72: The Wayback #72 | Gianmarco Soresi

Summary

The Wayback with Ryan Sickler Episode 72: John Marco Ceres Release Date: May 15, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 72 of The Wayback with Ryan Sickler, host Ryan Sickler sits down with stand-up comedian and podcaster John Marco Ceres. The conversation navigates through John’s formative years in Maryland, his experiences during significant events like the DC Sniper crisis, his time in summer camps, high school challenges, and his journey into the world of comedy and theater. This episode offers a blend of humor, nostalgia, and heartfelt reflections, providing listeners with an intimate look into John’s life and career.

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Early Life and Maryland Roots

John Marco Ceres begins by painting a vivid picture of his hometown, Potomac, Maryland. He portrays it as a secluded, affluent community lacking vibrancy and social engagement.

“[01:51] A: Yeah. So I. It's so boring. I've never written a single joke about Potomac because it's so. It's just flat...”

John humorously critiques the isolation inherent in his upbringing, highlighting the superficiality and lack of community bonds despite the area’s affluence.

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Impact of the DC Sniper on Youth

A pivotal moment in John’s childhood was the DC Sniper events of 1982. Although he was too young to witness the plane crash directly, the event left a lasting impression on him and his community.

“[04:22] B: What a wild positive out of the DC Sniper. So if I remember, he had a kid with him or something.”

John recalls the pervasive fear and societal impact, sharing personal anecdotes about how the crisis inadvertently improved his academic performance by canceling school sports seasons.

“[04:10] A: It was before my time ... It saved it. I got like a C or whatever because they said it's canceled.”

This segment underscores the profound influence of external events on personal development and community dynamics.

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Summer Camp Experiences and Personal Growth

John delves into his summers spent at various sleepaway camps in Massachusetts, emphasizing the role these experiences played in nurturing his creativity and interest in the arts.

“[07:42] A: I was, I was a summer camp kid. I did a lot of like a sleepover camp.”

He describes the transition from basic arts and crafts activities to more specialized theater programs, highlighting a pivotal moment when he attended French Woods, a renowned theater camp.

“[08:16] A: ...and I only did one year there.”

John’s time in these camps allowed him to explore different facets of his personality, from experimenting with alternative styles to forming early relationships that would later influence his comedic material.

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High School Challenges and Disillusionment with the System

The conversation shifts to John’s high school years at Georgetown Day School, infamous in the 1980s for its lenient drug policies. John candidly discusses his personal struggles with substance use and the broader issues within the school’s disciplinary system.

“[15:11] B: Really?”

“[16:39] B: ...”

John recounts a defining incident where a prank fire alarm led to heightened scrutiny and punitive measures, revealing the school’s prioritization of reputation over student well-being.

“[17:19] B: The list.”

He reflects on how these experiences eroded his trust in institutional authority and highlighted systemic failures, ultimately shaping his worldview and comedic perspective.

“[18:17] B: They're looking out for themselves.”

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Passion for Theater and Early Comedy

John explains how his involvement in theater and performance arts provided an outlet for his creativity and set the stage for his career in comedy. He shares anecdotes from school performances and early attempts at humor, illustrating his evolution as a performer.

“[14:35] B: Strike…”

These experiences in theater not only honed his performance skills but also deepened his appreciation for the theatrical elements inherent in comedy and wrestling, blurring the lines between different forms of entertainment.

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Hobbies and Interests: Action Figures and Wrestling

John reminisces about his childhood hobbies, including constructing and customizing action figures with his father and his fascination with professional wrestling. These interests underscore his early affinity for storytelling and performance.

“[19:48] B: All right, action figures. Were you an action figure?”

“[21:14] B: All right. And then I was into wrestling…”

He draws parallels between wrestling and theater, appreciating the storytelling and performative aspects of both, which later influenced his comedic style.

“[22:15] B: Were you an action figure?... Wrestling is straight theater…”

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Video Games and Physical Fitness

The discussion touches on John’s fond memories of video games like Mario, Mega Man, and the immersive experience of using GameShark. Additionally, the conversation explores the influence of fitness culture during his youth, including programs like P90X and Dance Dance Revolution.

“[24:32] B: They have no.”

John shares humorous insights into the unrealistic promises of workout programs and his early attempts at maintaining fitness, reflecting on the intersection of physical activity and personal discipline.

“[26:11] A: ...”

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Notable Quotes

1. On Potomac’s Isolation:

   “[01:51] A: Yeah. So I. It's so boring. I've never written a single joke about Potomac because it's so. It's just flat...”

2. On the DC Sniper Impact:

   “[04:10] A: It was before my time ... It saved it. I got like a C or whatever because they said it's canceled.”

3. On Wrestling as Theater:

   “[22:15] B: Were you an action figure?... Wrestling is straight theater…”

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Conclusion

Episode 72 of The Wayback with Ryan Sickler offers an engaging exploration of John Marco Ceres’s journey from a spirited youth in Maryland to an insightful comedian. Through candid storytelling and reflective insights, John shares how his early experiences, hobbies, and challenges shaped his comedic voice and worldview. The episode is a testament to resilience and the transformative power of creativity, making it a compelling listen for fans and newcomers alike.

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Follow John Marco Ceres

Listeners are encouraged to follow John Marco Ceres on his social media platforms and check out his podcast, The Downside with John Marco Ceres, for more insights into the challenges and triumphs that shape his comedic journey.

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Thank you for listening to The Wayback with Ryan Sickler. Stay tuned for more nostalgic and insightful conversations in upcoming episodes.

Transcript

[A]

You were made to travel the world and the seven seas and countless lakes and innumerable rivers and one perfect pond. Get Travel ideas from ChatGPT on Expedia.

[B]

Made to travel Baltimore. I'm coming home. We're gonna wrap the Live and Alive tour up Saturday, June 28th at the Horseshoe Casino. It's gonna be a great night. I got Justin Schlegel from 98 Rock gonna be out there with me. We're gonna going to have some surprises. It's going to be a really big deal. Get your tickets now@ryan sickler.com.

[A]

Hey baby.

[B]

We going to be here all day. We going to be here all day, baby. I like that kind of party. Welcome back to the Way Back. Everybody. Ryan Sickler here. I'm going to start this episode like I start them all. I'm going to say thank you. Thank you very much for supporting anything I do. I don't care if it's coming to a live show, watching a show, throwing a comment up, buying merch, whatever it is. Thank you very much. I appreciate your support, especially of this show. It's fun to have a new show. This is one you definitely need to be watching here. And come see me on the road. Tickets for my dates are on my website@ryan sickler.com Very excited to have this guest with me today here in the Way Back. Ladies and gentlemen, John Marco Ceres. Welcome to the Way Back.

[A]

Hello.

[B]

Hello. Please promote whatever you'd like, bud.

[A]

Thank you. As a stand up comedian, Joe Marcus Raesi. I've just touring all around the country. You can find all my dates at my social medias at John Marco Cerese and listen to my podcast the Downside with Jamar Caesi.

[B]

Watch this episode of the Honeydew as well where I learned that you're from Maryland and I've got a big heart for anybody from Maryland. So Potomac, Maryland was your start.

[A]

Yeah. So I. It's so boring. I've never written a single joke about Potomac because it's so. It's just flat. It's like people with money who don't know how to enjoy it. Like just enough, just enough money to isolate yourself from community. Just enough money to have your own pool and never have anyone to invite over to it.

[B]

How old are you?

[A]

36.

[B]

Were you there when the plane crash happened or is that before your time?

[A]

I think that might have been before my time.

[B]

My dad was working at National Airport.

[A]

I was. I was of the D.C. sniper generation. Oh, that was hard.

[B]

We're going to look at that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Too.

[A]

1982.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. It was before my time.

[B]

Okay, so that's.

[A]

That's. You were.

[B]

You were a kid, nine at the time. My dad's working at that airport. It was called National Airport. Now it's Ronald Reagan. And this plane took off, and I think what did it hit the Washington Bridge? It hit a 1714 street bridge. As it's taken off. It hit the bridge.

[A]

Oh, and it hit the bridge.

[B]

Oh, yeah. Look at this. Oh. Into the freezing Potomac. Look at. Look at it. It's freezing in the Potomac there.

[A]

So this was a passenger plane.

[B]

It was. And some people did live.

[A]

That's correct.

[B]

Look at all the people up there. Some people lived. I. I just remember this video of one lady in particular. Is that her right there in the middle? That's her. Yeah. And that was a. Just a. An image burned in my head that this lady was swinging going up to this thing in there. And I remember my dad coming home, like, was wild at the airport today.

[A]

I was like, holy, that's crazy. That's so sad.

[B]

Oh, there she is. And go down in the. In the life vest or the preserve? Life preserver. Oh, there's a video of it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You can watch that. This is. Yeah, this is it. This is. This is freezing cold Potomac water. These poor people are in. But DC Sniper. DC Sniper was crazy here at the time. And you're right there in the area.

[A]

I'm right there in the area.

[B]

Our.

[A]

Our.

[B]

How old are you?

[A]

I think I was, like, sixth grade.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Or maybe eighth. But what I do remember is I was on the soccer. The school soccer team, so it's part of the curriculum. I was about to get. Like, I was about to fail, and I was a good student, but suddenly I was about to have, like, an F. I was so bad. I cared so little. And because of the DC Sniper, they canceled the whole season. They canceled the whole season. And it's. I mean, it's.

[B]

I mean, they did have to.

[A]

It saved it. It got. They. I got like a C or whatever because they said it's canceled. And. And it was. It was because of that guy. Yeah.

[B]

What a wild positive out of the DC Sniper. So if I remember, he had a kid with him or something.

[A]

He was like, 18.

[B]

Was he related to him or.

[A]

No.

[B]

Like an apprentice.

[A]

Yeah, that's it.

[B]

They traveled in. Come on.

[A]

But here's the thing. I remember they said. They. They said, the police. We have an announcement. We narrowed it down. The DC Sniper in a white van. And you're like, and suddenly you don't realize until you're looking for it. Every van is white. Every van on the street is white.

[B]

That's what my brother said. And they would just stop random white vans in traffic. He said people were. If I remember, wasn't there a lady that got shot at, like, a gas station?

[A]

Station was the one. And she was reading a book. I think she was reading a book. I'm pretty sure. I could be wrong, but it was. It was scary. It was. There weren't that many shootings in the grand scheme of things. But. But you. I'd be going to the grocery store from the car and I'd be like, yeah, you know, moving like that.

[B]

City under siege.

[A]

And it was random. That was the thing that was so scary. Truly random.

[B]

Right. It's not white men or white. L is. He was just whatever. Yeah, that's crazy. All right. I also start these episodes and I didn't. Have you ever sat in this back seat? So this is the seat in the back of the station wagon that face traffic?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Did you ever sit in this or know someone that had this?

[A]

We. We definitely did it. It's incredible how they just disappeared. But it was always exciting. I forget there were like, games you'd play. Did you.

[B]

Wait, did you have a station wagon as a family? Like, who. Whose car did you sit in the seat?

[A]

It was my friends. We didn't have one for some reason, but it was cool. It was always cool to sit in the back with a friend and just like, making faces. Why they get rid of that, I'm sure. Yeah, fatalities, they said. Yeah, yeah, yeah. For sure.

[B]

The rear end deaths.

[A]

Oh, my God.

[B]

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[A]

I was, I was a summer camp kid. I did a lot of like a sleepover camp.

[B]

Sleepover.

[A]

Sleepover. I don't even, I don't even remember Maryland though. No, it was always like Massachusetts, somewhere in Massachusetts. And there were cabins and you, you would just. There was, there was athletic stuff, but I would work like they had arts and crafts and I made necklaces the whole, the whole summer. And then eventually I finally got to the theater ones and those were local or like French woods was a popular one I went to. It's, it's one of the classic like, theater camps. I only did one year there.

[B]

Okay, so this is, I've never even heard of theater camps before. I mean, you know, Stage Door, you've ever.

[A]

Yeah, no, no, Stage Store is like the.

[B]

I didn't know there were sleep away theater camps and stuff. Oh yeah, you're the first person. So let's talk about. So you're going to a place like this here. So you would go here and how long is this? A week?

[A]

Is this like four weeks enough to put on a show? Pretty.

[B]

Okay, so you're going and creating your own show while you're there with other people and then you put it on for the camp or.

[A]

Yeah, you put on for the camps.

[B]

Come at the end and you put it on.

[A]

I don't remember my parents coming, but that could have just been a them thing. It was. So I just bounced around. I was always jealous of the kids who went to the same one for eight years because they had status. But everyone I went to was like a new.

[B]

Oh, you would go to a different one.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. And those camps, like, are where I felt like I had more because you go to a champ, you get to start over. I became goth at one camp and, and like, so I was going through a skater boy phase. I was wearing like independent, but I could not skateboard. I mean, like I would go in the grass and stand on it for.

[B]

A second on the board.

[A]

Yeah. But aesthetically, Avril Lavigne and all this stuff, it felt so cool. And. And then I. I went to a camp. There was a girl I had a crush on. She ended up not liking me, so I felt like in a darker place. And then there was some party and there was like, there was some goth kids there. They were goth, real goth, music, aesthetic, everything. And the guy, this goth guy said to this goth girl, you should make out with him. And she was like, okay. And we made out and I was like, well, I'm goth now. I'm. I'll wear black for the rest of my days. This is. That was. I mean it was insane. I never, I. I had never. Someone said make out and. Yes. And this your first kiss? No, I made it with another girl at that camp. But it was like this was the first good makeout. The first. First make out was like people like this. And it was cuz there was just. Just that tongue or tongue. I'm sure she's learned. We were both young. I don't blame her. But it was. It was a lot of tongue. Oh my God. And so I just started. I went to Hot Topic and I, I started high school. This camp was between middle school and high school. Started a new could reinvent yourself. And I went in that first day. Paint big baggy jeans with chains. Don't have any pictures of that Topic. We have like, we have sort of the. The tie dye one. So this was like, all right, this.

[B]

Is your skater boy phase.

[A]

This was somewhere. This was somewhere in my. I don't know what it is. I'm wearing a. Surely this is before cultural appropriation. I was. That's a reggae hat. That is you wearing that. Yeah. This is my dad's fault. This is. Said it for cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation. I think it started with this picture, by the way.

[B]

I. The other night I put online cuz I want new tattoos. And I'm just looking stuff up. And I was like, is it cultural appropriation to get a.

[A]

Anytime a white guy, you. You go, yes, right out the gate.

[B]

But dia deos muertas. Oh, tattoo the ladies. The. The skeleton ladies. And every response was, this is only Americans. No one outside of the United States. Even you guys made that term up. And it was over. I mean, there wasn't one person that said a Mexican. That was like Mexican here. We'd love it. We'd love to see our culture.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, not like you can't have that on you. Which is what I thought it would be. And it's completely the opposite.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

And they're making fun of basically White Americans who are like, this is bullshit. But, yeah, back to your cultural appropriation. So what do you got on here? You got the reggae hat. And is that a.

[A]

That's a.

[B]

Are those blue pants or is that like a. Oh, I see. It's jeans. Okay. The tie dye runs into the jeans. Baggy jeans.

[A]

And then this with me, this is like, that's my little brother.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But I'm also wearing bandanas as a wrist piece. I. I once tried wearing it around my head. Like. Like, it's so many different cultures at once. But I wore a bandana. I wore two bandanas, and it was.

[B]

Like, oh, I see over here you have bracelets.

[A]

Yeah, that was. I was part of the jelly bracelets. And then Fox News said, oh, when they break the pink one, they have to do anal. And every parent banned them. Wait, that's was one of those. Like, they said these. The. The lipstick parties and the brace and the bracelet was like, if you break this one, then they have to kiss. And there was like. There was sex things attached to it, and some kid just told their parent that, and suddenly it was on Fox.

[B]

Oh. And it went everywhere.

[A]

So, again, like, rainbow. Where were these rainbow parties? I never went to a rainbow party.

[B]

I never. I only read about them. It went to, like, Time magazine.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, and it might have been, like, two or three kids that did that. You know what I mean?

[A]

Sure.

[B]

But, yeah. So what was the rumor? If the pink one broke, you had.

[A]

To do a. I'm. I forget. I. I wasn't getting any of this. I was sitting there breaking them all day saying, all right, it's someone. But no, it was. It was just Hot Topic was driving this.

[B]

So you. Okay, so sorry. You show up at 9th grade, brand new image. And what is it? Is it this or this? Or you got.

[A]

It's a little more. It's a. It's. I. I couldn't do black nail polish. For sure. I wasn't good enough to do the eyeliner. I would have if I could.

[B]

Were guys doing the black nail polish in your grade?

[A]

No, it felt very much like if. Because it came from camp and who knows, maybe where they were from. It was more normal, but it felt like a total, like, weird. This isn't even what people are doing. That are. Counterculture. I was just my own creation. I was a weird counter.

[B]

Counterculture.

[A]

I can't. I cannot imagine how those kids. Because some of those kids went from their middle school to their high school, and I was new.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I cannot imagine how they viewed Me. That's, that's skater boy face. So this is the summer right before. That's an independent long sleeve shirt. And that's one of my, one of my best buds. Then on the right, Kevin Wong. And it went from skater boy to goth. So I definitely like didn't. I wanted something of this, this group. And I think if there had been more theater, it ended up being more like the queer side community that I ended up like though that was my friend group in high school. But at that time it's just reaching for straws. Bob Marley. Do I like Bob Marley? No, I don't like Bob Marley. What am I talking about?

[B]

Strike. Tell me about this.

[A]

So strike for people to do theater. At least in high school, it's like the last show, the last night of the show. We would stay at the school, we would take down the set and you'd basically spend the night and a bunch of parents would organize it. But you were overnight at school. It felt cool, you know, people were sneaking off, hooking up. And it was a big thing at my high school where people would drink and get high as a matter of course. And it was just known, this was tradition. And my school, Georgetown Day School, was known as the drug school in like the 80s where like the teachers were getting high with the kids and.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah, yeah. But again, like not in, not in the, not when I went to high school. But that was the reputation. We were the pot school. And looking back, not really, but some people did pot and I didn't drink or smoke for a long time. And then like sophomore year at strike, like I had a brownie and I got drunk and it was a blast. It was amazing. I told a girl I loved her. It was wonderful. And then that year someone pulled the fire alarm just because they were drunk and being an idiot. And it triggered an investigation. And suddenly this thing that had been a long time tradition at the school, they were, they were interrogating us. And I was a sophomore. I'd never been in trouble, I barely did anything. But suddenly we're part of this thing where whoever brought alcohol or weed, they got a two week suspension. They first, they just went after the seniors and juniors and we were like, oh, we're safe, we're a sophomore. But then eventually they started interrogating us and we all had like a pack. Like me and the other sophomores who drank were like, we're not going to talk, we're not going to talk. And then they held like a group where they said, guys, we know this was the head of the theater department, the head of the tech department. Hey, guys, we know that some of you drank or smoked. Meanwhile, they knew this shit was happening, but they're saving their ass. Please, could we be honest? And we all go around people who did this pact. No, I didn't have anything. I didn't have anything. I'm on medication. I can't even take pot if I wanted to keep going. And then this one girl starts crying.

[B]

Oh, the girl, not the weakling.

[A]

I had a bite of a pot brownie. And then this person starts crying. I had a drink. And I'm sitting there like, you weak motherfuckers. You weak motherfuckers. We had a pact, and you guys crumbled like losers. Of course we didn't have to cry. And so then. So I'm everyone. Like, almost everyone. And I'm like, nope, I didn't do it. And the tech guy, he looks at me and he mouths, we know you did it. And I'm still like, no. But then I broke after I went to the head, and I said I drank a little bit, and I got put on the list, and I didn't have to.

[B]

The list.

[A]

We. We all got put on probation. Eventually. They interrogated us one by one. So people are now ratting each other out. And they did this thing. This is where I feel like I lost my faith in the system, because, again, I've been given every privilege in life. But I think this is where the system so failed me that I said, this system. I remember there were some weed dealers at the school. And I remember, like, one of the seniors organized, like, a gathering with all the theater kids and the two cool weed dealers and was like, hey, so here's why ratting is. Ratting is bad. Like, we had, like, a speech of, like, you shouldn't. You shouldn't tell on the weed dealers. And I was like, what the fuck is going on right now? And I eventually got probation, but they put a lot of us on probation because it was a private school and probations, you did not have to report to colleges. So they wanted to not give us. If they suspended all of us, it's gonna affect the high school's college record. This is what you learn. It's all fucked up.

[B]

They're looking out for themselves.

[A]

They're looking out for themselves, not me. But. So they put us on probation. Whatever. My parent. My dad was mad, but who gives a fuck? And. And then my year, they changed the college rules where you had to report probations as well, of suspensions. So I had to write every college I applied to telling them I drank on school grounds.

[B]

Are you serious?

[A]

And. And like, if you understood it in the context of. It's like, that was the tradition at the school. I was a fucking child. But I have to write all these schools being like. And. And I wasn't a drug dealer. I didn't even do much of anything. But suddenly these schools think that I'm a fucking deviant. And they left us in that. And I remember I went to my stepdad who was like a lawyer, and I said, like, he always talked as if he could move mountains. He was very powerful. And I was like, hey, Mr. Powerful, could you get rid of the probation at the fucking high school? And it was like, my hands are tied. My hands are tied. And that's when I realized that these two male figures of my life, my stepdad and my dad, did not have the power that they claimed. The school was fucking me over, even though I knew some of these faculty members getting me in trouble used to get high with their students in the 80s. And. And I had to write every college. Meanwhile, those weed dealers, the ones who didn't get in trouble, were the ones who were savvy enough to get away with crimes. And I think it was really that moment I said, oh, fuck, fuck everyone. This is just to keep the people in power in power. And it was like a real breaking down moment for me of trusting the system at all.

[B]

All right, action figures. Were you an action figure?

[A]

Loved action figures.

[B]

What kind?

[A]

I was a big Power Rangers was so cool because they had the. You press down on the belt buckle and their head would flip and they'd be like, morphed. And my dad, he let me. He took apart the Power Rangers and made. We made five Rainbow Rangers. So it felt like we were like cheating. Like, he just taught me how to take apart action figures and put them.

[B]

Together, These guys, Right?

[A]

So, yes, that's the classic one.

[B]

Okay, so.

[A]

And he had a gold shield plate to you and put over his chest.

[B]

You would take it ap. And do what with it?

[A]

We would mix it. So I had six Rainbow Rangers. They'd have a red arm, a yellow leg, a blue torso. And so like my dad, he went through. We take apart radios and we would make action figures with superglue and all the parts. And what happened? I made these cool action figures I brought into my mom's and I had this plug action figure where we cut off an end of a plug and that was its head. And I was like, mom, it's superpower. It can hang off the walls. And. And my mom saw me take a plug with a loose wire coming off of it and show her how I could, like, like, Spider man hang on. And she was like, what the fuck are you doing? And it's. I mean, I could have easily, easily shocked myself, but it was so cool. And my dad. I was in James Bond, so he. He was arts and crafts. We got a suitcase. We made a false bottom out of Popsicle sticks, and we would, like, make a bit of action figures and arts and crafts, and that was very fun.

[B]

All right.

[A]

Yeah. And then I was into wrestling, so I had wrestling action figures.

[B]

Okay, so I'm older than you, so who's your time of wrestling?

[A]

My time of wrestling is Degeneration X. The Undertaker was my guy. I used to. When I did basketball, you know how he would roll his eyes in the back of his head? I would try to do that to freak out the other team, but I couldn't really. I couldn't really do it. So I would go on the court before the match, and I would be like, this. Be, like.

[B]

Trying to understand.

[A]

And like.

[B]

Somebody come help this kid.

[A]

But I loved it. My dad, he would let us put two mattresses in the living room, and we would wrestle. We was staying. WCW was still popular. So my dad was like a Hulk Hogan guy.

[B]

Yeah, that's where that was. Yeah.

[A]

I was of the era where Hulk Hogan was the bad guy at wcw. And my dad, like, he would do. He encouraged that artistic side. We put on Sting face paint, and my stepmom at the time filmed us having a wrestling match.

[B]

The early Sting face paint or the crow?

[A]

The crow.

[B]

Okay. Okay, so that's the Crow. That's what we did. But when I was there, bottom right, Kirsten. And the one on the left in that picture was his original makeup.

[A]

Do you wonder what these guys like? Don't they go, God damn it. Why did I pick a character I have to do makeup every goddamn day?

[B]

Maybe. But I also think about you because you were a theater guy and you wanted to. And I mean, sure, I think in another life. This is. This is your alley right here, bro.

[A]

Wrestling is straight theater. It's such a. It's such a strange. It's such a strange thing because it's so theatrical, and it's like. The guys who do it, usually a lot of them are like these kind of manly. The Undertaker is like a manly dude, but he was, like, putting on gloves and eyeliner. He was doing more eyeliner than Me, he was going through a much longer golf phase, and it's so theatrical. It's crazy. Part of me is like, I bet the Undertaker, if it was a little bit more straight, he would have had a great time in hello Dolly, you know, he would have loved.

[B]

Could you imagine?

[A]

He'd be great.

[B]

Did you ever go to see him live with your dad or anything like that?

[A]

I saw. I don't know if it was a televised one. I don't think it was, but we were, like, standing close. It was so cool. And where are you? It was probably in D.C. or whatever.

[B]

They call it now, but.

[A]

But it was. I think it was Cain, Stone Cold and mankind. And Stone Cold was beating mankind. He took off his. Mr. Sacco. That was his thing. He put a sock on, and Stone Cold poured beer all over it. And my dad was like, over here, over here. And we got. No, this Mr. Sako, that had been in Stone Cold's mouth, in Kane's mouth. And it smelled like beer. Oh, it was so dope. We had it. Someone accidentally washed it. It used to smell of beer. It used to smell of beer. Degeneration X. We went to a match once where these guys, they were holding a big inflata thing. And I remember I asked my dad, what does that say? And he said, oh, that's. Or that's a middle finger. And later I realized, no, it was a dick. Their phrase was suck it.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

And it was a dick.

[B]

And he didn't want to tell you it was a dick.

[A]

It was naughty in a way that it's not. Wrestling isn't like. There's some wrestling out called, like, Justin freaking Rollins. And back then, they would have said. And that's the era I was in. It was cool. They were cursing. You saw tits. It was exciting.

[B]

I've seen the clips of that where they. Yeah, it wasn't like. I mean.

[A]

No, no. Yeah.

[B]

They have no.

[A]

I.

[B]

Video games. Are you a video game guy, or were you a video game guy growing up? My kid.

[A]

My mom liked Nintendo and Super Nintendo.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I used to. I watched them for, like, a long time. I just watched games.

[B]

See Mario and stuff like that.

[A]

The games that were really super Nintendo were the one I remember more. There was. There was a Mario paint game, but there was, like, a fly swatter game where these flies would fly around. And you had a mouse pad.

[B]

I don't remember.

[A]

You know, you had these, like, special controllers. It's like you have the mouse pad controller. There was a Power Rangers game, a Mickey Mouse game, Donkey Kong Mega Man. That's it. And it was like. It's one of those games that's so fun and it's so retro where you just have to swat flies and avoid. It's a little bit like a space invader y. But you kind of can move more around the screen, so I loved. I love that. I loved Mario rpg. Mega man was cool. As you'd had. You'd. There was this thing called gameshark where for cheat codes, you wouldn't just put them in. You would put this into the thing and then put the. It was like an in between the cartridge. It felt like you were installing computer equipment.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Oh, it was so cool. It was so physical. It felt like you were, like, cheating and you got, like, some cool, weird thing. Ugh. Those are the days, man. N64 Super Nintendo.

[B]

You have Dance Dance Revolution up there. Is that something you got into out of the video game world?

[A]

Yeah. So it was like. Do you know that? You know what I'm talking. That's one where you have four arrows.

[B]

Oh, bro. Yeah, I. I never played it, but I would walk into Best Buy and I would just see people, and they're all doing. And the people are gathering around and watching them and stuff. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

So we got. Originally, we got the, like, you know, the cheap pad at home, which sucks because it's just, like, the sensors aren't good, so you'd be slamming. And then we got an arcade pad where, like, for Christmas, it was, like, metal and it was thick.

[B]

Like this one right here.

[A]

Yeah. And I would. I would do. They had, like, a calorie counter one. And it was the first time I'd ever worked out. It was like the first time I realized I was tricked into working out.

[B]

But I liked it.

[A]

And I remember I would do it, and It's. I'd burn 80 calories. And I told my dad, I said, I think it's broken. I must have burned way more calories than 80. But it's like, no, that's all you did. I would love, instead of spin, if they had a Dance Dance Revolution class.

[B]

Bro, you're sitting on it right now. Here.

[A]

I would do that.

[B]

You should do it.

[A]

Oh, I would sign up for that class. That's a good idea.

[B]

It is a damn good idea. Look, I used to be neighbors with a girl. She was a Laker Girl, and she was one of Beyonce's backup dancers. Her name's Aisha. What's up, Aisha? Shout out over here. What's up, Aisha? And she was Friends with the guy. She came to my apartment next one night and she goes, I work out with this guy who just told me he's going to be a millionaire next year. And I go, what's his idea? And she said hip hop abs. Do you know in the next year that was a multi million.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

And I. I'd see his commercials over like Aisha, this is hip hop. That's the guy I told you about. I was like, look at him go.

[A]

When I needed a break from P90X, I would go to my hip hop abs class. That's definitely the easier.

[B]

Have you heard what happened to the guy from P90X?

[A]

I, I've. I know him and I've been to his house.

[B]

You do?

[A]

And Tony Horton. Yeah.

[B]

And how do you know him?

[A]

He. I. I had a brother of a friend who like waited his table and. And like he invited him to be part of his. You know, he does daily workouts and he has like a beautiful home with. With like a workout space and ropes to climb and pull up stuff.

[B]

Isn't he unhealthy or unwell?

[A]

He, he was. I believe he had. He's public about it. No, no, he had, he had something. I forget what it's called. Ramsay Hunt.

[B]

Okay. So he. Okay.

[A]

But he, he. But he got better and he's like. He has his own workout program now again. Yeah.

[B]

So hip hop abs and then your guy. And we all did it. Yeah.

[A]

I was in. It was my introduction to really like working out.

[B]

Did you use. So again I'm older. Did you get a lot of the workout gadgets back in the day on tv like the ab roller.

[A]

God. I did the eight minute ab video. Did you do that? That, that guy. I wish I could sue that guy still. Because he said like if you do this one video every day you'll have. And he is cut as. And I'm like. And I did it one summer. I was like here we go. Ab flex.

[B]

And it doesn't.

[A]

My God.

[B]

And then they don't ever tell you that it's. That ab is two things. Genetic and diet.

[A]

Diet, Diet. I promise, before that picture he did not eat for a while.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

He didn't have water. My. Thank God my parents never got me. The one that I really want as a kid was there was the one where you strapped it and with electrodes would just do it for you. Just the idea constant like hey, do you want to not work out and get all the results of what.

[B]

Yeah. You want a six pack from doing nothing? Yeah. That was the one. There it is.

[A]

Oh, my God.

[B]

Look at him. He's got it on his arms.

[A]

That picture is Photoshopped too. That is.

[B]

Of course it is.

[A]

That's right. Monsters. Monsters.

[B]

Look up this guy, Kirsten. Let's see if we can find him. I'm pretty sure his name was tone. Put Tony 90s fitness guy. There he is. That's him.

[A]

Oh, this.

[B]

That's it.

[A]

That's.

[B]

What's his name?

[A]

That's the guy right there.

[B]

Tony, I feel like is. Yeah, Tony Little. He was out there. Any exercise equipment. He was the guy. Like, this is the one. Not. Guys, I'm gonna show you how to use it.

[A]

It's just crazy.

[B]

Go down a little bit. He did the ab one.

[A]

As if those arms came from.

[B]

Yeah, from that.

[A]

It's my dream that I want to be in the background of a. Of a workout video.

[B]

Do you? Yeah, we can make that happen for you.

[A]

I think it's a fun shoot.

[B]

That red one in the middle looks like the club. Tony Little's A.B. what?

[A]

Huh?

[B]

I had that one too, let me tell you. Look at me. None of them work, bro.

[A]

Not on work. I would. If I was back. Back in those days in high school, I would have been like, can I use Ozempic? I would have been like, please let me try Ozempic, please. Are you allowed to give. Is that like an 18 or older drug?

[B]

That's a good question. Look, he doesn't know either. Look.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

What are you doing here?

[A]

I was a big. I was. I was a big ravioli, tomato sauce kid.

[B]

Yeah. Boy, look at that. Look at the pacifier sitting there. So I just noticed it.

[A]

Yeah. I was at my. My mom lives here, so I got all these. All these pictures.

[B]

So this is.

[A]

This is the Princess and the Pea.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[A]

And I. I. Where I looked at the audience and got a big laugh. So that's. That's first.

[B]

This is where the. The first little taste of heroin, of comedy was.

[A]

Yeah. And that. My. That's my friend Nathaniel. And we were. We were close. We were close enough. I still have bits about our friendship.

[B]

Who's number 53 up there?

[A]

That was. I did one football thing, and, I mean, I. I don't think I.

[B]

This wasn't a Halloween costume. You actually played here.

[A]

I mean, in a way, it was.

[B]

You look like a ball player.

[A]

This was more cultural appropriation than my other stuff. Honestly, I truly. I was like, mom, get a picture of the one time I got my pants dirty, please.

[B]

Oh, dude, thank you for doing this. This was fun.

[A]

Oh, they're. They're cultural. We're going full cultural. That's my. That's a trip to Mexico.

[B]

Is that Mom?

[A]

That's Mom.

[B]

Okay. She got her hair done down there, though.

[A]

We all got her hair done down there.

[B]

Oh, wait, you have braids, too.

[A]

No, that. I think that's my sister.

[B]

I was gonna say that's my sister.

[A]

Okay, everybody.

[B]

Got them. One more time, please promote what you'd.

[A]

Like everywhere at Jamarco Cerese, spelled with a G, Italian spelling, and touring all over the country and more International in 2025. And then listen to my podcast. It's a very fun podcast. We have people on to just talk about the negative sides of their life, their day, their opinions. It's the Downside with Joe Marco Ceres.

[B]

All right, thank you again for doing this. Appreciate your time as always. Ryan Sickler on all your social media. Tickets for My D are up on my website. Go get them now. I'll be out there on the road If I'm in your town when you're around Come check out a live show. We'll talk to y' all next week.