You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes

Guest: Nick Thune (#3)

Release Date: April 16, 2025
Main Theme: Comedy, secret weirdness, vulnerability, creative process, and personal growth, featuring two veteran comedians riffing deeply on shoplifting, family, stand-up culture, sobriety, and meaningful life advice.

Episode Overview

In his third appearance on You Made It Weird, comedian Nick Thune returns for a candid, hilarious, and at times philosophical chat with Pete Holmes. The conversation covers everything from adolescent shoplifting and family stories, to the nuts and bolts of stand-up comedy, the evolution of podcast culture, sobriety, and the meaning of life. Thune shares about his new, clean comedy special "Born Young" and its production via Nate Bargatze’s Nateland. Throughout, the episode maintains Pete and Nick’s signature playful, self-deprecating banter, with surprising vulnerability and warmth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Physical Comedy and Quick Riffing (00:15–04:06)

• The episode opens with Pete and Nick bantering about a physical trip hazard (“the Marianne Williamson tape"), leading into jokes about clumsy moments and comedic timing.
• Nick quips about the moment: “I just don’t look where I’m walk. It seems beneath me.” (01:58)

Memorable Excerpt:

Nick Thune (01:58):
“I just don’t look where I’m walk. I, oh, it seems beneath me.”
—A perfect setup for their “fast clip” conversational style.

2. Comedy in the Digital World: Clips vs. TV Spots (02:31–04:42)

• Both discuss the modern reality where viral clips can eclipse traditional late-night TV appearances as career milestones.
• Pete: “You only do a TV spot now to clip it.” (02:48)

3. Early Jobs and Inventive Lies (03:29–07:01)

• Nick recounts working at a Subaru dealership as a teenager and creating an elaborate lie (claiming to have HIV) as his way of quitting—underscoring his discomfort with regular work and classic teenage avoidance.
• Nick Thune (05:26):
  “Because I didn’t want to work there anymore. And I was so dumb that I thought …HIV felt like the only way out of that deal.”
• Discussion on the fallout with his father, illustrating family dynamics and young deceit.

4. Adolescent Shoplifting Adventures (07:32–14:37)

• Both share childhood stories of stealing—from hair dye and chrome tire caps (“chromies”) to magazines and chewing tobacco—bonding over the thrill and guilt of minor lawbreaking.
• Pete: “You’re taking a Winona Ryder.” (08:44)
• Discussion of elaborate ruses like hiding magazines and dividing shoplifting tasks.
• Reflection on being caught, banned, and even narcing on other kids.

Memorable Excerpt:

Pete Holmes (13:00):
“I was so humorless about it. I hated that he did a bit. I was like, please, I don’t want to shoplift.”

5. Gender Roles and Childhood Identities (16:00–17:05)

• Pete: “I always wanted to be hanging with the girls...I wanted to gossip, collect stickers. I wasn’t like the boys. All smelled like farts.” (16:16)
• They discuss their formative desires to fit in and be liked by girls, with Nick reflecting on mystique and social strategy.

6. Parenting and ‘The Talk’ (17:05–22:24)

• Nick shares about his 11-year-old son’s first dating rumors and navigating “the birds and the bees” talk—spurred by a car conversation about Home Depot skeletons and penis bones.
• Comedy gold emerges from his confusion:
  Nick Thune (20:08):
  “I said, I don’t know.”
• Pete’s incredulity:
  “There’s no bone in there, Nick. What did you tell your son?”

7. Playing a Penis, Podcast Golden Age, and Viral Bits (22:24–24:54)

• Nick details acting as a penis in "Bad Johnson" and connects it to a weird documentary he watched.
• Both reminisce on the camaraderie and culture of early stand-up podcasts, missing the insular 'golden time'.

8. Idea Generation, Comedy Process & David Lynch (32:28–36:55)

• Nick, inspired by David Lynch, describes the creative process as glimpsing ideas you have to nurture—exemplified by a bit about expecting to see salsa with purchased tortilla chips, which went quickly from inspiration to a Tonight Show set.
• Nick Thune (33:11):
  “You can only see it. You can’t go in and get it. And then you have to take it and nurture it and build the idea off what you thought you saw.”

9. Comedy Club Nuances: Late Friday Shows & Audience Energy (43:48–47:14)

• They analyze club show dynamics: the myth of the terrible late Friday audience, shifting trends where Fridays are now sometimes better than Saturdays.
• Pete: “Stand-up is writing with consequences.”
• The importance of live feedback, adapting to room energy, and recognizing the business realities of stand-up.

10. Tour Life, Creativity & Age (47:14–50:26)

• Nick paints and does art in hotel rooms while on tour; Pete reads and advocates for “having a morning”—claiming control over your day by waking up early.
• Pete Holmes (48:56):
  “…if you have a thing at 9, I couldn’t feel more strongly about this… If you get up at 6:30 and have your day, that 9am is no longer the turning point of your day.”

11. Norm Macdonald, Podcast Recommendations & Comic Admiration (51:29–57:15)

• The two wax lyrical about Norm Macdonald’s genius, discussing Norm's podcast, legendary bits (like the “ManGrate” saga), and the ineffable quality of certain comedic legends.
• Nick Thune (53:37):
  “His only sponsor was the Man Grate. And eventually they said, stop talking about us…”

12. Shared Comedy History and Mushrooms Gone Awry (57:15–63:10)

• Reminiscing about a forgotten short film they made and a memorable (bad) mushroom trip on Pete’s show—underscoring how far they’ve both come in terms of self-knowledge and coping skills.
• Pete shares an important mantra for coping: “Yes, thank you.” (62:29)

13. Self-care Rituals & Stand-up Coping Strategies (63:10–65:36)

• Nick listens to Toto’s “Rosanna” before Tonight Show performances; both comedians discuss their “hype” songs and self-care rituals for overcoming nerves.

14. Spirituality, Church Trauma and Vulnerability (88:38–96:30)

• As the conversation winds down, Pete inquires about Nick’s current relationship with meaning, God, and life’s bigger questions.
• Nick shares gratitude for AA and the reality-based, non-judgmental support it offers, contrasting it with the performative aspects of some church cultures.
• Pete and Nick agree on the importance of honest, open conversations about reality (sex ed, porn, etc.) rather than shaming or denial.

15. Self-awareness on Success, Touring, and Money (76:01–83:55)

• Both talk about choices around money, family, travel class, and providing for children, balanced against wanting to be present and not lose sight of personal priorities.

16. Addiction & Quitting Nicotine (83:55–85:09)

• Deep dive into the reality of nicotine addiction and quitting, with both sharing hard-won lessons on dependency and the subtle freedom of pocket space.

Notable Quotes

• Nick Thune (05:26):

  “HIV felt like the only way out of that deal.”

• Pete Holmes (43:48):

  “Stand-up is writing with consequences.”

• Nick Thune (33:11):

  “You can only see it. You can’t go in and get it. And then you have to take it and nurture it and build the idea off what you thought you saw.”

• Pete Holmes (48:56):

  “…if you have a thing at 9, I couldn’t feel more strongly about this… If you get up at 6:30 and have your day, that 9am is no longer the turning point of your day.”

• Pete Holmes (62:29):

  "The most powerful coping strategy for so many situations is to say yes, thank you—is to act like you like what's happening… When I go, yes, thank you. It always helps."

• Nick Thune (71:22):

  "[Nate Bargatze] just wants to share the stuff that he likes with the people that like him… I just want to put your special out for my audience to see it, buddy."

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Topic / Key Segment | |:-------------:|:--------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:15–01:48 | Opening banter and physical comedy riffs | | 03:29–07:01 | Subaru dealership quitting story, family intervention | | 07:32–14:37 | Shoplifting stories & early mischief | | 16:00–17:50 | Gender roles, childhood identities, fitting in | | 17:05–22:24 | Discussing "the talk", boners, and parenting awkwardness | | 32:28–36:55 | David Lynch & nurturing comedy ideas | | 43:48–47:14 | Comedy club insights: late Friday, Saturday, audience energy | | 47:14–50:26 | Touring, doing art, aging, and morning routines | | 51:29–57:15 | Norm Macdonald & comedy legend discussion | | 57:15–63:10 | Mushrooms gone wrong & coping strategies | | 63:10–65:36 | Performance rituals & preparing for TV | | 76:01–83:55 | Money, family, travel, and parental responsibility | | 83:55–85:09 | Quitting nicotine and addiction lessons | | 88:38–96:30 | Spirituality, church shame, and authenticity vs. performance |

Recommendations and References

• Nick Thune’s Special: Born Young (available on YouTube)
• Podcast Recommendation: Valley Heat (Pete: “the world’s greatest podcast.”)
• Books: What’s Happening to My Body? referenced in penile anatomy debate.
• Norm Macdonald Bits: “Man Grate” podcast sponsor saga and infamous “Moth Joke” (Conan O’Brien).

Closing

Nick Thune and Pete Holmes serve up an episode dense with laughter, wisdom, vulnerability, and deep dives into the weirdness that makes us human. From shoplifting as metaphor to stand-up as spiritual expression, this is required listening for fans of comedy and the creative process.

Closing Quote, Nick Thune (97:50):

“I genuinely hope that everyone keeps it crispy.”

Check out Nick’s special Born Young and keep it crispy, weirdos.