The George Hahn Podcast

A post-holiday, new year catch up with my friend Judy.

New year, new mayor. Also... Goodbye MTV, and hello "Boogie Nights" in 4K.

To mark the release of his latest album, "Free State of California," I talked with Greg Proops, one of my absolute favorite comics. Greg has one of the smartest, funniest, most thoughtful, and most deliciously disdainful voices to ever work in standup. This was a really fun conversation.

To be honest, I had low expectations for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. I was pleasantly surprised, however. Was the plot ridiculous? Sure, but who cares? This is fresh, fun, light adventure with smart, hot people who have super powers and cool outfits, all in an insanely chic, beautifully designed environment. Also... I treated myself to an outstanding shave yesterday. Game changer (or at least a day changer).

Since I became an AMC Stubs member, I've been going to the movies a lot. Among the things I've noticed are the numbers of people actually going to the movies and the number of surprisingly good movies to see. I'll be curious to see the numbers of this year's summer blockbuster season compared to the past few years (pre and post Covid).

The joy of going to see shows by myself.

Where do I begin about my guest on this episode? How do I begin? When I was a kid at home, I remember seeing her on late night cable doing standup at the IMPROV, unable get enough of her bawdy flavor of comedy and confidence. Then, in 1989, my dad bought me a cassette of her hit one-woman show "Without You I'm Nothing." Like countless other gay men, I was transfixed. I didn't really know that this kind of performance was possible. Funny, edgy, cutting, relevant, ahead of its time. And speaking of something ahead of its time... If you haven't seen her performance in Martin Scorsese's "The King of Comedy" with Robert DeNiro and Jerry Lewis, rent it now. Since all of that, she's done sitcoms, movies, tv shows, most recently Ryan Murphy's POSE and American Horror Story. I saw her most recently at her annual holiday run at Joe's Pub on New Year's Eve, back in person after a three-year pandemic absence. She is a comedian... a singer... a writer... an actress... one of our sharpest cultural observers... one of my favorite entertainers... an overall icon... and, this year, my Valentine... Miss Sandra Bernhard.

Dave Hill is a comedian, a writer, a musician, an actor, a podcast host and - like myself - a Cleveland original. He also happens to be an old friend with whom I attended St. Ignatius High School just outside Downtown Cleveland. I was class of '89, Dave was class of '87, as was our fellow alumnus, California congressman Ted Lieu. Dave came by my studio office in Rockefeller Center the other day, and we a great conversation. We talked about high school, of course, as well as his work as a creative, social media, his permanent ban from Twitter (and plea for reinstatement), our Cleveland roots and our love of NYC. I really enjoyed this conversation, and I hope you do, too. You can find Dave at his website at https://davehillonline.com. He's also on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mrdavehill) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@mrdavehill). And if you could, please make a plea to the powers at Twitter to have Dave reinstated there, where his handle was https://twitter.com/MrDaveHill.

Award-winning writer and humorist Paul Rudnick is one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter. I finally got to sit down and talk with him.

In this episode, I throw down some of my feelings after the 2022 midterm elections. The big takeaway, of course, is that there was no "Red Wave." In fact, it was really more like a referendum on the GOP. I also have a report on the sad state of sartorial affairs around my new office in Rockefeller Center. Other than the viral boner killer known as the sleeveless fleece vest, the big news is that the necktie seems to be on the endangered species list. I'm doing my part to keep it alive.

The idea of not drinking is weird for a lot of people. More than 20 years after my last drink, I can easily say that getting sober is the best thing I’ve ever done.

On today’s episode, I talk about the best way to get around town when the United Nations General Assembly is in session, taking the streets of Manhattan hostage. I also talk about another visit to Tin Building and why I like talking about that place (and other people, places and things that I like). To support this podcast and my social media work: https://georgehahn.com/support Hahn, Solo is a podcast I do by myself and talk about other things I do... by myself, i.e. solo. This show is usually an exclusive for my Patreon subscribers, but I'm going to keep doing a "Friday freebie." Thank you for your ear and for your support! I hope you enjoy it.

Since many have told me how much they enjoy seeing New York through my social media content, I thought I'd try a little experiment with my occasional podcast. The idea was inspired by another podcast I recently heard where two people were discussing the lunch they were having - as they were having it - at a well known New York steakhouse. I loved the idea and decided to try something similar. In this episode, I share the signature experience of getting and enjoying a New York slice of pizza in real time. Ridiculous, but fun.

The audio version of my blog post "Cheap and Chic Reading Glasses" Link to the original article: georgehahn.com/cheap-and-chic-reading-glasses/

The audio version of my blog post "I Can't With The Sweatpants." Link to the original article: https://georgehahn.com/i-cant-with-the-sweatpants/

This is the second half of an interview I had several months ago with my friend and podcast co-host Amy Eddings. Specifically, Amy was curious about the origins of my personal style and about the blog. This interview was the first time anybody really asked me about how it all started, who were my idols and influencers, and such. In addition to being a dear friend and my co-host of The Downtowner, a podcast about Downtown Cleveland, Amy was the host of All Things Considered for many years in New York on WNYC and, since moving to Cleveland, has worked primarily as the host of Morning Edition on WCPN. Basically, she’s a serious news person. Being on the receiving end of questions from such a serious news person was a really fun first. Our conversation clocked in at a full hour. So I did some editing and turned it into a two-parter. This is part two. Enjoy!

Several months ago, my friend and podcast co-host Amy Eddings sat me down for an interview to talk about… well… me. Specifically, Amy was curious about the origins of my personal style and about the blog. This interview was the first time anybody really asked me about how it all started, who were my idols and influencers, and such. In addition to being a dear friend and my co-host of The Downtowner, a podcast about Downtown Cleveland, Amy was the host of All Things Considered for many years in New York on WNYC and, since moving to Cleveland, has worked primarily as the host of Morning Edition on WCPN. Basically, she’s a serious news person. Being on the receiving end of questions from such a serious news person was a really fun first. Our whole conversation clocked in at a full hour. So I did some editing and turned it into a two-parter. This is part one. Enjoy! https://georgehahn.com

In this episode, I ponder the question: is it better to own or to rent? Each option has its benefits and bummers. But as I get older, having been a guest and keen observer of many owners over the decades, I’m less attracted to the idea of “ownership” and more interested in traveling light as the renter I’ve always been. I’m very lucky to live in an apartment in Downtown Cleveland that feels more like a customer service arrangement than the typical landlord/tenant relationship. Whenever I need something, it’s taken care of at no extra cost, leaving me to get on with the business of living and to focus my time and energy on things I’d rather do. The same idea works for my approach to things like a car or media. Where I once prided myself as a collector of vinyl records and CDs, I much prefer access to everything I already owned plus much more music than I can wrap my head around let alone afford to buy with services like Spotify and Apple Music. And the space I save without dealing with the physical media? Fuggedaboutit. And the car? Nah. Also in this episode, I give a little shout-out to my new podcast venture called The Downtowner, a new show about Downtown Cleveland that I co-host with the amazing Amy Eddings, our local host of NPR’s Morning Edition who also happens to be a native Clevelander who returned home after decades in New York City. She and I also live downtown, giving us much to discuss in this brand new production from ideastream, Cleveland’s public media company.

I jumped back onto the saddle this week after a brief but fantastic trip to Palm Beach, Florida last weekend. I have a client down there who showed me the ropes in their little universe both in Palm Beach and in the charming town of Lake Worth. Also in this episode, I talk about helping my nephew, a recent college graduate, with his first suit. Following my advice, he got a terrific navy suit from Suitsupply’s Blue Line, which comes at a very reasonable $399. For that price, they will send you three suits in different sizes just to make sure you get the right one. My nephew ordered a 38R, a 40R and a 42R. As I predicted, it turns out my nephew is a 42R. Now it’s off to the tailor. With lifestyle, I go over my morning ritual, which started this morning with a selfie posted on Instagram, indicating exactly what I look like when I get up. It ain’t pretty. Along with warm water with lemon followed by sufficient cups of coffee, it takes a village, spackle, sand paper, varnish and a soft buffing cloth to prepare me for the day. To conclude the episode, I launch into a petty tirade about the hideous parking lots that scar Downtown Cleveland’s otherwise beautiful cityscape. I have ideas and solutions for these ugly black eyes on our urban center, and I let it rip. Thanks for listening!

I’ve said it 1,000 times, and I’ll say it again: Nothing makes a man look better than a well-tailored suit. A recent article in the Washington Post mused about the “death” of the power suit, making me dread yet another excuse for men to frump out and be as casual as humanly possible. The simple truth is that no other garment in menswear elevates any man (fit or fat) like a well-tailored suit. Period. And speaking of elevating every man… In this time of unprecedented political and cultural upheaval in our country, it is more important than ever to double-down on living as consciously, conscientiously and ethically as possible. In many areas, the bar has been pulled down dangerously low. It is up to each of us to maintain higher standards. Thanks for listening!