Ep 227: Jim Gaffigan (Fathertime)

Summary

Podcast Summary: "We Might Be Drunk" Episode 227 – Jim Gaffigan (Fathertime)

Title: We Might Be Drunk
Hosts: Sam Morril and Mark Normand
Guest: Jim Gaffigan
Produced by: Gotham Production Studios, LLC
Release Date: April 14, 2025

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Overview

In Episode 227 of "We Might Be Drunk," hosts Sam Morril and Mark Normand sit down with the legendary comedian and actor Jim Gaffigan. The conversation traverses Jim's extensive career in stand-up comedy and acting, delves into his creative process, explores the evolution of comedic styles, and touches upon personal anecdotes from his life on the road. Additionally, Jim introduces his "Father Time" bourbon, seamlessly blending discussions about comedy with his passion for fine whiskey.

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1. Introduction to Jim Gaffigan’s Career (00:06 – 03:19)

The episode kicks off with a playful banter about Jim Gaffigan's appearances in iconic films such as "Heat," "Top Gun," and "Batman Forever." The hosts and Jim reminisce about co-stars like Val Kilmer, Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro, highlighting Jim's versatility as both a comedic and dramatic actor.

Notable Quotes:

• Jim Gaffigan [00:06]: "How's it going?"
• Sam Morril [02:12]: "He's really funny in Tombstone Grail."

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2. Val Kilmer and Iconic Film Roles (02:01 – 03:33)

Jim and the hosts delve deeper into Val Kilmer's performances, expressing admiration for his roles in movies like "Top Gun" and "The Doors." They discuss memorable scenes and the lasting impact of Kilmer's work, reflecting on his untimely passing with fondness.

Notable Quotes:

• Mark Normand [02:25]: "He makes Tombstone."
• Jim Gaffigan [02:43]: "RIP Val Kilmer. One of the best."

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3. The Art of Comedy Writing (03:20 – 19:37)

Jim Gaffigan shares his intricate process for crafting jokes, likening it to mining for coal. He emphasizes the importance of discipline, persistence, and the willingness to let go of ego to refine material. The conversation highlights the challenges comedians face in evolving their acts and maintaining freshness in their performances.

Notable Quotes:

• Jim Gaffigan [17:00]: "I feel like I'm a coal miner."
• Jim Gaffigan [19:06]: "Why isn't this working? I know this is funny."

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4. Crowd Work and Audience Interaction (19:38 – 51:07)

The hosts and Jim discuss the dynamics of engaging with the audience during stand-up performances. They explore the benefits and potential pitfalls of crowd work, sharing personal experiences of handling hecklers and maintaining the flow of their acts. Jim provides insights into balancing scripted material with spontaneous interactions to keep the audience entertained.

Notable Quotes:

• Sam Morril [49:08]: "Holy shit. He's just gonna keep going."
• Mark Normand [50:00]: "Clip and move on."

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5. Touring and Balancing Personal Life (51:08 – 83:43)

Jim opens up about the rigors of touring, juggling family responsibilities, and sustaining creativity on the road. He discusses the influence of different environments on his comedy and the importance of having a supportive home base. The conversation also touches on the impact of digital platforms on comedy and how comedians adapt to changing audiences.

Notable Quotes:

• Jim Gaffigan [63:38]: "I thought that would definitely go to Sundance or Cannes."
• Jim Gaffigan [73:21]: "I'm here. I'm on stage."

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6. Evolving Comedy Landscape and Industry Reflections (83:44 – 77:00)

The dialogue shifts to the broader trends in the comedy industry, examining how reality TV and streaming services have transformed audience engagement and comedic styles. Jim and the hosts reflect on the necessity for substance in comedy, discussing how modern audiences seek both relatable content and meaningful humor.

Notable Quotes:

• Jim Gaffigan [84:10]: "I'm a news junkie, so be careful."
• Sam Morril [90:00]: "We'll talk on Punch Up."

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7. Promotion of "Father Time" Bourbon (73:41 – 85:27)

Interwoven with their comedic discussions, the hosts and Jim promote Jim's "Father Time" bourbon. They explore its unique features, recommend cocktail pairings, and discuss its suitability as a Father's Day gift. The segment blends humor with genuine appreciation for fine whiskey, adding a flavorful twist to the episode.

Notable Quotes:

• Jim Gaffigan [11:25]: "We have to start up. 'Val Kilmer's 'Father Time' bourbon."
• Sam Morril [85:05]: "We give it the Bodega Cat seal of approval. This is very good whiskey."

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8. Recalling Comedy Legends and Influences (85:28 – 89:54)

Jim and the hosts reminisce about legendary comedians like George Carlin, Rodney Dangerfield, and Mike White, discussing their influence on contemporary comedy. They share stories from Jim's early days in comedy clubs, highlighting the importance of mentorship and the evolving nature of comedic performance.

Notable Quotes:

• Jim Gaffigan [26:12]: "Because of reality shows, there is a certain price of entry that we live in such a voyeuristic and exhibitionist culture today."
• Jim Gaffigan [32:21]: "Mark and I talk about it's bad for you all the time because I think the one before Life is worth losing was kind of like a miss for him."

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9. Final Thoughts and Upcoming Shows (89:55 – 91:50)

As the episode wraps up, Jim and the hosts discuss their upcoming tours and projects. They share humorous anecdotes about performing in various venues and promote their respective shows. The conversation concludes on a lighthearted note, emphasizing the camaraderie and mutual respect among comedians.

Notable Quotes:

• Jim Gaffigan [85:27]: "April 25th at KeyBank State Theater."
• Sam Morril [85:05]: "We give it the Bodega Cat seal of approval."

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Insights and Conclusions

Episode 227 provides an intimate and comprehensive look into Jim Gaffigan's multifaceted career. From his nuanced approach to comedy writing and runtime acting to his reflections on the changing landscape of the comedy industry, Jim offers invaluable insights for both seasoned comedians and aspiring ones. The episode masterfully balances humor with depth, making it a must-listen for fans seeking both entertainment and inspiration.

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Note: This summary excludes advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections as per the provided instructions.

Transcript

[Jim Gaffigan]

How's it going?

[Mark Normand]

Nah, I like it. He's like, put out. I don't want to be there.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Now, the movie Heat, it has Dairo.

[Sam Morril]

Pacino, Kilmer, but the reason everyone loves it is. Yeah, you guessed it.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Wayne Grow.

[Unknown Guest]

Does he die in a robe in the end, last scene?

[Sam Morril]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

Okay, haters. Loving it.

[Sam Morril]

So who here is on a dating app? Tinder, Bumble, Yelp.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And who here is seeing Heat?

[Sam Morril]

It's, like, so dumb.

[Mark Normand]

And who here that has seen Heat.

[Sam Morril]

Is terrified to be on the stage with me?

[Jim Gaffigan]

One way.

[Mark Normand]

That is. What a weird.

[Sam Morril]

For five minutes. I mean, it's insane.

[Mark Normand]

Wow.

[Sam Morril]

It kind of becomes unfunny and then gets funny again.

[Mark Normand]

Right, right. It's cool that he's just. He's going right in. He's like, I'll ride it out.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah, I mean, you should we start it up?

[Unknown Guest]

Yeah, go ahead.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah, we were just talking. Val Kilmer, man. RIP Val Kilmer. One of the best.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah. Great guy.

[Sam Morril]

Such a talent.

[Mark Normand]

Great documentary. Top secret. I grew up on that.

[Sam Morril]

He's so good in that.

[Mark Normand]

Blew my mind.

[Sam Morril]

So funny.

[Mark Normand]

So, so funny. The scene where he's. He's. He's in a shootout with the windows, and he bangs a hole in the window. It's like a circle. Then they shoot him, and it's an X. Then he bangs another circle out. I mean, I love.

[Sam Morril]

I love when he's in the prison cell and he keeps marking as if time passed. And. Yeah, it's like 20 days, but it's been like 20 minutes.

[Mark Normand]

Yes, yes.

[Sam Morril]

I mean, it's so stupid. I mean, it's. It's a really funny movie.

[Mark Normand]

The black eyes, Chocolate moose. There's a. There's a lady with cleavage who starts talking to this guy. He's a robot, and she starts rubbing her tits on him and his antenna goes. So many great G of that movie.

[Sam Morril]

Also, Also Kiss. Kiss. Bang Bang.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Oh.

[Sam Morril]

Oh, my God. He's so. And these are all, like different types of comedies, so he's not just a great, versatile actor, but he's doing different types of comedic performances, too.

[Mark Normand]

Totally, dude.

[Sam Morril]

He's really funny in Tombstone Grail.

[Mark Normand]

He makes Tombstone.

[Sam Morril]

He's the reason to watch Tombstone.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Unknown Guest]

The range he's in Top Secret. And the Doors movie.

[Sam Morril]

I know.

[Mark Normand]

And Top Gun as Iceman.

[Sam Morril]

But, dude, when he. When he has that first showdown with Johnny Ringo, and Johnny Ringo does all the fucking tricks with the gun and then he just does the same thing with an empty glass of whiskey he was drinking. It's so. I mean, he did. Gave you everything in Tombstone. Like, he's a badass. He's funny. He makes you cry in the end.

[Mark Normand]

Vulnerable.

[Sam Morril]

He's. Dude, he's so cool.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, yeah. Heat.

[Sam Morril]

We didn't even bring up Heat.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, Heat. One of the coolest. Michael Mann's masterpiece.

[Sam Morril]

I don't know if it's my favorite Michael Mann movie, but I love it. Yeah, but it's great.

[Unknown Guest]

Manhunter.

[Sam Morril]

I might go The Insider, dude.

[Mark Normand]

Insider. Great.

[Sam Morril]

The Insider is incredible.

[Mark Normand]

That's a hell of a movie.

[Sam Morril]

But I love Val Kilmer. Apparently, Vitor was telling me this, that I think they couldn't pay him what his rate was, but he was like, if you put me on the poster with Pacino and De Niro, I'll do it and pull up the poster. I mean, that's like a. That's like a power move right there.

[Mark Normand]

It's funny because I was always like, why is he on the poster? He doesn't seem big enough. But there you go.

[Sam Morril]

There you go.

[Mark Normand]

And he got a name on there, too. Look at that. Wow. Good for Val. What a guy. Great documentary. If you want to weep all night, watch, Watch Val.

[Sam Morril]

It was a wreck on this podcast, and I watched it because of you, and you said you cried, and I. I got misty myself.

[Mark Normand]

It passed the girlfriend test. I was like, let's try this. She's like, are you kidding? Who is this guy? Never heard of him. And then she was weeping.

[Sam Morril]

Never heard of Al Kilmer.

[Mark Normand]

She is out to lunch.

[Sam Morril]

She's 16 years old.

[Mark Normand]

She doesn't know Brando, De Niro, Chino. She knows the Bachelor. She knows Below Deck. She knows the Kardashians. Yeah, it's not good.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah, he was great, man. And he was in, like, you know, talks about being. I mean, he was Batman.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, yeah. Well, I was bringing that up.

[Sam Morril]

It's not the worst Batman. And he's. And he's a good Batman. It's just not a good movie.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah. Schumacher really got. Got weird.

[Sam Morril]

He got gay. Was all about lips. Yes, he was. It was all about Batman's lips. You're just like, what do we.

[Mark Normand]

That's when you get the black Batman. Yeah. All right. And Gene Hackman. We got to throw him in the mix, too. I don't know if we did a thing on him yet, but. Yeah, look at those.

[Sam Morril]

That's what I mean.

[Mark Normand]

Luscious beauties there.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

He looks like he's in an S M club in Berlin. Like, what the hell is this? Is this Batman, or am I about to get spanked here. What the hell?

[Mark Normand]

I know we're in a ball gag over here.

[Sam Morril]

What is going on?

[Mark Normand]

Look at the cup on that son of a bee.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Was it.

[Sam Morril]

Was it the Clooney one or was it this one where he had nipples?

[Unknown Guest]

That's the controversy about the. This one. He had nipples.

[Sam Morril]

Nipples on the suit.

[Mark Normand]

He's ripped. I mean, he's got me in a wet market.

[Sam Morril]

Who's designing this where? Like, we need nipples.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

I also love that they draw on the six pack for this outfit.

[Mark Normand]

I know.

[Sam Morril]

Like Batman's, like, look, I do still drink. I don't have abs.

[Mark Normand]

But do me a favor and contrast this Batman with Adam West. Could there be more of a contrast? Like the doughiest white guy of all time and then a ripped six pack? Absolutely. Son of a bee. Look at that. That's just a regular dude.

[Sam Morril]

Adam west was, too.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, he was a poon hound.

[Sam Morril]

Oh, my. Look at this. He looks Chinese.

[Mark Normand]

He does.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah, he's a Chinese. Batman started a virus.

[Mark Normand]

God, it was easy to be a man back then. You just did not be fat and you were killing it.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah, you're right. You could be doughy back then.

[Mark Normand]

Doughy. Smoke cigarettes, drink all the whiskey you want. And you were good to go.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

Let me have my glass of whole milk with dinner.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah. My pack of cigarettes and my. My wife with a black. The American way. Burt Lord.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah. I mean, he. He turned. He turned down Batman and Robin, Val Kilmer, to do the Saint.

[Mark Normand]

Saint was cool.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah. No, that wasn't. That was. Doesn't that Daredevil.

[Mark Normand]

It's Daredevil, but he's. I think he's blind in this saint.

[Sam Morril]

Is he?

[Mark Normand]

He's not a superhero, but he's. He's blind. He's like a blind secret agent.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Is he?

[Sam Morril]

I had no idea.

[Mark Normand]

Isn't he blind?

[Sam Morril]

He's blind. In that Mirror Sorvino movie, you might be combining.

[Mark Normand]

You're right. I'm combining. Never mind.

[Sam Morril]

How many blind superheroes are we gonna have?

[Mark Normand]

We got Stevie Wonder, we got Ray Charles. We got Daredevil.

[Sam Morril]

I. By the way, here's my. Here's my beef with Daredevil. They say he's blind, but then he's, like, beating up eight guys at once.

[Mark Normand]

Yes.

[Sam Morril]

His other senses are heightened. It's like. I don't think that's how. I don't think that's how it works. I think you'd be able to, like, smell a fart from the living room or something. You're able to just beat up A whole crew of people.

[Mark Normand]

That's a good point.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, that's true.

[Sam Morril]

That's my bone to pick with Daredevil.

[Mark Normand]

You got a point. And he should be reading more Brail. Why is there no Braille in Daredevil? What's up with Braille, by the way? You ever do that?

[Sam Morril]

Have I ever felt braille?

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

No.

[Mark Normand]

I read wow as a goof. Let me see if I can read this little Bible scripture here, written on the elevator. And it is just.

[Sam Morril]

It's a tough life.

[Mark Normand]

It's tough. Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Damn.

[Sam Morril]

That's how you have to learn.

[Mark Normand]

Braille's great. You ever seen a book of braille? It's just a book with all the buttons on it. You got to do that.

[Sam Morril]

Damn. Crazy blind people. You think they're good at fingering?

[Mark Normand]

Oh, no doubt about it.

[Sam Morril]

They're feeling the bumps. They're like, oh. This tells a story.

[Mark Normand]

Every vagina.

[Sam Morril]

And the story is, she's been with other men who have a very, very unholy disease.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, that's a lot of bumps.

[Unknown Guest]

In 1970, National Library Service put out a edition of Playboy in Braille.

[Mark Normand]

Thank you.

[Sam Morril]

Wow.

[Mark Normand]

Bummer.

[Sam Morril]

Like, man, these are some sweet tits.

[Mark Normand]

This is great. I read the article.

[Sam Morril]

Damn, dude.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Wow.

[Mark Normand]

That's very inclusive.

[Sam Morril]

I love it. It was our guest here. All right, let's go.

[Mark Normand]

All right. Yeah, we got. Yeah, Hackman, Kilmer, they go in threes, they say. So we'll see who's next. Damn.

[Unknown Guest]

Speaking of, here's our guest.

[Mark Normand]

Hey.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Rolling.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, we're rolling.

[Sam Morril]

We come in.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Might be able to use this.

[Mark Normand]

We want to give Val Kilmer a shout out before you got here.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Hopefully, he's all right.

[Mark Normand]

Cool jacket, dude.

[Sam Morril]

You're looking good.

[Jim Gaffigan]

You know what?

[Mark Normand]

Let me tell you something.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Let me tell you something. All you need are three. You could take over a country.

[Mark Normand]

That's a good Randy Savage.

[Jim Gaffigan]

That's all you need. Let me tell you something.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, yeah, there's.

[Jim Gaffigan]

There's Jack Roy.

[Mark Normand]

That's right. Hey, there you go. I think his real name is Jacob Cohen. Fun fact. Yeah, Jacob Cohen from Queens.

[Jim Gaffigan]

My name was Jacob Cohen, then I changed to my dad and molested my father. My father worked in vaudeville and his name was Cohen, so I didn't want to use Cohen, so I.

[Mark Normand]

Well, how the hell are you?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I'm good. It's great to be. Are you guys already drunk?

[Sam Morril]

No.

[Mark Normand]

No. We saved you for that. All right, no pressure.

[Jim Gaffigan]

No pressure. I'm sorry I'm late.

[Sam Morril]

It's all right.

[Mark Normand]

You're Fine.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It's a little bit. It's farther away than I thought.

[Sam Morril]

Who comes to this part of town?

[Mark Normand]

It is very empty.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But I like your setup here. I feel like it's upgraded a little bit.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah, yeah. You actually. You were in the other studio.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, yeah, that's right.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah. One of the early guests. Thanks for doing it back. You were slumming it back then. Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Was I one of the early guys?

[Sam Morril]

You're one of the early. Early guests.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Do is give.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Comedy. So you bang out a couple.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, that's right.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And then hit the road and they post them.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah. Hey, sell tickets. Speaking of giving, you never gave us a whiskey.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I did give you a whiskey.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, yeah.

[Sam Morril]

It's at home, though. But he brought another one I bought.

[Mark Normand]

I'm at the studio.

[Sam Morril]

Whoa.

[Jim Gaffigan]

There's. This is the new edition.

[Sam Morril]

What's different about it?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Well, it's like each is a small, precious batch instead of a small batch. I call it a precious batch. It all has to do with children.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah. And what I call Brad Williams special bets.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But this is the night. So like. Like, there's regular strength and then there's empty nester strength. I bet you your parents can identify with the empty nester strength. They miss their boys. But no.

[Sam Morril]

So should we drink the empty nester?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Sure, whichever one you want. One's higher proof.

[Mark Normand]

Let's give us the higher.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But I know you probably need. You probably need the lower proof.

[Mark Normand]

Ah, what's that supposed to mean?

[Jim Gaffigan]

So wait a minute. So people that. I was thinking about this on the ride over here. So, like, are people that enjoy this podcast. Obviously, they're all types of people. But. But would you say that there are more people that love the juice or more people that just love the two?

[Mark Normand]

That's a good question. I'd say more comedy, but we also got a lot of alcoholics.

[Sam Morril]

We got a lot of sober people. We got a big sober listenership too.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But sober listenership too. So. All right, so do we have. So I think we go. Empty nesters. Let's go.

[Sam Morril]

Are we going on the rocks? Straight up. What are you doing?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I'd love. If you got a big rock.

[Mark Normand]

You better believe it.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. You know, like, sometimes you encounter these. These purists that are like, it took them forever to get the water out of the thing.

[Mark Normand]

Right.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Why would you put water near it? But I believe it brings something out here. But here, let's. Nice. Right? But I know you guys are rye guys, right?

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, well, you better believe it.

[Sam Morril]

Bourbon.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. This is a Bourbon.

[Sam Morril]

Oh, that smells really good, dude.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Right?

[Mark Normand]

Very nice.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Wait a minute. So you probably get so much, but you didn't try it when I sent it last time.

[Sam Morril]

I did try it.

[Mark Normand]

I have it at home on the cart. The bar cart.

[Sam Morril]

I did try it. I enjoyed it.

[Mark Normand]

All right. Hit me, baby. Oh, I love a big, big old rock, so.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I love a big rock.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

I love them, man. What's your favorite whiskey cocktail, Jim?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I'm not. I'm not. I'm like, this is exactly how I like it.

[Sam Morril]

All right.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I love high proof.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And I like it with a big rock and. Yeah. Here we go.

[Mark Normand]

Here we go. Look at that. I feel like Don Draper, right? See, bourbon has a sweetness to it. That's really good.

[Sam Morril]

That's a good drink, dude.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Right? And so, yeah, there is something about that is. I want to talk to you guys about your journey with your ride, because when you started it as anyone who's listening, who does partake, or maybe they listen because they partake too much, is there is an evolution. So what you loved about a drink at the beginning or even a whiskey at the beginning can evolve. So, like, I like a much higher proof than when I started. Even with Father Time, I was very obsessed with wanting it to be smooth. That was just because I had tried celebrity brands, and so many of them were like, you're like, oh, my God. This is. There's a difference between it being strong and it being bad.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

So I wanted it smooth so that if someone is a casual drinker that they could partake in or if they're gonna mix it. Even though, like, I think, like, I like a high proof and just drinking it straight. But, like, how about you guys? How has it shifted? Do you like, a higher proof now than when you started? Or.

[Sam Morril]

I mean, good question. It all depends on the flavor, really, to me, like, if it's smooth, I don't. I'll do whatever. But I mean, yeah, I. I drink a lot of Manhattan. It's like, that's kind of my post show drink on the road. But if I'm doing straight up, like, like everything, I like a peaty scotch. I like bourbon. I like everything, so.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, yeah. But this is very good.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Thank you.

[Mark Normand]

It doesn't taste super high proof, which is a compliment.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

Sometimes you get those. Those Wild Turkeys and it's like a shot of gasoline, you know?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, no, it is. And so you'll do it after a show. You know what I find so amazing about bourbon or whiskey in general? Because I'm I'm really kind of like a. Once the pandemic hit, that's what opened me up to whiskey and stuff is I can have two. I mean, and if my tour manager was watching this, he might be like, you have more than two sometimes, but I'll have two and I'm good.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, two's perfect.

[Jim Gaffigan]

You know what I mean? Whereas beers, you can be like, I'm a number eight and I'm kind of getting a buzz. Yeah, but with two whiskeys, you can be good. Does that sound like the rationalization of a total drum?

[Mark Normand]

No, two is very modern.

[Sam Morril]

I talk about this all the time with martinis, the famous quot tits.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Right.

[Sam Morril]

Two is the perfect. One's not enough. Three is too many.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, that's great.

[Mark Normand]

But don't you have two and feel good? Want another one? That's my problem.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, no, well, that definitely. But the good thing is, if I'm at home or if I have to get up, I'm not gonna do it.

[Mark Normand]

Right, Right. Two's the move.

[Sam Morril]

Are you an at home.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

You're an at home drinker?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. I mean, that's.

[Sam Morril]

Does your wife drink with you or no?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yes. Yes. But that's some of. And I know you're new to the game, but like.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And people that are watching or listening, it's like they're. You know, some of what started this was when you deal with teenagers, which is like dealing with mentally ill people, you need something to take that edge off. So like in the 50s, they were like, I had a hard day at work. And you know, when you have teenagers, you're like, I need a break.

[Mark Normand]

Right.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Do I mean.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, yeah, I'm scared of that age.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, you'll be dead, don't worry. Woo.

[Mark Normand]

Thank God you have that first sip.

[Sam Morril]

There's something like that hits so nice. Like when you're stressed and you just have like a sip and you. Oh, I'm fucking.

[Mark Normand]

It works.

[Sam Morril]

I feel like things are gonna be okay, right?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yes. Yeah. It does feel like there is the productivity, though, that I feel like sometimes can get in the way. Like there is particularly writing comedy. Like, if I would come home and I would feel inspired to write if, you know, this is kind of like turning off the brain for me. It's not like, let's have a couple whiskeys and then we'll think of comedy. I'm kind of like, let's have a couple whiskeys and fall asleep.

[Mark Normand]

Right. Comedy's over.

[Sam Morril]

We did that part, but it depends on the comics. I remember I'd be out with Jim Jeffries, and I'd be like, oh, this guy's writing at the bar. He'd be telling a story, and I could see him picking up where the laughs were. And I was like, oh, this Jim writes drinking.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Well, not anymore. I don't think he drinks.

[Sam Morril]

He doesn't drink anymore, but yeah. I picture you writing jokes at a computer, just typing out all your jokes. Feel very organized.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I feel like I work 15 times harder. I do it the hardest way possible, which is I'll have an idea. Sometimes I'll improvise something on stage, but then. Then it's. I'll listen, kind of break it down, and then try and find angles around it and then just chip away. Whereas I. Occasionally something will come out fully formed or at 70%, but otherwise, I feel like I'm just mining. I feel like I'm a coal miner. You know what I mean?

[Sam Morril]

Where are you throwing stuff at the wall? Because every time I see you, even at, like, Gotham, I'm like, fuck, that's, like, polished. It's, like, perfectly well done.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, I don't see you bomb, everybody.

[Sam Morril]

I don't really see you bomb.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Oh, how do you not bomb? Well, there is. I mean, as you guys know, there's moments that feel like bombing.

[Mark Normand]

Sure.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I mean, and then there's the, you know, the jokes you pull up to kind of. Right. The ship.

[Mark Normand]

Right.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But there is. Yeah. No, there's. Sometimes it's throwing out ideas. And I feel like I've also been doing it so long where I know what will kind of work. But for me, I think there is. I can play on the road. You know, if I'm doing an hour 10 and I'm doing in front of a home crowd. Right. It's a home game. I can play a little bit if, you know, they know my point of view.

[Mark Normand]

Right. That's true.

[Jim Gaffigan]

They're. You know, there's a certain trust there. And I would never, you know, just go on a rant for too long. But, like, if I'm feeling some give and take, I'll go with it. But otherwise, I don't know. Some of it is. See, you know, like, everything's a metaphor for me. So, like, some of it is gathering seeds because I also garden. You know what I mean? So it's gathering.

[Sam Morril]

You're like the ultimate dad.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, I am. And so, like, gathering seeds, but, like, some of them take longer to germinate, right?

[Mark Normand]

Oh, yeah. Ain't that the truth?

[Jim Gaffigan]

And during those first six years, you're like, why isn't this working? I know this is funny. And now I gotta put it away. Either I haven't learned how to develop it, or I haven't found the right angle on it.

[Mark Normand]

Yes. It's like beef jerky. You gotta leave it for a while and then come back. But that's hard to do in the early years.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It's very hard to do.

[Mark Normand]

You have no material.

[Sam Morril]

But of all these word docs of. I never figured that one out. It's like they're like cold cases or something.

[Mark Normand]

Yes.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Well, I have so many word docs of the same j. Same joke over and over again. All right. Worked on that for, like, a month. And just changing a certain approach to it, and it doesn't make any difference, but then you'll be on the subway and you're like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it right. Yeah, it's the best feeling.

[Sam Morril]

You get a gift.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yes.

[Mark Normand]

You have to kind of kill your ego because you're like, it's got to be this way. And then one day you let it go long enough that you kind of fall out of love with it, and then you can see it clearly. Yeah, finally.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And then there's the touring, which is. Provides kind of the purity of it. Like, I just did shows in Vancouver because I have a lot of material on bourbon and whiskey. Not a lot, but, like. And, you know, when you do an international show, things might be slightly different, even though Canadians and Americans, obviously, there's a lot of overlap, but it's the shift of, like, just, you know, Canadian whiskey is obviously a huge thing there. And then you add in the tariffs and you add in all this. So it's this thing where I'm like, oh, I can't work on this chunk the way I want to. But that also provides, you know, so instead of writing, presenting the jokes as bourbon, I would present them as whiskey. And so. And then that would lead me into, like, there's so much to learn. Also, just on the topic of whiskey in general, for me, just because I, you know, I was such a late bloomer. You know what I mean?

[Mark Normand]

Sure, yeah.

[Sam Morril]

I remember you had a bit where you said you didn't drink. Yeah, I remember it's an old Gaffigan bit from, like, a Letterman set. And I remember, like, I love the joke. You're like, it's hard to get a woman to drink on a date when you don't drink. You're like, oh, the water and the lady. You have a shot of Jaeger. I love that.

[Mark Normand]

Bit perfect liquor choice in that bit.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. So no. It's weird.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah. The mining. Do you ever have a thing where I feel like I'm bombing? I'm bombing for weeks, and then one day you do your act and you're like, oh, I have, like, nine new minutes. It's because it was gradual. You weren't noticing how much progress you were making.

[Sam Morril]

You're great at staying with bits, though.

[Mark Normand]

I'll stay with a bit.

[Sam Morril]

He'll stay with a bit. Like, I will. I'll be like, if it's not pulling its weight, I'll dump it and I'll look back in, like, a month or two with fresh eyes. But, like, there's only so long you can give it if it's dragging down the whole set. It's like sports, like that. This guy's not pulling its weight down.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It's just the team isn't working in that order.

[Mark Normand]

Yes.

[Jim Gaffigan]

That's what's so crazy. I shifted the order of my hour right now. And this joke that used to really kind of. It was a kind of a Segway chunk. You know, after I get done with a chunk, I kind of segue into another one. And it used to kill, and I moved this whole chunk back, and now it's kind of, like, interesting just because of when it arrives and it adjusts things. So, like, moving, as you guys know, moving the order changes everything huge. I mean, I do think that at the beginning, it should be autobiographical a little. I mean, this is just what I know.

[Mark Normand]

Out of the gate in an hour, you say.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I think it has to be a little. I mean, I'm a very. Seinfeld hates this stuff. But, like, I'm a very observational guy. Right. But I believe that you have to be. You have to give some autobiographical, some intimacy, you know, I have a larger theory. I believe that, like, because of reality shows, there is a certain price of entry that we live in such a voyeuristic and exhibitionist culture today versus, say, the 90s or the 80s. So if you look in the 80s or the 90s, Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock, people didn't really. They knew their points of view. Obviously, very different, but like. But the Chris Rock of 2005 or 2015 or 2020, people need to know he has to do something biographical.

[Sam Morril]

Well, Tangerine is so different than, like, never scared. Chris started digging, started mining the divorce. The divorce stuff's the most interesting stuff in that hour to me, too.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And Seinfeld used to be like, a joke about this A joke about that. And now there is. And it varies on the autobiographical. But I think because of reality shows, there has to be a certain amount. I mean, by the way, it's like podcasts reveal a lot of intimate details indirectly. You know what I mean? So people that come to your shows. And by the way, here are the shows listed. Here's where Mark's going, and here's where Sam's going. That people are like. Because they listen to this podcast, it'll inform their experience of watching the show.

[Mark Normand]

Well, yeah, I get a million. You get these audience members. Like when you talked about ocd, that hit home. And that's why I became a fan and I told my friend with ocd. So, yeah, some people just want. I used to think, like, the relatable stuff was what people wanted. Oh, I know what it's like to fiddle with shoelaces. Oh, that's. That guy's my guy now. But I think it is the. You talked about growing up in the South. I'm from the South. That feels like it's what grabs you. All the family stuff, like when Louis started talking about his. His baby that he hated. I think that's when he blew up.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, yeah. No, I think there is. Yeah, it's weird. It's weird because I. I believe that some of it is. There is the emotion. But I'm also a big believer in substance. It has to be substance. Obviously, you guys are both substance guys.

[Mark Normand]

What does that mean? Substance?

[Jim Gaffigan]

That means where it's. It's also kind of has to mean something. Style versus substance. Now, it used to be like, Steven Wright is absolute. He's so substance. That's his style. Yeah, right.

[Sam Morril]

Oh, interesting.

[Jim Gaffigan]

So. So, like an example of someone whose style is. They do an hour. The crowd's killing. But if you ask the crowd tell me one of his or her jokes, they'd be like. Or if they've. If the substance is the joke, it's the.

[Mark Normand]

Got it. Got it.

[Jim Gaffigan]

The craftsmanship.

[Mark Normand]

Got it.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Does that make sense now?

[Mark Normand]

I get it. I get it. I thought you meant they had some kind of weighty, like, the meaning of life kind of thing.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, no, it's. I don't think it has to be poignant. It doesn't have to be poignant. No, it just has to be. Yeah. There has to be some.

[Mark Normand]

Can you have. You can have both, too. Those are the best. You have to be.

[Jim Gaffigan]

You have to have a little bit.

[Sam Morril]

It's weird when a comic would force. Trying to be poignant when they'd Be doing like just like racist street jokes. And they'd be like. But guys, we got to get along though. We gotta.

[Jim Gaffigan]

That's the whole thing.

[Sam Morril]

We gotta get together. You know, that's these Asian people. But guys, it's all.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But as you know, I'm just joking. I think we should all get along. Right? And so like, some of those people are really likable people. And they can do the dose of divide and then a little bit of a hug. And because they're so likable, people are like, that hug was so good. I forgot that your entire act is just misogyny.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, sorry.

[Sam Morril]

Go ahead.

[Mark Normand]

Well, a lot of those style guys, they tend to not do stand up forever. And I feel like they can go into like interviewing or a game show or something like that because the substance is so much work. And if you can just get. Get hot off style. Like a Belzer. I think he was all style. And now he's on, you know, Law and Order. But he.

[Sam Morril]

But yeah, but you're right, but like, that's because you're all style. It lends to like good characters or something.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, exactly. And I'm not taking away from the guy.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah, no, he's a great. He's great on Law and Order.

[Mark Normand]

You're better off as an actor.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And by the way, he was. Not that I'm an expert on it, but he was really like a definitive New York comedy club character staple. He was, you know, and a very smart guy.

[Sam Morril]

If you hear in interviews and stuff, like, very smart.

[Mark Normand]

All right, what were you gonna say there?

[Sam Morril]

Oh, I mean, I'm just thinking about what Jim said about like, you know, being personal versus like, you know, this mystique. But like, I'm thinking about like. Cause you're kind of like an in between eras guy. Cause you're not. You haven't been doing it as long as Jerry. But like you were doing Stand up in the 90s, so you're a guy. I feel like you kind of made a name for yourself off the observational humor. And then you kind of adapted and I think like Mr. Universe. That's like such a personal special.

[Mark Normand]

Oh yeah.

[Sam Morril]

You have all these like family. So I think, like, it's interesting cause you kind of bridged the gap a little bit where like you. I mean, I think of when you blew up and it was like the voice, like, oh, shit, no one had done the audience voice.

[Mark Normand]

Brilliant.

[Sam Morril]

And then you. I think of the Hot Pockets bit and all these observational bits that blew you up. So it's Kind of interesting.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah. That's not personal.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It is interesting.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah. I mean, you did the bacon bit on, like, I remember all these bits on Letterman like, oh, these are just like. I feel like Mark and I almost got the idea of comedy that. Oh, we can just be observational because guys like you are doing that. And I think comedy did change a little bit where they want more.

[Mark Normand]

I think you're right. But could you. Could Carlin work today? Carlin is zero. Personal zero.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Well, he is. I mean, you know, not to nerd out too much.

[Mark Normand]

Nerd out, baby.

[Jim Gaffigan]

There's prototypes or buckets. Right. And first of all, he is a truth teller, right? Yeah, he is a truth teller. And some would believe that the problem of today is that our truth tellers are not challenging authority. Whereas, like, Carlin would. He would be on. You know, someone would be interviewing for him for his book, and it would be a political show, and he'd be like, this whole political system's bullshit.

[Mark Normand]

Right, right.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And they would be like. And so the whole thing is there are certain prototypes. I mean, this is what I've. In talking to comedians over the years. I think there's the preacher, right? Chris Rock is a preacher. Who else is a preacher?

[Sam Morril]

I mean, Kinison was definitely. He was an actual preacher.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Kinison was a preacher. And again, this doesn't have to be. But, like, some of it is. That's a performance style. Then there's the clown. You know, Howie Mandel's obviously that prototype. And Mark Cohen, you know, it's like playful, joyful, you know what I mean?

[Sam Morril]

And you know the Mark Cohen joke where he said, a cop knocked.

[Mark Normand]

That's my favorite joke.

[Sam Morril]

A cop knocked on my door. He goes, we're looking for a rapist. He goes, I'll see what I can do.

[Mark Normand]

That's a great joke.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Mark is so sweet.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And so. But like, there's. And then there's the observational guys, and then there's. There's kind of like the. There's the. The, you know, like, some of it is the professional bombers, the train wrecks, which are kind of have the spirit of. Even though he was a jokesmith. Right. Looking at Rodney is like. And he, like, was next level, you know. I mean, what he was communicating in these one liners, you know, was just. It transcended. Yes, in a way, in a strange way, because, like, his. In my belief, his demographic reach was ridiculous.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

So, like, he got everyone. He got, you know, he got the, you know, the borsch belt audience he got the married audience, the blue collared guys.

[Sam Morril]

He got the kids who were like, this is like my grandpa.

[Jim Gaffigan]

He got the 15 year old boys and he got the comedy nerds. You know, like that's, you know, that's very rare.

[Mark Normand]

So what would you didn't answer the question. Could Carlin work? Because it was all basically social commentary and some observational sprinkled in.

[Sam Morril]

But he did the absurdist one liner.

[Mark Normand]

He did the absurdist.

[Jim Gaffigan]

He had phases. Yeah, he was true.

[Mark Normand]

He kind of had every discipline.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, I think that he would have, you know, look, he would have faced a lot of criticism. Like he, he was facing even, even like his last special. I mean that, that his chunk on Suicide is like one of my favorites.

[Sam Morril]

Mark and I talk about it's bad for you all the time because I think the one before Life is worth losing was kind of like a miss for him. But then it's bad for you. You're like, damn, this is a great special.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, old guy still got it. And he was fun because you watch Twitter and it's like the right will claim him when he's like these pussies. You can't say anything now. And then the left will claim him like abortion. What are we doing? We got to make it legal. And it's, that's a real comic when like every side is fighting for you.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. And so, yeah, I think it would work. I think he would be, there would be a lot of criticism. He would go, oh yeah, in and out of favor.

[Sam Morril]

Would have been great on podcast though, because if you see him in interviews, he's fucking hilarious. It wasn't just the written stuff where he was funny.

[Mark Normand]

He was so quick and he was so thoughtful. He had an opinion on every goddamn subject out there.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, I remember at the original Improv, which was on 44th street, this was probably in, you know, I. So when I started in 90, 91, the thing. Yeah, I know. What year were you born? So like the, you would go to the. It was really, it was down to like. Because the comedy collapse had happened. It was down to the improv and strip. And the strip Stand Up New York was still kind of boutique Y, kind of like. And the seller was like the seller. You couldn't get in Stand Up New York, you couldn't get in. You could either get it in the improv.

[Sam Morril]

You mean just like they wouldn't book you at the time.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Well, they weren't embracing. They didn't need new people. So like in the 80s, when stand up comedy became a Joke on the Simpsons.

[Mark Normand]

Right.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Of how bad it was. Brick wall there was. They did not need anyone at the Comedy Cellar. It was still the goal. The Comedy Cellar was still the goal. Stand up. New York was much more of a curated kind of Upper west side New Yorkers, where it was like the. The New Yorkers that. That would go. But it was. And some of this is just my perspective, so I might have it wrong. So, like, there was the original improv and the comic strip. And the original improv was run by Silver Friedman, Bud Freeman's ex wife. And the comic strip was run by Lucian Holt.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah, we've heard stories about Lucian.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And both of them were kind of power corrupts. You know what I mean? So, like, there was, you know, you hear about these kind of. Now they weren't. They weren't, you know, predatory. Not that I know of. They weren't highly abusive, but it was just a cop. Some psychological manipulation that they could justify that would not exist today.

[Mark Normand]

Right.

[Jim Gaffigan]

So, like, at the original improv, if you were passed or you were given an okay even before you auditioned, you were encouraged to sit and watch every night.

[Mark Normand]

Wow, that's brutal.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And I would watch.

[Sam Morril]

It's the punishment and community service.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And so you would watch, you know, some good comics.

[Sam Morril]

Do you remember who you watched? You were like, this guy's good.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Dave Attell.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

You know, Quinn. Brett Butler.

[Mark Normand]

Wow.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Colin was kind of out of it for a little bit, really. Colin. When I first started, like, there was no Jon Stewart. There was no Colin Quinn. I think he had kind of like, he was on MTV and he was kind of doing a. You know.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, right.

[Jim Gaffigan]

He was in a different. Like, he and Jon Stewart were employed.

[Mark Normand]

Right.

[Jim Gaffigan]

You know what I mean? And so.

[Sam Morril]

But Stewart, you see in the clubs.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I wouldn't see Jon Stewart.

[Sam Morril]

Not even later. He was kind of just done.

[Mark Normand]

He was on Larry Sanders.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I never really saw. Yeah. So, like, he was beyond Larry Sanders. He was kind of at a whole other level. Like, he was talk show after talk.

[Mark Normand]

Show host, a darling.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And so. But you would go and hang out at the original improv and I would go and I would hang out there. And, you know who was. Andy Engel was there.

[Mark Normand]

Wow.

[Sam Morril]

Shit.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Who else was there?

[Sam Morril]

That guy was a. He was a poisonous character.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah. We don't have to get into that.

[Jim Gaffigan]

He was kind of everywhere. Right. And so. But like, hanging out at the original improv, which had all this history, which would still get some. Some people, but like, Silver, you know, like, didn't know how to get people There the way Bud did. Or. Or maybe it was just such a comedy recession that it was just no one could have done it. Whereas Lucian kind of filled. He would paper the room.

[Mark Normand]

Got it.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And so.

[Sam Morril]

Which means, like free tickets to people that don't know the.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And so the comic strip was. Ended up being very observational joke joke. Kind of the. Kind of Seinfeld joke jokes. Kind of like the remnants of the 80s. Whereas Silver, who was an artist, she was a former dancer. And the original improv had this spirit of being much more of Gilbert, Andy Kaufman. It started as much more of that coffee house kind of. There would be different types of people doing different things. So she embraced more organic, autobiographical. Brett Butler. Like Brett Butler. I'm sure she's still alive. Maybe she isn't. I don't know. She was an amazing comedian.

[Mark Normand]

Really. I've never seen one minute of her stand up.

[Jim Gaffigan]

She was amazing. And I would watch her and she would come in and destroy. Wow. And so she.

[Sam Morril]

She's around. She just acted in something.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, really?

[Sam Morril]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

Her TV show was fun.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. And so, like. So I was hanging out at the improv and as. And again, I don't think I was even passed. I think I passed. And it closed after I'd invested a couple years.

[Sam Morril]

That would happen a lot.

[Mark Normand]

That's comedy, baby.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But George Carlin came in.

[Sam Morril]

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[Jim Gaffigan]

And he did a set. It was her anniversary. She called in. Not. It wasn't her. It was some anniversary. She called in a favor. He was in the area.

[Mark Normand]

Was there a crowd, I hope?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yes, there was a crowd.

[Sam Morril]

Did word get out that he was gonna be there?

[Jim Gaffigan]

You know, again, it was 93, you know, like, I know there was an audience, but I remember watching him backstage, and he had all his jokes written out, underlined in different colors. And maybe he was at a certain point in his development of that hour, but it was like, oh, this guy does his homework.

[Mark Normand]

Yes.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And he was, like, looking at things, and I'm trying to, like, not be like, yeah. But it was pretty amazing. Then he went on stage. He, you know, obviously, you know, did great. But, you know, I would see Kevin Brennan kill up there.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, sure.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And Kevin Brennan was a gun.

[Mark Normand]

Great jokes.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And Louis was always doing something interesting. But, like, Attell was just like. His on base percentage was insane.

[Mark Normand]

Yes.

[Sam Morril]

He was Ichiro, man. Every time. Shortest swing in the game, man. It's unreal. He's still unbelievable.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. And it's just a.

[Mark Normand]

But you have that.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I see it's in the bones.

[Mark Normand]

You do my show all the time at New York Comedy Club. And I see you with the notebook, the binder, and you're Right, before you go on, you're doing, like, just a couple of more checks. Okay. What's that new line?

[Sam Morril]

The same thing. You seem so disciplined. I mean, I've talked to Ryan Hamilton about you because he had done some dates with you and Seinfeld together. And I was like, I'm a nerd about this. So I'm like, what's the routine? What do Jim and Jerry do? Show day. And he said, jerry and I usually see a movie. Jim gets to the venue early and is doing his notes.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, I mean, those Jerry shows were great. Because there is a lot of value in having fun, you know, constructive fun. Because when you do the shows with Joey, you have breakfast, then you go to a movie, then you sometimes get lunch, then you go for a walk. And I'm like, I love it, like, when I travel, because, you know, I like to think it's because I am a parent, but, like, I'm catching up on sleep and I'm writing. Do you know what I mean? Because sometimes in New York, and sometimes I'm dealing with phone calls. I mean, as we all know, it's like, you're like, oh, I got nothing to do that day. And then that day fills with stuff. But, yeah, Jerry, I think, has a different approach. But, yeah, I like to go to the theater.

[Sam Morril]

But he's still writing, it seems all the time, right?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yes.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, yeah. He's all resurrected. He's got his workout schedule, his writing schedule.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But he is also, like, he doesn't. And, you know, there is something. There's different theories on this where he doesn't record his set. And I've talked to other people. He doesn't record it.

[Mark Normand]

Sanity.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And he. So he said too, he makes a point of remembering, gee, and I've heard this from other comics. It's like, well, you should remember that line. It should be that important. And some of it is like, maybe I've just destroyed as I sit around all these bottles of alcohol. But like, your recall, my short term memory is not great.

[Mark Normand]

Sure.

[Sam Morril]

But also like, it's not just the joke, it's the tone of the joke. And also hearing. Listening back to the joke is usually how I start writing. I have to listen to the set and then I get in my comedic rhythm.

[Mark Normand]

Goldman said the same thing.

[Sam Morril]

Goldman's the one who used to talk to me about that all the time.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, no, he. I feel like Gary really has a process too. And there's, there's, it's, it's, you know, it's because I have this 13 year old who's really into basketball and he's kind of starting. It's like all of it like athletics and process of comedy. It's like you make it so you have the best opportunity in the game. Do you know what I mean? So, like, the process of writing allows you to be in the best position for when the joke arrives.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And the process of preparing for a game is so that when it is your time to take the shot, you're not nervous because you've been working on your form shooting anyway.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah. I never get these comics who are just like, they just tell the same jokes over and over or their career kind of stays the same. And they're like, what do I got to do? And I'm like, you got to write. And they're like, I write on stage.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah, but the problem is the culture of a lot of these New York clubs. Not to throw shade here is to kill. And when the culture is to kill.

[Jim Gaffigan]

For, then it's like, why risk it?

[Mark Normand]

But you can finesse. You can do a couple in the middle and make it work.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But that takes a certain. That takes a muscle.

[Mark Normand]

But you got to learn that muscle.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And sometimes you get on. And what if the audience is not great?

[Mark Normand]

Well, there's that too.

[Sam Morril]

These people are protecting their rent checks. And it gets to a point where then that becomes your life, those spot pay spots, as opposed to like the grander goal of turning out material, which is when Mark and I were coming up, we watched guys like you or Louis or people turned over the jokes, and to us that was the move. But it is Scary when you're new at the seller or one of those cars.

[Mark Normand]

I get it, I get it.

[Sam Morril]

And all of a sudden you're like, I got no spots. What the fuck? I've been killing. And then you're like, oh, this. This is arbitrary. This is meaningless. Like, you have to do it for you and not for the spots.

[Mark Normand]

You know, I think there's a way to teeter both sides, get you out and still kill. That is a muscle, but it's a.

[Sam Morril]

Skill, as Jim is saying.

[Mark Normand]

But I think every guy's gonna learn. Just like you learn the skill of standup. That's part of stand up, too. That's a tool on the belt, I think.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, I think we just get comfortable, you know.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, that too. And writing is hard. It's hard to sit down and do the fucking work and have the discipline.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And also what works, you know, for six months, suddenly that becomes stale. So you have to mix it up. And you're like. You're like, oh, I go on the subway and I always think of a line. It's like, no, that worked. Then you have to sit there and.

[Sam Morril]

This is my lucky car right here.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Something about. I do believe that. I believe that environment. I mean, I'm so such a nerd about this. I believe environment is a condition, a key contributor to your ability to write. So I believe a little bit of a home team helps. So, like, they know your point of view. They're rooting for you. That's why, like, if you go to la, it's like those LA comics in Largo. You're like. It's like Moses going on stage.

[Mark Normand]

Right?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Because they know him. Yeah, they know him beyond the name. They know the point of view. They've developed a relationship. But I also think that that could.

[Mark Normand]

Be a curse, too.

[Jim Gaffigan]

The shape of the room. Like, if. Look, I think the Cellar is beyond a doubt, one of the best comedy clubs or the most important comedy clubs in America. But I think if people are walking by, that's not good.

[Mark Normand]

I agree.

[Jim Gaffigan]

That's great for interactive. That's great for developing short jokes. That's great for certain things. But like. Like a stage, like, even Eastville, New York, Comedy Club, that's a great setting for a little bit of both. But I think, like, Gotham or the old Carolines was presentational. And the thing about presentational is that I believe stand up is a. You know, some of it, it's like. Like, it's a question of, like, the value of crowd work. Like, I think it's definitely a Skill. I think that it is also, in some ways, a waste of time.

[Mark Normand]

Sure, I agree.

[Jim Gaffigan]

You know what I mean?

[Sam Morril]

It's like sugar. It's like, it's fun, but it's not. I need real food.

[Mark Normand]

No nutritional value.

[Sam Morril]

It's there, kind of like, all right, for dessert, it's fine. At the end, it's fine. But you need a base. You need real food, and the material is the real food.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah. No one's quoting Chris Rock's crowd work from 10 years ago. Quoting the great bit.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

And you're someone who clearly labors over chunks. I mean, like, when I think of chunks that you brought up. Goldman. Goldman's great at chunks.

[Mark Normand]

Great job.

[Sam Morril]

And it's a skill to keep the ball in the air, so to speak. Like, you're really good at that. I mean, that's. And that's. When you're building bits like that, does it. Do you. Are you flooded with ideas? Or is it like, this is brick by brick. I had one thought on, you know, bacon, and now it's. Or like, how does that process work?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I mean, it's. Some of it's brick by brick. It's. But it also is. That's. The other balance is like, how long.

[Mark Normand]

Do you hold on to the topic? Yes.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Right. Because, you know, and I debate this with Jerry because Jerry's like, why are you in a rush? Which is a. Very intelligent. Because some of Jerry's longer jokes, the reason they're so long is because he had 10 years old, he had this chapter with it, then he put it away, and then he brings it back and he can add two more sections to that chunk, which makes it so brilliant. What I learned in doing the bacon jokes is if you get long enough on a topic and you're not reintroducing the topic, you can throw in a B or a C level joke in the middle of this A chunk, and it gets longer and longer. So, like, the. The kind of, like, that's a cute observation. Can slide in. And I'm not talking about, like, it being filler, but it's. You know, there's a different purpose.

[Sam Morril]

Well, points for keeping it going, too. Is like. I think the crowd's like, holy shit. He's still. I mean, I remember when I saw it on Letterman when you did that bit and you go, you can't tell me Kevin Bacon success has not. Like, his name is not.

[Mark Normand]

You got that in there.

[Sam Morril]

You got that. I was like, oh, my God, he's just gonna keep going. It was a thing. I think we were watching with my family, and, yeah, everyone was laughing. So, like, holy shit. He's just still going on one subject.

[Mark Normand]

Your bit about the password strength on the Internet. We won't get into it. I know it's probably. Is that on anything yet? Is that.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, that's on. That's on the Hulu.

[Mark Normand]

Okay. That bit. I watched you work that out of Gotham, and I could see people hitting each other going, I know what he mean. Oh, it is weak. Yeah. That. To me, that. That's when it's like a. When it's a magic show, like, everybody's on board. But if you go, what is that your mom? I thought you were her. You know, you're like, who gives a. That doesn't. It's. It's quick for. It's four seconds. But that awkwardness password thing, that hits home. And you're like, it brings everybody together in a weird way.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah. And I agree, there is a place for crowd work, but it's like, it's. It's bonus. It's not the main thing, I think.

[Mark Normand]

I think you get the clip and move on.

[Sam Morril]

Sure.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And I think also it's. It's. It's bad training for the audience if. If they get a taste for it, they're like, aren't you going to talk to. You know. And when I say me, they mean the entire audience. So you don't have to talk to me, but talk to someone.

[Mark Normand]

Right.

[Sam Morril]

We know these rooms, too. There's rooms, like, I remember playing, like, governors. I'm like, oh, they're just gonna talk the whole time.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sam Morril]

They just talk at the table. I'm like, you know, I'm here. Like, I'm on stage. Those are always the weird ones, too, where you're like. Like, you're like, oh, you didn't. You. They're having dinner and you're just there.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

Those are weird gigs.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, they're fast. I mean, it's fascinating. It is so fascinating.

[Mark Normand]

It's a show.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

Shut the fuck up.

[Unknown Guest]

Just start a conversation with you while you're on stage.

[Mark Normand]

Last week, she kept heckling me, and I had to do one of these where you're like. You play with it at first. You get a couple laughs out of it, and then you're like, I gotta get back to my act.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And.

[Mark Normand]

But you can feel her sitting there, and you know she's gonna say something again. So you can't focus because you just.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Don'T know what you're gonna yell out the worst.

[Mark Normand]

And then eventually she yelled out again. And I was like, can we do something here? And then the guy throws her out, which is so annoying because I. Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Then you look like the town.

[Mark Normand]

Exactly. The crowd work makes people think, like, oh, I'll yell. And the. The poor security guy is like, is this a crowd work moment or is this a disruption?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Probably drunk. And, you know, in her logic, she thought she was helping.

[Mark Normand]

It was my wife.

[Sam Morril]

But, you know, it's like, it's also different when you're doing an hour 20 or whatever on the road versus those 15 minutes club sets where you're like, I need. I need to figure out a joke right here.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

But if I'm an hour 20, I don't give. I'll indulge it if it's a long set, but when it's those short sets, you're like, I really also. It can change the energy of the room for the next comic. Crowd work on those short sets can be annoying.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a precious amount of time.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But I remember when there used to be a big thing where I don't think it happens anymore. But this is like, in the 90s, there were. There would be people that would go on stage and bring a drink. It would go on stage with a drink and they'd be like. And maybe people do it now.

[Mark Normand]

I do it.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But in some ways, it's like, you can't go 15 minutes. But it used to be more of, like, people would go on stage and during the set, they would smoke a cigarette. And by the way, I did that. I would smoke.

[Sam Morril]

You smoke cigarettes?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I smoked cigarettes. Cigarettes. And. But like, some of. That's. That's your character.

[Mark Normand]

That's.

[Sam Morril]

What is that?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I'm talking. No, I'm talking about you showing that.

[Mark Normand]

I'm holding the drink like literal. I need a cocktail.

[Sam Morril]

Literally a taping.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I'm not talking about, like, this is a celebration. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about, like, I need a sip of water to. Because I'm gonna be working so hard for seven minutes. I'm not talking about.

[Mark Normand]

Okay.

[Jim Gaffigan]

You know, Ron White historically would drink, like, fifth. Yeah. I mean, it's like, that's fine. Even though obviously that's probably not fine to drink. But, like, I'm talking about, like, the people that are like, I can't get through this set without a sip of my water. Now, if you're like. If you're, like, having a drink and you're like, part of. It's a party of a part of A party atmosphere on Saturday night. That's different. I'm talking about, like, you can't get through. Like, I need a sip of my drink. It's like, it's a 15 minute set.

[Mark Normand]

I see what you're saying. Yeah. But back to keeping the ball in the air. You know, the king of that. That no one talks about is Regan. Regan could mine.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Oh, yeah.

[Mark Normand]

A premise for everything it was worth and beat it out, like, every part of the Buffalo. And it's incredible to watch that. That bit about him trying to weigh him, weigh his package. And he. The guy's like, step on the scale with the package now. He's like, now I can't see the numbers. I mean, it's so long and every inch of it is fl.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. No, Regan. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. I mean, when I started, I think that, like, there was these awards. Like, I remember I was opening. I took Amtrak. I thought it would take Amtrak to Buffalo one week and then I would move Amtrak from Buffalo to Cleveland.

[Mark Normand]

What are you, homeless?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I've done those 14 hours.

[Sam Morril]

I used to do that all the time.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It was just so brutal. And then I'm just bombing the entire time. And so, like. And then I think, like, I had been recommended by the DC Improv and someone was like, why would the dc. Like, the manager literally said, why would the DC Improv recommend you? And I was like, I don't know. But. But I remember in Cleveland there used to be these different comedy magazines, and I saw that. The American Comedy Award that Regan. Because you used to only be able to win it once and he won it twice. I didn't even know this existed.

[Mark Normand]

I didn't either.

[Jim Gaffigan]

This was back in the 90s, you know, interesting. This was these. It wasn't even newspaper. It was tablet. No.

[Sam Morril]

You started with Geraldo. You were tired with Geraldo, right?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

And he wanted to be Regan and you wanted to be a tell. I heard. And then it flopped.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yes, flip flop. It totally flip flopped. And. And when we met, we were both. I was an account manager in an advertising agency and he was a lawyer. He was at some highfalutin law firm. And so we were the only people. It was at Sweetwaters, which is. Was on 2nd Avenue and. Or 1st Avenue or Lexington and 53rd. It was upstairs, but it was now I can't. I'm blanking. But like, yeah, I met him and, you know, it was. It was like I was like. He thought. He thought I was funny and I thought he was funny. And.

[Sam Morril]

And early on, when you meet someone who, like, fucking good. You're like, oh, my. You, like, grab onto them. Yeah, like a. Like a life.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Absolutely, like a life.

[Mark Normand]

Free Internet. So it's not like you have this community online where you can talk to somebody. This is like, I need a gum. Lonely.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. Yeah. And that was like. That wasn't like, hey, let me get your cell phone number. It was like, where are you going next?

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

Were you hitting the mics with him?

[Jim Gaffigan]

So, like, eventually, Geraldo. Because Geraldo was so engaging. I mean, so funny, but so engaging. Like, people immediately liked him, right? So he would. And he was from Queens, so he could do the city and Long Island. Right. And so. So I would meet him in Long island, and so sometimes I would take the Long island railroad to do chuckles and to do. Or governors. And he was the only reason I would get on because he could communicate, because I was like this blonde guy in khakis, you know, like, who's this fag? And so I was not like, I was like a. I remember, like, I was a college guy, a guy who went to college. Like, it was so absurd. And now it's like a very upper middle class occupation. Yeah, but back then it was like.

[Mark Normand]

It was rough and tumble.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It was, you know, like, it would just be weird if it was, you know, like there were intellectual comics, but, like, no one liked them. You know what I mean?

[Sam Morril]

Yeah, I know.

[Jim Gaffigan]

You mean, does that make sense?

[Sam Morril]

Yeah. I feel like Dennis Miller in Monday Night Football was like a punchline because of the words he was using. You know, you're like, yeah, but did you, like, really? Who did late night first, you or Greg? Do you remember?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Oh, Greg did everything first. I mean, well, we. Greg and I both. So there was the most prestigious show outside besides Letterman or the Tonight show was Caroline's Comedy Hour. So, like, that was the one that was approachable. They would do. So, like, Colin hosted that. And then. Well, you know, again, Colin was so big that, like, he would just host Caroline's. Right. And he would. But, like, so then there was a new season where it was going to be Richard. Jenny was the host, and they were looking for. They wanted to get a couple new comics. And so Geraldo and I both auditioned, both got it by. And so that was like, oh, my gosh, here we go.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And so then he got managed by Carolines. They wanted to manage him.

[Sam Morril]

Does that mean that Caroline Hirsch is your manager?

[Jim Gaffigan]

No, she was starting. That was the preeminent club. And so she was starting a management company. So she hired managers and Greg Was one of their first clients. And because they. Because of Caroline, they had such incredible connections. So, like, they had influence in who could go to Montreal. Obviously Greg got Montreal on him on his own. But, like, then Greg got Montreal.

[Sam Morril]

Is Montreal dead right now? Is that festival?

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, it is coming back.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I heard it is.

[Mark Normand]

A new guy bought it.

[Sam Morril]

Like herpes.

[Mark Normand]

Can't get rid of it.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But so he got Montreal and then. And he got an agent. So he was like, blowing up even before he got to Montreal. And that was when Montreal. There were development deals. $500,000.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

$300,000.

[Sam Morril]

And you seem like you're tailor made for like a sitcom back in the day.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Well, you know, and so. Oh, but you know what I think is also. You'll get a kick out of this. So at that Caroline's taping, a comedian came down from Canada who was. She was really funny. And she was like. And it was Bonnie McFarlane.

[Sam Morril]

Oh, wow.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And then Ian Bagg came down later from Canada. But, like. But like, that was so. I remember, like, Bonnie. Like, everyone was in love with Bonnie. We're like, oh, my God.

[Mark Normand]

Cute. Great jokes.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

Dark.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And she's still beautiful.

[Sam Morril]

Like, Bonnie looks the same as she.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Did like, 25 years ago.

[Sam Morril]

And so dry and sarcastic.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. So funny. And just like, she knew exactly who she was. It was pretty impressive.

[Mark Normand]

The Rich Voss thing is still confused. It's fascinating.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, it's fun.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah. But also comedy. When I started, I was doing the alt world that still was kind of. The remnants of that were still there. And they have all these clubs that you were doing, but it was comedy was still kind of underground.

[Sam Morril]

Mark and I kind of met in the middle.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

Kind of more in the alt. And I was more of a clubby. And like, we started hanging out and then we. Mark would come to the strip with me and we would like. But you were interesting because you were.

[Mark Normand]

There's nothing there.

[Sam Morril]

Well, you also Ghostland, but you also started like. There's not a lot of comics who have, like, steady acting careers. You've been in so much stuff. If you look. If we pull up his IMDb page, it's probably. I remember you were like, that 70s show.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

I mean, you on Super Troopers.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Well, some. I love. I love the. I love acting. It's like, I always thought that I would be able to, like, create this acting career that would. But it's like, I don't know, like, how many times I've done these indies and. And I'm so grateful. And then they'll go to Sundance and I'll be like, look, I went to Sundance like four years in a row. And I was like, I am set. I never have to audition again. And then I don't get an acting role for like two years.

[Mark Normand]

Because you turned down Harvey.

[Jim Gaffigan]

No, but like, some of it is like, you know, it's. You don't have to.

[Sam Morril]

Which is the one that you thought was gonna be the biggest that just didn't blow up?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I thought that. I thought that. Well, there's. I mean, it's like, which year? You know, like, there's like. I did this movie, Eugene the Marine. That is really great. It's a really artistic thing. It's got all these amazing people in it. And like, pull up Eugene the Marine. Because like that one, I thought that it would definitely be awards bait. It's about this guy played by now I can't even see that far. But yeah, Scott Glenn, still wrecked by him.

[Sam Morril]

He's like 80 shredded.

[Jim Gaffigan]

He's like 83 shredded. Like doing push ups in between takes. And he's playing this 80 year old. And it's kind of this horror film, kind of an homage to the giallo Italian types of film. And I thought, oh, this will definitely go to Sundance or can or. Or Cannes or even Toronto. And some of it is. It didn't. You know, I mean, I'm just like, I don't understand it. It's like Scott Glenn, I think is. I haven't watched White Lotus. I think he's on White Lotus. It's like, oh, yeah, this is like he's the dad. You know, one of these things where you're like, I can't understand that. But then like, there's American Dreamer where I thought for sure that would go. Yeah, linoleum. I thought for sure that would go somewhere. And these.

[Sam Morril]

You're good at being scary in movies. It's shocking because it's just like, oh, shit, he's not. But always a dark.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Great directors and. Yeah. And then I, you know, I did Peter Pan where I played Mr. Smee and. And that was David Lowry. I'm like, oh, here we go.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah. Ye.

[Jim Gaffigan]

No one saw it. And I'm like, all right. But that's all right.

[Mark Normand]

Is it true? Speaking of acting, you got your own show. I remember that was a big deal. You had a lot of comics on it and then you pulled the plug.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, that was because we kind of created a really impossible situation where it was autobiographical. The shows were written by my wife and I. Obviously we had some help from people. And we were. I was portraying myself and. And we had five young kids. So like the. Imagine like both. And you know, there are plenty of couples where both. Both spouses work.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But like, we're working like 16 hour days. And it's like, this is insane.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

This is. You know, we can pull this off. But like, if you're. Do you want to do it? Right? And it's like, it's not like I'm some great dad, you know, I travel too much too. But like, at least one parent's there.

[Mark Normand]

Right.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Whereas opposed to us both being gone and we're in the city and then you have. I mean, you're. Your kid's so young, but you'll have these babysitters and you'll be like, okay, they're good, but like, they're pouring sugar on toast as breakfast.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And you're like, as much as. I think she's a great grandmotherly figure, she shouldn't be feeding our children breakfast. Do you know what I mean?

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And so, yeah, it was kind of. That. That's what's weird also is the, the appeal. If either of you were given an opportunity for a TV show, you would make less money.

[Mark Normand]

That's. That's the other thing.

[Sam Morril]

It's the weird.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Isn't that amazing?

[Sam Morril]

Weird state of the industry.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And by the way, more people would see you in a Netflix special or a special on Hulu or Amazon or whatever, or YouTube. Even then a TV show on one of the great streamers and there's a lot of great streaming platforms. But like, I saw an ad for. I saw Billy Bob Thornton do this incredible speech, and I was like, what movie is that from? And it's from some TV show. Landman.

[Mark Normand]

Yo. It's good.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And I'm like, I've never even heard of that. And I'm not like, oh, I don't know what's going on. Like, I know what's going on. I'm like. And it's like, john, it's a big show.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah, it's like Taylor Sheridan.

[Mark Normand]

Sheridan.

[Jim Gaffigan]

There's too many shows. Like, but, you know, like, how many of the Taylor Sheridan shows have you watched?

[Sam Morril]

Just like the first season of Yellow.

[Jim Gaffigan]

That's because you're gay. You would have watched all of them.

[Sam Morril]

His dude, he wrote so many good movies. Like Water, Wind, river, all these. Like, he had Sicario is.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, that's him.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

He made. I think he wrote Prisoners too. He wrote like, he had a run of, like, crazy.

[Mark Normand]

What a talent.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. Yeah. I don't know how he does all that.

[Mark Normand]

I don't either.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Right.

[Sam Morril]

Like a 600 million dollar ranch in Texas.

[Mark Normand]

I. I bet. Jesus.

[Sam Morril]

That he shoots on and uses as.

[Jim Gaffigan]

A. Yeah, but is he happy? Yeah, but is he really happy? No, he's really happy.

[Mark Normand]

He's very happy.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Creatively fulfilled. A billionaire. I think he's doing all right.

[Sam Morril]

You always got to find a hole.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, but you know what?

[Sam Morril]

You're in so much shit. I was watching TV the other day and it was just like a movie with Alec Baldwin and Salma Hayek, and I was like, holy, that's Jim Gaffigan.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Oh, yeah.

[Sam Morril]

You just like, popped up. You pop up in so many things.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, I love working. It's fun, right? Yeah, just fun.

[Sam Morril]

I like it.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Just trying to get my dad to like me.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, but that's the question. Back in the day, everybody watched one show. You know, the whole country got together and watched one show or one Letterman or one. Whatever. Now we have a million splintered avenues. Is that better or is that worse? Because Landman's a good show and no one's heard of it. No one's watching that.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It's.

[Mark Normand]

People are watching. But he's in the business.

[Sam Morril]

I know, but it's renewed.

[Mark Normand]

That's true.

[Sam Morril]

Take shows a couple seasons to get an audience.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Is it Apple?

[Sam Morril]

I don't know.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, I don't even know what stream.

[Sam Morril]

I don't know. I've saw a couple clips.

[Mark Normand]

Every now you get a White Lotus, which is like taking over the zeitgeist. You get a squid game. You get that one show that somehow punches Breaking Bads and all those types. I mean, that's older, but, like, it's hard to get that breakout show in the White Lotus.

[Sam Morril]

I. I understand that he's a good writer, but I don't think it's something about it that doesn't hit for me. Like, everyone's like this insane. This monologue by Sam Rockwell, and I'm like, he just likes fucking Asians.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, that's the monologue people are praising.

[Sam Morril]

This is like the greatest monologue ever. And he's like, I love Asian, but.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I think it is, is. It is so bizarre how some of it is. Like, I think Mike White does have a touch for what, the Zeit guys.

[Mark Normand]

Yes, totally.

[Sam Morril]

Clearly, I'm the odd one out. I'm just saying it's like, it's like almost like vacation porn meets, like, murder.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It's.

[Sam Morril]

He's gotten all the things that rich.

[Jim Gaffigan]

People being, like, annoying. No, rich people are bad. We all know rich people are bad. Like, I like watching, but I know someone like that. So yeah, rich people like it.

[Mark Normand]

Then they had that Trump conversation with the two liberal people. That's very interesting because that' happening and you don't see that on tv. That's happens all the time and that's a huge part of our country and no one brings it up.

[Sam Morril]

I acknowledge that. It's interesting. I even read a profile, I'm in the New Yorker and I was like, wow, he sounds like a really interesting man. Like, he just has like. He's like an interesting dude, you know, I didn't know he's on the Amazing Race with his dad.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sam Morril]

They're both gay dudes. There's like so many things going on and. And he's been around and he's been around forever. Like he's been just plugging.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, no, dude, School of Rock.

[Mark Normand]

School of Rock is great. That's him.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Also, one of my favorite shows was. You think I'd know the name of it? But it was with. It was on hbo. So amazing.

[Mark Normand]

Enlightened. Yes, yes. So good.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Unbelievable.

[Mark Normand]

He gets into that crazy mind. He's so good at it. And she was like a activist. Annoying activist lady.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, it's fun. So there's. I think he kind of captures just. And like that was. That came out before. Like, that was kind of this commentary on narcissism. Narcissism. And also it's a strange kind of commentary on female empowerment gone awry.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, yeah. He's basically. Women are crazy.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It wasn't.

[Sam Morril]

Is there any other kind.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It wasn't that flat footed. Right? Yes, yes.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, exactly. He's so good with the layers of the nuance.

[Sam Morril]

All right, I'll give it another chance.

[Mark Normand]

It's good. And he can do the twist and turns too, with the mystery.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

Jim, like, what do. What are your top movies, like, ever? What do you. What do you go to?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Top movies ever.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Gosh, it's been a while. It's so weird when it ends up with Rodney Dangerfield on this screensaver. God, what do I love? Like, what did I love? I mean, I. I don't know. I mean, it's like. I want to say It's a Wonderful Life for that, but that's a great movie.

[Mark Normand]

It is a good movie.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I loved Apostle with Robert Duvall.

[Sam Morril]

Never seen it. Hers. Great.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It's really good. It's a lot of great story in that.

[Mark Normand]

He's always good, you know, But I.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Love, I love a lot of Alexander Payne stuff.

[Sam Morril]

I can see you in that type of movie.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I would love to do that. Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

Sideways is as good as it gets, man.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. And so there's. But I love, like.

[Mark Normand]

Is that what he looks like?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. So some of that. That comedy of that. Even though, like, I think. And I'm. I like the last one he did, but it was just like. But he captures a comedy that is not as. And by the way, it's different from what we do. You know what I mean?

[Mark Normand]

Oh, yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But I love the fact that it kind of. It's interesting that we're talking about him with Mike White because they're both have this approach to, like, these characters that are not traditional. So, like, Mike White and also Alexander Payne. You know, supposedly on Sideways, George Clooney really wanted to be in it. And Alexander Payne was like, no, I don't want him.

[Mark Normand]

I want this TV guy, Thomas Hayden Church.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And Thomas Hayden Church was amazing.

[Mark Normand]

He killed it.

[Sam Morril]

So funny.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And I'm sure Mike White picks whoever the hell he wants. White Lotus. I auditioned for White Lotus.

[Mark Normand]

Whoa.

[Jim Gaffigan]

The first one during the pandemic, it.

[Mark Normand]

Was the Patrick Schwarzenegger role.

[Jim Gaffigan]

No, no, no. The first season, it was the guy. He was so good. He was the Australian guy who ends up eating ass.

[Mark Normand]

It's been a while. Hold on. Pull up the poster.

[Unknown Guest]

I think he's really. The hotel.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, the hotel guy.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Murray, whatever his name.

[Sam Morril]

Guy who gets. God, right?

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, the drug addict.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, he gets. And then. Yeah, it is. It's weird because it's like, I don't know.

[Mark Normand]

Don't you hate that when you. I've auditioned for commercials, and then you're like, on the road bombing at the hotel, and you see the commercial with the guy and he looks just like you, and you're like, God damn it. He's just a little better looking.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Well, I look at that and I'm like, why would he think I would be right for that character?

[Sam Morril]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

I was thinking.

[Sam Morril]

I mean, you probably look at a wide range of people, right?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Unknown Guest]

I also just found out that every actor since this first season earned the same amount of money.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Unknown Guest]

Across the board, everyone made 30,000 an episode. Maybe 40,000 an episode.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

And I looked up the resort in Thailand. So Four Seasons.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

It's like 500 a night.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. And by the way, so, like, here's the other thing. I didn't read the article, and I don't know if this is just clickbait, but, you know, because we talk about navigating the zeit. Zeitgeist. Right. Supposedly. And I only watched the first episode, but Carrie Coons character in there was a whole storyline where she had a kid that was trans. And that storyline was cut because of Trump. And not. Not because of Trump, but because I think that, like, we do live in this day and age where people, like, there's a fatigue.

[Sam Morril]

You know what it is, though, also, it's like they did it in Fargo. It was a really good season, I thought. But they didn't Fargo with the kids, like, you know, non binary. And it does get to a point where you're like, all right, but the math isn't adding up. It's like when you watch TV and every judge is a black woman, and you're like, you're doing this to do this now.

[Mark Normand]

Well, that says something about Mike White, that he's like, hey, maybe they'll think this. So I won't do this. You know, he's three steps ahead of us.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Unknown Guest]

Well, he often does show both sides of an issue.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Unknown Guest]

So I think showing the.

[Sam Morril]

Well, life is both sides of the issue.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Unknown Guest]

Is not cute now. Where, you know, because of the Californian laws that Trump put in place.

[Sam Morril]

Right.

[Unknown Guest]

I think it's sort of like, I don't think we should show the other side here.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Well, you know, but I actually think it's different from that. I think that the evolution is that you don't get hero points for portraying it. There's an exhaust, like you saying, of being exposed to it. And that's not. It's an. It's not an a fear for fearful or unempathetic take on it. It's just kind of like. Like, also, it's been done. Why give. You know, if half the country was like, we are so sick of that stuff. Please stop. He knew to, like, go, all right, we don't need it anyway.

[Mark Normand]

Right.

[Sam Morril]

Isn't making the show better. I mean, and there's so many people watching this stuff is escapism.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yes.

[Sam Morril]

And so many shows now are like, work. And you don't want to, like, turn on a show to zone out, especially a show like this. And you're just like, why. Why are you throwing this at me right now? I'm trying to watch this.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

Trying to watch a murder take place.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

Why are you throwing. No, I.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But I kind of lost, you know, like, even the first episode where it was like. And I don't know if I really. You know, I think I gave up on the second. The second season, but. And Mike White is brilliant. And if he's watching this by chance. I really want to be in. But, like, that first episode where I was like. And the guy's like, there's someone shooting. I'm like, okay. And then we're gonna spend the whole season. It's like, who was this?

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Who was the person coming undone? Was it this guy? Was it this guy? Which reminded me of the first season where the casket. It's like, all right, who's in the casket? Who's. Why is that guy upset? We're gonna find out.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, right. Isn't that just his. His style? I guess, but that's.

[Jim Gaffigan]

That's. That's probably effective storytelling.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, exactly.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

I think he knows. He knows what he's doing.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, I think. Welcome back to the Mike White Show.

[Mark Normand]

Funny guy.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

Talented guy.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Great and enlightened. One of the. I can't believe that that didn't.

[Mark Normand]

I know.

[Sam Morril]

I got. Maybe I should watch it. What are your go to shows when you're on the road and you're like, I just want to zone out, like, what's, like a. What's like a comfort show for you.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I love. I'm a news junkie, so be careful. I. No, I totally.

[Sam Morril]

But you zone out to Stossel.

[Jim Gaffigan]

John Stossel. Why is my mustache getting gray? No. So, yeah, no, I don't really like, like, I loved. I loved. What's the. The Apple show that everyone loves with Adam Scott. I love the Severance. Severance. I love the first season. Everyone's like, the second season you got to watch. I still haven't watched it.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I love the first season of Game of Thrones offshoot Iron Eagle, what it's called.

[Mark Normand]

Really?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Then the second season, I. I couldn't get into. And so. So it's just like now I'm so impatient. I don't have the commitment to even start something. And some of it is figuring out it's navigating what to watch with my wife, with my kids. And so we end up like, I have like a 12, 13, 15 year old at home and the other two are at college. So it's usually a horror film film. That's what escapes the veto proof thing. Or. But, like, I. I can't. I will. You know, like, sometimes I'll push in an Ari Astro movie. I'll be like, we're watching Midsomer. And they're like, oh, geez. And my wife will be. And my wife, who, when we were dating, we would watch a lot of indie films. It's like, oh, My God. Jesus Christ. We're trying to relax. Why are we watching an Ari Astro movie? But he's brilliant.

[Mark Normand]

Ye. He's great.

[Sam Morril]

He did Hereditary, right?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. No, so like we watched that and she's like, what are we doing?

[Sam Morril]

Scary.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I was just like, I love it. So. But like that fits in that kind of horror. Horror adjacent where I can. I'll dip into that if I'm gonna pull my dad card thing. But it's a lot of like, I'm trying to think of like a horror film, but it's usually like, you know, a horror film that a 12 and a 13 year old would want to watch. Watch. So. But on the road I'm like, I'm just consuming news about how our economy is about to collapse. Stuff like that.

[Mark Normand]

Good stuff.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And just also mindful, right.

[Sam Morril]

As we're all announcing new tours.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

That is a horror film in a weird way.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It's bizarre how we're processing it and how there's a certain denial and Canada's mad at us. Nevertheless, let me, let me tell you this. I did this as a joke when I was in Vancouver and. And by the way, those audiences in Vancouver were amazing.

[Sam Morril]

I love, I'm going there soon. I love Vancouver.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Great, amazing audiences. And so I have this joke where I talk about, I make a reference to. I think it's son of some serial killer, Son of Sam or whatever. And. Or maybe it was Taxi Driver where the guy was like, I'm gonna shoot the president to impress this girl. Right? And so I have this joke where this dog tells me to shoot the president. And so I do that joke. And so in every time I do it, there's some audiences that don't get the fact that it's a serial killer reference. And they think it's me proposing to shoot Trump. And they go bananas, right? In Canada.

[Mark Normand]

Oh God.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It would turn into an.

[Sam Morril]

They hand you the gun.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And so what? And then I would kind of riff on it afterwards. I was like, you know, because I've been doing stand up long enough. I remember when we. So like, as. From my perspective as an American, when you would do a show in Europe, there would be a little condescending. You guys have done international show, right? And so. And the English are just kind of condescending in general. But, but they, but when we would deal with. So when we went through the Gulf War, post 9, 11, the Gulf War, it's like there was a moment when we lost the Irish and I was like, oh my God, I can't believe the Irish Americans. And as an Irish American, I was like, that's kind of sad.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But the Canadians were always like, yeah, you know. You know, it's. You know, it's not you. It's your government doing this foreign policy. Lousy.

[Mark Normand]

Sorry.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And so. But my joke was, like, I would bring that up, that the Canadians were always there. And now the Canadians are like, we hate you.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

You know, and they would.

[Sam Morril]

Oh, they're ready to scrap, dude.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Oh, yeah, they are. They're furious.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, yeah. They were the upstairs neighbor. That was boring. You know, Mexico was the neighbor. You were like, this guy's a little unhinged. But now they're the angry neighbor.

[Sam Morril]

It feels like our parents are going divorce, and they're like, is it our dad's fault? Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I went to. I went to a whiskey bar in Vancouver because, you know, I'm an alcoholic. I do that in every city now.

[Mark Normand]

And welcome.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Went to this Irish. It had an Irish name, but it's whiskeys from around the world. Right. And those bars are amazing. There's amazing ones all across the country, too, by the way. And so went in there, sat down, and I don't like scotch. You know, I'll try Canadian whiskey if I'm in Canada, you know, if I'm in Ireland, I'll eat. I'll drink Irish whiskey. But I like bourbon. And so I'm like, all right, I'm gonna get a bourbon. No bourbon. I go, this is a world whiskey bar. And they're like, no, we're not selling any American whiskey. And I go, tariffs, bacon. So did you get rid of it? And they're like, oh, it's back there. There. We're just not selling it.

[Mark Normand]

Damn.

[Sam Morril]

They're hurting their own hostage.

[Jim Gaffigan]

So it was like, okay, I get it, you know, and then we went back to our hotel that was owned by an American company, and I got a bourbon.

[Mark Normand]

I mean, did they go all the way with, like, no Coke? No, no, no.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I think. I think it comes down. I think some of that.

[Sam Morril]

You gotta drink Canada Dry, dude.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I guess.

[Mark Normand]

I bet that's American.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I mean, even though coke, I think that Canada is being tactical. Like, they're picking red states, so. From red states.

[Sam Morril]

Bodega cat comes from a red state.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, but sold in blue.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

We're all over the map.

[Sam Morril]

All over the map, baby.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, yeah, yeah. But you're born in a red state.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I am.

[Mark Normand]

So watch out.

[Jim Gaffigan]

What do you do?

[Mark Normand]

Well.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I think. I mean. I mean, I think Indiana voted for Obama once.

[Sam Morril]

Louisiana we're reminiscent.

[Mark Normand]

Indiana's got a black friend. All right, well, we gotta. We gotta wrap.

[Sam Morril]

We gotta wrap it up. Jim, you want to plug some dates? Are you going out? Are you doing solo?

[Mark Normand]

I'm always.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I'm always touring. But, no, I want to plug that Father Time bourbon. You know what would be a perfect gift for Father's Day? A bottle of Bodega Cat and Father Time.

[Mark Normand]

I love it.

[Sam Morril]

Where can people get Father's Day?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Because you need a bourbon and you need a rye on your bar.

[Mark Normand]

You got tales.

[Sam Morril]

What's. Where can people buy this?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Fathertime-fathertime-bounbon.com.

[Mark Normand]

Okay.

[Sam Morril]

It's really good stuff, guys.

[Mark Normand]

Very nice.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It's not bad.

[Sam Morril]

We give it the Bodega Cat seal of approval. This is very good whiskey. Jim's got very good bourbon.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, we had.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It's like.

[Mark Normand]

It's horrible.

[Jim Gaffigan]

We're not competitors.

[Sam Morril]

We're not.

[Mark Normand]

No, we're friends.

[Sam Morril]

Maybe we do a collab.

[Jim Gaffigan]

We're friends. We're like Canada and America.

[Sam Morril]

Go. Go get Jim's stuff. See Jim on the road. One of the best. Comics Killer.

[Unknown Guest]

April 25th at KeyBank State Theater.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yes. Cleveland.

[Mark Normand]

Hell, yeah.

[Unknown Guest]

And then May 1st at the pace center in Greenville. And you're going to North Carolina. Australia. Sorry, Charlotte, South Carolina.

[Jim Gaffigan]

North. Yeah. I mean, that's what I love. Every state. So I invite distilleries. You should do that. You invite distillery folks to the show. I learn a lot.

[Sam Morril]

Matt Herman. Get off it. Get on it.

[Mark Normand]

Sm.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And then, so, like. And it's. It's fun, you know, and obviously Cincinnati. It's, like, right next to Kentucky, so there's tons. And then, you know, obviously, there's great rye in Indiana, so.

[Sam Morril]

Damn, you're doing a lot of shows at the Taft Theater.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Vegas.

[Mark Normand]

That's a great room.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It's a great room.

[Sam Morril]

Ooh, the wind. You're doing some fun stuff coming up. Vegas.

[Jim Gaffigan]

No, I'm very excited.

[Mark Normand]

Foxwoods and then all over. Grand Rapids, Duluth, Atlanta. I hear Duluth is a hidden gem.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Duluth is fun.

[Mark Normand]

That's what Nate was raving about it.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, Duluth and also Rochester, Minnesota.

[Sam Morril]

Oh, it's a good one. Yeah. I've done a casino there once.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, that's where the Mayo Clinic is.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yep, that's right.

[Sam Morril]

I'm checking in, babe.

[Jim Gaffigan]

That's where they have the biggest bell tower. Biggest bell.

[Mark Normand]

You went for the mail.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I have a bet on bells. That was inspired by Rochester.

[Mark Normand]

Okay.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But that's, like, two specials ago, so.

[Mark Normand]

All right.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Anyway, thanks, you guys. You all. You guys. Also have shows coming up.

[Sam Morril]

Yeah, we got shows coming up. I got Minneapolis, Phoenix, San Diego, Sacramento, SS Portland. Added a late show. They're good on that. We got Seattle, Vancouver. We added a late show. Boise, Idaho, Denver. And I just added some shows for the summer. I'm gonna do the Wilbur again. I would probably do a few there for a weekend maybe. And then I got got Jersey. Gonna do Jersey in July. It looks like we're gonna do Count Basie.

[Mark Normand]

Great.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Count Basie's a great.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

And then there was one other we just added there too.

[Jim Gaffigan]

That's you know. By the way that's where in Wellmont and Montclair. Seinfeld does. I mean not Seinfeld. Springsteen. Oh, not.

[Sam Morril]

I saw Lily Tomlin there back in the day. She killed it. It was a great show. I mean it's beautiful. I can't wait. So yeah. Samral.com shows follow us on. Are you on punch up Jim? We got to get you on there.

[Jim Gaffigan]

If you want Punch up.

[Sam Morril]

Oh, we got it. We'll talk.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Oh, is it another money laundering.

[Sam Morril]

Human trafficking. But Bristol.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Who's doing Bristol?

[Mark Normand]

I'll go anywhere.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Espn.

[Mark Normand]

Oh really?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, I didn't know that. Asheville.

[Sam Morril]

No, not. It's Bristol, Connecticut. Not Tennessee.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Oh, that's Bristol.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah. Tenness. See New Brunswick.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Bristol, Tennessee.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Oh, that's like where they got the big race, don't they?

[Mark Normand]

Yes, the speedway is over there.

[Jim Gaffigan]

New Brunswick, CIM White trash.

[Mark Normand]

No one's questioning Ithaca. Then we got going to the UK Reykjavik and Reykjavik. So fun is it? Those are your people, you whities.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yes. You got to get the black Death. That's where. Black Death is not a watery drink. It's actually a very great. It's like 160 proof liquor.

[Mark Normand]

What is damn sickle cell.

[Sam Morril]

Vicious.

[Mark Normand]

Belfast to Glasgow. Keep going. Then we're back at Rochester. Port Chester, Albany, Burlington, Wasaw. I hope I'm saying that right. Wausau. Thank you. Eugene. San Jose, Hyannis. Mass of the melody Tent. That'll be interesting. Connecticut, Pennsylvania. And then we're going to Australia and New Zealand.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Oh wow.

[Sam Morril]

That's a.

[Mark Normand]

Which I love. You've been there.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Are you bringing the. The. The baby?

[Mark Normand]

I think we're gonn car. Yeah, no, I think we're going to just give him to the. The grandma.

[Jim Gaffigan]

That is a long run down there.

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, he's young. He's you know, three months not ready.

[Jim Gaffigan]

He's. He also smokes so that long.

[Mark Normand]

That's true. We got him on the patch also.

[Unknown Guest]

Lastly, Page to Stage, a documentary I worked on with Mark is now available on Punch Up Live.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Punch Up, Page to Stage.

[Mark Normand]

We'd love to have you on. Yeah, you're in it. You and Jerry and Jon Stewart. We did that. That military benefit.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, I remember that.

[Unknown Guest]

Yeah, we were shooting that.

[Jim Gaffigan]

That's where I was like. I was like, I'm gonna get everyone to sign this bottle of. That was. That was Canadian whiskey that they make they bottle in Oregon.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, yeah, that was right when Trump won and Jon Stewart went up and talked about it and it got weird. But, yeah, fun night, fun episode. Check it out on Punch Up.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Oh, so wait a minute. So how many? How many? So that's episode two. So there's different episodes where we tried.

[Unknown Guest]

To get Mark to write one clean joke to perform in front of you and Jerry. It took him six weeks.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And so wait a minute. So is this. Is this on your YouTube channel?

[Mark Normand]

Yeah, we're trying to sell this, but it's doing well on Punch Up. We're making a. We're making a couple bucks and yeah, it's on. It's on Punch Up. And then eventually It'll be on YouTube, but it's behind a paywall right now.

[Sam Morril]

We'll explain Punch up to you. It's fucking good, man. Yeah, you should get on it.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Is it your business?

[Sam Morril]

No, it's. A friend of ours started it and it's. We use it because, like, you know, views and engagement are down across the socials. Like, it doesn't matter. Your follower count. No one's seen your. No one's seen your posts anymore. So why is that? Because they're changing the algorithm to compete with. They want. They see TikTok's getting banned, so they're trying to get everyone from TikTok on an Instagram. So it's like they're not prioritizing, like, jokes anymore. It's now just like, dumb shit and dancing and stuff like that would blow up on TikTok. So we want to.

[Jim Gaffigan]

You can build my algorithms. All prayers.

[Sam Morril]

Well, you get a lot of. If you do Punjab, you get a lot. You can just collect emails and you just have emails or phone numbers and you could just blast them and it's not, you know, buried. So that's why I like it. Yeah, Burr Segura's on it now. Everyone's getting on. Tim Dillon, Mark and I. Lou's on it.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It's.

[Sam Morril]

It's good, man. We. We recommend it, but Louise tour. Jim Jeffries is on there.

[Mark Normand]

Oh, nice. I just talked to him in Nashville.

[Sam Morril]

He's a man.

[Mark Normand]

He's a good, sober Jim is. It's a different bird, but yeah. Yeah, fun guy. So, yeah, check it out. Check out his Hulu special as well. That's. That's out there. There. And. Yeah.

[Sam Morril]

Father time. Bourbon.com.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Father time.

[Sam Morril]

All right, guys.

[Mark Normand]

There you go. See you on hell.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Sunday's the day for my next a bit of peck. You know the future's close?

[Mark Normand]

I've had a little too much burping? And Norman's talking about the poke?

[Jim Gaffigan]

And I get down in the same way? Up on the roof like a cop? Cops coming and naked Samuel is feeling dangerous? I'm out to lunch here in New Orleans? This woman doesn't look like I remember her? And I get down in the same way? We might be true.