Introducing: The Sarah Silverman Podcast

Summary

Detailed Summary of "Introducing: The Sarah Silverman Podcast" Episode

Podcast Title: Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes)
Episode: Introducing: The Sarah Silverman Podcast
Release Date: July 28, 2025

---

Introduction to the Special Episode

The episode begins with Ted Danson introducing a special feature from Sarah Silverman's Podcast, highlighting its significance. Ted emphasizes the uniqueness of this episode by mentioning that Sarah is hosting her first guest, none other than the renowned Jeff Ross, famously known as the "Roastmaster General."

Ted Danson [00:00]: "Hello, everyone. Ted here to tell you about a special episode we're sharing this week from the Sarah Silverman podcast..."

Jeff Ross Joins the Conversation

Sarah Silverman welcomes Jeff Ross warmly, sharing their longstanding friendship and mutual admiration. She delves into Jeff's accomplishments, including his Emmy nomination for the Tom Brady Roast and his influential role in the world of comedy roasts.

Sarah Silverman [02:02]: "I can't remember what I said tell your face about. I think. Cause he started getting teary about my dad."

Sarah Silverman [02:23]: "His book. Remember when you wrote that book?"

Personal Stories and Family Connections

The conversation takes a heartfelt turn as Sarah recounts touching moments involving her father and Jeff's presence during his final days. They discuss the emotional experience of watching the limited series Beef together, illustrating the deep bond between Sarah, Jeff, and her family.

Sarah Silverman [04:06]: "I mean, it was so funny. Because, you know, he's a crier."

Jeff Ross [05:08]: "And I loved it. And I feel like I may have been his last laugh..."

Comedy Roasts and Influential Comedians

A substantial portion of the episode is dedicated to reminiscing about influential comedians like Greg Giraldo and Patrice O'Neal. Jeff shares personal anecdotes about Greg's mentorship and their collaborative efforts in shaping the art of roasting, highlighting Greg's pivotal role in enhancing Jeff's comedic prowess.

Jeff Ross [15:09]: "Greg Giraldo, I'll start there. Made me funnier because he would get booked to open the roast."

Sarah Silverman [19:06]: "And I remember one of his last roasts was for Joan Rivers."

Reflections on the Comedy Community

Sarah and Jeff delve into the dynamics of the comedy community, discussing the challenges and camaraderie among comedians. They reflect on the impact of legendary figures like Greg Giraldo and Patrice O'Neal, emphasizing their lasting influence on contemporary comedy.

Jeff Ross [24:16]: "Patrice, he was a gigantic, intimidating, mean mofo. Like, he was not going to be, oh, hey, great to hear from you."

Sarah Silverman [23:52]: "I couldn't write it because it was so brilliant and so unique."

Listener Calls and Advice Segment

The episode features interactive segments where listeners' questions are addressed. Two notable calls include:

1. Amy's Call [13:50]: Amy shares her admiration for Jeff Ross's roast performances and seeks stories about contemporaries like Greg Giraldo and Patrice O'Neal.

   Jeff Ross [15:09]: "Greg Giraldo, I'll start there..."

2. Ashley's Call [31:21]: Ashley seeks advice on dealing with anger and compulsive complaining behaviors. Sarah and Jeff offer thoughtful insights, encouraging honesty and self-reflection.

   Sarah Silverman [35:31]: "You could just smoke a joint and jerk off the baby reindeer."

   Jeff Ross [44:22]: "I do pro and con lists when it's a really tough one..."

Conclusion

The episode concludes with Sarah and Jeff expressing gratitude towards their listeners and fellow comedians. They highlight the importance of community, honesty, and the enduring legacy of legendary comedians who have shaped their careers. The heartfelt exchange underscores the deep respect and camaraderie that exists within the comedy world.

Sarah Silverman [39:35]: "Thank you. You're not so bad yourself."

Jeff Ross [39:38]: "Thanks."

---

This episode serves as a poignant tribute to influential figures in the comedy scene while showcasing the enduring friendship between Sarah Silverman and Jeff Ross. Their engaging dialogue offers listeners a blend of humor, heartfelt memories, and valuable life insights, making it a memorable addition to the podcast series.

Transcript

[Ted]

Hello, everyone. Ted here to tell you about a special episode we're sharing this week from the Sarah Silverman podcast, hosted by my dear hilarious friend, Sarah Silverman. You may remember she was recently a guest on this show. And this episode, it's kind of a big deal. For the first time ever, Sarah has a guest, and not just any guest, the roastmaster general himself, Jeff Ross. The two go way back, and let's just say you're in for a big treat.

[Sarah Silverman]

So.

[Ted]

So sit back and enjoy. And if you want more episodes, head over to the Sarah Silverman Podcast, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jeff Ross]

Hey. Hey.

[Sarah Silverman]

Hey. Hey.

[Jeff Ross]

I wanna. Hey.

[Sarah Silverman]

Hi.

[Jeff Ross]

Hey, ya fucker.

[Sarah Silverman]

Hey. Hi. Everybody look at me. I'm not by myself. What the fuck is that? Oh, it was you. I swear to God, I'm not used to hearing others. Well, as you noticed, and I clearly just noticed, I'm not alone. I'm with my good friend Jeff Ross, and he's our first guest. We're gonna start having, like, I'm just gonna have friends pop in. It's not gonna be a big deal. And boy, I reached out. He reached right back out. Fuck yeah. Here I come.

[Jeff Ross]

I love this podcast.

[Sarah Silverman]

You all know Jeff Ross. He is the roastmaster General. He. He is the king of the roast, a brilliant comedian. I just did Marc Maron's podcast and he told me that his parents got married at your parents catering hall in.

[Jeff Ross]

New Jersey, which I. Clinton Manor in Newark, New Jersey.

[Sarah Silverman]

That's right.

[Jeff Ross]

Yep.

[Sarah Silverman]

I can't. I mean, I love it. It's such a small world.

[Jeff Ross]

My great grandma Rosie, she started a catering hall in newark in the 50s, before chicks really had big businesses like that. She was a pioneer in her field. And Marc Maron's parents got married there.

[Sarah Silverman]

It's amazing. It's amazing. And Jeff has been Emmy nominated most recently for this Tom Brady roast, which was amazing. You know, people don't realize you have a lot to do with these roasts beyond your own kick ass, crushing performances.

[Jeff Ross]

Thank you.

[Sarah Silverman]

His book. Remember when you wrote that book?

[Jeff Ross]

It was a while ago.

[Sarah Silverman]

It's so good. I only roast the ones I love. Busting balls without burning bridges. And boy, you are a master at that.

[Jeff Ross]

Thank you.

[Sarah Silverman]

I mean, it really is true. I've never seen you say brutal, brutal things, and I've never seen you hurt anyone's feelings, because when you do it, it really feels like love.

[Jeff Ross]

If I ignore you, that's the insult.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah, definitely. And also, I was just on Kimmel and I can't remember what it is. Jimmy said. But I had no choice. I had to say, tell your face. And of course I thought of you because you're the og. Tell your face. I remember thinking, like, I had said, tell your face. And I go, well, Jeff didn't make up tell your face. And then I looked at your website, this is years ago. And it was literally tellyourface.com.

[Jeff Ross]

I bought it 20 years ago.

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh, my God.

[Jeff Ross]

Having a good time. Tell your face.

[Sarah Silverman]

I can't remember what I said tell your face about. I think. Cause he started getting teary about my dad. And then he said, I'm not gonna cry. And you said, tell your face. Yeah, because it's so funny. Because, you know, he's a crier.

[Jeff Ross]

Yeah.

[Sarah Silverman]

And the second I said, you know, we were talking about my dad, and I said, he loved you so much. And it was like I just saw water fill in his eyes and I wanted to hug him, but instead I went, cry, cry, cry, cry, cry, cry. Which is so mean. Yeah. And he goes, I'm not gonna cry.

[Jeff Ross]

Oh, my God. I was like, uh, that's awesome.

[Sarah Silverman]

I had to say, tell your face. Now you understand.

[Jeff Ross]

I love it. I love it. I watched your special and I loved the cause. I love your comedy, but I also loved your parents.

[Sarah Silverman]

I know.

[Jeff Ross]

And then to get, you know, be quoted in it. And then the video at the end and all of it, and Bernie Shine and all that was just such a cavaling moment for me and got a big kick out of watching your special.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah. Well, so in the special, I talk about Jeff coming to sit with my dad when he was dying. And I mean, I don't have a lot of. You know, it wasn't really something I rolled video on, but I did when Jeff came and I captured that moment. Plus another joke you said to him, which wasn't in my special. And if you watch my special postmortem on Netflix, keep the volume on and watch the credits, because there's just a million Easter eggs in there, including a video of Jeff talking to my dad.

[Jeff Ross]

And I loved it. And I feel like I may have been his last laugh. Like, within 48 hours, he was done. And I was there sitting with him that day. And you were like, wanna watch tv? And I said, I've been watching Beef, but it might be a little intense for Schleppie right now. And he was like, ah, I don't care. I'll watch it.

[Sarah Silverman]

You're the re. Oh, my God. You're the reason we watched Beef. Which is literally My dad binged Beef on his deathbe the mini the Limited series with Ali Wong and Steven Yeun. That's so dark and fucked up. But like, we like that in our family, of course. So that's so funny.

[Jeff Ross]

And then he watched the rest without us. Yeah, I think I watched one episode. I had to leave. And you watched a couple with him.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yep.

[Jeff Ross]

And then you came back according to the story in the special in real life also. And then you came to watch the rest. He's like, I watched it already.

[Sarah Silverman]

I couldn't fucking believe he watched Beef without me.

[Jeff Ross]

What a way to go.

[Sarah Silverman]

I know.

[Jeff Ross]

And I told Ali Wag, like when it happened.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah.

[Jeff Ross]

And she didn't know how to feel, you know, she's like, what?

[Sarah Silverman]

I told her too. What do you do with that information? I guess. Sorry for your. I mean, amazing. I mean, thanks. I mean lots.

[Jeff Ross]

Yeah, right. It's a compliment. But it's also like, did it kill him? I wear Schleppy's rainbow pool hat all the time.

[Sarah Silverman]

That's right. You're the only person outside the family that got something from. You know, I grabbed it cause I knew you would want it. My dad always wore this, like reversible, you know, gilligan hat. Bucket. Bucket hat.

[Jeff Ross]

Bucket hat. A bucket hat.

[Sarah Silverman]

It was like rainbow on one side and you know, whatever, something on the other side.

[Jeff Ross]

Right.

[Sarah Silverman]

I go, oh, this is. I'm grabbing this for Jeff.

[Jeff Ross]

I cherish it. Yeah, it's my favorite.

[Sarah Silverman]

The only thing other stuff I took was his T shirt that says peace is possible in English, Arabic and Hebrew. He died just in time. And he. And I took a sweatshirt, one of his short sleeve sweatshirts that he always wore. And I took his scale, which I never have a scale. I've never been someone who weighs myself, but I decided to take his scale and use his weight management system, which was. I weigh myself every day. He goes, I gotta. I know my perfect weight and I weigh myself every day. And if I'm over, I eat less and if I'm under, I eat more.

[Jeff Ross]

Oh yeah.

[Sarah Silverman]

I was like, oh, that makes. That really does make a lot of sense.

[Jeff Ross]

Very practical.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah, it's like not a big deal.

[Jeff Ross]

I kind of love that he was checking it like a stock.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah, that's exactly right. That's so true.

[Jeff Ross]

What happened to that big bike, that bicycle you got him?

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh my God, he loved it.

[Jeff Ross]

Where is that thing?

[Sarah Silverman]

You know what? Okay, so I got him this electric tricycle and he always had. Not always, but for a long time. He rode a bike and then when he couldn't do that anymore, he got an E bike. And when he couldn't do that anymore, I got him a big electric tricycle. Because you see them on sets and stuff, you know, like, yeah, like people driving through on sets and lots in shoe business in Hollywood. And he loved it. He went everywhere and he decorated it, you know, and he loved his tricycle.

[Jeff Ross]

He was a one of a kind type of person.

[Sarah Silverman]

When they died, I gave it to an older giant apartment building. Gave it to Baby Huey.

[Jeff Ross]

It was a sight, man. I was thinking about some of the. I mean, I don't know if I'm allowed to just go deep in schleppy world right now, but I was thinking about playing poker with him and him, like, faking bong hit, heart attacks and all the funny shit he would say.

[Sarah Silverman]

I've probably told this story on here, but years ago, Jimmy and I were still together and he had, like, rented a beach house, right? And it was like fourth of July weekend. And it had like.

[Jeff Ross]

I love this story.

[Sarah Silverman]

The dad was visiting and we had a poker game. Jeff shows with a huge red, white.

[Jeff Ross]

And blue bong for 4th of July.

[Sarah Silverman]

That we dubbed the joints chief of staff.

[Jeff Ross]

That might have been Jimmy Kimmel's joke.

[Sarah Silverman]

It's gotta be the joints chief of staff and my dad who, yeah, he'd take a little puff of pot maybe, you know, but he took a huge bong hit.

[Jeff Ross]

Yeah.

[Sarah Silverman]

So much smoke blew out of his mouth.

[Jeff Ross]

I thought there was a new pope. I thought there was a new pope.

[Sarah Silverman]

And I'm a wreck because, like, it's like new la wee weed. That's like. I go, dad, this is not like regular weed. It's really strong. And we were on a second level that had like a balcony. And he was fucking with me because I was so worried about him being high. And then he goes, sarah, you know what? I think I can fly. And he starts running towards the balcony like this. And I'm like, dad, no. But he was just fucking with me. But he was very high. He sits down, he plays maybe one more poker game. And the bedrooms are downstairs. And he goes, I gotta go to sleep. I can't do this anymore. And he starts making his way downstairs. And Jeff goes, I'll be in in a minute. It's the little things. Oh, my God.

[Jeff Ross]

I remember when I was asking me about a girlfriend once, and he's like, do you love her? You know, he's asking about love and I remember him saying, he's probably said this to you. But he's the only person ever to say this to me. He said, you know, to love is beautiful, but to be loved delicious. And everyone loved him. I respect the fact that Schleppie was like ready to go when his wife passed away.

[Sarah Silverman]

He really just wanted to be with Janice, whatever that is. Yeah. He said, you're all doing great. I'm not worried about you. I just want to go.

[Jeff Ross]

Yeah. How old was he?

[Sarah Silverman]

85.

[Jeff Ross]

That's a good run.

[Sarah Silverman]

Almost 86. It is. But like, he totally had his marbles completely, you know, like. Yeah, but he just. He didn't want to be here without her. He really didn't.

[Jeff Ross]

My sister's in laws are in their 80s and, you know, I had an engagement party from my nephew this weekend. And that night, well, I had a show Friday at Largo. I did my banana show. And then Saturday.

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh yeah. Flanagan texted me. He's like, it's so brilliant. It's so brilliant.

[Jeff Ross]

He loved it.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah.

[Jeff Ross]

And my whole family came, which was obviously nerve wracking, but also beautiful. But my sister's in laws, I've known since I'm a kid, since they went to the prom together, these kids. So now these older people, Alice and Paul, they're like my aunt and uncle are like my parents. I've known them my whole life. So they're in the hotel and he slips and he hits his head.

[Sarah Silverman]

Fuck.

[Jeff Ross]

And he misses the engagement party the whole next day. And the whole joke was like. They were all. My brother in law and his family were like jealous. Cause my sister and I, we lost our parents young and they don't have to deal with any of the bullshit. So this guy's getting a pacemaker, he's ruining the engagement party. Everybody's worried about him. He feels bad, but not that bad. Cause he likes the attention a little bit, I think, and. But suddenly there's something about handling all that stuff. When you're young, it's hard. But then I look at my friends now with their old parents, and I go, oh, geez, that's a tough one.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah, well, you went through the hard part early, but yeah, lucky you. Hey, should we take calls? I mean, you left me a message.

[Jeff Ross]

Now I'm playing it for the.

[Sarah Silverman]

Let's hear some voicemail. All right, what do we got?

[Caller]

Hey, sir, it's your friend Toe. Hey, Amy. Hey. I just wanted to ask you and Jeff Ross a question. When just growing up, I always listen to comedy, especially the roast, to kind of get me out of a funk. Whenever I was in A bad situation really helped me out, especially in high school when I went to a very racist school, like, people were very racist in Wilkesburg, Pennsylvania. And it just helped me kind of get the confidence to kind of, you know, throw it back to people when I was being bullied. So, yeah, so always watch. Watch the roast. And Jeff, like, Jeff was always the king of the roast. One of my favorites was, was Greg, Geraldo, Patrice O'. Neill. They're both, you know, like 15 and 14 years past this year. So I just want to see if you had any stories of them together. Are you guys together? You know, these are your contemporaries, your peers at the time. So I was wondering if you had any stories to kind of keep their, you know, their names alive, keep their. Their memories, you know, in our hearts. I love y' all. Both. Take care.

[Sarah Silverman]

I love them both. But you had way more experiences with them because you were in New York a lot longer than me.

[Jeff Ross]

Greg Giraldo, I'll start there. Made me funnier because he would get booked to open the roast.

[Sarah Silverman]

That's right.

[Jeff Ross]

So I would always have to follow him. So him and Jesse Joyce would write these, like, searing, hilarious roasts. And then I had to try to do whatever was left over. And it forced me to look for angles and ends that nobody could think of that were personal to me or so well researched. And I always felt like Greg Girald, it was like, for me and him and those roasts was like Ollie Frazier. There'd be no Ali without Frasier. And same back and forth. Like, it made me so much better. And when he finally passed away, I was heartbroken because I admired him. And then they put Jezel neck in that spot, and I was like, fuck, here we go again.

[Sarah Silverman]

Well, you so often close the roast, so you write pages and pages and pages of jokes, and then you're just crossing them out as, you know, different comics hit. But, you know, the really weird, ominous thing was that Greg closed the roast, the last roast he did before he died. And then Patrice closed the last roast he did before he died.

[Jeff Ross]

Interesting. And Greg also. I don't know if I've ever told this on a podcast, but when he was an open micr, he still had one foot in the law. He was a Harvard graduate, Harvard Law School graduate who didn't have his heart in it, still got married young and was living in his parents basement in Queens and struggling to get going as a comic. And I was on Long island doing a college gig with Red Johnny and the Round Guy.

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh, my God.

[Jeff Ross]

Some Guy pulled a fake gun on me and I thought it was funny. So I grabbed the gun and I. It was like an obviously fake toy and I walked around. Red Johnny, John DiMaggio, Futurama fame. He does Bender, but this is way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way before that.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah, he was on a comedy team.

[Jeff Ross]

Called Fred Johnny that I wrote for and I opened for. And I jokingly give him a hug from behind and put the gun to his head and go, that was a terrible show, man. Just joking around. And before I got the sentence out, I was on the ground handcuffed because somebody thought it was a real gun and had notified the campus cops and the real cops earlier. So they were like watching this gun. And I couldn't afford a lawyer, so I asked Greg Giraldo to represent me. So him and I slept in his parents basement with his wife so that we could get into Court by 8am in Long Island. And he was just looking to make friends and show business. So he did it as a favor. He danced circles around this local Long island judge and got me completely dismissed from this inciting a riot charge.

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh my God. Thank God. I mean, besides the fact that it is so stupid of you to do that. I mean, just like anything that resembles the shape of a gun and wagging.

[Jeff Ross]

Waving it around an activity center.

[Sarah Silverman]

Probably a different time then, but I mean, just like. Yeah, just beyond stupid.

[Jeff Ross]

But I take responsibility. It was a toy, but I take responsibility. And I remember me and Greg at Bonnaroo having so much fun, watching Stevie Wonder and Jay Z and just dancing. And I never really got to see the druggie side of Greg. It wasn't part of my world. I remember he showed up me, him and David to were doing a show Thanksgiving eve. You know, that's always a big night before Thanksgiving for comedy. There's always right.

[Sarah Silverman]

Cause people home.

[Jeff Ross]

And I remember Greg showing up so late that it like screwed up our whole like run of show. And I was like, oh, I see. I see what's happening here. Might have me, my dad like driving erratically and talking a mile a minute on cocaine or something. And I was like, oh, I recognize this. And that's when I realized, oh, he's a totally different guy than I. Than I know as the, you know, with the roast. He wasn't like that. He was very professional.

[Sarah Silverman]

Right. There's a piece of him.

[Jeff Ross]

Right?

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah.

[Jeff Ross]

So that sort of was the beginning of the end. But I do remember one of his last roasts was for Joan Rivers. Our friend Joan who Loved you, Sarah.

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh, I loved her so much.

[Jeff Ross]

And the rule was like. And Melissa, if you hear this, you know I love you. And this has nothing to do with modern times, but it's like the rule that Joan was protecting Melissa was like, leave Melissa out of the roast.

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh, she loves Melissa. She loved Melissa so much. She was very protective of her. And of course, Melissa's a tough. She's a tough cookie, but now she's a woman.

[Jeff Ross]

But back then she was just like, hey, maybe I'll be around show business, too, and not really sure what she was getting into and whatever. I don't know.

[Sarah Silverman]

Leave Missy out of it.

[Jeff Ross]

And Greg, Geraldo, of course, goes on first and just does 12 minutes, like eviscerating, you know, the nepo baby angle. And before that was a thing. And. And you can see it in your eye. Oh, yeah.

[Sarah Silverman]

Melissa's had it so easy.

[Jeff Ross]

And, you know, Melissa kind of took it well on camera, but she walked up to Greg in the commercial break and she's like, you knew the rules. You knew the rules. And Greg looked at me and I was like, dude, you're fine. You did your job. You're killed.

[Sarah Silverman]

I mean, he's exactly the kind of comic that you can't give any of us when given rules, want to break those rules.

[Jeff Ross]

It's like one time at a roast, they were like, don't make fun of Jerry Lewis's kids from the muscular dystrophy telethon. And I was like, oh, that's an easy one to keep. So all the comics were totally fine with that. And I was like, what a weird thing to say. Why would anyone be.

[Sarah Silverman]

Were you roasting Jerry Lewis?

[Jeff Ross]

Yeah, and, you know, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, they're all there. You know, they're all there at the Friars Club roast. You know, it wasn't on tv. And of course, I racked my brain for weeks going, I need a joke that makes fun of the kids that Jerry will like. Like the imposs.

[Sarah Silverman]

Cause you wanted to. You had to break that rule, but you had to get away from it.

[Jeff Ross]

I wanted to take it right to the line. Yeah, I remember being on the phone with John Max, who's a great comedy writer, and we wrote it together on the phone. It was basically, everyone makes fun of you, Jerry. But what about the good things that Jerry Lewis does? What about the fact that just this past Labor Day, a six year old boy got up out of his wheelchair and walked for the first time to turn off? Did Jerry Lewis tell it that?

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh, My God, of course. That joke is so famous now.

[Jeff Ross]

Jerry Lewis loses at laughing. I have a picture on my wall of him laughing with De Niro and Scorsese slapping each other. And then, of course, Jerry Lewis had a heart attack on the plane, on the flight home. And I blame myself. I don't roast anybody over 80 anymore. But breaking the rules. And the other thing about Greg is he wasn't in show business the way I'm in show business. Like, he. I need. I want to keep doing the roast. I love being out in California. He was still living in New York. He didn't give a fuck who he offended. So it gave him a little bit more swagger than maybe some other comedians might have. He just didn't care. And I really admired about that. He had freedom.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah. And then Patrice, I mean, my only story about Patrisse, and it's not even a personal story, it's just I remember a night at the Cellar upstairs, not in the club, but upstairs, where the comics hang out at the Olive Tree, and Patrisse was holding court up there in tears. I was just crying, laughing. And coincidentally, Tig Notaro was there, and she was right outside the Comedy Cellar, holding court and murdering. And I was literally running back and forth from one group surrounding Tig, one group surrounding Patrice, just sobbing, laughing at these two polar opposite comedians just talking shit to other comics, and just all of us just sitting around just soaking it in.

[Jeff Ross]

I love it. But the thing that Tig has that Patrisse had was this fearlessness and this super sarcastic thing that would just pulverize people. So I love that. That sounds like a scene from Crashing or Hacks or something, right? You're going from one comic to the other, just laughing at both of them.

[Sarah Silverman]

I couldn't write it because it was so brilliant and so unique.

[Jeff Ross]

Patrisse with the roasts. Since the question was about the roasts, I had asked. You know, I produced the roasts way back when, right up until now. And a lot of times these wouldn't get made unless I started, like, putting feelers out to celebrities to get roasted. Like, nobody was really fishing actively. And everywhere I would go, it would come up. And I had been, like, touring with Charlie Sheen.

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh, right. Because the Tiger Blood.

[Jeff Ross]

Yeah. Like, I didn't know him, but his shows were tanking, and they needed somebody to come out and make fun of him on his crazy winning Tiger Blood tour. And I had never made that much money before, so I couldn't resist it. They needed me. And because I was roasting him in different cities. I was building up this whole act, and I was like, charlie, this shit's too good. We're gonna have to roast you on Comedy Central. They're gonna pay you well. He was sober at the time, so he was taking it really well. And I had been asking Patrice o' Neill for years to do the roast. Cause I knew that he was like a secret weapon. Like, he's like an assault rifle of roasting. Because I would see him the way you saw him at the table at the Comedy Cellar. Just nobody was safe. And he's like, I don't want to roast him. I don't want to roast her. I asked him so many times for different roasts, and he always said, when you roast somebody, I know I'll do it. I go, patrice, you don't know anyone. You don't talk to anyone except these six comics at the Comedy Cellar. So finally, Charlie Sheen comes up, and for whatever reason, I needed to open or something, and I needed a closer, and I took one more Hail Mary. It's not an easy call to make. Patrisse, he was a gigantic, intimidating, mean mofo. Like, he was not going to be, oh, hey, great to hear from you. You know, he's just like, what?

[Sarah Silverman]

Huh?

[Jeff Ross]

When? And he snaps at me a couple times, and finally I go, dude. He goes, I don't know, Charlie Sheen. I go, really? Why don't you try to figure out who you do know who he is? You know, a million guys like that, you totally get it. It's gonna be. And he takes the gig. He shows up, and I see him on the red carpet, and he's in a black leather outfit. Rock star. Like, he's in the zone, but in his appearance, in his outward appearance. But backstage, right before, he's like, I don't know. This is last minute. None of my friends are here. All these white dudes wrote these material from me. I don't know how funny it is. I go, first of all, you don't need your friends here. Make new friends. Patrisse, you're at this great show with all these great people that are rooting for you, that are trying to help you. Like, my best talks with Patrisse were always arguments.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah.

[Jeff Ross]

But we respected each other, so it didn't get out of hand, and we listened to each other, and he goes, I don't know about my material. I go, all right, well, fuck the material. Roast. The roast. You're going on last. Just pay attention. He was brilliant, and that's what he did.

[Sarah Silverman]

I Mean, wow.

[Jeff Ross]

He addressed each one of us and what we did, and it was. William Shatner was there. Like, he just went after each. He called me. He's like. He just basically just eviscerated me. Just. I don't get it with Jeff Ross. Like, he. Even though he, you know, he's just. He was ruthless and then ruthlessly funny, and then he was dead within a year. I think it was really crazy. Like, he had this kind of rock star moment, this, like, whole new thing, and then he was just gone. So. Shout out to Patrice. Shout out to gg. The great Greg. Geraldo.

[Sarah Silverman]

We were together when we found Geraldo because it was on my roof. Right. Are you not there?

[Jeff Ross]

I was at yoga. I was at yoga for the people on St. Mark's with Alex Edelman, who was like, oh, what? I was showing him how to do yoga, basically.

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh, so you didn't. Cause we found out at like, one in the morning.

[Jeff Ross]

No, but you. But I'll tell you what. I do remember this about you and that. And the whole community and the whole comedy community was like, greg Giraldo's in a fucking coma. Nobody, Everybody was like, paralyzed.

[Sarah Silverman]

Right.

[Jeff Ross]

And I was like, let me just turn my phone off for an hour. It was like, everybody. Because at that point, he was just a major player in the New York comedy scene. Beloved. And I went to the funeral. And afterwards. It was a very emotional funeral.

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh, I went. Todd Berry and I went, and we got there early. And his mother was there sobbing over the coffin. And his three young sons were running around not knowing what's going on, just playing and running around. And it was.

[Jeff Ross]

And some of those kids are like comics now.

[Sarah Silverman]

Really?

[Jeff Ross]

Yeah. That's crazy. It's awesome.

[Sarah Silverman]

Wow.

[Jeff Ross]

But afterwards, we were all in a daze. You, me, and Chris Rock.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yep.

[Jeff Ross]

Went to.

[Sarah Silverman]

And Todd Berry.

[Jeff Ross]

Maybe Todd, too. Yeah.

[Sarah Silverman]

Went to the. Gemma.

[Jeff Ross]

Gemma over next to the hotel.

[Sarah Silverman]

I was just gonna say that. Cause I'll never forget what Chris Rock said. Do you remember what he said?

[Jeff Ross]

Of course. You can tell it.

[Sarah Silverman]

Were you gonna say this? Don't take the hotel at the local gig.

[Jeff Ross]

Yeah. Go home.

[Sarah Silverman]

Because, you know. And one thing I've learned about addiction, because he was fighting it and he was trying to be clean. But when you get that little idea in your head and you've decided, I'm gonna use, you get this high before the high that you just know you're gonna do it. And it's a little secret you have with yourself. And you're suddenly excited.

[Jeff Ross]

When the doctor just told Me, he's going to give me prednisone for my sciatica. Felt better immediately. Didn't even take it yet. Yeah, sorry.

[Sarah Silverman]

But yeah, like that. He was working in Jersey stress factory.

[Jeff Ross]

And he should have driven home hour and a half an hour from home.

[Sarah Silverman]

And he took the hotel, you know.

[Jeff Ross]

So that he could party and hang and see people and who's at the show. And I hold that all the time. I remember that. And I always go home. If I can go home, it's safer. No good is gonna come at the Hilton two blocks from the gig when you could be home in your own bed two hours and you know.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah, so it's true. That was one question. Here's some ads. And we're back.

[Ashley]

Hey, Sarah, I love your show. Love you, think you're great. This is the fourth recording that I'm attempting because I hate the sound of my voice. And so do I. Yeah. So what I'm calling about is really personal. For most of my life, I've considered myself straight, always loved women, never really thought about anything else. But recently I started watching porn that involved trans women. And it's something that's sexually exciting to me. And I think, you know, it's something that I really want to explore. Like my brain really wants to explore it in real life. And the conflict for me is that these are real people and there's a part of my brain that's. This is like a marginalized community. And I. I don't think it's appropriate to just go in with a fetish and treat people as just, you know, when the scope of my interest is purely sexual, I don't know if it's appropriate. So I don't know your thoughts. That'd be great. Thank you.

[Sarah Silverman]

I think you can't go wrong with honesty.

[Jeff Ross]

So he wants to treat trans women as poorly as he treats regular women?

[Sarah Silverman]

No, he's saying the opposite. Well, first of all, we don't know that he treats. Yeah, listen, have you never had sex with a CIS woman purely for sex? You know, on the other hand, I mean, he is making a point that's interesting. It's kind of like you have any friends that like, only. That are. That are white or black and only date Asian women or something? And I don't know what is that like? Some people like big tits, some people like small tits, some people like, I'm a ball man, I like big heavy balls. I mean, it's not a deal breaker, obviously, but I mean, I do enjoy them when I get them.

[Jeff Ross]

What about them. The weight, the taste, the feel, the look.

[Sarah Silverman]

I like the look. The feel of cotton.

[Jeff Ross]

I've been told that my. I admit my penis isn't big, but my balls are big.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah, I bet you have big pendulous balls.

[Jeff Ross]

Right? And that's definitely my. But anyway.

[Sarah Silverman]

Not but anyway. Let's go on this. Let's go on.

[Jeff Ross]

The other day, I came home and my dog jumped on the couch, and she'd been in the pool earlier.

[Sarah Silverman]

How is this gonna tie to your balls on the edge of my seat?

[Jeff Ross]

Because my dog, you know, like, when the dog comes home. When I come home, I want Nipsey to like, jump up on the couch. She runs right to the couch because she knows I'm gonna sit down and talk to her for a minute and, you know, tap her head and tell her nice things and tell her about my day, and she tells me about what's going on around the house and we have a little chat. But the other day, as soon as she got looked me in the eye, she went right to like, licking herself. And I was like, nipsey, not now. I just came home. Can we just talk for a second? And I realized I was scratching my balls. So I was like, oh, okay.

[Sarah Silverman]

She was just like, doing the same.

[Jeff Ross]

Yeah.

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh, I guess we're doing this now.

[Jeff Ross]

Yeah, it was cute.

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh, Nipsey. But okay, so let's talk about this.

[Jeff Ross]

Help this guy out.

[Sarah Silverman]

You know, I think honesty, right? If this is like, hey, I'm attracted to you, I. But this is kind of a kink. And I'm conflicted about that. Is that fair to you? Or, you know, you could probably find a trans woman that's kink is straight presenting men. Or, you know, I mean, like, just as long as you're on the same page. Just like if she was a CIS woman, you know? But yeah, your sensitivity is lovely, but it's remedied by just honesty. Honest talk.

[Jeff Ross]

Mm. Everybody's up for something if you're honest.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah.

[Jeff Ross]

Mm.

[Sarah Silverman]

I'm sure there's a trans woman who would fuck you and not wanna be your girlfriend.

[Jeff Ross]

This probably doesn't trust the fetish. Like, why am I into this? As it maybe is bringing out something I don't like about myself.

[Sarah Silverman]

And also you're defining it as a fetish. That's a, you know, a one night. If it's just something that you want as a one night stand or it's purely sexual. You don't even. No, this is all in your head. This is all theoretical. You may fall in love with a woman who's trans. You may. All these things are just theory. The fact that you've always defined yourself as straight is. We're learning now is just such a. People are fluid. Either you accept it or you don't, or you live that way, or you don't. But I mean, you don't have to define yourself. You don't have to define your sexuality and stick to it, you know, not yet anyway.

[Jeff Ross]

You could just smoke a joint and jerk off the baby reindeer.

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh, is that what you do? That's hard.

[Jeff Ross]

That's what happens in baby reindeer. The lead actor falls in love for the first time.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah.

[Jeff Ross]

And it's a beautiful love story.

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh, that's right. Oh, yeah, that was good.

[Jeff Ross]

And they all got nominated for Emmys. It was perfect.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah, you'll get nominated for an Emmy.

[Jeff Ross]

Cause I remember being, you know, I never got nominated. I got nominated and I went to this party and it was. And the first people that I saw was the entire cast of Baby Reindeer, which I watched in the hospital, like when I was like having surgery and I was like blown away. My sister and I like devoured that show.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah, same.

[Jeff Ross]

So then it was like I was kind of starstruck.

[Sarah Silverman]

That's why I love the Emmys. Cause I love tv. So just like, oh, my gosh, there's that person. Oh my gosh. And you get to tell them, you.

[Jeff Ross]

Know, I saw Al Pacino the other night. It was kind of funny moment. And.

[Sarah Silverman]

How does that happen?

[Jeff Ross]

I was at a restaurant and I knew a friend of his and they were like. And I was with my brother in law.

[Sarah Silverman]

Isn't that Italian restaurant that you walked down the stairs? No, no, I saw him there once.

[Jeff Ross]

No, the Private Club. And he says, come over for dessert. You know, so I'm like, with my brother in law and his mom, it was like family dinner.

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh my God.

[Jeff Ross]

And you know, the pops was in the hospital, like I mentioned earlier. So it was like, oh, you know, this will be a fun little thrill for Alice. You know, she's 82. Al Pacino's 84, or something like that. And we're sitting there and it was a lovely conversation. But at some point, just to bring it back to what we were talking about, Fisher Stevens is sitting there, the actor turned phenomenal documentarian. And he starts telling Al Pachito about this TV show that he's been watching. And Al's looking at him, he's not really getting what the show is. And I just stopped and said, al, a TV show? Is when you play a character over and over. It's like a ser. He'd never done one. It was kind of cute.

[Sarah Silverman]

No, he did. He was in a series, I guess.

[Jeff Ross]

He was. Yeah.

[Sarah Silverman]

He was in, like, a, like, Nazi hunting series, wasn't he?

[Jeff Ross]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I thought it was cute.

[Sarah Silverman]

All right. So, yeah, I feel like we answered that enough. Good luck. Let us know how it goes. Enjoy this life, you know, run towards joy. However that looks. You're not hurting anybody else.

[Jeff Ross]

New adventures. Yeah, let us know. Did people ever call and tell you how your advice went over?

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah, that'd be cool. And we've been trying to get people to so that we can. My dream is that when we have, like, a best of show, we can air the question and the answer and then like, the six months months later.

[Jeff Ross]

When they call in, where are they now? Kind of thing. Sarah. Not to. Sarah has a rabbinical quality about her, so I understand why the question part of this. It's fun to be a guest, but it really is about her and the question person. Whoever comes. The questioner. The person answering a question caller, like, Sarah's very good with life advice, so I appreciate the format of the show.

[Sarah Silverman]

Thank you. You're not so bad yourself.

[Jeff Ross]

Thanks.

[Sarah Silverman]

Here's some ads. And we're back.

[Caller]

Hey, Sarah, it's Ashley. Hope you're doing well. I love you and your comedy, and I wanted to get some advice from you on a guilty pleasure of mine. So usually, typically, I'm pretty silly and a pretty easygoing person, but when something is pissing me off, and it could be anything, it could be something that someone did, an event that's happening, the weather. It could be anything. When something's, like, really pissing me off, I get. I have this bad habit of just getting, like, so negative about it, and it really is a guilty pleasure, but particularly verbally complaining about these things that are pissing me off to no end privately when I'm by myself. Oh, so, you know, it'll be like when I'm in the shower, walking around the house, when I'm home alone, just complaining, complaining, complaining. And I don't have any problem, you know, confronting people or things that are bothering me. I just have this, like, thing that I do, and it's like this, like, habit that I can't seem to. My mom does the same thing, and she seems to think that it's a good thing because it helps us get our frustrations out without, like, blowing up on whatever it is that's bothering us. But it's also very exhausting. As exhilarating and fun as it is, it's pretty tiring. So I wanted to know, how do you deal with things that piss you off? And do you do this? Thanks. Love ya.

[Sarah Silverman]

That's like stewing, fixating. Doesn't sound that healthy, but I've absolutely have done it and do it where I just get. If I can't get my head around something, I will lock. Like, my jaw will lock on it and I'll just think about it from every angle. But eventually, when you realize this is not serving you, unless it gets you. Unless this gets you through to the other side, this is like how you process or it does something positive for you. It sounds like, you know, maybe listen to music in the shower. I don't know. What do you think I do?

[Jeff Ross]

Getting off your phone and in the shower or something like that. A walk without your phone sometimes gives me clarity. I'm also better sometimes late at night or early in the morning when the phone's not ringing, when the dog's not barking, when the people aren't at the door.

[Sarah Silverman]

Does anything ever piss you off and you're just. You just lock into it and then build off of it and it snowballs in your head and becomes something bigger? Or do you process through it to the other side or a little bit of.

[Jeff Ross]

I've done both. If our friend Bernie Schein, the great magician, was listening to this, and if it was a person that was doing this to you, Ashley, our friend Bernie would say, then they win twice, whatever was bothering you. And then you're carrying them around.

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh, my. Well, it's so funny, because one thing I was gonna. One thing that came to mind was I saw. I follow some guy named Troy Blyden on Instagram. I don't know him, but he posted something. He was with his Uncle Malcolm and he says, uncle Malcolm, what is the thing you just told me? And he says, and this guy goes, the definition of anger is an emotional punishment you give yourself for someone else's behavior. And I was like, oh, shit.

[Jeff Ross]

Yes.

[Sarah Silverman]

Thank you, Uncle Malcolm.

[Jeff Ross]

Yes, that's well said.

[Sarah Silverman]

Yeah.

[Jeff Ross]

So he's like a philosopher kind of person.

[Sarah Silverman]

I have no idea. I just, like, I saw it on Instagram. I was like, oh, this is great.

[Jeff Ross]

Yeah. You know, you've all heard the expression they live rent free in your head or whatever. But it's like, yeah, you know, I try to stay positive and shake that stuff off. Unless it's a decision. If you're talking about a decision, then, yeah, it's okay to take your time and be thoughtful. You don't always. Usually your first instinct is usually right.

[Sarah Silverman]

It's funny. She's calling it a guilty pleasure. Like, if this brings you pleasure, like, go for it, you know, but is it really giving you pleasure? Is it something that you have inherited from your mother that is familiar to you and less work because it comes naturally, because it's written in you from an early age? Or is it something that you want to unlearn and that maybe you'll be happier if you do so? I don't know.

[Jeff Ross]

Sometimes I don't know if this is exactly applicable to this person's issue, but sometimes writing it down, like, I've written letters that I haven't sent.

[Sarah Silverman]

Totally.

[Jeff Ross]

I do pro and con lists when it's a really tough one that involves, like, travel or buying something or a big commitment, you know, I'll really weigh it out and play it. Play it out like that.

[Sarah Silverman]

Oh, I write long, angry letters to people that you know then. Because then you're expressing it and you're getting out. So maybe that is what she's doing. And if that is a process that gets you through to the other side, then great. If it doesn't, it just snowballs into something that you've invented now, 80% of it is now invented in your head of what. Who. What X is thinking, what, you know, Y is thinking about you that you're imagining. Can remember Rory said something he had heard that was like, you are who you think people think you are. And that's just, what a waste of life and happiness, you know? Like, I try to go, like, what people think is not any of my business, you know, until it, like, affects. Affects me directly. But, like, you know, it's just not our business. That's a nice way to think about it or not think about it.

[Jeff Ross]

Good luck, Ashley.

[Sarah Silverman]

Good luck, Ashley.

[Jeff Ross]

Let it go. Let it go.

[Sarah Silverman]

Your fun rage, dad. Wherever you are in timespace, this is part of the podcast. When I say send me your questions, go to speakpipe.com the Sarah Silverman podcast. That's speakpipe.com, the Sarah Silverman Podcast, and subscribe, rate and review. Wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you haven't yet, now is a super time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. Just hit the subscribe button on Apple Podcasts. Or for all other podcast apps, head to lemonadapremium.com for bonus content you won't want to miss. That's lemonadapremium.com thank you for listening to the Sarah Sliverman Podcast. We are production of Lemonada Media. Isabella Kulkarni and Isaura Aceves produce our show. Our mixes by James Farber. Additional Lemonada support from Steve Nelson, Stephanie Whittles Wax and Jessica Cordova Kramer. Our theme was composed by Ben Folds. You can find me Sarah katesilverman on Instagram. Follow the Sarah Silverman Podcast wherever you get your podcasts or listen. Add free on Amazon Music with your prime membership.