Today’s episode starts out on a disappointing note. My guest Rian Stone, video essayist and author of the novels Softbone: Down and Out in New Kowloon and The Dog Walker, thought he was coming on to talk to his professional-wrestling hero, “Lightning” Lou Perez. I’m sorry I had to break the kid’s heart—I am not that Puerto Rican guy—but I think I made up it up to Rian. We talked about culture as a weapon (see Jackson Pollock and Martha Graham); what it’s like to host a stand-up show with Bill Burr in the lineup; my good friend and Ski School alum Dean Cameron; and why Rian (and you) should see The Naked Gun reboot. Turns out, Rian and I are a rare breed: We like things. And we want to get back to making things that are fun and seeing things made that are fun too.

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Lou Perez is a comedian, producer, and the author of THAT JOKE ISN'T FUNNY ANYMORE: ON THE DEATH AND REBIRTH OF COMEDY. You may have seen him on Gutfeld! , FOX News Primetime, One Nation with Brian Kilmeade, and Open to Debate (with Michael Ian Black).

Lou was the Head Writer and Producer of the Webby Award-winning comedy channel We the Internet TV. During his tenure at WTI, Lou made the kind of comedy that gets you put on lists and your words in the Wall Street Journal: “How I Became a ‘Far-Right Radical.’”

As a stand-up comedian, Lou has opened for Rob Schneider, Rich Vos, Jimmy Dore, Dave Smith, and toured the US and Canada with Scott Thompson. Lou has also produced live shows with Colin Quinn, the Icarus Festival, and the Rutherford Comedy Festival.

For years, Lou performed at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (both in NYC and L.A.) in sketch shows with the Hammerkatz and his comedy duo, Greg and Lou. Greg and Lou is best known for its sketch "Wolverine's Claws Suck," which has over 20 million views on YouTube alone.

In addition to producing sketch comedy like Comedy Is Murder, performing stand-up across the country, and writing for The Blaze's Align, Lou is on the advisory board of Heresy Press, a FAIR-in-the-arts fellow, and host of the live debate series The Wrong Take and The Lou Perez Podcast (which is part of the Lions of Liberty Podcast Network).

How’d Lou start out?

He began doing improv and sketch comedy while an undergrad at New York University, where he was part of the comedy group the Wicked Wicked Hammerkatz.

Lou was a writer for Fox Sports' @TheBuzzer; produced The Attendants with Lorne Michaels’s Broadway Video; produced pilots for FOX Digital and MSN Games; and was a comedy producer on TruTV's Impractical Jokers.

Lou hosted the stand-up show Uncle Lou's Safe Place in Los Angeles, performed at the Big Pine Comedy Festival, Bridgetown Comedy Festival, Punching Up Comedy at Freedom Fest, and co-created the political comedy podcast Unsafe Space.

Lou taught creative writing at the City College of New York, "writing the web series" for Writing Pad, and comedy writing workshops for the Moving Picture Institute.

Lou worked with The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression as Communications Manager and later as a producer and consultant. Their video "Taking a Knee in Sports? For what?" was broadcast during a USC vs. Notre Dame football game and was a SILVER ADDY® WINNER at the American Advertising Awards.

Lou is also a brand ambassador for XX-XY Athletics and Attorneys for Freedom.