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The JTrain Podcast
Clean Comics Who Crush: Steven Rogers - CHIT CHAT WEDNESDAY - The JTrain Podcast w Jared Freid
00:36:52
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- [00:00]
Jared Freed
Chit chat Wednesday for you to listen to. I have a guess who will be your new boo. You're gonna love them too. Chit chat Wednesday. I hope you're having a good day today. I hope it's gonna be a perfect week too. I hope you have a nice poo. It's a chat Wednesday too. Hello and welcome to the J Train podcast. It's a chit chat Wednesday and I am so excited to have Steven Rogers on the show. Fantastic comedian. He has a special that's out right now called Half of We. It is so funny and it is such good jokes. And I'm telling you, go to the end. The end. To me like that. The joke he tells at the end. I told him this on the show is just like, that's like a classic bit. Like, that's a classic. A joke you could tell at a dinner table. I just think it's so great. He's fantastic. We get into being a clean comedian and just what that means and how people talk to you and the world of clean comedy because he opens for Brian Regan and this was produced by Nate Pagazzi and he opens for him as well. Such a good episode. Then we talk about he was engaged in. The engagement ended. I just made it sound more dramatic than this. They broke up. So we talk about kind of like being back in the dating world when you've never done it and how a crowd reacts to a broken engagement and how they get a little weird and we kind of like bounce ideas off each other. So enjoy. Fantastic episode. Go watch a special. It's really great. Boom.
- [01:56]
Steven Rogers
Foreign.
- [02:00]
Jared Freed
Hello and welcome to the J Train podcast. This is J Train Jared Freed coming to you live from the West Village of Manhattan. That's right. Every Wednesday is a chit chat Wednesday. I talk to a comedian, a friend, an expert. Today we have all three. A friend, a comedian, an expert. I'm gonna tell you right now, expert comedian. Because I just got done watching their special. I'm a minute late because I wanted to watch it to the end. It is fantastic. It is so laugh out loud funny. It is called Half of We. It is on YouTube. It was produced by the now uber famous Nate Barotzi. You. You. This guy bought low is selling high. Stephen Rogers, thank you for coming on the show.
- [02:50]
Steven Rogers
Hey, thanks for having me, man. It's good to see you.
- [02:53]
Jared Freed
It's good to see you too. We. You know, when I do these chit chat Wednesdays, I like to just like start taping right away. So I didn't get into Pleasantries. Yeah. Special is awesome.
- [03:01]
Steven Rogers
Ah, thank you.
- [03:02]
Jared Freed
I. Dude, I gotta say, I'm watching it and I'm, like, self conscious, and that's, like, the best compliment another comedian can give, I think, because it's so. I gotta say, you are so tight and so confident. You have every. There is not an ounce of fat. This is a lean, mean laugh a minute, laugh a 10 seconds, laugh every joke, pod or special. So I want everyone to go watch it.
- [03:28]
Steven Rogers
I. That means a lot coming from you. I felt the same way when I watched your Netflix. So I. I'm. I'm very honored that you're saying that.
- [03:38]
Jared Freed
Because, dude, it's so good. It's so good. I want. I appreciate that too, but I. I want everyone to go watch. It's called Half of We. The link is in the bio.
- [03:47]
Steven Rogers
Wow.
- [03:47]
Jared Freed
And I had, like, this whole plan to talk to you about being clean.
- [03:51]
Steven Rogers
Yeah.
- [03:51]
Jared Freed
And because I. Here's the thing about being clean. I would think it's annoying, the feedback that, like, here. I don't want to put words in your mouth, but I am. I. I'm. I'm. I'm immediately getting into my opinion. Yeah. But this is. This is me being a bad interviewer. Okay.
- [04:08]
Steven Rogers
You.
- [04:09]
Jared Freed
I mean, you open for Brian Regan, famously clean. Nate Bargazi, famously clean. Like, these are people where I. When does it happen for them, do you think? Was there, like, you know, because it is a business decision at a certain point, do you think they're clean and then they're like, oh, my God, like, look at all these people who like it. Or is there, like a point where they go where someone's like, hey, we need you to stay clean. And they're like, look at how much money I'm making. I should keep doing this because I can, you know, like, it is a talent.
- [04:40]
Steven Rogers
Yeah. I know Brian. I've worked with Brian much longer than I've worked with Nate. And for Brian, I know he loves the challenge of it. I think that's a lot of people's reasons. It's certainly mine. It's like a fun challenge. And for me, I don't, like. I don't curse too much in real life, so I felt, like, false to do that in my actual. It also felt like bad word account economy. So I think. Which.
- [05:12]
Jared Freed
Which is evident in the special because, yeah, there's economy of words is what this has going on. Like, it is, as I said, lean.
- [05:21]
Steven Rogers
Yeah. Thank you. I think some people. It's a. I. I know some people that had, like, like, maybe one or two dirty jokes. I think Brian's old, old closer, before he taped anything had like a swear word in it. And he made the decision of like, well, only one of my jokes. I curse and I'm about to tape a thing. Let's just get rid of this one joke. And now I'm like, clean, right?
- [05:49]
Jared Freed
It's. Go ahead. I'm sorry.
- [05:51]
Steven Rogers
No, I think it is what you're saying. It's like some people are like, I'm already almost there. I might as well make the leap, right?
- [05:58]
Jared Freed
I because I was thinking about it. I was like, when I watched your. I'm watching your special. I'm like, this isn't like, I don't walk away from this being like, oh, good oldfashioned clean comedies back. Like, I. That would annoy me. It, it annoys me because it would annoy me that someone's only response after my show was like, how awesome it was. It was clean.
- [06:20]
Steven Rogers
Yeah. It is very annoying.
- [06:21]
Jared Freed
And I'm sure that's what I assumed. I was like, I'm sure you get that where they, they don't even comment you that they had a good time and it's like you end up resenting your baby.
- [06:31]
Steven Rogers
I 100. I don't advertise that I'm clean in my bio or anything.
- [06:37]
Jared Freed
Right.
- [06:37]
Steven Rogers
And I learned that from other clean comics. Because you can go to my show and like, you're saying not. You might not catch it.
- [06:47]
Jared Freed
Right?
- [06:47]
Steven Rogers
And I've had. You've done Gilda's Fest in Grand Rapids, I'm sure.
- [06:54]
Jared Freed
No, I have.
- [06:55]
Steven Rogers
Oh really? There's anyways. So they should. They have a clean week and they'll have like comics come. Some that are not clean do it. And then some comics that are clean and every show's clean. And I would have people come up to me going, that was good. But when can I go see your regular show? And I'm like, it just has this kind of like this negative connotation to it that it's like we're protecting. Like it's patronizing.
- [07:25]
Jared Freed
Well, right? This is. This is. Patronizing is the best word. I, I and I do this Wednesday show to like talk to sometimes when I get comedians on here. I I'm like, it's inside baseball.
- [07:37]
Steven Rogers
Sure.
- [07:38]
Jared Freed
And I hate. This isn't a comedy pot. This isn't a stand up comedy. Let's shoot the shit about comedy podcasts.
- [07:43]
Steven Rogers
Yeah.
- [07:43]
Jared Freed
But I do think this is interesting to hear and I think anyone can relate because it's like, you know what you do. And then you hear your mom describe what you do for a living. And it's like nails on a chalkboard. You're like, I can' Even listen to it. And for clean comics, I think that sometimes happens. And, and also, like, I have that with me. Like, I'm not up there talking about politics. And now if you don't talk about politics now, you are. You've made a business decision that, that put people put on you that I'm like, no, I just don't. As you said, it's not true to my life. I don't walk around like Bill Maher. Have you, have you seen CNN today? Like, can you believe the woke left? Can you believe Fox News? I've never even talked about that in my life. Why would I do that every day?
- [08:30]
Steven Rogers
Right? And that isn't the whole point of politics to not spread like information when you know nothing.
- [08:39]
Jared Freed
Right. Well then, then they get you on the. That's the new version of like shaming you is like, if you're like, I know nothing. They're like, oh, you don't care. I guess you're part of the problem. You haven't done any. And you go, okay, let me just go fuck myself. Because there's nothing I can do. Like, there's nothing to please everybody. But that's, that's, that's how you know you're doing it, right? If you're not pleasing everybody.
- [09:00]
Steven Rogers
Exactly. Yes, exactly. It's, it's the same with dating. Be yourself, otherwise you're going to get the wrong people.
- [09:11]
Jared Freed
Right? I, because I was, I was just like, the clean thing is interesting. And also the fact that you don't write it in your bio, like, to me that makes you like, I think you're hurt also by the bad actors. There are people where that like, weirdly, they're like, their mission to make a million dollars somehow included being a clean comedian. Like, and you're like, where did. You're just a marketing person. You're not a comedian. Yeah, like those people hurt you as much as the, you know, the, the people who, you know, I don't know the, the other. There's two sides. There's two sides to every coin, right?
- [09:49]
Steven Rogers
No, you're nailing it. There's, there's a, I remember I did Austin, I did Cap City and they had a. I'm blanking on his name. He was really great. Kill Tony, you know, child host. And I don't mean child in a sense, I get. You know what I mean? The student of Kill Tony.
- [10:14]
Jared Freed
Right. I got. Well, that's funny that that's become a thing. Like I, I think people have to know, like, there are factions now. These like, yeah, these, these like, you know, Harry Potter houses you come up in and it's like, yeah, if you come up in the Kill Tony world, you have a certain thing.
- [10:32]
Steven Rogers
Yes. So he grew up through the Kill Tony ranks. He was dreading doing my show and was instructed to be clean by the club, I believe. And he was very kind to me before I went up and then I, I went up and he, I think at the end of the weekend, yeah, at the end of the weekend I got this long message from him going, hey, man, I gotta be honest, I was dreading the weekend. I really don't care for clean comedy. And then I watched your show and I realized you can be clean and be working towards being a great comic and all this. And like if I can be doing that to comics to show, like, it's not a money making scheme that I'm doing.
- [11:20]
Jared Freed
Right.
- [11:20]
Steven Rogers
It's just how I do my comedy. I love dirty comedy. It's just not what I am. If I can do a little bit of that, that's great, I'm happy to do that.
- [11:31]
Jared Freed
You know, I love hearing that. And you know, I've talked on this show many times, like the, the how comedy is like a religion. I relate to other comedians in the same way I relate to Jews, you know, like, yeah, and I know exactly what you talking about. I've, I've gotten that message where. And I like, that's the coolest, probably the greatest compliment you've ever gotten. You'll never forget it.
- [11:52]
Steven Rogers
I'll never forget it. Never. Yeah, and I got one so much.
- [11:56]
Jared Freed
It means so much. I got one where someone was like, oh my God, like you did stories like, I, I never thought like that it could, the beginning could connect to the end. And I'm like, yeah. I'm like, that's. Yeah, why not? Like you can do whatever you want, like as long as it's you, you know?
- [12:14]
Steven Rogers
Yeah, I feel like that's not, that's only seen and not like for some reason you need to see you headline to know that I can do it.
- [12:27]
Jared Freed
Well, because it's not a get rich quick scheme. The get rich quick scheme is shock is go up and do you know, politics is shock humor like that. Like, I don't think it's, I don't think it's so difficult. I think it's actually easier than what you achieve. I'm watching the special. I mean, the opening joke is something that like, or the, the, the kind of the ad that goes on YouTube and everyone can go watch it. It's called half of we. It is on YouTube. It's out right now. The link is in the bio on both audio, video. All my stuff, it's out there. I'll connect to it on Instagram. The. But you talk about, you look like I, I look like I believe in Christmas all year around. That's the opening and it's like, even looks jokes. Like, when you do a looks joke, it has to be you. It has to be something you can't control. When I see someone talk about their haircut, I'm like, you can go get a haircut tomorrow.
- [13:21]
Steven Rogers
And you know they chose to have that hair to keep that joke, right?
- [13:26]
Jared Freed
The one they say is so horrible. If you know, you know it's horrible. So why don't you go check out the barber? And they're a artist they are painting with. And, and I'm watching you. You do you, you know, if someone go that is like, again, like, I do this thing where I make fun of, like, the new contestants going on the Bachelor and I do like a looks thing. I, I, and, and I have people, you know, it, I get such nice feedback and every now and again someone will get angry. And it's like that, that I'm making fun. Like, I did it for the Golden Bachelor. And they're like, you're being ages. You're making fun of all these old people. It's like, no, I, I made fun of old people. Well, like, I put a lot of thought into this. Like, I didn't, I didn't, I didn't, like, I didn't just say, look at this Viagra loser. Like, I, I, I, I kind of had some thought. I, I, I put together a narrative, a character, someone you've seen before. When you say I look like I celebrate Christmas all year round, like, it is lived in, you know, like it's. And that's the difference. Like, the difference between, like, I'm doing this to make money and I'm doing this because I love doing standup. Is like finding the new. You know, there's been people that looked like you and me for doing stand up for years. Oh, my God. We found a new way to say it. Yes, for me.
- [14:39]
Steven Rogers
Exactly. Quick side note, please. I'm a big fan of your Bachelor videos.
- [14:45]
Jared Freed
Thank you.
- [14:46]
Steven Rogers
And I think of you. I'm a big survivor guy and I'll be okay.
- [14:52]
Jared Freed
Go ahead.
- [14:52]
Steven Rogers
I'LL yell at the TV when I watch Survivor, and I'm like, I'm just doing Jared. But Survivor version, I think about it all the time.
- [15:01]
Jared Freed
Dude, Survivor is a great show. I. I got back into it. So I've been like, I'm a reality person from, you know, from young age. Like, I've watched everything but Survivor. I got back into it during the Pandemic because they had, like, two seasons on Netflix, which.
- [15:18]
Steven Rogers
Yeah.
- [15:19]
Jared Freed
You know, so I started watching it, and then I'm like, the thing that sucks about Survivor now is you. You have to all. Like, if you go back and watch it, it is so tempting to go look up all these things and, like, find. And then you go, why? I'm like, I'm gonna watch the All Star seasons because I want to watch the best people. And then it, like, ruined me for all these other seasons.
- [15:39]
Steven Rogers
Yeah, I. I watched a bunch during the pandemic, and then I watched All Star. All Star is my favorite season, and, yeah, it does ruin some of it, but then you watch it anyways, and I'm like, oh, even though I know who wins, this is still insane. Like, it's still a wild show.
- [15:59]
Jared Freed
Do you. How do you feel? I mean, to me, Jeff Probst is, like, the greatest host that we have on the planet. Right?
- [16:06]
Steven Rogers
It's. Yes. Look, I was never a Jeopardy Guy, but he's certainly the Trebek of, like, reality TV for me. Like, right. It's. I don't know if you're watching the current season.
- [16:20]
Jared Freed
No. I've had moments where I haven't been drinking all month, so I'm like. I'm, like, trying to, like, figure out what I can watch. I watched Nathan Fiedler Fielder last night. I watched the first episode of the rehearsal. If anyone's, like, afraid of flying, maybe skip it. Like, I have, like, a small fear of flying that is left over from a very large fear of flying. Yeah, it might have brought me back. Like, I'm like, that's how, like, tougher watch it was. But it's really.
- [16:48]
Steven Rogers
Tell me. Because I. I have that fear.
- [16:50]
Jared Freed
If you have the fear, it's. It's. It's tough. But I. But I've been kind of like, maybe I'll do Survivor. Is this a good season?
- [17:02]
Steven Rogers
This season is gold. Gold, Gold.
- [17:06]
Jared Freed
Okay.
- [17:07]
Steven Rogers
I mean, I'm not throwing that lightly. It is. You are going to feel. Feel some stuff.
- [17:13]
Jared Freed
Oh, good. Okay, good. So I. But this was my thing with Jeff Probst. I was like, should this guy be. Should this guy be Moderating our presidential debates.
- [17:22]
Steven Rogers
He's unbelievable. Like, there's conflicts. First of all, it's a very progressive show as far as like, there's some social stuff happening in every season and it's certainly happening in this one.
- [17:35]
Jared Freed
This is something I've heard because back when I was like, in reality it was like, how do we make crazy people look even crazier on camera? Like that was kind of the premise of most reality shows.
- [17:46]
Steven Rogers
Right?
- [17:46]
Jared Freed
And then like normal people started getting involved. Like the real world was really like, let's put. They're like six people in a house. It's like, no, no. Six crazies.
- [17:56]
Steven Rogers
Yeah.
- [17:56]
Jared Freed
That are going to hate each other and then find some common ground and maybe like each other by the end. Like that was kind of like. And again, like I. Someone once told me they were like, they were like, there's two ways to watch the Bachelor. It's either one woman finds love or 29 women get dumped. And it's like there are two different types of people and they're both watching the same show. And it's like, I think I started as a young immature kid as like, I gotta watch 29 people get dumped. And I think you age and mature into look at who found love and why they found it and good for them. And I think that's where like their survivor of it all, like it started with like, let's see these crazies starve themselves on an island. And now it's like, no, let's see if we can solve, you know, gender pronouns on this show. It's like, that's what's happening. I've heard.
- [19:02]
Steven Rogers
Yeah, it's, it is happening.
- [19:04]
Jared Freed
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- [20:50]
Steven Rogers
It's really great. I find, I find the same thing that I, I'm lucky enough to experience through comedy, and you kind of alluded to the same thing. I'm watching, like, people I didn't grow up with, like, these certain demographics where I'm from, and now I'm seeing them on TV talk about their lives and what they've gone through. So I'm learning about that kind of stuff through watching the show. Just like comics, I'm like friends with all these comics from all these different backgrounds, different countries, different religions, all this stuff. And it's a great way to get a perspective of all these different, you know, it's upbringings and stuff.
- [21:30]
Jared Freed
I say it all the time. It's the, it's why we know the grifters from the non grifters is like, you're around too many comedians of diff. We have the most diverse workplace in the, in the world. Like, every type does stand up and you have to be around each other on the same lineup if you're doing it, if you're not and you're doing shock things and saying things that are like in, you know, no argument mean, you know, like you're, you're not afraid to say because you're not next on the lineup, you know, like after the person that you're saying these things about, you know.
- [22:05]
Steven Rogers
Yeah. And chances are if you're doing only that, there's just a lineup that looks exactly like you.
- [22:12]
Jared Freed
Right. So. So you have. So there's a big part of the special. There was one joke that I zoned in on because I know you. I know you well enough.
- [22:21]
Steven Rogers
Yeah.
- [22:21]
Jared Freed
It was engaged versus married. Okay. Yeah. The joke is great. Not to give away things, but I'm. We want people to go watch it. But yeah, the way people react to you when you say you're engaged versus when you're married. And I was like, okay, not to. I don't. This is a spoiler, I guess, but I don't think it ruins the special at all. You are now not engaged or Correct.
- [22:43]
Steven Rogers
So this is.
- [22:45]
Jared Freed
And you could tell like it. And. And it's funny because the joke. So I had a few questions from it.
- [22:52]
Steven Rogers
Yeah.
- [22:53]
Jared Freed
You go in the joke, you say there's a different response you get from engaged versus married. What's the response you're getting from, I'm now broken up from my fiance. Cuz even before you answer, even before you get to this answer, even when you say it on stage and it's the last minute of the special. Because I'm sure if you can, if you watch this with like a critical eye, you go, oh, they must have broken up. Right as this special is getting taped, like very soon to the taping. So someone even yells out and I think what they say, and I, I want to know if you know what they said. There's a woman. You go, I'm not engaged anymore. I'm not married. We're brought. You reveal. We've broken up since. And there's a woman who screams something out and I don't know, I thought she said we got a single girl right here.
- [23:44]
Steven Rogers
Yeah.
- [23:44]
Jared Freed
Is that what she says?
- [23:46]
Steven Rogers
I believe so, yeah.
- [23:47]
Jared Freed
And you ignore it.
- [23:48]
Steven Rogers
I ignored it, yeah.
- [23:49]
Jared Freed
Because what. Because that's absolutely insane.
- [23:53]
Steven Rogers
It's insane.
- [23:54]
Jared Freed
But so is that what you're getting? Is that. I'm sure you're doing jokes about it now. Are you talking like, what do I. I was engaged and now I'm not.
- [24:04]
Steven Rogers
It is interesting in the sense of, like, how quick people can forget that I've been doing stand up this whole time and now they're like, oh, this precious, like, wounded guy. Like, they're like, they think this is.
- [24:26]
Jared Freed
What got you into stand up.
- [24:28]
Steven Rogers
Well, no, that you had to talk about it.
- [24:30]
Jared Freed
You were like, you, you got. You, like, the engagement ends and you're like, gotta get on stage to talk about this. Is that what they think?
- [24:36]
Steven Rogers
Well, like, I be doing bits and as soon as I mention that I. My fiance and I broke up, the vibe has changes.
- [24:47]
Jared Freed
Right, Right.
- [24:48]
Steven Rogers
And if you have. This is. I'm going to be a little selfish here. If you have advice, I will gladly take it because I'm trying to let them know I'm all right. And we're. They're. You're about to hear jokes about this now, like I, I'm someone that the way I get through stuff is making jokes about it, making fun of it.
- [25:09]
Jared Freed
Right.
- [25:09]
Steven Rogers
Clearly this is something I'm going through. I'm going to talk about it and I can. I see so many of our colleagues talk about like a parent's death and, and I, I feel like they can get through it faster than the awkwardness. Than the awkward. Yeah. The awkwardness than I can with my fiancee. And I broke up.
- [25:32]
Jared Freed
So what's the first joke? Because I might have advice because I'm thinking I'm. What's the first joke you do after you reveal it?
- [25:40]
Steven Rogers
Now I say, you know, I allude to that I went through a breakup and then I eventually say, by the way, it was a broken off engagement. And you know, there's that reaction and I go, yeah, dating after a broken off engagement kind of feels like playing a video game where it didn't save your progress.
- [26:01]
Jared Freed
Very funny.
- [26:02]
Steven Rogers
Thank you.
- [26:03]
Jared Freed
Very funny.
- [26:04]
Steven Rogers
And then I'm like, no, I just did all this, you know, that kind of.
- [26:07]
Jared Freed
Right.
- [26:09]
Steven Rogers
So that's the joke.
- [26:10]
Jared Freed
I think you're skipping a joke that you have to do. That's my. I. Because I think when you. I, I tend to like when, because I'm talking right now about going to Europe alone and the, and my mom being like, why would you go to Europe alone?
- [26:29]
Steven Rogers
Right.
- [26:29]
Jared Freed
And I had a line where I was like that I thought was funny to say. Like, I don't, I was like, I don't. I've noticed the more you say the word sad, the sadder people get. So you can't even use the word sad. So I'm like, why? My mom goes, why would you go to Europe alone? And for a while I was going because I have no one to go with. And I thought that that was like a fun. And it got a laugh sometimes, but a lot of times it would get an awe, you know.
- [26:52]
Steven Rogers
And it's like the worst sounding comedy.
- [26:54]
Jared Freed
The worst sound in comedy. And it's annoying too because usually someone awing is to let, is trying to like let everyone else know what they should be doing. It almost feels like it's directing the audience and I get annoyed at the R. But I was like, they obviously have questions like my mom does. Why would you, why don't you have anyone to go with? Like, so I, I think that when I hear it's a broken off engagement, the first question is what the fuck happened? Not you're skipping the story.
- [27:30]
Steven Rogers
Yeah.
- [27:31]
Jared Freed
And I, that. But that's probably harder that's the hardest part to tell. Going into, like, I'm dating now is, like, easy, because it's like, oh, look, I'm happy. I'm doing well. The hardest part is the sad part. Yeah, but there's, like, seven hours of jokes in between. Yeah, but that's. That's up to you. You know, I agree with you. The vibe. And I even say there's another part where I talk about how in Europe, I didn't have sex with one woman. And I even. And I say what you just said, like, the vibe has changed. I go. The vibe. Like, I went from, like, oh, my God, I went to Europe alone to, like. And I went there to, you know, like, Like. So I'm. No, I noticed the vibe change. So I'm like, oh, I'm obviously missing a chunk that they want.
- [28:16]
Steven Rogers
That is what's. And I agree completely. That's what's great about comedy, is when there's problems with your act. Like, you notice a problem. Like, you're saying, there, the answer is a new joke, which is great. At least you know what the solution is. It's just finding that joke.
- [28:37]
Jared Freed
It's finding the angle. It's finding out, like, what is the question everyone in that audience has. And they all have a pretty similar question for the vibe to change as one. They're all thinking a similar thing. It's like, if you can nail it, you nail it. You know, like. And if you can't, you sit there for, like, months being like, fuck, I. There's a hole in this act.
- [29:02]
Steven Rogers
Yeah, I have the story, and I have made it funny, because this is true. When she, like, told me I had come back from doing shows that night, and I had put pizza in the toaster oven, and while she was breaking up with me, the toaster oven dinged.
- [29:23]
Jared Freed
The. The pizza's ready, and the relationship is over.
- [29:27]
Steven Rogers
Exactly. And. And the bit I do is I'm like, I knew I had to, like, keep talking her, and I couldn't go get it. Like, you can't. You can't. You can't be like, hold on. And then you get.
- [29:38]
Jared Freed
Right.
- [29:39]
Steven Rogers
So, like, I do that, but I'm like, I feel like getting them. I feel like I still have to take care of them somehow. I don't know. I'm still trying to figure it out.
- [29:51]
Jared Freed
Well, no, I. I understand that. I've had that in a breakup. I mean, people, you know, the everyday person can relate to that because. Why don't you post on Instagram how much fun you're Having after a breakup, you're like, you're thinking of one person watching your story. You're thinking of one person who's going to see the post. When you post after a breakup, you're only thinking of an audience of one, you know, and.
- [30:11]
Steven Rogers
Exactly.
- [30:12]
Jared Freed
And that's the same thing with, like, telling a joke and going on stage and doing bits about it. I mean, you have a joke at the end of the special that I, I actually, like, I'm like, that's the joke. I was dying. And I don't want to give it away, but it's about the breakup.
- [30:27]
Steven Rogers
Yeah.
- [30:27]
Jared Freed
And I'm like, like, that's like a classic that. It was almost like, that's ready to be told at, like, dinner tables. Like, I was like, I was like, like, I was like, it's such a thank you. It's so funny. So I want everyone to go watch, enjoy. Go get involved with the special. It's called Half of We. Yeah, I mean, that, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I, I, how was dating? Are you dating actively? How has it been?
- [30:56]
Steven Rogers
I, I'm talking to the right person.
- [30:59]
Jared Freed
Yeah, you got the guy.
- [31:00]
Steven Rogers
I, My goal is, is, you know, I'm not against apps, but for my own character development as a person, I want to approach people in person.
- [31:14]
Jared Freed
You're doing, you're. Well, here's, here's the thing I've always said about this profession. What we do, we're out. We are social. We are doing the things that apps are supposed to help people with.
- [31:27]
Steven Rogers
Yes.
- [31:27]
Jared Freed
So we. It's like carrying around a crutch that you don't need. Like, I'm on. And I'm on apps. I'm saying that while being on one, it isn't necessary for our life because an app is supposed to get you out there. We are out there. We're out there every night. We are Friday and Saturday. We are being social. Most people, as they get older, they're like, I'll do one night a weekend. We're out four or five nights a week, so. And again, you're at work and it's different, but sure. You are actively, like, playing in traffic, you know, like, where are you living now? You live in New York?
- [32:07]
Steven Rogers
I'm in Queens. Yeah.
- [32:10]
Jared Freed
Yeah.
- [32:10]
Steven Rogers
I'm right by LaGuardia.
- [32:12]
Jared Freed
Queens. I mean, there's. Yeah. So how has it been going up to people in person? Has it, has it, has it, has.
- [32:19]
Steven Rogers
It worked out well, here's, here's one I did because it's, I'm So new to it because I haven't been single in a while. And so I went to this woman, beautiful woman in this coffee shop, right? And I'm like, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna. Because they say. I think, what's. It's like, in the first 10 seconds, you got to do it. Otherwise, you're not gonna do it. You're just gonna keep.
- [32:50]
Jared Freed
But also doing it in this day and age, hot in itself, like, you're already like, yeah, you're winning, you know? So.
- [32:59]
Steven Rogers
Okay, well, listen to how hot this is.
- [33:01]
Jared Freed
Yeah.
- [33:03]
Steven Rogers
This woman comes in and. Red leather jacket. So I'm like, all right, I got my. I got my end. And she sits down. She's got a book. And I'm like, all right, I'm anti. Approach when you. When you're reading, Right.
- [33:20]
Jared Freed
That's a. Well, that's a don't talk to me signal. I brought. I want to do, you know, and there's people listening. Like, I go to bars with books. That's. I go to there to be out, and I go to there to meet people. It's like, well, you're kind of. You're sending the wrong message, you know?
- [33:34]
Steven Rogers
Yeah. She takes a break from the book, and I'm like, all right, here we go. And I'm in line for a coffee, and I look at her, and I go, hey, great jacket. And she goes, oh, thank you. And then I froze and turned around and went back in line.
- [33:52]
Jared Freed
You're just a fan of the jacket. You're just a fashionista wanting to recognize a beautiful coat that you saw.
- [34:01]
Steven Rogers
Brutal. Brutal.
- [34:03]
Jared Freed
It's br. I call that the. The. The. The comment, you know, you're you. She does have to give you an opening at a certain point. But I think, nice jacket. I. Where'd you get.
- [34:16]
Steven Rogers
It?
- [34:16]
Jared Freed
Is kind of bad because it's like, it's a woman's jacket. You don't want the jacket.
- [34:20]
Steven Rogers
Nope.
- [34:22]
Jared Freed
You do need them to kind of like, go, well, I like your jackets great, too. Oh, I got this. And there's a story behind it.
- [34:29]
Steven Rogers
Yeah.
- [34:29]
Jared Freed
Or if she said, well, my friend said, red's my color. And I never thought about if that would have been more of an opening.
- [34:35]
Steven Rogers
A hundred percent, you know, that's what you're looking for. Yeah, I. I'm willing to. The. The good thing about it is I'm fine failing because I like telling fellow comics about this brutal interaction. Listen to how dumb I am. But I've done fine, like, with talking to people. I'm Just trying to get better at it. I'm just wanna.
- [35:03]
Jared Freed
I, I would tell you right now, everything you did was correct. I think that's nice jacket. When it goes well, it feels different than like, she didn't think that went badly. She went, thank you.
- [35:15]
Steven Rogers
Right.
- [35:16]
Jared Freed
And thank you meaning I have a boyfriend. I'm not even thinking of this in a, in a. Keep this conversation going. You served her the volleyball and she slammed it to the ground. She said, I'm not playing. I got a book here.
- [35:31]
Steven Rogers
Yeah.
- [35:31]
Jared Freed
There will be someone eventually. And that's the problem with dating apps, is that they've gotten us used to this, like, very quick dopamine hit. And when you go out in public and you talk to a hundred people, it's not going to be, you know, you wouldn't talk to 100 people. You talk to one person on a dating app, you talk to a hundred.
- [35:50]
Steven Rogers
Yeah. No interest in that.
- [35:54]
Jared Freed
Keep going. That's my advice. Which is the worst advice, you know, Correct.
- [36:00]
Steven Rogers
I mean, I, I want to do it. I want it to be someone that lives in New York. That's the issue is like, I can't on the weekends. I'm somewhere else. Right. But I gotta find them at a show in. In the city.
- [36:14]
Jared Freed
Right. Well, the DMS are open for Stephen Rogers. It's at. It'll be everyone listening. Great guy, hilarious comic. Everyone go watch the special half of we. And what. Here's what we're going to ask. Watch it. Comment. If you're this deep into this interview, we want you to. You, you obviously have some interest. Go comment and like and do all those things that we count as currency and matter very little to you and make the world to us.
- [36:43]
Steven Rogers
So, yeah.
- [36:44]
Jared Freed
Thank you, Steven. Fantastic. Thanks for having chat Wednesday back next week. Boom.