https://youtubetranscript.com/?v=n_0LeJWdbi4
Well, I haven’t been in serious trouble with the media for three days, I think, so it’s probably time to do something that’ll… What do they come at you for? Jesus, I don’t know, really. I mean, I expected the attention around me to dissipate three or four years ago. Mm-hmm. And for some reason it doesn’t stop. And I can’t figure it out, really. I think maybe it’s because the media types… I mean, some of them have supported me, don’t get me wrong, but they can’t really figure me out because what I’m doing isn’t really political. It’s psychological. And I am a clinical psychologist. I’ve been writing these books to help people. There’s other reasons as well. They have to make everything political and I don’t quite fit that mold. And so I don’t think they know what to do with me. And they want to put you in a box. Yes, and then bury the box and then burn the ground and then salt the earth. They want you to say I’m left or I’m right. And you’re like, listen, I’m neither. I’m watching both sides and making my own decisions. That’s how I see you. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I see you in a very similar… Not that I’m wearing an equal footing, but I see you in the same way I see things. I don’t pick a team here. I’m just watching both sides and trying to figure out where the fuck is the truth. Well, I hope that that’s what I’m doing. That’s how I read it. Thank you. I appreciate that. If they’re not getting that, that means they’re not smart enough to get you. Therefore, they shouldn’t be got. Well, it’s been a great mystery and it’s all come up again this week. I don’t know what to say about it exactly. It’s stressful. Yes, it is. It is stressful. But I mean, their problem with you is that you’re very articulate and you enunciate well. And they can’t handle that because they’re trying to push you into a corner to make you to sweat and hopefully hope that you fall apart. And I’m like, it’s not a facade, guys. That’s really who this guy is. You’re not going to… That might actually be part of the problem. They might have been reading things or even listening to lectures and they’re like, well, maybe he’s got that memorized. Maybe this is somewhat of a facade. I think that could be part of it. I’ll get to the real thing and then when it doesn’t appear, it makes them angry. Maybe. We northern Albertans are known for enunciation skills, you know. You’re from northern Alberta? Yes, I am. No clue where you were from to be honest. I thought you were a Toronto guy. No, 350 miles northwest of Edmonton in a little town called Fairview. I know Fairview. There was a gig there back in the day. No, really? I know, lately Fairview. 26 years ago, I did a show in Fairview and I remember going, what the fuck is this place? It was like, there was a hockey arena there. And the hotel was part of the hockey arena. And it had no windows. It literally looked like this room was just like cement walls. I was like, am I in jail? And it was freezing. Yes, it’s freezing. It’s very cold there. It’s very cold in Canada, obviously, but that’s a particularly cold part of Canada. Yes, I know exactly where you’re from. There was a comic back in the day, maybe around 96, 97, a comic named Monte Cohen died out there. He was, I think he was going for a run or something and he got hit by a truck. Fuck. And it was all bad because I remember I had lent him these VHS tapes of, I used to be a big Kiss fan when I was a kid. That’s embarrassing. I found these really cool VHS Kiss tapes and I lent them to him and then he died. I was like, damn it, how am I going to get my Kiss tapes back? Actually, I listened to Kiss when I was 13. I have to admit it. How old are you now? 58. Oh, so you got seven years on me. I thought you were younger than that. You’re so youthful looking. It’s the brown. I’ll be 51 this year. So you’re not in Canada anymore. You relocated to the States a while ago. 15 years ago, but day by day, I consider moving back home every day. I’m like, you know what? I don’t see the purpose of being here anymore. Where are you located? I’m in Vegas and Los Angeles. Oh, you’re in Vegas. You live in Vegas? Yeah, I’ve been there for 14 years. That must be a trip. I mean, at first, you know, when I first moved out there and I was in my late 30s, it was great. You’re a young guy. You suddenly got money. You got no dependents. You can have a blast in Vegas at that time. As you get older, you’re like, oh, this is not for me anymore. And, you know, my kids are both in Los Angeles, so I have to spend some time there to see them all the time. I think that’s really the only thing stopping me from moving back to Canada are my kids, because I have two different baby mamas because I’m an idiot. And one, I think, would let my daughter go with the other one will not let my son go. That’s a different part of shit on its own. I like LA. I’ve been there many times. I like LA. Yeah, I’ve seen you on Joe Rogan’s podcast. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I have some friends out in LA that I visit quite frequently. But there are some advantages to living in Canada. It being Canada, that’s the advantage. It’s funny to me when I hear all the Americans go, we’re not turning into a socialist country. It’s socialism. And I’m like, it’s really not that bad, guys. It’s really not that bad, guys. You see how your teeth are crooked and your spine is broken? Well, that wouldn’t be like that in Canada because we’re socialist assholes. And the taxes are like, it’s like the same now. I mean, at least in Canada, you pay high taxes, you get something for it. You get better roads and you get health care. Over here, you get nothing. You might just get shot. That’s about it. I’m ready to move somewhere warmer. I thought Texas is looking pretty nice. Texas is pretty cool, though. I do like Texas. You’re not wrong, Mikayla. So how has your comedy changed and shifted over the years? I think it’s become a little bit more introspective. I don’t think the set that I’m doing right now is as introspective as the last one was, but it’s a work in progress right now. I don’t know. I’m trying to figure out how to award this one the right way because I don’t want to toe the line, you know? And because when you’re towing the line, somebody is bound to get offended or take it the wrong way. But I want to make it so that if you take it the wrong way, I could show you why you’re wrong. So I’m figuring out the wording at the moment, but, you know, I’m trying to cover subjects about, you know, it’s we’re part of you and I are part of the generation that I say that I feel like my generation is mad at the younger generation. Like we look at them like they’re idiots and that they’re soft and that they’re sensitive. But the problem with that is we made that generation. That generation was inside of us and we released it. So I’m trying to figure out how to make it I’m trying to figure out the wording behind all of this because I want to make it, you know, I want to make it that, you know, you understand that I’m I recognize that we’re mad at you, but I also recognize that I can’t stop myself from being mad at you. Well, I think every generation tends to think that the up and coming generation is softer. Absolutely. We listen, my parents thought the same thing and I bring that up as well. You know, every time I said, you know, my dad, when he would hit me, he would tell me how much less of a beating this was than he got. So I always like to go the extra mile and make it extra good. I said, my dad, tell me you’re lucky. This is all you’re getting. Your grandfather threw a leopard at me. Where do you get a leopard? It was India. They were everywhere. Have you had to tone things down in comedy? Because I like there’s a people. Well, people are all stressed out anyway because of this whole covid situation. But some comedians have been have been somewhat destroyed and you tell like you’re really funny, but you you veer into. Well, I would say like a lot of race jokes and you described them earlier. They’re funny and maybe it’s because you cater to the people you’re you’re joking about. But how have you managed one, how have you managed to, I guess, get away with doing that, especially with media? And yeah, that’s the main question. Well, I’m kind of the beauty for me is that my audience is loyally my audience. So the people that are getting offended would never have bought a ticket to see me to begin with. So I can’t cater to the to the hater. I’ve got to cater to the people that are going to then enjoy you and want to see what you do. It’s like if your dad just started to change his tune all of a sudden because he got influenced by the people telling him he should watch what he says, you know, that would that would make you untrue to yourself and untrue to your people. And then you’ll have literally nobody because the haters aren’t going to accept you ever. And the people that want to hear what you have to say, you just turned your back on them. So I got to stay true to who I am. And I always know my intent when I’m saying things. I know that my intent is never to offend or hurt anybody’s feelings. My intent is only to make you laugh. And if you get offended by something I said, then you’ve got your own personal issues you’re working with. I just happen to trigger them and make you realize that this is a problem for you. And maybe you need to go see a psychologist. Well, I think part of the reason I get away with offering people advice, let’s say is because I try to include myself in the group of people to whom I’m offering advice. I’m always thinking of the ways that I don’t live up to my own expectations. And I think that and I think that’s genuine. I don’t think it’s a front. I think that, you know, you make no shortage of jokes about your own ethnic group. And you’re always part you’re always the butt of your jokes, as well as the person who’s telling them. And so the audience can tell that right away. It’s obvious that you’re not telling jokes from a position of superiority. It’s more like, well, look, guys, you know, we’re all idiots. We are each idiots in our own particular ways, ethnicity included. And here’s some of the foibles. But, you know, let’s not forget that it’s universal truth that we’re all fools. Yeah, I think that’s I mean, that’s basically how I approach it. Because, yeah, in my head, there’s nobody above and there’s nobody below. We’re all on the same playing field. You know, there’s people you admire. And then there’s and then there’s people that whatever. But to me, it’s all literally we’re all on the exact same playing field. I talked to, you know, I talked to kings and queens and, and world leaders, and I talked to them exact same way. I talked to my friends, maybe a little bit more respectful, but I don’t fawn over them. So to speak, I’m not like, Yes, sir. What can I do? I’m like, Oh, shut the fuck up, listen, dude. You know, I have I have some, you know, I’m friends with the King of Jordan. And when him and I talk, it’s like two guys talking. It’s not like, sir, how are you? Have you been? Have you been pleased? So, you know, it’s none of that. It’s just like, Hey, what’s going on, buddy? You know, it’s it’s really cool to have these kinds of to be able to be privileged enough to, to get to have the to be put in these situations. And then it’s even more of a privilege to be able to act normal with them.