You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes — Episode Summary
Guest: Mo Welch
Release Date: January 15, 2025
Overview
In this lighthearted episode, Pete Holmes chats with comedian Mo Welch about the unique quirks that shape their comedic and personal lives. They weave through topics like childhood memories, the evolution of identity and sexuality, Mo's "Dad Jokes" special, family dynamics, queer representation, and the world of furries, all with their trademark blend of earnestness and irreverent riffing.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. The World-Freeze Fantasy, 80s-90s Nostalgia, and Everyday Weirdness
- Pete and Mo riff about the fantasy of freezing time to see snapshots of people’s lives.
- Pete: “One of my fantasies is the world would freeze… that I could just walk around and see what everybody was doing at the moment of the freeze.” (03:01)
- They remember the 80s as “trashy but sweet,” reminiscing about childhood, family, and simpler times (like dads with toothpicks).
2. Comedy Special “Dad Jokes” and the Pitfalls (and Joys) of Compliments
- Pete praises Mo’s special, noting its unique blend of stand-up and documentary:
- Pete: “It is sensational. And you got me all—was going to say lubed up, but I say like wet and ready…” (09:49)
- Mo laughs through the awkwardness of taking compliments and how feedback shapes comedy choices.
3. Language, Sex, and Cultural Taboos Growing Up
- A recurring, hilarious theme is misunderstanding sexual innuendo as kids:
- Bon Jovi’s “Slippery When Wet” and the disconnect between 80s sexual humor and actual understanding.
- Reflecting on the lack of sexual education: “When we were growing up…we weren’t getting into how do you make a woman feel good…until you’re like, way older.” (10:23)
4. Sexual Identity, Coming Out, and the Relationship Between Repression and Art
- Mo describes realizing her attraction later in life because of cultural repression around lesbianism:
- Mo: “Mine happened so late. I was so repressed…I had boyfriends in high school, college, and then out of college. Basically, when I started stand up is when I started to even…really start to be like a sexual person.” (15:12)
- Pete floats that queer repression pulls back the bowstring for self-expression, informing artistry.
- Pete: “One of the reasons [queer people] make wonderful artists is because they have this repression that’s pulling back the bowstring…once you figure yourself out…you will now express yourself…” (15:16)
5. Pride Parades, Children, and Representation
- The fun of Pride with Mo’s daughter, and the evolution of queer visibility:
- “When I brought my daughter, it was really fun…for a kid. There’s unicorns…Barbie had a float…Ursula…” (18:30)
- Mo comments on gay and straight communities coming together—“The queer and divorce parade”—as a tongue-in-cheek commentary on liberation and visibility.
6. Furries: Family, Community, and What It All Means
- Mo’s brother is a furry, and their mom is supportive enough to sew furry costumes:
- “She has been making things for my brother’s furry friends...there is a part of me that’s like, mom, I think it’s gone too far.” (20:07)
- They dispel myths: most furries aren’t all about sex, but the community provides safe exploration, especially for queer or neurodivergent people.
- “It’s not all sexual. A lot of it is just people that don’t feel like they’re in their skin...so they have a costume.” (24:48)
- Hilarious logistics: those $5,000 full-body costumes, “only head” or “only feet” furries, and the elusive “suspiciously placed hole.”
7. Crafting Comedy, Micro-Lies, and the Art of Stand-Up
- They discuss the importance of editing for the audience, “micro lies” in storytelling, and the challenge of distilling complicated realities for the sake of a joke.
- Mo on her sister’s pole dancing: “I can’t explain all of that before this joke.” (52:16)
- The mutual experience of touring and fine-tuning stories.
8. Growing Up Poor, Animals, and American Oddities
- Mo’s family is described with loving humor—seven people, one bathroom, plenty of little animals, natural disasters (tornadoes), and eccentricities:
- “Poor people love pets. Little pets.” (54:21)
- Poor versus rich: “They also have more than one car...poor people always have like seven cars…” (55:04)
- Life in rural Illinois: tornado tales and survival instincts illustrate family bonds and the absurdities of rural living.
9. Sexual Experimentation and Honesty in Relationships
- The pair break down the myths and realities of lesbian sex and “scissoring,” comparing it to the obligatory nature (and ridiculousness) of the 69 position:
- “It’s like when straight people—We do it just as much as straight people 69, full of drugs or in the first week of being in a relationship.” (44:01)
- “69ing is like your ass up in a bumper car, drunk, crashing into goats.” (45:31)
10. Cartoons, Comics, and the Joy of Rejection
- Both are New Yorker cartoonists; they swap favorite rejected comics and reflect on the absurd, peculiar humor that the process fosters.
- Pete: “Two avocados and one has eyelashes...‘What do you mean I’m the good kind of fat?’” (92:21)
- Mo: “I just don’t think I can believe in a God with a goatee.” (91:27)
11. On Death, Spirituality, and Meaning
- Mo is content with a non-spiritual worldview:
- Mo: “I think it’s the end. And I don’t really think there’s a meaning. Oh, well—yeah. And I’m not existential about it.” (88:02)
- Pete affirms that this serene acceptance is itself a kind of spirituality: “That worldview...is the same destination of a mystic or a monk...It’s a deeply spiritual idea.” (88:15)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On childhood naiveté:
- “I remember being a kid and being like, they’re just, like, in the pool, man. Like, glistening and wet is kind of sexy. That’s all I thought it was.” —Pete (11:01)
- On family support:
- “My mom…has been making things for my brother’s furry friends…There is a part of me that’s like, Mom, I think it’s gone too far.” —Mo (20:07)
- On expressing ourselves through art:
- “Once you figure yourself out…you will now express yourself on other things, on everything. Because you’ve done the scary one.” —Pete (15:16)
- On tornado warnings and family chaos:
- “My mom…puts the heaviest, tallest dresser in front of the door…she just pushed—like mama bear…when your child’s in danger…” —Mo (78:03)
- On commiserating about parental anxiety:
- “It’s so scary just watching someone you love…Val is like, a comfort person. And I’m like, I can get a nurse for you, right?” —Pete (80:23)
- On meaninglessness as peace:
- “Unfortunately, and I’m so okay with this…I think it’s the end. And I don’t really think there’s a meaning.” —Mo (88:02)
- On New Yorker cartoons and rejection:
- “My other favorite rejected [cartoon]...is a clown, very much like, you’re special. A clown is standing there, and the woman is leaving...and she says, ‘I faked the laughs, too.’” —Pete (93:03)
Timestamps by Topic
- World Freeze Fantasy & 80s Nostalgia: 02:18–05:00
- Comedy Special & Compliments: 09:00–10:00, 19:19–19:42
- 80s/90s Sexual Taboos: 10:04–13:00
- Coming Out & Creative Expression: 13:32–16:29
- Pride Parade, Kids, Community: 17:04–20:00
- Furry Subculture & Family: 20:01–27:33
- Comedy Micro-Lies & Storytelling: 51:30–53:08
- Childhood, Pets, Tornadoes: 53:36–58:25
- Queer Intimacy & Honest Sex Talk: 43:25–46:07
- Cartooning & Rejection: 91:08–97:00
- Meaning of Life & Spirituality: 88:02–90:01
Tone and Style
Pete and Mo maintain an affable, open tone—oscillating between earnest self-reflection and absurd banter. They’re unafraid of veering into weird territory, sharing personal anecdotes, riffing on cultural quirks, and making each other laugh with candid honesty.
Summary
This episode is a rich, funny, and unusually intimate conversation between friends. Through honest and hilarious stories, Pete and Mo explore the beauty in everyday weirdness, the power of self-expression, the complexities of family, and the freedom that comes from embracing who you really are—and laughing at every awkward step along the way.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in comedy, personal growth, queer experience, or just a real, joyful hour and a half of genuine conversation.