Minnesota, in Minneapolis, are a talking. They're a yapping.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

That's what I've heard.

[Brian Green]

And there's a through line here because Kelsey Cook is living in Minneapolis. Am I right about this? Okay. She's living in Minneapolis.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

She moved in with Chad. Or they bought a house together.

[Brian Green]

They bought a house together. I won't waste her time on Love is Blind, but just know that there's a through line here. Apparently all. Apparently a lot of the guys that are on Love is Blind this season have a lot of dirt, and there's a lot of people around them that are willing to spill that tea on social media because there's not one guy who is featured on this show doesn't have some drama about him right now out there on the Internet. So while I said this was the slowest season of Love is Blind, it is on the show, but outside the show, on social media, things are just heating up. Kelseycook.com go get tour tickets. Check her special out on Hulu or YouTube. There are links on her website. We have links, links in the show notes. And please check out her and Chad's podcast, which is available everywhere. You listen to podcasts wherever you're listening to us now, you can listen to their podcast. I think that drops weekly, Am I right? I think so. I listened to a couple episodes. I actually thought it Was pretty good.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

So, yeah, they have, like, a little factory. A little comedy factory going on over there in Minneapolis, and I think they're.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Going on tour together.

[Brian Green]

Well, let's see. We'll ask her all about it when we get back. Let's. I'll tell you what. Let's do this. Let's take a short break through the magic, and then when we get back, through the magic of telepodcasting, we'll bring Kelsey cook in and we'll have a conversation. What do you think?

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Let's do it.

[Brian Green]

All right. We'll be back.

[Rachel]

Rachel here. While Brian takes his old man bladder to the little boys room. Let's talk turkey. TCB needs your help. If you love the show, do us all a favor and share. Sharing is caring. And we know you care, don't you? Well, don't you? Ooh, that was some childhood trauma rearing its ugly head. Do you want to be on the show? Leave us a voicemail at 212-433-3822 and you could be the next TCD disembodied voice. Ooh, what'd you do today? I was a disembodied voice. You know, that sounds more dangerous than it actually is. Find us on insta at the commercial break on the [e-mail] and all the episodes on video are available the same day at YouTube do. I'm gonna go help Brian get back up the stairs while you listen to the sponsors. And then we'll all meet back here and get back to this episode of the commercial break. I'll take a raise now, bitches. Bye.

[Brian Green]

And making a triumphant return to the show is Kelsey. Kelsey. Welcome back.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yay. Hi, guys. Thanks for having me back.

[Brian Green]

Well, we couldn't be happier that you agreed to come back on the show. Not something that happens very often.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Surprised?

[Brian Green]

We're surprised.

[Kelsey Cook]

You guys are great. I love it.

[Brian Green]

You know, we often say on the show that there's only two reasons why someone comes on the show. They're on their way up or on their way down. You are definitely on the way up.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Yeah, for sure. Congratulations on all your success since we talked to you last.

[Kelsey Cook]

Thanks so much, guys. You guys are so nice.

[Brian Green]

We were talking just before we. Just before we started recording. We were sharing that she just. You did a couple of big shows or a big show at the Wilbur in Boston in just the last. How long was it when. How long ago was it when we talked to you? Just, like six months ago.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Right. I feel like it's Six. Six to eight months.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. In six or eight months, you have gone on quite the run. And all credit to you and the comedy that you're putting together, which is resonating with people. And let me ask you this. When you're in this moment, does it feel like things are heating up? Do you get this sense like, oh, my gosh, I have a special coming out. I'm selling out shows, I'm doing theaters. Does it feel like that? Or is. Is it too fast and furious to take a breath and recognize?

[Kelsey Cook]

That's a good question. I'm trying to stop and smell the roses and all of that, because this business is really that way, where if you don't, it's like once you get there, there disappears, right? It's like you get to where you're trying to get to and then you're like, okay, now what? And you're always just looking for the next thing. But it's just that's such a slippery slope into not being happy. Because there is kind of no limit in this career. It's like you see the people at the top of the mountain and stand up and it's like, oh, my God, it's such a different thing now. It's like you become a full rock star, essentially.

[Brian Green]

Right?

[Kelsey Cook]

And so I think it's really easy to feel like you're never doing enough. And I have really been trying hard to be like, okay, this is so cool. Like, especially if there are bucket list things happening. I'm like, okay, I need to really stop and appreciate this because this is a really great feeling.

[Brian Green]

Was the Wilbur or selling out a theater like that storied history? Was that like one of those bucket list things? Like, oh, my gosh, I can. I'm standing here in a place where so many other comedians have absolutely killed it.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah, I have to, just. Because I'll feel, like, gross if I don't correct you. We didn't sell it out, but a lot of people came and it. It was great. But I can't just be like, yeah, we saw that. We didn't sell that one out. But there have been a lot of sold out shows on tour so far, which has felt great. But. But yeah, getting to do the Wilbur was. I mean, that's just such like an iconic venue. And the last time I was in Boston was at the comedy club, and we had sold out that whole weekend. And so I think that was a really great feeling of like, okay, I did kind of the best I could do at the club. And now, because of that I'm getting to do this bucket list thing and that, like, when you can see those changes in your career, like, getting to do theaters has been the coolest feeling.

[Brian Green]

I am so happy for you. I think that that's really cool. I just enjoy so much watching nice people succeed, good people succeed. I take great pleasure in it. It gives me zero hope that the commercial break will ever get to that level because I'm not a good person.

[Kelsey Cook]

But, oh, my gosh, hey, there's plenty of sh. People who succeed in this business. Don't you worry about it.

[Brian Green]

Thank you.

[Kelsey Cook]

Don't worry.

[Brian Green]

A lot worse people, shitty people deserve love too.

[Kelsey Cook]

You're so nice.

[Brian Green]

What you talking about? Thank you. So who are the people at the top of the. Who do you. Whose career do you admire right now? Like, who do you look at and go, oh, my gosh, they're doing such a great job. And I, you know, I aspire to that. Or maybe not even aspire, but you. You can, I guess, you look at them and you go, they've. They're at the top of the hill.

[Kelsey Cook]

They're really crushing it. I mean, a couple people that come to mind right away are obviously like, Taylor Tomlinson, who's one of my best friends, and Nikki Glaser, also one of my friends. Having this massive moment right now and seeing the level of work that those two put in is truly mind blowing. It's like, you know, I look at Taylor, who's hosting after Midnight during the day, right, and then touring on the weekends, and it's like she. She actually does not have free time.

[Brian Green]

It is like she doesn't have a life.

[Kelsey Cook]

She is constantly grinding, and it's just so impressive and I'm so proud of her because it does. I don't know, it just makes you go, oh, wow. Like, that is possible, to be sure. Excelling at that level. So. And I think that's what I mean. Before, where the sky's the limit, now in stand up. Like, people are doing so much beyond just like, touring. And I think I've had to maybe like, recalibrate my goals a little bit and be like, okay, what is actually important to me? Like, do I want the biggest amount of fame, the whatever, all that stuff, and knowing that with that can also come a lifestyle that I also don't really want. So kind of trying to find that balance of, like, I of course want to just keep getting better and better at standup and growing my fan base, but knowing that I, like. I mean, I love living in Minnesota, and having this very normal life when I'm not on tour and, like, playing pickleball with my boyfriend during the day, you know, like, I. I like the balance I have in my life. And so, yeah, just. Just trying to figure out, like, what I ultimately want, I guess.

[Brian Green]

We have these conversations all the time. We have these delulu conversations all the time. Chrissy and I do. Like, there are steps you can take to move outside of the RSS feed, so to speak. Like, we live very much in this RSS bubble. We do this show at our, you know, here in a local studio, and we live regular lives outside of. But there are lots of podcasters, mainly comedians, who do this out there who have this level of fame and success where I think that their lives are altered because they are outside the RSS feed, outside of that bubble. And so Christy and I often say, what would it be like to live outside that bubble or if we took steps to live outside of that bubble? And I can see what you're saying, because maybe your life changes in a way that doesn't feel like it sounds great, but then when it happens, maybe it's not like when you can't go to the grocery store without 10 people asking for an autograph or take a picture or, can you do a reel with me? Or whatever. People start to get this sense of, you know, they want to encroach on a universe that's been exclusively yours or you and your boyfriend's, and that feels good to you. It feels good to go out, get the adoration, do what you do, kill it, and then come home and be a normal person.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah. Yeah. And it's funny because I had looked up to my boyfriend for so long in comedy because I just so admired that he had achieved the goals he wanted to in stand up without having to, like, live a life that he didn't want to. You know, he. He didn't come up in la, didn't come up in New York. He has stayed in Minnesota this whole time, where he's from originally, and had his Netflix special come out last year, like, he is. And now he's, like, selling out all his shows. And I just was like, wow, that's such a cool life. And I was like, well, now I'm with him forever, so it's great. It's like, the best.

[Brian Green]

They're like a little incubator over there in Minnesota.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

I know I have family up there in Minneapolis. My husband's brother and his family live up there. And I love it. Whenever I go visit up there. It's fantastic. I've been in the winter and yes, it's freezing, but there's also times when it's not. And it's a beautiful city and I love the people there.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah, I mean, it's exactly what you said. The winters are insane and like make you feel like I can't be alive right now. This is, it's like minus 18. Feels like minus 26.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

You can't step outside.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah. Your eyelashes just like snap. I mean, it's like not normal living conditions for a human being. Our poor dog, when he has to go outside to in that weather, it's like a power poop. It's like you've never seen a dog poop so fast in his life. He's like sprints, poop, sprints back in. It's just insanity. So. But yeah, and it's like also such a great city to tour out of if like touring is your primary thing in your career. It's like Minneapolis is very central. It's a lot of non stop flights. The time zone change isn't crazy either way. And so. Yeah, I never thought that that would be like a smart move. You don't think like you go to Minneapolis and your career flourishes. But LA is like a very hard city to tour out of. It's. You're so far in the corner. Going to New York is like a five hour flight.

[Brian Green]

It's miserable. Yeah, it's a miserable flight.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah. Three hour time change. It's just a lot. So it's weird that you don't think of Minneapolis as being this like glitzy place, place for a career, but it actually like, hey, Prince.

[Brian Green]

That's all I gotta say. That's all I gotta say. Prince never moved out of Minneapolis.

[Kelsey Cook]

That's all you gotta say.

[Brian Green]

He literally made Minneapolis like ground zero for.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

I know. I've got to get up to Paisley Park. Have you been to Paisley Park?

[Kelsey Cook]

I haven't been, but I've been told I need to go, especially living here. So it's on my list. Okay.

[Brian Green]

So your new special. Fantastic. Everybody here has watched it. It's like required reading.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Beginning to end is solid.

[Kelsey Cook]

Thank you.

[Brian Green]

And I'll say this, the ladies, including Astrid, Tina, Chrissy, all just raved about this special. I think it really resonates and I thought it was very funny. Also, I don't see you as the jealous type.

[Kelsey Cook]

That's so funny.

[Brian Green]

That surprised me. That's like the biggest surprise eye opener of the entire special was like, she's not jealous. Is she a jealous type? She seems so mild mannered.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah, you know, I am mild mannered, but it's kind of like what I said in the joke that it wasn't until my 30s that that switch kind of flipped. And I don't know if it's like a primal caveman thing where once I was with Chad and you know, it's like you get a little bit older and I think you, you can tell that like death is not. This is dark to say, but like, doesn't look, death is not. It's not this like thing that you're just like, oh, yes. It's like you get a little older and you meet the person that you're like, oh, this is, this is my forever person. And then there is, at least for me, something set in of like, I need to like again, mark my territory, like guard this person. And. And of course, because he's also like a touring comedian, he has tons of fans, women love him. I, you know, talked on the special about how I had that crowd Rick clip go viral of this woman who was like, oh my. He's your boyfriend's my favorite comedian and.

[Brian Green]

He'S insane to me.

[Kelsey Cook]

He's so hot and all this stuff and it's like, it's hard. You. You want your boyfriend to be desirable, right? Because that's a nice feeling. And like other women find him so attractive but like, yeah, it's.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

But not too much.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it.

[Kelsey Cook]

I do. Which I think is like a very good sign that I'm like, no. Like, this is. I love him so much. I care so much about us and him that I don't want anything getting.

[Brian Green]

In the middle of it.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah, yeah. I just. Yeah, yeah. It's like a good. I think it comes from a place of passion. I mean, it's not like a psycho place. It's just more of a, like, oh, this is a feeling I like didn't know that I was going to feel so strongly and then I just said.

[Brian Green]

It every girl to the judge.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah. A bloody knife. Yeah. I just, I do think you get older and it changes.

[Brian Green]

I. I get it. Like, I am not at all. I mean, I think I was more of a jealous type in my 20s, but I just was never. I just never really like, okay, if you don't like me or if you someone else, then I guess that's not for. I think it's laziness is actually what it is, is I'm too lazy to get involved in my own emotions about any of that stuff. But I do see what you're saying is that, you know, I love my wife passionately, and she's my one, and I don't ever. I don't want to do this again. Right. I want. Yes, we have. I like what we have. And this is the best I, the best relationship I've ever been in and all those things.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

And I do see what you're saying is, I think it's maybe not jealousy. It's protection.

[Kelsey Cook]

It's protection.

[Brian Green]

Protection. I want to protect me, my feelings, her, our relationship and the family that, or the lives that we've built. I want to protect that.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

So it's more like a, I think has something to do with it.

[Brian Green]

Oh, absolutely.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

The most secure couple in the world. But if you're constantly away from each other, Right. In different cities, you can't help but kind of be like, well, what's maybe happening at, you know, for drinks one night or something, you know?

[Brian Green]

Yes. I think that that has, that can play into it too, is that, by the way, you can have all the trust in the world. That doesn't mean you're not human. That doesn't mean that, like, the mind abhors a vacuum, so sometimes you can trust 100%. And who is this bitch who's literally telling you to your face, your, your boyfriend is hot?

[Kelsey Cook]

You know, here's the thing.

[Brian Green]

I, I, I don't apologize for her.

[Kelsey Cook]

No, no, no.

[Brian Green]

I'm not a bad thing.

[Kelsey Cook]

I, I, I learned more about her afterward because, you know, when I had posted that clip and it has, like, 15 million views, it's, like, insane.

[Brian Green]

Oh, my God.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Wow.

[Kelsey Cook]

And she had commented being like, I, you know, I truly meant no disrespect. What she had meant by all of that was that she went to one of Chad's shows, and her mom had passed away shortly before she went to one of his shows. And in, like, the merch line afterwards, she had told Chad, like, how much that show meant to her. Like, it might have, I think, may have been the first time she had laughed since something like that had happened, and that he was just like, oh, I'm so sorry that you've gone through that. Thank you for telling me that. And so that was, like, I think a lot of where her, her love for him was coming from. But she, you know, I think had probably had some drinks at that, at my show and just was, like, getting pretty excited. But again, it's like, it's like that old Patrice o' Neill joke where it's like, you don't want to be with somebody who you, like, could send down the back alley in the middle of the night and, like, not worry about anybody, like, yeah, you know, whatever. It's like there is part of you that wants someone that's the partner. Yes, of course, of course.

[Brian Green]

But, yeah, and he. He touched her in a moment of vulnerability, and I'm sure that. That she felt like that was. I'm. I'm putting words in her mouth, of course, but I suppose that what she felt was some sort of connection because in that moment, she felt like he reached out to her and said something nice. And, you know, when you're. When there's a famous comic standing up there and then you. And you admire their work and then they connect with you, it's like, oh, okay. I'm sure she meant it like, I love your husband in a way that he was very nice and I made a special connection with him.

[Kelsey Cook]

There was zero ill intent. I mean, her husband's sitting right there also, like, I don't know what it's like to be an audience member and have a comic talking to. I mean, it's like a lot of adrenaline, I'm sure. And it's not planned, and you're just kind of like.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Right.

[Kelsey Cook]

Going with. I'm sure if I was in, like, the reverse situation, I might at some time in my life say something where I, like, put my foot in my mouth. We just. It's hard to be on the other side. Yeah.

[Brian Green]

We were talking to Ari Shafir about this, about, like, the people in the first couple of rows, you know, and how they go to a. Like a comedy show, you know, wherever it may be, they go to a comedy show and there's this sense that they understand, depending on who the. Who the comic is, that they could be a target of the comedy. Right. And, like, some people may enjoy that, other people may not, but how they react in the moment, who knows, Right? It's like a big X factor, right?

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah. But, yeah, I think also part of, like, feeling more protective of him and us is like, I moved to Minnesota in the month of January to meet with this man. Like, yes. Like, we have life insurance. We bought a house together.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

The taxes.

[Kelsey Cook]

Oh, my God, the state taxes are so. It's like there is. It's just a different level of. Of seriousness, I guess. And, like. Yeah, yeah. I don't know.

[Brian Green]

Is there any interest. Has there been any discussion? This is a question, you know, that I probably shouldn't ask, but I'm going to ask has there been any conversation around getting married or is this just like, we're here, we're doing it, we don't need to put it on paper? No, we.

[Kelsey Cook]

We do want to get married. We've just done everything so backwards that it's. I mean, which we've, like, loved, and it's been fun and great, but, you know, we, like, bought a house, then we got life insurance, and. And it's like, it's kind of fun to know that this is it forever and know that we do want to get married. But, like, there's still some fun things left that haven't happened yet. Right. Like, yeah, I'm excited for us to get engaged and get married because we checked off, like, some of the big things, and once you do them, it's kind of like you checked it off. Like, buying a house together is such a fun, cool thing to do. And, you know, once you do it, you're like, okay, we did it. And I think having those things to look forward to is kind of like a fun, healthy.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Oh, definitely.

[Brian Green]

All right. I was just wondering if I needed to call Chad and have a conversation.

[Kelsey Cook]

No, no, no.

[Brian Green]

The benefits of locking it up. Chad.

[Kelsey Cook]

We'Re locked up. But, yeah, it's. It is exciting to think about happening.

[Brian Green]

Where did you film the special?

[Kelsey Cook]

I shot it in Madison, Wisconsin. At Comedy on State.

[Brian Green]

Yes. And so did you do this over? I mean, I don't want to give away all the magic, but was this a couple of nights that then you strung together or did you just do one night and then you. And then you had callbacks or.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah, we did one night. And two shows in that night.

[Brian Green]

And two shows in that night.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Yep.

[Brian Green]

Answer me this. I noticed that it's on two platforms. Is that right?

[Kelsey Cook]

Yes, it's on Hulu and YouTube.

[Brian Green]

Okay, so why is that? I'm very curious as to why this is. I don't recall at least seeing this. This 800 pound gorilla, right?

[Kelsey Cook]

Mm. Yeah.

[Brian Green]

We've had a lot of comics on who've had specials on 800 pound gorilla. Good for them. Supporting, good comedy.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

So why is it on? Why is it double platformed?

[Kelsey Cook]

So I have also never done this before, and I think it's something pretty new that Hulu's trying there. There are pros and cons to it, Right. If you have something come out on one platform, every audience member that's watching it is going to that one place. Right. Like, the views aren't getting divided up. So that is one downside is like, you know, the Hulu views aren't public. Like, even I don't know what the views are yet now that it's been.

[Brian Green]

Out for a couple days, weeks. Yeah.

[Kelsey Cook]

But the upside is, if you are putting a special out exclusively on YouTube, there are a lot of like, bigger press outlets that wouldn't have you on to promote it if it's just a YouTube special. But as soon as a streamer is involved, then people go, oh, okay, like, well, now we'll have you on.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

And case in point, the commercial break.

[Kelsey Cook]

The commercial break. You guys are like, look, we like you. We can't have you do this YouTube thing again. We got to spice it up.

[Brian Green]

If we had ever yahoo with a YouTube special on. We do nothing but Yahoos.

[Kelsey Cook]

You gotta bring that Hulu in here.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, that's what we told Kyle Kinane. I said, hey, I'll have you on when you get on a streamer.

[Kelsey Cook]

Okay, but not yet. We can't have this.

[Brian Green]

Not yet. Yeah.

[Kelsey Cook]

So like, it's been a little bit of a learning process of seeing. Okay, like, this is something I like about doing it like this. This is something I kind of don't like, but I can't say yet what I'm about to do. But I'm about to do a big press thing in like a week and a half. That wouldn't, it wouldn't have been possible if we didn't also have it come out on Hulu the same day. So.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, well, I, I actually think it's a good idea. Right? I, we, we talk about this a lot. Is like being multi platformed is so important and I think the more opportunity you have to get in front of eyeballs or ears or whatever it is, is to share your work, your creativity. You're taking a lot of time, energy and effort. This is what you do. It comes from, I'm sure, a lot of, like a lot of internal strife and struggle and hard work and you want as many people to see that as possible. Not everybody has access to Hulu. Not everybody can either afford it or has it or whatever the reason may be. And YouTube is such a jurggernaut. I mean, they are. You know, there's more watching going on on YouTube right now for the first time ever than any all the television platforms put together. So YouTube is a player in the market. And so. Yeah, yeah, I think it makes a lot of sense that you would put this out. Both. Has there been like generally positive feedback about this special? I saw some. I was reading through the comments on YouTube, which is where I watched it. I was reading some of the comments, and unbelievably, like, most of them are so very good toward the special. And that's not like YouTube is the cesspool in the comments section. I don't usually read it, but I saw a bunch of people were just raving about your special.

[Kelsey Cook]

Oh, thank you. Yeah, I feel very, very fortunate that that's been the case. It's just really nice to read such nice things. And, yeah, that's, again, put that in the column of upsides for putting it on YouTube, is that you do get to see positive feedback and you do get to interact with the people who are watching it. And. And that means a lot to me. So, yeah, it's like, it's. Ultimately, you just want as many eyeballs on it as possible, because I think most of us comics, the thing we want at the end of the day is for people to come see us on tour. So it's like, whether you watched it on Hulu or YouTube, if you watched it and you were like, oh, I want to see her live, then we're like, great, that's a win.

[Brian Green]

Because I would imagine. I don't know, but I would imagine and after having talked to a lot of comics, that the money that you make, the living that you make, is by and large done through live shows. It's not like Hulu's paying you a million dollars for the rights to stream your special.

[Kelsey Cook]

Right.

[Brian Green]

You may get some money out of them. Or you. And I would imagine that if I were in a comic and I was up and coming and, you know, or trying to make a break, I would. Might even say you can have this special. Just put it on your platform. Like, just put it on your platform.

[Kelsey Cook]

Right.

[Brian Green]

And then if it does well, then we can talk about it in a year or whatever. Maybe we can do another special. So I can see how this is really a driver to get more people to show up where you really make your bread and butter, which is at the live shows.

[Kelsey Cook]

Right, Exactly. Yeah. So it's. It's like I said, better.

[Brian Green]

What a weird world.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Yeah. It all works together.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah, exactly. Because, again, it's not like. It's not like a Netflix deal where you're getting this, like, big paycheck up front, or even like a Hulu exclusive deal where you're getting a big paycheck. It is like a, you know, a situation where they are licensing it, they're putting it up there, but you're also putting it on YouTube. So you. You're Mostly in this particular situation, like, okay, how do we get it seen by a lot of people and then drive ticket sales? But, you know, my last special, the hustler on YouTube, it only went on YouTube to start, and it has almost 4 million views now. It's like, crazy what YouTube. And I had, like, no expectation. You know, it was my first special. I was like, well, we're putting on YouTube.

[Brian Green]

Let's see.

[Kelsey Cook]

That changed my life. It completely changed my touring. It. It's just nuts. What, what the power of YouTube is now.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. If you have 4 million views, you're not only putting some butts in seats, but then at the same time, you have some leverage to have those conversations with, you know, Disney executives. If I'm you and I'm trying to get on.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

I want to be your manager.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, I want to be your manager. I'm so fascinated by the inner workings of all this. If, if, if I'm you or if I'm managing you, here's what I'm saying. Kelsey will do this special for free, but I need an all expenses paid vacation to Disney World once a year, which is the equivalent of about a million dollars worth of revenue. Yeah, yeah.

[Kelsey Cook]

Corn dogs are $42.

[Brian Green]

You know those pretzel heads, those Mickey pretzel heads, they're like $15.

[Kelsey Cook]

I believe it. It's insane.

[Brian Green]

It's insane. So you're out on tour currently. Where are, where are you looking for? Tell me about the places that you. I mean, I know you're not going to tell me that you don't like any places to go. I get the politics of that. But tell me about.

[Kelsey Cook]

I'll tell you some places.

[Brian Green]

Oh, tell me some places.

[Kelsey Cook]

I would maybe tell you a couple, but. Yeah.

[Brian Green]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Cook]

Do you really want to know places? I don't like to move?

[Brian Green]

Yes, of course I do. That's the more interesting conversation. But I'm trying to get my way in the back door here a little bit.

[Kelsey Cook]

Well, I will say one place that I like, I truly was like, you know what? I don't think I could go back here. This was just a very tough experience. But I think understand standomly that I wouldn't want to go back. I did the Syracuse funny bone. Gosh, this is like maybe two, three years ago, and it's in a mall. And right before the show was about to start, there was a shooting in the mall. And the manager came back to the green room and was like, okay, there's a. There's an active shooter in the mall. And when you hear the words active shooter. You picture trench coat, like, yes. That. Like, there's no in particular target. That, like, it's just. You know what I mean? And so I. I start crying in there. I'm terrified. I'm like, this is. These are the things you read the news in, and you go, I just hope I'm never in that situation. And there's somebody telling you, like, you're in this situation right now. Like, there's a. You're in the mall. There's an active shooter.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Oh, my God.

[Kelsey Cook]

And so the mall got evacuated, show got canceled. We found out later that it was like a gang shooting. It was targeted. It wasn't like, active shooter was a little bit of a.

[Brian Green]

It was a little dramatic, but in the fog of war, they don't know.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah, yeah. And I was just like, the place where the shooting happened, I was just walking in that area of the mall, like, oh, my God, 30 minutes before that. And so it's. This is not like a dig to the people of Syracuse, because I am sure, like, the crowds there would be. Be fun. I think I had done, like, maybe two shows the night before that, and I think I had a fine time. But I looked online after the shooting, and turns out, like, there are shootings in that mall, like, every month. And I just was like, yeah, you know, yeah, exactly.

[Brian Green]

I can go to Twin Falls. Sure.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

It's like Buffalo.

[Kelsey Cook]

Maybe I go back into a different venue, but that was when I was like that. I just. Too much to worry about anyway. I don't want to go to a.

[Brian Green]

Place where there's like, you have ptsd. Yeah. And I think it doesn't matter whether or not it was a targeted shooting. To me, it wouldn't matter or not. I don't care. A gun where someone. If someone's pointing a gun in an open mall, I'm like, fuck all that. I just don't want anything to do with it. Exactly. And we do hear about this so often that it's a trigger word, I think, for everybody. You know, it's a real trigger word for. For is for me as a parent that every time I hear the word school and gun. And it happens frequently. Right. Every time I hear that, I just go in sheer panic. Not because I think it's happening at the school my kids go to, but because it's happened so often, someday it could be the school that my kid.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Goes to happen to everywhere.

[Brian Green]

Okay.

[Kelsey Cook]

So horrifying.

[Brian Green]

During the winter, I'm sure that you. And you must enjoy getting down to warmer places. When you're traveling, do you like, arrange or have your manager arrange your tour schedule to get you to a few warm places?

[Kelsey Cook]

You know, I could be. I could probably be a little more strategic about that with my agent.

[Brian Green]

Let's get that manager to work.

[Kelsey Cook]

I like. This was my first winter in Minnesota that it really felt like what people describe as a true Minnesota winter. Like those temperatures. I just didn't believe that that was happening like in the U.S. was it.

[Brian Green]

Minus 20 or something?

[Kelsey Cook]

Minus 30?

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Yeah. One time. Yeah. I listened to this local station up there, the NPR station up there, the Current. It's a great radio station if you're ever looking.

[Kelsey Cook]

Okay.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Not that anybody's listening to the radio anymore. No, you can also listen. We listen online.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

But I hear the temperature up there frequently. It was like. Yeah, negative 31 day.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah. Chad is from Fergus Falls, which is the town.

[Brian Green]

I love the name Fergus Falls.

[Kelsey Cook]

Fergus Falls. So cute. It is very cute. I know. From Fergus Falls. It sounds like something from like Schitt's Creek. Right. Very wholesome sounding. So it's in northern Minnesota and I guess a while ago there was a polar vortex there where it was like minus 50. It's like something crazy. And he said that if you touch the doorknob of your house, but from the inside, that it would be. Burn your hand.

[Brian Green]

Oh, my God.

[Kelsey Cook]

From the inside.

[Brian Green]

Oh, my God.

[Kelsey Cook]

That's how cold metal. I mean.

[Brian Green]

Oh, yeah. No, thanks. No, thank you. I just have an allergy to the cold weather. I really do. I mean, we live in Atlanta and it got cold down here, too. But you know, for me, it's. I grew up in Chicago and I think I've done my penance. I've done my time. I would rather stay down where it's just a little bit warm if I can avoid the. Like. I don't. I'm not interested in going on a ski vacation. People call me and, you know, people like texting, hey, we're going to go skiing wherever. And I'm like that. You're going to go to be cold. You're going to go somewhere to be cold? No, thank you. I'll take my chances to grow up.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

With it, to be used to it.

[Brian Green]

Well, she moved there. I mean.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

From Washington.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah. I'm from Spokane.

[Brian Green]

It's not that warm.

[Kelsey Cook]

It's. Yeah. Spokane is very seasonal. It gets cold in the winter. We have snow, but not.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Not.

[Kelsey Cook]

Feels like minus 26.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

No, it is. No, Minneapolis is its own thing.

[Kelsey Cook]

Something else.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. Okay.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

So you can probably the lakes that are up there.

[Brian Green]

It's land of lakes. It's the land o lake. I see it on my. On my cream box every day when I make coffee and eat cereal. Land o lakes.

[Rachel]

That's us.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. I think that's where my cream comes from. I'd like to think so. Anyway, when I'm looking at my cream box, I just imagine a rolling field with snow. Place cows butters. Beautifully appointed churning butter. Here's funny like a little funny side note. I watched a couple of days ago like a National Geographic special on Antwick. The coldest place on Earth where people inhabit, which is up in like, I don't know, somewhere in Russia or one of the former USSR states. Oh yeah. And it regularly is like minus 75 degrees Fahrenheit there for like seven months. Months a year. And the kids can go to school if it's -53 or warmer, but they cannot go to school if it's -53 or colder. They eat for breakfast strawberries and churned whipped cream. That's like their meal because it's got so much fat in it. That's what they need to eat. They need. They're constant. And that's the only thing they can eat because it's the only thing that can stay fresh is the actual dairy that comes from the cows that I guess are able to survive in minus 75 degree weather. That sounds insane to me. Like the way these people live is like they might as well be on a spaceship somewhere near Uranus. I mean, it does. It doesn't make any sense to me.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Again, it has to be just generational that you grow up. That's the only.

[Brian Green]

Well, yeah, they have.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Nobody's going there.

[Brian Green]

The body tolerance for that. Yeah. No one's visiting this town. Yeah. Okay. So you get out your.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

I'm cold now.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, I know.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

So you get out your special and now is it. Do you find it? I'm sure in some ways it feels good creatively to go out there back on the road and are you knocking around the new material, planning the next special? Essentially, yeah.

[Kelsey Cook]

The timing of this actually worked out really well. Where once Mark youk Territory came out a couple weeks ago, it had been 10 months since I shot it. And so it gave me that amount of time to get a new hour put together. And so the hour I'm touring with right now is all completely different from the special. Which is nice to be able to tell people when they comment like, oh, like I want to watch the special. But I have tickets to see you. Can I watch this special? And I'm like, yes, you can watch it and you can see me. It's totally different. So that's. It's hard sometimes when you shoot a special and you're like, oh, my God, I want it out right now. But then you. You probably would not have a new hour ready. So it's kind of like finding that perfect sweet spot.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Strategy.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. I think. I don't know who we were. We were talking to a company, Sam Morrill, and he was explaining that, like, you know, Led Zeppelin can have one hit and go tour on that hit for, like, for real, five years.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Yeah. Comedy has to constantly.

[Brian Green]

But he was explaining that, you know, once the hours out, I can no longer do that material. He's like, I can do some of the best, you know, I can do some of the greatest hits. I can, you know, repurpose a joke here and there. The thing that people like to hear the, you know, their favorite. The favorite joke, quote, unquote. He said, but by and large, I got to come up with a new hour because no one's going to pay to see. No one's going to pay 50 bucks to see me. If they know they can watch it on Netflix. It's just not gonna happen.

[Kelsey Cook]

Exactly.

[Brian Green]

That must be tough.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah, it's really. Yeah. And I don't think it was always like this. I feel like this has been a really big shift in maybe the last 10 years where it became this expectation that you're putting out a new hour every, like, one to two years. And, like, you're right.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

I feel like that's been a change from, like, the days of Eddie Murphy or our different other comedians from back in the 70s, 80s could do the same thing a lot.

[Kelsey Cook]

I know, like, some of our favorite art. It's like Rihanna's been talking about putting an album out now, and I think it's been like eight years, maybe longer. Like a decade.

[Brian Green]

You're so right.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah. Like, Justin Timberlake put his album out last year, and that had been, I think, almost a decade or something. It's just crazy. Like, that's what is expected that they get this time to, like, be inspired and live life. And comics are just, like, desperately trying to, like, scrounge up material where we can find it and. But, you know, it's kind of. I think it's like a muscle that if you have that pressure and expectation in your mind, you do kind of somehow come up with it. And I don't know, we're all just doing our best, I guess.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Yeah, that's right.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

I don't know. I think that would be incredibly difficult to do. You look at Chris Rock. I mean, he would bring the pain. Was like. It killed us all right. Oh, my God. Chris Rock, you know, stalking the stage like that over and over. He didn't come out with a new special until, like, a decade later. It was, like, 10 years in between those specials, and he was afforded that opportunity. And what did he do in between? I don't know. A few movies and a television appearance here and there. And he just really paid off of that for a long time. But now, I think the age of the Internet, because we're all so used to seeing new content every single minute.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Social media.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. That we can't just. Just settle down and enjoy. You can't just enjoy what you want, listener. You now used to demand that Kelsey come out with a new hour every 15 minutes. It's not a reasonable expectation. Watch her special and then go buy her tickets. See her do Stairway to Heaven. Yes.

[Kelsey Cook]

My, my Stairway to Heaven. My block dog. You're so right that it's social media, too, where our specials, we end up, like, kind of cannibalizing them and turning them into clips. Clips immediately. Because we're trying to get people to watch the special, and we're trying to get into the algorithm and push tour tickets. And so you can take, like, an hour special and essentially turn it into 60. You know, that would be kind of a lot. But. But once you run out, you're like, I need to shoot another special because now I don't have new clips. It's like, that's also a really big part of it is. Unless you're relying heavily on, like, crowd work clips. Clips, or podcast. Podcast clips. Having new special clips really, like, infuses your channels with, like, new lifeblood. Like, oh, my God, yes, I have something new to post. Yeah, it's. I mean, it's a sickness. It's like. It's horrible, but.

[Brian Green]

Well, if you ever need any mediocre comedy to distribute on your social media platform, feel free to knock us up. We do, like, 60 of these shows a week, so we're churning. Like, speaking of turning butter, this is commercial break ever stops. That's for sure.

[Kelsey Cook]

Amazing, though.

[Brian Green]

Kelsey Cook brand new special out on YouTube and on Hulu.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

We would highly encourage all of our listeners to go listen to the special. And then regardless of whether or not Kelsey's gonna do old material or new material, we encourage. And she'll do me. New material. Funny. You laugh harder in person because. Because that's the way that it is.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

And listen to your podcast with Chad.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yes. Pretend problems.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Pretend problems.

[Brian Green]

Yes.

[Kelsey Cook]

Oh, sorry. Go ahead.

[Brian Green]

No, go it. You. Please.

[Kelsey Cook]

Oh, I just say Chad and I have a few tour dates together in April.

[Brian Green]

Oh, really?

[Kelsey Cook]

We're doing for the first time, so we'll be in Long Island, Montclair, New Jersey, and Philly doing a couple theaters and a casino. So, yeah, please come see us there. We're really excited for that.

[Brian Green]

Okay, now tell Chad to settle down. There's room for both of you at the top. I mean, you guys could be. This could be Desi and Arnaz, right? You know what I'm saying? You guys could be. You guys could be the next power couple out there. Speaking of Justin Timberlake fun. You could be Brit Lake. I saw you were at the Justin Timberlake concert. Was that.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yes. Yes.

[Brian Green]

Look at you. She's a JT fan.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

I mean, aren't we all?

[Kelsey Cook]

I am huge JT fan. Lifelong insane band, all of it.

[Brian Green]

I do bop my head to his music when the kids. Kids play it or Astor plays it. I do. I can't say I'm the biggest fan, but there are a couple songs. Is it the in the mirror? Looking in the mirror.

[Kelsey Cook]

Oh, mirror. Yeah.

[Brian Green]

Oh, yeah. He played that on Saturday Night Live once with, like, a full horn section.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

He was really funny on Saturday Night Live.

[Brian Green]

Yes, he was really funny on Saturday Night Live. And then he ran that stop sign in Montauk and it all. And then the Hamptons. Yeah. And then we all turned on Justin.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Uber. Every famous person that has money should you.

[Kelsey Cook]

I know.

[Brian Green]

Kelsey, we're gonna give you one piece of advice, because we've done so many of these stories, it's not even funny.

[Kelsey Cook]

Uber.

[Brian Green]

Okay. Yeah.

[Kelsey Cook]

Thank you.

[Brian Green]

Uber. Your man.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Just get wasted.

[Kelsey Cook]

Thank you.

[Brian Green]

Yes. Tell that manager to get you a drive. Yeah.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

You and Chad drink all the tequila you want.

[Kelsey Cook]

Oh, thank you. We're boring now. We've both been sober for, like, almost a year.

[Brian Green]

But we talked about this the last time you were here.

[Kelsey Cook]

Congratulations.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

I know you feel great.

[Kelsey Cook]

Oh, we do. I mean, yeah, just you get. You get older and you're like, it's too much. I can't. I'm already just tired from, like, not sleeping. Right. Anyway, it's hard to add hangovers to it.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. Passing out and sleeping are two totally different things. You only know that once you get sober or once you've kind of cleaned up for a while. I haven't had. I don't drink. I mean, I don't drink. Like, I'm not a teetotaler. I would never, ever not have another drink. That's not. Yeah, I don't go to AA meeting, but I haven't because I have children. I haven't had drinks in a long time. I haven't gotten drunk in a long time. And I will tell you what, there is something about it that has been quite life altering in so many different ways that are easy to see now in hindsight, but would have been difficult to understand when I was drunk.

[Kelsey Cook]

Yes. So I feel the exact same way. It's hard to actually be like, okay, am I really going to stop doing this? Completely. Completely. But it does feel so good that it's. I don't know, it hasn't been quite as hard as I thought.

[Brian Green]

You don't even want, like, it feels so good. You don't want to drink.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Like, you're like, once you get out of the habit.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. Do you really want to wake up hungover tomorrow? No, probably not.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Right?

[Brian Green]

Because that kid's going to be bouncing on my face at five in the morning and I don't want to deal with it.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Thank you.

[Brian Green]

Please tell Chad we said hello. You are welcome here.

[Kelsey Cook]

Thank you, guys.

[Brian Green]

Anytime, Kelsey. And we appreciate you coming back. You're one of the few who agreed.

[Kelsey Cook]

To it and so you guys are. So it's always really nice to talk to you, truly. Thank you for having me back on.

[Brian Green]

We hope to see you again soon. Congratulations on all of this. Excited to see from Chrissy and I and all everybody here at tcb. It couldn't have happened to a better person. And onward and upwards. This isn't the last stop. We're given a eulogy, but it isn't the last stop. You're. You're. You're going to keep on going.

[Kelsey Cook]

Oh, thanks, guys. Thanks again. Yeah, have a good one. Okay, hold up.

[Brian Green]

You too.

[Kelsey Cook]

I will. Bye.

[Rachel]

Hey, it's Rachel, your new voice of God here on tcb. And just like you, I'm wondering just how much longer this podcast can continue. Let's all rejoice that another episode has made it to your ears. And I'll rejoice that my check is in the mail. Speaking of mail, get your free TCB sticker in the mail by going to tcbpodcast.com and visiting the Contact Us page. You can also find the entire commercial break library audio and video, just in case you want to look at [e-mail] Want your voice to be on an episode of the show? Leave us a message at 212-4333, TCB. That's 212-433-3822. Tell us how much you love us and we'll be sure to let the world know on a future episode. Or you could make fun of us. That'd be fine, too. We might not air that, but maybe. Oh, and if you're shy, that's okay. Just send a text. We'll respond. Now. I'm gonna go check the mailbox for payment while you check out our sponsors, and then we'll return to this episode of the commercial break.

[Brian Green]

Ah, good old Kelsey Cook. I do enjoy me some Kelsey Cook.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

I do, too.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, she's really, really sweet.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

She's solid.

[Brian Green]

She's solid. But don't let that fool you. Go to watch her special with your kids earmuffs on, because she's good. I think one of my favorite jokes was using a bidet in the middle of Minneapolis in the winter. It's like getting local anesthesia on your asshole.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

One of my favorite ones was about her trying to connect with the daughter. Chad's daughter. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. The whole Instagram thing. The daughter said, I'm unfollowing your girlfriend, by the way.

[Brian Green]

Well, she'll probably unfollow us too, after this, after this appearance. But we do like Kelsey cook. And Kelsey Cook.com is where you get more information about her tour, about her specials, and about her podcast that she shares with that boyfriend. I think maybe in the future, according to her, might be a husband, but we don't care. We like Kelsey either way.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

And Chad.

[Brian Green]

And Chad. But Chad hasn't come on the show yet.

[Kelsey Cook]

No.

[Brian Green]

What's up with Chad? Why didn't Chad. Didn't we invite him on last time she was here? We said, hey, tell Chad if he wants to come on, he can come on.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

I don't know, but we have done the whole wife husband thing with Hannah.

[Brian Green]

That's right. Yeah. DEZ Bishop. He's also got his own podcast, Repeat. He was a repeat. Reggie Watts was a repeat. I think there are a couple more repeats. Some of your favorite guests coming back up because they can't get enough of the commercial break. Listen, they all want to be like Kelsey Cook. They all want their careers to go skyrocketing to the moon. Yes, yes. Des Bishop, Reggie Watts, Kelsey Cook. Who will be next? Stay tuned. Stay tuned, you. More surprises to come. Anyway, Kelsey Cook dot com. We appreciate, appreciate her coming in. We really do. And she's welcome anytime. She's one of those. And DEZ and Reggie are one of those too. There's lots of them. But there's a couple of them where you're like, yeah, of course it's too easy to talk to you.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

I know. We could do it for hours.

[Brian Green]

And then there's a couple that, you know, it's probably a mutual agreement that maybe not. Maybe commercial break's not the place for me. And I would say maybe not. You're right. I never thought I'd get to the day where I'd say, well, no thanks, celebrity don't come on show.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

I'd like to have Heather again, but she might be too big.

[Brian Green]

I don't think Heather McMahon is coming back on the show.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

We got her. See, another one, Another one. She came on our podcast.

[Brian Green]

Heather McMahon, Hannah Bure.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Explosion.

[Brian Green]

Care Explosion. Yeah. It seems like we have the Midas touch for everybody but ourselves.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Exactly.

[Brian Green]

Yes. The Midas touch for everybody but ourselves. And then I saw Felipe Esparza.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Uh huh.

[Brian Green]

On Joe Rogan. Now listen, whatever you think about Joe Rogan, he is sometimes the king of the hill. And to be on his podcast is a big deal. And I just saw him on Joe's podcast.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

Or I saw that too, a clip of him. Saw that he was on there too. And I heard that Rosebud Baker was on the Today show.

[Brian Green]

Rose Bud Baker on the Today show. On the Tonight Show. Yeah. Wow. Maybe there is something to this commercial break. Celebrities pay attention. Attention and you're welcome on. You have to go through our agent though. Talk to our people. All right, tcb podcast tcbpodcast.com all the audio, all the video right there at one location and your free swag at the commercial break on Instagram TCB podcast on tick tock and YouTube.com the commercial break, you know the phone number, text us questions, comments, concerns or content ideas. Chrissy, that's all I can do for today.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

I think so.

[Brian Green]

But I'll take tell you that I love you.

[Chris Joy Hoadley]

I love you.

[Brian Green]

Best to you, best to you and best to you out there in the podcast universe, including Kelsey. Until next time, Chrissy and I will say, we do say and we must say goodbye.