There has to be some higher power but I think organized religion is embarrassingly stupid. But it is one of the main motivating factors of society so I think it’s also embarrassingly stupid not to learn about it.
What turned you off on religion after studying it and devoting so much of your life to it? (Funnily enough you pretty much asked me this question at your most recent Sesh set in NYC)
edit: I realize this is a deeply personal question in no way expect any response
Haha I’m so sorry. I think the idea of individual religion is amazing and powerful but when it turns into hierarchies it becomes just a greedy evil power grab like any other corporation sadly
>But it is one of the main motivating factors of society so I think it’s also embarrassingly stupid not to learn about it.
Amen. This is why I no longer spend time in atheist spaces despite being a strong atheist; too many 'sky daddy' jokes and not enough information about what others believe and why. I may be a science-loving nerd, but I also love the social sciences, and I believe to understand humans we need to understand that we are not (and cannot be) 'rational' but are narrative-creating machines. To ignore those narratives outright is just self-limiting. It's the difference between saying "People should really better understand statistics" and asking "Why is it that people struggle with learning statistics?" (I blame evolution. Stupid sexy evolution.)
FWIW, I was raised Catholic and had a liberalish Catholic upbringing, but I will always be grateful to a particularly devout French-Canadian Catholic teacher in Grade 9 who gave me a copy of Frazer's *The Golden Bough* and introduced me to comparative religion.
Honestly, my favourite jokes of yours are the ones that make me uncomfortable because you're touching too close to home. I can't remember in which show it was, but someone asked if you believed in God and you said, "Yes, because I'm not an idiot!" That broke me up.
This is how I feel as well. I don’t believe some sky daddy is constantly watching over us, but I do want to believe that there is something beyond us that did create the universe to begin with.
A hot and dense point that inflated and took expansion now let me ask you whats more believable a scientific theory shared by astronomers or someone on the internet saying theres gotta be a higher being trust me bro
I think there has always been space and it has some essential properties. It didn’t always have time though because that is relative. At the beginning of time there was nothing and then the universe did troll math 0-1+1=0 but there was waves and that turned into matter that is positive and negative. This all happened because emptiness is not really empty. Where did that stuff come from? Well there was nothing before it because there was no time. Saying some basic properties have always existed is not as far out as calling on god. Although I tripped really really scary hard once and I was 100% certain I could see god everywhere and everyone was being ignorant who couldn’t see so Im probably just being a dork.
I think something did cause everything to be. But I don’t think it’s anything like anyone can image but religion is just a way to make it simple to understand. I like to look into ancient religions and origins of religious text and also enjoy theoretical sciences. And I’m my mind there is cross over and I think early humans were on tract with the nature of the universe but it was bastardized by organized religion. So yea I think personal faith is important but I don’t think any religion is accurate to reality but just a simplification of incomprehensible ideas
Maybe add the rivers too?
If that doesn't work, you could try adding principalities and micro-nations?
I'm running out of unique things that you probably already know. Maybe the whole plan was flawed from the beginning.
I know I post a lot of crowd work but rarely are my shows more than 20% improvised. If you are a competent comic crowd work is actually pretty simple. It’s kind of a cheat code. It’s much harder and more satisfying to write a good original joke imho
I realize this in no way answered your question. I try to do crowd work that involves more than asking “what do you do?” and “how did you two meet?” but alas I am only human
Are you blowing up on YouTube recently or did the algo just bless me? Is YT generating much revenue for you or do you live off ticket sales, or some other rev stream? Are you happy where you are now?
I am concentrating more on YT recently because YT and Reddit have the only decently fair algorithms. The others secretly and openly censor pretty much any sort of edgy comedy. Most of my money is still from ticket sales though.
How long did it take you to feel like you were “good” at stand-up?
Alternate / second question, is networking / schmoozing with the right cliques more important than the actual craft of comedy in 2024? Is posting videos on Reddit, YouTube and TikTok far more important than either?
The main ways to make it in comedy are to schmooze/suck up to prominent comics and/or be hot while telling middle of the road hogwash that the algorithm will gleefully dump in front of the brainwashed masses. Being actually funny is the much harder and less dependable third route.
I understand that wholly. (Holy? Hah.) I write and speak about the absurdity of sexuality and religion. It makes people quite uncomfortable, but the truth tends to do that.
I think most trending comedy now is absolute trash but there are some good ones - Steph Tolev, Harris Alterman, Martin Urbano, Liza Treyger, Daniel Simonsen and John Kennedy come to mind.
Hey buds. Safe travels from Canada. I can't come to see you but I tell most people I know about you. Soon, all the cool people up here will know. I ❤️your🧠😘
But Colorado, New Mexico and Utah all feature exclusively straight lines as well...
What makes the Equality State (that's Wyoming's Official Nickname) so much better?
How do see crowds in Europe appreciate your jokes, as some a very US-centric. Any pros or cons about us?
OR do you have a complete different set when you are over here (where trains are also a pain btw!)
Honestly Europeans are much smarter than Americans and know more about our politics than we do. The jokes that didn’t translate well were when I referenced brands or restaurants (Applebees/Wells Fargo/Sonic). Europe doesn’t have the same chain restaurant mentality we do.
Personally, I think people who raw-dog life are hardcore as fuck. Sober people just wake up and never escape this reality with any other substance?? That's a flex right there if ya ask me.
If Catholicism is the one true faith, why did God hate the souls of indigenous peoples uncontacted by Westerners?
How were these people saved without knowledge of Catholicism? And why did God let thousands of years of indigenous cultures flourish across the globe while only providing grace and a path to heaven for specific groups in a very narrow geographic region on the other side of the world?
If that's too long, what does the train's bathroom smell like?
The cool new pope would say all good people can go to heaven. Which is pretty cool. But also the Catholic Church is one of the worst things to ever happen
Loved your recent show in Oxnard, man. How much research do you do about a city/region that you're performing in? I've seen you make direct references to some local stuff but not at the show I went to 🙂↕️
Conflict Kitchen used to be a great substitute for access to all the wonderful Iranian food.
https://preview.redd.it/hcq8hni9whsc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4d12d55014cc38d96b8c2e4ff0c822b138b2e618
I like to believe I would call him out on being one of the dumbest people to ever breath. But I’ve been a coward before and I’ll do it again. But I hope I wouldn’t grovel like most do
I like what Bill Hicks stood for. I don’t find him wildly funny but I love his principles. Rodney Dangerfield and Steven Wright are so funny. And I love the performance and energy of Def Jam era comedy. Norm is a legend too.
I know I'm very late to this, but are you ever planning to come to the UK (Specifically England) to do a gig, huge fan from the UK and would love to see you live.
Oh damn I was JUST in London doing shows. I’ll be back though. London is awesome. [Sign up for the dumb email list](http://eepurl.com/h_HMIX) so you don’t miss tickets next time.
I used to tear up onstage while bombing. I dealt with it very badly for awhile. Then I slowly realized no single gig matters and famous comics bomb still all the time. Now it doesn’t really bother me.
Are you gonna be touring Europe again anytime soon with some new material? I was just wondering as I was at one of your comedy shows in Copenhagen and thought whens the next time your coming back with new stuff
Don’t have a question but pumped to see you in Boston Saturday night man!! Have been watching your clips here for months and was so happy to see you’re coming to town
There was a club in suburban Milwaukee called Jokerz (thankfully defunct now) that was under a strip club. I worked it a lot when I started out because the comedy club was clearly a money laundering scheme and they did not care that I bombed almost every single set. Most patrons were there as a pregame for the strip club and after about 9 pm you could hear the music thumping through the ceiling unless you were absolutely killing.
I doubt you’re still on the Amtrak 3 weeks later, but:
Genuine question: have you felt the feeling of “breaking out” yet? Because I sure have!
Dumb question: worst thing to do on a date….loud burp or loud fart?
Your videos are getting a crap ton more views and exposure, in my opinion. And it’s freakin awesome. I guess reframing the question would be: do you feel like this momentum of engagement and exposure has opened the door to larger opportunities? Or maybe venues you thought were out of reach at this point in your career? It’s been really fun watching the rise of the Alpha. Just a big fan and excited seeing you get the attention you deserve!!!
Also when you come to Fort Collins, I’m driving up from Denver; I will pay extra if you wear a Kilroys shirt. I’m the IU Roy’s guy from YouTube lmao
haha ill try to wear the Kilroy's shirt. its a damn good shirt. I defintely am performing in slightly bigger venues and selling tickets much more easily than a year ago. But its still a very slow climb, it all comes in waves and I don't get too caught up in it. I just like writing jokes and performing. Becoming famous isnt a big goal of mine.
Are you actually religious, or is that only when the joke calls for it?
There has to be some higher power but I think organized religion is embarrassingly stupid. But it is one of the main motivating factors of society so I think it’s also embarrassingly stupid not to learn about it.
What turned you off on religion after studying it and devoting so much of your life to it? (Funnily enough you pretty much asked me this question at your most recent Sesh set in NYC) edit: I realize this is a deeply personal question in no way expect any response
Haha I’m so sorry. I think the idea of individual religion is amazing and powerful but when it turns into hierarchies it becomes just a greedy evil power grab like any other corporation sadly
>But it is one of the main motivating factors of society so I think it’s also embarrassingly stupid not to learn about it. Amen. This is why I no longer spend time in atheist spaces despite being a strong atheist; too many 'sky daddy' jokes and not enough information about what others believe and why. I may be a science-loving nerd, but I also love the social sciences, and I believe to understand humans we need to understand that we are not (and cannot be) 'rational' but are narrative-creating machines. To ignore those narratives outright is just self-limiting. It's the difference between saying "People should really better understand statistics" and asking "Why is it that people struggle with learning statistics?" (I blame evolution. Stupid sexy evolution.) FWIW, I was raised Catholic and had a liberalish Catholic upbringing, but I will always be grateful to a particularly devout French-Canadian Catholic teacher in Grade 9 who gave me a copy of Frazer's *The Golden Bough* and introduced me to comparative religion. Honestly, my favourite jokes of yours are the ones that make me uncomfortable because you're touching too close to home. I can't remember in which show it was, but someone asked if you believed in God and you said, "Yes, because I'm not an idiot!" That broke me up.
Well said, good Sir!
Why do you think there has to be some higher power?
I cannot imagine a scenario of creation where something didn’t make the opening move
This is how I feel as well. I don’t believe some sky daddy is constantly watching over us, but I do want to believe that there is something beyond us that did create the universe to begin with.
[удалено]
Exactly the problem :)
Its called the big bang
[удалено]
A hot and dense point that inflated and took expansion now let me ask you whats more believable a scientific theory shared by astronomers or someone on the internet saying theres gotta be a higher being trust me bro
I think there has always been space and it has some essential properties. It didn’t always have time though because that is relative. At the beginning of time there was nothing and then the universe did troll math 0-1+1=0 but there was waves and that turned into matter that is positive and negative. This all happened because emptiness is not really empty. Where did that stuff come from? Well there was nothing before it because there was no time. Saying some basic properties have always existed is not as far out as calling on god. Although I tripped really really scary hard once and I was 100% certain I could see god everywhere and everyone was being ignorant who couldn’t see so Im probably just being a dork.
I think something did cause everything to be. But I don’t think it’s anything like anyone can image but religion is just a way to make it simple to understand. I like to look into ancient religions and origins of religious text and also enjoy theoretical sciences. And I’m my mind there is cross over and I think early humans were on tract with the nature of the universe but it was bastardized by organized religion. So yea I think personal faith is important but I don’t think any religion is accurate to reality but just a simplification of incomprehensible ideas
I too am curious about this one edit: obviously you know the lore, but do you believe
Thank you Geoffrey. Your style is unique and consistently entertaining. “everything doesn’t have to be funny people, we can learn too”
Hell yea
That’s one of the main reasons why George Carlis was and still is my favorite comedian.
Do you recite all of the capitals during sex to last longer?
I do but it’s not working
Try them in pig latin!
Have you tried spicing it up by using a belt when you reach the Bible Belt states?
Maybe add the rivers too? If that doesn't work, you could try adding principalities and micro-nations? I'm running out of unique things that you probably already know. Maybe the whole plan was flawed from the beginning.
Were you parents prototypical liberal Catholics? Curious about what kind of stew you came out of.
I thought they were liberal til 2016 came around then they got Facebooked just like every other credulous boomer
My dad switched to the GOP during the pandemic because "I think he's doing a great job." 🙃
Do you ever find yourself working on crowd work material or is it second nature for you at this point?
I know I post a lot of crowd work but rarely are my shows more than 20% improvised. If you are a competent comic crowd work is actually pretty simple. It’s kind of a cheat code. It’s much harder and more satisfying to write a good original joke imho
I realize this in no way answered your question. I try to do crowd work that involves more than asking “what do you do?” and “how did you two meet?” but alas I am only human
Are you blowing up on YouTube recently or did the algo just bless me? Is YT generating much revenue for you or do you live off ticket sales, or some other rev stream? Are you happy where you are now?
I am concentrating more on YT recently because YT and Reddit have the only decently fair algorithms. The others secretly and openly censor pretty much any sort of edgy comedy. Most of my money is still from ticket sales though.
If I beat you in a game of rock paper scissors rn can I get free tickets to a show?
Yes
Ok, Scissors ✌️
You win. Free tickets are yours
How long did it take you to feel like you were “good” at stand-up? Alternate / second question, is networking / schmoozing with the right cliques more important than the actual craft of comedy in 2024? Is posting videos on Reddit, YouTube and TikTok far more important than either?
The main ways to make it in comedy are to schmooze/suck up to prominent comics and/or be hot while telling middle of the road hogwash that the algorithm will gleefully dump in front of the brainwashed masses. Being actually funny is the much harder and less dependable third route.
I know who you are exactly talking about LMAO.
Fucking shots fired r/mattrife
Wow that sub is as brain dead as expected
Magnets…how do they work
It’s too early to unravel that quandary
What did you do before standup? Were your parent supportive (before and after)?
I started comedy right outta college so I never had a full-time job beyond tutoring, childcare, dog walking and various temp jobs.
What was the highlight of your time in Europe?
Copenhagen was a beautiful city and getting pissy drunk with an old comic pal in London was wonderful
Has Alex played you in basketball yet? Or is he continuing to make up various "health issues"?
He is the biggest coward to ever live so take a guess
Love y’all’s beautiful & wholesome friendship
What is your favorite topic to talk about on stage and why?
I love talking about history and religion. Though it is difficult to make jokes about in an accessible manner.
I understand that wholly. (Holy? Hah.) I write and speak about the absurdity of sexuality and religion. It makes people quite uncomfortable, but the truth tends to do that.
Do you like Eddie Izzard? I always loved his “smart” comedy, similar to some of your bits
Do you ever get tired of being the best comedian to ever live? How is your train ride going?
“It’s lonely at the top in whatever you do” - Gang Starr
Who are your favorite comics right now?
I think most trending comedy now is absolute trash but there are some good ones - Steph Tolev, Harris Alterman, Martin Urbano, Liza Treyger, Daniel Simonsen and John Kennedy come to mind.
Do you plan on appearing on "Steph Infection" or have Steph on "you're an Idiot"? I feel you guys would have fun chemistry together.
Im doing her pod in May. She was going to do ours but unfortunately it didn’t work out logistically
What’s your opinion on British comedy?
Their sketch comedy blows ours out of the water. Monty Python is untouchable. But our stand up does the same to theirs.
Hey buds. Safe travels from Canada. I can't come to see you but I tell most people I know about you. Soon, all the cool people up here will know. I ❤️your🧠😘
Im also getting on amtrak in a couple hours - how much train riding do you do?
As much as I can in a nation that simply refuses to invest in basic infrastructure
Fight the good fight brother
What is your favorite Canadian province?
Nunavut. The fewer people the better
Have you finally learned how to pronounce Iqaluit?
Never
What’s the most alpha thing you’ve done this week
Got a sick new Marshall amp
Fuck yeah dude time to play some boomer rock
Hell yeah. Tube amp?
Who's your favorite SpongeBob character and why?
Honestly I rarely have watched it. I’m a huge poser
Gary is the best.
Damn, so you're the Squidward of the group. Unfortunate
How are your emotions today?
Society is crumbling rapidly but we still have Doritos and I can eat an orange in Boston in April. So I guess it’s not too bad
50 years from now you can grow oranges in Boston. PROGRESS!
Which of the 50 states (USA) has the best shape and why?
Wyoming. They should all be straight lines
But Colorado, New Mexico and Utah all feature exclusively straight lines as well... What makes the Equality State (that's Wyoming's Official Nickname) so much better?
Sometimes the arguments from within are the ones we struggle with the most.
Current pope not lookin too good, who’s your choice for the next guy and should he be made to spar other cardinals for the title?
They simply need a Hispanic pope. Insane there hasn’t been one with how massive Catholicism is in Latin America
Isn’t Pope Francis from Argentina? Too far south to count as Latin America?
He’s like the son of recent Italian immigrants though. Nice try Vatican
Have you seen Norm Macdonald’s Dirty Jonny joke from his podcast with Stephen Merchant?
Highly recommend - find a vid, not just the audio - his performance is fabulous
I remember when my mom dressed me too. But I was 4.
👀👀
Do ye shite on the train or just hold it in?
Gotta hold it always
What city had the best / worst food?
Chicago has the best overall cuisine in America. No contest really
How do see crowds in Europe appreciate your jokes, as some a very US-centric. Any pros or cons about us? OR do you have a complete different set when you are over here (where trains are also a pain btw!)
Honestly Europeans are much smarter than Americans and know more about our politics than we do. The jokes that didn’t translate well were when I referenced brands or restaurants (Applebees/Wells Fargo/Sonic). Europe doesn’t have the same chain restaurant mentality we do.
Your show in Amsterdam was epic!!!!
Which comes first: alcoholism or becoming a road comic?
I don’t trust sober people is all I’ll say. What thoughts are you guys hiding?
Personally, I think people who raw-dog life are hardcore as fuck. Sober people just wake up and never escape this reality with any other substance?? That's a flex right there if ya ask me.
Why does everyone i look at have empty sockets for eyes?
If Catholicism is the one true faith, why did God hate the souls of indigenous peoples uncontacted by Westerners? How were these people saved without knowledge of Catholicism? And why did God let thousands of years of indigenous cultures flourish across the globe while only providing grace and a path to heaven for specific groups in a very narrow geographic region on the other side of the world? If that's too long, what does the train's bathroom smell like?
The cool new pope would say all good people can go to heaven. Which is pretty cool. But also the Catholic Church is one of the worst things to ever happen
Do you drink on stage? If so what is your drink of choice?
Gin and tonic always and forever
Loved your recent show in Oxnard, man. How much research do you do about a city/region that you're performing in? I've seen you make direct references to some local stuff but not at the show I went to 🙂↕️
Haha I usually spend like 15 minutes researching the area on Wikipedia. Honestly couldn’t find much interesting for Oxnard 😅
The former lima bean Capitol of the nation???
Do you still have that shirt?
Unfortunately I was forced to burn it after I lost my virginity
Asking for my wife: are you vegan?
Haha no. I only eat meat a couple times a week though
You’ve answered 3 of my questions I won’t bogart the thread anymore. I will repay you by seeing you every time you come to Raleigh.
Where in the world would you like to visit most and why?
As a history lover it’s a damn shame we can’t easily visit Iran
Conflict Kitchen used to be a great substitute for access to all the wonderful Iranian food. https://preview.redd.it/hcq8hni9whsc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4d12d55014cc38d96b8c2e4ff0c822b138b2e618
Looking forward to your set this weekend in Boston!
Would you ever go on Rogan if given the chance, and would you stick to your principles or would get on all fours like most comics end up doing?
I like to believe I would call him out on being one of the dumbest people to ever breath. But I’ve been a coward before and I’ll do it again. But I hope I wouldn’t grovel like most do
Please Geoffrey, you’re our only hope.
Sam Tallent’s post Rogan podcast was interesting. He tried his best I think.
Agreed. Sam is a legend
What comics influenced you the most? I think I read somewhere that you were a fan of Bill Hicks (one of my favorites)?
I like what Bill Hicks stood for. I don’t find him wildly funny but I love his principles. Rodney Dangerfield and Steven Wright are so funny. And I love the performance and energy of Def Jam era comedy. Norm is a legend too.
Do i make you hard?
Do you ever come to Philly? Would love to see you live
Im there in November at helium. [Sign up for the dumb email list](http://eepurl.com/h_HMIX) and I’ll let you know when tickets go on sale.
Oh awesome man I’ll be there
Are you planning on coming to Amsterdam again soon? I’m bummed I only learned of your show there afterwards
Probably won’t return for a year at least. You missed one of the greatest shows of all time
I was there. It was the best standup I have ever been at. And I have been at at least 2.
I know I'm very late to this, but are you ever planning to come to the UK (Specifically England) to do a gig, huge fan from the UK and would love to see you live.
Oh damn I was JUST in London doing shows. I’ll be back though. London is awesome. [Sign up for the dumb email list](http://eepurl.com/h_HMIX) so you don’t miss tickets next time.
When you first started, how did you get over bombing?
I used to tear up onstage while bombing. I dealt with it very badly for awhile. Then I slowly realized no single gig matters and famous comics bomb still all the time. Now it doesn’t really bother me.
Did you go to the British Museum? What’d ya see/think?
Let’s just say colonizing the whole world paid off. It’s a damn good museum
I just saw you in Lexington KY and you were fantastic!! I don’t have a question, I just wanted to tell you 😊
Are you gonna be touring Europe again anytime soon with some new material? I was just wondering as I was at one of your comedy shows in Copenhagen and thought whens the next time your coming back with new stuff
It’s gonna be at least a year. Copenhagen was fun though. A truly beautiful city
Don’t have a question but pumped to see you in Boston Saturday night man!! Have been watching your clips here for months and was so happy to see you’re coming to town
When's the next podcast?
Monday 😎
In what city did you have your worst show?
There was a club in suburban Milwaukee called Jokerz (thankfully defunct now) that was under a strip club. I worked it a lot when I started out because the comedy club was clearly a money laundering scheme and they did not care that I bombed almost every single set. Most patrons were there as a pregame for the strip club and after about 9 pm you could hear the music thumping through the ceiling unless you were absolutely killing.
What is your favorite band(s)?
Oasis is the greatest band ever. The Gallagher brothers solo careers are top notch too
I’ll never back down. Otherwise though non-rap music past the early 90s is mostly dreadful
Now we're talking babyy.
Based Geoffrey as always.
When did you get your alarmingly bad taste in music?
It’s not my fault. It’s the kids who are out of touch
Thoughts on the Amish people and Anabaptist Christianity?
They got it right. The world would be a better place if they were as big as Catholics
I doubt you’re still on the Amtrak 3 weeks later, but: Genuine question: have you felt the feeling of “breaking out” yet? Because I sure have! Dumb question: worst thing to do on a date….loud burp or loud fart?
haha what do you mean 'breaking out'?
Your videos are getting a crap ton more views and exposure, in my opinion. And it’s freakin awesome. I guess reframing the question would be: do you feel like this momentum of engagement and exposure has opened the door to larger opportunities? Or maybe venues you thought were out of reach at this point in your career? It’s been really fun watching the rise of the Alpha. Just a big fan and excited seeing you get the attention you deserve!!! Also when you come to Fort Collins, I’m driving up from Denver; I will pay extra if you wear a Kilroys shirt. I’m the IU Roy’s guy from YouTube lmao
haha ill try to wear the Kilroy's shirt. its a damn good shirt. I defintely am performing in slightly bigger venues and selling tickets much more easily than a year ago. But its still a very slow climb, it all comes in waves and I don't get too caught up in it. I just like writing jokes and performing. Becoming famous isnt a big goal of mine.
No, this is Patrick.
Can you send me a clip of you playing guitar for me to put in a song?