October 12, 2023 • 37 mins
Kevin and Jenna are getting a little nostalgic with TikTok's favorite corporate millennial slash nostalgia king, Rod Thill!
Did we mention he's a huge Glee fan?!
Rod shares his favorite season, moments, lines, and storylines from Glee and asks the duo a question he always wondered about . . . why did they make Brittany and Santana main characters out of nowhere?
Plus, Rod talks about being an advocate for mental health, why he started making videos on 'the Tok,' the benefits and toxicity of social media, and answers a question he gets asked a lot - how to make friends as an adult. The answer might surprise you!
**We stand in solidarity with our union, SAG-AFTRA, during the strike. For more information, go to SAGAFTRAStrike.org.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
And that's what you really missed with Jenna.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
And Kevin an iHeartRadio.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Podcast, Welcome to you, and that's what really missed podcast
for a very special episode Achievement.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Achievement. Hey Jenna, Today we have the one and only Rod,
just Rod at Rod on TikTok. He got that. That's
his name, no one else's name.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
He actually got that.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
He's the only one that's a that's a good gut
he is. I feel like the resident nostalgia millennial king
of the Internet. And it's just so nice, so funny
and talented and really just I think if you are
(00:52):
a fan of his, and if you're not, you're going
to learn just like how open and honest and check
gantic gleek he is.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
He's a really wonderful conversation And I really am honestly
I say this in the podcast like interview, but I'm
like grateful for these awesome TikTokers that we've been able
to interview who are luckily Glee fans so we can
get them on the show, who are advocates of mental
(01:22):
health and are so vulnerable and open, and I think
we need.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
More of it. So and I do think there's a
really good perspective from someone who's our age, who didn't
grow up with social media in the way that gen
Z and jen Alpha are doing now and like to
hear his respective of it is very enlightening. Yeah, So,
without further ado, here's Rod.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Hello, welcome, nice to meet you.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
It's nice to Jenna jenneral.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Nice to Meeji. Thanks for coming on. This is very exciting.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Yeah, very excited.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
This is one of my Internet friends.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Yeah, mutuals, like we say in the industry.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Is that what you say? So one of our mutuals.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I think it's like just a social media.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
I guess I don't have Internet friends.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
I say friends. People are like, yeah, do you know them?
I'm like yeah, I mean I see a lot of
their lives on the Internet.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
I feel like yeah. And also because of how, like
I've said before, when things are like algorithmically tailored to
you and you like you know what you guys like,
we know each other's interests in our sense of humors,
and like that's the best way to connect. I feel
like exactly, we automatically get along, we have shared interests.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Yeah, it's crazy that an algorithm like gives us content
that we want to see yeah, or that we need
to see. Sometimes sometimes I'll be on TikTok and it's
like I did not need to see this, but I did.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
I was trying to explain I've kept my brother off
a TikTok. He's forty two and a professor, and I
feel like he would love it, but I've kept him
off of it because like, you don't, you're not going
to understand how to talk to people, first of all,
and second of all, you're never going to get off
of it because it is going to perfectly sum up
all of your weird interests. It's going to go from
(03:06):
like evolutionary biology to all these obscure comedians he and
I talked about and he' said, what it's like, It's incredible.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
It's wild. It's wild, but uh, it's the world we're
living in. It's crazy too. You can see the generational
difference and like, because like I've been part of social
media or I don't want to cut an interview time,
but I've been part of social media from Zinga Zenga
to today. I don't know if you guys had got
Zenga was like free my space. It was like right
from my space, had a short stint. It was like
(03:37):
the vining of its era, like a year of popularity.
It was like MySpace without like brending.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
And all of that.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Okay, I did not know Zinga, but it's.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Like a blog basically. But you I've seen it all,
and I feel like it's crazy to see the generational differences,
like because we grew up in a time where like
interacting wasn't part of like wasn't for an algorithm. It
was just like we liked content. But now I feel
like gen Z generation after knows that, like the creators
that they love and want to support, they know they
have to interact with the content in order for it
to go anywhere. And of course my content's all millennials,
(04:08):
so they're like, that's funny, and then they just keep scrolling.
Then lately my content hasn't been going anywhere because it's
like millennials like cool anyway, I follow them already, so
fair they don't understand like the interaction. I did the
most millennial thing when I downloaded TikTok because I was
obsessed with Vine too, and then I got on TikTok
expecting it to be Vine like twenty nineteen, like late
twenty nineteen, and that's when it was like the cliche
(04:30):
like dancing app, and they started to like incorporate more
comedy content and promote comedy con creators. And then I
got soberwhelmed. Though I deleted the app after I'd made
one video when I went viral, and then four months
later I started making videos again, and then that's when
I started growing. Like I would have stuck with it,
that would have been crazy, but I got soberwhelmed with
(04:51):
just an app. I'm like, ah no, thinks. Then I
deleted it because I didn't want to be seen or
perceived fair.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I mean also, yeah, the public's view also of people
on it, becoming known from that app has completely shifted.
I mean in all forms of entertainment. It's like, yeah,
you might have we might have looked down at that traditionally, right,
and now that wouldn't even cross my mind. Yeah, from TikTok.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Yeah, and you guys have seen it, probably more than me.
But even just like people thinking that just because I
show like a little part of my life on the internet,
they need to know everything you know, and it's just
it's it's wild to be prepared. And there was even
a moment where I felt like I needed to do that,
and then I'm like I don't though, you know, like
I talk about like working and I talk about growing
(05:36):
up in the nineties two thousands, So I'm like, that's
the content I share and I'm just going to keep shying.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
That that's that's who. Yeah, on the on the gram
or on the tick the top, I'm really showing my age.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I know nothing.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
I'm a cool mam. But that is interesting though, because
because you are an advocate for mental health, you know,
like it's that fine balance of social media versus real life,
versus what you're sharing versus people feeling like they know you.
(06:15):
So what is it like now because you have so
many followers, so many views, Like people seeing you on
the street, did they come up to you and they
does it feel like they really like you're their best friend?
Speaker 3 (06:25):
It's like polar opposite. It's either like TikTok guy, I'll
just have someone just point at me to a TikTok
guy and I'm like.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
Cool, like that that's funny.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Or there would be like I was out with one
of my friends who's a therapist, and someone stopped me
on the street and it was like, oh, my God,
Like you saved my life in the pandemic, which millennials.
I talked to my therapists fat this week and like
we just like exaggerate and catastrophize so much. That's like extremes.
It's like you saved my life, not like your videos
were funny and made my day. But my friend, because
(06:55):
she knows I'm insecure, you know, and she knows that
I'm going through and so she like grabbed my face
and she's it's four and she's like five three, So
she like grabbed my face down and she's like, I
want you to hear what that woman just said to you.
It's okay, you saved her life, Like I really don't
think I did.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Millennials, don't discount what you're contributing to say exactly.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
But no, it is cool to see. It's like I
never thought it was funny. I like always was a
consumer of content on the internet. Didn't expect any of
this to go anywhere, and then here we are now
talking to people from one of my favorite shows.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
We'll get to that, that's right, we'll get to that. Yeah,
But when you started on the talk, what was the
I remember you? You talked you mentioned it earlier, but like,
what was the impetus like or the intent one you
were starting on the talk why you didn't think you
(07:56):
were funny?
Speaker 3 (07:58):
I just kind of like a I did on Instagram
before or like Facebook, even throwing it back was just
like for people that I was friends with, because like
I had a couple of coworkers and the friends we
followed each other because we would send each other kiktok
strictlan on there rather than like texting them to each other.
And then I just like started making the videos and
then a ton of them didn't really take off. But
(08:21):
then once I made one that really leaned into like
using a throwback song, I used like a cascata every
time we touch I'm sure you all know that song
machic Yeah, Magic Ethereal sends me the space every time
I used that song one my videos. And then I
just kept going with that nostalgic collab of like working
from home content just you know, kept doing that. And again,
(08:46):
it was like October twenty twenty is when I started
doing that, and then it wasn't until like I started
re entering the world in twenty twenty one where I'm like, oh,
those like that number of like one point two million,
which was my following at the time, are real people,
because people came up and like started recognizing me and like, no,
I'm like, I just like make silly little videos, you know.
(09:07):
And then you know, I started to embrace the fact that, like,
my videos are reaching a ton of people.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
It is a crazy thing, though, because when you do
have somebody literally in the palm of your hand watching
them every day and we are everyone was stuck at home,
and you do feel like you've become friends with them,
like immediately starting talking to you, let's say, like on
Instagram or something like. I feel like there was a
comfortability factor. So I can't even imagine, but I know
(09:34):
having been on like a certain side of it to
an extent of like, well, we don't actually know each other.
I don't want to be like creepy and weird and
assume like I know anything really about but I respect
their talent and humility and all that, and so like
going out into the public after that had to be
(09:55):
like a real awakening of oh, a year ago, this
was not my life, and now all of a sudden
everything has changed.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
Everything, everything has changed. But yeah, it's funny you mentioned
that too, because I feel like it's what I realized
to when you like meet people from social media or
even like when people come up to me, I feel
like that first layer is broken at least of like
getting to know you, because it's like what do you
do for work and all that stuff, because like you
already have that, or like it's almost like social media
(10:25):
is the mutual friend. Meeting people off social media?
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Yeah, and it is. I mean, I'm going to steal
that because my least favorite thing about sort of small
talk meeting people catching up with old friends is so
like what do you do? What are you up to?
That whole thing? And you're right, it does completely just
negate having to even go there, right.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
And I feel like if if I do like a
Q and A on Instagram or something and just like
random advice that I'm not qualified to give, absolutely not,
but I'll still do it just to do something fun
on Instagram, I get a lot of comments and like
how do I make friends as an adult? Or how
do I make new friends as an adult? And it
put into perspective for me too. It's like just like
what feels natural because I feel like there was this
(11:08):
time in my life where I felt I was forcing
so many friendships and I was like so surfaced with
so many of them. And now I feel like I'm
at a point where like the people that are in
my life are like in it and they've helped me
through some some really hard times, and I feel I
was I'm like I don't want new friends in the
sense of like I don't feel like making a new
like circle of friends. Yeah, like I'm totally for like
(11:31):
broadening the circle of friends I have now, like through
other mutuals and stuff and something organic captain's for sure,
But I'm not like actively searching out new friendships because
I just don't have the bandwidth there right now. Corporate word.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
But yeah, it takes so much time and energy to
develop like meaningful and lasting friendship. So to sort of
it's like dating. If you've been in the long term
relationship and all the something happens and you break up.
I have to do this again. I have to like
go through all this getting to know you and.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Also around the surface ones, they're like the ones you
have the least amount of time for. You're like, why
is why am I even doing this?
Speaker 4 (12:08):
Serving me?
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Is you know, does it serve me.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
You have to, Like I noticed to, it's harder to
break up with a friend sometimes than it is depending
how long you've been dating the person that it is
just for like a relationship totally, because it's like you
feel like an obligation because you've been there for each
other through all this stuff. But at a certain points,
if it's creating more stress for both of you, what's
the point it doesn't serve you.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
I haven't had to break up with a friend in
a really long time. I don't either.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Yeah, good, Kevin, Good. I think I just good people
around you.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
That's why the same good people around you most I do.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
See I have. I've had the same circle, and I
slowly broadened it over time. Yeah yeah, every now and
but but I have started to recognize just because I'm
a round someone frequently like new people frequently, doesn't mean
I want to be or have to be. That's happened
a lot time. I'm like, oh, like we're peripherally like
(13:10):
in the same circle, right like and like, oh, but
actually I don't. This is taking up some time and
energy that I don't want. I'd rather give it to Jenna,
you know.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Yeah, exactly, Yeah, it's like where you feel safe. Like
I did residential therapy in May for a month where
I like lived at a center basically just because I
was at a like a low I guess you would
call it.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
And the first question that they ask when you're like
discharging or like re entering the world is like, what
right down ten people who are your safe space? And
so I've been working with my therapists and transition a
lot too, and just like who is safe? That's really
the friendships that matter, you know, And I feel like
once you lose that safety too, where you have to
(13:58):
learn to trust someone new if you canting someone news,
it was really difficult to gauge, right.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Whoa deep stuff this is I think we've ever gone on.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
When you started on all of this. A lot of
your stuff was like about you know, work, right, complaining
about work or complaining about work? What does your work
think about it?
Speaker 3 (14:34):
Oh my god? I was really nervous because the complaints
I was making about work we're former companies, because I
like worked for some toxic workplaces that if I mentioned them,
everyone know. But it was just like startups or fitness companies.
And one of my I was in sales too, so
it's like sales is like the grind right m And
one of my like my former companies, we had to
(14:56):
work till like midnight the last four days of every
month just to like make more sales, were signing up
people for a gym. So at the time when I
was making these tiktoks, I was working for a really
healthy company that treated me well. So that's what you
can see that at the beginning, I talk more about
(15:16):
my experience and like how I feel rather than like
how the company's treating me. But there was a moment
where I got a counter invite just said you're tiktoks.
And again, this is like at that early stage where
I didn't think those people were real that were like
watching my videos, Like I knew they were real, but
it was just like, you know, I couldn't feel a connection.
And I got on that meeting and it was with
(15:38):
my boss's boss, so I was terrified. I'm like, this
is it. I'm getting fired. I don't like I looked
through my contract that I signed to see if there's
any social media clause, which I don't think there was
at the time, and he it was a guy and
again in sales, it can be a lot of toxic masculinity.
So he was like really stern, and I was really
nervous for him to slatd into me. And he goes
(16:00):
talk about your videos. I relate to a lot of them,
and I was like, oh my god. I thought I
was like getting fired. I thought this was this was done.
And he's like, I think that about our CEO all
the time. And it was just like a way. It
was like really funny because like we related to each
other and that's was like the content was for everyone,
even though it's marketed towards the specific someone. Wow. Yeah,
(16:24):
I wish I had a better story that I got
in trouble or something.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
But no.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
There were a couple of videos where I had a
manager send it to me to like be careful or
like you're going a line here.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Whenever I'm building a brand in a business, don't worry
about me.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Yeah, but that must have felt good though, you know,
just completely off taken off guard in the best way possible.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Right, Wow, Okay, now I'm getting a promotion. For sure.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
There was a hard balance, so like because there was
moments where I felt like I had to make a
video like every hour or like every three times a day,
because that's what I was doing when I was first growing.
And now there's like two weeks, right, don't make a video,
And that's fine with me, because again, talking about mental
health is just like you know, it was a very
like traumatic experience going from like zero to one hundred,
(17:19):
while my personal life at the time was kind of crumbling.
So it's like very hard to balance it all. Just
taking time for myself to it, which would have done
that more early on, to a focus more on my job.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
I mean, it's hard. It's like anybody. Everybody's looking for
success in some way and something right, and it's like,
all of a sudden you find this random success in
something and you know that it does on average take
like three videos a day to maintain that to build
some sort of following, and you're like, well, sure, I'll
let everything else all apart a little bit because it's
like a professional weird thing is happening for me.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Right.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
If I didn't have a video go viral, I would
like stay up like until like nine on the app,
which is like trying to make something just lost my
life doing that.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
It's like trying to get like your fix of right, Like,
you know how.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Viral video is just crazy.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
So how do you how do you now balance that
for your mental health? It sounds like you've obviously taken
that as the priority versus the social media or the
you know, the the views, So like, how how long
did it take you to get there and what did
you do?
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Yeah, I think it was that moment of realizing that
I looked at my profile and I was like, wait,
there's one point six million people here who follow me
who can't engage my content. That's like your brain has
the capacity of knowing a thousand people, you know. So
that was wild to me that that many people followed me.
(18:46):
And then I'm like, why the reason I kept posting?
Posting because I wanted to grow. I wanted to grow
because I thought it would stop. And then once I
realized that I didn't need any more than that, because
I didn't even need a thousand. If my content reached
five pep, that's all that mattered. I had that moment
of introspective where I realized that I am making this
(19:08):
just for the community, and if I'm not well, if
I'm like not living by what I'm trying to say,
even just like as a joke, then what's the point
of doing it. So just like if I think of
something funny, I'll post it. And you know, I do
have to be methodical a little bit if I don't
want my whole feed to be like branded content, and
I do you know, need to have branded content to
(19:30):
earn money to do with whatever, and so I do
have to regularly post for that, but just not as
much pressure like I would even research like the best
time to post on TikTok and like, that's so weird
that I was like living by.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
I mean, I'm pretty sure I've done that too.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Yeah, it's admirable because I think a lot of people
do feel like like a slave to the to you know,
social media in a way, especially when you're making money
off of it and it's part of your livelihood, so
it can be really hard to balance it. But yeah, great,
good on you. I mean, really very admorable, truly. Okay,
(20:07):
let's talk about me a little bit, because you know
podcast tell us about when you first saw Glee and
and kind of your journey with the show, because I
know you've watched a few times now.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
Yes, I vividly remember I went to like I went
to a religious college where it was like very strict
and even like there, it wasn't I wasn't not allowed
to watch Glee, but I remember if I was there,
definitely would have been some judgment because you like, you know,
you guys were posting about things that like oh yeah,
(20:45):
like you were like the episodes are going live about
like against what I was being.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Totally yeah Ryan every single week.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
Yes, yes, you used to it, but I remember I
was in my dorm room my roommate with my roommate
got swine flu. I don't know if you remember swine flu. Yeah,
And the show premiered my first year at this college,
so I actually had like the whole dorm to myself
basically the entire semester. So I like locked the door
and I remember like scheduling it to watch it live
(21:16):
and then yeah I watched it opening day.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Wow, yeah, day one crazy? What made you want to
watch it?
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Like? Man, I was a theater kid. I was in Yeah,
I was in musicals even throughout college, and that really
caught my eye. My school didn't have show choir, but
I remember I had some friends from my youth group
that were in show choir, so to go watch them
in show choir. And so I was just love music
and found it fascinating. So I was caught from day one.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
So it sounds like the music was the thing that
kind of kept you right.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
The music, but then the writing just kept me going
to Like I still you know how people like watch
fine compilations, your TikTok compilations. I watch gleek compilations when
I need a lot or just something for background noise,
just actually see.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
It's like me watching the America's Got Talent compilations.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
Like the like the Golden buzzer.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Yes, just before we got that's what I was doing.
I've been crying.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
My eyes.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
I looked a mess. My eyes were bloodshot before I
got on here, Like I have to go get my
life together before I see someone.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
There's nothing better too than when someone gets the golden
buzzer and they just look underwhelmed, and like, do you
not really You're more excited than they are.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
There is golden confetti. Heidi Klum loves you.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
How do you clume hit that buzzer for you? Yeah,
the cannon's right there.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
I don't believe you. You used to go watch show choir,
like your friend was in show, Like, I have no
knowledge that show choir existed pre being on the show. Yeah,
that was something.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
The suburb I grew up in had a really intense school,
Like the choir performed at the Grammys, Like it was
very very musical school, very much like Audio Adrenaline, but
it was it was uh yeah, so I would go
and see the perform It's really good. But yeah, very
knowledgeable in the show choir world.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
Is it true that you're on your fifth rewatch?
Speaker 3 (23:18):
It could be One thing about me is I I
will never watch a new show. I have two types
of shows that I watch. I have shows that I've
seen multiple times it's really Happy Endings, not sure if
familiar with that show and a New Girl. And then
I watch shows that ended way too early, like shows
(23:38):
that have one season even and I just feel like
this is the worst, like happy Endings. I just watched Reboot.
That is a new show I watched and that ended
after one season, Like why do I get hooked on
and I don't even know? I like, look like one season,
I look when season two happening, it's like it ended.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
I'm like, great, it's because you have good taste. Those
are like all the great sort of obscure comedies that
we're very good and absolutely disa to have more.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Amazing writing, just like we ahead of their time, ahead
of their time.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Okay, I have a couple of favorites, and I don't
know if you can give us off the top of
your head, but no pressure. Okay, what was your favorite.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Season?
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Season threeh my god, we just started season three. I
don't remember anything from it, so I'm really.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Use that's what people keep.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Saying this rewatch. I started on season three, the first
two but and I you know, I think that transition
starting in season four was like beautifully done. And obviously
you know less of some cast members than others, but
you know, that's what I look forward.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
To when I do my rewatch. Wow, what about season
three is the one for you? Is it because some
of them are graduating? It is that like gross thing?
Speaker 3 (25:08):
Or yeah, it's like the final you know, it's like that.
It is really nostalgic for me because it brings me
back to high school truly, and I think, you know,
after watching it, you know what happens at the end
of it. But just like the road to Nationals is
always inspiring to watch give me chills.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
It feels like season six.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Yeah, that's the season with My Cup, right.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
My cup with season two?
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Was that really? Yes?
Speaker 2 (25:35):
We were surprised as well.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
That is one of my favorites.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
I said you had good taste, right classic good.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Season three?
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Right? Yes?
Speaker 3 (25:50):
Yes, yes, and that's one okay cool.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
When we do my cup is when we're trying to
write I.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
Remember that, ye, mister, like you guys write it. You guys,
go ahead it right, no plan, good luck? Okay, next one?
And what is your favorite if you had to pick
a favorite episode and and mash up? Do you have
(26:19):
a favorite mash up?
Speaker 2 (26:20):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Yeah, My favorite mashup is when the walking on Sunshine
Halo this vitamin. That's the vitamin the episode right, yes,
which is probably one of my favorite episodes too, just
because it's such like an out there concept really, but
I love every Brittany episode too, you know, just like
(26:42):
growing up with Britney Spears and then doing all the
cover songs, and then the Michael episode is always good,
like Naya doing Smith Criminal Smooth Criminal.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Wasn't saying it was going to be one of my favorites. Yeah?
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Yeah, what is in your opinion is the most unhinged
story line.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
Oh my god, so many to choose from there are
I think everything was Sue, but I think Quinn in
a wheelchair, well, yeah, I'm sorry seeing that a wheelchair,
(27:24):
and I think it's just there's a line that Sue says,
either in season five or season six, about like how
easily it is for the grade just to come back.
She's like, I don't know how you're funding your teleportation
back here, But that's always a crazy storyline to me.
The graduates just like show up, I don't know, nowhere.
Remember when I was freshman supper year of college, I
(27:44):
could barely fly home on a forty five minute flight
from mine Chicago, you know, like, how are you coming
back from New York so easily?
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Everyone's just next door, you know, New York and Ohio? Yeah,
very close, close, Yeah right.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
I think growing up in the Midwest maybe appreciate Lee
because my dad's from Ohio, so I've been in Ohio
many times, but just very you know, similar to the
suburbs schools that I grew up.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Grew up. Did the show feel like the Midwest to you?
Speaker 3 (28:11):
It did?
Speaker 2 (28:12):
It did?
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Yeah? Because I knew I didn't know anything about the
industry even until I started making content. So it's just
like I thought you all filmed in Ohio, you know,
like that's how naive was to this whole. Yeah, for
most of it, and then you know, obviously learning more
about the industry, learn that sets exist. But it did
feel very Midwest.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
From Chicago, Okay, what's up?
Speaker 1 (28:36):
Yeah, Ryan Murphy also not from Chicago, but from the Midwest. Yeah,
and then in Chicago, so yeah, that's a little bit
more glamorous season four or five.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Right, right, I did. I actually did like the second
round of casts two, like yeah, Unique and Marley Rose
doing blow Me for the Grease Audition is one of
my favorite performances too. We love but yeah, they're good,
kitty and like watching and I forgot how upset I
was that, like we didn't get a closure to them. Yeah,
(29:11):
in the final season.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Totally was a bummer for me.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Totally.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
Yeah, I love how this You appreciate them, Oh, you know,
unsign heroes, they're all great. Yeah, but we was very
formative for me.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
All right, so we leave, We ask everybody at the
end of the episode, what is the feeling that Lee
leaves you with? As somebody who's potentially watched the show
five times. What what is the feeling that Glee leaves
you with?
Speaker 3 (29:40):
It does leave me with nostalgia, I think. I I've
been talking a lot with my therapist too, because its
creating nostalgic content, Like why is nostalgia so important? It's
I could transport you, transport you back to a time,
even if it was a stressful time, like I did
not have great years, you know, in college, but it's
not the time that you're in now. And I've been
going through some stressful stuff now, so it's like been
nice to have that nostalgia and the music and you know,
(30:04):
kind of calculate it encapsulates, like my high school experience.
So watching that replay through through your characters is always
a nostalgic feeling for me.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
You are nostalgia. You are my nostalgia on your step.
You are nostalgia. Please do, please do.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
And you're inspiring trampoline too. I want you to know
I listen. I don't think I can do the weight
limit for the one I could have in my apartment.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
You can't, and you can't nobody.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Jenna, Jenna, You're an inspiration.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
I did it I do it.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
If you do it, I can't. I am terrified do it.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
I'm like, no, he doesn't want to do it.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
The way you can kick your own face with your shin.
I don't. I can't even toes. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
You did sit in the chair for years.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Yeah, that's right, I have that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
I've always been pretty flexible, So it's it's not something
that I, you know, had to work hard at.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Maybe she's born with it.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
Maybe she's born with it.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
I don't know. Rod.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Thank you so much for being here, and obviously I
would open up the floor if you have any questions aboutly,
We're happy to answer them.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
I did have one. I think, okay, go for it
for one moment. Also for Rachel sending Sunshine to the
crack house while we send me, I.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
Mean, it's just so bad.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Yeah, but I think so. One thing I noticed too
at the beginning is, you know, with Naya and Heather,
the pilot obviously pilots changed to once they get picked up,
but like they're just seeing like background characters. It was
so interesting to see them become like main characters of
the show like you two were. So was that the
plan all along, like from episode of one, Yeah, because
(31:56):
it was singing.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
And exactly say a little crayer, how there was a dancer.
I was hired as a dancer by Zach and so
Zach actually was the one who pushed Ryan to see
her for another Greek Club member. And then Brittany Espierce
was born from Heather essentially and Ryan of course.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
It was sort of like n I started to get
any line or song and she was behind the scenes
such so funny. Yeah that Ryan was just like, Okay,
we need more of that. And I think just because
they're both amazingly talented, they just started writing for them.
Speaker 1 (32:31):
Yeah. I think like The Boy Is Mine was like
one of the first kind of births of Santana and
especially her and Mercedes because Ryan saw them like we
were at our cast chairs and they were doing the
impressions and so he put it in and you're like,
oh and then they like show up you know what
(32:52):
I mean on screen as well.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
So it was I think when she did when she
had her solo and the Gods, which one it was
that's like the first time you wrote bad Romance. Yeah,
it was the first time, like you heard her voice solo.
I think right or one of them, and I was
just like, damn.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Got it. We were sort of like the guinea pigs.
I think for the wider audience, it's like if we
liked it and then Ryan liked it, then he'd put
it in and then like the public sort of responded
to it just how we were, like this needs to happen,
she's so good, put this in, or like Heather is hilarious,
listen to this, like bitch, she has right, and then
it just you know, people responded with it just like
(33:31):
we did. So maybe we were the taste makers.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
Ye, that's a whole coin, I think. Besides you, like,
the only other show that's done that with like making
like growing the cast and like creating background characters throughout
the series is The Office. But it's like such a
big cast, but everyone's so notable, you know, totally.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
Very I think when everyone is so specific and everyone
comes to the table with like their unique abilities, how
can you can't It's unavoidable because you're filling out this
really beautiful ensemble where there wasn't sure the were leads
of both shows, but it was very much a team effort.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
Yeah right, Yeah, that's awesome to know that's my question.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Well, we're grateful you came on, and we're grateful that
for what you share on your on your social channels,
and you know all the good, good things you're doing
and saving people's lives. So thank you so much for
really nice to meet you.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
Nice to meet you too. You want to get my trampoline?
Speaker 2 (34:34):
Please do those are the new videos.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
Please do it.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
When we're in the same town, you and I can
take a trampoline class together.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
We'll just go to like those bounce houses.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
You're the best. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Thank you What a sweet sweet lad man. Yes, really great.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Very calm, very calm.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
I enjoyed his energy.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Yeah, I feel very tranquil now, Like I just want
to sit and hear him talk all day. I gotta say, Rod,
thank you for being so just honest and open about
your journey, your mental health journey, your journey through TikTok
and social media in general. I also think that's the
(35:30):
sort of the key to his success, isn't it is
that he there is no sort of false pretense or
made up shtick. He is just who he is and
it is relatable and you're drawn in by him. You
just want to hear from.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
Him absolutely, and it's like his integrity and like intention
behind posting for not to be famous, not to get
jobs from it, but to like really just reach people.
You can really feel that it's very honest.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
Yeah, it's refreshing, and I do feel like there is
absolutely space for that and space to be successful at that.
And it's nice to see that that's happening for him
in that way. And also what thoughtful well considerations about Glee,
you know, he like we all have that show, like
(36:28):
you and one of my best friends justin like watch
Friends or west Wing every single night to fall asleep
or like it's their comfort show. And to meet people
who like Glee is sort of their comfort show or
they've watched it that many times and know it Like
you can't even put a number to how many times
rewatched it because you're just always sort of running in
the background or watching compilations or something. That's wild to
(36:51):
like be on a show that is that for people.
That sort of breaks my brain a bit. People.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
Yeah, yeah, no, no, for sure, agreed. Agreed, Well, thanks
for joining us. Hope you guys enjoyed the episode and
join us next feed.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
And that's what you really missed. Thanks for listening, and
follow us on Instagram at and that's what you really
miss pod. Make sure to write us a review and
leave us five stars. See you next time.
And that's what you really missed with Jenna.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
And Kevin an iHeartRadio.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Podcast, Welcome to you, and that's what really missed podcast
for a very special episode Achievement.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Achievement. Hey Jenna, Today we have the one and only Rod,
just Rod at Rod on TikTok. He got that. That's
his name, no one else's name.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
He actually got that.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
He's the only one that's a that's a good gut
he is. I feel like the resident nostalgia millennial king
of the Internet. And it's just so nice, so funny
and talented and really just I think if you are
(00:52):
a fan of his, and if you're not, you're going
to learn just like how open and honest and check
gantic gleek he is.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
He's a really wonderful conversation And I really am honestly
I say this in the podcast like interview, but I'm
like grateful for these awesome TikTokers that we've been able
to interview who are luckily Glee fans so we can
get them on the show, who are advocates of mental
(01:22):
health and are so vulnerable and open, and I think
we need.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
More of it. So and I do think there's a
really good perspective from someone who's our age, who didn't
grow up with social media in the way that gen
Z and jen Alpha are doing now and like to
hear his respective of it is very enlightening. Yeah, So,
without further ado, here's Rod.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Hello, welcome, nice to meet you.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
It's nice to Jenna jenneral.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Nice to Meeji. Thanks for coming on. This is very exciting.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Yeah, very excited.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
This is one of my Internet friends.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Yeah, mutuals, like we say in the industry.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Is that what you say? So one of our mutuals.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I think it's like just a social media.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
I guess I don't have Internet friends.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
I say friends. People are like, yeah, do you know them?
I'm like yeah, I mean I see a lot of
their lives on the Internet.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
I feel like yeah. And also because of how, like
I've said before, when things are like algorithmically tailored to
you and you like you know what you guys like,
we know each other's interests in our sense of humors,
and like that's the best way to connect. I feel
like exactly, we automatically get along, we have shared interests.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Yeah, it's crazy that an algorithm like gives us content
that we want to see yeah, or that we need
to see. Sometimes sometimes I'll be on TikTok and it's
like I did not need to see this, but I did.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
I was trying to explain I've kept my brother off
a TikTok. He's forty two and a professor, and I
feel like he would love it, but I've kept him
off of it because like, you don't, you're not going
to understand how to talk to people, first of all,
and second of all, you're never going to get off
of it because it is going to perfectly sum up
all of your weird interests. It's going to go from
(03:06):
like evolutionary biology to all these obscure comedians he and
I talked about and he' said, what it's like, It's incredible.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
It's wild. It's wild, but uh, it's the world we're
living in. It's crazy too. You can see the generational
difference and like, because like I've been part of social
media or I don't want to cut an interview time,
but I've been part of social media from Zinga Zenga
to today. I don't know if you guys had got
Zenga was like free my space. It was like right
from my space, had a short stint. It was like
(03:37):
the vining of its era, like a year of popularity.
It was like MySpace without like brending.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
And all of that.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Okay, I did not know Zinga, but it's.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Like a blog basically. But you I've seen it all,
and I feel like it's crazy to see the generational differences,
like because we grew up in a time where like
interacting wasn't part of like wasn't for an algorithm. It
was just like we liked content. But now I feel
like gen Z generation after knows that, like the creators
that they love and want to support, they know they
have to interact with the content in order for it
to go anywhere. And of course my content's all millennials,
(04:08):
so they're like, that's funny, and then they just keep scrolling.
Then lately my content hasn't been going anywhere because it's
like millennials like cool anyway, I follow them already, so
fair they don't understand like the interaction. I did the
most millennial thing when I downloaded TikTok because I was
obsessed with Vine too, and then I got on TikTok
expecting it to be Vine like twenty nineteen, like late
twenty nineteen, and that's when it was like the cliche
(04:30):
like dancing app, and they started to like incorporate more
comedy content and promote comedy con creators. And then I
got soberwhelmed. Though I deleted the app after I'd made
one video when I went viral, and then four months
later I started making videos again, and then that's when
I started growing. Like I would have stuck with it,
that would have been crazy, but I got soberwhelmed with
(04:51):
just an app. I'm like, ah no, thinks. Then I
deleted it because I didn't want to be seen or
perceived fair.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I mean also, yeah, the public's view also of people
on it, becoming known from that app has completely shifted.
I mean in all forms of entertainment. It's like, yeah,
you might have we might have looked down at that traditionally, right,
and now that wouldn't even cross my mind. Yeah, from TikTok.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Yeah, and you guys have seen it, probably more than me.
But even just like people thinking that just because I
show like a little part of my life on the internet,
they need to know everything you know, and it's just
it's it's wild to be prepared. And there was even
a moment where I felt like I needed to do that,
and then I'm like I don't though, you know, like
I talk about like working and I talk about growing
(05:36):
up in the nineties two thousands, So I'm like, that's
the content I share and I'm just going to keep shying.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
That that's that's who. Yeah, on the on the gram
or on the tick the top, I'm really showing my age.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I know nothing.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
I'm a cool mam. But that is interesting though, because
because you are an advocate for mental health, you know,
like it's that fine balance of social media versus real life,
versus what you're sharing versus people feeling like they know you.
(06:15):
So what is it like now because you have so
many followers, so many views, Like people seeing you on
the street, did they come up to you and they
does it feel like they really like you're their best friend?
Speaker 3 (06:25):
It's like polar opposite. It's either like TikTok guy, I'll
just have someone just point at me to a TikTok
guy and I'm like.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
Cool, like that that's funny.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Or there would be like I was out with one
of my friends who's a therapist, and someone stopped me
on the street and it was like, oh, my God,
Like you saved my life in the pandemic, which millennials.
I talked to my therapists fat this week and like
we just like exaggerate and catastrophize so much. That's like extremes.
It's like you saved my life, not like your videos
were funny and made my day. But my friend, because
(06:55):
she knows I'm insecure, you know, and she knows that
I'm going through and so she like grabbed my face
and she's it's four and she's like five three, So
she like grabbed my face down and she's like, I
want you to hear what that woman just said to you.
It's okay, you saved her life, Like I really don't
think I did.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Millennials, don't discount what you're contributing to say exactly.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
But no, it is cool to see. It's like I
never thought it was funny. I like always was a
consumer of content on the internet. Didn't expect any of
this to go anywhere, and then here we are now
talking to people from one of my favorite shows.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
We'll get to that, that's right, we'll get to that. Yeah,
But when you started on the talk, what was the
I remember you? You talked you mentioned it earlier, but like,
what was the impetus like or the intent one you
were starting on the talk why you didn't think you
(07:56):
were funny?
Speaker 3 (07:58):
I just kind of like a I did on Instagram
before or like Facebook, even throwing it back was just
like for people that I was friends with, because like
I had a couple of coworkers and the friends we
followed each other because we would send each other kiktok
strictlan on there rather than like texting them to each other.
And then I just like started making the videos and
then a ton of them didn't really take off. But
(08:21):
then once I made one that really leaned into like
using a throwback song, I used like a cascata every
time we touch I'm sure you all know that song
machic Yeah, Magic Ethereal sends me the space every time
I used that song one my videos. And then I
just kept going with that nostalgic collab of like working
from home content just you know, kept doing that. And again,
(08:46):
it was like October twenty twenty is when I started
doing that, and then it wasn't until like I started
re entering the world in twenty twenty one where I'm like, oh,
those like that number of like one point two million,
which was my following at the time, are real people,
because people came up and like started recognizing me and like, no,
I'm like, I just like make silly little videos, you know.
(09:07):
And then you know, I started to embrace the fact that, like,
my videos are reaching a ton of people.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
It is a crazy thing, though, because when you do
have somebody literally in the palm of your hand watching
them every day and we are everyone was stuck at home,
and you do feel like you've become friends with them,
like immediately starting talking to you, let's say, like on
Instagram or something like. I feel like there was a
comfortability factor. So I can't even imagine, but I know
(09:34):
having been on like a certain side of it to
an extent of like, well, we don't actually know each other.
I don't want to be like creepy and weird and
assume like I know anything really about but I respect
their talent and humility and all that, and so like
going out into the public after that had to be
(09:55):
like a real awakening of oh, a year ago, this
was not my life, and now all of a sudden
everything has changed.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
Everything, everything has changed. But yeah, it's funny you mentioned
that too, because I feel like it's what I realized
to when you like meet people from social media or
even like when people come up to me, I feel
like that first layer is broken at least of like
getting to know you, because it's like what do you
do for work and all that stuff, because like you
already have that, or like it's almost like social media
(10:25):
is the mutual friend. Meeting people off social media?
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Yeah, and it is. I mean, I'm going to steal
that because my least favorite thing about sort of small
talk meeting people catching up with old friends is so
like what do you do? What are you up to?
That whole thing? And you're right, it does completely just
negate having to even go there, right.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
And I feel like if if I do like a
Q and A on Instagram or something and just like
random advice that I'm not qualified to give, absolutely not,
but I'll still do it just to do something fun
on Instagram, I get a lot of comments and like
how do I make friends as an adult? Or how
do I make new friends as an adult? And it
put into perspective for me too. It's like just like
what feels natural because I feel like there was this
(11:08):
time in my life where I felt I was forcing
so many friendships and I was like so surfaced with
so many of them. And now I feel like I'm
at a point where like the people that are in
my life are like in it and they've helped me
through some some really hard times, and I feel I
was I'm like I don't want new friends in the
sense of like I don't feel like making a new
like circle of friends. Yeah, like I'm totally for like
(11:31):
broadening the circle of friends I have now, like through
other mutuals and stuff and something organic captain's for sure,
But I'm not like actively searching out new friendships because
I just don't have the bandwidth there right now. Corporate word.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
But yeah, it takes so much time and energy to
develop like meaningful and lasting friendship. So to sort of
it's like dating. If you've been in the long term
relationship and all the something happens and you break up.
I have to do this again. I have to like
go through all this getting to know you and.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Also around the surface ones, they're like the ones you
have the least amount of time for. You're like, why
is why am I even doing this?
Speaker 4 (12:08):
Serving me?
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Is you know, does it serve me.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
You have to, Like I noticed to, it's harder to
break up with a friend sometimes than it is depending
how long you've been dating the person that it is
just for like a relationship totally, because it's like you
feel like an obligation because you've been there for each
other through all this stuff. But at a certain points,
if it's creating more stress for both of you, what's
the point it doesn't serve you.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
I haven't had to break up with a friend in
a really long time. I don't either.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Yeah, good, Kevin, Good. I think I just good people
around you.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
That's why the same good people around you most I do.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
See I have. I've had the same circle, and I
slowly broadened it over time. Yeah yeah, every now and
but but I have started to recognize just because I'm
a round someone frequently like new people frequently, doesn't mean
I want to be or have to be. That's happened
a lot time. I'm like, oh, like we're peripherally like
(13:10):
in the same circle, right like and like, oh, but
actually I don't. This is taking up some time and
energy that I don't want. I'd rather give it to Jenna,
you know.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Yeah, exactly, Yeah, it's like where you feel safe. Like
I did residential therapy in May for a month where
I like lived at a center basically just because I
was at a like a low I guess you would
call it.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
And the first question that they ask when you're like
discharging or like re entering the world is like, what
right down ten people who are your safe space? And
so I've been working with my therapists and transition a
lot too, and just like who is safe? That's really
the friendships that matter, you know, And I feel like
once you lose that safety too, where you have to
(13:58):
learn to trust someone new if you canting someone news,
it was really difficult to gauge, right.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Whoa deep stuff this is I think we've ever gone on.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
When you started on all of this. A lot of
your stuff was like about you know, work, right, complaining
about work or complaining about work? What does your work
think about it?
Speaker 3 (14:34):
Oh my god? I was really nervous because the complaints
I was making about work we're former companies, because I
like worked for some toxic workplaces that if I mentioned them,
everyone know. But it was just like startups or fitness companies.
And one of my I was in sales too, so
it's like sales is like the grind right m And
one of my like my former companies, we had to
(14:56):
work till like midnight the last four days of every
month just to like make more sales, were signing up
people for a gym. So at the time when I
was making these tiktoks, I was working for a really
healthy company that treated me well. So that's what you
can see that at the beginning, I talk more about
(15:16):
my experience and like how I feel rather than like
how the company's treating me. But there was a moment
where I got a counter invite just said you're tiktoks.
And again, this is like at that early stage where
I didn't think those people were real that were like
watching my videos, Like I knew they were real, but
it was just like, you know, I couldn't feel a connection.
And I got on that meeting and it was with
(15:38):
my boss's boss, so I was terrified. I'm like, this
is it. I'm getting fired. I don't like I looked
through my contract that I signed to see if there's
any social media clause, which I don't think there was
at the time, and he it was a guy and
again in sales, it can be a lot of toxic masculinity.
So he was like really stern, and I was really
nervous for him to slatd into me. And he goes
(16:00):
talk about your videos. I relate to a lot of them,
and I was like, oh my god. I thought I
was like getting fired. I thought this was this was done.
And he's like, I think that about our CEO all
the time. And it was just like a way. It
was like really funny because like we related to each
other and that's was like the content was for everyone,
even though it's marketed towards the specific someone. Wow. Yeah,
(16:24):
I wish I had a better story that I got
in trouble or something.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
But no.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
There were a couple of videos where I had a
manager send it to me to like be careful or
like you're going a line here.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Whenever I'm building a brand in a business, don't worry
about me.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Yeah, but that must have felt good though, you know,
just completely off taken off guard in the best way possible.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Right, Wow, Okay, now I'm getting a promotion. For sure.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
There was a hard balance, so like because there was
moments where I felt like I had to make a
video like every hour or like every three times a day,
because that's what I was doing when I was first growing.
And now there's like two weeks, right, don't make a video,
And that's fine with me, because again, talking about mental
health is just like you know, it was a very
like traumatic experience going from like zero to one hundred,
(17:19):
while my personal life at the time was kind of crumbling.
So it's like very hard to balance it all. Just
taking time for myself to it, which would have done
that more early on, to a focus more on my job.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
I mean, it's hard. It's like anybody. Everybody's looking for
success in some way and something right, and it's like,
all of a sudden you find this random success in
something and you know that it does on average take
like three videos a day to maintain that to build
some sort of following, and you're like, well, sure, I'll
let everything else all apart a little bit because it's
like a professional weird thing is happening for me.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Right.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
If I didn't have a video go viral, I would
like stay up like until like nine on the app,
which is like trying to make something just lost my
life doing that.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
It's like trying to get like your fix of right, Like,
you know how.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Viral video is just crazy.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
So how do you how do you now balance that
for your mental health? It sounds like you've obviously taken
that as the priority versus the social media or the
you know, the the views, So like, how how long
did it take you to get there and what did
you do?
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Yeah, I think it was that moment of realizing that
I looked at my profile and I was like, wait,
there's one point six million people here who follow me
who can't engage my content. That's like your brain has
the capacity of knowing a thousand people, you know. So
that was wild to me that that many people followed me.
(18:46):
And then I'm like, why the reason I kept posting?
Posting because I wanted to grow. I wanted to grow
because I thought it would stop. And then once I
realized that I didn't need any more than that, because
I didn't even need a thousand. If my content reached
five pep, that's all that mattered. I had that moment
of introspective where I realized that I am making this
(19:08):
just for the community, and if I'm not well, if
I'm like not living by what I'm trying to say,
even just like as a joke, then what's the point
of doing it. So just like if I think of
something funny, I'll post it. And you know, I do
have to be methodical a little bit if I don't
want my whole feed to be like branded content, and
I do you know, need to have branded content to
(19:30):
earn money to do with whatever, and so I do
have to regularly post for that, but just not as
much pressure like I would even research like the best
time to post on TikTok and like, that's so weird
that I was like living by.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
I mean, I'm pretty sure I've done that too.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Yeah, it's admirable because I think a lot of people
do feel like like a slave to the to you know,
social media in a way, especially when you're making money
off of it and it's part of your livelihood, so
it can be really hard to balance it. But yeah, great,
good on you. I mean, really very admorable, truly. Okay,
(20:07):
let's talk about me a little bit, because you know
podcast tell us about when you first saw Glee and
and kind of your journey with the show, because I
know you've watched a few times now.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
Yes, I vividly remember I went to like I went
to a religious college where it was like very strict
and even like there, it wasn't I wasn't not allowed
to watch Glee, but I remember if I was there,
definitely would have been some judgment because you like, you know,
you guys were posting about things that like oh yeah,
(20:45):
like you were like the episodes are going live about
like against what I was being.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Totally yeah Ryan every single week.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
Yes, yes, you used to it, but I remember I
was in my dorm room my roommate with my roommate
got swine flu. I don't know if you remember swine flu. Yeah,
And the show premiered my first year at this college,
so I actually had like the whole dorm to myself
basically the entire semester. So I like locked the door
and I remember like scheduling it to watch it live
(21:16):
and then yeah I watched it opening day.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Wow, yeah, day one crazy? What made you want to
watch it?
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Like? Man, I was a theater kid. I was in Yeah,
I was in musicals even throughout college, and that really
caught my eye. My school didn't have show choir, but
I remember I had some friends from my youth group
that were in show choir, so to go watch them
in show choir. And so I was just love music
and found it fascinating. So I was caught from day one.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
So it sounds like the music was the thing that
kind of kept you right.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
The music, but then the writing just kept me going
to Like I still you know how people like watch
fine compilations, your TikTok compilations. I watch gleek compilations when
I need a lot or just something for background noise,
just actually see.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
It's like me watching the America's Got Talent compilations.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
Like the like the Golden buzzer.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Yes, just before we got that's what I was doing.
I've been crying.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
My eyes.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
I looked a mess. My eyes were bloodshot before I
got on here, Like I have to go get my
life together before I see someone.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
There's nothing better too than when someone gets the golden
buzzer and they just look underwhelmed, and like, do you
not really You're more excited than they are.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
There is golden confetti. Heidi Klum loves you.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
How do you clume hit that buzzer for you? Yeah,
the cannon's right there.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
I don't believe you. You used to go watch show choir,
like your friend was in show, Like, I have no
knowledge that show choir existed pre being on the show. Yeah,
that was something.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
The suburb I grew up in had a really intense school,
Like the choir performed at the Grammys, Like it was
very very musical school, very much like Audio Adrenaline, but
it was it was uh yeah, so I would go
and see the perform It's really good. But yeah, very
knowledgeable in the show choir world.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
Is it true that you're on your fifth rewatch?
Speaker 3 (23:18):
It could be One thing about me is I I
will never watch a new show. I have two types
of shows that I watch. I have shows that I've
seen multiple times it's really Happy Endings, not sure if
familiar with that show and a New Girl. And then
I watch shows that ended way too early, like shows
(23:38):
that have one season even and I just feel like
this is the worst, like happy Endings. I just watched Reboot.
That is a new show I watched and that ended
after one season, Like why do I get hooked on
and I don't even know? I like, look like one season,
I look when season two happening, it's like it ended.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
I'm like, great, it's because you have good taste. Those
are like all the great sort of obscure comedies that
we're very good and absolutely disa to have more.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Amazing writing, just like we ahead of their time, ahead
of their time.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Okay, I have a couple of favorites, and I don't
know if you can give us off the top of
your head, but no pressure. Okay, what was your favorite.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Season?
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Season threeh my god, we just started season three. I
don't remember anything from it, so I'm really.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Use that's what people keep.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Saying this rewatch. I started on season three, the first
two but and I you know, I think that transition
starting in season four was like beautifully done. And obviously
you know less of some cast members than others, but
you know, that's what I look forward.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
To when I do my rewatch. Wow, what about season
three is the one for you? Is it because some
of them are graduating? It is that like gross thing?
Speaker 3 (25:08):
Or yeah, it's like the final you know, it's like that.
It is really nostalgic for me because it brings me
back to high school truly, and I think, you know,
after watching it, you know what happens at the end
of it. But just like the road to Nationals is
always inspiring to watch give me chills.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
It feels like season six.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Yeah, that's the season with My Cup, right.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
My cup with season two?
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Was that really? Yes?
Speaker 2 (25:35):
We were surprised as well.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
That is one of my favorites.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
I said you had good taste, right classic good.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Season three?
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Right? Yes?
Speaker 3 (25:50):
Yes, yes, and that's one okay cool.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
When we do my cup is when we're trying to
write I.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
Remember that, ye, mister, like you guys write it. You guys,
go ahead it right, no plan, good luck? Okay, next one?
And what is your favorite if you had to pick
a favorite episode and and mash up? Do you have
(26:19):
a favorite mash up?
Speaker 2 (26:20):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Yeah, My favorite mashup is when the walking on Sunshine
Halo this vitamin. That's the vitamin the episode right, yes,
which is probably one of my favorite episodes too, just
because it's such like an out there concept really, but
I love every Brittany episode too, you know, just like
(26:42):
growing up with Britney Spears and then doing all the
cover songs, and then the Michael episode is always good,
like Naya doing Smith Criminal Smooth Criminal.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Wasn't saying it was going to be one of my favorites. Yeah?
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Yeah, what is in your opinion is the most unhinged
story line.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
Oh my god, so many to choose from there are
I think everything was Sue, but I think Quinn in
a wheelchair, well, yeah, I'm sorry seeing that a wheelchair,
(27:24):
and I think it's just there's a line that Sue says,
either in season five or season six, about like how
easily it is for the grade just to come back.
She's like, I don't know how you're funding your teleportation
back here, But that's always a crazy storyline to me.
The graduates just like show up, I don't know, nowhere.
Remember when I was freshman supper year of college, I
(27:44):
could barely fly home on a forty five minute flight
from mine Chicago, you know, like, how are you coming
back from New York so easily?
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Everyone's just next door, you know, New York and Ohio? Yeah,
very close, close, Yeah right.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
I think growing up in the Midwest maybe appreciate Lee
because my dad's from Ohio, so I've been in Ohio
many times, but just very you know, similar to the
suburbs schools that I grew up.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Grew up. Did the show feel like the Midwest to you?
Speaker 3 (28:11):
It did?
Speaker 2 (28:12):
It did?
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Yeah? Because I knew I didn't know anything about the
industry even until I started making content. So it's just
like I thought you all filmed in Ohio, you know,
like that's how naive was to this whole. Yeah, for
most of it, and then you know, obviously learning more
about the industry, learn that sets exist. But it did
feel very Midwest.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
From Chicago, Okay, what's up?
Speaker 1 (28:36):
Yeah, Ryan Murphy also not from Chicago, but from the Midwest. Yeah,
and then in Chicago, so yeah, that's a little bit
more glamorous season four or five.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Right, right, I did. I actually did like the second
round of casts two, like yeah, Unique and Marley Rose
doing blow Me for the Grease Audition is one of
my favorite performances too. We love but yeah, they're good,
kitty and like watching and I forgot how upset I
was that, like we didn't get a closure to them. Yeah,
(29:11):
in the final season.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Totally was a bummer for me.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Totally.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
Yeah, I love how this You appreciate them, Oh, you know,
unsign heroes, they're all great. Yeah, but we was very
formative for me.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
All right, so we leave, We ask everybody at the
end of the episode, what is the feeling that Lee
leaves you with? As somebody who's potentially watched the show
five times. What what is the feeling that Glee leaves
you with?
Speaker 3 (29:40):
It does leave me with nostalgia, I think. I I've
been talking a lot with my therapist too, because its
creating nostalgic content, Like why is nostalgia so important? It's
I could transport you, transport you back to a time,
even if it was a stressful time, like I did
not have great years, you know, in college, but it's
not the time that you're in now. And I've been
going through some stressful stuff now, so it's like been
nice to have that nostalgia and the music and you know,
(30:04):
kind of calculate it encapsulates, like my high school experience.
So watching that replay through through your characters is always
a nostalgic feeling for me.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
You are nostalgia. You are my nostalgia on your step.
You are nostalgia. Please do, please do.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
And you're inspiring trampoline too. I want you to know
I listen. I don't think I can do the weight
limit for the one I could have in my apartment.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
You can't, and you can't nobody.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Jenna, Jenna, You're an inspiration.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
I did it I do it.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
If you do it, I can't. I am terrified do it.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
I'm like, no, he doesn't want to do it.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
The way you can kick your own face with your shin.
I don't. I can't even toes. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
You did sit in the chair for years.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Yeah, that's right, I have that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
I've always been pretty flexible, So it's it's not something
that I, you know, had to work hard at.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Maybe she's born with it.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
Maybe she's born with it.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
I don't know. Rod.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Thank you so much for being here, and obviously I
would open up the floor if you have any questions aboutly,
We're happy to answer them.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
I did have one. I think, okay, go for it
for one moment. Also for Rachel sending Sunshine to the
crack house while we send me, I.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
Mean, it's just so bad.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Yeah, but I think so. One thing I noticed too
at the beginning is, you know, with Naya and Heather,
the pilot obviously pilots changed to once they get picked up,
but like they're just seeing like background characters. It was
so interesting to see them become like main characters of
the show like you two were. So was that the
plan all along, like from episode of one, Yeah, because
(31:56):
it was singing.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
And exactly say a little crayer, how there was a dancer.
I was hired as a dancer by Zach and so
Zach actually was the one who pushed Ryan to see
her for another Greek Club member. And then Brittany Espierce
was born from Heather essentially and Ryan of course.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
It was sort of like n I started to get
any line or song and she was behind the scenes
such so funny. Yeah that Ryan was just like, Okay,
we need more of that. And I think just because
they're both amazingly talented, they just started writing for them.
Speaker 1 (32:31):
Yeah. I think like The Boy Is Mine was like
one of the first kind of births of Santana and
especially her and Mercedes because Ryan saw them like we
were at our cast chairs and they were doing the
impressions and so he put it in and you're like,
oh and then they like show up you know what
(32:52):
I mean on screen as well.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
So it was I think when she did when she
had her solo and the Gods, which one it was
that's like the first time you wrote bad Romance. Yeah,
it was the first time, like you heard her voice solo.
I think right or one of them, and I was
just like, damn.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Got it. We were sort of like the guinea pigs.
I think for the wider audience, it's like if we
liked it and then Ryan liked it, then he'd put
it in and then like the public sort of responded
to it just how we were, like this needs to happen,
she's so good, put this in, or like Heather is hilarious,
listen to this, like bitch, she has right, and then
it just you know, people responded with it just like
(33:31):
we did. So maybe we were the taste makers.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
Ye, that's a whole coin, I think. Besides you, like,
the only other show that's done that with like making
like growing the cast and like creating background characters throughout
the series is The Office. But it's like such a
big cast, but everyone's so notable, you know, totally.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
Very I think when everyone is so specific and everyone
comes to the table with like their unique abilities, how
can you can't It's unavoidable because you're filling out this
really beautiful ensemble where there wasn't sure the were leads
of both shows, but it was very much a team effort.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
Yeah right, Yeah, that's awesome to know that's my question.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Well, we're grateful you came on, and we're grateful that
for what you share on your on your social channels,
and you know all the good, good things you're doing
and saving people's lives. So thank you so much for
really nice to meet you.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
Nice to meet you too. You want to get my trampoline?
Speaker 2 (34:34):
Please do those are the new videos.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
Please do it.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
When we're in the same town, you and I can
take a trampoline class together.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
We'll just go to like those bounce houses.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
You're the best. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Thank you What a sweet sweet lad man. Yes, really great.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Very calm, very calm.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
I enjoyed his energy.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Yeah, I feel very tranquil now, Like I just want
to sit and hear him talk all day. I gotta say, Rod,
thank you for being so just honest and open about
your journey, your mental health journey, your journey through TikTok
and social media in general. I also think that's the
(35:30):
sort of the key to his success, isn't it is
that he there is no sort of false pretense or
made up shtick. He is just who he is and
it is relatable and you're drawn in by him. You
just want to hear from.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
Him absolutely, and it's like his integrity and like intention
behind posting for not to be famous, not to get
jobs from it, but to like really just reach people.
You can really feel that it's very honest.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
Yeah, it's refreshing, and I do feel like there is
absolutely space for that and space to be successful at that.
And it's nice to see that that's happening for him
in that way. And also what thoughtful well considerations about Glee,
you know, he like we all have that show, like
(36:28):
you and one of my best friends justin like watch
Friends or west Wing every single night to fall asleep
or like it's their comfort show. And to meet people
who like Glee is sort of their comfort show or
they've watched it that many times and know it Like
you can't even put a number to how many times
rewatched it because you're just always sort of running in
the background or watching compilations or something. That's wild to
(36:51):
like be on a show that is that for people.
That sort of breaks my brain a bit. People.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
Yeah, yeah, no, no, for sure, agreed. Agreed, Well, thanks
for joining us. Hope you guys enjoyed the episode and
join us next feed.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
And that's what you really missed. Thanks for listening, and
follow us on Instagram at and that's what you really
miss pod. Make sure to write us a review and
leave us five stars. See you next time.
Host
Jenna Ushkowitz
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