South Beach Sessions - Neal Brennan: "I'm The Kevin Durant of Comedy"

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz: South Beach Sessions

Guest: Neal Brennan — "I'm The Kevin Durant of Comedy"

Date: April 30, 2026
Location: The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

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Episode Overview

This South Beach Session features Dan Le Batard in a candid, multi-layered exploration with Neal Brennan—comic, producer, writer, and director best known for his work on Chappelle’s Show and acclaimed stand-up. The heart of the conversation is a journey through Brennan’s creative and personal evolution: his obsessive approach to craft, struggle with happiness, the relentless pursuit of excellence, and lessons from working with comedy legends. The episode also delves into vulnerability, therapy, relationships, and Brennan’s signature self-deprecating humor, all while drawing striking analogies—most famously, likening himself to "the Kevin Durant of comedy."

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Neal Brennan as Creator: Producer vs. Performer

• Dual Mindset: Brennan discusses the dichotomy of his "grid brain" when producing/directing ("I'm a servant. When I'm directing, I'm a servant… it's corporate and I have a schedule" [00:50]) compared to performing stand-up, where charisma and presence take precedence.
• Comic Whisperer: As described by the Hollywood Reporter, Brennan is often a behind-the-scenes fixer for top comedic talents—"I'm a famous comedian… until a famous comedian is there. Then I'm a writer, man." [03:34]
• Charisma Project: He humorously frames his ongoing effort as "The Untitled Neal Brennan Charisma Project."

2. Craft, Obsession, and the Neurosis of Comedy

• Stand-up as Life’s Priority: Brennan directly parallels his focus to that of NBA superstar Kevin Durant—both exhibit singular dedication. "He doesn’t give a fuck about anything but basketball… I don’t care about anything but stand-up and my partner." [27:04–29:09]
• Process and Preparation: Describes relentless self-review, recently starting to film and watch his own sets ("I naturally am more charismatic from watching it and going, you gotta do more." [22:29]), despite long-time aversion due to embarrassment.
• Perfectionism: Shares stories like carefully prepping a Mark Twain Awards speech for Chappelle and obsesses about execution: "I did it by preparation… I just want to be better. I don’t want to bomb." [25:09–25:50]

3. Vulnerability, Therapy, and the Search for Happiness

• Mental Health Journey: Brennan is open about cycles of depression ("depression is like wearing a weighted vest" [07:10]), past reliance on tangible reminders of success ("literally an index card of like, oh, yeah, that was my idea." [07:02]).
• Therapeutic Work: Candid about having tried everything from conventional therapy to brain treatments in China, psychedelics (DMT, ayahuasca), MDMA—"I’m ambitious about a lot of things, but mental health’s one of them. So I was like, no, that's not good enough… I’m gonna make this episode solid. As a producer, I’m producing and directing my own mental health." [14:50]

4. Relationships: From Solo to Partnership

• Shifting Stances: Once thought about life as a solo ride, now deeply values his relationship ("If someone’s going to come into your life, they have to make it better than it already is." [20:24])
• Growth in Relationship: Finds meaningful fulfillment, but admits to being "competitive" about happiness and improvement, both in single and partnered life.

5. Lessons from Legends: Chappelle, Rock, Seinfeld, Stewart, and More

• Chappelle: "Chappelle’s thing is like, I’m just gonna chain myself to the tree of quality… we’re not gonna do the show if it’s not gonna be good." [56:07]
• Chris Rock: "If you don’t move on stage, people don’t even need to look at you. Radio—it’s a visual medium. It’s not radio." [53:36]
• Jerry Seinfeld: "He watches every frame of Comedians in Cars… to have him say it, there are things that only we can do that we know that we need to… he’s a worker." [58:28]
• Insights on Process: Each comic’s preparation, dedication, and style informs Brennan’s own standards and approaches.

6. Comedy, Competition, and Analogies to Sports & Obsession

• Durant Parallel: Brennan sees his career as a relentless, joy-filled grind comparable to obsessive athletes at the top of their fields. "It feels so much better than struggling at a thing you don’t care about as much." [29:09–30:13]
• On Excellence: Most top comedians he knows are "a little psychopath," with stand-up needing singularly focused, continual honing—using Nikki Glaser as a contemporary example.

7. Self-Reflection & Feedback Culture

• Live Feedback: The episode morphs into a meta-analysis as Brennan gives Le Batard direct interview notes—"My biggest note anytime I watch the YouTube: You talk in paragraphs. Talk in a sentence." [48:53]
• Constructive Critique: Advocates for getting to questions faster, less "columnist-wordy" in setups, and embracing a gossipy, nosy energy for compelling interviews.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Creative Duality:

  • "I am a famous comedian… unless a famous comedian is there. And then I'm a writer, man." — Neal Brennan [03:34]

• On Vulnerability in Comedy:

  • "Depression is like wearing a weighted vest." — Neal Brennan [07:10]
  • "The vulnerability market is oversaturated. But I get… maybe I was early to it." — Neal Brennan [06:09]

• On the Obsessiveness of Craft:

  • "I don't care about anything else. Because nothing will be as rewarding as a joke working. Nothing. No, no. Sorry." — Neal Brennan [29:09]
  • "Stand up. It's like, how hard do you want to work?" — Neal Brennan [23:44]
  • "I'm the Kevin Durant of comedy." — Neal Brennan [38:20]

• On Relationships & Happiness:

  • "If someone's going to come into your life, they have to make it better than it already is." — Neal Brennan [20:24]
  • "I've gotten significantly happier and I don't look happy." — Neal Brennan [10:42]

• On Perfectionism:

  • "It's important to chain myself to the tree of quality." — paraphrased Dave Chappelle, shared by Brennan [56:07]
  • "I just want to be better. I don't want to bomb. I don't want to bomb." — Neal Brennan [25:50]

• On the Interview Process:

  • "My biggest note anytime I watch the YouTube: You talk in paragraphs, talk in a sentence. You talk like a guy who had a column. You talk like a guy who got paid by the word." — Neal Brennan [48:53]
  • "It's more about you than me. It's a mistake I make in stand-up… I'm trying to show that I'm smart instead of just… being smart." — Neal Brennan [50:24]

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |------------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 00:27 | Opening: Brennan’s philosophy as a creative producer | | 03:34 | “Comic Whisperer” and “The Charisma Project” | | 04:52 | Using tricks to project charisma (“Apple Watched Mulaney”)| | 07:02 | Depression and achievement index card | | 10:42 | On happiness and appearance “I don't look happy” | | 11:29 | Therapy, psychedelic experiences, and overcoming trauma | | 14:50 | Obsessive pursuit of mental health | | 20:24 | Transition from solo life to relationship | | 22:29 | Stand-up, watching own sets, preparation | | 25:09 | Mark Twain Award: preparation and stage pressure | | 27:04 | Parallels to Kevin Durant and excellence | | 38:20 | “I’m the Kevin Durant of Comedy” | | 48:53 | Brennan’s critique of Le Batard’s interviewing style | | 53:36 | Lessons from legends: Murphy, Rock, Chappelle, Seinfeld | | 56:07 | “Chained to the tree of quality”—Chappelle’s ethos | | 62:29 | On Trevor Noah’s relentless work ethic | | 64:14 | What separates excellence (“psychopath” dedication) |

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Conclusion

This episode is a masterclass in the mindset and quirks of a comedic craftsman. Neal Brennan’s forthright humor, coupled with Le Batard’s probing (and occasionally wordy) approach, provides sharp insights into creativity, obsession, healing, and personal growth. Whether describing joy or neurosis, Brennan brings the same relentless curiosity and honest self-appraisal that define his comedy and his ongoing life’s work.

Check out Neal’s podcast Blocks for more of his signature vulnerability and his deep dives into what blocks others.

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Blocks podcast: “[It gets under the hood… He's a great interviewer.]" — Dan Le Batard [65:11]

Transcript

[A]

You're listening to DraftKings Network. You may not want to.

[B]

They're rolling right now. We're rolling right now. Everything is live. We're on. So the reason I wanted to do this with you, my good friend who I love, is because you're really wise about making good things. You know how to make things. Well, I think as great a comedian as you are, you might be a better producer. I don't know how you.

[A]

I mean, I don't. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. It's just a different thing. It's just like I'm a servant. When I'm directing, I'm a servant. Right. And I have to. It's corporate and I have a schedule that I have to meet, and it's storyboarded and laid out. So that's like two different. Like I say I have grid brain, where I have, like, I need to get this portion by 10:20, and I need to get it. And I need a single. And I need an insert of the bird. And I need.

[B]

And all of that is architecture. All of that is planning. All of that is details. All of that is not the creative mind. It's the.

[A]

But the creative part is I have eight minutes, and I have to get this person, whether it's the person I worked with yesterday, unnamed.

[B]

You keep doing that.

[A]

It's a very big star.

[B]

And the story would be made better by this person.

[A]

It would be made better. But we're not there yet. We're not there yet. They're not there yet. In terms of their approach to commercials, okay, they're not. So. But I have to make them. They have to say something funny. And they have eight minutes and there's a script and it's not that funny, and we have to figure it out. And there is, like, what they call in screenwriting, a ticking clock.

[B]

Well, that. What you're specifically describing there. When I talk about what I think of you as a producer, and I've never seen you direct a commercial, though

[A]

I can imagine it's pretty incredible.

[B]

I think those eight minutes where you can actually get the funniest stuff out of whatever athlete X who doesn't want to be there, acting. The reason that I say you're a great producer is because you know what good things look like. Like, you have the taste. If you're watching something and you say it's excellent, it's going to be excellent. You know how to make excellent things.

[A]

Sometimes I know how to. I know how to try. But if you don't, if it's not, if It's. I've made that same taste has been applied to duds and the same. And all the ideas come out of the same hole, and it's the same spirit. And. Yeah, we didn't get it.

[B]

What would you describe when the Hollywood Reporter calls you a comic whisperer? This is the producer I'm talking about. You're helping the best in comedy or the people who have the biggest reputations, they're coming to you for help on is this funny? And you're acting as a producer when in most settings you're in, you're obviously the funniest person there. And whatever.

[A]

I have a line, I say, I am a famous comedian. Unless a famous comedian is there. And then I'm a writer, man. It's just what happens. It's literally like. It basically just comes down to charisma, more or less. Because it's like I've written for Dave, Chris Allen, like the hall of Fame, and what's the difference? I clearly can write the thing that they can. So it just comes down to life. It comes down to spirit and charisma. And I am working. That's like an ongoing project. The Charisma Project. The Neil Brennan. The Untitled Neil Brennan Charisma Project.

[B]

Okay, well. But you did in. This was blocks, I think. And I should tell people, go to his pod. It's exceptional. It's derivative from his special on Netflix.

[A]

Derivative is not a great word. Let's go with inspired by. See, guys, I'm directing and producing right now.

[B]

Sorry.

[A]

I insulted him. Dan, you seemed. That's not. You're insulting the guests. Can I have an earwig? He's wearing an earwig. I don't need to. Wearing his clothes.

[B]

You want theirs?

[A]

No, I don't. I want to tell you here. I want to talk to you in blocks.

[B]

I think you were mentioning that you used to wear a watch to remind you to smile on stage so that you could project that you were enjoying what you were doing and giving off charisma and having the robotically forced charisma of John Mulaney.

[A]

Yes. Well, no, no, I'm saying you're forced

[B]

so that you can have the charisma that comes naturally to him.

[A]

You become more charismatic in his sleep than I am.

[B]

At full volume. You Apple watched John Mullane in an effort to be more charismatic on stage.

[A]

Yes, to me. Hilarious. Thing is, so I explained the watch, and then I'm talking and I go. I just suddenly look up and smile. That's the poster. That's one of the Netflix. If you go to blocks on Netflix, it's me fake smiling because I got shocked.

[B]

Electrocuted.

[A]

I got electrocuted into smiling. I'm gonna free. So now I'm trying to free myself from electrocution.

[B]

Because you can be wise about these things. And because, as I said on blocks, which isn't derivative, but is talking to comedians and others about the things that block them, you have found a way to do interviewing very well, very vulnerably, with people who give to you, at least in part because they respect you.

[A]

I also think it's because they've. They've seen me do it. They've seen me, like, I've paid my auntie. I've been like, I'm depressed. So they're like, yeah, he seems okay. Like, he seems like he didn't pay a big price. So it's interesting. It's probably oversaturated now in terms of vulnerability. The vulnerability market is oversaturated. But I get. Maybe I was early to it.

[B]

Well, three mics was early.

[A]

Three mics was 10 years ago, so, yeah, so I was early. Yeah, I was early to that, for sure.

[B]

I did research on you, and it was a delight to do it because there were actually some things that I did not know about you. And I don't know how recent this is.

[A]

How racist. Go ahead.

[B]

I knew you were gonna seize on that. I didn't even need the ear.

[A]

I seized on it like a white man on a new continent that you

[B]

used to write on an index card your achievement so that when it feels like you're drowning, you can just remind your. That you've made decent things.

[A]

Yes. Literally, that's how. There are times where I can get that lost. I don't think that's even unique to people. The thing in three Mics that people bring up the most is depression is like wearing a weighted vest. So I think that's a very relatable thing, the achievement thing. You know, as every single person on earth knows, you eat ice cream. It feels good for a while, and then it wears off. Anything good, and you're like, I'm never gonna not feel this. So it was literally an index card of like, oh, yeah, that was my idea. And I pitched that joke and that.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And I'd be like, a little better.

[B]

How long ago was that that that card was in your pocket?

[A]

I mean, that card was in my mind. The image is like, 2006. So, like, in. Where I am. Where I am physically in the world looking at that thing. But I Had it in my pocket a long time, but it's never. It's not. I don't think it's a. I think the human experience, the human body is. We are subject to chemicals that we don't really even understand, and we can get knocked into a chemical kind of veer, a mood, whatever. We go with some. I'm in a bad mood. But it's basically just like, chemicals fuck with you. And it's hard to get out of them. You know, it just is hard to get out. So having some protocol, my partner Lucy, just sent me, literally at the bottom of the steps, a clip of me. She really gets me.

[B]

She sent me a love letter, a real love letter.

[A]

I mean, you want to talk love language. Clips of you. My love language is clips of me. Of me saying to Hasan, I hate that I have to repronounce his name. Hasan Minhaj. He told me how to say it the first time, guys. And it was Hasan and me saying, like, if you don't. It's a thought I had on drugs, which is, if you're not happy with this life, spin the wheel of 8 billion outcomes. What do you think? You think you're gonna beat it? Go ahead, spin the wheel. No, no, Go good. Spin the wheel. So I was complaining, and my girlfriend basically sent me clips saying, spin the wh.

[B]

Yeah. Because your life, in some ways, you've gotten almost all.

[A]

I mean, that's the thing is you put a caveat on it. In some ways, it's like. You're talking about. You want to talk about the narcissism of small differences. Like, the narcissism of, like. Yeah, but. And I do it, and I see how stupid it is.

[B]

Oh, no. But what I was going to say, though, while you have come by just about all of the things that you've ever wanted, I've always, as your friend, also sort of wanted to hold you. Because happiness hasn't always been one of those things, Right. And I'm holdable inherently, if I spin the wheel and happy comes up. But you can't have all of the things that the genie bottle opens so that you could have exactly the life you wanted.

[A]

And also, I've gotten significantly happier, and I don't look happy. Like, Kevin Nealon did the podcast the other day, derivative of the Netflix special. And he stolen. He was like, be happy. And I was like, dude, I just had a great time. I just don't. My face doesn't exactly.

[B]

Oh, no. But I'm not measuring this happiness for the people who don't know the entire history of the story which you've told on stage. In these vulnerabilities, you've gone to have your brain tapped in China because you thought there was something wrong with you, when really you came from an imprinting environment. That sounds like it was pretty horrible.

[A]

Yeah, even that. Yes. But thankfully, due to the shocking and the ayahuasca and the DMT and the MDMA, I've gotten that 95% out of my body. So even when I hear about tough childhood, I'm like. I mean, the good thing about aging is it just becomes like a hazy dream where you're like, oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I don't even. You just go, oh, it's so far

[B]

in the Chappelle show. So long ago.

[A]

I mean, that's. Again.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I mean, you want to talk about. That's one thing. Like, childhood. I mean, these are not even, like, different. Like, I was a different person. I was. But it's like so long ago now that you can barely. It's like it becomes like, the thing. Like, I don't identify as that for sure, but I don't even. I remember it. I remember it. I know it happened, but I don't. There are full days where I don't think about it.

[B]

Or do you? I'm guessing the work you've done, whether it's dmt, ayahuasca, or anything else, you probably have gotten the vibrations, energies of the trauma out of your body. Like, you've probably excised them with the work you've done.

[A]

Yeah. I used to yell at a therapist, it's in my body. This is in my body. I can keep talking about this. Therapy just becomes, after a while, like a bit of an incantation. Like. And then my father. Like, it becomes like a Catholic mass where it's just like, you're.

[B]

The stories I've told about why I am, how I am.

[A]

Yeah. And so I have. I think it's out of my body. It's one of those. Again, it's hard to say. Like it was in your body, but it sure feels like I can't even summon it. I can't even summon the negative feeling around it, which is awesome.

[B]

That means you've healed yourself, really, right? Like, yes.

[A]

My worry is, though, because it's so saturated, it just becomes like white noise of just what we used to call psychobabble or New Age or influencer trauma. TikTok. It's really been cheapened. And there's so many hucksters that hold

[B]

on a Second, but let's talk about the work you've actually done. Because while you peshaw the idea of being so desperate that you would go to China to have your brain tapped because you're like, get this out of me. This isn't like I've done all the work.

[A]

China, please help me.

[B]

I've done all the work. I'm smart enough, I know myself. No, this is something that I don't know about. There's something in me. You now go through an assortment of things. DMT to alter your brain chemistry, ayahuasca to.

[A]

To kill the ego or not even same. I think it was brain chemistry with that as well.

[B]

Okay, well, you found God in there though.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So you go from atheist and critical clinical thinker to ayahuasca has broken me open. No, there's all sorts of things. I don't know, I just felt them.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. And that's another advantage. You know what I mean? Another. Like, how could you possibly feel sorry for yourself? Trust me, I still do. No, but how could you possibly. The amount. I'm not a big privilege and all that stuff. But you want to talk about lucky to even have the opportunity to do this stuff. It's like, that's not common. And the other thing with all these treatments, even antidepressants, they don't know why it works or how it works. So it's just, try it, try it, try it, try it. And I think I have the. I'm ambitious about a lot of things, but mental health's one of them. And so I was like, no, that's not good enough. I'm gonna go a step further. I'm gonna make this episode solid. As a producer, I'm producing and directing my own mental health generally, I'm like, nah, this is not. We gotta do another one. And like, literally like, dap dap, gah gah, gah, gah gah. Like, whatever, whatever. Yeah, And I've been like that for 25 years.

[B]

Okay, but then that's. That's self love, though. That is taking care of yourself. It's finding the things that you need to. To be right in the world while also trying to be easier on yourself.

[A]

Yeah. But it's also like, fuck, it's. I'm competitive with it. I think it's. I think it's wrong that, that anyone feels like this. So I'm like, no, I, like, just want to keep speaking. I'm a Karen for my own mental level where I'm just like, no, no, no, no, no. We're not. I'm not doing this.

[B]

So, okay, so you're sitting there somewhere.

[A]

So self love is true. But it's a bit like I'm competitive and I'm ambitious. So it's like I'm not gonna. I don't wanna. I get mad that I feel shitty still. After having done stuff, I've reached a

[C]

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[A]

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[B]

Okay, so this is the most evolved version of you I've known. But when I read the quote and I don't know when this was from, you're saying you don't know whether right now this is all supposed to be a solo journey or whether this is invest in relationships and also invest in others. How old is that quote?

[A]

I don't know what the quote is, but yeah, I don't. Yeah. Well, I'm assuming it's before I met my partner. So it's three years ago. Before three years ago. And now I'm very involved. And it's really great. It's really great. It's like, it's as. It's as good. Here's the thing. It's. I think my life as a solo person was great. And I didn't. That's another thing. I didn't want to. I'm competitive with that. Like, I'm not gonna be like, where, where is she? I'm not gonna play that game. Like, it's silly. So if I engage, if I brought someone into my life, it was gonna be an improvement. And which people don't like where I'm like, no, can you improve this? Then come on in. But if not, I'm not gonna. I don't feel the need to have kids. I don't feel the need to. I'm not especially lonely. I'm not especially borable. Meaning, like, I'm not. I can fill it up. So my time and attention.

[B]

Yeah. If someone, if someone's going to come into your life, they have to make it better than it already is.

[A]

Yeah. And it's already. I'm already competitive in that regard. Like, in terms of, like. No, I want my life to be good. I'm gonna go places. I'm gonna try stuff. I'm gonna, you know. So, yeah, she's made it better and

[B]

it's awesome because it's not a solo journey. We've decided this because you had great conviction in your atheism and then ayahuasca changed your worldview. You've had great conviction about, you know, I'm self sustaining and I'm solo. I've tried planning. I have plenty to love and You've had. You've had, you know, you've lived big inside of single life.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And now you've arrived.

[A]

Sounds slutty, doesn't it? Go ahead.

[B]

And now you. Now you live with somebody who gives you the feeling that's bigger than ever.

[A]

Yeah. An improvement on. Solo life. And it's. And that's been like a process of, like, you know, adjustment in terms of asking for what I want within it, you know, which is a. That's kind of its own challenge of, like. Because you're supposed to just do and want what they want. Sorry, that's not the way that works. Sorry. Sorry, lady.

[B]

That's not exactly.

[A]

That's not. I'm a pain in the ass. Pain in the. So it's like, I'm gonna. Karen. Produce, direct, whatever. That as well. Like, I'm just like, mm, no, I don't. And the willingness to say something is a huge difference maker. And I don't think most people do it.

[B]

But the way that you do creativity, because these are two different. These are different skill sets. What you're talking about. It's needed from the producer and the director versus the thing that you love the most, which is being the comic. Right.

[A]

But being the comic is a lot of that, too. Being the comic is like. And that's what I've been doing in the last six months is like watching my sets, which I've never done before. And I naturally am more charismatic from watching it and going, you gotta do more. You gotta be. You know what I mean? So that is producing and then the writing part. But it's all adjustments. It's all kind of the same thing, which is just making adjustments.

[B]

Why did you not watch yourself before?

[A]

Because there weren't just bringing a camera. It was just kind of a pain. And it's. And more. And the truth is. Because it's embarrassing. Just embarrassing. It's just like.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You're so good at it, though. All you see is mistakes.

[A]

Yeah. I mean. Yeah, that's the funny thing. I mean, I've had. I've directed specials for people who said, don't cut to the left side of my face, because they'd never watch themselves. Cat Williams told me he's never watched one of his specials. Like, I don't know if it's true, but, like, I know people that don't watch their specials and don't watch themselves on stage. So.

[B]

But because of that. Because I think.

[A]

Well, I don't know what they're. I don't think Cat would Be embarrassed. I think it. I don't know why. Again, I don't know if that's true and if it's. I don't know the reasoning, but I know it's. All of this is self selecting. Stand up. It's like, how hard do you want to work? I was talking to Ali Wong the other day about Nikki Glaser and like, Nikki's just a really. She's so funny, but also like a great producer. And like, she's got it for the. For the things, the TV stuff. Six, eight writers and honing and picking and, you know, one of them, I was texting her, like, just so it's all kind of that and it's just a matter of how much you want to. Even the Mark Twain thing for Dave, it's like, I was good because I got off and Kenan Thompson was like, how'd you do that? I was like, I practiced. I'm not as charismatic as Sarah. Jon Stewart, Keenan, Jay, Jo, Dave, Chris, you know, Eddie, it's not even.

[B]

You killed it. You had the best speech at the Mark Twain Award with an enormous amount of pressure for, you know, a complicated relationship that you've had over with, with Chappelle. And you crushed it. And you crushed it.

[A]

But I did it by preparation.

[B]

Well, but I don't think that. I don't. I talk a lot about the craft here with people and the producers get mad at me because I'm fascinated by it. A variety of different things, but I can make comedians less funny. As I'm talking about. I'm talking to them about the craft of it. I don't think people have any earthly idea when you get on stage and are that funny in a special, how much obsessive compulsive has been poured of you carrying into that as the most thing and what it means for Neil Brennan to make his dreams come true again and again because he's so grateful that he gets to be like, killer funny with sharp edges.

[A]

I don't even think it's from a place of gratitude, by the way. It's from a place of just like competition. Competitions. I wasn't. I didn't even know who was on the show. But it just. I want to be better. I just want to be better. I don't want to bomb. I don't want to bomb.

[B]

I don't think that people know, though, how obsessive compulsive you caring about something is.

[A]

I agree, but that's the same thing Ali was saying about Nikki is like. And the other Thing was dealing with the commercial thing yesterday. They were like, so you're going to go do stand up. I'm like, I don't like doing anything else. I have no. There's no other. I'm not like. And then I'll guard. I don't have. There's no. I have no interest besides standup and my partner.

[B]

Besides being great at that, though. You're talking about. See, this is the thing, right? It'd be so easy for you to get fat. So many guys your age aren't trying anymore. It's hard to stay funny. It's hard to age gracefully in comedy. And you're a beast because you care about it like that. You care about it the most obsessively. Because I have.

[A]

I cannot. I will die. It's like. It's the thing that I don't think journalists understand about Kevin Durant. He doesn't give a fuck about anything but basketball. He doesn't even know. He doesn't think about anything else. Like Twitter. But that's all basketball. It's all anger at people for not understanding basketball. And he does not. If he plays video games, I promise you, it's 2K. He's watching basketball. He doesn't have any other. Most of these guys are not interesting people because they don't care about anything but basketball. And if you talk to basketball players, they talk about Kevin Durant like they're not in the NBA. They talk on him like, yeah, I talked to Brunson about it. He was just like. It's like, yeah, even in our level, where you're like, ooh. Because he doesn't care about anything. And that's the thing with all these. With Shaq and all these guys that, like, had all these other inches. Like, yo, man, Shaq, you might have gotten injured. You might have gotten injured if you played more. But if you were. If you stayed 290 or 3, I don't know what the good weight was and didn't rap or act, or you would have scored. You would have 40, 20, 10.

[B]

I have said the people in my crew get mad at me when I say Shaq underachieved by winning.

[A]

You see him in person, and if you had to just. You see him in person, first of all, the first instinct is to run. Cause he's so big. Blake Riffin. One time, my dog, a pit bull, saw Blake in a parking lot and backed up. I've never seen a. He was like, yo, when did they start making people this big? I've never. This is A scale. I. So, yeah.

[B]

So if you've never seen your pit

[A]

bull, a pit bull backed up to Blake in like a nice brunch outfit, not even tough looking. So these. So it comes down to, I don't care about anything else. I care about Lucy and I care about this. But I realized in the last six months, I don't care about houses. I don't care about cars. I don't care about clothes. Clearly don't care about clothes. Don't care. I don't care about anything. Because nothing will be as rewarding as that. Nothing will be as rewarding as a joke work. Nothing. No, no. Sorry. And a lot of it is like, I've always been very funny. All the people I'm talking about have always been very funny. And then you get a thing where you're like. And you get to go, forget it. Forget it. It's unbelievable. And it's great to be great at something. It feels so much better than struggling at a thing that you don't care about as much.

[B]

You describe it the way that an addict would describe a drug. Right.

[A]

That's again, from the people who brought you derivative. How about I started telling Lucy and anybody that would listen. I just think of it as like, banzai. I'm just like, I have a place in New York now, corporate department. It's not nice. I don't even see it. I see the computer, see the couch. I see the bed. I see the bed. I get choked up. No, I see the bed and I just. I watch my things, like, I guess like a crazy. I just think it's like, I don't know. I don't want to do anything else. I'll watch a documentary, I'll do other stuff. But it's. It's all in service of that for the most part.

[B]

But it's also in service of. You don't love it any less now than you ever have. Right. When you were a doorman. When you're a doorman and this is all starting out. What did it look like? Did it look like this?

[A]

Literally the same. Yeah, it's the same. It's the same. Doing the commercial the other day is the same. It's, hey, say this. It's the identical thing that I used to do to Chappelle in 1992 on a commercial. And then I go and I say it to myself, hey, say this. It's just all like, hey, say this. That's the whole. That's my whole life. It's like literally anything good is from, hey, Say this.

[B]

What was going on when you. I didn't know until doing the research that you were early roommates with Jay Moore.

[A]

I was Jay. I was. We were early roommates. One of the early roommates.

[B]

And so this. What was life like?

[A]

Then he said, someday I'm gonna own the Lakers. He would say, he wake. I'd wake up in the middle of the night. He'd be on my chest. Be like, you listen to me. Someday I'm gonna own. What do you mean? And no. So, yeah, we were roommates and he was. Jay's a. Jay's a. He's just a funny dude.

[B]

So you're making $200 a week, something like that.

[A]

220. 235.

[B]

Okay, but this is. You're post doorman, right? This is.

[A]

No, I'm still doorman.

[B]

Okay, you're doorman, but you're performing.

[A]

No, no, no, I didn't perform. I performed once in 2000. No, I'm sorry. 1992. Then I performed once again in 1997. Then I performed then I started a little bit in 2002 through four, then stopped till 2007. So.

[B]

And everyone's coming through there, right? Like, everybody who would then become the biggest comedian.

[A]

Yeah. Louis C.K. marin, Dave. Jon Stewart, Ray Romano, Sarah Silverman.

[B]

And you and Jay Moore are trying to get in?

[A]

No, Jay's a. Jay's. Jay's, you know, he's just doing his. A full time comedian.

[B]

Okay. And what was your life like then?

[A]

I was the doorman, Jay. I think I sublet Jay's place because he went. He got a sitcom called Camp Wilder with Jerry o' Connell and Hillary Swank. So he was gone. So I sublet his place. And then he came back and we lived together for a couple months.

[B]

So what did the struggle look like is where I was getting at? It was.

[A]

I look like a ragamuffin. And. But I was very excited to not just be like in the. I dropped at NYU Film school and I was like, I'm doing this because I realized, like, I could write a movie. I'm not gonna be able. I'm not gonna. They're not gonna let me direct a movie at 21 out of college. And then you have to pay for it just all seemed like once I got in school, I was like, this is a bad system.

[B]

I would have assumed that that was more like comedians. I like hanging out with them and filming studios.

[A]

Yeah. And then I'd go, yeah. And then during that, they were. The students were dickheads and the comedians were, you know, great comedians.

[B]

Funny, like. Yeah.

[A]

I mean, it's more fun over there. Attell. My brother Kevin Rivermano, you know, the people I just named. So. And Dave's the only guy my age. Jay's a little older than us, but, like. But yeah. So it was just like, oh, I like this.

[B]

There's something about film that also, though, it stirs in there. Right? Or it did once upon a time.

[A]

That's why I direct commercials. Because, I mean, I, you know, I direct Chappelle. Like, I love. I like. I love. The direction's awesome. So. So that's all, you know. Yeah, so I like doing that as like, the commercial I directed yesterday was. The DP director of photography was. It's a guy named Janusz Kaminsky who did Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List. So, like. Like, just talking to him all day was, like, awesome.

[B]

The reason I asked the question is because you say, this is the one thing I love. Comedy is the one thing I love. But if an alternate Neil had liked film students more and had just chosen the path of traditional learning of film. I'm going to be a director. I'm not. I am going to be a director and only a director. That's what I'm going to chase. You may love that the same way. No, if that's what you had become that kind of great at the way you are at comedy.

[A]

Yeah, but I think maybe there was. But it's so much just getting movies made, just going and schmoozing and script and, hey, it's just not. It's so slow. And there's so many things, mitigating factors that are not the quality of the material that I just find it kind of deadening in the times that I was like a screenwriter director. It's just like whenever I was doing it, I was like, I should just do standup. That's generally what led to it. Because you'd go to meetings and they kind of, like, talk down to you and be like, I'm pretty sure I'm funny. So that's why, literally one of the reasons to do stand up.

[B]

How many shows a year are you doing?

[A]

I mean, right now in New York, I'm doing three spots a night. So that's 20 a week. You figure that out. What's that?

[B]

Well, but I felt like the one night.

[A]

But that's a thousand.

[B]

I think the one night that Valerie and I came out to dinner with you out here, I really did feel like it was something out of Slow motion walking. Reservoir Dogs or Swingers, whatever the scenes are, or no, Goodfellas. Like walking to a kitchen. The way that you got from dinner to on the stage to do your set was done with such surgical precision in like 20 minutes of walking through and getting in and out, that it made me see. Think that, oh, he's doing that 200 times. He's doing that thousand.

[A]

I think I just did the math. 21 times a week. 52. Eh. How many?

[B]

So you're doing how many?

[A]

Like I'm doing three spots a night at the Cellar. So like, that's 20. I mean, when I'm in New York. So that's a thousand spots.

[B]

And it's.

[A]

You'd think I'd be better, but yeah, it's a thousand spots.

[B]

1,092. So it's just sharp. It's just to sharpen it Here.

[A]

Rick Johnson over.

[B]

You wish you had that. You could have done the math. Earpiece Johnson is what?

[A]

Yeah, that's your scoop. AKA Scoops.

[B]

I'm trying to help you.

[A]

No, thank you. You didn't help me. It's not the.

[B]

You were searching around.

[A]

It was around. I could have done the two times. I could have done one. The one 10, 60. I could have got there.

[B]

That's crazy.

[A]

Well, yeah, but I don't. Jan, I don't have anything else to do. I don't care. I don't care. I don't care about anything else.

[B]

But that's what greatness takes. Yes.

[A]

And again, it sounds like it's a sacrifice. If I can bring my very good friend Kevin Durant up again, who I've never met, it's. He does not care about anything else.

[B]

We're gonna put on the episode Neil Brennan. I'm the Kevin Durant of comedy.

[A]

I mean, people would love that. I mean, there are similarities, by the way, but anyhow, I just don't think

[B]

people understand the amount. Same build. Says the earpiece.

[A]

The earpiece. Well, I have what's known in the business as. I'm gonna clear the mic. Pippin face, Scottie Pippen face, long nose, gaunt, sad, bin Laden ish eyes. Do a side by side by side, would you?

[B]

Yes, please. Let's do it.

[A]

Let's go me.

[B]

Let's do that.

[A]

Pippin bin Laden while we're here and we're talking NBA Ronaldo Bachman. Throw him up. He was the bin Laden. Most bin Laden looking motherfucker in the history of the league. Don't tell me I don't understand the NBA. Don't you tell me for one second

[B]

you love the NBA. You not only understand the NBA, you love the NBA.

[A]

Actually, I don't. It's getting the point where there's a point where you just. There's a point in my life where I stopped caring about the MTV Real World. And it's getting that way with the NBA where I'm like. Where I'm like, yeah, okay.

[B]

You used to love Shay Gilgacaly things.

[A]

I can't care about Shay Gill's Shay Gil Gasell. Whatever.

[B]

Sga.

[A]

I'm not going to say again. These new kids. I like Victor Webanyama as a. As a guy. I like him as a. I like him as, like a citizen of the world. I like him as like, he's. He's. I don't know if he's bullshit deep or actually deep.

[B]

Oh, he's trying to be deep. At 22, he's trying to be about the right things. That seems obvious.

[A]

Yeah. So, you know, going to play chess. That old stunt.

[B]

How do you think your dog would behave around him?

[A]

I mean, my dog would euthanize himself. I have my dog carry a cyanide capsule in his cheek in case he runs tooth.

[B]

You were so right about Shaq. Like, it's not just that. Like, Robin and Brooke Lopez, if they wandered out of the woods, you were literally like, what?

[A]

What? Barclay's bigger than I thought. Like, when you see him, you're like, how could anyone think they could guard that? No.

[B]

Well, but the Barclay thing that's funny is that he's smaller than the rest of them, but his ass is where my shoulders are.

[A]

Totally agree.

[B]

That's a really unusual body type.

[A]

Similarly, one time, Trevor Noah has a very high butt. And I said, he is. There are two friends of his from Africa who wrote for the Daily show. And I was like, trevor's got a high butt, right? And they go, he's from a high butt tribe. It's like, guys, I don't think I can say that, but I don't understand it. But I'm going to take her word for it.

[B]

What a great honor for Trevor Nola to make.

[A]

What a great way to get canceled. Talking about Trevor Noah.

[B]

You assigned it all to him. No. You put it all on him and his family.

[A]

You got into the eugenics stuff. I was just talking about.

[B]

I didn't do that. I did not do any of that. I did not do any of the. Jimmy the Greek. He made you his last guest, Trevor Noah, and he did it on purpose.

[A]

And he did it on Purpose. Well, I wish I'd. We try. I don't like winging it. So it wasn't a great segment, but Trevor's a great guy and a good. He's a good. We support each other nicely.

[B]

The honor of that is what I was going to ask you about as a friend as.

[A]

Oh, yeah, I just wish I been better. And then they. Whatever. It was too long a segment. Whatever. It had a lot of problems. But as a friend, I appreciate it. And it's not something either one of us think about at all.

[B]

You saw what I just did though, right? I'm pointing out to you what a loving thing, what an act of genuine generosity. And all you're noticing is I failed, didn't go wrong.

[A]

It wasn't that good. No, it's not like not talking about that.

[B]

The honor of the relationship is what I was asking. I was asking you about the idea that he would make you a last guest. Look, nobody has any earthly understanding how hard it was for him to be following that at the Daily show and

[A]

all of it with that, but no less.

[B]

And all of it for him to make you the last guest. It's an act of both love and honor. Because you're sitting here talking about the failure in it. I'm talking about the beauty in it.

[A]

No, yeah, it was. Trevor's a good Trevor. Trevor will come to my funeral. And I will go to his funeral. That's kind of my new metric. Like, will this person come to my funeral? And will I go to theirs? Will I drop what I'm doing and go to theirs? And Trevor, Trevor, Noah, Congratulations. I'm coming to your funeral.

[B]

That's the highest honor you can give, isn't it?

[A]

That's my Daily show final guest.

[B]

Higher than Trevor Noah's butt. That's the highest honor.

[A]

Higher than to quote Quincy Jones. Higher than giraffe pussy. That's Quincy Jones said it to his daughter. God bless.

[B]

How would you make what we did here today better? Because I want to find the quote that I read poorly to you when I felt like I didn't do Charlie Rose very well on reading to you.

[A]

Are you want notes?

[B]

Yes, I'd like some notes. I do want notes right now.

[A]

I have a note. Look, I have a note. This is an overall note. This is an overall. Let me get my files out, my laboratory files. The only thing that I think that makes me any good at interviewing is I'm gossipy. Not gossipy like Kiki. I mean gossip like. I'm willing to ask a slightly uncomfortable question. And I'm nosy.

[B]

Oh, but I didn't want to do that to you because we're friends. Cause I know, but I don't.

[A]

But it's still. We're still. There's still. People still have to take their time. So, like, ask me about Dave. Kidding. No, people still got to take their time. So there's got to be something. There's got to be a place.

[B]

No, but you have all the stories. But, Neil, I'm not here. I don't want to use you that

[A]

transactionally when again, I don't. Well, it's gotta be. What do you want to know? That's gotta be the impetus for any relationship. I think, as a journalist, I think the difference between new media and old media is old media is more. There are more parameters. They're more like rules, rules, all sorts of rules. Yeah, rules, rules, rules. Right. Unwritten.

[B]

Not even unwritten. And written.

[A]

Well written. Legally written. But I'm saying the difference is that the new media is. They don't really care about losing their credentials, losing the respect of the.

[B]

Okay, but, Neil, I could sit here and ask. I could throw you 10 lobs on interesting celebrity things you could say, and all of them would be unfair to do to you. Things that I know that people would like to gossip about. It would not be fair again to be like, what are you.

[A]

I think the thing. Whenever, occasionally, every couple months, I'll accidentally look at comments. You want to talk about addiction. And it's always like, let the guest talk. And it's like, they don't understand what an interview is, which is like, I have things I want to know. And if the person's veering off into something I don't want to know. I think it's within my interest, power, whatever, to go like, yeah, but. Or like, it's your show. Re. Guide them.

[B]

But your barometer. It's interesting that you say that, because what you're saying is that while I'm in it, I have a barometer for how it is to make this better as we're going. Because what's interesting to me is what's going to be interesting. My barometer is good there.

[A]

Yeah. Yes and no. Like, yes, mostly, but I'm wrong all the time. But there are times where I'm like, somebody will be talking. I'm like, oh, this is so interesting. So interesting.

[B]

I don't think you'd be wrong there very often. I think you'd have a good antenna for what is interesting or what's not interesting to others. I'M not even talking.

[A]

There's just stuff I'm more interested in than other people are. But like it's probably you with process stuff where you want to know. But the. Do you have a. Why are you interested in process other than like, are you a hard. Are you diligent?

[B]

I. This is a looser form format and I'm not the way that you are obsessive compulsive about anything but writing. Right. I don't go back and re examine these things on what it is I could have done.

[A]

Do you write anymore?

[B]

I got locked up there. It's a long story. And I'm doing some of the stuff, you know, vibration work. Some of the stuff to get out of me where my blocks are on writing because it's the most fulfilling thing I do.

[A]

But it's also hard. I don't mean it in a way of like. I just mean like it's not.

[B]

I'm super self conscious about the fact that I'm not writing because I think it's the thing that I do best. But it's also the hardest for me to do because it's a suffering and I've chosen some things in life that no longer feel like suffering. So I should have just said no. I should have said do you write right now? No, is what.

[A]

I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about like does Kornheiser and Wilbon. I mean like.

[B]

No.

[A]

It just becomes a thing of like.

[B]

No. All of us give in to the cotton candy. The vanities. All of us did.

[A]

I could argue about what's cotton candy and what's like.

[B]

I thought the writing was more noble.

[A]

Yeah, I'm with you. But it's like smaller audience and like look at the wordsmith. It's a bit medieval times.

[B]

So I do want though this to get better and the way that I originally imagined this because I can talk to you for hours and I think it would be interesting for hours because you're interested.

[A]

We're eat after this.

[B]

You have. You're just interesting. You're an interesting person behind the Patreon.

[A]

We're going to eat.

[B]

We are very healthy. We're going to eat.

[A]

We're going to eat well for you. Guy goes to a vegan place, there's nothing but fried food. It's fine.

[B]

This is an outright betrayal.

[A]

People are going to show up. You realize how much people were counting on you for your health tip. And here I've exposed you.

[B]

You have. In an act of betrayal. But when I'm Asking you for notes and legitimately. And you're saying, well, make it more interesting to others by asking me.

[A]

I can tell you my biggest note anytime I watch the YouTube. You talk in paragraphs, talk in a sentence. You talk like a guy who had a column. You talk like a guy who got paid by the word.

[B]

So ask questions more quickly.

[A]

Yeah, it's the. It's. You're literally like, it's too much. It's too much, like what we call in directing shoe leather. It's like, too much. I got it. And then you want to walk, and then you're going to come over here and just like, what are you trying to get in late, leave early? That's the directing thing.

[B]

So I didn't realize, though, that you were giving me notes on the entire thing.

[A]

Yeah, I know. No one knows until it's too late.

[B]

I thought you were giving me notes on what we'd just done. And so that's why I'm saying, why would I go gossip with you?

[A]

No, no, Yeah, I get that. But I'm saying my overall note is shorten your questions.

[B]

It's a good note.

[A]

Yeah. Thank you. Got a thumbs up. I don't know if you saw it from your producers, but by the way, I feel like this at lunch or dinner is like. You talk like a. Like someone's. It's. You're covering your ass in conversation of, like, furthermore. And having said that. And.

[B]

Oh, so you're saying. So you're saying.

[A]

I'm saying your word.

[B]

Shit. Like, it's not even good thoughts. It's not even.

[A]

It's fine. But it's more about you than me. It's more about you wanting to be. It's a mistake I make in stand up. And me and Dave used to make fun of each other in sketches. If a sketch didn't work, we'd look at each other and go, very smart sketch. No laughs. But, man, really smart. It's solving for the wrong thing, which is. I'm trying to show that I'm smart instead of just, like, being smart or just. It's the same thing with, like, writing versus video. If no one's reading. Who were you? Who were you doing this for? It's. I used to. Me and I used to talk with Mike Schur about it. Like, I don't want to be nobly bomb. I'm not trying to bomb nobly. And like, man, we went down with that fucking wordy ass fucking premise. Heavy ship, you know what I mean? So, like. Or Chevelle used To say if I pitch a sketch, he goes, the fuck am I going to do on this? Like, yeah. And then it's a satire. How am I going to get a la. How am I going to say something or do something that gets a laugh quickly? So that would be my. It's not even a knock. But if we were doing. You open yourself up to a note session I requested.

[B]

I invited you. I invited you here for it.

[A]

This is normally $40 an hour when I work with the greats. No, So I would just say shorten. Shorten your. Just. It's a paragraph, literally.

[B]

I got it. You don't have to repeat it.

[A]

Do you know what I'm talking about?

[B]

Yes, yes, I've lived it. Yes, I do know what you're talking about.

[A]

You're inside it.

[B]

But I thought. I legitimately thought that in this venue, my questions were shorter.

[A]

They were. And I also cut you off when they weren't. You're welcome.

[B]

Well, it's because we're in your bedroom. This is your home stadium, man.

[A]

You want to talk about a home field advantage?

[B]

You did the interview with comedians here before I did. I'm coming in here and just picking up your leftovers.

[A]

By the way, I'm still trying to get a kickback for you guys using. Because Pablo uses the studio too. I'm still waiting for my kickback. Really?

[B]

A kickback? You need a kickback.

[A]

I don't. I mean, who needs a kickback a

[B]

kickback because of tribute. Can we pour some money into.

[A]

You have no idea the amount of arguments I've had with the people who own the city about this money that you're asking for.

[B]

Can we do something back?

[A]

I'm an eighth grader. Tell me you're in eighth grade without telling me you're in eighth grade. By this back, this pair, I mean I've sent them sketches. I've sent them AI renderings of possibilities.

[B]

So the answer to your question, when you say, are you meticulous? I can imagine all of the ways that you. You would think about a thousand things here about how to make any of this better, and I've thought of none of them. Because you're a producer, a director, and you take great pride in whatever it is that you're making, that it has your attention to detail.

[A]

Look, this will be my 90th name drop on this. Eddie Murphy told Chris Rock, if you don't move on stage, people don't even need to look at you. Radio, it's a visual medium. It's not radio. And I don't say that like it's not radio. I mean it like. Because I don't even think about radio. Nobody's even thinking about it. But I'm saying it's not just audio. So it's like, ah. But the guys who. The guy. The guys who is. And I'm like, I'm telling you, just make it better. They're like, what about AstroTurf cubes? Fucking idiot. Give me something else. And it's been three years and a half, which really speaks to my level of influence.

[B]

Can we roll my brother's art through here or something? Even if it was just, you wouldn't care.

[A]

Whenever I'm in, I just stay out of the wide shot. And when I do, I have them put a super of the word blocks over it and it doesn't work. But it could be worse.

[B]

Who would you say you've learned the most from? Because for those who do not know, you've worked with almost everyone and they've all, it seems like to me, knighted you as one of the greats as. Because you care about it this way and because they spe the language of knowing what it is to care about something that way. Almost every comedian who's any good would say, yeah, he's a comedian's comedian. He does it correctly. Without even people who might not. Like you wouldn't say he doesn't know how to do that craft. Where have you learned the most? I didn't learn anything from what it is you just taught me as a note.

[A]

But admitting you have a problem. Walk me through why you asked it that way.

[B]

To praise you in it. So right. So that people would have. If they don't know who you already are, they would know a little bit more about who you actually are. Yeah, but I think that's a known thing.

[A]

If people still don't know, it's like, then I don't deserve to be known. Like, if you still don't know, like if you're still not aware, then shame on me. But the learn. I mean, it's the thing about learn. No one's ever teaching. Right. No one's ever gonna like. Although Chappelle would had fucking like tips about performing. I was literally thinking about it today. Like sociologically, like, if you think he's a great comedian, he's actually sociologically better than he is a comedian. Which is hard to. We'll say impossible. But the it's. I've learned the most from Dave in that it's the thing I would say is Chappelle's thing is like, I'm just gonna chain myself to the tree of quality. I'm chaining my. Like, you're gonna have to chop the. If you think I'm putting out bullshit. We would just. It was like, we're not gonna do the show if it's not gonna be good. So. So that's the biggest thing he was doing it more from. I actually don't even know why. He just is like, no, it has to be the thing in my head. And with me, it's like, it has to be the thing in my head. But also, I have to work really hard. He can have it be the thing in his head. And it's like, no planning, no anything. Just like, ah, yeah, I'll show up like Black Bush. The sketch we did in the second season, I didn't support him on it because I just thought it was not enough of a premise. But he's like, no, I'll just do shit George Bush did. And I'm like. And then we do it. And I'm like, oh, I was so wrong because he's so naturally funny. So I've learned the most from him in. But it's all like, the way you learn from a parent or something. It's not taught. It's just like. It's osmosis.

[B]

What have you learned from Chris Rock?

[A]

A lot. But I don't really know exactly what to say. But, Chris, that Eddie story is like. I mean, you know, right there, it's like. So that's like. That's why he paces. That's why I've told people, you got to move more on stage. If you don't. If you're not moving on stage, I need to move the camera to make it more dynamic, because otherwise it's just radio. But that's. Chris has got 70 of those, and I can't remember any of them. But. But, yeah, yeah. Just observations on race and gender and just, like, endlessly Seinfeld. Jerry. I would say I've. He's the guy I called with the banzai observation. I was like, hey, I agree. I come around to your philosophies. And he was like. And he called me. He's like, tell me about the philosophies. And I was like, I don't. And he was like, mm. Just like, yeah. Like, it doesn't. He doesn't care about anything else. He watches every frame of Comedians in Cars. People are like, oh, I might go into the edit. Okay, There's a billionaire who's doing a show. On Crackle. At one point, Comedians Cars was on Crackle. And he's watching every frame of a thing he lived and is editing. Because to have him say it, there are things that only we can do that we know that we need to. It's just not. That's. So he's a. He's a. He's a worker. You know what I mean? Like, and Chris is a worker too. Like, Chris is a real, like, goes to sound check, go. Dave doesn't. That's a great example of like, Dave's like, ah. He's like, sound check. Just turn me up loud. You know? Whereas Chris is like, has to. I'm the same. I'm like Chris in that. Like, I gotta worry about what's the edge of the stage. I don't wanna.

[B]

Well, that's probably the link between you and these two guys who are legitimate friends, I would imagine, is because they speak exactly the same language there that you're speaking. You're speaking of Chappelle as if, like, you don't even understand. How does somebody just walk in smoking a cigarette and not care about the sound?

[A]

Yeah, because he's so gifted. It doesn't matter. I'll just yell. He's like that. Literally that gifted that he's just like. And I'm like. I'm coming from approach of like, I'm not. I'm a little gifted, but I have to get. I really have to like, oil and, you know, pump that.

[B]

You think of yourself as a grinder.

[A]

Yeah, I know I am. I just. That's. I. It's. That's.

[B]

That's the only way to get 20 seconds of material.

[A]

The last six months has been dreadful. Fucking eating shit half the time. So. So, like. Yeah, but like, now I'm. I have enough jokes and I'm like, okay, Letterman, Letterman. I don't know all that well, but he's really gifted and really an incredible broadcaster and is. I think he likes showbiz more than he let on. That's my observation about him. It's like he really. He likes knowing. And Kevin Nealon said he saw him a couple over vacation and he was like, you know what? Joe here is. I like, like an old joke that he. By the way, it wasn't even Kevin's joke, but like, he's like, I like that joke. And I like. So, like, Letterman's a. Is more. He's. It's. It's invisible, but he's really Jon Stewart's. You probably weren't gonna bring him up, but Jon's got the. Maybe the best computer. The computer is like a lit up machine. And then he's just such a good broadcaster that it's like you don't see it. You don't see him working at all.

[B]

People underestimate that one. Costas is like that. Costas is like that. Dan Patrick is like that. Where you don't have any earthly idea how hard it is to look like you do television that easily.

[A]

Oh, yeah, yeah. There are guys that are. That are. That are Trevor similar. Whereas Trevor could synthesize, you know, so much.

[B]

But it's only because the prep on the front end that's not seen is what gets like. We're not talking about anybody who's pre. Naturally gifted. You mentioned Chappelle, but none of these, all of these others are working at it.

[A]

Yeah, but there are guys like, Trevor is really like. I mean, he would get there at 9:30, the show's at 6 and it's like, there's no show at 9:30. So that. And I. And he would do it so it would, you know, it's amazing.

[B]

Has there been somebody whose work ethic has awed you? Has there anybody in that you have looked at and been even taken aback because they're even further than you are off the rant?

[A]

I remember on Chris on Rock's movie Top Five, I remember I worked a little bit on it and he said, Scott Rudin, the producer, he's like, you know, he goes, scott Rudin would be on set for 12 hours. And then Rock's like, you know, he goes to a theater to watch dailies at the end of the day. And I was. And I literally go, I don't want it that bad. Rock's like, yeah, I don't want it that bad. So like, that's. But again, Scott Rudin, singular focus. Just which is what? Anything. You know, any of these guys, any of these women. Nikki, like, Nikki I would think is pretty, doesn't care which she's doing the. Doing the Golden Globes. Like, there's no. There's no. And I'd heard the monologue was great three weeks before it came out. Like Nikki's monologues, right? Like, because she's doing it at the clubs, like practicing, practicing, practicing, practicing. And all those people are so used to just like, I'm pretty. They don't understand, like, that's. She's. This is not an accident. Nothing's an accident. Like in terms of anything. Excellent.

[B]

Not in. Certainly not at the top of comedy where you reside.

[A]

Top of anything.

[B]

But there's not. But specifically how competitive it is where you reside in comedy. There's no one who's just gonna get on stage and be good enough to make it up there like that. That's not a thing that can exist. All of it requires remarkable honing that no one has any idea about. Like, other than, like, you guys all speak the same language, but people watching.

[A]

But it's. It's like anything. It's all the. The jokes I did on the crazy good special, like, just. They don't care. It's all psychopath. I mean, it's. Psychopaths implies that there's a. They're harming people. Sometimes they are. But, like, like, mostly they're just maybe a bad partner, husband, wife, whatever. But Tiger woods doesn't have a lot of interest outside of golf, other than Navy SEAL stuff and prostitutes.

[B]

Yeah, that's an excellent note. Blocks is the name of the podcast. It's exceptional, and it needs work on the background. He's right about that. But he gets under the hood. He gets in there good. And he's a great interviewer. Thank you, Neil.

[A]

Thank you, buddy. How do you feel?

[B]

I love you.

[A]

Great. Do you feel chastened by my notes? No.

[B]

I asked for it. I welcomed it. They are urging me, and this has been a bit of a struggle. I want this thing to grow the way that I grow. It has been a bit of a struggle to be vulnerable here. I'm asking all of the questions. It's an excellent way to deflect intimacy. If I'm asking all the questions, we tell everybody who comes in here, make it a conversation. We want to go back and forth, but I'm pretty good at just, like, drowning somebody in questions so that it doesn't actually get back into the soft spaces with me.

[A]

But I also. Yeah, I think the lengthy question is the same thing. It's a defense mechanism to like, hey, I'd say whenever there's a. Every review of any movie, tv, stand up, whatever, there's always a paragraph that I call the I ain't no bitch paragraph. Where it's like, don't get me wrong. It's not. This is not Paul Thomas Anderson. This is no magnolia. Don't get me wrong. Brennan's head better don't get I ain't no bitch. So that's the. The. That you doing the I ain't no bitch setup question. I'm not dumb. I know. Listen to how historically aware I am.

[B]

It's funny, though, that you would be so delicate in offering me the note, it's unnecessarily delicate because I'm not gonna bum rush people. But I'm saying, like, you would think that I would be sensitive to your criticism.

[A]

Yes, everybody's sensitive to criticism. People go like, I loved criticism, but

[B]

I'm asking for it, though. I brought you here under the premise of help me make this be better at. I invited you here under the premise of help me be better at this.

[A]

You're a good producer.

[B]

You're a good collaborator.

[A]

But again, people think it's like, I love. Do I look fat in this dress? It's like, they're not looking for real, constructive.

[B]

I'm scared to look at how I look at the side here. Do I look fat in this dress?

[A]

The shirt. The bottom of that shirt is not doing you any favors. And also, your feet position in the airpiece. Stay out of the water. I mean, you should. Don't be in this terrible angle. Don't be in this. This.

[B]

Why did you do this to me?

[A]

This interrogation room ass background. This interrogation ass room at a beehive.

[B]

I'm wearing yellow. I will never wear yellow again.

[A]

Yellow's not bad. But this. This squat.

[B]

Yeah. And you're skinny, though. You're skinny and look next to me.

[A]

And then this is separated. This thing.

[B]

Yellow Shrek. This is embarrassing.

[A]

It's on you guys. The podcast is called the South Beast

[B]

Blocks is the name of his podcast. It's exceptional. He interviews comedians better than I do and thinks I'm going to be sensitive.

[A]

But, man, do I give a long setup in a question. I like to do one 90 second. Furthermore, I ain't no bitch here. He's coming over. It.