You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes
Episode: We Made It Weird #200
Published: December 6, 2024
Episode Overview
In their 200th "We Made It Weird" episode, Pete Holmes and his wife/recurring co-host Valerie get back to classic "You Made It Weird" roots: deep-diving comedy process, dissecting the differences in comedic and musical sensibilities, musing about the weird details of life, and—especially in this episode—spiraling into metaphysical territory with an enthusiastic review of the "Telepathy Tapes" podcast. The conversation flows from light-hearted banter about carnivals and comedy setlists into discussions about aesthetic preferences, psychological safety, and possible paradigm-shifting insights about consciousness and nonverbal communication.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. A Comedy Episode—With Guitar! (05:18)
- Pete wields a guitar throughout, launching musical riffs and jokes.
- Valerie and Pete joke about the trope of comedians bringing guitars on stage and never playing them as a bit ("I've seen comedians that tune the entire set and they never play it. Really funny and frustrating." - Pete, 05:56).
- The episode's tone is playful, meta, and self-referential.
2. Comedy Setlists & Process (15:17–24:57)
- Pete gives a behind-the-scenes look at how he structures his stand-up setlists:
- “On the left [of the setlist] are the mains… On the right, you put bits that you can do at any point—little finger foods.” (Pete, 17:36)
- Valerie is fascinated by Pete's mysterious piles of crumpled and annotated setlists—a system she compares to her own method of laundry piles.
- Pete discusses the superstitions and rituals around keeping or discarding setlists (19:38).
- Philosophizes about the difference between comedians who never retire an act (e.g., Jay Leno) and those who always pursue new material (e.g., Bill Burr):
- "Jay just wants the gig. He doesn't want to retire his sword. I'm more—I'd rather discover new stuff." (Pete, 23:04)
3. Comedy Legends, Styles, and Sensibilities (27:27–34:07)
- A warm homage to Jack Black and Tenacious D:
- "Jack Black is the only person who's ever made me laugh with a guitar riff." (Valerie, 27:43)
- They compare Jack Black to John Belushi and Chris Farley, exploring the archetype of the "barrel-chested, comedic, musical little guy."
- A split between “Belushi types” (all-in, physical, trying to be cool) and “Murray types” (lateral, sarcastic, on the sideline):
- "It’s safer to be quiet. If you're acting like Jack Black near horses, you're in danger." (Pete, 31:04)
- Valerie is not a Blues Brothers fan, sees herself as more Steve Martin ("I want silly, not just crashing in and doing a cartwheel," 31:44).
4. Aesthetics, Celebrity Crushes & Changing Tastes (49:09–56:59)
- The duo breaks down their youthful celebrity crushes and how maturing changes what we find attractive.
- "My taste in attraction has gotten more nuanced and a little messier… when your sexuality is budding, you want a safe harbor at the beginning." (Valerie, 53:03)
- Jude Law, Jon Hamm, and Michael Fassbender: Which “store” do these archetypes come from?
- The “Kenner Barbie” ideal in early attractions versus nuance and humanity later.
5. Mind, Telepathy, and the Mystical
The Telepathy Tapes Podcast Discussion (58:00–74:41)
- Pete and Valerie are both mind-blown advocates for "The Telepathy Tapes," a podcast chronicling evidence and firsthand stories of nonverbal autistic people demonstrating telepathy and psychic abilities—often replicable, tested, and confirmed.
- "It's a must-listen. Absolutely life-changing, paradigm-changing. I think we're on the precipice of something huge." (Pete, 69:44)
- Examples from Telepathy Tapes:
- Nonverbal children and adults accurately reciting thoughts, numbers, and words from family and strangers, even under strict scientific conditions.
- The recurring concept of "the Hill"—a psychic meeting place alluded to by multiple nonverbal communicators (70:09).
- Connections to animal consciousness (e.g., elephants mourning a human benefactor, dogs predicting arrivals).
- Stories of psychic or medium-like phenomena after near-death experiences.
- Discussion of consciousness, nonduality, and what these insights might mean spiritually.
- Valerie: "It's so much evidence that at a certain point, I was like, I don't need any more. I believe this." (61:38)
- Pete reflects: "The last shall be first. It's these dismissed people... It’s beautiful." (74:19)
6. Miscellaneous Quirks & Quotables
- Valerie’s confession: "I'm a carnival girl. I used to go to the Kern County Fair every summer," (12:42); Pete admits he loves those off-beat, Americana spaces.
- Pete and Valerie muse about not noticing people's clothes but honing in on details like hands or faces (44:42).
- Running gags about Margot Robbie, shifting attraction, Bill Murray’s general style, callbacks to earlier parts of their conversation.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Setlists:
- "The left is the mains... on the right, you put bits you can do at any point. There’s entrees, and then there’s finger foods." (Pete, 17:36)
- "I think Jay’s kind of spectrumy, not diagnosing him—just hyper-practical. If you have an hour of material, just do it forever." (Pete, 23:12)
- “Fuck a year. It’s how I feel about podcasts. Be done when you’re done talking. Finish your hour when you’re done.” (Pete, 24:50)
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On Comedy Archetypes:
- "Jack Black…he’s the only person that’s ever made me laugh with a riff." (Valerie, 27:43)
- "If you're acting like Jack Black near horses, you're in danger." (Pete, 31:04)
-
On Spiritual Paradigms:
- "We're on the precipice, if I may say, precipice of something—there’s an even more interesting intelligence brewing." (Pete, 69:44)
- "The last shall be first. It’s these dismissed people… That’s so beautiful.” (Valerie, 74:19)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 05:18 – Episode launches; “Guitar episode” announcement; the mood is set!
- 16:46-20:30 – Deep dive on setlists, process, and comedian rituals.
- 27:27-34:07 – Comedy archetypes; Jack Black, Belushi, Murray, and style psychology.
- 49:09-56:59 – Sex appeal, changing tastes, and “the Barbie/Kenner” of youthful crushes.
- 58:00-74:41 – In-depth discussion of "The Telepathy Tapes," psychic phenomena, nonverbal communication, and mind-bending anecdotes.
- 74:35 – Brief, glowing review of Solvang, California, and a “keep it extra crispy” send-off.
Final Thoughts
This milestone episode blends Pete and Valerie’s playful rapport with signature “weird” curiosities—offering both a peek into the artistry/labor of comedy and a genuine openness to life's mysteries. The extended, rapturous endorsement of "The Telepathy Tapes" gives the episode an unusual sense of philosophical and spiritual wonderment, marking it as a special installment even within the show's ever-weird canon.
For Further Curiosity:
- Podcast Recommendation: [The Telepathy Tapes] (heavily referenced and endorsed in this episode)
- Comedian References: Bill Burr, Jay Leno, Steven Wright, Chris Farley, John Belushi, Jack Black/Tenacious D
- Misc Major Themes: Creative process, shifting personal tastes, vulnerability, epistemology, metaphysical possibilities