The Truth About Being a Comedian in the Orthodox Community

I'm gonna tap out at 3:30. So, >> whoa. What's an hour and a half? What a good um >> segue master. I'm setting the expectations back everybody. >> I think that's the appropriate way to do things. I think I'm being very respectful here. They don't just like bounce in the middle, you know, but you guys want me to continue. That's all I'm saying. >> So, she's been off the air for quite some time being that he's busy. So, uh >> what's that? What's that like? >> Yeah, it's crazy. >> As a community, I'll call people like in the middle of the day. They're like, "What are you doing?" The fact that you don't know that I haven't been on the podcast for a while means you don't really listen to us or listen to him at least. >> I will tell you the podcast that I listen to and only when I'm driving on the way to a set that's long and I don't need to haz my own material. >> So like I was driving to like chosen Island this Saturday night past Saturday night to do a show and I'm like all right I don't have any cash advance. It was for a cash advance party which I don't know what that it was a birthday party for a guy who does cash advance and it was uh it was fun but I was just like oh I'm just going to listen I I would listen to like a Pete Holmes podcast and you made it weird. >> What's more important to me is Chosen Island is still open. >> Yeah. >> I don't even know what that is. >> Chinese Chinese in the five towns. >> Really great sushi. >> Chinese place in the five towns. >> Oh chosen Island. That's what >> it's been around for literally 40 years. >> Well here's a rule for Have we started by the way? I have no idea. >> We're always started. Yeah. >> Is it always started? Oh, I don't know what I would want to cut. Uh there is the the rule for Chinese restaurant. It has to have like some sort of like Jewish pun in the name, right? That's that's better than the food. The the name has to be like there was a restaurant in Chicago used to be called Mitsuyan, which I guess there's a sushi mitsuan, but it the way they wrote it was like mi tsu yn. My Hebrew was so bad growing up. I didn't know that that was a Hebrew word. [laughter] Just like >> mitsuyan. >> Mitsuyan. You need some sort of like pun in a Chinese restaurant, right? >> Okay. >> What about American restaurants in China? Do they have puns also? >> They probably >> like that hamburgers. >> I think I used to say I I had a joke many years ago. I was like, "Oh, do you think that Dunkin Donuts is in India have American people working there?" [laughter] Like that. >> You know what I would love to get to? Are you working on any new material right now? >> All the time. What do you mean? >> We got you going to test it on us. >> You got to try it on us. >> We're going to be brutally honest, though. >> Listen, I I I actually we created an entire audience for you. She's back just for this reason alone. We can test audience. >> Uh, welcome back everybody to another incredible episode of the None Your Business Podcast. I'm your host, Michael Greenfield. With me today is of course >> Bushy Schwarz and we have an amazing guest for you lined up, Ellie Liowitz. Welcome to the program. >> Good to be here. >> We're so excited for you to be here with us. We're of course sponsored by the Prime Source production team. We appreciate all the comments, the likes, the just the feedback. Keep it coming. We're loving the growth. So, uh, we have a little bit that we like to do here of what Chat GPT says about you and who you are. Did anyone ever do that on you? >> No, but I'm so terrified. I I posted a picture of myself like dressed up in like a really like like you saw that video that we did with Dovy Newberger and uh and myself for Yomats and so I just post a picture of myself but for a different sketch saying I am like the Corin Center personified. I'm just >> so yeah. So let's see what happens here. So, I just created into a summary as if I tell Ch. We used to do like what it says about you line by line, but I do like Okay, if Chhat GPT wasn't to introduce you to a crowd, what would it say? >> Oh, okay. >> Why isn't anyone excited? Everyone's always terrified. No, because it's a terrifying thing. >> It's it's like a real raw reflection. It's like it's like a voicemail. Like this is like the real microscope. This is like chat. It's the closest thing to like like you know bbon nephesh of like all right you're looking at like has seen the core essence of you unfiltered. >> This is it before the gates of heaven you'll be coming to this. >> Yeah. It's also looking at your web browser history like it's looking at everything. So you don't know what they're going to come up with and you can't refute it. You know because Chad PBT it knows. >> General rule about today's interview. We can't be funnier than him. [laughter] >> I like it's funny people feel the pressure when they talk to me. They like like can I tell you a and then that but a they I get to can I tell you a joke the same way like people like go up to a rabbi be like I have a dvarra for you and so like but people always be like oh I I'm trying to make the comedian laugh like I'm like calm down I've heard a million street jokes and it's okay there's no pressure there shouldn't be no pressure >> we're going to put the pressure on you today our guest today is a man who has somehow managed to turn making fun of from Jews into a full-time profession which is impressive considering we're a community that usually expects you to do it for He's an that was a dig on a lot of people. >> I was like I was like I'm not I'm not loving this chie opener. >> He's an orthodox Jewish comedian who understands the fine line between lush and horror and a punchline and occasionally dances dangerously close to it. I don't know man. I I my chachi PT is getting old. He's performed alongside some of the biggest names of Jewish comedy and he's living proof that you can make a living being funny without being a doctor, lawyer, or real estate developer. His parents must be thrilled. >> Okay. How would you rate that? That uh that you were not so impressed with that. You were like >> I'm not impressed with any of these to be honest [laughter] with you. I just print it and I read it live. Ladies and gentlemen, the man who turned our community's dysfunction into his career, Ellie Liwoods. >> Hey, so the So I was like I was like explaining that the the thing I'm making fun of, right? >> We got to move to Claude >> really really bad. [laughter] I could have gotten that and just like >> I was like I could tell you don't use your chat beauty too much. Right. This was like hey >> I moved to uh tab. So, it's a new AI thing that's on my WhatsApp and that's all I No, you got to learn about Tab. Tab and Instinct are two apps that are built into your WhatsApp and it becomes your private assistant, your personal assistant. >> I'm not talking to you anymore. I'm talking to your AI agent. >> I'm sorry. Michael is not available right now. >> Yeah. Now, like I see like in his tone and his in your message, I did notice something was off recently. >> Yeah. How do you see why? >> No. No. That was just me to you, bro. >> I'm just going to have my AI talk to your AI from now [laughter] on. >> We'll never have to talk to each other again. You ever see that? Someone did a two AIS calling a Chinese restaurant together like and talking. You ever seen that? >> I think I saw something somebody did a thing of he I don't know if it a job negotiation or something and he let his AI tool talked to the other AI tool because they realized and he just like I'll let you guys settle this and I thought I don't know if it was real. It's also very hard to know what's real anymore. That's >> that's true. >> But uh >> I guess the good thing about comedy for you is you're sort of AI proof. I don't think we're going to have any robots that are going to make it laugh. So, by the way, I totally and I was telling him beforehand, I said I was talking to somebody and said one of the AI tests when robots get too good like in person, you're going to be like, "Hey, you're going to watch this Pixar movie and if you don't cry, I'm I know you're I know you're a if you do cry, you're a robot." >> So, no, I messed that up. Whatever. Anyways, yeah, you're not a robot. But basically, um the I agree with you that like, oh, yeah, we need I I like to think like people are like, "Oh, it's so risky of a career to go comedy." I'm like, "What do you mean? this is the most this is the the best career now I'm like I'm not I'm not going to be replaced because somebody still has to be the one to think of the idea so like recently you know I came up with a sketch with the me and Ammy Kak and Mikey Grimbat we did a sketch for Sukus about sukus from the perspective of bees I don't know if you saw it no clearly you have not >> tell it to us >> he's seen it from the perspective of bees >> of a bee yeah cuz the bees are always landing in the suka what are they thinking like when they see >> they get killed you know they get drawn to the honey bees So, bees. I I can't convey what it's about because that's all you need to know. I'm going to be like a Christopher Nolan movie and be like, let's do a very vague trailer and I'm not going to tell you what it's about. >> Just watch it. >> Just watch it. Yeah. I'm going to say took us from the perspective of bees. So, I was swimming one day, um, not in a cup of Coke. And I said, um, you know what? Uh, this is a really unique perspective and it's very simple to shoot in theory of like, oh, it's just us on a bench talking about circus as bees. >> Did you dress up as bees? >> Yeah. No, of course. Like that was that was the lynch pin. We were like there aren't many comedy emergencies in the in my world, but when we're day of shooting and we're like only one of the bee costumes came, >> so I have to like run to like a Halloween store to get these semi-appropriate bee costumes and try to make it less, you know, whatever. >> You paint yourself yellow. >> No, you go all in. You're uncommitted. >> Yeah, very I half committed to to to this bit, but I was like, "Oh, no. This is crucial to have these as the as the thing." And then I think somebody was asking like why does it have to be bees? I was like have you ever been to a suka? Like I like started like questioning your authentic Jewish experience. I'm like that like whatever we have a joke about Welch's grape juice and it's like what are they reform? Like no like kind of like what are you talking about? So the point is for that is that somebody has JBT can't be like what if we did this? >> Like JBT can say hey I have an idea for something about bees. Now what? >> It's not just that. It's the delivery that makes comedy special, right? That's what makes comedians stand apart. It's really all in how they deliver it. And the robots will never ever be able to do that. >> You know, they can't. That's the human element. That's literally what sets us apart from a android versus a human. >> Well, also the imperfections I think are really especially my kind of material. Like as much as Chat GBT is trying to be like nice and like try to come up with like puns about being free and whatever like you could tell what that you know they can't get the vulnerabilities and like make a joke where I'm like oh yeah I'm glad Dov Newberg was unavailable for a comedy show like you know they're not going to be able to say that tap into my let's say inner you know neurosis of that kind of thing because they're a robot >> and I mean I hope I hope they won't So he's safe. His job is secure. >> HVAC companies and comedians. >> Yeah. >> Uh let me ask you a question. >> Hback companies and comedians. That's it. >> So you're in your B costume. Yes. >> Right. And you're looking in the mirror >> and you ask yourself how did I get here? >> Take us back to who you are. >> I like that. >> How did this all start? >> I like that. Like an 80s sitcom. Like you may be asking how much I like that. You know at that moment when you're in your bee costume, a little self-reflection right there. >> Self-reflection. I was just like, did I make the wrong choices? >> Ooh. Ooh, I got one. Give us the buzz on your history. >> Thank you. >> All right. >> You guys are really into puns. You guys are big laughy taffy people. I said [laughter] jokes. >> I've heard four. Those are jokes. Those are fact. Bazooka. Remember the bazooka jokes. They had those. >> Yes. Bazooka, which I say is like my my terrible Hebrew was learning bazooka was like it's like in like written in this small print and like said this kid had an eye patch. I'm like, is this like Mosha Dian's origin story? I don't know what's up with that. He has no idea what I'm talking about. But I was like, this is way too Israeli. I [snorts] was like I was like, >> you know, I'm actually like very uh unaware of a lot of like the modern parts of Judaism. Like I come more from like, you know, high world. >> I was say, what's your background? >> So, it's a very different type of humor sometimes. So, I may not get those references and especially things when it comes like Israeli stuff and Israeli history. Definitely. >> No, for sure. I know when I do a I know when I do a chevos and I'm like doing it with like a mita clearly and there's like I'm like saying these jokes and everyone's like >> I thought this would be in Yiddish like you know but I I'm mentioning things and I'll say something like flying lal and I'm like oh you guys are don't leave Brooklyn or my like there's like a there is a disconnect like certain >> you got to cater to the audience you know. Yeah. Yeah. No, no, no, no. For sure. But I I have to do it as a community. You have to do it like on the fly. I'm just like I'm like gauging right now. I'm just like, "Okay, we're not going to talk about Israeli prime ministers with you." Um, that's fine. >> Exactly. >> You could talk about Israel with me, but bazooka jokes had numbers on them, right? So, it's like a whole collection. >> Yeah. >> Be like, "What number joke do you have?" >> Right. Well, there was always like this like apocryphal thing of like, "Oh, if you get one or a hundred, you get a free box of Have you ever hear this one? You get a free box of bazooka." And a I don't know who made up that rumor of like oh yeah like the same person you get like three shadim I guess you go to hahabi get three shim I don't know but like who made up that thing like what you write to this Israeli company and you're like hey I got number 100 and they're like what what would do with that >> guys? This reminds me of a good joke. Can I say it? >> I don't know a more appropriate time than to say a joke to him. >> A good joke. >> He's probably surprised it took this long for you to ask him to you know to say a joke. >> I'm saying the joke. You can read it. So, a guy goes to prison and he's like, you know, standing around and somebody stands up on a chair and yells 72. And everyone starts laughing. Another guy gets up and says 58. Another guy laughing. He looks at the guy goes, "What's going on here?" He goes, "We've been in prison so long. Everyone knows the same jokes. They just say the number." He goes, "Oh, okay." He starts to learn about all the jokes and then suddenly he gets up one day and he says 42. And nobody's laughing. He's looking around. He goes, "What's going on?" He goes, "You got to know how to deliver the joke." Oh, I see the comedian in me was thinking was like, "Oh, it's a Holocaust joke." [laughter] No one laughed. It was too dark. >> Well, anyways, Ellie, take us back. I'd like to know who you are. Who where did you grow up? Who are your parents? How did they allow you to do this? >> Who are your parents? What a >> This is the thing that I like to get to know. I like to break you down. Like, where did you >> It's really funny because somebody posted on Facebook and uh something that's how old I am. Uh somebody posted on Facebook and said like I was in this group and somebody said help I uh my my mother's forcing me to go to synagogue but I don't believe in Jewish tradition. And I just commented that is Jewish tradition. [laughter] Um >> you're already practicing. You don't realize >> that that is the Yeah, that's the uh the whole thing. So what is you know where do where do we want to go back? My blood type's a negative. >> Where you from? Tell take >> I'm from Chachi didn't help me with that part. No >> I want to know it from you. I'm from Chicago, Illinois. >> Okay, cool. >> Um, that's and I I that's a little bit west of here. >> I'm cultured within, you know, domestically. You know, >> one of the things he does know. >> Exactly. Once we start going, you know, other countries is where I still lose interest very quickly. >> Okay. I'm sure you're watching the Brewers Rays World Series. >> You better believe I am all over it. Well, didn't start yet, but it's about to. >> Yeah, exactly. Isn't that nice? Um the uh so I'm from Chicago, born and raised. Uh I went my my big high school summer job was to work as a vendor at Wrigleyfield at Cubs games in Chicago. Yeah, that was a big thing back in the day to do that. And like we had like I don't know 15 guys uh 15 20 guys that were from that would do it for like when there were night games. We'd have like a ma minion together and it was great. I used to like it wasn't just like a like in here in New York it's like okay there's like a kosher stand but here there it was like and they have that now at Wrigley but it was like you'd literally walk around the stadium selling things and it was amazing because I would just be like my job was to go to baseball games and it was unbelievable. So I would do I started out by doing this like Harry Kerry I don't know if you how big our fans >> SNL >> SNL great. So Wolf Frell will did this impression of Harry Kerry who was like this Cubs announcer. >> Um and I would do that and I eventually got this big glasses and the Cubs were so bad in like the '9s that like he just became an icon. It was like also on like TV, national like TV like WGN was the >> unique voice, a very unique song. >> So Will Frell really did this in a couple. So, I would just go up there and just forgive me because it's gonna be loud. Be like, "Hey, who wants to get crazy? Come on. Hey, if you were a hot dog and you were starving, would you eat yourself?" I know I would. [laughter] I'd be delicious. >> Smother myself a brow mustard and relish. [laughter] >> Hey, so >> Michael, do you know Harry Kerry? >> Thank you. I'm impressed. >> Now, we're going to do his real one for one so far. Appreciate it. You're one for one. >> I don't really do impressions, but that was the thing I did. So, I started doing this thing and I made up my own wines walking around the stadium. If I would sell water, which like everyone's buying beer at a at a at a baseball game, so I'd sell water and then it would be like raining or if it's a hot day, water is great. But if water is very hard when it's like a April or May and it's it's it's like whatever. So, it's like raining. I'm just like, "Hey, anyone not discovered beer yet? Anyone pregnant? Anyone the designated driver?" And like people would So, it got people's attention. I would, you know, I would do that like, hey, people would turn on be like, "I'm sorry if I scare you. I scare myself sometimes and like so and people would like give me money without even buying stuff, which kind of made me feel a little dirty, but it was it was great. People would I like I would like be memorable. Like I literally >> I appreciated the reactions that you were getting." >> Of course. First of all, it made it more fun because it's so boring just yelling like peanuts, you know, uh, ice cream, whatever you're selling. You like it makes it fun. And I literally got to like have this thing and you get bet also back in the day like when people paid cash for things you'd actually like get tips. So like and Jews are always like people tip like Chachi BT is right on that one. But uh you know like a a bag of peanuts was 325 so you get four bucks and people say keep the tip. 75 cents doesn't mean a lot to you but like 100 people do that you make $75 in tips. So that was some fast math I know. >> Very good. >> But uh >> so that was really important. So you'd establish the connection and like whatever like so that was really one of the things that that really that was like that was from my like when I was 16 years old in high school I did like 40 games a season because you do like maybe uh miss a little Friday school cuz cubs would play day daytime on Fridays. >> They play the most day games for any team in a league. >> Yeah. And so it used to it's like a really like you see like Ferris Buer right in the movies like going to a game in the middle of the day and that like would happen a bunch. So Friday they would play day games and um yeah so I did that for like seven seasons. Um, and then I when I was in YU, um, my first year of YU, like, uh, I 20,000, this is 2008, um, so a while ago, some friends of mine were doing a fundraiser for like a like a new talent show, new talent thing for like Camp Hask, and they said, "Let's do like an open mic night." And that was the first time I ever did. It was like November 2008 was the first time I ever did it. And it did okay. Not not great. You did standup. >> Did standup. That was the first time I ever did that. I didn't do a B costume yet. I wasn't ready for that. Um, actually, >> how old were you at the time? >> I was not 19. >> Okay. So, you were like in in YU for anything. >> My I was in YU for, you know, >> your first year. I don't know. Like, you know. Yeah. First year of college. I mean, but you get a year's credit for going to Israel. So, I went to Israel for the year. I went to uh yeshiva in the middle of nowhere. I went to Shalim. It was like so like and actually that year in Uranian there was like an off-the-wall comedy club which I didn't do it at the time but it would have been helpful to have that like outlet to like go and just I didn't it wasn't a thing to think of and I think at one random like Shabas meal was at my year in Israel. We went to a guy's house who there was a guy who we were like me and a couple friends were we were friends with this guy in like second grade and then he made aliyah and then we were back in Israel for the year and we're like hey like somebody knew him. and we're like, "Hey, let's go to this guy's house for Shabas." Cuz we were like good friends with him in second grade. This is I don't know 15 years later. And then uh he did not remember us, but we still >> surprised but we're like well he was like a form in the book. This is whatever like this is his thing and he did not know really much. He didn't really remember us too well. But there was this couple. So I hopefully tried to like salvage the shabas by like you know like holding cord at the Friday night meal and like this like couple that was like British was like oh you're so funny and whatever and that may have like planted the seed in my head. Not that like I I I always had a sense of humor. I watched the Simpsons. I watched Seinfeld. I watched way too much TV that I shouldn't have been watching. And uh that's like very formative for my kind of sense of humor and who I am. So and then so it come to this YU thing in November of 2008 um friends were like hey let's get up on stage. Like if you're not like the the biggest fear at the moment is public speaking. If you're not scared of public speaking like you can get over that hurdle then okay do I know how to tell a joke? Yes. Do I know whatever? So like yeah you have I I was very nervous and these are things that and I did like I said I did okay. Happened to be Alex Edelman who is very famous now. He was it was they opened it up to more just just YU people but he actually I think he won the contest naturally makes sense. um that year and then the next year they had it. I actually won it myself. And then the third year I should have won it, but I won the popular vote. And um you >> should have won it. [laughter] You won. >> Telling you it was a win politics. Way better. >> Well, just do what Donald Trump says. Just I did win. Just deny that you ever lost and we'll all those mail in ballots later. It came in through the post office and whatever. The truth is after that first YU thing in 2008 um either in 2009 or like in March of 2009 or 2010 I forget because my it's very hard to remember anything uh that I was doing a show at Standup New York which was on the Upper West Side at the time and there was a fundraiser for like Stay Rote like you know they had a comedy for State Road and it was the first time >> Stay Road >> what Stay Rote is a city on the border in Israel near the Gaza border of Israel that gets a lot of rocket rocket attacks. Okay. Um, pre-occtober 7th. Like for years they were just they were the ones that like always like red alert and it's like a border village. So they were >> they like border town on on the on the envelope and they were very much like they have like 30 seconds or less to like get into a shelter. So it was always like a big Yeah. big uh Yes. Yeah. So they had like a fundraiser for this thing. So I was signed up for this to do this at this regular club on the upper west side. I thought it was going to be an all like Jewish crowd. So I planned on that. But there was still still a comedy club. People could just buy tickets. So there were, you know, I was the last person to go and I got up there and there was this woman in the front row who like wasn't laughing the whole night. And my friend's like, "You should call her out." And I got up there and I said, "I know what you're thinking. Another Jewish comedian. I'm sure you're so sick of us." And I asked this woman in the front row. I'm like, "So, where are you from?" And she's like, "Great." >> Oh, boy. >> All right then. And I And now now that I'm much more like experienced, I would have been like, "Oh, it makes sense you weren't laughing." I would have said that then. I mean, I think my first time on stage, but the but Alio Anavvi was in the form of this woman because because I got this huge booming laugh from my just like honest reaction of just like >> Germany. Like that's the best thing she could. >> You could have scripted that, right? If she was, >> you know, that Germany today is Israel's like number one ally. >> Yeah. Because they're doing a kapara. But like, but they actually did chuva as opposed to like England and France were like, "No, they were doing the heavy lifting. We didn't do anything wrong." And England's like, "We've always hated Jews just secretly." And you know, Germany is Yeah, Germany did did real chuva. And actually, I think that's why, but that's a whole another podcast. Um, so anyways, this the fact that I got this laugh right there was was the thing. And then when I started was This is a really long answer to your simple question, but you asked the whole story. Um, and then so once I was in YU, they would do in New York, they have these things called like bringer shows. I mean they have in every other place but New York has a lot of comedy clubs. So basically you know most of the lineups and and clubs are like okay you have like featured comedians that you've heard of but sometimes they have like an up like a Monday or Tuesday night which nobody is usually coming. So what they do is they get people who are either taking comedy classes or people who just want stage time and try on stage. So they say it's called a bringer show. So you have to bring x number of people to the club and you'll get time on stage. So, I did a bunch of those when I was on when I was in YU. I did like I don't know once every couple months and it was like a good like writing assignment to like make me be like, "Okay, shoot. I got to get up there and have stuff to say." Um, so >> at this point, you're doing this like as a hobby or are you really thinking about trying to like, you know, really start crafting this career as a community? Are you thinking about that yet? >> I think now you're just toying with it, you know? I think most people I think it's a very new idea and I mean I mean Seinfeld would certainly say this but like you know for him it's like it wasn't a career option. It was just like I don't know this is what you do. This is what you're good at. This is what you want to do. So it happened to be I mean like you know now we're in a stage where people are like oh what about Instagram? Are you like if you said to like our grandparents be like hey what do you do? Oh I I just look at the camera and just like hawk uh you know different products uh while people while people watch me shop. They're like, "What? That's a job?" But like that's like, you know, what people do. >> Yeah. Content creators, it's a real thing, >> right? Exactly. But like the idea would be so foreign to any. So for me, you know, at that time, I'm like, I don't know. I people say, why do you do comedy? I'm like, I don't have other skills. I don't know. Like, so I was doing this thing a little bit and then I started realizing, okay, Jewish humor a is such a fertile ground of material. There's so much stuff. There's so much to talk about. I I object to the make fun of part partly because I don't think I'm making fun of. I think I'm like it's like in on the joke. You know what I mean? Like making >> finding the humor in things. >> Yeah. Which I think is very different than making fun of like like all these classic comedians who are just like anti-religious who are just like, you know what's stupid? Judaism. I can't believe you do that. >> Almost like they're spiteful a little bit. They have an agenda. >> Yes. They're very much like, oh, I have this unresolved trauma. And I'm like, "No, I'm from this is funny because I'm from, right, and I'm currently doing this. I believe in this fully, >> but it's still funny." >> And it's okay to laugh at yourself a little bit, you know? >> And I think I think that's also the world has plenty of serious Jews, right, >> that are super serious all the time. Um, litox. And we we have very like Yeah. Amen. >> Yeah. We just have that they just have this like, you know, it's lol. We can't uh joke. and uh [laughter] like l passed but like it's going to be lol soon uh you know they always have this like time thing so and that's so in terms of like what the angle I'm coming from and what I I didn't thought hey this is a career option I just started doing this more and more I think being able to say yes to things I think is a really good idea to just say opportunities like you know I even getting on this podcast or something like that like I I see people on podcast I'm like I would love to just be like do you want to make your own podcast I'm like no I would love to be a podcast guest, >> like a serial guest on. >> Correct. I think that's a very necessary thing because sometimes you're just like, well, it's a slow news day. All right, what do we got? Uh, para's uh about Tazria Mitsora and all right, let's get Ellie Liwood on. Let's, you know, so um to be able to kibbitz and things like that is is really uh a fun a fun thing. And I think um for myself in terms of like what I'm I don't know. I'm answering your question very Did you have that first moment that was like a gig? It was a real gig and it was like, you know, you were expecting a larger audience and like you were excited like when did you feel like this was like my first >> What do you find as a larger audience? Maybe. >> I forget about the audience side, but for you it was a big deal like you were preparing for it. Like what was your first moment? >> I think everything I think everything builds and then you like it's like school where every year of school feels hard and then you pass it and then it's not as hard. They're like, "Oh, like I mean, like, oh, this seemed hard." And then you're like, or driving when you first learn how to drive, you're like, "This is really hard." And then you pass the challenge. So, you keep leveling up with how you are. This is going to be really from for a second, but like Miktav Nelu says about like that's how you are with like challenge like we're like Mosha hits a rock and like he's he's in trouble. Like he gets a vera for that, right? But like that wouldn't happen to us because his threshold of like of like how good you are of a person. So like hey we don't have this temptation to like to hurt someone hopefully. So like what's our challenge? Oh are you going to go to Marv [snorts] or not? Are you going to do this? So like every >> Let me rephrase the question for a second. When did you feel like you made it? Meaning like when is like oh my god I still don't. It's imposter syndrome. But uh >> was there a gig? >> When did you start getting recognized? Like you started getting people in the street that you know know who you are >> you know. Was that turning point for you? >> No. I I get I don't know if there was a a moment like that. I think it's just I mean the sketch is definitely you know like three and a half years ago. I I I started doing comedy full-time u 2023 which is about three years three and a half years ago at the beginning I was working uh I I had a day job for many years. Um I said I worked at B&H for many years because I needed more material and uh >> You actually work for B&H? >> Yeah. >> Oh wow. >> I have better jokes than that. >> Hold on a second. What was your career when you were >> I didn't have one. >> No. When you went to YU, what were you? >> I was a psychology major. >> Liberal arts, business administration, Middle Eastern studies, you know, like you know, >> you bring up B&H, just like a little bit comedy side to this, but it is a very funny story that's very famous. Maybe you've heard us before that, you know, they have buses that they drive people in from Williamsburg and Burough Park, right? They have a lot of employees coming from these >> from these places. So there was a bus going from Williamsburg to B&H Manhattan and it was crossing over the bridge the Manhattan Bridge and apparently the bus driver was see the chello right there was a yellow naturally yellow school bus and he was like speaking a little bit and he got pulled over >> and the driver calmly pulls his bus over to the side parks it puts his hazards you know lights on >> gets up takes his hat and jacket from the top puts it on and goes and sits down into the seat and the cop gets on to the bus and he's looking as a empty driver's seat. He's like, "Uh, who's the driver?" Everybody's quiet. And they all look exactly the same. You have like a row a sea of people wearing the same hat, same garment, everything. And no one gave him up. And he said, "Look, if if you guys don't divulge who the drivers, I'm impounding this whole bus, and you're all coming in." And they kept they kept quiet. Like nobody said, they were not going to give up one of their own. And I guess the cop appreciated a little bit. Like it was a nice sentiment to it. You know, it was pretty funny as well. And uh they called the owner, you know, got involved and you know, he rectified the situation, but it was a pretty famous story like made his way around. Surprised I never heard that. >> I like that. I think of I'm thinking of this story of like the person I don't know if it's a joke, whatever. Person like taking a college like final or something in a big like lecture hall and then like the guy's like, "All right, time's up." He's collecting all the papers and whatever. Time's up, times up. And the guy keeps whatever. And then all he's like, okay, the guy's like, "Come on, I have to take your thing." And he's like, "Do you know who I And he's like, "No, I don't know who you are cuz huge class like I don't know who you are. >> I don't care who you are. >> I don't care who you are." Okay, fine. And then he the student like stuffs his paper in the middle of the pile and you know who this is. Um >> the show Suits. You ever watch the show Suits? >> Yeah. >> That's it's from there. It's in there as well. That's one of the first episodes. >> Oh, good call. Right. But the thing but see that's but that's a story. That's a that's like hey let's take this famous joke or famous like the same thing with Robin Williams. I mean, Robert Williams in his has in his stand up a whole thing and that it was a joke that I heard on the West Wing years ago. I don't want to out Robin Williams in his memory, but the joke of he said, "I was doing a talk show in Germany and they said, "Oh, Mr. Williams, how do you come you think there's no like comedy in Germany anymore?" And he's like, "You ever think you killed all the funny people?" [laughter] Fantastic. >> Robert Williams was in a class of his own. >> Yeah. >> He was a comedic genius. He never had to prepare. He would just get up on stage and just start talking and and he was just >> he was insanely funny. It was unbelievable. >> And I just saw this. I literally saw this a couple days ago. This is so funny. You bring up Brahma Williams and it had a picture of like different fun Dana >> um Carvey was on there. Um no, I'm sorry not Farley. Um what's Chris Farley was on there. Robert Williams and you see them like smiling like laughing and it says this is the face of depression. And it had like different way to bring the room down, man. >> I'm sorry, but there's there's something to be said that, you know, comedians tend to have a dark side to them. >> You were the first person to say that, >> right? So, you know, we got to talk about that. >> Just interesting. >> Let's uh get right into it. >> Yeah, but what he wasn't expecting this like >> that's this [laughter] is the kind of conversation I enjoy. >> We're going to turn this into a therapy session in a minute. >> This is not even a joke. When we go when I at least when I go into a comedy club, I mean, they're all hanging out at the bar and drinking. I would say 90% of the comedians are are are doing something other than comedy that requires a shot glass or a spoon and they're busy with it. So, um I am curious about this topic actually like it seems like uh being a comedian is hard to make a career out of it and that's where I was heading in terms of your background understanding. So, you finished >> how do you afford all the drugs? [laughter] >> That's what >> that's essentially the question. But you finished YU, you went to work for B&H and then you made a >> No, I I had other stops along the way. >> What did you do? >> I worked at the OU. >> Okay. which uh yeah people it's more than just cautious boring >> should be their official motto. >> What did you do? >> I worked in the marketing department. >> Okay. And then >> marketing for a couple years. Um and then I one point I was I was thinking of going to teaching for a bit but that was before the U and then I remembered how I treated my teachers and uh so I did some assistant teaching for while people were on maternity leave. So like >> a substit Yeah. substitute which is just the worst. >> I wouldn't wish on Sakapara for sure. Uh I did that for about six weeks teaching math for middle school and like um but I did also was an assistant teacher in Mariah and Anglewood for somebody again while they were on leave and uh I was for like like Jewish studies and stuff like that. >> Nothing nothing crazy. It doesn't sound like anything notable. It sounds like uh comedy is always where it was headed. I again I didn't have a this is where you're going to the the deep dark uh whatever. I didn't have like a you know guiding post of like oh this is what like when people like go into the family business or whatever. I mean I don't know your background but I can tell you're you know your family got a lot of family pressure. Uh >> I am not in my family business whatsoever. >> What's your family business? >> But he's not healthare family pressure. That's >> my father drove a truck. He drove a bus. Uh he was the B&H guy. >> He worked construction for for a while. So, I took a very opposite uh approach. >> But you but you I'm a desk guy. But you did the opp you very much were like, "Oh, I got to not be on the road all the time." I don't know. I'm therapizing you. >> Yeah. I'm not sure. I'm not sure if I ever strategically thought about that. But >> I'm saying I'm saying subconsciously people either be like, I'm going to be what my family does or I'm not going to be. When I was younger, I do know that I was already headed in healthcare because I had a lot of people in my neighborhood that were in the healthcare industry and just I was just drawn to it from a very like I always had my mindset that's what I was going to do. >> Like are Jews in healthcare? I mean, you believe that? >> Yeah. Well, comedians are dark and disturbed. [laughter] >> Um, no. So, for me, I didn't have a I So, this is also like who's going into comedy. I'm like, I don't know. I didn't have like a you know, guidance. >> Trailblazers that set the stage. I mean, you don't have a big uh choice. on Golden Modi back in the day and like >> maybe Jackie Mason maybe a little bit you could put there but >> that's not even but I'm saying but for my generation meaning like I've like worked on pesock programs like as a like a counselor and like I remember seeing Elon and Modi like both on you know on these and >> and they never became super successful like even Mod Elon I mean they're you know respectable you're right doing the Beacon and Radio City is not you know >> they're pretty sure they had their moment >> Elon Gold's doing the beacon in December and Modi did radio city that's >> none of them became wealthy from I don't think any of them made like a >> I don't think you're right. They're they're actually very successful. >> You're right. It is not the cash advance industry. You are correct >> by any means. And I'm talking about your Wait, hold on. Is that your gauge >> in life? That's my gauge. What do you mean? That's always the barometer is how you monetize on it is how effective you are. That's the world. You're saying becoming wealthy as success. And I'm saying I I was saying to somebody I was saying to other comedians like people like, "Oh, I just want to be like really like famous on Instagram and all that stuff." And I'm like, or do you want to be remembered? You know, I mean, like Transformers 3 made a billion dollars. Shaw Shake Redemption, you can fact check this later, but Shaw Shake Redemption, I don't know, was like 26 million or something. Like, which one's a better movie? >> It made 26 million or >> Shake Redemption was a bomb in the movie theater >> originally. >> Yes. >> What? >> I know. And now it's probably ranked number one when you exactly. And which one made more money? >> But it's eventually started making money. >> Oh, what? TNT? No, Red Dead Redemption will pale in comparison to the domestic output or whatever the box office the gross of Transformers 3 which probably made a billion dollars worldwide. >> Yeah, but it made money quicker, right? But Sorcer Redemption over time. >> I don't know if it did. I don't know if it did. Of course. What? You think it makes a ton of money on TNT with 4hour commercial? >> Have a lot of ways how they monetize movies. >> I'm telling you my But either way, you're you're the semantics are there. I'm just saying that uh commercial success to me is not ne is not the beall end all and you said make money. >> I I could agree with you that your drive isn't always going to be just for the money part like those passion behind it. You want to be remember the fact remains that the general success will be outlined. Usually the money follows. >> This is called none of your business where we talk about how to not succeed in this. [laughter] By the way, >> grossed $727,000 their opening weekend. >> Yeah, but it was also like, you know, 40 years ago when the movie came out. 199. Hold on. It was 32 years ago. 32 years ago. Okay, fine. Adjusting for inflation. $727,000 even in the '9s, right? Not a lot. And I'm a child of the '9s. That is a bomb. >> Very much a bomb. But I would IMDb. It's probably ranked number one close to it on there >> and everybody's seen it >> and but that's my point and you're saying but if you're doing dollar for dollar Transformers 3 is wildly more successful. >> No, it's not what I'm saying. I you keep contorting what I'm saying. I'm saying is that I agree with you that it got off to a slow start but at some point it did once it got that credibility and once people started realizing, wow, it's a really good movie, it started picking up and eventually it started making money from it. So at >> money I'm saying but I'm saying money I'm saying money and a good and good product are completely different things. I >> I think I have a question for you Ellie based on this topic. Okay. >> How are you going to define success in your industry? >> That's a wonderful question. I think if I keep making things that are funny that um will things that are funny plus things that are remembered. the fact that you can go through a YNive or like a job interview right now and most people when they talk about a job interview and taking explaining the YUNT calendar to your non-Jewish boss um you have to go through the entire calendar people are saying hey we watched this video that you did with Elon Gold and Ammy Kak and Mikey Greenblat >> I've seen it >> I'm saying if you've seen it we have made a mark on the zeitgeist of the modern an orthodox world and already I'm successful in that. My point is Azoir [laughter] that's uh Hebrew for no >> Ellie you're a super super talented guy. I actually uh met Ellie for the first time at a PES program uh just last year actually. >> Yeah. >> And uh I've seen stuff from you prior to that. So I kind of knew you a little bit. >> Yeah. I didn't get to know you personally, you know, so I got a chance to get to know you over Pesak. But he's just, you know, naturally funny, but especially when you give him a chance to prepare and put something together like that show that you did for hundreds of people >> and no mic by the way cuz it was first days and it was very hard, very challenging what you uh but it was like the room was consistently laughing and I I had a great time. I really enjoyed it. I think that there's a lot of merit to it, but you got to think bigger because the more it's not just about the money. It's not really what just measure success only money. Money is a great conduit to keep evolving, allowing you to do bigger and better things. You have a bigger stage now, more resources to add more props and to incorporate more people. And I think that we haven't had that in the Jewish world. Like we haven't haven't like there's no Jewish SNL, right? I would love I would love if there is You're a type of guy that could take us into that next phase. Someone's just got to think big and and and put the muscle behind it. >> No, you need like a uh you know, you need an investor to say, I want to see the I wish Robert Craft instead of spending $8 million on an anti-semitism commercial, the blue square that's like super not helping fight anti something like I think. No, that's how much a commercial this past year costs. Um, I would love to just do a be like, I please give me a quarter of that money. I will make a production of funny Jewish content that's prideful, full of Jew, Jewish pride that will touch on anti-semitism surely because it's a huge part of our existence. >> Unfortunately, all comedy has political infused in it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But I'm saying but like anyway like yes I wish there was a way be like what I think what what we bring the table with with the J sketch stuff that we do is that we're like touching on these things that really haven't been done before in a lot a lot of ways from a modern orthodox for gashivish from a from perspective. It's always like shows are always like my grandmother's kosher or like a diamond dealer in you know in the 47th street and it's like always like an SVU or something shady. You know what I mean? So it's never but there's never really like somebody who's like hey I have to take off these holidays and like in a non >> like I call it like milktoast Judaism non like cringey way. >> Yeah. >> So I would >> and I think it would be good for our image. I think it would be good for you know others to see the Jewish side like the fun parts right. And yeah like you know I think it would be good branding. it would be like, you know, uh in a world today when we're not viewed, you know, so favorably. Um I think that this could be an element that could we could use a little bit of an upgrade here, >> right? But what I want to I want to push back on the sense that the same thing with like what do you you know, think about money. Yes. Think about you want to be commercially successful. Sure. And that's not I'm not saying like yes, do bad work and like not get paid and stuff like that. I'm saying that like you have to write and create with it a very internal uh clear conscience of what you're doing and a clear I want to say moral or like even a internal sense of humor that I'm like I know when I was swimming and thinking of this be sketch I was thinking to myself this all I had in my head was what if we did we didn't we haven't done a circus sketch yet I said what if we did circus from the perspective of bees and I said we dress up in costumes and we just talk on a bench and that was it. And I'm like, this if the concept makes me laugh, it's funny. But I knew and all I had was the one line of saying something like, you know what I like to do? I like to like hang around by like the firm cousin who won't kill you cuz it's like that was all I had. That's that one line is in my head. And then the rest I knew we could we could always make work. But you have to you have to keep the audience in mind, but you don't but you still need to have your internal north star be accurate. And you can't write for the audience fully. You can't write for hey this is going to dispel anti-semitism. I don't know anti-semitism. >> You also have another limitation that you have to be sort of careful tow the line by how far you could take you know you can't blur the lines with you know distasteful things or vulgar language like a lot of comedians like they rely on that that is a part of their act. You're in a position where it's you're sort of handicapped a little bit that you got to be safe. You got to be conservative with your with your humor. How do you get by that challenge? >> But I think it's also like that's the kind of [snorts] like it's self-fulfilling. That's the kind of stuff I do anyway. So meaning like if I was a dirty comedian, it wouldn't be authentic. It wouldn't if I told a dirty joke, it would be surprising, sure, and it would be shocking. But if I like did a whole act about, you know, dirty stuff, I wouldn't be me. Like so like I I'm saying yes I have this limitation certain things I'm like yes I wish I could say that or whatever yes this would be easier to say if I had this any controversial topic like it's hard to cover you know you got to be >> yeah I think I think a certain point like there's a >> have you done anything controversial have you done anything everything's controversial >> anything come to mind that you remember like we did a restaurant sketch that was hilarious about going to a bringing non-Jewish people to a kosher restaurant for the first time and we' filmed it at Mr. Broadway and they were excellent. We're not trying our best. >> That's a great topic. I love that. >> Yeah. So, you should watch our work. Uh >> I've seen stuff zinger over here. I'm joking. As if I have >> It's a defense mechanism. I My childhood. [clears throat] Um I'm saying we have we had a great sketch of bringing somebody to a non-cos restaurant for the first time. And we did it for an organization called Mayor Panium, which does um soup kitchens in Israel. But they've designed these soup kitchens to be like restaurants so that they're not it doesn't feel like sodaka and you have a little bit more dignity. So I said, "Oh, this is an excellent jumping off point because we just do it like a consultant is trying to like, oh, we heard we want a map at like a real we want the real kosher restaurant experience and then the entire thing happens and like maybe let's try it after a non- kosher restaurant, you So coach restaurant like there the happy birthday every 5 seconds with the sparklers and the the menu that's like literally a dictionary but at the at that sketch we're like oh we have to show the mash and >> he's got to make an appearance >> and not just an appearance like he's the star of the video and Ammy Kak with several pillows and a very dirty shirt is making but it's just and Ammy does an excellent job like in terms of the editing you know of of really like like setting that up perfectly where He and he just it's just hilarious. But Mushki probably weren't very happy and they would says, you know, we posted the video and somebody's like, "Oh, this isn't fun. This isn't funny or accurate." And I said, "It's at least one of them." And [laughter] like like you, you know, Mike Bigigley has a has a whole special called Thank God for Jokes. And like the end of the day, jokes have to be about something. Yeah. Like when you say, "Oh, you got to be careful with controversy and whatever." Have you met Jews? I mean, everything is controversial. Everybody, as I said, there was enough serious Jews out there where everything even that's what I was saying when he said make fun of like I had a joke about Noah and something like oh like I said something about oh the story Noah you plants the vineyard after the after the mobble and he gets drunk and he gets really you know drunk and I said you know it's so crazy the story of a six-year-old man build a builds a boat and is on this boat with his whole family and all these animals for an entire year and the most unbelievable part to me is that it took him a whole year to start drinking And somebody said to me like in passing like on Friday, they're like, "Oh, don't don't be one of the late sonore." And I'm just like that like really hit me hard because I'm just like first of all, well, good shabus to you. But also, this was like really in my core cuz I'm like, >> rabbis, I've told that joke initially at an OU event years ago at the holiday thing and they loved it. >> Of course they loved. And that guy's just a hater, by the way. You're always going to have that. >> But he's not just a hater. He's No, it's not that. is that people have a level of like here's what you can joke about here's what you can't joke about >> that's subjective and you know correct correct you go with whatever you want to do and people will listen and the market will tell you if you're doing a good job or not and that's it >> yeah I think Kareem will rise to the top and I think if you do things and again I also have a little bit more leeway I think because again if the same thing having a take on Israel right if you're an anti-Israel person and you're going to start like talking about I'm sorry you don't get to I said it's like somebody who doesn't really have an experience with Israel and they start talking about Israel, you don't get to like they they say as a Jew, it's kind of like if you're somebody it's not it's like somebody who like worked at McDonald's and was like as a chef and like you [snorts] don't really get to have the full insight. So, as somebody who lives in the Jewish community, who deals with anti-semitism every day from Twitter and people yelling at me and and calling me all sorts of names and getting into the trenches with this stuff, Yeah. >> comedy and otherwise. Um, >> Ellie, something I want to ask you about that I've noticed and I'm curious about it and I want to use another person as an example first. I'm sure you've heard him. Everybody's pretty much heard of him at some point. I don't know how much material people have heard from him, some more than others. Yankl Miller, very very famous uh comedian. Botan, you know, he had different styles of, you know, what he did. Uh, I've seen him in person a couple of times, but something that people recognized about him was that he wasn't just funny. He was also, some say a genius. Like, he had a very high IQ and a very learned fellow. Like, a lot of times his jokes got into territory that some people didn't even understand because he was like putting information out there that was at a very high level. >> He was talking about Israeli prime ministers for a while. So, you know, >> he was talking about what? >> Israeli prime ministers. Now, it certainly wasn't talked about Israeli prime ministers, not Yanka Miller, but you know, he has a lot of classics and a lot of things that people still quote till today. And uh he certainly made a mark, right? He definitely left an impression on the Jewish communities abroad. Um and he was just, you know, somebody that was very very notable, but he was a learned man, a some would say, like he really knew a lot of learning. And you I also noticed infuse in your jokes a lot of things where like you're just you know you're saying the virus in a sense right you're going back in time and history and you're bringing a lot of that stuff out you know and that's how you're coming up with these jokes. So you got to have that baseline that fundamental first and you seem to have a lot of that more than just the mainstream person. So I'm curious like how do you come up with the material like do you study for these things or just youaker like how did this how did this happen? Exactly. you know, but you definitely aren't just spewing jokes. Like, you have a broader knowledge. You have a more well-rounded knowledge in a lot of topics. >> Thank you. I appreciate that. Um, I'll tell all my teachers. Uh, I I think there I think at the end of the day, jokes have to be not just about something, but like what are you really saying here is a little bit like we on a superficial level, we take like, okay, this is a joke, whatever. Like I'll give my favorite Jewish joke is from comedian, this guy named Mike Kaplan who's phenomenal and he has the best Jewish joke I've ever heard and he said >> this is the best joke >> in my opinion. >> Wow, Michael, this is uh >> I didn't want to overdo it. Breaking news here. He said >> it's a little bit better than the uh the 42 joke, but uh [laughter] >> thanks. >> Okay. >> No, I said this is my favorite Jew this is my favorite Jewish joke. That's all I'll say >> is somebody he says somebody came up to me and wished me a happy Easter. And I said, "Actually, I'm Jewish and we don't believe in happiness. [laughter] Pass the test." >> Yes, that is funny. >> I said, "Every rabbi should tell that joke at every, you know, yont or something like that or >> it's not it's not remotely true." Like somebody who hears that, you know, Jewish like perspective might be like, "What Jew?" We actually are very >> Yeah. Don't you don't have to you don't have to HR it. >> But I understand I understand what you're saying. It's funny. to the anti-semizing, we are actually very funny people. Like we [laughter] are very happy people, >> right? >> No, it's it's it's so first of all, it just has so many elements. A it's short. >> It's short. Nothing like somebody come up to you after condition and says, "I have this three-minute joke for you." And you're like, "Hold on. I have to go to the bathroom." And but it's a short joke. >> It's quick and effective. >> It's so surprising. You don't know. You think you know where it's going. You don't know where it's going. And it's just it's really one of my f ever since I I friends with the comedian I tell them I'm like you have every you I love this joke of yours everybody says this and um but I think there's so much there in that it's like saying oh yeah by the way Jews tend to be negative a lot or have you not read the Torah you know I mean that's what I'm saying like there is a yes there is a lot of like backstory of like I that's that's why it's relatable like especially with history like right now we're just like going through everyone's like all these like people are out there this is So crazy what times we're living in. You're like, "No, it was just on pause for 70 years." Like, did you think? And the and the and the like anti-semites or or people that are, let's say, anti-Israel who are not necessarily anti-semitic, but they're just happen to be misinformed. They'll be like, "Oh, well, Jews look look at these Jewish people that are protesting against Israel." And you're like, "Oh, you're right. Jews have never uh fought against each other, >> right? >> Or gone against or gone against their best interests, >> right? Oh, have you not read the entire book basically about that? So, like there is Yeah, there is a level of like Yeah, I just I think I'm more of like a trivia person that like trivia is my thing. He was telling me like we're talking about before like word games like I'm a taboo Jeopardy whatever. I like having a a massive knowledge of different trying to be pretty well-rounded except for like how to fix stuff in my house. I try to be really, you know, well informed just because I just picked it up. So like I'm very big into trivia. >> I notic that about you. It seems like but so I think in terms of like let's say the Torah my favorite thing is to describe the Torah to be like modern examples or Torah or Tanakh or things like that because we are Jew the Jewish people. So how were we Jewish people like then? How are we like now? Again the very first J sketch that we came up with I I said to Ammy and Mikey I said I have this idea. I don't know how to do it. But I said, "What if Esther from the Perm story, Esther supposed, you know, Morai tells Esther, you're not don't tell anyone you're Jewish." And I said, "What if Esther is basically like Fran Dresser from The Nanny?" Like just like the most over-the-top clearly Jewish person. That was the only That's the entire elevator pitch to me of just you have this one line and that's how you do it. And I think there's so much wealth of material. And again, I hate to say people are like, "Well, that's to say wealth and material from Tanakh." But I'm like, there's so much stuff behind the scenes that we don't talk about that I'm like, "Oh, this is great." And like you have such there's such an ability here to be like, "Oh, we just take that for granted." Like I don't know, Ken and He like the entire why did Ken really kill He? There's there's so much like that you and yes, I understand it's the Torah and it's sacred and that doesn't mean I mean feel it's any less sacred. In fact, I think it's more that like here's this book that's timeless, you know, that teaches you all of the these things about life, about human condition and and you know, Jonah Platt said something on his thing of like being Jewish and he but he wrote on like Twitter. He wrote like why how come we're not telling more people about Judaism or why are we not trying to I'm like that's not what we're first of all we wrote a book and it's the next bestselling book after Harry Potter. like we wrote we did we told people and it's a little bit popular or it used to be. So um but yeah there there's the the entire Jewish lifestyle there is it is funny and thank god I have that perspective of life funny things happen to everybody and you just have to really put yourself in the shoes of a comedian almost and say why where is the funny here? What is f my my wife we were at a wedding on on Sunday and literally in Lakewood and it's like the dessert table fruit cookies cookies cookies cake potato cougle at [laughter] the end. I literally and my wife was like you got they have potato at the end. So they got to make a video of it. So I literally took a video 20 second video of the whole thing and then I so I just made a real on it the other day and just said like video of like nice classical music with this thing and then all of a sudden I play like klesmer you know Swedish music at the potato cook. >> Yeah, that's pretty funny. >> Yeah. So everything but funny things happen to everybody and you just have to have >> you have to organize it and then be able to you know >> you don't even have to organize it. You just have to organize it. You just you got to people are so much in their own way of what if that's what com comedy has taught me like what's the big deal? What's the what's the risk? What's the real risk? You get up on stage and nobody laughs. So what? >> So what? That sounds pretty scary. >> Why? So what? >> It's embarrassing. >> And then what? >> That's the ultimate kind of rejection. >> So, and what? It doesn't go well for five minutes. Yeah. >> All bury yourself >> for what? Five. >> Have you had that happen where you've like totally bombed and like >> the whole thing went bad? >> Yes. And you're not told I did a shovel while I did a shovel breakfast in Muny. What do you What do you mean? Like you think like I mean I'm saying like you get over it. First of all, at this point, I have a pretty high batting average where I'm like, "Okay, if you know, 90% of my joke, my my sets go well and I'm like, "Oh, this one didn't go well because there was a jumbotron behind me, like, you know, and sometimes it's not, you know, uh, you know, pace shows are also very tough. You know, pace shows again, the fact that I have experience, I can perform on a Friday night in front of 600 people without a microphone is and I have to be an oscillating fan and be like, "Okay, like I mean, you weren't there when I did it. I did it a few years before in Atlanta at when they used to be in Atlanta, the the Pesak in the southeast and there was all these kids around and I said this joke and I was about to say this joke and be like, hey, you know what's funny about SOTA? Nope, [laughter] not going to do this joke. And then I told all the adults later, but you Yeah, you always have the potential to bomb and every comedian has done badly because every audience is different. Yeah. >> It's not always you. It's sometimes the setting. you're performing at a fancy schmancy dinner and they're not there for you. >> So >> sometimes it just doesn't connect, you know? >> It just doesn't and everyone's got other things going on. There's always stuff. There's just like we're not things. So but you but I say so what because really at the end of the day so what you've had fine you had a really bad night. Great. Everyone has a bad day. My best day doing a bad day in comedy, even if it's really hard, is still, I would say, a better day than in accounting for me. You know what? I mean, like I'm just like I, you know, it's it's it's truly amazing that like I get to write jokes that I do you but the thrill of like, hey, I thought of this during and I'm going to say it on stage and it makes people laugh. Like that's that's crazy that like I have a way >> kind of an exhilarating feeling like you know when you're >> Well, you asked about the drugs. That's why comedians do drugs. fulfilling. It's very >> I think that's why comedians whether or not it's dark and disturbed uh of like why they do drugs and get into bad habits. the comedians the the high of making an entire room of strangers laugh and be like oh my god like like also like just in terms of uh you know just appreciation people are like so like oh my god we loved it like you think I can get that like playing softball like like you know in terms of >> there's also a lot of pressure because you have to maintain that image of being funny all the time that a lot of times you're not really in the mood and you have to act you know people are always expecting you to be funny so it's going to be got to be hard to maintain that you know that image image all all the time. Who are some of the like big comedians or even not so big but anybody that you can you know talk about that you like their style like you really appreciate you know not >> you're saying influences >> anybody in general. Yeah. It doesn't have to be Jewish. >> No saying Gary Gleman who's a really good comedian who has a lot of very insightful observational stuff. I mean Jim Gaffigan has the best bit about circumcision you'll ever hear which is topical for the para where he literally says he's like those challenges in the Bible take a leap in difficulty. It's like don't eat this apple. Build me a boat. Cut off part of your What if I build you two boats? And it's just phenomenal. It's just phenomenal bit about about that. Um so he's great. Seinfeld obviously I remember watching Seinfeld's like I'm telling you for the last time special. Um this you know John Malany now I said like I said >> John Maloney is awesome. >> Yeah. >> I watched his SNL monologues. He's done like four or five of them now. Yeah. >> And everyone is just pure gold. >> Well it's just And he's also known to have been struggling with addictions. Right. And he's the least suspecting person because he looks like he's always, you know, very clean image. >> Did you watch his latest? >> Yeah, his latest special is [laughter] rehab. >> Is it really >> talk about his rehab? >> But it was very surprising for people to learn that, you know, he was struggling with addiction behind the scenes and he was also claiming that he was in a very depressed state of mind all the time, which was weird because he just looks like he's just, you know, he has resting happiness face is what he looks like, right? And he has like no problems and he's >> I have I have resting go by face. Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. [laughter] He's he was he he his material is like amazing and his delivery is second to Naomi Malaney. Very very funny. Like really really funny. On that note, I'm wondering can we do a Jewish version of SNL? Not SNL but a live audience >> where it's, you know, once a month or so, you know, a consistent performance. You bring people into the room and you have a sketch and there's there's so much material that you know I think this could be a big thing in our community you know that everybody could enjoy. Why don't we do something like that? >> Which community? When you say our community? >> Any community anywhere? >> There are millions of Jews, right, that I think really would would tune into something else. >> First of all, you're talking about sketches versus standup. Those are different things. not stand up sketches like an SNL comedy type of model that we could do for you know a Jewish audience that even Andrews can appreciate. >> I think I think from a production standpoint that's very hard to do. >> Sure. >> I mean we could yeah we could rent the be costumes and do that but like you know but >> but if done well it could be a big thing and it could be lucrative. You can get big sponsors. don't think a Jewish audience for live sketch comedy to me >> if it's good uh Ellie and I think you're capable man I think you could put the crew together >> why do you need the pressure why do you need the pressure to make it live >> what is next for you what are you aiming to where where are you going from here so you're doing these shows you're getting >> I would love to make I would love to make a bigger like you know uh either write a book about the jokes about the para for at least one as a side thing and then also like do like a bigger like the sketches of about Jewish like almost like Yeudim is like a Hebrew version in Israel. I know uh in Israel they have this like this like Jewish sketch they have sketches about Jewish history. So I would love to do one from like a from version of different moments in Tanakh or in Jewish history whatever or just from a from perspective of like those types of things. That's what I would love to do if I could. I love writing them and being part of it and and being in the writer room type of thing. My own standup I would love to yeah sure hire me for your gallas because it's really a awkward and embarrassing and to just be like hey everybody so the smorg is open and uh just eat and like you need because you need some sort of entertainment. That's why you need these like you know entertainment. you need this kind of entertainment because you can't just have a bunch of room people in a room sitting there just so now what do we do and you have to have a couple awards whatever so I don't know I think I think my my answer is that I'm not doing just one thing and I think that's really helpful I think that's some of the burnout that people have this why pickle ball exists is that you you have you're only do you don't have a side thing thankfully I turned my which one was my er which one was my toughel thank god when I was like still working at my day jobs at B&H and Oh, you I was still doing comedy on the side all this and then it became like whatever. Yeah. My in-laws been like, "Oh man, we're worried about the, you know, our financial situation for our kids." But I thank God, you know, the world has only gotten crazier and needed more laughs. And so there's definitely outlets for and the the more AI and chat GBT we get, good comedy, I think, is going to be at a premium. Yeah. because it's gonna be it's like flyers, right? I am so happy when I see a nonAI flyer, right? You can you recognize an AI flyer at this point? Like the orange tints, the the same fonts and you're like AI AI AI. You just write it off, right? So the real if there's going to be real comedy of like about the world the in the world of times that we're going to go you know my my in-laws who live in Israel they like always say to us they say every time something happens in America like when when are you going to when are you going to move to Israel and I said someone has to be here to receive your Amazon packages. Okay like you know there there will the same thing here that like there has to be as as crazy as the world gets. >> I want to throw another idea at you. What about like a reality uh competition show, you know? Uh Kevin Hart came out recently with Last Comic Standing. >> Yeah. >> Have you seen it? >> The funny EF. Yeah. >> Yeah. Oh, there you go. Yes. What did I That was a different show. >> Last comic standing was a a show before him for years. Yeah. >> So, you know what I'm talking about. It's on Netflix, right? It was actually hilarious. I watched the sound of it. And you he basically goes around the country and he looks for undiscovered talent, people that have been, you know, trying at it at uh standard comedy and, you know, they haven't gotten the the big moment yet. and he tries to see, you know, and he makes a competition out of it, right? They're competing against each other and in the end he picks one person and they get their own comedy special, right? And the prize is waiting >> something like this where you would go around and you would, you know, uh get people to come and try them out and you just you make a [snorts] reality show out of it and people would tune in and watch. It would be exciting. Something like this like why don't we have I think >> See, to me there's a sketch idea about that idea. >> A sketch of that idea. >> Yes. But that see I'm talking broad. Let's make some money. >> Let's do something in pack a broader audience. They want to tune in. But it's not just the comedy. It's the production. >> I'm going to ask you to fund my my uh big >> You got to come up with the ideas first. I have the ideas and put a business plan together. >> I don't have a business plan. I have the ideas. You is you're the business guy involved. >> None of your business. >> We got to get a marketing team involved. >> Your business, not none of my business. >> Getting the money is the easy part. finding somebody. >> The ideas are the easy part. >> Is it really? I think that's the hard part. I think that's part of >> this is why you suck a villain's a thing. Sucker's a villain is guy's like I hate learning. It's like I love learning guys like I hate business. I by the way that's the thing for I'll say this for but like I I this is again this is where reading the para comes where I come up the behind the scenes scenarios. Yakov's giving all these brahas to his kids, right? He gives Yehuda this great braha about uh being the king and through a thing. Zuvelin is next to go and when Zulin's listening through the door just like hoping he gets a good braha just like Yehuda got a braha and Yehuda walks out. Zillin walks in and Zillin said and Yakov says to him, "Zillin, I want you to know you're going to be really successful in business. You're going to be really rich." He's like, "Yes." Oh yeah. Awesome. I'm gonna I'm gonna get so many boats. I'm going to name them all Zoolin. the names of the ones really going to catch on among the Jewish people. It didn't. And then Yakov says, "There's one thing. You're going to have to support all the col guys for being so hard." And he's like, "There's always a catch." So, I'm thinking that I I would love I would love nothing more than to come up with really funny ideas in writing for these types of things of different Jewish the Jewish thing is just that's how that's where my head is at. I can I can come up with other stuff, but Jewish the Jewish world is where my head is at for that those things. And uh you say the business thing is the easy part. I think the creative is the easy part. >> We got to we got to pair you with like a Lauren Michaels, right? Because you have the talent to write stuff and to come up with good ideas. The creativity part, which you know it takes people. This is why I'm trying to get Robert Craft to watch your show. >> A real team around >> Robert Craft should watch your show and say, "Listen, I know what Yeah, Robert Craft, [panting] I know you haven't been in the news for a couple weeks, [gasps] but if you can fund a way to make anti-semitism go away through Jewish comedy, that is my pitch to you." A shark Shark Tank Sharks. All I need is a dream to do a Jewish comedy thing. All I need is some potato cougle after a Lakewood wedding and I will give you I will invest 6%. [laughter] >> Love that social arc name by the way. >> Great show. >> Of course you're >> I love your ideas. I have to tell you um you mentioned earlier about Robert Craft and and what would you do with it though? You know I like ideas also. >> What do you mean do with it? >> What would you do with that money? Yeah, we gave you unlimited we just the amount of blood the amount of production that takes to like the amount of of production value meaning like to get like let's say the restaurant sketch that we talked about in Mr. way. Hiring a film crew, hiring editing, hiring extras. >> I get it. But would you do like weekly sketches? Like would you >> I know or either weekly either probably more frequent sketch. Weekly might be tough is listening. So >> yes. Yes. I'm sure he is. Uh also Makamore, if you're listening, I'm sorry you you screwed up. You're out. Uh I Good luck with that Paris concert next week. Uh [laughter] >> is that where you're supposed to perform? >> Yeah. >> Perfect timing, by the way. It's right right in line. >> That's why all the all the writing going on. I posted a thing. And I said, "This Mackamore Europe show is nuts." Uh cuz he's literally going next week to to to Paris. >> I saw the Mudam sketch of they did with the Jeopardy >> Jewish Jeopardy. That was amazing. That was that was absolutely amazing. I Something like that can happen on a weekly basis. I >> sure you brought together a lot of people. >> No, that was so that was Joviani had me on board for that one as like we pitched and I said I said I I contributed a bunch of that but one of the things I said I said you have to do a David Bushfkin video. I said that's the video clue and have a bunch of categories that are not gonna be read but the funny sorry they're not going to be like you're not going to get the questions you're just going to do what's the category so that was some of my contribution but yes something like that but that's that's a whole that was a full day production at a studio with camera we and and we even went like made podiums out of cardboard boxes and things like that but that's a real production and that's what these things cost to do it well I want it to be we want it to be not schlocky and whatever There's the sky's is the limit with ideas that I don't have the idea problem. People say to you, "Are you gonna are you worried you're going to run out of ideas?" Like, "No." Have you read the Torah >> coming up all the time that >> you could do 10 sketches about Pesak? Did you see our Pesak program one? Did you see that one? >> I don't think so. >> Oh, especially after the Morocco thing. It was We did a peso program sketch like the fire festival. But what if it you know what the fire festival was? >> No. Fire Festival was this like big influencer festival festival. It was like a scam basically almost like a scam. >> Oh yes, I did. I saw it was a documentary about that. Yeah. >> So the fire festival you had a documentary. So we did a documentary of a pesak program gone arry >> and it was like oh they said it was Pesak in Jamaica. We didn't know it was Jamaica Queens. >> Yeah. >> And then from there we did that. So we did like a sixinute but that was like a real >> what does it cost to make an entire day? That's that's the whole thing because that depends on how elaborate again getting bee costumes sitting on a bench is but but still in terms of like the editing up until this point you know um a lot of times you know we don't you know sometimes we get editors and and but you know Ammy in addition to a million talents that he has which I'm pretty jealous of he does because he does impressions he does music he does comedy and he also uh does he's an amazing editor at this kind of stuff. So, um, >> do any of you guys make money from any of the stuff that you guys are doing like directly? >> I wear what again we've done sponsored that restaurant sketch was sponsored by mayor upon him. So, we get sponsored sketches which I again I would love to do a sponsor. Hey, these next four sketches are sponsored by this organization by the none of your business podcast, Robert Craft. Uh, if like I would love to do that. >> What are other sources of income? >> I'm a psych major. I didn't go to size sims. I should have. I know. >> You know, I'm starting to understand now from what you start with at the beginning when we're talking about like, you know, the barometer of success would be how much money you're making. And he was very much pushing back on. I'm starting to he really really wants to do this because he really truly enjoys it. He just needs enough to cover it and let's get it done. He's not looking to become rich from this, right? And maybe maybe there's something here. >> Boishma. >> Exactly. And that that'll follow. >> I said wrong. >> You said it. Okay. >> Okay, cool. Uh I >> make a sketch out of it. No, but I'm saying but that's what it is and that's what Seinfeld will say too. Steinfeld's a billionaire who has commercially yes is a successful person and made the best one of the best TV shows of all time >> will never be recreated againated right it was not just out of nothing I'm saying about nothing but again the driving force of part of Seinfeld's success in addition to Jerry and Larry David being the coming of of like the two minds emerging together and you find out a lot of it is also Larry David um because then you see Kerb and you're like oh this guy's also a genius um is together but they're like Oh, we made a show and we didn't get network notes to say, uh, you know, do this, make make this character more attractive. Do this, make this a subplot. They left them alone because they thought they were going to be cancelled. Seinfeld, again, >> you can look it up. Seinfeld was also not a commercial success until like people were barely watching it. They didn't know it was going to happen. And and look what happened. So, some of why I want to push back on this idea of like give it a chance. There are a bunch of shows that have stood the test of time. Arrested Development got cancelled too early, was ahead of its time. Things just because everybody doesn't have any more ideas in the Hollywood industry other than Marvel movies or everything is how much money is it going to make? And I understand with inflation and how much things cost, you have to think of the bottom dollar, but that's somebody that should be someone else's problem. Make good work. Do what you do. Don't play to the audience. play to the audience a little bit, but play to your internal sense of of work ethic or lack thereof for me, but play to your internal sense of of humor of I know this is funny. I don't really care if you get on board. This is a really funny idea because again, for example, the mood sketch that me and Dovy did, right? Like initially we're we made it and we're like, you know, some of the people were like, "Oh, behind the scenes was like, can you make it exciting to Yasmood?" And I was like, "To come to this event." I was like, "No, we're going to make a funny sketchbook." One of the biggest, you know, approvals that in terms of like once it was out there, everyone's like, "This is amazing. This is every teacher we've ever had, either from the Zionist side or from the like, you know, Satmerish side or Yeshivish side. So, if you if you do good work and you have this thing, the rest will maybe follow. There's this Yeah, I'm not a I don't have to be a starving artist. I don't think there's a mila to every Carwalk story. Like >> those guys, Michael, they're all creators. We got to hook them up with somebody who like a Miguuth. Let's bring him a Migu to like put it all together and, you know, let's let's let's uh let's elevate this. Let's Let's give these guys a chance. We could use a platform like this. I think >> we have a platform now. Let's try I think we started off in the beginning saying that you have new material. I'd love for you to try it, [laughter] Ellie. Can we get you to do that? >> I can I can >> Nobody's heard Nobody's heard us yet. >> Try some new material. >> That I don't know. Well, I mean, you've been to my shabas meal maybe, but uh >> but yes, but also realize performing for three people in a room in the middle of the day with no drinks and nothing else and being like remember even even the response to this is a funny joke. H I'm ready. So there's that. No, I've been working on a bit about Mosher Rabenu and again some of your viewers are like I was on board for the first 90 minutes and then he started talking about FRA. So Mosher Abenu I feel bad for because Mosher Abenu didn't want the job. He signed up for something. You ever start a job and it's completely different than what the job description was? Like Hashem's like, "Okay, you're gonna take the people out of Egypt and you're going to bring them to the promised land." Okay, fine. He look Google's like what? Go to Aot was what? I don't know, you know, four four days. Okay, no problem. But one year, two years, 40 years. He's like still doing this. Mosha was like the first sh president. He's just like I And then also the job the tasks keep adding to it where God's like okay also by the way you're in charge of fundraising for the Mishka now. He's like all right everybody. Thank you so much for $18 uh for every donation. Such a big every every dollar matters. Even the person with the earmark note that said for this we left Egypt. Uh you know and and then he's just like okay also Mosha you're in charge of drinks. What? Yeah. You got to hit the get make sure some water comes out. And then Korak, his cousin says eventually the rebellion is so ironic because Korak's like, "Hey, who put you in charge?" And Mosha's like, "Do you want it? Cuz I don't want this." And like that's the so the ironic part is that and that is the Jewish experience in a nutshell is like if somebody wants the job, I'm a little nervous. >> I want somebody who doesn't want the job. That's how you know they're qualified. That's why and the Torah ends with it says there was never and never was and never will be a prophet like Mosha Rabenu and the subtext is even he couldn't handle these people and that's my little mini Mosha yeah that's a very funny topic that you never really thought of it that way you know like it's there's a humorous side to it that you just have to you just it's right there you just got to look at you got to read the arts girl monster and be like you know what's interesting that like it says I like again I was reading from a cynical whatever during laning about you know it says like oh before the flood it says oh this is not going to be as good as that one the angels like these it says these sons of angels saw that man had daughters and then they went they went like and then they went ary and then everything went crazy that's nobody reads this part because this is before the flood post kind like chapter v chapter v peric vavv of like boratious right before like then the feeling We don't know what that is. So I said oh I was saying to a friend of mine who like also has daughters. I said oh this is the problem. I said this is why I said to him once I said I want to give you a braha that your daughter should be attractive enough to find a shak and no more. And that's it just cuz like again this is where we go off the rails but uh I've been cancelled. No. So uh but like reading through the para I'm like you know what there's there's stuff that's why they you you start a cycle every year the new thing and you say you know what there's something I never noticed here I never noticed this I never noticed that like that Abram says to Sara okay pretend to be my sister and then they try it another the next week again in para they do it again and they're like this worked really well last time let's try that again and anyway see >> I like what you're doing I I think it's really it's a nice way to get people interested in this part of our history and our Torah and Na'vi. >> Yeah. I listen I mean the the lofty part of me would say like back in the day I used to post a joke about the para every week or something like that and then I realized okay and then I saw like if some people again I'm say Facebook because that's really where I started you know posting stuff. Um if I saw somebody who isn't particularly religious anymore likes my joke I'm like all right I got this guy to learn has a little kabad in me. I got this guy to learn a little bit of Torah kind of or at least made him aware this is the para which I think is a little nice thing and whether or not I'm doing I'm still doing it like again the driving force and this is what I'll tell any sketch that we have sponsored or whatever they say can you make it a commercial for uh you know and I'm like no no no no this has to be funny first has to be funny so that people enjoy it and pass it along to your WhatsApp group organically and say you got to see this thing and then you suddenly be like oh by the Hey, you know, uh, you know, you do this. So, >> yeah, >> you can't taint the actual objective, which ultimately, >> but you have to be clear what the objective is. This is why I fought you at the beginning of the objective. You're saying the objective has to be money, and I'm saying the objective has to be quality and good work. >> Yeah, it always comes first. I agree. >> A good sketch has to be number one. But this is why TV shows are bad because and movies are bad because they're thinking about money. They're thinking what's commercially successful instead of letting people do what they do and write well. So they just be creative. Don't have any like somebody I was listening on podcast about Ace Ventura. Have you ever heard Ace Ventura Pat? One of the funniest Jim Carrey I mean amazing at a class of his own but nobody would again the idea of it the sketch what's the idea of the the movie he is a pet detective that like does his own thing and basically Jim Carrey is Jim Carrey it's basically but like that movie would never get made nowadays right >> yeah the humor has shifted a little bit now it's become more >> but not even not but not even that they would never take the risk of an independent project like that unless somebody said I'm going produce it myself with a cell phone or on YouTube and put it up. That's why a lot of comedians the reverse has to be I'm gonna put a special up on YouTube first and then Netflix will find me. Which is a little bit backwards. It's it's emboldening because you can like pick up your audience first. You know, Ammy will tell me like, you know, uh we'll say, "Oh yeah, like you have the ability to to talk to a bunch of people right now if you wanted to. What's like what's stopping you from putting out stuff? Let me ask you this before we wrap up because we're going to have to wrap up in a minute, but um >> there are a lot of young people that are trying to be today, comedians, uh musicians, uh >> don't we have and we have enough [laughter] entertainers at >> gall though, you know, uh m musical artists, singers, so many people that have passion about what they want to do, but it's >> challenging to make a living in these types of environments. What's your message to them? >> Okay, first I have to say with a joke because I was thinking of the make a living joke because that was the uh because there's the old joke of a guy passes out at a and they have a guy passes out, they call the ambulance, the ambulance puts him on a stretcher and says, "Are you comfortable?" He says, "I make a living." And [laughter] so because there because the reason I thought of that was because last week there was a story of the guy who didn't want to there was like people and the guy didn't want to get seen by Jews or some Jewish Orthodox Jews. So they say call me the real ambulance and then more Jews show up and whatever. So I said oh a new variation of that is somebody says he gets put on stretcher and says are you comfortable? He says yeah but I'm not as rich as the Jews. So that was my thing. So in terms of I would say for practical advice of how to make this into a thing is a don't think like this is going to be my career that's unless you're doing it whatever like as much as possible what you can't do practically because you just can't live in the world like that but do what I did do it on the side while you're I don't know teaching because a lot of lot of comedians are teachers because you have the time to do it at night. Um, but I didn't go from 0 to 60 and be like, I'm going to be comedy, do comedy full-time, you know. Also, thankfully my wife also works and has we have health insurance, so like that's also like a really important thing. Um, I had a couple surgeries, you know. Um, but I I would say keep doing what you do. Write everything down. Keep that creative spark alive. Keep doing this thing while you're doing, you know, your um side, whatever your side thing is. If if your side thing is accounting and music is your passion, keep doing what you're doing because you can't just jump into it willy-nilly. Like I didn't go from 0 to 60. I I was working so that I made enough money to be like, "Okay, this is a decent enough side job. Let's see how much I can make if I put full two feet forward." And it happened to be the timing also worked out that but I would say keep working on it. get a side thing and uh make sure you're like being smart with your decisions as well. Um and uh hopefully you have supportive family or a family that doesn't judge you. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Yeah, that's true. That's a good one. Uh finally, last question we always ask our guests, who do you think would be a good guest if you started a podcast tomorrow? Who would be your first guest that you can recommend us? Oh, that Oh, that's Wait, is is this a like if you could sit down and be with sit with someone or >> that I could recommend to you? >> Yeah, a little bit of both. >> Oh, uh, hold on. Give me a second cuz I want to Sorry. This is on the spot. I was not expecting this one. Again, immediately I'm thinking like Rebe Bashfkin, who already has a podcast. >> It's okay. He has a podcast. I'm talking about getting a guest. Right. David Bashkin I think is pretty great at because he lives in my neighborhood and he does like a a sheer once a month once a month about like tying in the para to Jewish history and like really and he just released a book and I can give him a plug and say it's called I read this over Shabas and he has this whole thing about reading a book every Shabas and like everyone's like you didn't read that you read a whole book over Shabas like and I'm like I guess I'm usually falling asleep reading the Jewish link on the couch but seeing if I'm in if I made it to the memes of the week. Um, but he's he's pretty cuz he also I respect his he doesn't have the the traditional trajectory of like, oh, like you're going to just like go into like what's a rabbi do? Like I guess you're going to teach at a school slash be a pulpit rabbi and then do nine other jobs. I don't know. So he has a very like different >> history buff. >> Yeah, very well learned. I mean, he reads a book every week. So that he's very well he'll he'll drop names. I'm like beautiful. >> Yeah, he'll drop I'll try. He'll drop. >> Whip out your phone. >> He's not gonna answer. But >> you got our first uh calling basis. >> I have on airplane mode. What >> you on calling basis? [laughter] Late one. >> Again, I've learned from comedy that because I do comedy full-time. And everyone's like, "What do you do all day?" I'm like, "A laundry." Um but I I said this uh because sometimes I'll call somebody in the middle of the day and they're like, "What? What are you Why are you calling me in the middle of the day?" "Oh yeah, you're working." "Oh yeah, sorry." [laughter] Uh and then I say go and then I go back to my job. Um no, but no. So he um he very much is very well-rounded and he'll say stuff like he'll be like there's a very famous Jewish story from 1828. I'm like you made that person up like you know >> and we have no way to verify it. Yeah. But we'll go with it. >> Yeah. You know he he has it's like uh it's like a rabbi has Marmakoma like you know have like first of all they 50 sources they use three of them. So he has like books on the table in front of him and he does it and he does a great job of it. It's really it's like our in our neighborhood like at 8:30 on a shabas morning after the I go to the early minion I go late to the early minion which is ironic and then uh there's usually a kdish and then he does this year from from 8:30 to 9 and it's usually again para tied into like a Jewish history thing that I haven't even heard of but like these things I'm like oh my god I know that from what he said like he opened my eyes to like something where it's like oh uh the Pittsburgh platform was this big brick reform thing of basically like the the branding for reform at some point was like, "Oh, we're not a a nation anymore. We're a people or something." So, like basically dissolving some of the connection to Israel. And the PLO in the 1960s, which is how when they started calling themselves Palestinian, was like, "Oh, we're going to use that." They you they quoted this saying the Jewish people are not a thing and or Israel is not a connected connected to the Jewish people >> two separate entities >> right so like meaning but like it's fascinating that like again us in the midbar shooting ourselves in the foot and being like hey maybe if we I think the way to solve this you know Messiah thing and solve this gullless problem is to get together and stop fighting with each other and acknowledge whatever. So, so he's he's a good person to >> love it. Let's do it. >> Yeah. Do you have any shows that you do that are coming up? >> I have a some private events. I'm doing a show uh the Kabat of the Bowery on the I don't know when this come out on the 20 October 29th with uh Ammy Kak. I'm doing a show for Shula North Woodmir a sisterhood nishe event. Uh so I'm going to do all my Kiddana uh jokes uh and all. But guys, don't you hate a long tan? Uh, and they're like, "We don't know. We don't do that." Uh, and I whatever. I have a bunch of stuff coming up in uh, I'm doing a show in somewhere in New [clears throat] Jersey in November. Like, I have a bunch of random private stuff that I usually do for organizations or shs, but you can reach me. And, uh, I PESOC, we'll see. I I don't know what uh, I'm probably not going back there, but another PES opportunity will be uh, Pesak's nice soon. [laughter] >> Thank you so much for being here. We really appreciate it. Thank you to all of our listeners, the Prime Source production team. We're loving the feedback and uh we wish you lots of luck on your journey. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. >> It's a wrap. Thank you. [music]