1 00:00:07,549 --> 00:00:10,552 reflective music 2 00:00:12,929 --> 00:00:14,514 [Paul] I've always liked large women. 3 00:00:14,556 --> 00:00:16,391 That's my problem. I don't like skinny women. 4 00:00:16,433 --> 00:00:18,351 I got a saying, if you're not 280, 5 00:00:18,393 --> 00:00:19,686 you're not my lady, you know, 'cause I-- 6 00:00:19,728 --> 00:00:21,187 [laughter] 7 00:00:21,229 --> 00:00:22,313 I don't like skinny women. 8 00:00:22,355 --> 00:00:24,065 They're always in bad moods 9 00:00:24,107 --> 00:00:25,233 'cause they can't cook or they're hungry. 10 00:00:25,275 --> 00:00:27,902 Fuck knows what's going on. 11 00:00:27,944 --> 00:00:29,237 I like large women, you know? 12 00:00:29,279 --> 00:00:30,572 I live in the dangerous part of town. 13 00:00:30,613 --> 00:00:31,906 I want somebody who can give me some backup 14 00:00:31,948 --> 00:00:33,241 in a barfight, you know? 15 00:00:33,283 --> 00:00:34,868 [Mike] In the late '70s and '80s, 16 00:00:34,909 --> 00:00:36,202 I was blessed to be here 17 00:00:36,244 --> 00:00:38,538 during The Comedy Store's first golden age. 18 00:00:38,580 --> 00:00:40,915 We shot a Comedy Store anniversary show 19 00:00:40,957 --> 00:00:42,542 directed by Marty Callner 20 00:00:42,584 --> 00:00:44,919 that Richard Pryor and Robin Williams headlined 21 00:00:44,961 --> 00:00:46,296 from this very room. 22 00:00:46,337 --> 00:00:48,590 Jim Carrey and I did sets for that special 23 00:00:48,631 --> 00:00:50,717 out at the Westwood Comedy Store, 24 00:00:50,759 --> 00:00:53,053 representing the new class on the way up. 25 00:00:53,094 --> 00:00:54,929 And I'd like to start off this evening with a piece 26 00:00:54,971 --> 00:00:56,765 from the new punk ballet, 27 00:00:56,806 --> 00:00:58,767 Wounded Swan Lake. 28 00:00:58,808 --> 00:01:01,811 [laughter] 29 00:01:04,981 --> 00:01:07,609 I used to smoke marijuana quite a bit in high school, 30 00:01:07,650 --> 00:01:09,569 but I stopped because I was afraid 31 00:01:09,611 --> 00:01:12,280 I might kill some brain cells permanently. 32 00:01:12,322 --> 00:01:14,032 You ever think about that? 33 00:01:14,074 --> 00:01:15,700 Seriously. 34 00:01:15,742 --> 00:01:18,453 Later in life, you go to learn about some new molecule, 35 00:01:18,495 --> 00:01:19,954 and a little guy comes running out 36 00:01:19,996 --> 00:01:21,456 in the back of your brain. 37 00:01:21,498 --> 00:01:24,125 "No, no, this whole wing is closed down. 38 00:01:24,167 --> 00:01:25,877 [laughter] 39 00:01:25,919 --> 00:01:29,964 "Nah, you burnt through here at a Pink Floyd concert. 40 00:01:30,006 --> 00:01:33,134 Hey, you're lucky to be doing basic math, all right?" 41 00:01:33,176 --> 00:01:35,428 Being back here today, 42 00:01:35,470 --> 00:01:39,599 seeing so many great comedians and the Store going so strong, 43 00:01:39,641 --> 00:01:41,351 thinking back on all the people that were here 44 00:01:41,392 --> 00:01:43,603 when I was starting out, 45 00:01:43,645 --> 00:01:45,980 knowing all the ups and downs we all went through, 46 00:01:46,022 --> 00:01:48,149 it's surreal to be able to just stand back 47 00:01:48,191 --> 00:01:49,526 and enjoy it all. 48 00:01:49,567 --> 00:01:52,946 In Texas, grown men wear cowboy uniforms. 49 00:01:52,987 --> 00:01:55,115 [laughter] 50 00:01:55,156 --> 00:01:56,616 You hear what I just said? 51 00:01:56,658 --> 00:02:00,036 Grown adult men wear cowboy uniforms 52 00:02:00,078 --> 00:02:02,664 and they're not fucking cowboys. 53 00:02:02,705 --> 00:02:06,126 They're just normal dudes playing dress-up all day long. 54 00:02:06,167 --> 00:02:07,335 These are grown men in drag 55 00:02:07,377 --> 00:02:09,587 wearing another man's work clothes. 56 00:02:09,629 --> 00:02:11,464 It's me leaving my house in a fireman's uniform like, 57 00:02:11,506 --> 00:02:12,841 "I'm headed to the comedy club." 58 00:02:12,882 --> 00:02:14,843 [laughter] 59 00:02:14,884 --> 00:02:16,845 [Iliza] I was standing around my bachelorette party, 60 00:02:16,886 --> 00:02:18,513 we did end up going to a bar, and I was sitting there, 61 00:02:18,555 --> 00:02:19,806 I'm 35, and I was looking around 62 00:02:19,848 --> 00:02:21,474 with all the women I'd been drinking with 63 00:02:21,516 --> 00:02:23,101 for the last decade or so, 64 00:02:23,143 --> 00:02:25,436 and it was weird to me, the idea that you have 65 00:02:25,478 --> 00:02:26,771 your bachelorette party at a bar, 66 00:02:26,813 --> 00:02:28,648 'cause you are, in effect, picking up 67 00:02:28,690 --> 00:02:31,776 the ashen, lifeless body of your singledom 68 00:02:31,818 --> 00:02:34,946 and bringing it to rest where it was born. 69 00:02:34,988 --> 00:02:36,531 [laughter] 70 00:02:36,573 --> 00:02:39,033 In a bar. 71 00:02:39,075 --> 00:02:41,035 [Mike] The first time I came back to the Store 72 00:02:41,077 --> 00:02:44,372 after an almost 20-year break was to see Bill Burr. 73 00:02:44,414 --> 00:02:46,332 He played Kevin Costner's law partner 74 00:02:46,374 --> 00:02:48,501 in my film Black or White. 75 00:02:48,543 --> 00:02:50,378 I then directed his stand-up special 76 00:02:50,420 --> 00:02:52,088 at Royal Albert Hall in London, 77 00:02:52,130 --> 00:02:53,590 Paper Tiger. 78 00:02:53,631 --> 00:02:55,383 At least part of his success is due 79 00:02:55,425 --> 00:02:57,552 to his Monday Morning Podcast. 80 00:02:57,594 --> 00:03:00,722 It's insanely popular. The fans are devout. 81 00:03:00,763 --> 00:03:02,432 After knowing him for years, 82 00:03:02,473 --> 00:03:04,058 I finally badgered the poor guy 83 00:03:04,100 --> 00:03:05,101 to have me on as a guest. 84 00:03:05,143 --> 00:03:06,603 [Bill] Hey, what's going on? 85 00:03:06,644 --> 00:03:08,229 It's Bill Burr and it's time for another edition 86 00:03:08,271 --> 00:03:10,648 of the Monday Morning Podcast. 87 00:03:10,690 --> 00:03:13,401 As you know, most times, I do not have guests. 88 00:03:13,443 --> 00:03:15,069 It's usually me just rambling, 89 00:03:15,111 --> 00:03:16,571 old man with his crazy thoughts, 90 00:03:16,613 --> 00:03:20,158 but every once in a while, somebody so special comes along 91 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:21,743 that I gotta bring 'em on. 92 00:03:21,784 --> 00:03:24,329 Welcome one of the legends of The Comedy Store, 93 00:03:24,370 --> 00:03:25,705 Mike Binder, everybody. 94 00:03:25,747 --> 00:03:27,081 - How you doing, Bill? - I'm doing good. 95 00:03:27,123 --> 00:03:29,584 Actually, the first time I came to The Comedy Store 96 00:03:29,626 --> 00:03:32,837 after, like, 20 years was to see you. 97 00:03:32,879 --> 00:03:35,089 You and I came-- we were doing press 98 00:03:35,131 --> 00:03:38,885 for Black or White on Sunset Boulevard at the DGA 99 00:03:38,927 --> 00:03:40,345 and we came down 100 00:03:40,386 --> 00:03:42,555 and you did a set in the main room, 101 00:03:42,597 --> 00:03:43,932 and we went into The Comedy Store 102 00:03:43,973 --> 00:03:45,475 and it was packed 103 00:03:45,516 --> 00:03:46,559 and I couldn't believe it. 104 00:03:46,601 --> 00:03:47,936 The place was on fire. 105 00:03:47,977 --> 00:03:49,604 And I go, "What's going on here tonight?" 106 00:03:49,646 --> 00:03:51,731 And you went, "Nothing." 107 00:03:51,773 --> 00:03:54,067 - [laughs] - "It's like this every night." 108 00:03:54,108 --> 00:03:55,610 Yeah, I kinda got used to it. 109 00:03:55,652 --> 00:03:57,779 Somewhere around, like, 2010, 2011, 110 00:03:57,820 --> 00:04:00,073 it just became-- like, it's, like, a scene. 111 00:04:00,114 --> 00:04:02,951 One of the things, being back at The Comedy Store 112 00:04:02,992 --> 00:04:04,285 all these years later, 113 00:04:04,327 --> 00:04:06,704 it's so amazing to me 114 00:04:06,746 --> 00:04:09,749 to see how much it takes to run the place. 115 00:04:09,791 --> 00:04:13,002 As a kid, I never thought about that. 116 00:04:13,044 --> 00:04:15,338 Mitzi made it seem so easy. 117 00:04:15,380 --> 00:04:18,258 When I was there, when I was, like, 19, 118 00:04:18,299 --> 00:04:19,884 there was this crisis 119 00:04:19,926 --> 00:04:21,594 that almost shut the whole place down 120 00:04:21,636 --> 00:04:22,637 that Mitzi had to deal with. 121 00:04:22,679 --> 00:04:24,138 - The strike? - Yeah. 122 00:04:24,180 --> 00:04:26,224 When the strike came up, 123 00:04:26,266 --> 00:04:28,476 for a lot of us, it was like, 124 00:04:28,518 --> 00:04:31,980 well, we had no experience 125 00:04:32,021 --> 00:04:36,234 and she gave us club time when she was just starting out. 126 00:04:36,276 --> 00:04:39,070 I just remember hearing that it was really... 127 00:04:39,112 --> 00:04:40,571 it was ugly. 128 00:04:40,613 --> 00:04:41,781 And I gotta tell you, when I first started 129 00:04:41,823 --> 00:04:43,491 going to that club in the late '90s, 130 00:04:43,533 --> 00:04:47,120 I felt like a lot of that was still hanging over the club. 131 00:04:47,161 --> 00:04:49,789 dramatic music 132 00:06:23,341 --> 00:06:24,592 [Johnny] Young comedians out here 133 00:06:24,634 --> 00:06:26,010 who work at a place called The Comedy Store 134 00:06:26,052 --> 00:06:27,345 are on strike. 135 00:06:27,387 --> 00:06:28,596 - Right. - They're striking 136 00:06:28,638 --> 00:06:29,889 because they think they should get paid. 137 00:06:29,931 --> 00:06:31,140 How do you feel about that now? 138 00:06:31,182 --> 00:06:32,767 Well, I think they're bananas. 139 00:06:32,809 --> 00:06:34,352 - I think they're all bananas. - Really? Why? 140 00:06:34,394 --> 00:06:36,229 The way it looks to me is, 141 00:06:36,270 --> 00:06:37,438 if you've got a place 142 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:38,940 where you can get up and do your stuff, 143 00:06:38,981 --> 00:06:41,734 where you can learn your craft, especially with an audience, 144 00:06:41,776 --> 00:06:43,277 'cause when you do it in front of a mirror, 145 00:06:43,319 --> 00:06:45,446 you don't get much reaction. 146 00:06:45,488 --> 00:06:47,115 But if the mirror does react, 147 00:06:47,156 --> 00:06:48,866 you better go in a different business, like-- 148 00:06:48,908 --> 00:06:50,368 [laughter] 149 00:06:50,410 --> 00:06:51,744 But I do wanna add one other thing. 150 00:06:51,786 --> 00:06:55,123 - Yeah. - [imitates monkey] 151 00:06:55,164 --> 00:06:57,041 Now, you guys learn to do that and you can come here. 152 00:06:57,083 --> 00:06:58,709 We'll be right back. 153 00:06:58,751 --> 00:07:00,461 [Byron] The Comedy Store, up until this point, 154 00:07:00,503 --> 00:07:02,922 it was a family, 155 00:07:02,964 --> 00:07:05,550 and then all of a sudden, our family was shattered. 156 00:07:05,591 --> 00:07:07,760 Comics saw that... 157 00:07:07,802 --> 00:07:10,179 I think she was making 100,000 a week. 158 00:07:10,221 --> 00:07:12,140 And then you got comics who are not getting paid. 159 00:07:12,181 --> 00:07:13,641 Now, these guys realize they ain't getting paid, 160 00:07:13,683 --> 00:07:15,518 then they come up with the theory that... 161 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:16,978 the waitress come here, she getting paid. 162 00:07:17,019 --> 00:07:20,314 Why can't you share half of the ticket sales with us 163 00:07:20,356 --> 00:07:21,983 and you take the bar? 164 00:07:22,024 --> 00:07:23,818 You make your money off the liquor in this business. 165 00:07:23,860 --> 00:07:25,111 It didn't make sense to me, 166 00:07:25,153 --> 00:07:27,405 but then again, I'm from the Soviet Union. 167 00:07:27,447 --> 00:07:28,990 They weren't paying anybody anyway, 168 00:07:29,031 --> 00:07:31,200 so to me, it wasn't a big deal. 169 00:07:31,242 --> 00:07:32,952 Soviet Union knows... 170 00:07:32,994 --> 00:07:34,579 [laughs] 171 00:07:34,620 --> 00:07:37,665 There would be--firing squad would be right next to them. 172 00:07:37,707 --> 00:07:38,958 There were people who were just mad 173 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,002 because she wasn't giving them time slots 174 00:07:41,043 --> 00:07:42,253 and they wanted to bring her down. 175 00:07:42,295 --> 00:07:45,173 She told the guy who ran Monday nights 176 00:07:45,214 --> 00:07:48,009 that she was gonna put me on in a regular spot, 177 00:07:48,050 --> 00:07:50,178 so it was, like, my first spot. 178 00:07:50,219 --> 00:07:52,513 The issue is, there's X amount of time slots. 179 00:07:52,555 --> 00:07:53,514 That's it. 180 00:07:53,556 --> 00:07:55,266 To know you got one, 181 00:07:55,308 --> 00:07:56,809 and oh, boy, you felt great. 182 00:07:56,851 --> 00:07:59,687 You told your friends, "I got a spot tomorrow!" 183 00:07:59,729 --> 00:08:02,190 One time, we estimated there were 300 184 00:08:02,231 --> 00:08:04,859 young, you know, "stand-up comics," 185 00:08:04,901 --> 00:08:06,152 people who saw themselves 186 00:08:06,194 --> 00:08:08,029 and identified themselves as stand-up comics. 187 00:08:08,070 --> 00:08:09,363 There was no way to accommodate that 188 00:08:09,405 --> 00:08:10,615 on one stage. 189 00:08:10,656 --> 00:08:12,241 She couldn't do it if she wanted to. 190 00:08:12,283 --> 00:08:14,744 Six o'clock in the morning, the phone rings 191 00:08:14,785 --> 00:08:16,871 and it's my older brother in New York 192 00:08:16,913 --> 00:08:18,539 telling me that my father died. 193 00:08:18,581 --> 00:08:21,125 And I'm thinking, "Oh, man, I gotta get a plane ticket 194 00:08:21,167 --> 00:08:23,711 and I gotta go home," and then I think, "No. 195 00:08:23,753 --> 00:08:25,796 I got a time spot at The Comedy Store." 196 00:08:25,838 --> 00:08:28,174 Finally, I came to The Comedy Store 197 00:08:28,216 --> 00:08:30,218 and went up to Mitzi's office and I said, 198 00:08:30,259 --> 00:08:33,137 "I just found out that my father died 199 00:08:33,179 --> 00:08:36,057 "and I think I should go home for the funeral, 200 00:08:36,098 --> 00:08:38,684 but when I get back, will you give me a spot?" 201 00:08:38,726 --> 00:08:41,604 And she was looking at me like I was crazy. 202 00:08:41,646 --> 00:08:43,689 And she said, "Yeah, you go home, 203 00:08:43,731 --> 00:08:45,358 "you go to the funeral, you come back, 204 00:08:45,399 --> 00:08:46,526 I'll give you a spot." 205 00:08:46,567 --> 00:08:48,069 But it just shows 206 00:08:48,110 --> 00:08:50,196 how crazy this stuff can make you. 207 00:08:50,238 --> 00:08:52,156 Especially young guys far from home. 208 00:08:52,198 --> 00:08:54,200 Here was a mom figure, you know? 209 00:08:54,242 --> 00:08:56,494 Wasn't a tough, cigar-smoking club owner. 210 00:08:56,536 --> 00:08:58,079 She was a nice lady. 211 00:08:58,120 --> 00:08:59,580 [as Mitzi] "Are you okay? Can I get you-- 212 00:08:59,622 --> 00:09:01,040 you want a drink? You wanna sit down?" 213 00:09:01,082 --> 00:09:03,417 You know, whatever it might be, even a place to stay, 214 00:09:03,459 --> 00:09:05,253 but for some reason, she was just adamant 215 00:09:05,294 --> 00:09:07,296 about not paying anybody. 216 00:09:07,338 --> 00:09:09,882 Everybody always has a nasty thing to say about her, 217 00:09:09,924 --> 00:09:11,175 but if it was a man, they'd be like, 218 00:09:11,217 --> 00:09:13,302 "Oh, he's a great businessman, that's why." 219 00:09:13,344 --> 00:09:14,595 And Mitzi had been so good to me. 220 00:09:14,637 --> 00:09:16,305 - Mm-hmm. - She'd been so good to me. 221 00:09:16,347 --> 00:09:17,265 Me as well. 222 00:09:17,306 --> 00:09:18,641 She cosigned a car for me. 223 00:09:18,683 --> 00:09:19,976 She writes me checks whenever I need money 224 00:09:20,017 --> 00:09:20,810 and I'm broke. 225 00:09:20,851 --> 00:09:22,019 If she believed in your ass, 226 00:09:22,061 --> 00:09:23,271 you were gonna make it, boy. 227 00:09:23,312 --> 00:09:24,564 She gon' push you 228 00:09:24,605 --> 00:09:26,190 until you just stop yourself. 229 00:09:26,232 --> 00:09:28,859 The comics that were coming out of here 230 00:09:28,901 --> 00:09:31,946 were getting multi-million dollar deals. 231 00:09:31,988 --> 00:09:34,615 The amount of exposure that the comedians got here 232 00:09:34,657 --> 00:09:36,951 was worth so much more, okay? 233 00:09:36,993 --> 00:09:39,036 I mean, the strike seemed to be for the people 234 00:09:39,078 --> 00:09:40,830 who were never gonna make it big. 235 00:09:40,871 --> 00:09:42,707 This is not what these guys are doing. 236 00:09:42,748 --> 00:09:44,875 These guys are doing this to get another gig. 237 00:09:44,917 --> 00:09:47,628 They were fighting over, you know, gas money. 238 00:09:47,670 --> 00:09:49,213 25 bucks. 239 00:09:49,255 --> 00:09:50,881 But essential to life. 240 00:09:50,923 --> 00:09:52,675 Like, there was a moment in my life 241 00:09:52,717 --> 00:09:54,302 where that was all I had: 242 00:09:54,343 --> 00:09:56,387 five nights a week, three clubs a night, 243 00:09:56,429 --> 00:10:00,474 and it's what Melissa and I and my daughter survived on. 244 00:10:00,516 --> 00:10:02,643 I don't think she did it 'cause she was greedy. 245 00:10:02,685 --> 00:10:04,270 She just saw this as a college 246 00:10:04,312 --> 00:10:07,064 or a place where comedians should work out. 247 00:10:07,106 --> 00:10:08,899 She felt this was a showcase 248 00:10:08,941 --> 00:10:10,985 and gave people a jump-off point 249 00:10:11,027 --> 00:10:13,613 to be on whatever TV shows they were on 250 00:10:13,654 --> 00:10:15,114 or whatever movies they got. 251 00:10:15,156 --> 00:10:17,491 [Mitzi] Cannot have a union tell me 252 00:10:17,533 --> 00:10:19,327 how to run The Comedy Store. 253 00:10:19,368 --> 00:10:22,330 I cannot develop young comedy talent 254 00:10:22,371 --> 00:10:24,665 with a union over my head. 255 00:10:24,707 --> 00:10:27,501 This is not a night club. This is a workshop. 256 00:10:27,543 --> 00:10:29,670 Yeah, that's a nice way of getting free labor. 257 00:10:29,712 --> 00:10:31,547 No, I'm not with it. 258 00:10:31,589 --> 00:10:33,674 This is a bar, okay, 259 00:10:33,716 --> 00:10:35,301 that has entertainment, all right? 260 00:10:35,343 --> 00:10:36,886 That's where you make your money. 261 00:10:36,927 --> 00:10:38,012 You can pay the comics. 262 00:10:38,054 --> 00:10:39,305 Were they gonna chip in 263 00:10:39,347 --> 00:10:40,681 and pay for this woman's investment 264 00:10:40,723 --> 00:10:42,475 if she went broke? 265 00:10:42,516 --> 00:10:44,060 - No. - We would have these meetings. 266 00:10:44,101 --> 00:10:45,353 Yeah. 267 00:10:45,394 --> 00:10:48,856 The objective of which was, I'm not certain, 268 00:10:48,898 --> 00:10:51,150 but Jay would be so disruptive. 269 00:10:51,192 --> 00:10:52,234 [William] If there was a microphone 270 00:10:52,276 --> 00:10:54,028 and there were people in a room, 271 00:10:54,070 --> 00:10:56,572 Jay would get up and perform, and he couldn't stop, 272 00:10:56,614 --> 00:10:58,491 so Tom was trying to be serious. 273 00:10:58,532 --> 00:11:00,701 They voted that I would be the spokesman. 274 00:11:00,743 --> 00:11:02,036 I regret that to this day. 275 00:11:02,078 --> 00:11:03,871 It was just like, "Oh, please, 276 00:11:03,913 --> 00:11:05,539 "can somebody call Jay's parents 277 00:11:05,581 --> 00:11:07,500 and have them come pick him up because--" 278 00:11:07,541 --> 00:11:10,378 - Totally. - He's disrupting the meetings. 279 00:11:10,419 --> 00:11:12,546 Do you remember that he went, "I say we elect a king"? 280 00:11:12,588 --> 00:11:14,131 [laughs] 281 00:11:14,173 --> 00:11:15,341 "Order! Order!" 282 00:11:15,383 --> 00:11:17,885 And you'd go, "Fries and a cheeseburger." 283 00:11:17,927 --> 00:11:19,887 No, I remember--I think it was, 284 00:11:19,929 --> 00:11:21,472 "I think we got our own law in this town. 285 00:11:21,514 --> 00:11:23,516 Let's string 'em up right now! Yeah, come on!" 286 00:11:23,557 --> 00:11:25,309 You know, like one of those bad western movies. 287 00:11:25,351 --> 00:11:27,728 And then the first night, you show up in a tank. 288 00:11:27,770 --> 00:11:29,063 - We had a tank, yeah. - Yeah. 289 00:11:29,105 --> 00:11:31,399 [Gary] Here's Jay Leno in a camo outfit 290 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:33,234 talking to Connie Chung. 291 00:11:33,275 --> 00:11:35,069 He was the center of the whole thing. 292 00:11:35,111 --> 00:11:36,737 I mean, I remember walking the picket line 293 00:11:36,779 --> 00:11:38,364 with Dave Letterman. 294 00:11:38,406 --> 00:11:41,075 Nightclub owners say, "Hey, I'll give you the audience, 295 00:11:41,117 --> 00:11:42,743 "I'll give you the atmosphere, 296 00:11:42,785 --> 00:11:44,578 and you don't have to come if you don't want to." 297 00:11:44,620 --> 00:11:46,080 If you have the place and there's no cover charge, 298 00:11:46,122 --> 00:11:47,707 we'll work all the time, 299 00:11:47,748 --> 00:11:50,126 but when we go onstage and you charge $5 at the door, 300 00:11:50,167 --> 00:11:51,419 then I think that the comedians are 301 00:11:51,460 --> 00:11:52,420 entitled to something. 302 00:11:52,461 --> 00:11:53,629 I took Mitzi's side. 303 00:11:53,671 --> 00:11:54,755 I owed Mitzi. 304 00:11:54,797 --> 00:11:55,923 I think it was a mistake 305 00:11:55,965 --> 00:11:58,259 to cross the picket line of my friends. 306 00:11:58,300 --> 00:11:59,593 I regret it. 307 00:11:59,635 --> 00:12:02,096 I remember Garry Shandling crossed the picket line 308 00:12:02,138 --> 00:12:04,932 and he was persona non grata for a lot of people. 309 00:12:04,974 --> 00:12:07,435 I remember Mitzi drove in in the Jag 310 00:12:07,476 --> 00:12:09,729 and took a look, and when she saw Letterman 311 00:12:09,770 --> 00:12:11,564 and, subsequently, me, 312 00:12:11,605 --> 00:12:13,107 it broke her heart. 313 00:12:13,149 --> 00:12:16,026 She went downstairs and sat next to Al and Steven 314 00:12:16,068 --> 00:12:18,446 at the window, looking out onto Sunset Boulevard. 315 00:12:18,487 --> 00:12:21,115 Everyone was waiting to see what Letterman was gonna do, 316 00:12:21,157 --> 00:12:22,783 and when he joined the picket line, 317 00:12:22,825 --> 00:12:24,201 it just destroyed her. 318 00:12:24,243 --> 00:12:26,620 Whenever Mitzi would talk about the strike, 319 00:12:26,662 --> 00:12:30,124 she would mostly express about how hurt she was. 320 00:12:30,166 --> 00:12:31,792 She called me and said, 321 00:12:31,834 --> 00:12:33,252 [as Mitzi] "David, 322 00:12:33,294 --> 00:12:35,421 I heard you're going on strike." 323 00:12:35,463 --> 00:12:36,589 "Yes, Mitzi, I am." 324 00:12:36,630 --> 00:12:38,466 "Why would you do this to me?" 325 00:12:38,507 --> 00:12:41,010 And I said, "Mitzi, I have to. These are my friends." 326 00:12:41,051 --> 00:12:44,513 They could be a doorman or a telephone man 327 00:12:44,555 --> 00:12:47,933 and then they learn their craft 'cause they're here every night 328 00:12:47,975 --> 00:12:50,519 and they work up. 329 00:12:50,561 --> 00:12:52,313 They break in new lines 330 00:12:52,354 --> 00:12:54,607 and go on TV and they're proven already. 331 00:12:54,648 --> 00:12:57,109 I mean, that's what this is all about. 332 00:12:57,151 --> 00:12:58,360 Most of those places are furnished, 333 00:12:58,402 --> 00:13:00,321 most of the young comedians who come here. 334 00:13:00,362 --> 00:13:02,198 - [Buddy] That's right. - You know, who start here. 335 00:13:02,239 --> 00:13:03,324 We get them from The Improv, 336 00:13:03,365 --> 00:13:04,700 we get them from The Comedy Store, 337 00:13:04,742 --> 00:13:05,868 we get them from these places. 338 00:13:05,910 --> 00:13:07,369 I thought it was about money. 339 00:13:07,411 --> 00:13:09,079 But it's not really about the dough, is it? 340 00:13:09,121 --> 00:13:11,165 I don't care what--I don't care if it's 2019. 341 00:13:11,207 --> 00:13:12,583 [Mike] It was never about the dough. 342 00:13:12,625 --> 00:13:14,668 It was more about the control. This was her club. 343 00:13:14,710 --> 00:13:16,128 And I knew now we had to dig in. 344 00:13:16,170 --> 00:13:17,338 Do you know how the strike ended? 345 00:13:17,379 --> 00:13:18,756 I'm not sure. 346 00:13:18,798 --> 00:13:20,925 We had this big meeting down here on Sunset Boulevard 347 00:13:20,966 --> 00:13:22,593 at some union hall. 348 00:13:22,635 --> 00:13:26,180 So Mitzi sent over Biff Manard to speak for The Comedy Store. 349 00:13:26,222 --> 00:13:29,934 And then you say good bye 350 00:13:29,975 --> 00:13:31,519 I'm paraphrasing, but he basically said, 351 00:13:31,560 --> 00:13:33,979 "Comics don't need to be paid because they're artists 352 00:13:34,021 --> 00:13:35,314 and artists don't need to be paid." 353 00:13:35,356 --> 00:13:37,358 Well, in the room are all artists. 354 00:13:37,399 --> 00:13:39,193 All screen actors, Guild actors, you know? 355 00:13:39,235 --> 00:13:41,862 At the end of that, they voted there 356 00:13:41,904 --> 00:13:43,155 that they were gonna support us. 357 00:13:43,197 --> 00:13:46,367 You think you know me well 358 00:13:46,408 --> 00:13:48,536 But you don't know me 359 00:13:48,577 --> 00:13:50,204 [wild laughter] 360 00:13:50,246 --> 00:13:53,207 [cheers and applause] 361 00:13:53,249 --> 00:13:55,668 Now, Biff leaves there very angry, 362 00:13:55,709 --> 00:13:56,877 and I come back here 363 00:13:56,919 --> 00:13:57,920 and we're out in front of The Comedy Store, 364 00:13:57,962 --> 00:13:59,171 we're picketing. 365 00:13:59,213 --> 00:14:01,340 Across the street, facing this way, 366 00:14:01,382 --> 00:14:04,176 facing east, 367 00:14:04,218 --> 00:14:06,095 is Biff Manard in his car racing his engine. 368 00:14:06,136 --> 00:14:07,429 - [imitates engine revving] - [tires squeal] 369 00:14:07,471 --> 00:14:10,015 And I hear, boom! And scream and boom. 370 00:14:10,057 --> 00:14:11,016 I look around. 371 00:14:11,058 --> 00:14:12,351 And you go down to the ground. 372 00:14:12,393 --> 00:14:13,477 - [boom] - Yeah, that's right. 373 00:14:13,519 --> 00:14:15,104 And you go down to the ground hard. 374 00:14:15,145 --> 00:14:16,564 And the car goes all the way back here 375 00:14:16,605 --> 00:14:18,566 and Jay Leno's laying on the ground 376 00:14:18,607 --> 00:14:20,109 and his eyes are in the back of his head like this 377 00:14:20,150 --> 00:14:21,735 and I went, "Oh, my God," 378 00:14:21,777 --> 00:14:23,904 and the women start screaming, Dottie Archibald screaming, 379 00:14:23,946 --> 00:14:25,823 "He hit Jay! He hit Jay! Oh, my God. 380 00:14:25,865 --> 00:14:27,241 - Somebody call an ambulance." - [siren wails] 381 00:14:27,283 --> 00:14:28,409 Somebody came outside and said, 382 00:14:28,450 --> 00:14:30,035 "Mitzi wants to talk to you inside." 383 00:14:30,077 --> 00:14:32,663 I went inside, she said, "Tommy, let's settle this thing 384 00:14:32,705 --> 00:14:34,039 "once and for all. 385 00:14:34,081 --> 00:14:35,833 I've had it." And I said, "So have I." 386 00:14:35,875 --> 00:14:37,918 And we sat up till four o'clock that morning. 387 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:39,503 We had a lawyer, Ken Browning, come down 388 00:14:39,545 --> 00:14:42,006 and we wrote out the contract and agreed to it. 389 00:14:42,047 --> 00:14:43,841 Dreesey comes over and says, "Should we call an ambulance?" 390 00:14:43,883 --> 00:14:45,217 And you go, "No, no, 391 00:14:45,259 --> 00:14:46,927 put me in a car and take me to the hospital." 392 00:14:46,969 --> 00:14:48,387 I kneel down and I said, "Jay, Jay," 393 00:14:48,429 --> 00:14:51,348 and he opens one eye and he goes like this. 394 00:14:51,390 --> 00:14:52,766 And they drive away and you go, 395 00:14:52,808 --> 00:14:54,143 "Looked real, didn't it?" 396 00:14:54,184 --> 00:14:55,978 - [both laugh] - Yeah, that's right. 397 00:14:56,020 --> 00:14:57,271 You slammed the side of his car. 398 00:14:57,313 --> 00:14:58,731 Yeah, I went like this, like "Ah!" 399 00:14:58,772 --> 00:14:59,899 [groans] 400 00:14:59,940 --> 00:15:01,734 We had to have that negotiation 401 00:15:01,775 --> 00:15:04,069 and we achieved what we needed to achieve. 402 00:15:04,111 --> 00:15:05,654 It was an idea whose time had come. 403 00:15:05,696 --> 00:15:08,490 If you look around the United States now, 404 00:15:08,532 --> 00:15:11,452 there's not a club where comics are working free. 405 00:15:11,493 --> 00:15:13,579 But also needed to get over it. 406 00:15:13,621 --> 00:15:15,748 All of it was just so unnecessary 407 00:15:15,789 --> 00:15:17,249 and I just never came back. 408 00:15:17,291 --> 00:15:20,085 At the end of the strike, one of Mitzi's favorites, 409 00:15:20,127 --> 00:15:22,046 an up-and-comer named Steve Lubetkin... 410 00:15:22,087 --> 00:15:24,465 Steve Lubetkin came to me and said to me, "Tom, 411 00:15:24,506 --> 00:15:26,008 "I've called in three weeks in a row 412 00:15:26,050 --> 00:15:27,468 and I'm not getting any times." 413 00:15:27,509 --> 00:15:29,762 People got spots, people didn't get spots, you know? 414 00:15:29,803 --> 00:15:32,139 But he had--he was a mental illness problem. 415 00:15:32,181 --> 00:15:33,390 "She'll retaliate." 416 00:15:33,432 --> 00:15:34,934 I said, "No, no, it's in the contract 417 00:15:34,975 --> 00:15:36,810 "that there's no retaliation for walking the picket line, 418 00:15:36,852 --> 00:15:38,312 so it's gonna be fine." 419 00:15:38,354 --> 00:15:40,439 [Lue] He ends up checking in to the hotel next door 420 00:15:40,481 --> 00:15:42,441 and jumping from the 12th floor. 421 00:15:42,483 --> 00:15:44,818 I was the last guy to see him alive. 422 00:15:44,860 --> 00:15:47,321 I was at the-- I was at the train having-- 423 00:15:47,363 --> 00:15:49,823 you know, that boxcar that sells hot dogs 424 00:15:49,865 --> 00:15:51,325 down the road on Sunset? 425 00:15:51,367 --> 00:15:54,495 I was sitting there and he walked by 426 00:15:54,536 --> 00:15:55,663 and I said, "Steve, what's up?" 427 00:15:55,704 --> 00:15:57,456 And he goes, "Nothing, man. Nothing." 428 00:15:57,498 --> 00:15:59,833 And he just walked right by me. 429 00:15:59,875 --> 00:16:01,043 And then 40 minutes later, 430 00:16:01,085 --> 00:16:02,878 I hear police cars and ambulances 431 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:04,463 going towards the Hyatt House. 432 00:16:04,505 --> 00:16:06,090 [Harris] And then we're starting the show 433 00:16:06,131 --> 00:16:08,008 and a cop comes to the door 434 00:16:08,050 --> 00:16:10,386 and shows me his driver's license 435 00:16:10,427 --> 00:16:12,346 and says, "Do you know him?" 436 00:16:12,388 --> 00:16:13,639 And I go, "Yeah, he's a comedian here. 437 00:16:13,681 --> 00:16:14,598 Is there any trouble?" 438 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,017 And the cop just pointed at the ramp. 439 00:16:17,059 --> 00:16:18,435 I knew him, little-- 440 00:16:18,477 --> 00:16:20,980 you never know he gonna jump off a damn roof 441 00:16:21,021 --> 00:16:22,856 because, you know, Mitzi told him-- 442 00:16:22,898 --> 00:16:24,149 he said Mitzi told him 443 00:16:24,191 --> 00:16:25,567 that you're never gonna work here again. 444 00:16:25,609 --> 00:16:26,777 You're never gonna work here again. 445 00:16:26,819 --> 00:16:28,278 He thought that was the end of his life. 446 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:30,781 He was suicidal. They can all talk that crap. 447 00:16:30,823 --> 00:16:32,241 Mitzi ain't had nothing to do with that. 448 00:16:32,282 --> 00:16:35,202 Richard Lewis was sitting at the bar 449 00:16:35,244 --> 00:16:36,453 and he almost fell over, 450 00:16:36,495 --> 00:16:38,205 'cause Steve Lubetkin was his best friend. 451 00:16:38,247 --> 00:16:41,333 He had some of the worst runs of bad luck. 452 00:16:41,375 --> 00:16:43,460 He got "The Tonight Show" and then one night, 453 00:16:43,502 --> 00:16:45,212 it was, like, 1:30 in the morning 454 00:16:45,254 --> 00:16:46,672 and he was just fucking around onstage 455 00:16:46,714 --> 00:16:48,215 emceeing, "Hey, where you from?", 456 00:16:48,257 --> 00:16:49,466 you know, what people do, 457 00:16:49,508 --> 00:16:51,343 and a talent coordinator saw him 458 00:16:51,385 --> 00:16:53,971 and immediately canceled his "Tonight Show" show. 459 00:16:54,013 --> 00:16:55,889 I know a lot of people that have killed themselves 460 00:16:55,931 --> 00:16:58,475 and you always say, "What could I have done?" 461 00:16:58,517 --> 00:17:00,561 You know, the person who ultimately takes their life 462 00:17:00,602 --> 00:17:02,229 is responsible. 463 00:17:02,271 --> 00:17:03,897 [emcee] Gentleman coming to the stage right now 464 00:17:03,939 --> 00:17:05,983 is making his first appearance back at The Comedy Store 465 00:17:06,025 --> 00:17:07,276 in 40 years. 466 00:17:07,317 --> 00:17:08,569 Tom Dreesen, ladies and gentlemen. 467 00:17:08,610 --> 00:17:09,403 Bring him out. 468 00:17:09,445 --> 00:17:12,072 [cheers and applause] 469 00:17:12,114 --> 00:17:13,449 [Dreesen] Thank you. 470 00:17:13,490 --> 00:17:14,992 I don't think I'll ever get married again. 471 00:17:15,034 --> 00:17:18,120 I think about it sometimes. I think I'll just get a dog. 472 00:17:18,162 --> 00:17:19,538 Yeah, 'cause the dog is man's best friend. 473 00:17:19,580 --> 00:17:21,331 My buddy said, "No, my wife is my best friend." 474 00:17:21,373 --> 00:17:23,459 I said, "A dog is man's best friend." 475 00:17:23,500 --> 00:17:24,877 Put your wife and your dog in the trunk of your car, 476 00:17:24,918 --> 00:17:26,712 leave them there for an hour, open the trunk, 477 00:17:26,754 --> 00:17:28,630 see which one is happy to see you. 478 00:17:28,672 --> 00:17:30,966 [laughter] 479 00:17:31,008 --> 00:17:33,761 I will say this: my wife did try to save the marriage. 480 00:17:33,802 --> 00:17:35,304 I came home one day, she was stark naked. 481 00:17:35,345 --> 00:17:36,430 She said, "Tie me up 482 00:17:36,472 --> 00:17:37,639 and you can do anything you want." 483 00:17:37,681 --> 00:17:39,475 So I tied her up and I went to play golf. 484 00:17:39,516 --> 00:17:41,435 [laughter] 485 00:17:41,477 --> 00:17:43,520 I'm gonna be honest with you, couple times, 486 00:17:43,562 --> 00:17:45,272 I had a little trouble concentrating 487 00:17:45,314 --> 00:17:47,274 'cause I was thinking, "Look where I'm at. 488 00:17:47,316 --> 00:17:49,068 I'm back here at The Comedy Store." 489 00:17:49,109 --> 00:17:50,611 It was so much fun. 490 00:17:50,652 --> 00:17:52,529 - Did you ever come back after? - No. 491 00:17:52,571 --> 00:17:55,199 I came back here in the mid, late '80s 492 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:56,617 and was frightened 493 00:17:56,658 --> 00:17:59,036 because it was Sam Kinison days 494 00:17:59,078 --> 00:18:02,039 and I felt that they might hurt me. 495 00:18:02,081 --> 00:18:05,417 [both laugh] 496 00:18:05,459 --> 00:18:07,127 What's it like when you drive by the Store? 497 00:18:07,169 --> 00:18:09,004 I think of all those days 498 00:18:09,046 --> 00:18:10,964 that I used to stand out in line 499 00:18:11,006 --> 00:18:14,134 hoping to get on on open mic night. 500 00:18:14,176 --> 00:18:15,844 [Bill] And I can't believe I've know you all these years 501 00:18:15,886 --> 00:18:17,304 and I've never asked you, 502 00:18:17,346 --> 00:18:19,348 what was your first audition like for Mitzi Shore? 503 00:18:19,389 --> 00:18:21,141 It was at the Westwood Comedy Store 504 00:18:21,183 --> 00:18:22,684 and I was late. 505 00:18:22,726 --> 00:18:24,061 You were late for your audition? 506 00:18:24,103 --> 00:18:26,188 I was late, but I parked in the alley 507 00:18:26,230 --> 00:18:27,981 and I jumped over the wall. 508 00:18:28,023 --> 00:18:29,233 And I was wearing a suit. 509 00:18:29,274 --> 00:18:31,235 I don't even know why I was wearing a suit. 510 00:18:31,276 --> 00:18:33,821 Because I just saw guys on TV, they wore suits. 511 00:18:33,862 --> 00:18:37,116 I figured for my audition, jacket and a tie, 512 00:18:37,157 --> 00:18:41,161 and I ripped my pants from the knee all the way down. 513 00:18:41,203 --> 00:18:42,621 Course you did. Course you did. 514 00:18:42,663 --> 00:18:44,498 And I just said, "I'm going on anyway." 515 00:18:44,540 --> 00:18:47,251 And I just got very lucky, 'cause the crowd liked me 516 00:18:47,292 --> 00:18:50,587 and it was the right time spot and I killed. 517 00:18:50,629 --> 00:18:52,840 While you were killing onstage, were you thinking, 518 00:18:52,881 --> 00:18:54,675 like, "I'm getting passed" or "Don't fuck this up"? 519 00:18:54,716 --> 00:18:56,301 I just couldn't believe I was killing. 520 00:18:56,343 --> 00:18:57,511 I was finally out there. 521 00:18:57,553 --> 00:18:58,929 I'd come all the way from Detroit, 522 00:18:58,971 --> 00:19:01,265 drove out there, I was 18 years old, 523 00:19:01,306 --> 00:19:03,350 and Mitzi calls me over. 524 00:19:03,392 --> 00:19:05,018 She goes, "You were really funny. 525 00:19:05,060 --> 00:19:06,937 "You can come back, you can be a regular, 526 00:19:06,979 --> 00:19:09,064 "but I don't like the 'ripped hole 527 00:19:09,106 --> 00:19:11,024 in the suit' thing." 528 00:19:11,066 --> 00:19:12,693 - [laughs] - "I don't like that. 529 00:19:12,734 --> 00:19:13,902 Lose that." 530 00:19:13,944 --> 00:19:15,154 She thought that was a bit. 531 00:19:15,195 --> 00:19:16,572 Yeah, she thought it was, like, my hook. 532 00:19:16,613 --> 00:19:18,115 The kid with the ripped suit with the suit-- 533 00:19:18,157 --> 00:19:19,283 Do you realize how lucky you are 534 00:19:19,324 --> 00:19:20,659 that she didn't like it? 535 00:19:20,701 --> 00:19:22,661 'Cause she would be, "Every night you go onstage, 536 00:19:22,703 --> 00:19:23,662 you wear that." 537 00:19:23,704 --> 00:19:25,247 Oh, I might have been stuck with that. 538 00:19:25,289 --> 00:19:26,582 "Call you Mikey Ripped Pants." 539 00:19:26,623 --> 00:19:27,749 Yeah. 540 00:19:27,791 --> 00:19:30,294 - [laughs] - That's what she would've. 541 00:19:30,335 --> 00:19:32,504 I auditioned for Mitzi on a Monday night. 542 00:19:32,546 --> 00:19:33,463 [Paul] And she'd sit right there 543 00:19:33,505 --> 00:19:34,882 and she was judge and jury 544 00:19:34,923 --> 00:19:36,258 and she didn't give a fuck 545 00:19:36,300 --> 00:19:38,343 if you were the funniest guy in Houston. 546 00:19:38,385 --> 00:19:39,595 That didn't matter to her. 547 00:19:39,636 --> 00:19:41,263 She didn't read your résumé. 548 00:19:41,305 --> 00:19:45,517 Anybody from Bill Burr to Richard Pryor 549 00:19:45,559 --> 00:19:48,395 to you and to me and to Jim Carrey 550 00:19:48,437 --> 00:19:50,689 had one path into entertaining, 551 00:19:50,731 --> 00:19:53,609 one woman, Mitzi Shore, to make those decisions. 552 00:19:53,650 --> 00:19:55,861 I don't give advice, Arsenio. 553 00:19:55,903 --> 00:19:57,070 - Oh, don't tell me that. - I really don't. No, I don't. 554 00:19:57,112 --> 00:19:58,572 I saw you tell a girl to put on a green wig 555 00:19:58,614 --> 00:19:59,489 and she'd be funnier. 556 00:19:59,531 --> 00:20:00,741 Oh, that was different. 557 00:20:00,782 --> 00:20:02,409 [laughter] 558 00:20:02,451 --> 00:20:05,579 The wonderful advice of Mitzi Shore. 559 00:20:05,621 --> 00:20:07,748 Mitzi told me I was too pretty to be funny 560 00:20:07,789 --> 00:20:11,084 and there was no way in hell that... 561 00:20:11,126 --> 00:20:12,419 I could be a stand-up comedian. 562 00:20:12,461 --> 00:20:13,879 My grandma taught me a lot though. 563 00:20:13,921 --> 00:20:16,423 She taught me how to value myself as a woman. 564 00:20:16,465 --> 00:20:18,842 I'll never forget. It was my 18th birthday. 565 00:20:18,884 --> 00:20:20,844 She should've told me this on my 16th birthday though, 566 00:20:20,886 --> 00:20:22,262 'cause at that point, I had started renting out 567 00:20:22,304 --> 00:20:24,431 the property already. 568 00:20:24,473 --> 00:20:26,266 She had her little weird ways, 569 00:20:26,308 --> 00:20:29,436 like putting me with Joey Camen 570 00:20:29,478 --> 00:20:31,605 in a group, Salt and Pepper. 571 00:20:31,647 --> 00:20:33,607 [as Mitzi] "You're gonna be Salt 572 00:20:33,649 --> 00:20:35,943 "and he's gonna be Pepper. 573 00:20:35,984 --> 00:20:38,070 It's gonna be so funny." 574 00:20:38,111 --> 00:20:39,613 I'm tired of being white. 575 00:20:39,655 --> 00:20:41,448 I wanna get down. I wanna have some fun. 576 00:20:41,490 --> 00:20:42,824 I wanna be Black. 577 00:20:42,866 --> 00:20:44,993 And it's like, he was getting all the laughs, 578 00:20:45,035 --> 00:20:48,121 and she would be in the back of the room laughing 579 00:20:48,163 --> 00:20:49,331 and giving us spots. 580 00:20:49,373 --> 00:20:50,624 We'd get three spots a night. 581 00:20:50,666 --> 00:20:52,251 And then I told her, I said-- 582 00:20:52,292 --> 00:20:54,503 that's the first time I got thrown out of The Comedy Store. 583 00:20:54,544 --> 00:20:57,297 "I'm not gonna do this no more. I didn't come out here to be... 584 00:20:57,339 --> 00:20:59,007 "Pepper. 585 00:20:59,049 --> 00:21:00,592 I'm not gonna do it. I can't do it." 586 00:21:00,634 --> 00:21:02,135 I remember Jack Graiman. 587 00:21:02,177 --> 00:21:03,679 Mm-hmm? 588 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:06,932 She told him, "You need to wear an all-yellow suit 589 00:21:06,974 --> 00:21:09,476 "and you need to dye your hair yellow 590 00:21:09,518 --> 00:21:11,311 and change your name to Jackie Banana. 591 00:21:11,353 --> 00:21:13,480 [laughs] 592 00:21:13,522 --> 00:21:14,982 - Did he do it? - Yeah. 593 00:21:15,023 --> 00:21:18,068 [both laugh] 594 00:21:18,110 --> 00:21:20,404 [as Mitzi] "Jackie Banana." 595 00:21:21,196 --> 00:21:23,782 I'm gonna enter. 596 00:21:23,824 --> 00:21:25,242 Oh, hi. 597 00:21:25,284 --> 00:21:26,326 You guys shooting something? 598 00:21:26,368 --> 00:21:27,619 - [Mike] No. - Oh. 599 00:21:27,661 --> 00:21:29,121 I got a girlfriend. 600 00:21:29,162 --> 00:21:32,124 She's awesome, but we have a real basic problem, 601 00:21:32,165 --> 00:21:34,668 which is, I don't talk enough 602 00:21:34,710 --> 00:21:36,545 and she talks--ladies? 603 00:21:36,586 --> 00:21:37,671 [women] Too much. 604 00:21:37,713 --> 00:21:40,215 That's correct. That is correct. 605 00:21:40,257 --> 00:21:43,135 Yet she needs to--she literally tells me everything. 606 00:21:43,176 --> 00:21:44,803 She tells me, like, "Here's everything 607 00:21:44,845 --> 00:21:46,221 "that happened to me today 608 00:21:46,263 --> 00:21:47,973 "and here's every thought I had 609 00:21:48,015 --> 00:21:50,475 "and let me tell you about my feelings 610 00:21:50,517 --> 00:21:51,852 "and let me tell you about my plans 611 00:21:51,893 --> 00:21:53,687 and let me tell you about my family," 612 00:21:53,729 --> 00:21:55,564 and then finally, she just tires herself out 613 00:21:55,605 --> 00:21:57,691 and goes to sleep, right? 614 00:21:57,733 --> 00:21:59,359 And then she wakes up eight hours later 615 00:21:59,401 --> 00:22:01,069 and she's like, "Let me tell you about my dreams." 616 00:22:01,111 --> 00:22:03,071 I'm like, "Fuck." 617 00:22:03,113 --> 00:22:06,867 I auditioned for Mitzi in, probably, 2009. 618 00:22:06,908 --> 00:22:08,118 Didn't get passed. 619 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:10,203 I got in at other clubs. 620 00:22:10,245 --> 00:22:11,872 I mean, I had to emcee and stuff, 621 00:22:11,913 --> 00:22:13,707 but I got in at Laugh Factory, I got in The Improv, 622 00:22:13,749 --> 00:22:16,460 and then here, it was like, "Sorry. 623 00:22:16,501 --> 00:22:18,337 Sorry, kid. Get in line." 624 00:22:18,378 --> 00:22:19,546 Told me I was screaming for no reason. 625 00:22:19,588 --> 00:22:21,006 She told you you were screaming? 626 00:22:21,048 --> 00:22:22,299 Yeah, she's like, "Why's your voice get so high?" 627 00:22:22,341 --> 00:22:23,842 I would do this, like, hyper thing. 628 00:22:23,884 --> 00:22:25,552 I'd be like-- [indistinct shouting] 629 00:22:25,594 --> 00:22:27,387 I didn't know how to get an audience's attention. 630 00:22:27,429 --> 00:22:28,555 So I got this job here, 631 00:22:28,597 --> 00:22:29,973 that was the number-- first showcase, 632 00:22:30,015 --> 00:22:32,976 and then to get passed, it was 37 more showcases. 633 00:22:33,018 --> 00:22:34,144 You'd come offstage 634 00:22:34,186 --> 00:22:36,480 and you'd just see your name just scratched. 635 00:22:36,521 --> 00:22:38,565 She would just, like, black out your name 636 00:22:38,607 --> 00:22:39,858 so she couldn't even remember-- 637 00:22:39,900 --> 00:22:40,901 you know, wouldn't even remember you. 638 00:22:40,942 --> 00:22:43,278 I auditioned for Mitzi a few times 639 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:44,571 and she didn't even see me. 640 00:22:44,613 --> 00:22:45,947 Comics would just stand in that doorway 641 00:22:45,989 --> 00:22:47,199 and talk to her 642 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:49,117 the entire time people were showcasing. 643 00:22:49,159 --> 00:22:51,286 It was the most passive-aggressive shit ever. 644 00:22:51,328 --> 00:22:53,955 The night I was there, Eddie Griffin sat next to her 645 00:22:53,997 --> 00:22:56,917 and made sure nobody talked to her. 646 00:22:56,958 --> 00:22:58,585 Whenever that shit used to happen to me, 647 00:22:58,627 --> 00:23:01,463 I'd always just think, you know, fuck it. 648 00:23:01,505 --> 00:23:02,923 Whatever. 649 00:23:02,964 --> 00:23:05,258 You know, I'm gonna get in here, eventually. 650 00:23:05,300 --> 00:23:09,721 Having said that, though, it did hurt a lot 651 00:23:09,763 --> 00:23:12,432 because that was, I felt, Pryor's club 652 00:23:12,474 --> 00:23:14,810 and I felt like-- and she knew him. 653 00:23:14,851 --> 00:23:16,770 She was like, "You're not ready." 654 00:23:16,812 --> 00:23:19,064 And I was like--in my head, I'm like, "I'm so ready. 655 00:23:19,106 --> 00:23:20,857 I'm auditioning for Last Comic Standing." 656 00:23:20,899 --> 00:23:25,070 Like, it's amazing how your brain... 657 00:23:25,112 --> 00:23:26,613 tells you you're ready for things 658 00:23:26,655 --> 00:23:28,240 when you're genuinely not ready. 659 00:23:28,281 --> 00:23:31,952 Had she passed me at that time, I would be a flop. 660 00:23:31,993 --> 00:23:35,580 The very first time I performed an open mic, 661 00:23:35,622 --> 00:23:37,541 I did it at The Comedy Store 662 00:23:37,582 --> 00:23:40,710 probably 1984. 663 00:23:40,752 --> 00:23:42,879 I, of course, was horrible 664 00:23:42,921 --> 00:23:46,466 and probably didn't do stand-up for years after that. 665 00:23:46,508 --> 00:23:49,136 She just never passed me. 666 00:23:49,177 --> 00:23:51,263 And she said, "Go work other clubs," she said, 667 00:23:51,304 --> 00:23:53,014 which, at the time, I was really hurt 668 00:23:53,056 --> 00:23:54,182 and disappointed, 669 00:23:54,224 --> 00:23:55,976 but in hindsight, it was the best thing 670 00:23:56,017 --> 00:23:57,185 that could've happened to me. 671 00:23:57,227 --> 00:23:59,980 I bet I would be a really good dad... 672 00:24:00,021 --> 00:24:01,982 if I was home more with my kid. 673 00:24:02,023 --> 00:24:04,359 [laughter] You know what I mean? 674 00:24:04,401 --> 00:24:05,986 But I think you're my priority. 675 00:24:06,027 --> 00:24:07,696 I worked other clubs, I quit my bartending job, 676 00:24:07,737 --> 00:24:09,865 I started working on the road, open for people, 677 00:24:09,906 --> 00:24:11,408 then I became a headliner. 678 00:24:11,450 --> 00:24:14,453 The time that I showcased for Mitzi 679 00:24:14,494 --> 00:24:16,329 when I was 21, 680 00:24:16,371 --> 00:24:19,958 I ate the biggest turd onstage. 681 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:21,626 I mean, death. 682 00:24:21,668 --> 00:24:23,837 And only one person was laughing, 683 00:24:23,879 --> 00:24:25,088 and that was Mitzi Shore. 684 00:24:25,130 --> 00:24:27,340 [laughs] And I got made a regular. 685 00:24:27,382 --> 00:24:29,843 I was beat up by the town bully name Debbie Gorego. 686 00:24:29,885 --> 00:24:31,178 She used to beat the shit out of me 687 00:24:31,219 --> 00:24:32,762 and as she'd beat me up, she'd say things like, 688 00:24:32,804 --> 00:24:35,849 "You and your mom are nothing but lazy trash. 689 00:24:35,891 --> 00:24:37,017 "You're probably gonna be a stripper 690 00:24:37,058 --> 00:24:39,686 by the time you graduate high school." 691 00:24:39,728 --> 00:24:41,646 And I thought a lot about what she said to me 692 00:24:41,688 --> 00:24:44,191 on the night that I did become a stripper. 693 00:24:44,232 --> 00:24:47,777 [Sam] Mitzi wants to start an all-Middle Eastern show, 694 00:24:47,819 --> 00:24:49,779 and, course, you gotta kiss the ring, right? 695 00:24:49,821 --> 00:24:52,532 She goes, "Are you Syrian?" 696 00:24:52,574 --> 00:24:54,201 And hand to God, 697 00:24:54,242 --> 00:24:57,037 I had no clue what a Syrian was at that moment. 698 00:24:57,078 --> 00:24:59,372 I was public educated, upstate New York. 699 00:24:59,414 --> 00:25:03,084 I had no clue what Syrian was, 700 00:25:03,126 --> 00:25:04,878 where Syria was, 701 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:06,838 what a Syrian wa-- I had no clue. 702 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:08,840 But I was like, "Yeah, I'm Syrian. 703 00:25:08,882 --> 00:25:11,426 "I love being Syrian. I love my Syrians. 704 00:25:11,468 --> 00:25:12,636 We're just Syrians, right?" 705 00:25:12,677 --> 00:25:13,637 She's like, "Great." 706 00:25:13,678 --> 00:25:15,972 [laughter] 707 00:25:16,014 --> 00:25:18,350 You gotta do this act of worship, 708 00:25:18,391 --> 00:25:20,143 and she would sit in the back of the room 709 00:25:20,185 --> 00:25:21,811 in a monkey fur coat 710 00:25:21,853 --> 00:25:24,022 and just, like, watch you, and you-- 711 00:25:24,064 --> 00:25:27,108 and then she would--you'd he-- she had the most wicked laugh, 712 00:25:27,150 --> 00:25:30,570 and if you made her laugh, you knew you were in. 713 00:25:30,612 --> 00:25:34,991 And when she said, "Start calling in," 714 00:25:35,033 --> 00:25:38,078 it's just like-- I felt like I floated home. 715 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:39,871 You know, there's certain things 716 00:25:39,913 --> 00:25:42,874 that happen to you in show business 717 00:25:42,916 --> 00:25:45,752 that you go, "I'm on my way." 718 00:25:45,794 --> 00:25:49,673 That was one of 'em. "I'm on my way. 719 00:25:49,714 --> 00:25:51,341 "This crazy bitch think I'm funny. 720 00:25:51,383 --> 00:25:54,052 [laughs] I'm on my way." 721 00:25:54,094 --> 00:25:56,721 And you would get up there and I would sit and watch him 722 00:25:56,763 --> 00:25:58,848 and just, like-- he would go to territory 723 00:25:58,890 --> 00:26:00,350 that you just don't go. 724 00:26:00,392 --> 00:26:01,726 It was fun. 725 00:26:01,768 --> 00:26:03,103 The fuckin'--the thing about your sister 726 00:26:03,144 --> 00:26:04,104 getting beat up. 727 00:26:04,145 --> 00:26:05,438 - Oh, yeah. - Jesus Christ. 728 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:06,856 - The dentist always say... - Oh, my God. 729 00:26:06,898 --> 00:26:08,108 How the dude knocked her teeth out 730 00:26:08,149 --> 00:26:10,485 and she's talk about, "I did that by myself." 731 00:26:10,527 --> 00:26:13,238 No, "It's just something about him." 732 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:15,740 Why are you with this guy? Keeps beating your ass. 733 00:26:15,782 --> 00:26:17,826 "It's just something about him." 734 00:26:17,867 --> 00:26:19,828 This was my introduction to The Store. 735 00:26:19,869 --> 00:26:22,581 Sandy Shore, at the time, had a thing 736 00:26:22,622 --> 00:26:25,417 called Sandy Shore's Sandbox. 737 00:26:25,458 --> 00:26:27,127 It was a class. 738 00:26:27,168 --> 00:26:29,879 So I saw this class in, like, LA Weekly or whatever 739 00:26:29,921 --> 00:26:33,174 and my thing was, "Oh, I get in to the class, 740 00:26:33,216 --> 00:26:36,803 "Sandy likes me, she'll just tell her mother, 741 00:26:36,845 --> 00:26:39,139 'Got a kid in the class who's really good.'" 742 00:26:39,180 --> 00:26:40,932 So that was my thinking behind the class. 743 00:26:40,974 --> 00:26:43,143 So the first day of class, Sandy mentioned, 744 00:26:43,184 --> 00:26:45,270 "I don't get along with my mom. 745 00:26:45,312 --> 00:26:47,272 So I just wanna let you guys know that"-- 746 00:26:47,314 --> 00:26:50,984 so already, I'm like, "That's $600 gone." 747 00:26:51,026 --> 00:26:54,988 LA Catholic church is like nothing I've ever seen before. 748 00:26:55,030 --> 00:26:56,990 I go to confession today, 749 00:26:57,032 --> 00:26:59,743 I find out you gotta submit a headshot... 750 00:26:59,784 --> 00:27:03,163 [laughter] 751 00:27:03,204 --> 00:27:05,999 ...with your sins on the back of the headshot. 752 00:27:06,041 --> 00:27:09,044 [laughter and applause] 753 00:27:09,085 --> 00:27:11,171 So I got a callback next Sunday. 754 00:27:11,212 --> 00:27:13,882 [laughter] 755 00:27:13,923 --> 00:27:16,092 They're giving me two minutes. 756 00:27:16,134 --> 00:27:17,719 When I started doing stand-up comedy, 757 00:27:17,761 --> 00:27:19,596 I went to a place called The Comedy Store. 758 00:27:19,638 --> 00:27:21,640 Yeah, you have to pass audition there. 759 00:27:21,681 --> 00:27:23,350 And I had already done specials, 760 00:27:23,391 --> 00:27:24,726 I was already... 761 00:27:24,768 --> 00:27:27,145 but I didn't mind this, 762 00:27:27,187 --> 00:27:29,564 because the comedy club owner is an important part 763 00:27:29,606 --> 00:27:30,857 of stand-up to me 764 00:27:30,899 --> 00:27:33,068 and it was to be respected, you know? 765 00:27:33,109 --> 00:27:34,361 So I wanted her to pass me. 766 00:27:34,402 --> 00:27:36,112 I didn't wanna just get onstage there. 767 00:27:36,154 --> 00:27:39,407 And so Mitzi Shore sa-- I came in to audition 768 00:27:39,449 --> 00:27:42,661 and she's sitting in this table directly across from me 769 00:27:42,702 --> 00:27:45,372 and I go on and there's a light here that indicates... 770 00:27:45,413 --> 00:27:46,873 They used to have a light that would go on 771 00:27:46,915 --> 00:27:47,666 at the end of five minutes. 772 00:27:47,707 --> 00:27:48,958 That's right. 773 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:50,669 And I remember one night, a guy went up 774 00:27:50,710 --> 00:27:53,630 and a minute into his act, he was auditioning for her, 775 00:27:53,672 --> 00:27:55,382 she goes, "Light him. 776 00:27:55,423 --> 00:27:56,716 He doesn't have it." 777 00:27:56,758 --> 00:27:59,719 I said hello and I started a joke 778 00:27:59,761 --> 00:28:01,513 and the light went on, immediately. 779 00:28:01,554 --> 00:28:05,392 And I turned to her and I go, "That's Louis C.K." 780 00:28:05,433 --> 00:28:06,768 "I don't care." 781 00:28:06,810 --> 00:28:08,728 And I thought, "Well, that can't really be it." 782 00:28:08,770 --> 00:28:11,606 So I keep going and I see Mitzi and she's going like this. 783 00:28:11,648 --> 00:28:13,191 Literally, she's going... 784 00:28:13,233 --> 00:28:14,484 [laughter] 785 00:28:14,526 --> 00:28:16,778 Like, pointing and then doing this. 786 00:28:16,820 --> 00:28:18,988 - "Get off." - Oh, my goodness. 787 00:28:19,030 --> 00:28:20,657 And I think, "Okay, I'm not passing, 788 00:28:20,699 --> 00:28:23,076 but I'm not getting off after one fucking minute." 789 00:28:23,118 --> 00:28:24,661 I already been doing this for, like, 20 years. 790 00:28:24,703 --> 00:28:26,705 I'm not doing one minute anywhere. 791 00:28:26,746 --> 00:28:28,123 So I just kept going, 792 00:28:28,164 --> 00:28:29,916 and then she took the candle off her table 793 00:28:29,958 --> 00:28:31,418 and she started waving it around. 794 00:28:31,459 --> 00:28:32,794 [laughs] 795 00:28:32,836 --> 00:28:34,295 - And going like this. - That's crazy. 796 00:28:34,337 --> 00:28:36,297 So I did, like, five minutes. The audience liked me. 797 00:28:36,339 --> 00:28:38,091 And then I left and my manager called 798 00:28:38,133 --> 00:28:39,801 and she said, "I hated him. It was terrible." 799 00:28:39,843 --> 00:28:41,720 So I just--I wasn't allowed to work there. 800 00:28:41,761 --> 00:28:44,180 upbeat music 801 00:28:44,222 --> 00:28:46,933 [Segura] Adam Eget is now the booker here, 802 00:28:46,975 --> 00:28:49,018 and he basically is the person 803 00:28:49,060 --> 00:28:51,604 that is in charge of passing people, 804 00:28:51,646 --> 00:28:54,107 basically giving them the green light to come here 805 00:28:54,149 --> 00:28:56,443 and organizing the schedule, the spots. 806 00:28:56,484 --> 00:28:58,695 It's like--it's a job I would not want. 807 00:28:58,737 --> 00:28:59,863 "Why does this person get passed" 808 00:28:59,904 --> 00:29:01,239 and "How come I didn't get more spots?" 809 00:29:01,281 --> 00:29:03,533 I mean, he has to deal with that every fucking day. 810 00:29:03,575 --> 00:29:06,244 Comics' egos, I mean... 811 00:29:06,286 --> 00:29:08,204 I can't believe he hasn't, you know, jumped. 812 00:29:08,246 --> 00:29:09,998 And I enjoy the way he manages comics, you know? 813 00:29:10,039 --> 00:29:11,332 If I complain to him about something, 814 00:29:11,374 --> 00:29:12,542 he's like, "Oh, really?" 815 00:29:12,584 --> 00:29:14,294 and just, like, really pays attention 816 00:29:14,335 --> 00:29:15,837 and will go, you know, look at what I'm talking about, 817 00:29:15,879 --> 00:29:17,464 and then walk away and I'm like, 818 00:29:17,505 --> 00:29:19,883 "He just defused me without actually doing anything." 819 00:29:19,924 --> 00:29:21,509 And that's the best way to manage comics. 820 00:29:21,551 --> 00:29:24,179 [Leslie] He really will go to bat for the comics. 821 00:29:24,220 --> 00:29:26,055 Even, like, if I'm arguing with him about the lineup, 822 00:29:26,097 --> 00:29:27,724 like, "Why the fuck did you put him there?", 823 00:29:27,766 --> 00:29:29,434 and he'd be like, "Les, come on. 824 00:29:29,476 --> 00:29:30,977 You gotta get my"-- you know what I'm saying? 825 00:29:31,019 --> 00:29:32,771 He's very fair across the board. 826 00:29:32,812 --> 00:29:34,022 He's disciplined. 827 00:29:34,063 --> 00:29:36,065 He doesn't let people manipulate him. 828 00:29:36,107 --> 00:29:37,984 You wanna be a dream maker, 829 00:29:38,026 --> 00:29:39,778 but the nature of that job is to be 830 00:29:39,819 --> 00:29:42,030 a 99.9% dream crusher. 831 00:29:42,071 --> 00:29:44,491 Brought in a lot of... 832 00:29:44,532 --> 00:29:47,452 very established comics 833 00:29:47,494 --> 00:29:48,912 who had a big draw. 834 00:29:48,953 --> 00:29:51,247 Some of the things that Adam did was, like, 835 00:29:51,289 --> 00:29:53,917 getting contact with people that didn't wanna come here 836 00:29:53,958 --> 00:29:56,920 and get them back here, and that drew more people here. 837 00:29:56,961 --> 00:29:58,505 [Adam] I hear all these great stories 838 00:29:58,546 --> 00:30:01,633 of Mitzi telling people to give someone the light 839 00:30:01,674 --> 00:30:03,343 ten seconds into their set 840 00:30:03,384 --> 00:30:07,096 and I never understood quite, like, how you could determine 841 00:30:07,138 --> 00:30:10,975 if someone had potential or had it or whatever it is 842 00:30:11,017 --> 00:30:14,479 in such a short amount of time until I started watching 843 00:30:14,521 --> 00:30:16,940 all these comics go up over and over and over again 844 00:30:16,981 --> 00:30:20,109 and now, I'm really starting to understand what she meant. 845 00:30:21,027 --> 00:30:22,111 [Luke] This is Potluck. 846 00:30:22,153 --> 00:30:24,656 Every Monday since the late 1870s, 847 00:30:24,697 --> 00:30:26,366 people have been signing up for the open mic. 848 00:30:26,407 --> 00:30:28,326 16 names get randomly chosen. 849 00:30:28,368 --> 00:30:31,412 Last week, we had 175 people. 850 00:30:31,454 --> 00:30:33,832 The first time I went onstage at The Comedy Store, I cried. 851 00:30:33,873 --> 00:30:34,833 I mean, I think it was months 852 00:30:34,874 --> 00:30:36,334 that I signed up for the open mic. 853 00:30:36,376 --> 00:30:38,670 Because, you know, 50, 100 people would wait out there. 854 00:30:38,711 --> 00:30:40,421 You'd come at five o'clock, you'd sign up, 855 00:30:40,463 --> 00:30:41,881 you'd find out at seven o'clock 856 00:30:41,923 --> 00:30:43,591 if you got picked from the potluck, 857 00:30:43,633 --> 00:30:45,051 and then if you did get picked, you'd just sit there 858 00:30:45,093 --> 00:30:46,177 and wait for three hours 859 00:30:46,219 --> 00:30:47,554 to then go on for three minutes. 860 00:30:47,595 --> 00:30:49,264 It's funny, when people ever say, like, 861 00:30:49,305 --> 00:30:50,390 "Whitney Cummings, where'd she come from? 862 00:30:50,431 --> 00:30:51,724 That was an overnight success." 863 00:30:51,766 --> 00:30:55,603 I'm like, I sat on the curb of Sunset Boulevard 864 00:30:55,645 --> 00:30:58,189 for two years trying to get three minutes of time. 865 00:30:58,231 --> 00:30:59,440 I'm sick of dating guys 866 00:30:59,482 --> 00:31:01,734 who are commitment-phobic, you know? 867 00:31:01,776 --> 00:31:04,571 So I decided, from now on, I'm only dating married guys. 868 00:31:04,612 --> 00:31:06,239 That's it. 869 00:31:06,281 --> 00:31:07,866 Okay. Here we go. 870 00:31:07,907 --> 00:31:09,492 Time to feed the fish. 871 00:31:09,534 --> 00:31:13,496 upbeat music 872 00:31:13,538 --> 00:31:14,706 Here it is. 873 00:31:14,747 --> 00:31:16,207 [laughter] 874 00:31:28,928 --> 00:31:31,890 [Whitney] It was so surreal and I was so starstruck 875 00:31:31,931 --> 00:31:34,017 just by the neon words 876 00:31:34,058 --> 00:31:36,185 and was overcome with the sense 877 00:31:36,227 --> 00:31:37,812 of, like, "You don't deserve to be here. 878 00:31:37,854 --> 00:31:39,272 Like, how dare you." 879 00:31:39,314 --> 00:31:41,274 [Joey] And I still remember walking in here 880 00:31:41,316 --> 00:31:43,943 and thinking that I did not belong here. 881 00:31:43,985 --> 00:31:45,403 She was gonna tell me to go home 882 00:31:45,445 --> 00:31:47,280 and that was it. 883 00:31:47,322 --> 00:31:49,282 I was gonna move back to Boulder or New York 884 00:31:49,324 --> 00:31:51,951 and just commit to criminal. 885 00:31:51,993 --> 00:31:53,828 I mean, David Letterman went up for the first time 886 00:31:53,870 --> 00:31:54,954 at some point. 887 00:31:54,996 --> 00:31:56,831 I showed up on a Monday night 888 00:31:56,873 --> 00:31:58,958 and put my name on the list, 889 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:01,085 and I went up there and I hadn't-- 890 00:32:01,127 --> 00:32:04,464 no, I was not prepared for-- the light is right on you 891 00:32:04,505 --> 00:32:06,132 and I found that alarming. 892 00:32:06,174 --> 00:32:07,842 There was a small bit of trauma. 893 00:32:07,884 --> 00:32:10,553 You get offstage and you don't really know what that was. 894 00:32:10,595 --> 00:32:12,472 I had never done anything like that before in my life. 895 00:32:12,513 --> 00:32:13,973 You've ne--didn't do any stand-up 896 00:32:14,015 --> 00:32:14,807 before you came out here? 897 00:32:14,849 --> 00:32:16,225 No. I mean, I had done-- 898 00:32:16,267 --> 00:32:17,936 - A lot of TV. - Yeah. 899 00:32:17,977 --> 00:32:20,313 Sometimes you would have to go out 900 00:32:20,355 --> 00:32:22,774 for a sponsor, and they were having a-- 901 00:32:22,815 --> 00:32:24,150 come down and guess the weight of a melon 902 00:32:24,192 --> 00:32:25,652 and we give you a car, 903 00:32:25,693 --> 00:32:28,613 but never when the spotlight was just right there. 904 00:32:28,655 --> 00:32:30,156 Isn't it weird that there's always, 905 00:32:30,198 --> 00:32:31,324 like, a super masculine guy 906 00:32:31,366 --> 00:32:32,825 that's so grossed out by periods? 907 00:32:32,867 --> 00:32:34,327 You're like, all day, all you've talked about 908 00:32:34,369 --> 00:32:36,412 was how you wanted to murder that pussy. 909 00:32:36,454 --> 00:32:38,164 Now you're presented with a crime scene 910 00:32:38,206 --> 00:32:39,165 and you want nothing to do with it? 911 00:32:39,207 --> 00:32:40,667 - Like-- - [laughter] 912 00:32:40,708 --> 00:32:42,460 I remember I came in to park and everything 913 00:32:42,502 --> 00:32:43,962 and the parking attendant was like, 914 00:32:44,003 --> 00:32:45,505 "You can't park back here. This is for paid regulars." 915 00:32:45,546 --> 00:32:46,839 I'm like, "I think I am one," 916 00:32:46,881 --> 00:32:48,841 and he's like, "Yeah, right," or whatever. 917 00:32:48,883 --> 00:32:50,134 I was like, "I don't know." 918 00:32:50,176 --> 00:32:51,219 And then I went in and talked to Tommy 919 00:32:51,260 --> 00:32:52,303 and then I came back out 920 00:32:52,345 --> 00:32:53,346 and he was like, "I'm so sorry." 921 00:32:53,388 --> 00:32:54,681 He's like, "Why didn't you tell me?" 922 00:32:54,722 --> 00:32:56,182 And I was like, "Well, I kinda wanted this moment 923 00:32:56,224 --> 00:32:58,017 where you apologize to me." 924 00:32:58,059 --> 00:32:59,477 [Tony] The stories I would hear about Richard Pryor was, 925 00:32:59,519 --> 00:33:01,062 he would come in The Comedy Store 926 00:33:01,104 --> 00:33:03,564 and go on and comics would just stop what they were doing 927 00:33:03,606 --> 00:33:04,691 to stand in the back of the room 928 00:33:04,732 --> 00:33:05,984 to watch Richard Pryor. 929 00:33:06,025 --> 00:33:07,318 And then I heard the same stories about Eddie. 930 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:08,611 That Eddie would come in 931 00:33:08,653 --> 00:33:10,196 and he would come in with Robert Townsend 932 00:33:10,238 --> 00:33:11,906 and Arsenio and Keenen Ivory Wayans 933 00:33:11,948 --> 00:33:13,408 and these were all guys I looked up to in the business 934 00:33:13,449 --> 00:33:15,368 and he would shut down The Comedy Store 935 00:33:15,410 --> 00:33:16,786 and comics would stop what they were doing 936 00:33:16,828 --> 00:33:18,037 to watch Eddie. 937 00:33:18,079 --> 00:33:19,998 And that was my goal, to be a guy 938 00:33:20,039 --> 00:33:21,499 that walks in The Store 939 00:33:21,541 --> 00:33:23,334 and everybody says, "Holy shit, Tony Rock's here." 940 00:33:23,376 --> 00:33:25,336 My whole goal was, at that time, 941 00:33:25,378 --> 00:33:26,838 it was 1 through 20, 942 00:33:26,879 --> 00:33:29,507 and if you picked, like, 15, you went 15th, 943 00:33:29,549 --> 00:33:31,968 so I was like, God, I hope I get later on in the lineup, 944 00:33:32,010 --> 00:33:34,053 so if I got 15, I figured, 945 00:33:34,095 --> 00:33:36,347 that's where the paid regulars started to come in. 946 00:33:36,389 --> 00:33:38,016 Hopefully, maybe those-- 947 00:33:38,057 --> 00:33:40,852 one of those guys would see me and recommend me. 948 00:33:40,893 --> 00:33:42,729 That's how you got into The Comedy Store back then. 949 00:33:42,770 --> 00:33:44,564 You had to have a guy vouch for you 950 00:33:44,605 --> 00:33:46,024 to showcase in front of Mitzi. 951 00:33:49,110 --> 00:33:50,403 [man] Hey, guys, listen up. 952 00:33:50,445 --> 00:33:52,238 We're opening the doors for the potluck. 953 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:54,240 If you are a comic, sit in the back. 954 00:33:54,282 --> 00:33:55,908 If you are checking in, go to the right. 955 00:33:55,950 --> 00:33:57,035 Comic? 956 00:33:57,076 --> 00:33:58,578 - Comic? - Comic? 957 00:33:58,619 --> 00:34:00,038 I'm gonna say some of the rules here. 958 00:34:00,079 --> 00:34:01,456 You get three minutes. 959 00:34:01,497 --> 00:34:03,041 When you're at two minutes, that light turns on 960 00:34:03,082 --> 00:34:03,958 right over there. 961 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:06,294 After your minute is up, 962 00:34:06,335 --> 00:34:09,881 uh, you get off the stage or you'll die someday. 963 00:34:09,922 --> 00:34:13,384 80% of the open mic is fucking horseshit, 964 00:34:13,426 --> 00:34:15,803 but they're new, so you gotta cut 'em some slack. 965 00:34:15,845 --> 00:34:18,556 I feel pretty intimidated, I gotta tell you. 966 00:34:18,598 --> 00:34:20,641 It's a lot of pressure to be here. 967 00:34:20,683 --> 00:34:22,852 That's why I don't date fat guys anymore. 968 00:34:22,894 --> 00:34:24,103 I don't do well under pressure. 969 00:34:24,145 --> 00:34:27,190 [scattered laughs] 970 00:34:27,231 --> 00:34:28,775 I'm in a long-distance relationship, 971 00:34:28,816 --> 00:34:30,109 which is hard. 972 00:34:30,151 --> 00:34:32,862 Every time we fight, we're stuck having makeup text. 973 00:34:32,904 --> 00:34:36,115 [scattered laughs] 974 00:34:36,783 --> 00:34:39,786 Any time I hear something new and fresh or exciting, 975 00:34:39,827 --> 00:34:42,371 I'll stop what I'm doing, I'll focus... 976 00:34:44,624 --> 00:34:46,459 [applause] 977 00:34:46,501 --> 00:34:49,212 [emcee] Welcome to a sold-out Potluck night. 978 00:34:49,253 --> 00:34:50,963 First comic coming to the stage, guys. 979 00:34:51,005 --> 00:34:52,757 Ehsan Ahmad, everyone. 980 00:34:52,799 --> 00:34:54,092 I saw this earlier today. 981 00:34:54,133 --> 00:34:55,635 Did you guys know 982 00:34:55,676 --> 00:34:57,637 that in some parts of the world, 983 00:34:57,678 --> 00:34:59,764 Uber has a helicopter service? 984 00:34:59,806 --> 00:35:01,307 That means there are people out there 985 00:35:01,349 --> 00:35:03,768 that own a helicopter, 986 00:35:03,810 --> 00:35:05,978 but still need a little extra money on the side. 987 00:35:06,020 --> 00:35:07,438 [laughter] 988 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:09,482 I moved here from the Midwest, 989 00:35:09,524 --> 00:35:13,069 so now, every guy I see is the hottest guy I ever saw. 990 00:35:13,111 --> 00:35:14,862 [laughter] 991 00:35:14,904 --> 00:35:16,447 I was driving down Sunset 992 00:35:16,489 --> 00:35:18,157 and a guy popped out of a dumpster 993 00:35:18,199 --> 00:35:20,660 and he was hot. 994 00:35:20,701 --> 00:35:22,787 Were people just like, "What is this, another hot guy? 995 00:35:22,829 --> 00:35:24,205 "We already have infinity of these. 996 00:35:24,247 --> 00:35:25,832 Put him in the trash." 997 00:35:25,873 --> 00:35:27,458 [laughter] 998 00:35:27,500 --> 00:35:29,544 You know, I got married about, like, six months ago, 999 00:35:29,585 --> 00:35:31,087 married to a white girl, which is great, 1000 00:35:31,129 --> 00:35:32,338 thank you very much. 1001 00:35:32,380 --> 00:35:33,840 It's a big deal to my Mexican family. 1002 00:35:33,881 --> 00:35:36,175 Having a white girl in your Mexican family 1003 00:35:36,217 --> 00:35:39,178 is like having a brand-new car. 1004 00:35:39,220 --> 00:35:41,472 First time my cousins met her, they were like, "Holy shit! 1005 00:35:41,514 --> 00:35:44,350 Yo, is that yours?" 1006 00:35:44,392 --> 00:35:45,768 I'm like, "Yeah, man." 1007 00:35:45,810 --> 00:35:47,186 They're like, "What kinda white girl is that?" 1008 00:35:47,228 --> 00:35:49,647 I'm like, "Oh, that's a Suburban." 1009 00:35:49,689 --> 00:35:51,357 [laughter] 1010 00:35:51,399 --> 00:35:53,109 Like, "Holy shit! 1011 00:35:53,151 --> 00:35:56,112 Yo, I hear those are so expensive to maintain." 1012 00:35:56,154 --> 00:35:57,780 [laughter] 1013 00:35:57,822 --> 00:35:59,198 Thank you guys so much. My name's Frank Castillo. 1014 00:35:59,240 --> 00:36:01,284 Have a great night. 1015 00:36:01,325 --> 00:36:02,660 Give it up for Frank, everybody. 1016 00:36:02,702 --> 00:36:05,705 Come on. 1017 00:36:05,746 --> 00:36:07,248 [Mike] Listen, man, I thought you had a great set. 1018 00:36:07,290 --> 00:36:08,374 Thank you very much. 1019 00:36:08,416 --> 00:36:10,126 But I can't read the guy's mind. 1020 00:36:10,168 --> 00:36:11,752 You know, but that was a tough crowd. 1021 00:36:11,794 --> 00:36:13,546 Yeah, and I really wanna get passed, man. 1022 00:36:13,588 --> 00:36:14,672 It's, like, everything to me right now. 1023 00:36:14,714 --> 00:36:15,882 I know you do. 1024 00:36:15,923 --> 00:36:18,509 I feel like he's got so many comedians right now, 1025 00:36:18,551 --> 00:36:20,469 and when I first came back here to start doing this thing 1026 00:36:20,511 --> 00:36:22,513 and I heard people had to wait 1027 00:36:22,555 --> 00:36:24,724 as long as they do to become regulars, 1028 00:36:24,765 --> 00:36:25,850 I was like, "What?" 1029 00:36:25,892 --> 00:36:27,476 Yeah, I was fine with waiting that long 1030 00:36:27,518 --> 00:36:30,938 'cause you gotta work hard and makes it worth it. 1031 00:36:30,980 --> 00:36:32,190 Can I take Frank for a minute? 1032 00:36:32,231 --> 00:36:35,151 - Yeah, yeah. - Frank, want to talk to you. 1033 00:36:35,193 --> 00:36:36,194 Here. 1034 00:36:36,235 --> 00:36:37,486 First of all, great set. 1035 00:36:37,528 --> 00:36:39,322 - Thank you very much. - Sincerely. 1036 00:36:39,363 --> 00:36:40,907 It's been a fucking joy 1037 00:36:40,948 --> 00:36:43,367 watching you mature over the years. 1038 00:36:43,409 --> 00:36:44,702 You've been here for what? How long now? 1039 00:36:44,744 --> 00:36:46,746 - Five, six years now. - Five, six years. 1040 00:36:46,787 --> 00:36:49,415 It's just been a joy for me to watch you mature 1041 00:36:49,457 --> 00:36:51,751 as a comic and a person, 1042 00:36:51,792 --> 00:36:53,544 and you've put in a lot of fucking hard work. 1043 00:36:53,586 --> 00:36:55,087 You really turned a corner. 1044 00:36:55,129 --> 00:36:56,672 I'm really, really proud of you. 1045 00:36:56,714 --> 00:36:58,507 That being said, you're passed. 1046 00:36:58,549 --> 00:36:59,592 - No way. - Yeah. 1047 00:36:59,634 --> 00:37:01,260 - For real? - Yeah. Paid regular. 1048 00:37:01,302 --> 00:37:02,678 - I've wanted this forever. - I know. 1049 00:37:02,720 --> 00:37:05,514 Well, thanks for being patient, and you earned it. 1050 00:37:05,556 --> 00:37:06,557 - Thank you very much. - Thank yourself. 1051 00:37:06,599 --> 00:37:08,684 You're the person to thank. 1052 00:37:08,726 --> 00:37:10,686 Thank you, Adam. 1053 00:37:13,314 --> 00:37:14,315 - Yeah? - Yeah. 1054 00:37:14,357 --> 00:37:16,067 - Yeah! - All right. 1055 00:37:16,108 --> 00:37:17,485 That's awesome. What'd he say? 1056 00:37:17,526 --> 00:37:19,153 He said I'm a paid regular. I'm passed. 1057 00:37:19,195 --> 00:37:21,489 Oh. That's great. 1058 00:37:21,530 --> 00:37:23,032 - That's really great. - That's fucking amazing. 1059 00:37:23,074 --> 00:37:24,992 - How does it feel? - Feels great, man. 1060 00:37:25,034 --> 00:37:26,577 Yeah. I gotta call my dad. 1061 00:37:26,619 --> 00:37:28,955 - I gotta call my dad. - That's great. 1062 00:37:28,996 --> 00:37:31,207 Give a hand for a new paid regular. 1063 00:37:31,249 --> 00:37:32,917 One of the best I've ever seen. 1064 00:37:32,959 --> 00:37:35,336 - [all cheering] - One of the best. 1065 00:37:37,129 --> 00:37:39,090 First, everyone had to do "The Tonight Show," 1066 00:37:39,131 --> 00:37:42,510 but then, when cable television first started, 1067 00:37:42,551 --> 00:37:44,262 everybody had to get a cable special. 1068 00:37:44,303 --> 00:37:45,137 You're talking your generation. 1069 00:37:45,179 --> 00:37:46,097 Yeah. 1070 00:37:46,138 --> 00:37:47,223 They did a lot 1071 00:37:47,265 --> 00:37:48,766 of the Young Comedians specials 1072 00:37:48,808 --> 00:37:50,559 in the main room of The Comedy Store. 1073 00:37:50,601 --> 00:37:51,811 - And Marty Call-- - Is that right? 1074 00:37:51,852 --> 00:37:53,980 Yeah, and Marty Callner directed 'em all, 1075 00:37:54,021 --> 00:37:56,565 and he retrofitted The Comedy Store, 1076 00:37:56,607 --> 00:37:58,985 the lighting, and Mitzi loved Marty. 1077 00:37:59,026 --> 00:38:00,569 [Bill] Every time I think I know 1078 00:38:00,611 --> 00:38:01,821 everything that happened at The Comedy Store, 1079 00:38:01,862 --> 00:38:03,948 there's always, like, another... 1080 00:38:03,990 --> 00:38:06,909 like, "Oh, that was shot there, or this guy went onstage here?" 1081 00:38:06,951 --> 00:38:08,202 I'm a nerd for all of that stuff. 1082 00:38:08,244 --> 00:38:09,161 That's really cool. 1083 00:38:09,203 --> 00:38:12,790 chill music 1084 00:38:12,832 --> 00:38:16,752 This is the place where all the influencers came 1085 00:38:16,794 --> 00:38:18,004 to find talent. 1086 00:38:18,045 --> 00:38:20,089 I ended up with a Young Comedians special. 1087 00:38:20,131 --> 00:38:21,549 A loose--okay, I got my handbag. 1088 00:38:21,590 --> 00:38:23,009 This is my handbag. 1089 00:38:23,050 --> 00:38:24,844 [laughter] What? What? 1090 00:38:24,885 --> 00:38:26,053 Richard Lewis. 1091 00:38:26,095 --> 00:38:27,555 I left my shrink too soon. 1092 00:38:27,596 --> 00:38:28,889 I had to take an incomplete. 1093 00:38:28,931 --> 00:38:31,726 I just don't know what I'm doing anymore. 1094 00:38:31,767 --> 00:38:33,728 I'm not going back no more. That's too much bread. 1095 00:38:33,769 --> 00:38:34,854 60 bu--I'm going to Evelyn Woods. 1096 00:38:34,895 --> 00:38:36,314 It's, like, speed therapy. It's cool. 1097 00:38:36,355 --> 00:38:37,398 It's like, "You hate your mother, 1098 00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:38,482 you hate your father, $5, boom," 1099 00:38:38,524 --> 00:38:39,358 and you get outta there. 1100 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:41,444 And Jerry Seinfeld. 1101 00:38:41,485 --> 00:38:42,611 I'll tell you my main question 1102 00:38:42,653 --> 00:38:44,363 about these wanted posters on the wall. 1103 00:38:44,405 --> 00:38:45,656 Why didn't they hold on to this guy 1104 00:38:45,698 --> 00:38:47,992 when they were taking his picture? 1105 00:38:48,034 --> 00:38:50,036 Changed my life for-- I was playing theaters. 1106 00:38:50,077 --> 00:38:51,078 I didn't have anything. 1107 00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:53,789 I did a special in '85. 1108 00:38:53,831 --> 00:38:56,208 Went to the hardware store and bought some used paint. 1109 00:38:56,250 --> 00:38:58,711 [laughter] 1110 00:38:58,753 --> 00:39:01,547 It was in the shape of a house. 1111 00:39:01,589 --> 00:39:03,674 And it was right about when "The Tonight Show" was 1112 00:39:03,716 --> 00:39:06,052 slowly becoming less important 1113 00:39:06,093 --> 00:39:07,428 and having less power. 1114 00:39:07,470 --> 00:39:10,431 Mitzi's the one that really taught me about comedy. 1115 00:39:10,473 --> 00:39:11,891 Stand-up was-- 1116 00:39:11,932 --> 00:39:13,184 even though it had been around for a while, 1117 00:39:13,225 --> 00:39:15,394 it had never been exposed to the masses 1118 00:39:15,436 --> 00:39:16,937 because television had never done it, 1119 00:39:16,979 --> 00:39:19,440 with the exception of a bit on Ed Sullivan, you know, 1120 00:39:19,482 --> 00:39:20,983 but never a full hour. 1121 00:39:21,025 --> 00:39:23,527 Do you remember Gallagher's Showtime specials? 1122 00:39:23,569 --> 00:39:24,945 - I watched all of them. - Okay. 1123 00:39:24,987 --> 00:39:27,490 Gallagher was the first guy that figured out 1124 00:39:27,531 --> 00:39:29,283 Showtime wasn't in every city. 1125 00:39:29,325 --> 00:39:31,869 Not everyone had cable, but he would book himself 1126 00:39:31,911 --> 00:39:34,455 in theaters in Showtime cities. 1127 00:39:34,497 --> 00:39:36,749 - Mm-hmm. - And he'd sell out like crazy. 1128 00:39:36,791 --> 00:39:39,418 Only people that had Showtime knew who he was. 1129 00:39:39,460 --> 00:39:41,253 I think he's unbelievably underrated 1130 00:39:41,295 --> 00:39:42,797 as a comedian 1131 00:39:42,838 --> 00:39:45,883 because it became this snobby thing about props 1132 00:39:45,925 --> 00:39:48,094 and he was just judged by his closing bit. 1133 00:39:48,135 --> 00:39:50,471 Is there anyone that particularly does not 1134 00:39:50,513 --> 00:39:52,264 want me to smash this pig? 1135 00:39:52,306 --> 00:39:53,599 [crowd] No! 1136 00:39:53,641 --> 00:39:57,228 Well then, let's go! Hip, hip, go! 1137 00:39:57,269 --> 00:39:59,021 I did a Showtime special 1138 00:39:59,063 --> 00:40:01,023 called Jim Carrey's Unnatural Act. 1139 00:40:01,065 --> 00:40:03,567 Seems like no matter what happens, 1140 00:40:03,609 --> 00:40:06,278 no matter how bad things get, Jimmy Stewart can look at it 1141 00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:09,448 in a positive way. 1142 00:40:09,490 --> 00:40:12,118 [laughter] 1143 00:40:12,159 --> 00:40:13,119 [as Jimmy Stewart] Well, I guess we're gonna 1144 00:40:13,160 --> 00:40:15,287 have ourselves a nuclear holocaust. 1145 00:40:15,329 --> 00:40:18,416 [wild laughter] 1146 00:40:18,457 --> 00:40:22,294 Oh, hey, everybody, come on over to the window! 1147 00:40:22,336 --> 00:40:23,754 By the time you came out here, 1148 00:40:23,796 --> 00:40:25,464 you already had a Showtime special. 1149 00:40:25,506 --> 00:40:27,258 Men are pigs, right, women? 1150 00:40:27,299 --> 00:40:29,135 [women cheering] 1151 00:40:29,176 --> 00:40:31,137 All men care about is a full pegboard. 1152 00:40:31,178 --> 00:40:33,139 [growls] 1153 00:40:33,180 --> 00:40:34,432 The altar to a man. 1154 00:40:34,473 --> 00:40:36,600 [sings organ music] 1155 00:40:36,642 --> 00:40:38,352 That's what rang everybody's bell. 1156 00:40:38,394 --> 00:40:39,520 I did this whole tool thing. 1157 00:40:39,562 --> 00:40:41,313 A Binford CO2-powered nail gun. 1158 00:40:41,355 --> 00:40:42,857 Oh, yeah. 1159 00:40:42,898 --> 00:40:45,526 But I developed the Midwest out of desperation 1160 00:40:45,568 --> 00:40:47,820 from doing some corporate gigs that no one was listening, 1161 00:40:47,862 --> 00:40:49,947 and the crowd is smoking cigarettes and eating steaks, 1162 00:40:49,989 --> 00:40:51,532 just guys, and they're not-- 1163 00:40:51,574 --> 00:40:53,451 their backs are to you, corporate gigs, 1164 00:40:53,492 --> 00:40:56,120 and I just hear-- [grunting] 1165 00:40:56,162 --> 00:40:58,622 So I mimic that, these guys turned around, 1166 00:40:58,664 --> 00:40:59,665 and I remember I wrote that down. 1167 00:40:59,707 --> 00:41:01,167 I wrote it right away, 1168 00:41:01,208 --> 00:41:03,169 "Grunt like you're curious, grunt like you're this," 1169 00:41:03,210 --> 00:41:04,503 and it gave me a hook 1170 00:41:04,545 --> 00:41:06,172 that they remember the guy talking about power tools. 1171 00:41:06,213 --> 00:41:07,381 Every new appliance, toaster, whatever, 1172 00:41:07,423 --> 00:41:08,966 you got that new plug. 1173 00:41:09,008 --> 00:41:11,260 One side's just a little bit bigger than the other side. 1174 00:41:11,302 --> 00:41:13,012 [grunting curiously] 1175 00:41:13,053 --> 00:41:16,640 [laughter] 1176 00:41:16,682 --> 00:41:18,476 I got the first use out of that new grinder. 1177 00:41:18,517 --> 00:41:19,602 [mimics grinder] 1178 00:41:19,643 --> 00:41:21,979 [laughter] 1179 00:41:22,021 --> 00:41:24,356 - Ha-ha. - [cheers and applause] 1180 00:41:24,398 --> 00:41:25,608 If you get a sitcom, 1181 00:41:25,649 --> 00:41:27,193 it was like, boom, you're on your way. 1182 00:41:27,234 --> 00:41:30,988 But how many shows teach people how to use stuff like this? 1183 00:41:31,030 --> 00:41:32,531 [laughter] 1184 00:41:32,573 --> 00:41:35,367 upbeat music 1185 00:41:35,409 --> 00:41:37,620 In the days that I was here, 1186 00:41:37,661 --> 00:41:39,872 there were three television networks, 1187 00:41:39,914 --> 00:41:43,501 and the thing to do was the Freddie Prinze model. 1188 00:41:43,542 --> 00:41:45,044 You go on The Tonight Show. 1189 00:41:45,085 --> 00:41:48,214 The next day, they're making a situation comedy 1190 00:41:48,255 --> 00:41:49,757 starring Freddie Prinze. 1191 00:41:49,798 --> 00:41:51,592 - You listen to me, Ed Brown. - Eh, eh, eh. 1192 00:41:51,634 --> 00:41:53,511 That's a fouled sparkplug. Clean it. 1193 00:41:53,552 --> 00:41:55,095 [as Igor] Oh, right away, Master. 1194 00:41:55,137 --> 00:41:56,889 I'm so sorry. 1195 00:41:56,931 --> 00:41:59,099 Did you find that was a plus or a minus 1196 00:41:59,141 --> 00:42:01,894 to be a stand-up comic on the shows? 1197 00:42:01,936 --> 00:42:04,396 It was entirely a plus 1198 00:42:04,438 --> 00:42:07,107 to have somebody who knew their way around comedy. 1199 00:42:07,149 --> 00:42:08,776 If you get one television show in your life, 1200 00:42:08,817 --> 00:42:09,610 my God, that's unbelievable. 1201 00:42:09,652 --> 00:42:11,487 Well, then it became, 1202 00:42:11,529 --> 00:42:12,905 everyone had to have a sitcom. 1203 00:42:12,947 --> 00:42:14,907 It started kinda with Jimmie Walker, 1204 00:42:14,949 --> 00:42:17,660 and then, you know, Robin with Mork and Mindy. 1205 00:42:17,701 --> 00:42:19,328 As much as I like Mindy, 1206 00:42:19,370 --> 00:42:22,665 it's against intergalactic law to eat fellow space travelers. 1207 00:42:22,706 --> 00:42:24,416 Fly! Be free! 1208 00:42:24,458 --> 00:42:26,669 [Dave] Suddenly, there was this explosion of, 1209 00:42:26,710 --> 00:42:29,421 ooh, comedians are the ones to get to anchor a sitcom. 1210 00:42:29,463 --> 00:42:31,757 We got a big surprise for you, right, Jess? 1211 00:42:31,799 --> 00:42:33,884 - It's big. - [laughs] 1212 00:42:33,926 --> 00:42:35,177 Yeah, so close your eyes. 1213 00:42:35,219 --> 00:42:36,929 - Right, close 'em up. - Close your eyes. 1214 00:42:36,971 --> 00:42:38,097 - Close your eyes. - Here we go. 1215 00:42:38,138 --> 00:42:39,598 Wait. [sniffs] 1216 00:42:39,640 --> 00:42:41,100 I know what the surprise is. 1217 00:42:41,141 --> 00:42:43,227 Joey, you're making that chili again. 1218 00:42:43,269 --> 00:42:46,105 I guess I really wanted to-- to be an actress 1219 00:42:46,146 --> 00:42:48,315 as well as, you know-- as a live performer. 1220 00:42:48,357 --> 00:42:49,984 I can't believe the breeders are trying 1221 00:42:50,025 --> 00:42:51,318 to take back Halloween. 1222 00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:53,445 - Yeah. - Oh, please. 1223 00:42:53,487 --> 00:42:54,822 I was doing Halloween 1224 00:42:54,863 --> 00:42:57,575 since before there even were any gay people. 1225 00:42:57,616 --> 00:43:00,160 I went onstage and I did six minutes my first time 1226 00:43:00,202 --> 00:43:01,996 and I came off the stage and Mitzi said, 1227 00:43:02,037 --> 00:43:04,164 "Go do 20 in the big room." 1228 00:43:04,206 --> 00:43:05,457 And it was like-- everybody said 1229 00:43:05,499 --> 00:43:06,792 that never happened before. 1230 00:43:06,834 --> 00:43:09,044 You knew as soon as she started, 1231 00:43:09,086 --> 00:43:12,590 you knew in the middle, you knew at the end, 1232 00:43:12,631 --> 00:43:14,174 she had it. 1233 00:43:14,216 --> 00:43:16,218 Well, she filled a void that we hadn't heard before. 1234 00:43:16,260 --> 00:43:20,306 We didn't have the female lead domestic-- 1235 00:43:20,347 --> 00:43:21,807 - Housewife. - Yeah. 1236 00:43:21,849 --> 00:43:23,392 You know what'd be really good for breakfast? 1237 00:43:23,434 --> 00:43:25,311 - What? - Pie. 1238 00:43:25,352 --> 00:43:27,646 - Tell him no. - No. 1239 00:43:27,688 --> 00:43:28,981 - Bye. - Bye. 1240 00:43:29,023 --> 00:43:30,649 - [Roseanne] Bye. - [Dan] Bye. 1241 00:43:30,691 --> 00:43:32,901 Quick, they're gone. Change the locks. 1242 00:43:32,943 --> 00:43:33,986 [Judd] I used to write jokes. 1243 00:43:34,028 --> 00:43:35,988 That was how I made my living. 1244 00:43:36,030 --> 00:43:38,115 I remember I was with Tom and Roseanne, 1245 00:43:38,157 --> 00:43:40,326 and so I'm just this, like, little kid 1246 00:43:40,367 --> 00:43:42,244 and they're going through this really wild time 1247 00:43:42,286 --> 00:43:44,288 where they're super famous and they're in the news 1248 00:43:44,330 --> 00:43:45,956 and everything they do is a big event, 1249 00:43:45,998 --> 00:43:47,916 and Roseanne's like, "Tom won't let me have lunch 1250 00:43:47,958 --> 00:43:49,668 with Jesse Jackson!" 1251 00:43:49,710 --> 00:43:51,253 And Tom was like, "Yeah, 1252 00:43:51,295 --> 00:43:53,547 I don't want you to have lunch with him!" 1253 00:43:53,589 --> 00:43:55,174 And she's like, "Why not?" 1254 00:43:55,215 --> 00:43:57,676 And he's like, "'Cause he might fall in love with you! 1255 00:43:57,718 --> 00:43:59,178 "What if he falls in love with you? 1256 00:43:59,219 --> 00:44:01,388 And then you leave me for Jesse Jackson?" 1257 00:44:01,430 --> 00:44:03,891 And she's like, "He's not gonna fall in love with me. 1258 00:44:03,932 --> 00:44:05,351 You're crazy. What are you talking about?" 1259 00:44:05,392 --> 00:44:07,019 He's like, "I fell in love with you! 1260 00:44:07,061 --> 00:44:08,979 Why wouldn't Jesse Jackson fall in love with you?" 1261 00:44:09,021 --> 00:44:10,230 And I'm just, like, this scared person 1262 00:44:10,272 --> 00:44:11,398 in the corner 1263 00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:12,983 in the middle of this, like, madness 1264 00:44:13,025 --> 00:44:15,527 going, "What is-- what is happening?" 1265 00:44:15,569 --> 00:44:17,321 [David] I went up on an audition 1266 00:44:17,363 --> 00:44:19,823 for a situation comedy about Saturday Night Fever. 1267 00:44:19,865 --> 00:44:21,617 And I go into the outer room 1268 00:44:21,659 --> 00:44:25,496 and everybody has their...sides. 1269 00:44:25,537 --> 00:44:27,373 - Right. - And I'm reading it. 1270 00:44:27,414 --> 00:44:29,333 The part was the John Travolta part. 1271 00:44:29,375 --> 00:44:30,292 [Mike] They wanted you to play that part? 1272 00:44:30,334 --> 00:44:32,169 [David] Me and 19 other men. 1273 00:44:32,211 --> 00:44:33,796 So you had to stand there 1274 00:44:33,837 --> 00:44:35,172 and you're blow-drying your hair 1275 00:44:35,214 --> 00:44:37,049 because you're getting ready to go out 1276 00:44:37,091 --> 00:44:39,468 and catch Saturday night fever. 1277 00:44:39,510 --> 00:44:41,679 And then while you're blow-drying your hair, 1278 00:44:41,720 --> 00:44:42,680 you're also dancing. 1279 00:44:42,721 --> 00:44:44,056 Yeah. Of course. 1280 00:44:44,098 --> 00:44:46,684 And I looked over at the guy sitting next to me 1281 00:44:46,725 --> 00:44:47,559 and I said, "Excuse me." 1282 00:44:47,601 --> 00:44:48,727 He said, "Yeah?" 1283 00:44:48,769 --> 00:44:50,854 I said, "Would you hold this for me? 1284 00:44:50,896 --> 00:44:53,399 I think I left my car running." 1285 00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:55,234 And never went back. 1286 00:44:55,275 --> 00:44:56,485 Are you aware 1287 00:44:56,527 --> 00:44:59,071 that non-issue hosiery can inhibit your ability 1288 00:44:59,113 --> 00:45:00,572 to apprehend a prisoner? 1289 00:45:00,614 --> 00:45:03,367 I'll have you know I can kick butt in bunny slippers. 1290 00:45:03,409 --> 00:45:06,537 [laughter] 1291 00:45:06,578 --> 00:45:07,538 Sir. 1292 00:45:07,579 --> 00:45:08,997 [Ari] The next guest, 1293 00:45:09,039 --> 00:45:11,083 she's a regular here at The Comedy Store-- 1294 00:45:11,125 --> 00:45:12,126 been a regular here at The Comedy Store 1295 00:45:12,167 --> 00:45:14,503 probably, I'm betting, 40 years. 1296 00:45:14,545 --> 00:45:16,755 Lotta noise, lotta love, Marsha Warfield, everybody. 1297 00:45:16,797 --> 00:45:18,424 Marsha Warfield. 1298 00:45:18,465 --> 00:45:20,050 [cheers and applause] 1299 00:45:20,092 --> 00:45:21,969 Good evening. Ari, thank you so much. 1300 00:45:22,010 --> 00:45:24,012 My name is Marsha Warfield 1301 00:45:24,054 --> 00:45:25,764 and I used to be famous. 1302 00:45:25,806 --> 00:45:27,558 [laughter] 1303 00:45:27,599 --> 00:45:31,270 What happened to me was, at the height of my career, 1304 00:45:31,311 --> 00:45:33,772 I decided to take some time off 1305 00:45:33,814 --> 00:45:36,358 to get really old. 1306 00:45:36,400 --> 00:45:39,903 [laughter] 1307 00:45:39,945 --> 00:45:41,947 And as you can see, 1308 00:45:41,989 --> 00:45:43,866 when I set out to do something... 1309 00:45:43,907 --> 00:45:47,119 [laughter] 1310 00:45:49,163 --> 00:45:51,707 ...that shit gets done. 1311 00:45:51,749 --> 00:45:54,084 [Howie] I remember one night, there was, like, a hubbub. 1312 00:45:54,126 --> 00:45:58,213 Steven Spielberg and Elaine May and Mike Nichols 1313 00:45:58,255 --> 00:46:01,467 and anybody who was anybody was in The Belly Room, 1314 00:46:01,508 --> 00:46:03,886 and I go, "What's going on up there?" 1315 00:46:03,927 --> 00:46:05,304 I was standing in the back of the room 1316 00:46:05,345 --> 00:46:07,264 when Whoopi Goldberg went on. 1317 00:46:07,306 --> 00:46:09,349 They were looking at her for the possibility 1318 00:46:09,391 --> 00:46:12,186 of doing this movie, 1319 00:46:12,227 --> 00:46:14,188 which I found out later was The Color Purple. 1320 00:46:14,229 --> 00:46:16,482 Talk about that. 1321 00:46:16,523 --> 00:46:17,483 Didn't I just? 1322 00:46:17,524 --> 00:46:21,195 [both laugh] 1323 00:46:21,236 --> 00:46:23,572 Was I not out loud? Was I just thinking that? 1324 00:46:23,614 --> 00:46:25,032 - You were thinking that. - Oh. 1325 00:46:25,073 --> 00:46:27,785 You know what I've just been thinking about? 1326 00:46:27,826 --> 00:46:30,037 [Whoopi] Mitzi Shore was so good. 1327 00:46:30,078 --> 00:46:32,456 She made me feel like this was a place for me. 1328 00:46:32,498 --> 00:46:35,000 She saw my one-woman show and she said, "Wow. 1329 00:46:35,042 --> 00:46:37,127 "You know, we can do this in The Belly Room. 1330 00:46:37,169 --> 00:46:38,378 "Would you like to do this in The Belly Room? 1331 00:46:38,420 --> 00:46:40,005 "I'd like you to do it in The Belly Room. 1332 00:46:40,047 --> 00:46:41,423 "Would you do it in The Belly Room for me? 1333 00:46:41,465 --> 00:46:42,424 "I'd like it if you did. 1334 00:46:42,466 --> 00:46:44,092 Do it in The Belly Room for me." 1335 00:46:44,134 --> 00:46:47,679 And I said, "Okay." 1336 00:46:47,721 --> 00:46:50,599 And so A Piece of Theater ran 1337 00:46:50,641 --> 00:46:53,352 for about a year in The Belly Room. 1338 00:46:53,393 --> 00:46:56,104 I got to watch all these extraordinary people, 1339 00:46:56,146 --> 00:46:58,023 and spending time with Rodney Danger-- 1340 00:46:58,065 --> 00:47:00,317 I mean, just-- he's funny as hell. 1341 00:47:00,359 --> 00:47:03,028 And I learned how to make material better. 1342 00:47:03,070 --> 00:47:04,863 I learned how to tell a better story. 1343 00:47:04,905 --> 00:47:07,157 It was fun 'cause I could just fly. 1344 00:47:07,199 --> 00:47:09,034 I could fly all over there, 1345 00:47:09,076 --> 00:47:12,037 and no one said, "You're doing it wrong." 1346 00:47:12,079 --> 00:47:13,914 Mitzi was really good at giving comics the sense 1347 00:47:13,956 --> 00:47:15,499 that The Store was their place, 1348 00:47:15,541 --> 00:47:19,002 and probably she got that from Pryor. 1349 00:47:19,044 --> 00:47:20,254 So you wouldn't see him for a while 1350 00:47:20,295 --> 00:47:21,463 and then he would just come down? 1351 00:47:21,505 --> 00:47:23,799 He'd be gone for maybe a year or two, 1352 00:47:23,841 --> 00:47:25,092 and when he was ready to come in 1353 00:47:25,133 --> 00:47:26,635 and work out a new hour, 1354 00:47:26,677 --> 00:47:27,636 he took over the place. 1355 00:47:27,678 --> 00:47:30,180 funky music 1356 00:47:30,222 --> 00:47:31,598 [Paul] Welcome to The Comedy Store. 1357 00:47:31,640 --> 00:47:33,767 We now have the pleasure of presenting 1358 00:47:33,809 --> 00:47:35,894 one of the most brilliant comics in show business, 1359 00:47:35,936 --> 00:47:36,979 Richard Pryor. 1360 00:47:37,020 --> 00:47:39,022 [cheers and applause] 1361 00:47:39,064 --> 00:47:40,357 [Richard] Thank you very much. Welcome. 1362 00:47:40,399 --> 00:47:41,733 Hope I'm funny. 1363 00:47:41,775 --> 00:47:43,819 'Cause audience been known to kick a little ass. 1364 00:47:43,861 --> 00:47:46,321 [laughter] 1365 00:47:46,363 --> 00:47:49,074 Richard had 22 episodes to tape 1366 00:47:49,116 --> 00:47:51,243 on NBC at eight o'clock. 1367 00:47:51,285 --> 00:47:53,745 And Richard, with Mitzi's help and Paul Mooney's help, 1368 00:47:53,787 --> 00:47:55,831 recruited all these great young comics. 1369 00:47:55,873 --> 00:47:57,916 [John] He told Mooney, "These guys are so funny. 1370 00:47:57,958 --> 00:47:59,167 "Let's pick some of these comics out 1371 00:47:59,209 --> 00:48:00,085 to be in the show." 1372 00:48:00,127 --> 00:48:01,211 We would all be so happy 1373 00:48:01,253 --> 00:48:03,505 because we make $500 a week. 1374 00:48:03,547 --> 00:48:05,549 [Rocco] And to Paul Mooney's credit, 1375 00:48:05,591 --> 00:48:07,384 he assembled some really funny people 1376 00:48:07,426 --> 00:48:09,261 and Jimmy Martinez and Tim Reid. 1377 00:48:09,303 --> 00:48:11,346 Yeah, you got five minutes to leave, whitey. 1378 00:48:11,388 --> 00:48:13,891 - I'm counting now. - The attack was at night. 1379 00:48:13,932 --> 00:48:15,434 You know how slippery they are. 1380 00:48:15,475 --> 00:48:17,102 [Rocco] The big surprise was Robin. 1381 00:48:17,144 --> 00:48:18,395 How soon we forget 1382 00:48:18,437 --> 00:48:21,607 what the Negro has done for you. 1383 00:48:21,648 --> 00:48:24,151 Who taught you the meaning of doo-dah? 1384 00:48:24,192 --> 00:48:25,569 [Marsha] We were all so new 1385 00:48:25,611 --> 00:48:27,988 and Robin had pretty much just gotten to town. 1386 00:48:28,030 --> 00:48:30,490 He's a complete unknown. 1387 00:48:30,532 --> 00:48:32,576 Robin was performing at The Comedy Store. 1388 00:48:32,618 --> 00:48:35,037 Rocco Urbisci and Pryor wanted him 1389 00:48:35,078 --> 00:48:36,455 to do The Richard Pryor Show. 1390 00:48:36,496 --> 00:48:37,789 He had a deal to do Laugh In 1391 00:48:37,831 --> 00:48:39,708 and yet he went off and did that series. 1392 00:48:39,750 --> 00:48:41,001 [Rocco] I don't think there was a contract. 1393 00:48:41,043 --> 00:48:42,044 He just came over. 1394 00:48:42,085 --> 00:48:43,462 But he just wanted to do it, 1395 00:48:43,503 --> 00:48:45,380 and that's the way I think everybody felt about-- 1396 00:48:45,422 --> 00:48:47,007 'cause Pryor was so revered 1397 00:48:47,049 --> 00:48:48,508 and they were doing something so unusual. 1398 00:48:48,550 --> 00:48:50,844 There's this one scene that says, 1399 00:48:50,886 --> 00:48:54,806 "Richard and a beautiful woman seduce each other with food." 1400 00:48:54,848 --> 00:48:56,308 That was the whole thing. 1401 00:48:56,350 --> 00:48:58,143 So we got together and he said, "You got it?" 1402 00:48:58,185 --> 00:48:59,603 I said, "I think so." 1403 00:48:59,645 --> 00:49:01,980 Then he said, "Okay, let's move on." 1404 00:49:02,022 --> 00:49:03,732 That was that. No rehearsal. 1405 00:49:03,774 --> 00:49:05,067 It was first up. 1406 00:49:05,108 --> 00:49:06,902 The curtain goes up and there I am. 1407 00:49:06,944 --> 00:49:09,613 I agonized over that for a couple of weeks. 1408 00:49:09,655 --> 00:49:12,616 And then to have to sit there and be seductive, 1409 00:49:12,658 --> 00:49:14,743 I just improvised. 1410 00:49:14,785 --> 00:49:17,996 [laughter] 1411 00:49:22,876 --> 00:49:25,087 Star Wars theme 1412 00:49:25,128 --> 00:49:27,005 [alien whines] 1413 00:49:27,047 --> 00:49:29,091 Hey, why don't you watch where you're going? 1414 00:49:29,132 --> 00:49:31,176 You got the biggest eyes in the place. 1415 00:49:31,218 --> 00:49:34,888 Richard Pryor was first and foremost. 1416 00:49:34,930 --> 00:49:36,765 It gets no better than Pryor to me. 1417 00:49:36,807 --> 00:49:38,266 There was something about Pryor, right, 1418 00:49:38,308 --> 00:49:40,560 when Pryor showed up, that was... 1419 00:49:40,602 --> 00:49:41,937 it wasn't like anything else, man. 1420 00:49:41,979 --> 00:49:45,232 I'd sit in the back every night and study Pryor. 1421 00:49:45,273 --> 00:49:48,485 If you water down Richard Pryor, 1422 00:49:48,527 --> 00:49:51,446 you get Chris Rock, you get Eddie Murphy, 1423 00:49:51,488 --> 00:49:53,824 you get Martin Lawrence, you get Chris-- 1424 00:49:53,865 --> 00:49:56,451 like, we're all doing a version of Richard Pryor. 1425 00:49:56,493 --> 00:49:57,869 [Bill] Well, when I started out, 1426 00:49:57,911 --> 00:49:59,788 everybody wanted to be Pryor. 1427 00:49:59,830 --> 00:50:02,207 Like, Pryor was the guy. 1428 00:50:02,249 --> 00:50:03,875 And I--I still think he is the guy. 1429 00:50:03,917 --> 00:50:05,377 [Richard] I remember when Black wasn't beautiful. 1430 00:50:05,419 --> 00:50:08,213 Black men come through our neighborhood. 1431 00:50:08,255 --> 00:50:10,298 "Black is beautiful! Africa's your home! 1432 00:50:10,340 --> 00:50:12,718 Beware of the Black man! Be proud to be Black!" 1433 00:50:12,759 --> 00:50:15,470 And my parents go, "That nigga crazy." 1434 00:50:15,512 --> 00:50:17,889 He was the greatest because he had every element. 1435 00:50:17,931 --> 00:50:20,517 He was like an angry boxer. Tough childhood. 1436 00:50:20,559 --> 00:50:22,561 Perfect storm to be either a fighter 1437 00:50:22,602 --> 00:50:23,812 or a comic. 1438 00:50:23,854 --> 00:50:26,231 He never really did a show for the audience. 1439 00:50:26,273 --> 00:50:28,400 He was more or less talking to himself. 1440 00:50:28,442 --> 00:50:30,736 He just knew that however he was telling this joke, 1441 00:50:30,777 --> 00:50:32,571 he was never gonna do it the same way again. 1442 00:50:32,612 --> 00:50:34,698 [Whoopi] Richard was the only person 1443 00:50:34,740 --> 00:50:36,575 that understood what I was doing, 1444 00:50:36,616 --> 00:50:38,243 where he's talking about characters 1445 00:50:38,285 --> 00:50:39,453 and he's doing characters. 1446 00:50:39,494 --> 00:50:41,246 I understand that. That's a story. 1447 00:50:41,288 --> 00:50:43,206 I can tell a story. 1448 00:50:43,248 --> 00:50:46,585 And I think it becomes easier 1449 00:50:46,626 --> 00:50:48,920 when you're telling stuff that you know. 1450 00:50:48,962 --> 00:50:50,881 He would show up here and he would refuse 1451 00:50:50,922 --> 00:50:53,133 to do any material from the previous albums 1452 00:50:53,175 --> 00:50:54,551 and start from scratch. 1453 00:50:54,593 --> 00:50:56,887 He would come in here with a couple of ideas. 1454 00:50:56,928 --> 00:50:58,305 [Felicia] He would do new material, 1455 00:50:58,346 --> 00:50:59,598 but it'd be so terrible, 1456 00:50:59,639 --> 00:51:02,434 and as a new comic, you're like, "What? 1457 00:51:02,476 --> 00:51:04,061 This is the great Pryor?" 1458 00:51:04,102 --> 00:51:07,939 I remember, in the main room, watching him stop his act 1459 00:51:07,981 --> 00:51:10,567 and say, "I just-- I'm not funny tonight." 1460 00:51:10,609 --> 00:51:12,903 At a point of almost embarrassed silence 1461 00:51:12,944 --> 00:51:15,113 to the crowd. 1462 00:51:15,155 --> 00:51:16,198 [Richard] This ain't as funny 1463 00:51:16,239 --> 00:51:17,574 as we thought it was gonna be. 1464 00:51:17,616 --> 00:51:21,036 [laughter] 1465 00:51:21,078 --> 00:51:22,537 Motherfuck show biz. 1466 00:51:22,579 --> 00:51:24,623 He'd have one joke to begin with, honest to God. 1467 00:51:24,664 --> 00:51:26,291 One or two jokes at the most. 1468 00:51:26,333 --> 00:51:28,627 Then he'd play around with this joke 1469 00:51:28,668 --> 00:51:29,878 and it was terrible, it didn't-- 1470 00:51:29,920 --> 00:51:31,129 'cause you know the audience doesn't care 1471 00:51:31,171 --> 00:51:32,547 how famous you are. 1472 00:51:32,589 --> 00:51:34,382 If the joke's not funny, they're not gonna laugh. 1473 00:51:34,424 --> 00:51:37,427 You saw--you saw him work out that hour? 1474 00:51:37,469 --> 00:51:39,137 Oh, yeah. I was just a kid. 1475 00:51:39,179 --> 00:51:40,138 I was a doorman. 1476 00:51:40,180 --> 00:51:42,641 What a great place, 1477 00:51:42,682 --> 00:51:45,185 to be able to come here to this workshop 1478 00:51:45,227 --> 00:51:48,146 and be able to, you know, bomb 1479 00:51:48,188 --> 00:51:51,691 and have Mitzi, if she believed in you, go, you know, 1480 00:51:51,733 --> 00:51:53,318 "Trying some stuff out, aren't you?" 1481 00:51:53,360 --> 00:51:56,113 [Richard] Nobody like pussy nowadays, huh? 1482 00:51:56,154 --> 00:51:58,115 But in the old days, when you liked pussy, 1483 00:51:58,156 --> 00:51:59,866 when you couldn't get it... 1484 00:51:59,908 --> 00:52:03,495 does anyone remember liking pussy? 1485 00:52:03,537 --> 00:52:04,830 From a murder, you get all kinds 1486 00:52:04,871 --> 00:52:06,498 of forensic information, 1487 00:52:06,540 --> 00:52:08,959 but nobody collects information from, like, a birthday party, 1488 00:52:09,000 --> 00:52:10,418 from, like, a happy occasion, 1489 00:52:10,460 --> 00:52:12,003 so when you have a hard show, you walk away 1490 00:52:12,045 --> 00:52:14,005 with all kinds of ability and knowledge, 1491 00:52:14,047 --> 00:52:15,340 and so that's what Pryor did. 1492 00:52:15,382 --> 00:52:17,467 The brave ones can go up there and fail 1493 00:52:17,509 --> 00:52:19,344 for the sake of the next set. 1494 00:52:19,386 --> 00:52:21,513 You know, if I didn't embarrass myself here, 1495 00:52:21,555 --> 00:52:22,848 I wouldn't be able to go home and write a new joke. 1496 00:52:22,889 --> 00:52:24,349 I would just think, "Oh, I know comedy." 1497 00:52:24,391 --> 00:52:25,642 And the second night, 1498 00:52:25,684 --> 00:52:27,769 anything that got a titter the first night, 1499 00:52:27,811 --> 00:52:29,104 he would expand on. 1500 00:52:29,146 --> 00:52:31,606 Then you got to see, every night, the progression 1501 00:52:31,648 --> 00:52:33,525 of how he was building a bit. 1502 00:52:33,567 --> 00:52:36,319 But it would be almost like watching Bach or Mozart 1503 00:52:36,361 --> 00:52:37,779 write a fucking symphony. 1504 00:52:37,821 --> 00:52:40,282 And by the end of four, five weeks, 1505 00:52:40,323 --> 00:52:42,117 he had a new 40 minutes. 1506 00:52:42,159 --> 00:52:44,035 [Richard] My uncles and them, my family only fucked 1507 00:52:44,077 --> 00:52:46,997 in one position: up and down. 1508 00:52:47,038 --> 00:52:49,499 Then my uncle go, "Boy, don't you ever kiss no pussy. 1509 00:52:49,541 --> 00:52:51,501 - [wild laughter] - "I mean that. 1510 00:52:51,543 --> 00:52:53,545 Whatever you do in life, don't kiss no pussy." 1511 00:52:53,587 --> 00:52:57,048 I couldn't wait to kiss a pussy. 1512 00:52:57,090 --> 00:52:59,009 He'd been wrong about everything else. 1513 00:52:59,050 --> 00:53:01,219 [laughter] 1514 00:53:01,261 --> 00:53:03,221 A woman had to beat me off. "That's enough! That's enough! 1515 00:53:03,263 --> 00:53:06,683 Please. Please. Two days." 1516 00:53:06,725 --> 00:53:08,185 [Mike] Mitzi loved Richard. 1517 00:53:08,226 --> 00:53:10,270 [as Mitzi] "Oh, Richard's so brave. 1518 00:53:10,312 --> 00:53:12,147 "He can just start over. 1519 00:53:12,189 --> 00:53:14,399 "He's an artist, Mike. 1520 00:53:14,441 --> 00:53:16,526 That's an artist. Watch an artist work." 1521 00:53:16,568 --> 00:53:18,236 He was, like, Coltrane of comedy. 1522 00:53:18,278 --> 00:53:19,946 He's, like, the guy who plays the riffs 1523 00:53:19,988 --> 00:53:21,072 that everyone wants to do. 1524 00:53:21,114 --> 00:53:22,407 [Bruce] There was a period of time 1525 00:53:22,449 --> 00:53:24,159 where she put me between Richard Pryor 1526 00:53:24,201 --> 00:53:25,243 and Robin Williams. 1527 00:53:25,285 --> 00:53:26,745 And if you don't step up your game, 1528 00:53:26,786 --> 00:53:29,039 you're the mop rag between two orgasms. 1529 00:53:29,080 --> 00:53:30,749 [Jay] I remember he used to do joke about his old lady. 1530 00:53:30,790 --> 00:53:32,918 He says, "I'm gonna go out and get me some new pussy." 1531 00:53:32,959 --> 00:53:34,586 And she said, "If your dick was two inches longer, 1532 00:53:34,628 --> 00:53:36,421 you get new pussy right here," you know? 1533 00:53:36,463 --> 00:53:37,714 [Richard] I don't like movies 1534 00:53:37,756 --> 00:53:39,174 when they don't have no niggas in 'em. 1535 00:53:39,216 --> 00:53:42,594 [wild laughter] 1536 00:53:42,636 --> 00:53:44,679 I went to see Logan's Run, right? 1537 00:53:44,721 --> 00:53:46,598 They had a movie of the future called Logan's Run. 1538 00:53:46,640 --> 00:53:48,767 Ain't no niggas in it! 1539 00:53:48,808 --> 00:53:50,268 I said, "Well, white folks ain't planning 1540 00:53:50,310 --> 00:53:52,938 for us to be here!" 1541 00:53:52,979 --> 00:53:56,274 Richard Pryor taught me about edge, okay, 1542 00:53:56,316 --> 00:53:58,443 because he was always testing, 1543 00:53:58,485 --> 00:54:00,737 always taking things to a level 1544 00:54:00,779 --> 00:54:03,406 of, "Oh, my God, did he say that?" 1545 00:54:03,448 --> 00:54:05,325 I mean, if you think about it, you know, 1546 00:54:05,367 --> 00:54:06,993 Richard was the Michael Jordan of comedy. 1547 00:54:07,035 --> 00:54:08,995 From '77 to the late '80s, 1548 00:54:09,037 --> 00:54:11,581 this club was Richard's laboratory. 1549 00:54:11,623 --> 00:54:14,167 His work ethic, his whole naked and raw, 1550 00:54:14,209 --> 00:54:17,837 autobiographical version of comedy became the standard. 1551 00:54:17,879 --> 00:54:21,424 Everyone from Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans, Whoopi Goldberg, 1552 00:54:21,466 --> 00:54:24,386 Eddie Murphy, Sam Kinison, Chris Rock, 1553 00:54:24,427 --> 00:54:26,388 Dave Chapelle, and then Louis C.K., 1554 00:54:26,429 --> 00:54:30,433 they all did their best to pay tribute to the master. 1555 00:54:30,475 --> 00:54:31,977 Even today, when I see Bill Burr, 1556 00:54:32,018 --> 00:54:34,646 Whitney Cummings, Sebastian Maniscalco, 1557 00:54:34,688 --> 00:54:37,565 Ian Edwards, Andrew Santino, Annie Lederman, 1558 00:54:37,607 --> 00:54:39,609 Neal Brennan, Joe Rogan, 1559 00:54:39,651 --> 00:54:41,653 using The Store to build new routines 1560 00:54:41,695 --> 00:54:44,614 for specials or albums or tours, 1561 00:54:44,656 --> 00:54:47,659 they're doing it in this form of personal memoir 1562 00:54:47,701 --> 00:54:49,411 or, like, truth telling. 1563 00:54:49,452 --> 00:54:50,620 They're doing it in a way 1564 00:54:50,662 --> 00:54:52,998 that I think is reminiscent of Pryor. 1565 00:54:53,039 --> 00:54:55,292 If any one person is responsible 1566 00:54:55,333 --> 00:54:57,669 for making The Store the most important comedy club 1567 00:54:57,711 --> 00:54:59,337 in the world, other than Mitzi, 1568 00:54:59,379 --> 00:55:00,964 it's Richard, 1569 00:55:01,006 --> 00:55:03,842 or as everyone used to call him when we were here, 1570 00:55:03,883 --> 00:55:07,137 Richie. 1571 00:55:07,178 --> 00:55:09,472 Where a ribbon's in the sky 1572 00:55:09,514 --> 00:55:14,227 For our love 1573 00:55:14,269 --> 00:55:17,647 If allowed 1574 00:55:17,689 --> 00:55:21,234 May I touch your hand 1575 00:55:21,276 --> 00:55:24,696 And if pleased 1576 00:55:24,738 --> 00:55:28,241 May I once again 1577 00:55:28,283 --> 00:55:31,578 So that you 1578 00:55:31,619 --> 00:55:35,123 Too will understand 1579 00:55:35,165 --> 00:55:37,625 There's a ribbon in the sky 1580 00:55:37,667 --> 00:55:42,047 For our love 1581 00:55:42,088 --> 00:55:45,050 Doo 1582 00:55:45,091 --> 00:55:47,886 Stevie Wonder, "Ribbon in the Sky" 1583 00:55:50,096 --> 00:55:52,891 [vocalizing] 1584 00:55:55,602 --> 00:55:57,979 Were you here the night he pretended he was God? 1585 00:55:58,021 --> 00:55:59,064 - No. - Okay. 1586 00:55:59,105 --> 00:56:01,524 Richard Pryor walks into the room 1587 00:56:01,566 --> 00:56:04,069 and he walked up onstage and he was quiet for a minute. 1588 00:56:04,110 --> 00:56:05,862 He goes, "I'm God." 1589 00:56:05,904 --> 00:56:07,864 And they were giggling 'cause it's Pryor. 1590 00:56:07,906 --> 00:56:09,741 And he said, "I'm here to pick up my son." 1591 00:56:09,783 --> 00:56:11,159 Says, "Anybody seen him? 1592 00:56:11,201 --> 00:56:13,703 "He's wearing this robe thing and he's got a beard 1593 00:56:13,745 --> 00:56:16,081 and little Jesus and I told him I'd pick him up now," 1594 00:56:16,122 --> 00:56:17,707 and he looks at somebody in the front row 1595 00:56:17,749 --> 00:56:19,501 and he goes, "What was done to my son? 1596 00:56:19,542 --> 00:56:21,294 What did you people do to my son?" 1597 00:56:21,336 --> 00:56:22,796 And he just starts screaming 1598 00:56:22,837 --> 00:56:24,255 'cause he comes to the realization 1599 00:56:24,297 --> 00:56:25,715 that his son was crucified, 1600 00:56:25,757 --> 00:56:27,926 and then when he regains his composure, 1601 00:56:27,967 --> 00:56:29,594 he goes, "All right, let me talk 1602 00:56:29,636 --> 00:56:32,263 to somebody else that was crucified." 1603 00:56:32,305 --> 00:56:33,765 And he goes, "Well, where is he?" 1604 00:56:33,807 --> 00:56:35,433 He keeps doing down this litany of people 1605 00:56:35,475 --> 00:56:36,393 and he goes, "All right, I need to talk 1606 00:56:36,434 --> 00:56:37,394 to Martin Luther King. 1607 00:56:37,435 --> 00:56:40,063 Bring me Martin right now." 1608 00:56:40,105 --> 00:56:42,607 And he goes, "What did you do to Martin? 1609 00:56:42,649 --> 00:56:44,526 Kennedy. I need to talk to Kennedy." 1610 00:56:44,567 --> 00:56:45,610 And then he's just standing onstage, 1611 00:56:45,652 --> 00:56:47,070 he goes, "Fuck." 1612 00:56:47,112 --> 00:56:48,905 Crying. He's just screaming. 1613 00:56:48,947 --> 00:56:51,908 He goes, "My son, the apostles, Kennedy." 1614 00:56:51,950 --> 00:56:54,119 The audience is standing there, like, you know-- 1615 00:56:54,160 --> 00:56:56,871 remember, this is the '70s-- with their jaws just dropping. 1616 00:56:56,913 --> 00:56:58,540 People in the audience are crying, 1617 00:56:58,581 --> 00:57:01,292 and he just puts out his hand and he goes, 1618 00:57:01,334 --> 00:57:03,253 "You're on your own." 1619 00:57:03,294 --> 00:57:04,879 And he walked out of the room. 1620 00:57:08,383 --> 00:57:09,676 And I remember just sitting there 1621 00:57:09,717 --> 00:57:10,760 and everybody's just crying 1622 00:57:10,802 --> 00:57:13,304 and all you can hear is sniffing. 1623 00:57:13,346 --> 00:57:15,014 And I went, "Fuck." 1624 00:57:20,311 --> 00:57:23,773 This is not 1625 00:57:23,815 --> 00:57:27,318 A coincidence 1626 00:57:27,360 --> 00:57:30,864 And far more 1627 00:57:30,905 --> 00:57:34,325 Than a lucky chance 1628 00:57:34,367 --> 00:57:37,787 But what is 1629 00:57:37,829 --> 00:57:41,291 That was always meant 1630 00:57:41,332 --> 00:57:43,585 Is our ribbon in the sky 1631 00:57:43,626 --> 00:57:47,255 For our love, love 1632 00:57:47,297 --> 00:57:51,676 We can't lose 1633 00:57:51,718 --> 00:57:55,346 With God on our side 1634 00:57:55,388 --> 00:57:58,766 We'll find strength 1635 00:57:58,808 --> 00:58:02,103 In each tear we cry 1636 00:58:02,145 --> 00:58:05,190 From now on