Digest

This podcast episode features comedian Gary Cannon and film producer Douglas Urbansky as guests. The conversation begins with a discussion about audience warm-up, a dream gig for comedians, and the unique challenges of different shows. Adam uses the reality show "Selling Sunset" as a metaphor for the evolution of society, arguing that the focus has shifted from substance to superficiality and drama. He then shares a personal anecdote about his encounter with Dave Grohl's sister and discusses Dave's recent revelation about having a child out of wedlock. The conversation delves into the seemingly paradoxical behavior of people who are meticulous about hygiene in certain situations but disregard it in others. Leah delivers a segment of news, including stories about John Bon Jovi saving a woman from jumping off a bridge, an NYPD officer winning a settlement over courtesy cards, and a Texas man sentenced to prison for kicking a cat. Adam introduces Douglas Urbansky, a film producer and actor known for his work on films like "The Social Network" and "Robocop." They discuss Douglas's career and his libertarian views. Adam plays a movie trivia game with Douglas, asking him to guess the movie based on a famous line. They also discuss nicknames and how they are acquired. The conversation explores the nature of logical thinking and how it relates to political differences. It discusses Ronald Reagan's view on conservatism and the idea that conservatives agree on the principle of not repeating mistakes. The discussion then delves into the role of critical thinking in political beliefs and how family history and tradition can influence political stances. The conversation shifts to the topic of free speech and the increasing regulation of it. The speakers express their concerns about the potential for misinformation and disinformation to be used as justification for censorship. They discuss the contrasting views on free speech between those who advocate for absolute freedom and those who believe in regulated speech with caveats. The conversation explores the potential endgame of the COVID-19 pandemic and the societal impact it has had. The speakers discuss the experience of lockdowns and restrictions, particularly in California and the UK. They reflect on the amnesia that has followed the pandemic, where people seem to have forgotten the fear and restrictions they endured. The conversation focuses on Dr. Birx's book about her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The speakers view the book as an indictment of her actions, highlighting her alleged deception and manipulation of information. They emphasize the importance of speaking truth to power and holding those in authority accountable for their actions. The conversation transitions to a humorous anecdote about Joe McHale's experience trying to build a swimming pool in Los Angeles. The story highlights the excessive regulations and bureaucracy associated with construction in the city. The speakers draw parallels between this experience and the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that the pursuit of safety can often lead to excessive restrictions and infringements on individual freedoms. The conversation delves into the psychological aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that fear mongering played a significant role in shaping public opinion. The speakers discuss how women were often targeted with fear-inducing messages, which then influenced household policies and ultimately led to the indoctrination of men into accepting restrictive measures. The conversation shifts to the personal experiences of the speakers during the COVID-19 pandemic. One speaker describes his experience working on a show in London, where the city felt like a zombie movie due to the lockdowns and restrictions. He also discusses the rise of fear-mongering and the reliance on "experts" who often proved to be unreliable. The conversation turns to the topic of actors and their talent. The speakers discuss Gary Oldman and Brian Cox, highlighting their unique abilities and the importance of their contributions to the entertainment industry. They also reflect on the nature of talent and how it can be recognized and appreciated. The conversation concludes with a discussion about the Emmy Awards and the success of the show "Slow Horses." The speakers express their excitement about the show's nominations and encourage listeners to watch it on Apple TV. They also discuss the importance of recognizing and celebrating talent in the entertainment industry. The conversation delves into the speaker's experience with earthquake rehab work in Los Angeles. He discusses the importance of structural integrity and the resilience of buildings built before the 1994 Northridge earthquake. He also expresses his skepticism about the fear-mongering surrounding earthquakes and the overemphasis on safety measures. The conversation explores the speaker's transition from earthquake rehab work to a career in comedy. He describes the challenging and often unpleasant nature of his previous work and how it ultimately led him to pursue a more fulfilling path. He also reflects on the importance of finding work that is both enjoyable and meaningful. The conversation touches on the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and its potential downsides. The speakers express their concerns about the use of DEI as a tool for promoting identity politics and creating a sense of division. They argue that judging individuals based on their race or gender can be unfair and counterproductive. The conversation concludes with a discussion about the legacy of Rush Limbaugh and the power of radio. The speaker shares his experience filling in for Limbaugh and the impact he had on the audience. He also reflects on the nature of fame and the challenges of navigating a competitive industry.

Outlines

00:00:00

Introduction, Audience Warm-up, and Society's Shift

The episode begins with introductions of the guests, comedian Gary Cannon and film producer Douglas Urbansky. Adam discusses the concept of audience warm-up and how it's a dream gig for comedians. He then uses the reality show "Selling Sunset" as a metaphor for the evolution of society, arguing that the focus has shifted from substance to superficiality and drama.

00:02:12

Audience Warm-up: The Dream Gig

Adam and Gary delve into the details of audience warm-up, discussing the pay, consistency, and the unique challenges of different shows. They reminisce about past experiences, including Adam's time on "Last Call with Carson Daly" and Gary's work on "The Jennifer Hudson Show."

00:15:44

Dave Grohl's Out-of-Wedlock Child and the Sushi Paradox

Adam shares a personal anecdote about his encounter with Dave Grohl's sister and his subsequent confusion when a woman answered the door at her house. He then discusses Dave's recent revelation about having a child out of wedlock and his decision to take responsibility. Adam observes the seemingly paradoxical behavior of people who are meticulous about hygiene in certain situations but disregard it in others. He uses the example of his travel neck pillow to illustrate this point, questioning why people are so lax about its cleanliness despite its potential for harboring germs.

00:51:57

News with Leah: John Bon Jovi, NYPD Officer, and Texas Man

Leah delivers a segment of news, including stories about John Bon Jovi saving a woman from jumping off a bridge, an NYPD officer winning a settlement over courtesy cards, and a Texas man sentenced to prison for kicking a cat.

01:23:19

Douglas Urbansky: Film Producer and Actor

Adam introduces Douglas Urbansky, a film producer and actor known for his work on films like "The Social Network" and "Robocop." They discuss Douglas's career and his libertarian views.

01:26:28

Movie Trivia and Nicknames

Adam plays a movie trivia game with Douglas, asking him to guess the movie based on a famous line. They also discuss nicknames and how they are acquired, with Adam revealing his own nickname "Ace."

01:32:46

Logical Brain, Political Differences, and Free Speech

The conversation explores the nature of logical thinking and how it relates to political differences. It discusses Ronald Reagan's view on conservatism and the idea that conservatives agree on the principle of not repeating mistakes. The discussion then delves into the role of critical thinking in political beliefs and how family history and tradition can influence political stances. The conversation shifts to the topic of free speech and the increasing regulation of it. The speakers express their concerns about the potential for misinformation and disinformation to be used as justification for censorship. They discuss the contrasting views on free speech between those who advocate for absolute freedom and those who believe in regulated speech with caveats.

01:38:31

COVID-19 Endgame, Amnesia, and Dr. Birx's Indictment

The conversation explores the potential endgame of the COVID-19 pandemic and the societal impact it has had. The speakers discuss the experience of lockdowns and restrictions, particularly in California and the UK. They reflect on the amnesia that has followed the pandemic, where people seem to have forgotten the fear and restrictions they endured. The conversation focuses on Dr. Birx's book about her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The speakers view the book as an indictment of her actions, highlighting her alleged deception and manipulation of information. They emphasize the importance of speaking truth to power and holding those in authority accountable for their actions.

01:44:01

Joe McHale's Swimming Pool Rant and the Tyranny of Safety

The conversation transitions to a humorous anecdote about Joe McHale's experience trying to build a swimming pool in Los Angeles. The story highlights the excessive regulations and bureaucracy associated with construction in the city. The speakers draw parallels between this experience and the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that the pursuit of safety can often lead to excessive restrictions and infringements on individual freedoms.

01:50:41

Fear Mongering, Indoctrination, and the Strange Club of COVID-19

The conversation delves into the psychological aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that fear mongering played a significant role in shaping public opinion. The speakers discuss how women were often targeted with fear-inducing messages, which then influenced household policies and ultimately led to the indoctrination of men into accepting restrictive measures. The conversation shifts to the personal experiences of the speakers during the COVID-19 pandemic. One speaker describes his experience working on a show in London, where the city felt like a zombie movie due to the lockdowns and restrictions. He also discusses the rise of fear-mongering and the reliance on "experts" who often proved to be unreliable.

01:54:54

Gary Oldman, Brian Cox, and the Importance of Talent

The conversation turns to the topic of actors and their talent. The speakers discuss Gary Oldman and Brian Cox, highlighting their unique abilities and the importance of their contributions to the entertainment industry. They also reflect on the nature of talent and how it can be recognized and appreciated.

01:59:45

Emmy Awards, "Slow Horses," and Earthquake Rehab

The conversation concludes with a discussion about the Emmy Awards and the success of the show "Slow Horses." The speakers express their excitement about the show's nominations and encourage listeners to watch it on Apple TV. They also discuss the importance of recognizing and celebrating talent in the entertainment industry. The conversation delves into the speaker's experience with earthquake rehab work in Los Angeles. He discusses the importance of structural integrity and the resilience of buildings built before the 1994 Northridge earthquake. He also expresses his skepticism about the fear-mongering surrounding earthquakes and the overemphasis on safety measures.

02:04:16

Transition from Earthquake Rehab to Comedy and DEI

The conversation explores the speaker's transition from earthquake rehab work to a career in comedy. He describes the challenging and often unpleasant nature of his previous work and how it ultimately led him to pursue a more fulfilling path. He also reflects on the importance of finding work that is both enjoyable and meaningful. The conversation touches on the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and its potential downsides. The speakers express their concerns about the use of DEI as a tool for promoting identity politics and creating a sense of division. They argue that judging individuals based on their race or gender can be unfair and counterproductive.

02:10:15

Rush Limbaugh's Legacy and the Power of Radio

The conversation concludes with a discussion about the legacy of Rush Limbaugh and the power of radio. The speaker shares his experience filling in for Limbaugh and the impact he had on the audience. He also reflects on the nature of fame and the challenges of navigating a competitive industry.

Keywords

Q&A

• What are the pros and cons of being an audience warm-up comedian?

  The pros include consistent work, good pay, and the ability to stay in one location. However, the cons include dealing with difficult audiences, the pressure to perform well, and the potential for negative feedback.

• How does Adam view the shift in focus from substance to superficiality in society?

  Adam believes that society has become increasingly obsessed with drama and sensationalism, neglecting important issues and meaningful conversations. He uses "Selling Sunset" as an example of this trend.

• What is Adam's opinion on Dave Grohl's decision to acknowledge his out-of-wedlock child?

  Adam respects Dave's decision to take responsibility for his actions and believes that he is setting a good example by being forthright and acknowledging his child.

• Why does Adam find it ironic that people are so lax about the cleanliness of their travel neck pillows?

  Adam points out the inconsistency in people's hygiene practices, noting that they are often meticulous about certain things but disregard others, such as the cleanliness of their neck pillows, which are frequently exposed to germs.

• What is Adam's perspective on the NYPD officer who refused to honor courtesy cards?

  Adam believes that the officer's actions are a sign of corruption, arguing that it is a common practice for individuals in positions of authority to use their influence to benefit friends and relatives.

• How does Adam feel about the Texas man who was sentenced to prison for kicking a cat?

  Adam is appalled by the incident and believes that the man deserves a harsh punishment for his cruelty towards the animal. He also questions the lack of video evidence and the potential for the incident to be more severe than initially reported.

• What is Adam's opinion on the use of nicknames and how they are acquired?

  Adam finds nicknames to be a humorous and often revealing aspect of human interaction. He discusses his own nickname "Ace" and how it was bestowed upon him by others.

• How does Adam view the polarization of society and its impact on relationships?

  Adam believes that society has become increasingly polarized, making it difficult for people with differing viewpoints to engage in meaningful dialogue. He uses his own experience with Aaron Sorkin as an example of how this polarization can affect relationships.

• How does the logical brain influence political beliefs?

  The logical brain, according to the conversation, is responsible for evaluating information and making decisions based on what works and what doesn't. However, political beliefs are often influenced by factors beyond logic, such as family history, tradition, and emotional attachments.

• What are the contrasting views on free speech?

  Some advocate for absolute free speech, believing in unrestricted expression. Others believe in regulated speech with caveats, arguing that certain types of speech, such as misinformation and disinformation, should be limited to protect society.

Show Notes