We Might Be Drunk Ep 249: Ronny Chieng
Release Date: September 15, 2025
Hosts: Mark Normand & Sam Morril
Guest: Ronny Chieng
Episode Overview
In this lively, joke-packed episode, NYC comedians Mark Normand and Sam Morril sit down with Ronny Chieng (The Daily Show, Crazy Rich Asians, Megan) to dive deep into comedy philosophies, cultural quirks, fashion in stand-up, technology's impact on creativity, and the grind of making it in show business. Ronny brings his distinctive views on everything from airline frugality to why he refuses plastic, and shares stories from his career, tours with Hasan Minhaj, and Hollywood adventures.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Bananas, American Waste, and Comic Frugality
[00:06 – 07:15]
- Ronny Chieng reveals his green room "rider" is simply: bananas, no plastic.
- Ronny rails against America's nonchalance with plastic and waste:
"The lack of remorse about plastic in America is crazy. ... Americans don't care about plastic. You throw that shit into the river, you don't think about it." (Ronny, 01:52)
- Mark’s upbringing was "frugal, not wasteful," taking old food home and sneaking in fruit snacks to movies:
"Hot dog from a homeless guy the other day — Mark grabbed it and finished it right in front of him." (Ronny, 05:21)
- Discussion turns to American consumer mentality and inherited thrift.
Attire in Comedy—Suits, Style, "Dress Like the Man"?
[09:20 – 16:45]
- Ronny discusses his tailored stage presence:
"It was easier to dress like this… If you wear a suit, it’s like a cheat code." (Ronny, 10:20)
- Mark and Sam debate whether comics "should dress better than the audience," referencing Mulaney, Seinfeld.
- Ronny suggests finding style through a stylist or mixing up suits with polos for approachability.
- Memorable exchange on the incongruity of suits with their onstage personas, and which late-night looks really worked.
Comedy, Pandering, and Political Material
[18:45 – 22:45]
- Mark calls Ronny unique:
"One of the few dudes who can do the social commentary without pandering." (Mark, 18:54)
- Ronny says most truly political stuff is channeled to The Daily Show, while his stand-up stays accessible:
“If anything, I get all my politics out on the show, so I do stand up, I’m like, let’s do something else, you know?” (Ronny, 19:21)
- They reflect on reading audiences in purple states, the need for unpredictability, and why outright pandering or clapter is a dead end.
Unpredictability in Comedy & Film Structure
[22:45 – 27:00]
- Sam floats unpredictability as the real hook in movies and stand-up:
"Predictability gets old. ... If you can really tap dance and make people not know where you’re going, that’s the best." (Sam, 22:41)
- Good Time (Safdie Bros.), The Long Goodbye, and other twisty films discussed as inspiration.
- Ronny doubts that comedies can break formula like dramas, but Mark and Sam point to Being John Malkovich and the unpredictability within jokes themselves.
Technological Overload, AI & Creativity
[35:01 – 44:51]
- Ronny details ditching his smartphone for an Apple Watch to avoid doom-scrolling:
"Offline is the new luxury. We gotta spend so much money just to get offline now." (Ronny, 37:21)
- Mark and Sam discuss the iPad-like "FreeWrite" digital typewriter for distraction-free work.
- The hosts and Ronny riff on the idea of how autocorrect and then AI are making people dumber:
"Autocorrect made us bad spellers. AI is making us bad thinkers." (Ronny, 42:48)
- Sam recalls when losing the need to remember phone numbers felt like crossing a dangerous threshold.
- The lost art of pulling out maps, giving directions, and having to call crushes on the house landline—skills now evaporating.
Comedy’s Role in Society + Career Stories
[45:22 – 53:00]
- Reflecting on how comedians “lubricate” institutional entertainment — stand-ups staff late night, warm up crowds, even ghostwrite for awards show hosts.
- Ronny shares early career stories, including Bill Burr cold-messaging him on Facebook after Just For Laughs.
- The mixture of pride and awkwardness at constantly being cast as “the Asian guy” in Hollywood, and the confusion that arises from it.
ChatGPT “Hack Check” Comedy
[53:02 – 57:34]
- The crew tests ChatGPT by asking it to write jokes for each comic’s “voice” based on a photo development premise—producing hacky, formulaic jokes but little danger to real stand-up.
-
"If it's here [in ChatGPT], it's hack." (Ronny, 56:58)
Comics’ Lifelong Insecurity & The Grind
[63:03 – 66:10]
- They discuss how comics “live in fear of their next good bit,” and that good comics are never satisfied:
"Every good comic I've met is just living in fear of their next good bit." (Sam, 64:04)
- Constraints—whether low budgets, writing clean for TV, or tough gigs—often produce the best material.
"Constraints literally … actually is what makes it funnier." (Ronny, 66:10)
Bad Gigs, Awards Show Warm-ups, and Comic Resilience
[72:00 – 79:00]
- Mark shares infamous story of bombing while warming up the MTV Music Awards (and losing his date to Pete Davidson).
- Ronny muses about the "hell gig" of awards show warm-up, why producers really don’t care, and the existential requirement to keep taking “bad gigs” for the challenge.
-
"You’re bulletproof … you heal up quickly." (Ronny on Mark, 73:37)
Notable Quotes
- Ronny on American waste:
"Americans don't care about plastic. ... You take the bottle, you'll throw in the river. No, no remorse." [01:52] - On unpredictable comedy:
"Once you let go of [trying to change the world]... what's the point with comics? You don't want claps." (Sam, 21:04) - On comedy and fashion:
"If you wear a suit, you just... It's like a cheat code." (Ronny, 10:20) - On AI and hack jokes:
"If it's here [in ChatGPT], it's hack." (Ronny, 56:58) - On comics' insecurity:
"Every good comic I've ever met is just living in fear of their next good bit." (Sam, 64:04) - On the allure of constraints:
"Sometimes the constraints are creative… it's what makes it funnier." (Ronny, 66:10) - On producer indifference:
"What's irritating… is when the producers don't care… They plug you in like it’s music. … We need context. We can't just throw us on like it's Metallica." (Ronny, 77:20)
Memorable Moments & Segments
- Early Banter and Banana Buys: Lots of playful teasing around Ronny’s “organic banana” and American brand skepticism. [00:06–02:22]
- Suit Debates: Mark and Sam reminisce about bad late-night TV attire, while Ronny gives genuine fashion advice and teases Sam’s P.I. look. [09:01–16:45]
- Comedy AI Experiment: All three test ChatGPT’s joke-writing on the “90s photo development” premise. They read the jokes aloud, critiquing AI’s lack of specificity or funny, and settle that the robots are not yet a threat. [53:02–57:34]
- Mark’s MTV Bomb: Mark recounts catastrophically bombing in front of pop stars, how a friend memorialized it with a selfie, and what comics go through at these gigs. [72:00–74:24]
Tour Plugs & Wrap-Up
[81:12–83:42]
- Ronny, Sam, and Mark run down their upcoming tour dates—including major venues in the U.S. and Europe. (See their official sites for details.)
- Shoutouts to Bob Saget, Comics Come Home in Boston, and positive stories of comedian camaraderie and resilience.
- Mark and Sam invite listeners to check out their special announcements via PunchUp.Live, and Ronny's latest Netflix specials and tour.
Final Thoughts
This episode offers an honest—and hilarious—look into the minds of successful stand-ups: their battles with ego, creative process, and industry pitfalls. You’ll get practical tips if you’re an aspiring comic, plenty of laughs, and a unique perspective on how art, hustle, and banana-fueled pragmatism can keep you at the top of your game.
For Listeners Short on Time:
- Bananas, plastic & comic frugality: 00:06–07:15
- Comics & attire, industry tales: 09:01–16:45
- Comedy, politics, unpredictability: 18:45–22:45
- AI & technology's impact: 35:01–44:51
- AI-vs-comic joke writing: 53:02–57:34
- Bad gig stories (MTV, etc): 72:00–79:00
Highly recommended for comedy fans, creatives juggling tech, or anyone curious about the inner workings of the stand-up world in 2025.