Digest

John Benjamin and his guest discuss a variety of topics, including a recent surprise birthday party thrown by his wife and sister, where a number of musicians and friends from his past came together to celebrate. They also discuss a musical idea that John's niece's boyfriend, Zach, has pitched to him, which involves writing a Broadway musical. The conversation then shifts to John's experiences with being recognized in public, including a time when he was recognized in Mozambique and another time when he was recognized in a remote tamale place in Vegas. The episode culminates in a hilarious story about John getting kicked out of Don Hills nightclub after peeing on the dance floor while trying to prank the DJ. The story involves John taking his belt off and pretending to shoot up, turning off the power to the entire club, and then getting thrown out by a bouncer after soaking the dance floor with his urine. The episode also includes a story about John being recognized in a doctor's office in Beverly Hills and a story about John calling a loud talker on an Amtrak train. The episode ends with a question from John's daughter, Marlow, about whether upstate New York has ice cream trucks.

Outlines

00:00:00

Head-Gum Podcast Introduction

This Chapter introduces the Head-Gum podcast, a platform for comedic conversations and stories.

00:00:21

Guest Choice and Appearance

This Chapter discusses the guest's choice of seating and their appearance, with John Benjamin noticing the guest's green complexion.

00:00:36

Drinks and Guest Proximity

This Chapter focuses on the guest's preference for drinks and John Benjamin's approach to guest proximity, emphasizing his desire for close interaction.

00:01:03

John's Pimple and Camera Anxiety

This Chapter revolves around John Benjamin's self-consciousness about a pimple on his face and his anxiety about being on camera after a long absence.

00:01:55

Podcast Viewership vs. Listenership

This Chapter explores the audience demographics of the podcast, with John Benjamin and his guest discussing the relative number of viewers versus listeners.

00:02:17

Pimple Sound Effect Proposal

This Chapter involves a humorous proposal to add a sound effect every time John Benjamin touches his pimple, highlighting the ongoing joke about his self-consciousness.

00:04:22

John Benjamin Stories and the Bar Must Have Story

This Chapter transitions to a discussion about John Benjamin's favorite stories, specifically mentioning the 'Bar Must Have' story and the 'Pace Puzzle' story.

00:05:37

Musical Idea and Bird Killing

This Chapter delves into the musical idea that John Benjamin's niece's boyfriend, Zach, has pitched to him. The conversation then takes a humorous turn as John Benjamin shares his childhood experiences with killing birds and his current love for them.

00:07:00

Zach Whedon and the Surprise Birthday Party

This Chapter focuses on Zach Whedon, a friend of John Benjamin's who was at his recent surprise birthday party. The conversation highlights the party's length and the various musicians and friends who attended.

00:09:54

The Don Hills Nightclub Story

This Chapter introduces the Don Hills nightclub story, a humorous anecdote about John Benjamin and his guest's experiences with the club and its owner, Don Hills.

00:13:11

The Fenway Park Opera Singer

This Chapter recounts a humorous story about John Benjamin and his guest encountering an opera singer at a Red Sox game who sang 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' in a full operatic voice.

00:15:41

Broadway Musical Idea and Toby Keith

This Chapter discusses a Broadway musical idea that Zach has pitched to John Benjamin, leading to a humorous discussion about Toby Keith and a fictional story about him being shrunk down to the size of an ant and sent to the future.

00:19:55

Freak Show Failure and Marketing

This Chapter analyzes the reasons behind the failure of the animated show 'Freak Show,' with John Benjamin and his guest attributing it to their own work ethic, the animation style, and the marketing strategy.

00:23:58

Guru Nation and Paramount Plus

This Chapter discusses John Benjamin and Bob's experience pitching a documentary-style show called 'Guru Nation' to Paramount Plus, highlighting the show's concept and the rejection they received despite writing a pilot and four episodes.

00:33:03

Omaha Steaks Advertisement

This Chapter is an advertisement for Omaha Steaks, promoting their Father's Day gift packages and offering a special deal with promo code 'census'.

00:34:50

Mozambique Recognition and Peace Corps

This Chapter recounts a story about John Benjamin being recognized in Mozambique while on a scuba diving trip, highlighting the remote location and the unexpected encounter with a group of Peace Corps volunteers.

00:43:11

Don Hills Nightclub Prank

This Chapter details the Don Hills nightclub prank, where John Benjamin and his guest turned off the power to the entire club, leading to John getting kicked out after peeing on the dance floor and being thrown into the street.

00:55:39

Freak Show Office Space and Wondersham

This Chapter discusses the early days of 'Freak Show' and the office space they shared with other comedy groups, including Wondersham and Graham Norton.

00:56:30

The Queer Eye for the Straight Guy Story

This Chapter recounts a humorous story about John Benjamin and his guest encountering a flustered woman in their office space who was looking for Janice, a character from the show 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.' The story involves John and his guest playing along with the woman's confusion and making up a series of elaborate lies about the show's cancellation and the firing of various staff members. The story highlights John's comedic timing and his ability to improvise.

00:59:13

The Beverly Hills Doctor's Office Story

This Chapter recounts a humorous story about John Benjamin encountering a loud and annoying woman in a doctor's office in Beverly Hills. The story involves John texting his guest to call the woman and tell her to shut up, leading to a humorous interaction between the woman and John's guest. The story highlights John's tendency to prank people and his amusement at the absurdity of everyday situations.

01:01:05

The Amtrak Choir Car Story

This Chapter recounts a humorous story about John Benjamin encountering a loud and annoying man on an Amtrak train who was making sales calls for medical products. The story involves John calling the man and telling him to keep it down, leading to a confrontation between the two. The story highlights John's willingness to stand up for himself and his amusement at the absurdity of everyday situations.

01:06:41

Sam Cedar and the Open Mic Story

This Chapter recounts a story about John Benjamin's friend, Sam Cedar, who was a stand-up comedian in Boston. The story involves Sam telling John that he was the funniest guy in Boston and then sending John over to do a gag on him. The story highlights John's comedic talent and his relationship with Sam Cedar.

01:08:10

The ABC Meeting Story

This Chapter recounts a story about John Benjamin and his sketch group going to New York City for meetings with ABC. The story involves John and his group being subjected to the overbearing behavior of a fellow comedian, Paul, who was trying to control the group's performance. The story highlights John's frustration with Paul's behavior and his willingness to stand up to him.

01:20:06

The Woodstock Benefit Story

This Chapter recounts a story about John Benjamin and his sketch group going to Woodstock to perform at a benefit. The story involves John and his group discovering that the benefit was to raise money to prevent the erection of a cell phone tower on a mountain, which would ruin the view for the wealthy residents of the area. The story highlights John's frustration with the hypocrisy of the wealthy and his willingness to speak out against injustice.

Keywords

Q&A

• What is the musical idea that Zach has pitched to John Benjamin?

  Zach has pitched the idea of writing a Broadway musical with John Benjamin. The details of the musical are not revealed in this segment, but John Benjamin mentions that he immediately thought of his guest because they could write the worst Broadway musical ever.

• What is the story about John Benjamin being recognized in Mozambique?

  John Benjamin was in Mozambique on a scuba diving trip when he was recognized by a group of Peace Corps volunteers. He describes the remote location and the unexpected encounter with the volunteers, who were singing 'Buffalo Soldier' and seemed to be having a party.

• What happened at Don Hills nightclub that led to John Benjamin getting kicked out?

  John Benjamin and his guest went to Don Hills nightclub and John, in a drunken state, decided to prank the club owner, Don Hills. He turned off the power to the entire club, causing the music to stop and the lights to go out. He then proceeded to pee on the dance floor while pretending to shoot up, which led to him being thrown out by a bouncer.

• What are the reasons John Benjamin and his guest believe 'Freak Show' failed?

  John Benjamin and his guest believe 'Freak Show' failed due to a combination of factors, including their own work ethic, the animation style, and the marketing strategy. They specifically mention that the animation style didn't translate well to a big screen and that the marketing department turned off the two demographics that would have liked the show.

• What is the concept of the documentary-style show 'Guru Nation' that John Benjamin and Bob pitched to Paramount Plus?

  The show 'Guru Nation' is a documentary-style series that focuses on a wild country and its guru. John Benjamin and Bob pitched the show to Paramount Plus, but it was rejected despite them writing a pilot and four episodes.

• What is the 'Bar Must Have' story that John Benjamin mentions?

  The 'Bar Must Have' story is not fully explained in this segment, but it is mentioned as one of John Benjamin's favorite stories. It is likely a humorous anecdote about his experiences with people at bars, possibly involving a prank or a bizarre encounter.

• What is the 'Pace Puzzle' story that John Benjamin mentions?

  The 'Pace Puzzle' story is not fully explained in this segment, but it is mentioned as a story that John Benjamin and his guest have told before. It is likely a humorous anecdote about a puzzle that John Benjamin encountered at a bar, possibly involving a group of people trying to solve it.

• What is the 'Don Hills Nightclub' story that John Benjamin and his guest tell?

  The 'Don Hills Nightclub' story is a humorous anecdote about John Benjamin and his guest's experiences with the club and its owner, Don Hills. The story involves John turning off the power to the entire club, peeing on the dance floor, and getting kicked out by a bouncer.

• What is the story about the opera singer at Fenway Park?

  John Benjamin and his guest were at a Red Sox game when they encountered an opera singer who sang 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' in a full operatic voice. The story is known for its absurdity and John Benjamin's and his guest's reaction to the unexpected performance.

• What is the story about John Benjamin being recognized in a tamale place in Vegas?

  John Benjamin was in Vegas with his guest and they were on a party bus after a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon. The bus driver dropped off some of the passengers on the strip and then took John Benjamin and his guest to a remote tamale place on the outskirts of Vegas. While they were there, a family recognized John Benjamin from his work on 'Chicken Pot Pie' and seemed to be amused by his presence.

• What is the story about John Benjamin and his guest encountering a flustered woman in their office space who was looking for Janice, a character from the show 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy'?

  John Benjamin and his guest were working in their office space when a flustered woman walked in and asked for Janice, a character from the show 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.' The woman seemed confused and didn't know who John and his guest were. John and his guest decided to play along with the woman's confusion and made up a series of elaborate lies about the show's cancellation and the firing of various staff members. The story highlights John's comedic timing and his ability to improvise.

Show Notes