The Commercial Break – TCB Infomercial w. Des Bishop
Episode Date: June 18, 2024
Guest: Des Bishop (Comedian)
Hosts: Brian Green & Kristen (“Krissy”) Joy

Episode Overview

In this vibrant, laughter-filled episode, Bryan and Krissy welcome international comedian Des Bishop for a classic TCB “infomercial” jam session. The chat bounces engagingly across Des’s globe-trotting childhood, his career as a beloved Irish-American standup, the challenge of learning Mandarin and performing comedy in China, family tales, religion, and the perils/delights of late-in-life parenthood. Along the way, Des’s blend of sharp wit, heartfelt honesty, and wry self-awareness shines, making for a rollicking, fast-moving, and surprisingly touching listen.

Main Themes & Purpose

• Getting to Know Des Bishop: His multicultural upbringing, the origins of his comedy career, and unique life path.
• Comedy, Identity, and Adaptation: Navigating Irish and American humor, and branching out globally.
• Learning Languages & Chinese Adventure: The experience of learning Mandarin for “Breaking China.”
• Family, Fatherhood & Cultural Legacy: Growing up with an actor/model father, musings on parenthood, and family stories.
• Religion and Upbringing: Nostalgia and gripes about Irish Catholic roots.
• Navigating Viral Success: Reflections on gaining wider U.S. exposure via social media clips and a new YouTube special.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Des Bishop's Origin Story

• Ultra-mobile childhood: Born in London (to Irish parents), raised in NYC, sent to boarding school in Ireland at 14, went on to perform standup across Ireland, China, and recently the U.S.
• Comedy rooted in Irish life: “Almost my entire career has been an Irish comedy career. …They were shocked by how much I knew and how good I was at doing, like, Irish accents.” (Des, 11:41)

Memorable moment:

• “[My dad] was an actor and model in London. Then he was headhunted by the Ford Modeling Agency… But my London birth is like an anomaly. My parents were living in London. They waited for me to be born, and then they immediately left.” (Des, 09:21)

2. Family Legends & Sacrifice

• Dad’s odd-jobs and near-misses: Des’s father almost played James Bond, had small parts in classic movies, but became a retail manager for family stability.
• Bittersweet comedy: Des’s tribute show “My Dad was Nearly James Bond” explored his father’s sacrifices and their strong family bond.

Quote:

• “He sacrificed the acting life for us. …We did a show together as his final act. Literally, no pun intended.” (Des, 22:07)

Hosts’ parallel:

• Brian’s own dad once auditioned for “Davy Crockett”—not quite the glamour of James Bond, but a treasured family joke. (19:01–20:59)

3. Breaking China: Learning Mandarin, Performing Standup

• Immersion: Des spent one year in Beijing, learning Mandarin and integrating so thoroughly that his TV show “Breaking China” saw him do stand-up for Chinese audiences, in Mandarin.

Insights:

• Language fluency = full commitment:
  “If anybody had one year… to put aside with the sole purpose of learning a language, you would be amazed how fluent almost anybody would get… The most important thing… is motivation. What better motivation than knowing… people are going to be watching me progress.” (Des, 14:32–15:14)
• Full immersion:
  “I was very rigid with myself. Didn’t watch any English-language programming for the full year except ‘Breaking Bad.’ The rest of the time I watched everything in Mandarin.” (Des, 15:22)

4. “Of All People” – The New Special

• Going viral: Des’s self-produced special “Of All People” on YouTube, fueled by hit Instagram clips, is catapulting him to a new U.S. audience.

Show title origin:

• “One of the Irish… gossip websites, the opening line of the article was: ‘Des Bishop, of all people, showed up at the MTV Music Awards.’ …That Irish passive aggression—I love it!” (Des, 30:27)

Notable moment:

• Des rearranged the special in the edit to “come out hot”—the famous opening bit was actually later in the live show. (31:38)

5. On Parenthood & Stage-of-Life Adjustments

• Des (“almost 50”) and his wife Hannah Berner are considering having kids—a topic mined for both real anxiety and killer jokes.

Honest reflection:

• “I always knew that we’re probably gonna have kids… but I just got a bit older. …A lot of my friends… their kids are close to being kind of done. …I was at a time where I had accepted that I might not have kids, and I was fine with it.” (Des, 32:57)
• “It’s not a debate because it’s not really up to me! …In terms of whether we have kids… it’s basically up to Hannah.” (Des, 32:44)

Hilarious riff:

• “You don’t wanna die alone… But you’re actually only dying for a very short period of time. …A kid in this economy, 30-year commitment for what, a couple of morphine-induced conversations? I’ll talk to a nurse!” (Des, 36:47)

Brian’s older-dad pitch:

• “You have the advantage of hindsight. You’re wiser, calmer… I think I enjoy the moments so much more than my friends who had children at 20.” (Brian, 35:03)

6. Cultural and Generational Riffs: Irish Catholic Upbringing

• All three riff on the rigidity and anxiety of 1980s Irish Catholicism—guilt, shame, humor in church music, and family attitudes are lovingly lampooned.

Classic Des:

• “Anything fun at mass was a problem. …No joy allowed at church.” (Des, 27:05)

7. Crossing Over: Viral Clips, Social Media & U.S. Success

• Des’s American “breakout” arrives after decades as a big name in Ireland, with a pivot to more universal (less “parochial”) topics helping him find an audience online.

Observation:

• “All these dates are literally as a result of the [special’s] clips doing well. …It’s a long time since I felt, like, a new… fresh departure in my career.” (Des, 43:58)
• “The sweet spot—before I’m actually well-known, people are like, ‘We like this guy.’ The minute you get well-known: ‘This guy loves himself!’” (Des, 46:00)

8. Language, Identity and Future Parenting Goals

• On wanting his future child to learn Mandarin:
  “I want to get a Mandarin-speaking nanny. I was thinking about introducing our child to Mandarin from the get...” (Des, 41:25)
• On American/Irish identity:
  “They don’t accept Irish Americans as Irish... they can’t have everything!” (Des, 53:37)

9. Boarding School at 14

• Des was sent to boarding school in Ireland largely for behavioral intervention (early drinking), but he lobbied for it—“saved” by the unique structure and camaraderie.

  • “Boarding school absolutely saved me. …The structure, the forced study, the camaraderie….” (Des, 51:24)

Notable Quotes & Funniest Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Now, sometimes I’ll be running home, I’m so addicted to my phone. …And then I realize I left my phone in my jacket. …Oh my God. I was nearly with myself for two minutes. What would I have done with my thoughts…?”
  – Des Bishop, 00:00

• “He sacrificed the acting life for us…His final act was we did a show together.”
  – Des, 22:07

• “If anybody had one year to put aside with the sole purpose of learning a language, you’d be amazed how fluent almost anybody would get…Motivation is key.”
  – Des, 14:32

• “‘Of All People’—that’s a great title. Kind of out of spite. It’s a spiteful title.”
  – Des, 31:00

• “You don’t wanna die alone. …But you’re only dying for a very short period of time. …A kid in this economy, 30-year commitment for what, a couple of morphine-induced conversations? I’ll talk to a nurse.”
  – Des, 36:47

• “Anything fun at mass was a problem. …There was no joy allowed at church.”
  – Des, 27:05

• “The sweet spot—before I’m actually well-known, people are like, ‘We like this guy.’ The minute you get well known: ‘This guy loves himself!’”
  – Des, 46:00

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–03:44 — Banter, intro, explaining Des’s background and “Breaking China”
• 09:21–12:31 — Des’s upbringing, father’s career, “Irish but born in London”
• 13:40–16:20 — “Breaking China,” language learning, TV show origin
• 22:07–23:10 — Father-son show, family dynamics, sacrifices for stability
• 25:38–29:32 — On Irish Catholic upbringing, church songs, culture clashes
• 30:16–32:42 — Why “Of All People”, Irish tabloids, editing the special
• 32:44–36:33 — Kids or no kids? Late fatherhood, anxieties, advice
• 43:08–47:35 — Going viral in the U.S., comments, the joy of broader audiences
• 49:18–53:22 — Going to boarding school at 14, early drinking, culture shock
• 53:37–56:47 — Irish identity, U.S./Ireland comparisons, life in Dublin & Cork
• 57:13–58:29 — Self-doubt, uploading the special, positive reception

Closing Thoughts

The episode is a quintessential “Commercial Break” blend: rapid-fire stories, self-deprecating asides, and deep slices of real life beneath the laughs. Des Bishop emerges as a comedian-philosopher of unlikely success—a guy with true global roots, a gift for reinvention, and a heartfelt (if sometimes sardonic) dedication to the craft.

Check out Des’s work:

• YouTube Special: Of All People (“just put it on…let it play!”)
• Instagram: @desbishop
• Tour Dates: desbishop.net

Memorable send-off:
“Of all people…You’ve got to go watch. It needs more views. You don’t even have to watch it—just click it on and go about your business!” (Des, 56:47)

Best to you, TCB universe!