Hi. I'm Vanessa Beyor and this is my brother Jonah. We're two siblings who love to talk about our childhood and nostalgia and how it shaped us into the people we are today, who are pretty introspective, if I do say so myself. Welcome to how did we get Weird? So, Jona, I was just thinking about a time I'm going to call it eight years ago. I don't know exactly how long ago was. It could have been ten years ago. We both kind of independently went to the same Bonaroo and we got to hang out and honestly have a blast in our guest today's hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. Yeah, you were there? What you were performing in the comedy tent? I think I was doing stand up, Yes, in the comedy tent. And I was there working for the fixture company Cooler Shower Fixture. And you had never heard of it before, which is really funny because it's a pretty popular I had never heard of it. Yeah. An old editor mine who's a friend, Randy, who was nice enough to hire me. And it was like a sponsored thing and they had showers. They're like it was sponsored by Kohler And because it was like the camping and stuff. You could like buy a shower. But then we had bands come there and like perform at the showers and I would interview them, and it just happened to be the same year you were there performing got It, Got It, Got It? Okay, Yeah, and then our guest today was also performing stand up, and I remember the comedy tent where we could perform stand up. It was like the coolest spot at Bonner. It was like very air conditioned. And I remember also that the audience wasn't really into either mine or John's comedy. They're kind of like, uh, I don't know what they were looking for, but they weren't getting it from us. They were drunk. They were truly just one of the Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right. Well then I remember, yeah, Jed Appat, I was doing something with Gary Shandling. He brought out Eddie Vetter about Gary Shandling. He was working about Gary Shandling. He was making that documentary about him, and I met Eddie Vetter and he was like, your sister's cool. Man. He's like, you know, your sister's cool. And I was like, wow, Eddie Vetter, that was pretty incredible. Yeah, that was pretty cool for me to have my cool older brother who loves music be told that I was cool by Eddie Vetter, who I guess I knew him from when we did this train Wreck comedy tour and when we went to Seattle, which she really lives there, Eddie Vetter, so he's not like a poser. But the thing that I don't think you do know is that the last night I was working with some other people and you had some of Goddess these like incredible spots for Pearl Jam and they texted me right like three songs in and they were like, we're leaving. They were my ride, and I was like, well, yeah, I'm not going. And I slept in that comedy trailer. I slept in there and I used like the placement for the tables, like a blanket or something. I slept in this like discuss because remember they like closed everything down because there was like a storm so weird, it would just close at night. I kind of remember this because I was going back to my hotel and I think I was with Gwen. There was something with like the shuttles stopped running or they weren't running enough. I had to be back there really early for work, and so I just slept in this weird trailer. Yeah. And then the next night, I think, because this is no burnt to color unless they have a big CEO that we want to take down some week. But they didn't really put you up enough or something. So I think the next night you stayed at my hotel room that I had been provided with, and I took a ride to the heart of Nashville, Tennessee, to stay at our guest today's parents house. Who drove me to our guest today's house a little actor by the name of jennevan Oi. You may know her as six from Blossom. I think you're making a mistake. Care and drive you to my house? She did. Are you sure? Here's what happened, Okay, Okay, Jonah. So wait, somehow, I don't think I came to your hotel at all. You don't know, Okay. Then maybe just the last night I was there, I was like, I'm not staying at this hotel, I'm going to stay at John's house. I think at some point John, you were like, you can stay at my parents house if you want, and I was like, I do. Yeah. That was here was a huge step for us. It was a huge step for us. I think what happened was I had connected with jennevan Oi over social media because I'm a huge fan of the show Blossom. And she was like, if you're ever in Nashville, let's get a drink. And naturally I was in Nashville, and she was like, let's get a drink when you're done with your Bonaru stuff. And you've always been true to your word, always been true to my word. That's kind of like your main thing. Yeah, that's how I like. And so I met her for a drink and then I was like, going to take an uber or something to your parents house, John, and John was also at his parents house. It wasn't just like me staying their experience, and she was like, I'll drive you because John, remember you met her. Yes, in the driveway of my like childhood, I met Jennevanoy and she might have given you one of her books. Remember she had a bunch of books in the trunk of her car because she was promoting her books Situation Mammady Jonah, really good memory. There's a second one now too, called Too. I can't remember exactly, but we're going to have her on our podcast soon. So we'll get all the not to brag, John, We're so happy that you're here at hen But yeah, so you met jennevan Oi. She dropped me off and then we proceeded to just have a sleepover. Giggle. Yeah, it was really and you stayed in my sister's room. Yes, it was very sweet. You were kind of becoming the sister archetype for me. And my parents were absolutely head over heels in love with you. They were so freaked out, they were so sweet, and they made us an incredible Would you call it a fritata? The next morning? It was probably a fritata that's a classic for my mom. It was like a casserole, maybe more of an egg I bet, I know. It's like my mom's kind of like cheese eggs souffle. It's like cheese eggs sausage. It's very good. It was delicious. It was really great. Did she do her yogurt parfait like in a thin stemmed wine glass? Oh my god, if she did, and I'm not remembering it right now, how freaking rude of me. But the stuff was like fantastic. I just remember that being like delicious. She'll freak when she hears us, and she will get the googlert and she will listen. Vanessa, do you want to introduce today's guest? Yes, I do, But John first, I want to ask your parents also for Google alert on you. Oh yeah, that is my brother. I think, well he can answer that for himself. I've Google on both of us and on John. Good. Thank you. Well, Now I'd like to introduce our guest, who needs no introduction. But our guest today is an unbelievably brilliant comedian and actor. You we know him from his incredible dancing on Wet Hand American Summer ten years later, her series five five five with Kate Berlant, or a starring role as Elliot Goss on Search Party, or his episode of The Characters on Netflix. Pleaselcome, Please welcome our dear friend John Early. Hey everyone, it's John Earlier. Anna. Thank you guys for having me. If we just take a couple more swings at that Bonner story, I feel like we're ready for the mom Yeah. I don't want to overthink it or like plot it out, but I do. Just if a couple more passes and then I think it'll be good to go in perfect shape. Yeah, I mean, that was a really fun festival that we were all at together. It really was. I feel like I haven't done anything like that. And so did you watch any of the bands? John, do you remember that? No, I'm so out of touch with music. I'm sure I looked the roster and nothing even compute. Like, maybe we did see someone. I think we saw like l A Goulding or something. Yeah, yeah, I think she was there. What did she saying? I can't sing it right now because I don't know any of the word, but she's saying like ahead of my sin and the song doesn't know just want some maybe hunts and no on the wow, sorry do you like? I was like, I'm not gonna sing it, and I went on for twenty minutes and here we go. I don't remember a lot of bands, but no Pearl Jam, Pearl Jam, Yeah, obviously Pearl Jam. Incredible Dead and Company played I think like four hours that. You know who else was there? Hanging out with Chance the rapper? He was like around, so I assume he was performing. Oh now I remember, and Jonah, didn't you feel like we had a real like friends vibe? Yes? Yeah, but Chance, not to brag, we should have him on this podcast. I think, like it seems like I make it up, but I'm always like, yeah, he and I are friends. I mean, we're not friends in the sense that we like text, but I would say that Chance the Rapper and I are friends. You could ask him, have you talked to him since that bono? Yeah, because he came on U, S and L. But he came to your work. But I really have always really gotten along with him when he's been on S and L. And I think if you ask Chance the Rapper are you friends with an there, he'd go ye. There was some like artist barbecue that I remember, and I saw Chance Rapper talking to Michelle Williams from Destiny's Child, and that to me was like the big that was my big celebt siting on that whole trip besides you, Vanessa. But I remember like reaching for like barbecue and trying to kind of rattle my artist bracelet so that it would like catch Michelle William's eye and she would know I was a performing artist. Oh my gosh. You know who else performed our recent guest Ban Gibbered from Death Cab because they were there with those NBA players. We saw them there, right, Yeah, it's like real exelected had you been to Boundary before kind of coming from that area, John or No? Never, never, never. It's a couple of hours, maybe almost three hours away from where I grew up. Okay, And again never music. I just didn't even coming from Nashville. Just never, Like my house is always like silent, and then I'll remember that it's an option to fill silence with music, like once a year, I remember that. So the house that I stayed at was not your childhood house from growing up, right, Vanessa, it seems so much closer. I'm pretending to be really dramatic here. This is a dramatic detail of my life. But I promise you the wounds are not fresh because it was redone. It was red burned down, Vanessa. My house burned down when I was in fourth grade. And then we rebuilt that house, and then it was basically it was like too intense for my family continuing to live in the house, and so we moved to the one that you saw when I was in high school. Okay. So I would say a lot of kind of formative sexual experiences took place in that house, but it wasn't my childhood childhood house. That's what I remember about. I remember you being like we moved. Were you in high school when you moved to that house? Yeah? Okay, yeah, you know this sounds familiar to me because I think we might have talked about this on the Search Party podcast that you two did that I produced. It sort of feels like I should remember all of this, and I'm kind of a bad friend. I like to trot this detail out a lot because I feel like you were talking about like kind of milking it at school and stuff being playing it really sad, But you weren't really actually that upset. Yeah yeah, because I was very young, you didn't hit us hard. Yeah, I'm remembering this now. You were like you didn't have to take care of it at all, your parents exactly. My parents had to do it like the like horrifying like insurance logging of everything that was lost. And I was at while we're receiving like toys from friends. So you weren't like a big music household. Like what were you into? Like were you into like TV or movies or comedy? You know all the above. I was like very obsessively into you know, I had my rituals of like Friday nights renting, my mom would go grocery shopping and she dropped me off the Blockbuster. I would spend like, you know, an hour and a half scanning the entire selection and like making a list in my head, picking the sacred one at the end, and then getting like a foot long Italian BMT from Subway, and then just like going like unwrapping the sandwich in front of the movie of my choice, like it was the God I mean. And and also you had to commit to a choice back then. I'm sorry, and not to be annoying, but it's like it was heaven to be locked into a choice. Once you left Blockbuster, even a bad movie, you still had to surrender to a bad movie, whereas now you can always just jump ship. Yes, totally two seconds into a movie, just jumps, and it's it's really it's a lost ritual. I agree with that. I think thank totally true. If you vote for me, I'm gonna abolish streaming. Oh my god, it's my platform. It's clear that you've watched a lot of films and TV and stuff, because I feel like your comedy is so like you observe such funny things about characters and stuff. And you're able to bring them out. And I also just want to say, like, you're so funny, John, Like I just feel like, let me do this, okay. I just feel like you are such a true brilliant talent, and like it's really like interesting now because I feel like I've known you now, probably for like I don't know, ten years or something like I think we met at a different comedy festival. We s x s W Sweedie Yes south By Southwest. Gwen was also there. That's where you, Gwen, and that was where I first saw you just stand up and I was like, oh my god, this guy is the funniest guy in the world. I feel like, um, now, it's like you're so famous the world. The world has figured it out, and you're so like you loved. I would say like one micro neighborhood in Brooklyn has figured it out. I don't think that's true. I feel like everyone's like, well, if we could get ghn early, Oh my god. And I'm being a producer and a director, the offers aren't coming to my email. Okay, I'm not seeing that. Well, I'll talk to the business not to gush, but just like some collection of like your all your experiences have just created this like super comic Vanessa right back at you. Everything I'll say after receiving that will sound and sincere. But you know, I think you're like the funniest person I'm planing to earth. No, you know what I did spend a lot of time just kind of marinating in movies, watching a lot of movies and obsessively and you know, and and TV two. I just it feels so trite for a gay man to say, but I just did, really like I was obsessed with funny women and yeah, just watched a lot of I Love Lucy and a lot of SNL. Honestly, like duh, but I would like, yeah, I would record SNL off of like the reruns off on the right right, remember when you did like hour long kind of truncated episodes like every day. Yes, I would record. I had hundreds of tapes every woman on us and L. Basically I was like was my religion. I had a shared Charry website. Wow, like a fan site. Yeah, a fan site for like a year, okay, Like what was on it? Like like photos or like like her head shot nice and then like a link to her IMDb. Basically that is so funny. But you need that, you know, if you're a fan, you need that like kind of communal space just to look at her picture. You were really ahead of your time too, because now websites are huge. It was one of the first websites. And with that, we're going to see give her in nurtial break and we'll be right back. W's not early and we're back, John. I had a question for you, if you don't mind about search party. My wife Vicky is like really into fashion and obviously you have all of these outfits on the show. I don't know a lot about fashion, and my wife would be like knowing who all these designers were, she was like, oh, this is like a really famous designer. This like how did the wardrobe worker Do you know a lot about fashion? Or was that like high fashion stuff or because I think it was kind of lost on me. No, it was really high fashion stuff from the beginning, and I didn't know any of it. Any of it. Like I had one talk with the costume designer Matthew Simonelli, who's really a genius. He really really is. I don't know. He just totally understood the line of like kind of cartoonish for all four of us, I feel like, but then also some like nice kind of real detail. I don't know. He just was really brilliant. But we had like one conversation about it in the very beginning, like after the pilot because the pilot were like all wearing our own clothes and we look awful, And then because it was so cheap before we shot the first season, I was like, the only thing that comes to mind is just like E. D. Monsoon from Absolutely Fabulous Jennifer Sanders, because like that made sense to me, is like the way she just layers all that wealth on her and it doesn't really look good. It's like, really everything is like a thousand dollars plus and they're all just kind of like awkwardly like layered on each other. So and he totally understood that, and then he just took it from there and he got people to give like the most expensive thing. Everything I wear on that show was like at least three thousand dollars, like all together. It was crazy wow, And he was borrowing it. I'll never understand. I'll never either. I would go, can I keep this? And they'd be like no, because we're borrowing it. And then when it was all over, they did let me keep some stuff. Well, because a lot of times they'll be like, we have to give it back, but you're like, but you altered it for me, So how do you write? I know y'all altered it from my ass. You know, you alterned it from the to take out a lot because I have a butt, okay, and Vanessa has always known that about me. I've always now isn't when the first thing I learned aboute I think that the job of being like the costumer, like the head of the wardrobe department, is so hard because it's like you're trying to express like the characters with your like through your job and trying to like differentiate between characters. I mean, you were so perfectly done in that show and it was so great, and that's all. That's all. I was just gonna also just say that, like for my character and my show, I love that free streaming on Showtime live on Showtime on Sunday nights. But probably by the time this podcast comes out, it might be the finale. So streaming on Showtime and wherever you get there show Time. But for my character, Joanna is making your way and just kidding, but if I just did this all the rest of the episode about my show, but it deserves it. It's so good, Vanessa, You're so good. Thanks. But I mean that's like like it's so not true, but it's so sweet. It's actually nice to be honest about you know what I mean. I like people should watch it because it is. But I remember, like, we have this incredible costume designer in Money, and I remember she would like put me in all of these looks that looked like really put together, and I was like, my character would never like exactly know how to like put these things together, like mixed patterns and stuff. She was kind of like, well, it's TV, and I was like, right, like it's fantasy, like it can be a little yeah, yeah, totally. It's more fun to watch on TV. When someone has like a cool outfit on you don't really question it and you don't really go like, oh, that person would never know to put that top with that skirt. Like at the beginning, that's how I was doing. I was like, well, she probably she wouldn't know where to get this or she wouldn't know to put this with this, And she was like, let's just and then it all looked so fun together that I was like, oh, I guess that's not Everything has to be like exactly as it would be in real life. Totally. In the case of your show, it's like it's so the QBC world is like candy. Yeah, yeah right, So it's like it makes sense that it looks good. But I'm the same way where I'm always like shooting myself in the foot a little bit, where I'm always like, I think, actually be like hideous exactly. I'm always like, I think he's like a disgusting slob. Yeah, so something maybe too tight in the pants, kind of have the belly hanging over, and they're like, oh okay. I'm like, yeah, this is so funny. And then I'm like in the dressing room sending pictures all my friends like isn't this hilarious? I'm like, oh my god. And then I watched it and I'm like, why did you do that? I know it's always happened, because it is always funnier to be like a slob. Speaking of that, like, how long did it? And this is my last question. I'm just such a big fan. How long did it take you to do the makeup when you're playing that scientist guy on the show. Well, you know, it was like you know, five hours or something. It was really intense, but it was only two They shot that character out in two days, so it was just I only had to do it twice. That was Heaven on Earth to just Heaven. Also, this was not your first foray into heavy makeup. Also famously played an alien or Black. Oh yeah, I was cut from Men in Black four. You had a lot of makeup on in it. Kate and I've played Kate Berlant. We have a comedy special coming up on Peacock called would It Kill You To Laugh? J Peacock coming out so soon. I know, it's crazy, it's so soon. We just finished editing it. But she and I were cast in Men in Black as like an interspecies, like she was human, I was alien, and we had like a kind of speak easy where like it was the Men in Black four, and there was like I never saw it, I don't know her. There was some sort of kind of thematic through line about like immigration but like using aliens, you know, so it was like we had it was like in Trump era, and so they were on topic. It was very topical and such as but we were like we owned this club and like we're like all the aliens and humans can like commingle in peace, and like we did. I'm like orange and I have like horns and like it's so funny. And then we were cut. I mean, there's no story, it just we were there for so we were in London and we could feel it. We knew as we were shooting, were like, no one thinks this is funny, like and we thankfully never had to shoot a scene that was like a really dramatic scene where like the police came and took me away because I was undocumented. I was an undocumented alien. Oh my god, Oh my god. It was wild. And we were like dreading shooting that scenes. It was truly like don't take him. It was truly dramatic. There was nothing funny about it, and we were so scared of doing that in alien makeup. So they only had you shoot part of it, and they just they only had a shoot part of it. And then we like stayed there for like ten days and then they were like you guys can go home. We were like, oh and we never shop the other scenes. We were like we blew it. It sounds like they blew it. Thank you. I didn't know there were four men in Blacks either. That's oh yeah, Tessa Thompson, Emma Thompson. Okay, they're all in that last one Men in Black International. Yeah, that's what it is. I guess it's not called four. I don't know the next one will be, but I think we'll have to wait. So, John, you had a topic today, yes, that we definitely want to discuss. Vanessa remembers this very well. I don't remember as well, but maybe it'll drag my memory. You see. This makes sense to me. I feel like we can unpack why it is you don't remember it. Okay, because the topic is AB machines from the nineties. Yeah, and I would say, like I'm actually talking like really late nineties and very early two thousand's. Can I just kick it off? Yes? Please? Okay, okay, stop me. If you had a whole spiel that you practiced for hours, this is what we want. We've never really connected about this because I under like your show seems very personal to me. It does seem like it's coming. You must have actually loved QVC, yes very much. Okay, that's so it's real Okay, yeah, I didn't watch QVC, but I did watch just infomercials generally, yes, yes, Like I loved infomercials for some reason. I felt so soothed by them, and I specifically was this was of course in my adolescence, around the time where culturally we were obsessed with the Middrift right, and it was like low rise jeans, Brittany, Yes, Brittany, everyone had really like, I mean, it's criminal, it's crazy, how low I agree, it's crazy. It's it's actually quite disgusting that we were making like young girls where like I mean, it's insane. I mean, I guess I was a teenager, but like being an adult and having that be a trend, like how would you ever? It's just them Also like the most unflattering, hardest style to wear. You literally can only pull it off if you're like if I don't want to say this word so gross. I'm not saying it's so gross, but like there's like a horrifying there's a crass word, you know, the lines that are formed, you know next to the apps. Well, let's just say if you have washed bart ads, washed bart abs. But yeah, so like I feel like it was a very ab focused time. And yeah, girls would wear like shirts that stopped here right under the breasts, and then their pants started like at the pubic bone, yes, and then at their lower lower back was a tattoo of a butterfly and you could see it, yes, exactly, and then you could expose the belly button rings and he's of bellyban art, yes exactly. But also like this was very an image that comes to min immediately is like justin timber Lake and Aaliyah and Lance Bass on some Entertainent weekly cover. And I was an Entertainent Weekly subscriber as a kid, like I got it, you know, weekly naturally, but I was like religiously reading intertumately fifth grade through eighth grade, and like I remember that cover of like Justin like pulling up aliash or no, he's like pulling up his shirt, She's looking at his abs. Like it's like it was just a very abcentric time. Yeah, yeah, you know, I don't know what else to say, but like that, so I was very haunted by that, and you know, therefore like spent so much time thinking it was like absolutely hideous for having like washboard abs, and so my like love of my habit of watching infomercials, plus the abs the cultural obsession with apps. I think really the intersection of that was an obsession with these apps slide machines. There was the ab slide machine, and there was the belt that my mom actually I got the ab slide, which was like it seemed like more of a kind of proper healthy, kind of like gym equipment thing, you know, Like it was like it's actually like it's real, Like you roll out, You're on your knees, you're holding the handlebars, You roll out and then creates all this tension and you like roll it really slowly back. And I saw that, Yeah, did you ever have one? No, But it seems like what it is is there were like machines in the gym that basically did that, and this was like sort of like like a smaller, for lack of a better word, mechanism that you could like roll like almost like the size of it's just like the size of like a little box like a toaster, a toaster. And because it's like not connected to anything else, by the way, it's really easier to hurt your back on it because you will often go you'll go like roll out trying to get to the edge before you pull it back in and you just fully, like fully give out, you know. But so I had one of those. And then the moment where it actually turned like sick is when I asked my mom, based on an informer I was watching, to buy me the belt belt. Yeah, did you have one of those? No? But I always was so curious about it because it always felt like too good to be true that you could just put this belt on it would like vibrate on your waist and all of a sudden, you would like get really strong hats. Yeah, it's literally electron It's shocking you, It's shocking. Did you ever get one? Yes? And this is what's so crazy to me, is my mom just like I don't hold this against her at all, Like she bought them for me. Yeah, Yeah she was not. I mean I think she did it kind of like curiously. She was not like she was like, I want to be clear, my mom was not like just a few more pounds, John, and you're almost there, Like she didn't care about the way I looked at all. Like I think she just thought that I was like I had these weird little TV obsessions and she would just kind of like I don't know, I don't know, but she got me the AD belt. That's so nice that she did that. I mean, they were gel. Did anyone else in your family use it? Wait? What did the gel do? The gel prevents you from getting like burnt. It almost feels like it's like is it a is it a like an ultrasound? Like yeah, like an ultrasound or like there's like e m G E m k K yeah where they like put that gel all over you and then they like shock you and it's really fucking painful. But those are supervised by a doctor. And this is like coming in a box for I was just like fully left alone and I would take the gel, like rub it all over your stomach, hoping praying that you're not missing a spot, and then you put the ab belt on. And then the whole thing was that you could watch TV while working out. And was it painful? It was painful. If you missed a spot with the gel, it would like truly feel like your skin was being electrocute, and you would also like literally just electric. You would have like muscle spasms in your abs, like they would induce muscle spasms. And then the idea was that that was like similar to doing a crunch, But that's not true at all. Like what makes a crunch a crunch is like the resistance, like the weight of your own body, Like this is just like having And then also you would take it off and sometimes it would keep spasm ng your muscles. But do you think it worked? Now? Did I use it enough? Either one of these things you actually know? I'm sure if i'd use the ab slide more frequently, I would have. But the reason why I went to the belt was because the app slide was too hard. The AB roller is different from these machines. And that's what we had, Jonah, And you don't remember it. I don't think we had one at our house growing up. It was in our parents room. It was purple, and the ab roller was this thing where basically it was like this curved thing and you kind of like laid down in it. It basically supported your neck. It supported your neck, and it was like it was just this like curved thing and you basically put your head and like your arms in it, and you used your arms to like push up so that like there was no it would help you do a sit up or something basically it would help you do like a crunch without putting any pressure on your neck. The whole thing with the a broller was that, like and I just watched like an edited down version of the infomercial for it, but the whole thing was that, like when you do crunches, you like pull your neck up a lot. So this thing there was like a little cushion thing for your like a thing that you rested your head on. I can't think of a way to describe the shape of it. It was just like this curved thing that you like put your upper body into. It was very basic. I'm making it seem more advanced than it was. But it was like you basically used your hands and your arms to like lift up so that you didn't have to use any of the muscles in your neck. It. So, wait, who would use it? You would use it? I would use it, I think Mom. I mean, I think this is similar to the situation with John, where I'm pretty sure it was me who really wanted it, and then I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who used it. Now, why it was in mom and Dad's room as opposed to you in our in our like family room, probably because something having to do with our cat or something like, I don't I don't know exactly why, but actually, you know what I think it was. I think the appeal behind a lot of these machines is that you can use them while watching TV. And our parents had a TV in their room, and I remember it was right in front of their TV. There I could use the ab roller and watch TV. And this was like that kind of the convenient exercise equipment does seem I mean, I guess that's I'm sure that's still going on, yeh. But I do feel like culturally there is actually much more kind of there's like cross fit and stuff. I feel like exercise is actually hard again or something. Yeah, you know what I mean. Like it's like it's cool for it to be like intense again, Like peloton feels like very intense and like full cycle and CrossFit like it used to be. I feel like for decades and decades and decades all about like you know that like the old school like fifties one that like the leather strap like shakes your button. Yeah, yeah, used to all be like you can do this while doing this, there was such a thing of like I feel like they tried to do this thing in the nineties where they were like you cannot diet and not work out and still lose weights, like things that trick you and again, and I brought this up on this podcast before. Something that I wish they had kept going was Wow chips. Wild chips had a lester in them, and so the fat was too big to be digested by your body in them, so they would just give you diarrhea. They were made by lace or whatever the world is they were. I mean they like you thought you were eating chips. They filled you, I think the same amount that chips would fill you. So you might want to eat like the whole bag, but you'd be like, that's okay, but if I eat the whole bag shooting, I'm gonna be up late tonight crapping. But like it was like a thing where it was like instead of just not eating chips, you can just eat chips, but you're just gonna get It was like it was like you can just live like a normal person's life and not do anything but like use these like appliances or eat these things, and like they're either gonna like I don't know, but I do believe that the Abroller. I was watching the infomercial again last night getting ready for this, and I was like, I kind of want to get another one. Well, I went to a gym like in like two thousand and sixteen for like a week. It was legit and they had them. They had this thing the roller for the listeners at hell am I'm using my tooth fists. They had the one that you had like without like not on the machine, just like the freestyle, and it was even less complicated than the one that I bought, because obviously too for the infomercials. Part of the appeal is that they're design kind of like a spaceship Jetson's or like those old desktop Apple or like Max you know, like the orange like backing plastic back like things look like that. So like but no, now at this gym, it was just like it was like a stick and a hoop, Like it was like so lo fi and it really worked. You know. It makes sense that I would not remember the abroll because when I was like sixteen, I was probably playing guitar and the punk rock. This is probably like the last thing I would be interested in the world exactly. I feel like it wasn't marketed towards you. Yeah, I don't think. Well. The other thing is like the thing that Jonah did that was like the thing that like still people don't understand is like the key to like being at the thin person is like Jonah would only eat until he was satisfied and then he'd be done eating, and like we could all like not have an adroll er. Not No, this is so common with straight boys, honestly, is it really? Like yeah, and just like kind of and this isn't obviously universal, but like I I have known a lot of straight men who like don't have a kind of emotional relationship to food. They're just kind of like it's like I'll have a little rice. Like I lived with this strike guy for like seven years in Brooklyn, a dear friend of mine, and he just would be like it's like rice and some butter, just like didn't he didn't need it to be like an event, whereas I'm like, it's like, what have we can do tonight? And I like thinking about it all day and I'm like, you know, I'm like it's such an event for me, I don't know. And for him it just was like it was just something he would do. He would just kind of like eat a few bites and to be done, and he was real thin and rock hard. I feel like, Jonah, not to speak for you, but like you enjoy really good food, but you're not like thinking about it all the time. Yeah. I think that's fair to say. I mean, although I was thinking, I did have to do Buns of Steel in my high school gym class talked about the podcast. I was in a class called body Fitness and me and one other is the only gym class Jonah could get into, and it was mostly with women from my grade. I tried to do weight training. I was like a senior. I was in like this class of all these eighth grade girls doing Buns of Steel and step aerobics. Was it so much fun? No? I hate? I mean, everyone in class was very nice, but I really didn't like the teacher because I tried to get out of it and do like weight training and they were like, no, you have to do this to graduate, and it was like I felt like it was like really I remember talking to the principle about it and the principle being like, yeah, like you kind of just have to do it, like you know, I had like you know, like a beard and like, you know, I was just like like piercings, like I was, like, it was really funny. Yeah, Jonah had to do Buns of Steel. I believe Gwen was in that class, right, It's possible. It's definitely possible Gwen in it, or maybe somebody I thought Gwen was in it. But yeah, Ms Pignatello, who was famously kind of the least I would say, the least empathetic Jim Teacher. Yeah. But so that was my only real exposure to that world, I guess, and it came completely like trendy exercise. Yeah, but it was also weird. I mean it was also like I felt like even Buns of Steel was kind of like dated at that point. Yeah, Buns of Steel was dated in the night. This is like the late nineties. Buns of Steel is like Suzanne Summers, I think it seems like it. Yeah, Like, well, the first thing of what we're talking about was the Susanne Summers thing that what was that thing that she sold, like the apparatus that was on all the time, that commercial It was a leg She like sort of started that whole trend and then came all the app machines in the nineties, and I feel like Bunses deal was kind of outdated in the nineties. But the thing that was really kind of on trend that I used to do a lot was go to the j c C. That's Jewish Community Center for those not for you, for our listeners. Hey guys, you don't know Hi guys, by the way, thank you you guys for listening. That's so cool of you. But I would go to the j c C and do step aerobics, and step aerobics was all the rage. Do you guys remember that at all? Of course, you step up on a step and you can use risers to make it higher, of course, And that's real. I mean, that's truly just like getting that's cardio. You're getting a heart rid of Yeah, you're stepping up. You're stepping up. Do you know that? John? I don't know if you knew about this, you probably missed this whole thing. There was a step class at the j c C with this teacher named Joe and everyone was like so obsessed with it, and it got so popular that you'd have to get a number and like wait in line and make sure you're like number made it in and one time. Jonah, I'm not going to tell you who it was, but someone from your grades. Mom didn't get a number, and she was so childish about it. She came up to me and she said about like the woman who was like allowing people in. She was like, that woman's just got power for once in her life, and she thinks she's such a big deal. She doesn't. She doesn't she works here, she doesn't even have a real job. Like she was being like a little kid about it. And I'll never forget it. I remember being like, oh my god, like your kids go to my school, like grow up. Like, I'll tell you after who it was. But anyway, we got to go to break But when we come back, get right back into who that was and some other exercise stuff. In terms of the rest of the podcast. All right, we'll see you guys in a second, and we're back. Oh my god, Wow for the folks at how I saw the message from the producer that we were ready to throw an adverage professional and I was really fixated on like stealing it away from your guys the whole time. But do you want to do like an even more involved We're back. Okay, yeah, you know totally Okay, great, we're back you guys, thanks so much for sticking with us through the ads. But yeah we're here. I'm here with my co host Vanessa and Jonah Bear, so yeah, thank you so much. We're just we're thrilled to be here with you and you are and Lila's I love you like a sister. So like we can get into our third segment now if you two are cool with that, what do you think? I'm reading to move on, okay, but I just want to say I'm so glad that working out has gotten extremely aggressive. Again, I'm glad. It just is what it is, and you either like have to jump on board and do it or not. The in between, I think is where you get aultric, but I do mis watch it. Well, yeah, you're right, you two are both totally right. It's not about like how can I work out in the most lazy way possible and that right? Right? Yeah, I'm sure there are versions of that floating around, but I don't know. I mean, there definitely is. I've seen something recently where it's like an office chair that's like I should not do that with my background. Have you seen that's like for your ads you're like taking work calls well. And there's also cool sculpting, which I've always been really impressed by. But I know what you're thinking, Linda Evangelista, Eventelista. We don't know. Don't do that. You don't have around with that, John, what do you think about standing desks, you know, for the viewers at home, the listeners at home. I've had two back surgeries in one year, and so I am now like doing it all. I don't even use the desk that much. I'm sitting at a desk right now. But like I do believe sitting is really bad. He's just like truly bad for you, and it really just you compressed. So that's like where I had her nations in my lumbar spine, and like it's from just like compressing like that. So like standing up is always more comfortable, and I think I should just do that. Yeah, yeah, standing does are not a fad. They may seem corny, but they're like genuinely more yeah, ergonomic and better for your back. Cute. Okay, well, now I'm gonna play a little game with you and do a littlement with you. Cute. Okay, you have to stop thanking. Cute. Like that cute called change dot Door dot Door. Okay, we do one of a few games and we thought that you would like this one. This game is otherwise known as let's make fun of people who don't understand how to use change dot org because we found in our various podcasts that a lot of people don't go to change dot org for like social justice. They go there because like they want to start a petition about something much more important. And we just think it's very funny because we just know that the founders to bring back like dead like me. Yeah exactly, yeah, exactly. What is dad like me? It's like an oxygen show? Or is that at Netflix our lifetime? I don't know. I don't know. Hold on, I have to look it up. There was just something unchanged at or it's like it's so sad because like obviously the creators of it like wanted it to be this big social and it is like they do a lot of good, I'm sure, but like the last time I went there, it was like congratulations, Like the Mexican Chilupa's back at Taco bell or something. It was like, what was it? Do you remember? The Mexican pizza was a big thing unchanged at or bringing it back to Taco Beout, and it worked, and it worked. They got enough signatures unchanged at Org for a time. I saw an article They're like sold out everywhere, Like you can't even get one. Now. I just want to tell you all that Dead like Me was on Showtime Time. I know I should have known that because my show I Love That for You is on Showtime streaming and on the channel watch it on your dvor or to streaming advice. Okay, so anyways, we're gonna read three different petitions to you. Okay, We're gonna give you the info for three different petitions, and at the end of this, we're gonna each say which petition of these three we would sign. If we have to sign one, I'll kick it off. This one's for you, John. It's called bring What a Burger to Nashville. This one has a lot of signatures. Actually there's sixties six hundred sixty three people have signed it. They're trying to get. Oh, there's also a thing where you can direct it where you want the petition to go to. So this is directed towards what a Burger And I'll just read it. This is really long, but just says, know, what a burger in Nashville? What a tragedy. Nashville took a survey back at two thousand fifteen stating a what a Burger location was a serious need. The desire of even one location in Music City is the salvation we are all looking for. We still don't have a what a burger? What? Some of us have a hungry vision of hope. And it goes on what a burger is? Flying? W flag was planted at the top of my Kilimanjaro in two thousand and ten. I believe now is the time to plant that bad boy right here in the Athens of the South. I mean, and this just goes on and on. This person really wants to what a burger in Nashville? John, what are your thoughts on this petition? What a Burger? Are your thoughts? I've never had what a Burger? Because I grew up in Nashville. Okay, sure I traveled, but like, I never had it. I mean I think it was in Texas, right, I don't know. I've never had it either. I remember seeing one in Texas. I've never had it either. We definitely didn't have them in Ohio. It's really good. But Nashville's thing is like like the hot chicken and that stuff. Right, Yes, we don't really have like I don't think we have any famous like burger traditions or like we just have your standard kind of fast food burger, but no, hot chicken was our thing. That's so good. Do you think that what a burger would do well in Nashville as a local as a native? I do. I do, because we're missing that kind of like maybe I'm getting what a burger wrong. But like you know how California has in and out in shake shack, you know, like there's that kind of second tier. Yeah, it's fast food prices for the most part, but like it's a step up quality wise. Yeah, I don't think Nashville has that. Nashville has like fast food or it has like now, nash was really like you know, everything's in a jar, right, you know, it's like it's like and everything's pickled. It's like Brooklyn ten years ago. There's lots of like really price you burgers. Now there's plenty of burger fetishizing in Nashville, but they're really expensive. Yeah, So it would be nice to have sort of like a step above a fast food burger chain, but affordable and for the whole family. So it's got good marketing and and this this survey is really almost like advocacy because it says, you know, I want to expand fur their awareness about what a burger for Nashville and Nashville Hot Chicken is definitely great thing, but there's plenty of room for what a burger spicy catchup. They're really thinking through it, you know. Yeah, they're getting me all worked up. Yeah, I feel ready to take to the streets for sure. All right, Well, so this is like a pretty well written you know, I mean, maybe not the most important thing on changed org, but you know, a well written petition that has a lot of signatures. So that's definitely one to keep in consideration. Even though that's one to keep in consideration for sure, again exactly what the site is for. But yes, you know, let's keep it moving, Vanessa, Do you want to read the second petition? Sure? Now, this person is petitioning. Maya is petitioning for a scarface video game. Three nine people have signed. She started this petition to Sega and also five other companies, including Capcom, Activism, Blizzard, Sony, Microsoft, and you be soft, so she's really covering her bass. She's kind of like casting a wide net, if you will. And I just want to read you a little of what she said. All of us who admire and support the excellent actor al Pacino are here because we believe it is necessary and worthwhile to make a new video game about the history of Tony Montana before he became a drug dealer, his origin in Cuba, and history in general. We think there are quite a few details and things that we were not told in the film as well as in the video game made by Sierra Quote The World is Yours two thousand eight. Technology has advanced a lot as a video game game. There is one she's still petitioning. We need that the signature is reflected here. Do not go unnoticed, since they would be ignoring hundreds or perhaps thousands of clients. You need this to be possible beforehand. Thank you very much, Maya. Now I will say it is hundreds. Her first guest was correct again, three hundred and nine people. It looks like she started this petition nine months ago under reasons for signing. Only one person responded, and he said, we should have a scarface video game by ub Soft, which I don't know what that is, but it's obviously like a gaming I've never seen Scarface. I never have you there, but I just found out I was directed by Brian de Palma, right, Olivia, do you think that's can you find out? I've never seen it either, But it does seem interesting that she's petitioning for this. But there already is one and this movie, Corrected is directed by But it is interesting that she's petitioning for this yet um a video game already us that came out in two thousand and eight, which is again, like quite a while after the movie came out, So it seems like you would think she'd maybe be happy with that and kind of ready to move on. But video games have advanced since two thousand. What's interesting? Do you think she just loves a movie and it's like, I love this movie so much, I want to be able to be like immersed in the character. Yeah? Is that because I don't I like a lot of movies that I don't really necessarily want to play a video game version of them. Yeah, Well, it's interesting. She's like, we think that there are quite a few details and things that were not told in the film as well as the video game. So is there a book that the film was based on or is it true. I think it's true. That's what I mean. You would maybe think, oh, she wants a new film that really has all the details of the real person's life. But what she's asking for the video game. She wants a video game with all the details, which is interesting, Like she's like, you know, it would be one thing if she's like, let's do a documentary about this guy because Scarface missed a lot of stuff that she's like, no, let's do a video game. And I know I've now said that twenty times, but I guess it's just because I'm kind of in disbelief. But to me, it seems more sincere. Her plea feels very urgent and sincere the water Burger, even though they're more successful, it feels slightly ironic, like they know, they seem aware that they're using the change that ORG in a kind of ironic, silly way. She seems like it's like really feels like from the heart from her. Yeah, well, I gotta say that. You know, I've gotten a bit of an argument with some of the higher ups at Microsoft a couple of years ago. Who this petition is directed towards. I remember that surface pro we got. We got these like tablets. Vanessa got one and gave it to me, and I used this like my main computer for years and then yes, yes, it started working all weird where it's like the screen would move around and you had to actually like put it in the freezer because it would get too hot. And I went on Microsoft site and I figured out their whole border. Directors at emailed everyone. No one responded, so you know the odds of someone responding this changed at or petition about this, I gotta say it's low, because you know, I didn't have enough juice to get even away message from Microsoft. Now, Jonah, would you like to read the last petition? Yes, okay, the last one is pretty simple, straight to the point, and John really really curious to hear your thoughts on this one. It is called putting a blender on the kitchen counter. It looks like six people signed it, trying to get to a hundred. It's directed towards home from this kid. I'm assuming it's a kid, and the whole thing just says, mom won't let me put a blender on the kitchen coun Oh my god, it's so cute. And then there's an update two years ago that says some uses for the blender on the tabletop blenders are simple and easy to use. Save money by making your own fresh food and drinks. And then there is one comments someone signed it. What do you think about this, John, Let's be honest. Counter space is a luxury. Not all of us have blenders can be big. What do you think it really? It's it's a kind of case by case basis. I think in this case it sounds like they don't have lots of counterspace, right, Or maybe the mom is very like Joan Crawford and just like once, it's super clean and just sparkling counter. You know, I leave my blender on the counter. Yeah, Okay, I think it's cute. I think it's cute to have appliances out. So I don't claim to know all the details of this boy's life. I'm not Richard link Later, Okay, but like I really do. If this is like an aesthetic thing for the mom, I say leave out some essential kitchen appliances. It tells your guests that you are a cook, that you're creative, You make food and and they're welcome here and they will be fed. Yeah. I don't like when kitchens are like totally like hides all the appliances and then puts out kind of decorative things in the kitchen. I don't like some fucking vanilla pumpkin candle and like you know, and then like a piece of coral, you know, from the ocean. I hate that kind of kitchen. I would much rather see your appliances. So I'm with the kids. So you like a fridge that looks like a fridge that one looks like a cabinet or something, Yes, I prefer fridge, oxic fridge, Okay, fair enough. I also think like this kid is asking for so little, like she could be. It seems like she seems like a really good kid, and like they're not asking for like Nintendo or yeah, they're not asking for a video game. They literally just want to keep the blender out on the counter. And I just feel like, Mom, do your kid a favor, you know, and reward the initiative your kid has, you know, undertaken. You know, like if he or she you know, was brazen enough to make a change or petitioner, why don't you go yeah, yeah, okay, and say, if you agree to make fresh soups and juices exactly, that's brilliant. Yeah, that's brilliant parenting. Make your kid kind of live up to what they're asking for, and if they do. I can see both sides, because the mom could be like, Okay, now I got this blender here. It's unsightly. You know, this kid never uses it. You know. So it's like, I feel like we just got to know more, right, right, we do need to know more. That's true. Well that's for next week. Well, now it's time to vote. Time to vote. Just to recap what a burger in Nashville, Scarface video game or putting a blender on the kitchen counter? Which one of these? Are you going to sign water Burger because I'm starving? Okay, Jonah, this is a tough call. I am going to go with I'm gonna go with water Burger. Also because I feel like you'll pass through Nashville. I'll pass through Nashville. I like a good burger. I don't don't really play video games. The blender thing, I think it's good initiative, but it probably doesn't isn't gonna affect my life? So much, so I'm gonna go with to water Burger Nashville. Also, Vanessa, what about you? What do you sign it? Controversially, I'm going to go with putting a blender on the kitchen counter because I really like this kid's initiative. I think this is a good kid, and I want to support this kid, and I believe that he or she will make fresh soups, juices and other foods and drinks. All right, Well, that'll get that one up to seven votes. It's well on its way to incredible. Now, John, where can people find? Where can people get John Early content? Honestly? Peacock peacock June. I'll say it again, June would kill you to laugh. Starring Me and Cap Brilliant, directed by Andy Deyong. It's a whole big batch of new sketches for y'all. We're really proud of it. Seriously, it's an hour sketch comedy special. We're really really proud of it. I cannot wait for you to really can't wait to see it. I can't wait. I can't wait to see it. I'm so excited. Oh and I'll just say there's a special guest star and her name's Meredith the Era. Wow yeah, Peacock, the incredible John Early, the incredible Cap Berland, directed by the incredible Andy de Young who did direct to episodes of my show as well. I know, and wow, wow wow, everyone's going to be talking about it. Everyone's going to hear it, and I hear it, I mean watch it. Oh that was really fun, Jonah. Thanks so much to John for joining us and everyone for listening. You enjoyed that. Please subscribe to the podcast and keep an eye out for next week's episode of How Did We Get Weird, when we will discuss more stories from the childhood and cultural touchstones like to ab machines from the Night Pies. Thank you guys for having Thank you so much, John,