For context, in 2022, at a time when the show was incredibly successful, you quit.
We were making so much money and I quit. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I was getting a check for, I don’t even remember, like 40 grand a month or something. If nothing else happened in my career but that, I still would’ve considered it a success. You don’t get to that level in comedy most of the time. I was working clubs. I was doing basically my initial dream, but I just realized it wasn’t exactly what I wanted. And as much as I love Nick and as funny as he is, it was his show first and foremost. And I did feel like a support player, which now I’m happy to do in these broader contexts because it’s stuff I’m interested, in like movies, whatever, but I didn’t want to be the second guy on a Cum podcast when I was 45. And so it was a really scary thing to do. I had just paid for my first special out of pocket. Nobody wanted it, so I did it myself on YouTube and I just lost 50 grand on that. I had to spend another 50 grand on the Stavy’s World studio after that. And so it was a really scary moment right after leaving, but I was just like, great.
Do you think it could have kept going or do you think it had to end?
It had to end. I mean, that’s the other thing: that’s a young man’s game. “At a Medium Pace,” one of the funniest things of all time — Adam Sandler’s not still doing that. We made awesome dumb bullshit. The stuff I would’ve loved when I was 14, we made that and that’s cool, but you don’t want to be that guy forever. But I think that relationship can go on in different ways. Nick comes on my podcast all the time. I’ve had Adam on. I’d love to someday collaborate on something when it makes sense. But in that context, no, I don’t think it could have gone on.
It’s funny because as you’re becoming famous for this kind of edgelord podcast, you have this very sincere dream, which is to become good at standup comedy.
That’s it. I want to make one great standup special. That’s the only thing I want to accomplish. I think I’m good at standup, but I think that doesn’t mean you’ve created a great special. I think you can be great at standup and great live, and that doesn’t mean you’ve created a great, lasting thing. There’s no testament, one thing. And look, that might be naive, right? Maybe what’s going to be great is a body of work, right? But still, you still want to chase that one just undeniable special.
And yet you still podcast.
It pays so much fucking money, dude. I got to pay the bills. I see podcasting as the most blue collar thing I do. It’s on a schedule, we do it, we book it, and people depend on it. I like podcasts, too, and I would be mad if my favorite podcast just stopped or if they were late a day or whatever. And so it’s the most job-like thing I do. I’ve done it in a way where I’m like, “Oh, this is actually really fun now.” But would I stop if I financially didn’t need to? Honestly, I like doing it. The only reason I might is because I do have this sneaking suspicion that I’m just wasting a lot of being-funny on the podcast, which other generations would get to channel into their standup. I just think there’s only so much of yourself you can give. Like I do wonder, are we shittier at standup as a generation because we’re all podcasters?
