You're listening to Comedy Central. Wow, plea's welcome Gerard cal Michael. I want to do like the real thing you work, you want to make it. Thank you. Wow wow wow, Gerard cal Michael. What a nice, warm hug. I've missed you, man. Congratulations on on not just man. You know you've always been funny. I think you know this, and you've always been one of my favorite comedians, and I think you know this. I don't say this just because you're here now, but like your special is one of the it's it's a tight rope walk. That's the best way I put it. You know, where you're watching comedy and you're watching somebody balancing and it's a title but there's no net. And the moment where I was going like, oh, Gerald, maybe you should just stop, man, don't don't, don't say that, and you're saying you feel the crowd going with you because they shot. They don't know ahead of time, and the crowd is shot. They've come to see Gerard comic. And then you go, I'm gay and my name is not even Gerard. Yeah. Yeah, it's a lot. It's it's a lot. Yeah, it's a lot. It's just imagine how my therapist feels. You know, it was, um, yeah, I don't know. Uh, like I felt, I felt like, who am I to talk about all these other things you know in the world, Like, you know, actually, who am I? Let's start there right, like like who like that? That that type of self exploration. I think comedy, Uh, stand up has room for yes, you know, um, and it's so much I'm like so inundated with other forms of comedy that I just felt like a long form interior story would be. You know, you're talking the special, you know that part where you talk about like your mom and I related to that in that like your mom is very religious. You and your mom were best friends. You come out as gay, and and then your mom goes, I can't. I don't know how to decipher because I'm Jesus on the one hand, and how I've been taught religion and then you on the other hand. But you're processing that in real time. Why did you choose to do that instead of going, you know what, I'll figure this out and then five years down the line, I'll do a special about it. Well, well, it's something I one. You know, for all of life's problems, you don't know if or when you'll ever have the answer. Um using the profession that we chose, like I talked about my life, I don't know. I have an opportunity to go and make it into a show. So I did it. Yeah, like it in real time? I mean to me, that's what makes it. I mean, it's interesting in a in a way. I mean, you know, it's kind of like music. I think in that like a captured a moment, like just like, uh, it's the the emotion is more specific because it's happening in real time, because it's actual things that I'm feeling and going through. Like yeah, I think I kind of thought of it like an album in a way. I loved how it felt not just like you were processing it. It felt like you made us the audience processing with you at the same time. That's what I loved about it, because because you know, sometimes you watch a show and it's neatly tied up in a bowl, and then when I was watching this, I was sitting at home going like, Gerard, how do I help you fix this? Because it's happening not really but by the way, hold on, I think it's funny too, And I should say that because I could feel if you haven't seen it, like people are just like Jesus Christ. He just tells us all of his problems and then it's my problem. You know. It's like I think it's kind of funny. It's amazing though, because you were in the thing. You could feel it in the in the room for instance, you could feel the audience with you. You know, even even even how you in honestly the most natural, seamless way, you even delve into homophobia, just like in the black community for instance. You know what I mean, you coming out to a room full of black people that I was like, there's a lot of yeah, no, no, you're just going into it because you can. You can feel like the reaction is kind of shocking. You know, people who were fans of mine, or people who knew me, some people in my my personal life, I didn't know. Uh, And do those people feel like you betrayed them in some way? Did they feel like you tricked them? Yeah? Well here's the thing. How much time we got like like like it's yeah, and in a way I did right like I was, I was in the closet and a bit duplicitus by nature of like I was lying about certain aspects of my being just out of I mean, I could justify it and say it's self protection. It's definitely because I was scared, but you know they're there. I think my friendships are able to be actually actual friendships, and like my relationships are actually real now because I'm not hiding anything because I don't have like a hand behind my back. You can't give someone a full hug, you know if you love concealing something. So that's beautiful that. Yeah, the I feel like the special showed us a different side of you. I've seen that side of you as a person before, but it was almost like that was the side that you just chose to fully expose. What I was really intrigued by was the fact that you kept in the moments where you spoke to the audience in the special, because there was a point where, I mean we saw that in the clip, but there's literally points where the audience just goes hey, man, like like one of the most poignant things and I wanted to ask you about that was the audience member said to you, you say, it took you time to accept yourself and to come out, and they said, have you have you thought about maybe you should be able to give your mom time to accept what is happening. And you you gave a very beautiful answer. People should just watch it to get it. What I wanted to ask you off of that was has your mom watched the special? Has your family? Has anyone watched the special and then it had like a different perspective or have they said? Man, I didn't think of it that way until I watched you say it like this. Um. My niece reached out, So I guess I made the special. Um. A lot of what's in the special is that I'm gay, and it's a thing that's that goes largely unacknowledged in my family right for whatever reasons, religious reasons. Um. And my niece texted me. Probably I guess it came out at midnight, by one to two a m. She sent me a text just saying, Uh, I'm very happy for you, thanks for saying how you feel. I'm glad you did it so I don't have to wonder. Um. And it's very It was really beautiful. It was it was the kind of sense of acknowledgement that I think I was seeking in many ways. Um. And that was really beautiful. And and I'm focusing on that because you know, the ref with my family is real and it happens, and it's something that you learn to kind of deal with. Life kind of sometimes can be a bit bitter sweet. Um, because at the time in my life when I'm receiving a lot of love, there's a certain amount of isolation that I'm enduring. I guess, um, I'm saying all that. Let's say that my niece's love in response was very beautiful and it gave me a lot of hope and um, and I'm very thankful for her. I'm very very littleful. Yeah, I'm sapling in my mouth. I'm clean well, and I mean, that's life. I'm really happy for you. It's it's been so long. I'm glad to see you again. Congratulations on everything. SNL was amazing. Congratulations on the special people. If you haven't seen it, Comedy Special Julius Spector Ruthaniel is streaming now on HBO Max. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at eleven tent Central on Comedy Central, and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast

You're listening to Comedy Central. Wow, plea's welcome Gerard cal Michael. I want to do like the real thing you work, you want to make it. Thank you. Wow wow wow, Gerard cal Michael. What a nice, warm hug. I've missed you, man. Congratulations on on not just man. You know you've always been funny. I think you know this, and you've always been one of my favorite comedians, and I think you know this. I don't say this just because you're here now, but like your special is one of the it's it's a tight rope walk. That's the best way I put it. You know, where you're watching comedy and you're watching somebody balancing and it's a title but there's no net. And the moment where I was going like, oh, Gerald, maybe you should just stop, man, don't don't, don't say that, and you're saying you feel the crowd going with you because they shot. They don't know ahead of time, and the crowd is shot. They've come to see Gerard comic. And then you go, I'm gay and my name is not even Gerard. Yeah. Yeah, it's a lot. It's it's a lot. Yeah, it's a lot. It's just imagine how my therapist feels. You know, it was, um, yeah, I don't know. Uh, like I felt, I felt like, who am I to talk about all these other things you know in the world, Like, you know, actually, who am I? Let's start there right, like like who like that? That that type of self exploration. I think comedy, Uh, stand up has room for yes, you know, um, and it's so much I'm like so inundated with other forms of comedy that I just felt like a long form interior story would be. You know, you're talking the special, you know that part where you talk about like your mom and I related to that in that like your mom is very religious. You and your mom were best friends. You come out as gay, and and then your mom goes, I can't. I don't know how to decipher because I'm Jesus on the one hand, and how I've been taught religion and then you on the other hand. But you're processing that in real time. Why did you choose to do that instead of going, you know what, I'll figure this out and then five years down the line, I'll do a special about it. Well, well, it's something I one. You know, for all of life's problems, you don't know if or when you'll ever have the answer. Um using the profession that we chose, like I talked about my life, I don't know. I have an opportunity to go and make it into a show. So I did it. Yeah, like it in real time? I mean to me, that's what makes it. I mean, it's interesting in a in a way. I mean, you know, it's kind of like music. I think in that like a captured a moment, like just like, uh, it's the the emotion is more specific because it's happening in real time, because it's actual things that I'm feeling and going through. Like yeah, I think I kind of thought of it like an album in a way. I loved how it felt not just like you were processing it. It felt like you made us the audience processing with you at the same time. That's what I loved about it, because because you know, sometimes you watch a show and it's neatly tied up in a bowl, and then when I was watching this, I was sitting at home going like, Gerard, how do I help you fix this? Because it's happening not really but by the way, hold on, I think it's funny too, And I should say that because I could feel if you haven't seen it, like people are just like Jesus Christ. He just tells us all of his problems and then it's my problem. You know. It's like I think it's kind of funny. It's amazing though, because you were in the thing. You could feel it in the in the room for instance, you could feel the audience with you. You know, even even even how you in honestly the most natural, seamless way, you even delve into homophobia, just like in the black community for instance. You know what I mean, you coming out to a room full of black people that I was like, there's a lot of yeah, no, no, you're just going into it because you can. You can feel like the reaction is kind of shocking. You know, people who were fans of mine, or people who knew me, some people in my my personal life, I didn't know. Uh, And do those people feel like you betrayed them in some way? Did they feel like you tricked them? Yeah? Well here's the thing. How much time we got like like like it's yeah, and in a way I did right like I was, I was in the closet and a bit duplicitus by nature of like I was lying about certain aspects of my being just out of I mean, I could justify it and say it's self protection. It's definitely because I was scared, but you know they're there. I think my friendships are able to be actually actual friendships, and like my relationships are actually real now because I'm not hiding anything because I don't have like a hand behind my back. You can't give someone a full hug, you know if you love concealing something. So that's beautiful that. Yeah, the I feel like the special showed us a different side of you. I've seen that side of you as a person before, but it was almost like that was the side that you just chose to fully expose. What I was really intrigued by was the fact that you kept in the moments where you spoke to the audience in the special, because there was a point where, I mean we saw that in the clip, but there's literally points where the audience just goes hey, man, like like one of the most poignant things and I wanted to ask you about that was the audience member said to you, you say, it took you time to accept yourself and to come out, and they said, have you have you thought about maybe you should be able to give your mom time to accept what is happening. And you you gave a very beautiful answer. People should just watch it to get it. What I wanted to ask you off of that was has your mom watched the special? Has your family? Has anyone watched the special and then it had like a different perspective or have they said? Man, I didn't think of it that way until I watched you say it like this. Um. My niece reached out, So I guess I made the special. Um. A lot of what's in the special is that I'm gay, and it's a thing that's that goes largely unacknowledged in my family right for whatever reasons, religious reasons. Um. And my niece texted me. Probably I guess it came out at midnight, by one to two a m. She sent me a text just saying, Uh, I'm very happy for you, thanks for saying how you feel. I'm glad you did it so I don't have to wonder. Um. And it's very It was really beautiful. It was it was the kind of sense of acknowledgement that I think I was seeking in many ways. Um. And that was really beautiful. And and I'm focusing on that because you know, the ref with my family is real and it happens, and it's something that you learn to kind of deal with. Life kind of sometimes can be a bit bitter sweet. Um, because at the time in my life when I'm receiving a lot of love, there's a certain amount of isolation that I'm enduring. I guess, um, I'm saying all that. Let's say that my niece's love in response was very beautiful and it gave me a lot of hope and um, and I'm very thankful for her. I'm very very littleful. Yeah, I'm sapling in my mouth. I'm clean well, and I mean, that's life. I'm really happy for you. It's it's been so long. I'm glad to see you again. Congratulations on everything. SNL was amazing. Congratulations on the special people. If you haven't seen it, Comedy Special Julius Spector Ruthaniel is streaming now on HBO Max. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at eleven tent Central on Comedy Central, and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast