June 24, 2024 • 28 mins
Rick interviews comedian and actress Zainab Johnson.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, this is Rick Tittle. Please join me for the
Comedy All Stars Podcast powered by the Eight Side Network.
In each episode, you'll hear from great comedians, from the
biggest names to those just breaking out. They'll talk about
how they got started, what's coming up next for them,
and everything in between, their specials, their albums, their films,
(00:21):
their TV roles. Get ready to laugh and cry and
hear it all. It's the Comedy All Stars Podcast with
Rick Tittle, powered by the Eighth Side. All right, and
I just shoved the little high def webcam in front
of you. We have Zanab Johnson with us because that's
on twitch dot tv as well, and we want to
(00:42):
throw a mic up there. There we go, We got you,
There we go, There we go. Yes, we're on twitch
dot tv.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Is how nice?
Speaker 1 (00:49):
And American Forces Network worldwide say hi to the embassy
in Tokyo.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Oh what's going on?
Speaker 1 (00:56):
A guy called me once on the Autobahn in his
car and he started paying me a compliment, and it
turned out to be like this spinal tap line because
he's like, I'm just such a big fan of yours
and what you've done for me over the years. I
was great. He goes yeah, you know, the whole sports
talk genre.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Not really here, But okay, don't you hate when someone
gives a compliment and then walks it back. It's like
you could have This is one of my favorite things
at the end of my show is when people are like,
I had no idea who you were. I never heard
of you before. But I'm like, you could have just
said the second part. You could have just said you
liked it. You did not have to tell me how
(01:32):
much of a non fact.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
I was in your life before.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
Right.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
And Zanab is here because she's headlining Cobb's Comedy Club
the Big Room down on Columbus. Two shows tonight, two
shows tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Actually correction, one show tonight, one show tomorrow. Oh whoo yeah,
seven thirty tonight, seven thirty tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Wow. So do you know who the late show is?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
I don't. I don't concern myself.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
With And you were in here six years ago at
the punchline, right, so you've graduated to the Big Room.
I guess I have congratulations.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
I saw you at sketch Fest up here at the
Fugazi when you were with David Cross and some other
very funny people. Yes, and it's funny because when the
picture I just retweeted it saying you were coming on.
Your hair was like to hear an afro. It wasn't
just an afro. I grew up with days with a yeah.
It was like yeah, I mean you look great obviously,
(02:26):
But and you came out on stage and I was like,
I know her, and you were like I'm saying, I'm like,
oh yeah, but you were very very funny.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
And I remember you talking about your friends wanting you
to stay safe because you were single, and one of
them suggested leaving men's boots outside the front door.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Yes, yeah, you know it's so that's a that's like
a nice little chunk in my new hour. And depending
on what region I am in the In the States,
it's like the most foreign. It's as ridiculous as it
sounded to me to most people. But then in a
lot of places it's they're like, yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
I actually kind of thought that's not a bad idea.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I just I mean, there are a lot of not
bad ideas, you know, they.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Leave the lights on or the radio on, or.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Yeah, sure, I think maybe I'm giving the robber too
much credit.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Maybe that's it true, you know, Yeah, so you grew
up in Harlem.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I remember, Yeah, I grew up I was born in Brooklyn.
I grew up in Harlem.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Where did you? Where were you born in Brooklyn?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I was born in Bushwick? Yeah, yeah, I was born
on a toilet. Actually, wow, yeah, can I say s h.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
I T now? Okay, well you can, but we get
in trouble.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Okay. My brother used to call me the s h
I T T y baby.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Because my mother had me.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
We lived, you know, Brooklyn is not the like wonderfully beautiful,
gentrified place that it is now, you know, and we
there was like a shootout on a block that I
lived on, and when my mom went into labor with me,
she was calling the my father was calling the ambulance,
but they weren't able to get through because the police
had the street barricaded off, and so, you know, time
(04:09):
passed and my mom birthed me on a toilet, and
then the fire department was able to get through, and
then the fire men came and went. It took me
to was thes No, okay, No, I've never lived in
the PJS.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Okay. Yeah, I remember going to Bushwick because I was
staying in Crown Heights okay, and they're like, there's this
pizza place called Roberta's or something. You have to go
to it. And what's funny is that there was just
like this door with like just like graffiti on it
had no name, and you went in and every guy
there had like his The waiters had their shirts unbuttoned
(04:47):
to their belly button. And I ordered anchovy pizza and
there was one anchovy on it, okay, and it was like,
you know, forty five dollars. Yeah, but everyone was raving
about it. I'm like, I was just in the village
and I got better pizza than this. I think like
Bushwick trying to get gentrified, you know.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yeah, I mean I think that I've actually been trying
to figure out because I just recently. Another part of
my new hour is how I bought a house. Yeah,
that's how the Boots by the Door. It started right
in so cal Yeah, and I bought in what is
considered a gentrified or changing neighborhood. And I was like, well,
(05:25):
what is my black neighbor across the street from me?
She was really happy that it was me that got
the house. And I only know that because she told me.
And I was like, well, what is it called when
because it's still the same concept, right, It's like people,
it's like original dwellers of that community being priced out essentially, right,
(05:47):
And so I am contributing to that. But what is
it called when you look like the people in that community? Like,
is it just called pride? You know?
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Like is it just called thank you?
Speaker 5 (05:57):
You know?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Like I don't know. So I've been trying to figure that, right.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Well, that's like when I was telling you I bought
a house in Oakland and and for what I got
would have been three times as much, yeah, in the
surrounding towns. And when I got robbed, the cops said, well,
it was a kid, because he stole video games and stuff.
And I took it as a personal affront that he
left my Raider season tickets. Like he's like, nah, I
(06:22):
don't want to and they're like, well, it's just a kid,
and I was like, yeah, but that still sucks. And
so I'm like, yeah, don't worry about it. It's just
a kid.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Did you have boots boy the door?
Speaker 3 (06:33):
I see you see what I mean?
Speaker 1 (06:36):
I did not go bootsy. I probably should have some
high button boots by the door. But it's it's also
funny too, how when I see some people, because there
are still some neighborhoods that are dodgy. And I grew
up mostly in Richmond, California, which is predominantly black area
right across the Bay, and and people are always like, oh,
they have white people there. I'm like, yeah, they California,
(06:58):
but there were there's still some neighs where I see
a lot of young people riding their bikes and I
kind of want to tell them, you know, twelve thirty
at night, you probably don't want to be riding your
bike around here. But it's almost like this badge of honor, like, no,
I am proud that I'm changing this neighborhood. It's like,
that's cool that you're investing into the neighborhood. But you know,
don't act like everything's pollyanna ish too.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
I mean I've heard those stories too, where you know,
an outsider comes into the neighborhood and it's he, you know,
and they pay the consequences sometimes of being you know,
an outsider or seemingly so or or some of the
first last time when I was here for Sketch Fest,
I was in an uber and it was a lovely
Pakistani driver. And you know, a lot of reports have
(07:45):
said the San Francisco has gotten way less safe since
the pandemic, right, And I've noticed definitely. I mean I've
noticed some of my favorite cafes and things that didn't survive.
And they were like in the Business district, you know,
right on Market Street, right. And so the Uber driver
he turns and he looks at me, and he's like,
(08:06):
you know, make sure you don't go to certain neighborhoods.
You seem like a really nice African American woman. When
I tell you, I laughed so hard because I couldn't
understand the stipulation.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
You know, I couldn't understand the specifics.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
But I think anytime anyone gets a warning for whatever reason,
you better eat that warning.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
You know.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
It's like they tell tourist New York, once you get
to one hundredth Street, don't go any further. I'm like,
the park goes past the hundred street. What are you
talking about?
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Yeah, well they don't say that anymore.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
I grew up on one hundred and thirteenth and seventh,
which was considered Harlem. It was three blocks north of
Central Park and right smack in the middle of the
avenues that cover Central Park. And when I went back,
maybe like I go back often, but when I realized
this was maybe about two years ago, it wasn't called
Harlem anymore.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
That it was called Central Park North.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Oh that's right, we did have a Central Park South.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Yeah, And I was like, and like, you know, people
original people, they'll fight, they'll fight you, you know, like, no,
this is Harlem.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
And it's like, yeah, it is Harlem.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
But I think that that's all money and like real estate,
that's all just about selling.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
It's not well, they've tried to change Hell's Kent Kitchen
to Clinton Yeah remember that.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Even even where there's the meta buildings, it's just called
Hudson Yards. But it's like that was by the bus stays.
Nobody went there. That was like, no, you want to
get slapped by pimp and hit on by ho.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Sorry. Sorry, I don't know if I can say that.
I'm sorry, you can.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Say, well, it's like so Chelsea Piers, yeah, and Hudson
Yards and all those huge, huge buildings going up there.
For me, I like walking the high line and done
that a couple of times. And that's from like what
fourteenth to whatever.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Yeah, whatever, maybe like the TI twenties.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Yeah, something like that, and that's all was a little
bit fun too. But for me it's all new because
you know, I had gone to Europe a lot, and
it wasn't until like, I don't know about i'd say
seven or eight years ago, I started going to New
York often. And it's cool because as a kid, you
hear the bronx Brooklyn, Staten Island and I don't know,
and then so it's like, oh, that's there, that's here. Yeah, yeah,
(10:20):
that's cool.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
I find it really interesting when people who are not
from New York City, maybe have never even visited, don't
kind of understand the structure of the city.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
And so I always tell people.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
I'm like, yeah, I'm from Harlem and they're like, oh,
I thought you were from Manhattan. I'm like, I am
from Manhattan and they're like, oh, but I thought you
were from Harlem. I'm like, Harlem is just Harlem is
like a very small neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, right,
And they were like oh, I was like, yeah, like
there's five boroughs. I was like, in Manhattan, you may
never see it written down because it's the only borough
(10:53):
that identifies as New York, you know, like when in
postal codes and stuff. But a lot of people don't,
you know. And I mean I think it's great. I
think that, you know. I mean, I feel like we've
done so well Harlem has you know, like, nah, we.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Heard Jill this was telling me he used to live
in Harlem. Yeah, back in the day when he first
started for me, when I stayed in the East Village.
I was at Saint Arkson first, and I'm like, I
always heard about Alphabet City Avenue Avenue B. I'm like, oh,
this is where Alphabet City is. And then it's like, well,
don't go past B. And then like Ari Shafir about
a place like on Avenue C or something like That's
that's not that bad anymore.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
Yeah, no, just go where you want. And you know,
Carrie May, No.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Carrie May, it's just take a quick break. We'll come
right back with Zaying av Johnson. She is headlining Cobs
tonight and tomorrow. I'll come on back.
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Speaker 1 (12:43):
You're listening to the Comedy All Stars podcast with Rick Tittle,
powered by eight Side Network. All right, welcome back to
the show. We're tittle with you coast to coast around
the world on American Forces. Zanab Johnson is with us.
She's the headline comedian at Cobbs tonight and tomorrow and
lovely and talented actress as well. Yeah, and could you
(13:04):
tell the people about some of the stuff you're doing
as we speak, please.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Yeah. So, I'm on a show on Amazon called Upload,
created by Greg Daniels, who created The US Office.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
That's a comedy.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
It's been on for three seasons, So if you haven't
watched it and you have Prime, go ahead and watch it.
We're actually shooting our fourth and final season this summer.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
We're wrapping it up.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
The arc is coming down.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
The arc is coming down. But it's good that we
get to finish it, you know. Some I think with
the you know, we recently had like the writers' strike,
the actors strike, and a lot of things got cut
and a lot of stories just were into it. I
don't know if you saw the show Winning Time, Yeah,
that I thought that show was fun. I feel like
(13:45):
any show or you know, movie about sports is gonna
be good for the most part. But I was watching
it in the last like seven minutes of the season finale,
I was like, wait, what is it?
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Why are they doing? Why are they telling where these
people are now?
Speaker 3 (14:01):
And then I like, I was furious, and then I
googled and saw like that it got canceled and they
had no idea. Yeah you know, so so we're lucky.
Did we get to end on our turn?
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Yes? There were. Greg fitz Simmons's in here when Crashing
was on. Yeah, and he was writing for that show.
And after the second season, like halfway through, he's like, well,
we got to start the new arc and they're like,
we're not gonna do it. Yeah, we're gonna We're gonna
end it.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
He's like the cushiest job on television, in my opinion,
is those procedural shows, like if you're on like a
network procedurals, not even a hitch, like not even a
hit streaming show, like you know, people could be like, yeah,
I'm a hit on Bridgerton, but I still live in
an apartment right, People are saying that. But if you
are on like an NBC ABC, you know, like you're
(14:46):
shooting twenty four episodes in the year, Yeah, it's in.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
It's you get to show up like.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
It's not a single camera show usually, and so you
just just show.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Up to a studio lot.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
All the conditions are controlled just a it's it's the
ideal job.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
So for you, did you take to acting like a
fish to water or how much you know? Did you
do the least Steinberg or method acting or what.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Was your Yeah, I've taken classes.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
No, I wouldn't say I've taken any specific like school
of you know, of acting, but I've definitely taken scene study.
I went to RADA for a summer, which is RADA
is the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Yeah, and I did a summer there in the West End.
I can't remember.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
I was gonna say Theater district possibly.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
But it's a pretty esteemed school.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Yeah, and I've taken Like in Los Angeles for comedy,
there is a teacher of school, Leslie Khan, and she's
pretty known. Yeah, and so I've I've studied at her school.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
And yeah, I don't.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
I love acting because I love the art of storytelling.
Acting doesn't come as easily to me as stand up.
I find it much easier to just be myself, right,
But I do find that in the world of what
other people create, it can be really fun to to try,
(16:20):
you know. Yeah, and I hear I get a lot
of compliments. A lot of people love me on the show.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
That's great. Well, I mean you're very likable and I
don't cancel me. But you know, you're good looking.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
But here's the thing. Here's the thing. The cast of
UPLOAD everyone's good looking.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Well, most times in American TV, you kind of have
to be good looking. That's why I like British TV,
where everyone's ugly. Yeah, because it's like I didn't confirm that.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
I'm sorry, it's funny.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
You watched it. They spend a lot of time over there,
and it's like everyone in the show's three hundred pounds
and has cysts and boils. And in America it's funny.
I never really thought about that. But for the most part,
you gotta be good looking.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
I mean, there's like they're yeah, they're they're If you're
not good looking, right in America, and you're an actor,
then you're considered a character actor.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Right, That's the that's the way we say not good.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Something compelling, like an amazing like Dom Delaise, he's hilarious, Balloon.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Yeah, you know, but I was.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
I was in a meeting with Sony Studio execs. Our
lead on Our leads on the show are Robbie Amel
and uh Andy Allo. And the first question in the meeting,
and this is this is the Sony execs.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
They're like, who's hotter, Robbie or Andy?
Speaker 1 (17:44):
And I'm like, my gosh. In Tina Fay's book that
The Bossy Pants, she said that she did some pilot
and she heard that when these network executives watched it,
there are these three old guys and they said, there's
no one in this show I want to f and
(18:05):
that was their response. And then she's like, well, no
one wants to Yeah, yeah, but but they didn't care
about the story or how the compelling it was, or
the acting or the humor it was like. And then
I think back, like because when I heard that, I
was like, then I started thinking about every sitcom I
ever watched, and you had to throw a Lannie Anderson
in there. And even though she's talented, it's like, because
(18:26):
this executive sex cells, I guess, yeah, that's what they wanted.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Yeah yeah, And I mean it always is in the
in the business of the woman the female character unfortunately.
But you know, someone asked me a little while ago about, like,
how what is it like to be like an attractive comedian?
Speaker 2 (18:45):
And I was like, I think times have changed.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Like I don't think the the aesthetic of the female
comedian today is unattractive or you know, like or severely
overweighted or some like I just well, all bodies exist,
I think for the most part, like sex is also
selling in comedy too. Look at you know, somebody like
(19:08):
a Matt Rife or Nicki Glacer or you know, like
they lean into it, you.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Know, whatever works for you. Yeah, and Nicky came in
here for years before she really blew up.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Yeah yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
And the thing is like Matt Rife blew up before.
I really I usually I see people on the way
up He's like, Oh, there's this guy with a six
pack and girl lips and beautiful eyes, and I'm like,
I go, don't hate on him. I mean, if he's
not funny, that would only last five minutes, you know.
But it's like these TikTokers. I understand why clubs book
them because they'll sell out. Yeah, but a lot of
(19:41):
times they'll have like five strong, fifteen good it's like
you have another forty five minutes to go. Yeah, yeah,
and then it's like yeah yeah, but yeah, I mean.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
The girl lips is funny. I'm sorry. That's where I stuck.
That's for some reason where I was.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
You haven't heard a word since I said that. That's
how I described him when I thought, I'm like, oh,
he's got girl lips, a six pack, and beautiful eyes.
I just before the hour before you came in, I
had rosebud Baker and she was talking about because I
told her I saw the documentary where she was trying
to get to JFL. Yeah, and and and they're still
(20:19):
to this day, and male comedians will joke like women
aren't funny or whatever, you know, but I think about her.
I Kelsey Cook's been in here, Rachel Feinstein's been in here.
They're all very attractive. But for me, I don't care
if you're straight or gay, or trans or black or white.
I just want to laugh. If you're funny, that should
be the criterion.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
You're absolutely right.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
However, there are biases that we are unaware of.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
They are ingrained in our day. They are inherent, like attracts,
like yes, yeah, and.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
There is a thing there it's easier to listen to
people who are who you find attracted. Forget what everybody
else do, but who most people find attractive.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
It's very easy to listen to those people.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
You know.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Well, it's it's it's an aesthetic. Whereas I remember hearing
this thing the psychologist said that straight men want to
be around good looking men and it's not gay. It's
just because you're attracted to things that look good.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
No, it's gay. No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding here, it's
for sure gay. No, I'm kidding.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
Well, it's I mean, it's it's kind of true in
a way that you or And then of course is
a thing. It's like, you know, you don't want to
judge somebody by their looks, but these things are ingrained.
Sometimes there's no doubt.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
So you know, I hosted a show on Netflix called
one hundred Humans, and we did it was very experimental,
and one of the experiments was, you know, do we
do we respect accents? And we had a woman come
in who did three different accents. And when she did
the and she just read, it was like she was
reading in the back of a freaking.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
You know, cleaning container or something.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
The most boring thing that you can recite, and when
she did it in a British accent, everybody was like, yeah,
she seems so intelligent. I paid attention to everything she said,
you know, like I feel like I really walked away
with it. I mean, she was reciting nonsense, and then
when she did it kind of like in a southern drawl,
like an American South, they were like, I wouldn't listen,
(22:24):
like she's yeah, why would I listen to her?
Speaker 1 (22:27):
It's like, yeah, I hate that whole thing about a
British accent automatically makes you posh. But I admitted something
on this show a couple of years ago. I had
this guy on and I forgot what book he wrote,
but he was talking about some of the most poignant
human relations and love and death and loss and triumph
by he talked a lot. I'll tell you what I'm
laying what I did, And so as soon as I
(22:49):
heard it, I was like, oh, now, yeah, but you
listened to him. I'm like, this guy's ten times smarter
than I am. But I immediately, whether it's with social, economic,
whatever it is, when I heard I was like, this
guy's a dumb ass.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Iana van Zan you know that is you know, she's
a she's a kind of like a he I don't whatever.
She's a TV personality now off the offspring of like
Oprah doctor phil Iona anyway, uh, and she talks and
she kind of helps people on her show. And I
listened to an interview with her and she's like, you know,
a lot of people missed the lesson because of what
(23:25):
the person looks like or what they sound like, or
where they come from. And she's like, one of our
biggest tasks as human beings is to focus on the
message and not the messenger. And I think that that's
I mean, I'm always trying to like distinguish between the two.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Do you know doctor Harry Edwards.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
I don't. We don't know each other's people.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Do you know? But he's this He was a still
is an activist. He's a professor. I took a class
from him at cal and he was the guy behind
the John Carlos Tommy Smith of Mexico sitting on it.
And one time Donahue flew him in for the show
and he said, I was staying at the Essex House
(24:08):
hotel in downtown Chicago, and I was in the lobby
with ten other businessmen, all white, and the chauffeur came
in and walked up to all other nine white guys
and said doctor Edwards until he finally got to me.
He's like, you're doctor Edwards.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
It's just a preconceived No, yeah, and how dare you, chauffeur?
That would be the kicker you know?
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Like And by the way, our podcast Rick and Zandam's
Race Relations, that's gonna be getting underway too. We'll take
a quick break and we will come on back because
we have all the answers on Sports Byline. We got
Zane M. Johnson at Cobbs Comedy Club and we were
just talking about a crush you had and a guy
when he was younger.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
No, no, no, I have a crush.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
I had a crush on him currently currently as an
older man, much older than me. But I did go
back because the Internet I was able to google pictures
of him young and at made me feel like I
would have definitely.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Been somebody on his card.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
Did you hear the thing about Axel Rose with that No,
So this was a couple of months ago. Apparently there
was a picture of Axel Rose like in the late
eighties with the six pack and all his goofy clothes
and there was some supermodel who's famous on the internet,
and she said what I would have done, and then
he tweets back, I'm right here, and then she wrote back,
(25:31):
I'm good, and then he wrote back, I'm literally the
same guy and then ghosted.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
So yeah, he should have just like took the compliment
and just remembered his heyday.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
But I've had that before. Like I remember, I was
in high school.
Speaker 3 (25:46):
I was like fifteen, and I had a question on
a guy who was like nineteen years old and he
was like.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
Slim, fit athlete, all of that. Then I ran into him.
I had a crush. Never nothing ever happened.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
He was a responsible guy who knew he was We
were age incompatible, right, And so then when I got
to college, I randomly bumped into him and I dated
him for a little while. He was fat. He was
I mean I mean not just fat, like like pH fat.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
He was huge.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
And my sister, my older sister was five years older
than me, she was like, what are you doing, Like
this is not even so surprised, Like you're so you're
such a fit. You know, you're you're attracted to people
who do the same things you do. And I was like, yeah,
but for some reason, I don't see it like I
still see the eighteen year old Yeah. And then and
(26:40):
then one day I stopped. I said, wait a minute,
you're like you look like a hurt.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
I had the Shallow Howe movie before it ever came out.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
That's pretty good. I remember I had a crush on
a girl when I was like in junior high and
then I saw in college and she was even more beautiful.
But all she talked about was how the United States
should be communists, and I thought, oh, whatever, You're entitled
to your opinion. And then it started getting into death squads,
and then she looked really ugly to me, and then
I thought, that's maybe a sign of maturity, that it's
(27:09):
no longer how you look like if you're kind of
a gross person. Yeah, speaking of gross people. Tonight it's
about segue. We got ten seconds. What do we get
at Cobbs Comedy Club Tonight?
Speaker 3 (27:20):
You get tomorrow, you get me, you get a full
hour of me and my new hour. I'm talking about guns,
I'm talking about possums, I'm talking about home ownership. I'm
still talking a little bit about my family, and you
guys know I'm a black Muslim American woman, so don't
miss it.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Zayam Johnson, thanks for coming in.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Thank you, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
It takes so long.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
Next time, this isn't so fun, I won't.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
All right, good stuff, I'm right to Thet'll see you Monday,
nine am. Pack time.
Speaker 6 (27:48):
Okay, it's here, everyone, Stay calm. It's CLO's lowest prices
of the season. And when I say low, I mean low.
I got my kids jumping bean seased for three ninety nine,
treated my sell to some qute t's and tank tops
under five bugs, and got grape fines for our patio
thanfty percent off.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
Last I aren colescaz on. All of it sounds too
good to be true.
Speaker 6 (28:10):
I guess you'll have to go to Cole's and find
out for yourself.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Flex styles offers in the May fifteen. Some exclusives apply
sea store calls.
Speaker 5 (28:17):
I have for details what seems to be the problem?
Speaker 4 (28:20):
Doctor?
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Thank god? My husband found out Cricket Wireless has five
G plans for fifteen dollars a month, and.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
His jaw just dropped.
Speaker 5 (28:26):
Did he hear about crickets blazing fast? Five G?
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Yep?
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Huh.
Speaker 5 (28:30):
What about their reliable nationwide coverage. Yes, that too, I see.
Unfortunately there's no cure, but you will have really fast
five G.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Get jaw droppingly fast five G for fifteen dollars a month. Smile,
you're on cricket.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
Cricket five G requires a compatable device and is not
available everywhere. Video may be limited to Este's may apply
Term thirtrictions apply subject to change store for details.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
Thanks for listening in to the Comedy All Stars podcast
with rig Hittle on the eight Side Network
Hi, this is Rick Tittle. Please join me for the
Comedy All Stars Podcast powered by the Eight Side Network.
In each episode, you'll hear from great comedians, from the
biggest names to those just breaking out. They'll talk about
how they got started, what's coming up next for them,
and everything in between, their specials, their albums, their films,
(00:21):
their TV roles. Get ready to laugh and cry and
hear it all. It's the Comedy All Stars Podcast with
Rick Tittle, powered by the Eighth Side. All right, and
I just shoved the little high def webcam in front
of you. We have Zanab Johnson with us because that's
on twitch dot tv as well, and we want to
(00:42):
throw a mic up there. There we go, We got you,
There we go, There we go. Yes, we're on twitch
dot tv.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Is how nice?
Speaker 1 (00:49):
And American Forces Network worldwide say hi to the embassy
in Tokyo.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Oh what's going on?
Speaker 1 (00:56):
A guy called me once on the Autobahn in his
car and he started paying me a compliment, and it
turned out to be like this spinal tap line because
he's like, I'm just such a big fan of yours
and what you've done for me over the years. I
was great. He goes yeah, you know, the whole sports
talk genre.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Not really here, But okay, don't you hate when someone
gives a compliment and then walks it back. It's like
you could have This is one of my favorite things
at the end of my show is when people are like,
I had no idea who you were. I never heard
of you before. But I'm like, you could have just
said the second part. You could have just said you
liked it. You did not have to tell me how
(01:32):
much of a non fact.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
I was in your life before.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
Right.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
And Zanab is here because she's headlining Cobb's Comedy Club
the Big Room down on Columbus. Two shows tonight, two
shows tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Actually correction, one show tonight, one show tomorrow. Oh whoo yeah,
seven thirty tonight, seven thirty tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Wow. So do you know who the late show is?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
I don't. I don't concern myself.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
With And you were in here six years ago at
the punchline, right, so you've graduated to the Big Room.
I guess I have congratulations.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
I saw you at sketch Fest up here at the
Fugazi when you were with David Cross and some other
very funny people. Yes, and it's funny because when the
picture I just retweeted it saying you were coming on.
Your hair was like to hear an afro. It wasn't
just an afro. I grew up with days with a yeah.
It was like yeah, I mean you look great obviously,
(02:26):
But and you came out on stage and I was like,
I know her, and you were like I'm saying, I'm like,
oh yeah, but you were very very funny.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
And I remember you talking about your friends wanting you
to stay safe because you were single, and one of
them suggested leaving men's boots outside the front door.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Yes, yeah, you know it's so that's a that's like
a nice little chunk in my new hour. And depending
on what region I am in the In the States,
it's like the most foreign. It's as ridiculous as it
sounded to me to most people. But then in a
lot of places it's they're like, yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
I actually kind of thought that's not a bad idea.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I just I mean, there are a lot of not
bad ideas, you know, they.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Leave the lights on or the radio on, or.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Yeah, sure, I think maybe I'm giving the robber too
much credit.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Maybe that's it true, you know, Yeah, so you grew
up in Harlem.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I remember, Yeah, I grew up I was born in Brooklyn.
I grew up in Harlem.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Where did you? Where were you born in Brooklyn?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I was born in Bushwick? Yeah, yeah, I was born
on a toilet. Actually, wow, yeah, can I say s h.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
I T now? Okay, well you can, but we get
in trouble.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Okay. My brother used to call me the s h
I T T y baby.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Because my mother had me.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
We lived, you know, Brooklyn is not the like wonderfully beautiful,
gentrified place that it is now, you know, and we
there was like a shootout on a block that I
lived on, and when my mom went into labor with me,
she was calling the my father was calling the ambulance,
but they weren't able to get through because the police
had the street barricaded off, and so, you know, time
(04:09):
passed and my mom birthed me on a toilet, and
then the fire department was able to get through, and
then the fire men came and went. It took me
to was thes No, okay, No, I've never lived in
the PJS.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Okay. Yeah, I remember going to Bushwick because I was
staying in Crown Heights okay, and they're like, there's this
pizza place called Roberta's or something. You have to go
to it. And what's funny is that there was just
like this door with like just like graffiti on it
had no name, and you went in and every guy
there had like his The waiters had their shirts unbuttoned
(04:47):
to their belly button. And I ordered anchovy pizza and
there was one anchovy on it, okay, and it was like,
you know, forty five dollars. Yeah, but everyone was raving
about it. I'm like, I was just in the village
and I got better pizza than this. I think like
Bushwick trying to get gentrified, you know.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yeah, I mean I think that I've actually been trying
to figure out because I just recently. Another part of
my new hour is how I bought a house. Yeah,
that's how the Boots by the Door. It started right
in so cal Yeah, and I bought in what is
considered a gentrified or changing neighborhood. And I was like, well,
(05:25):
what is my black neighbor across the street from me?
She was really happy that it was me that got
the house. And I only know that because she told me.
And I was like, well, what is it called when
because it's still the same concept, right, It's like people,
it's like original dwellers of that community being priced out essentially, right,
(05:47):
And so I am contributing to that. But what is
it called when you look like the people in that community? Like,
is it just called pride? You know?
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Like is it just called thank you?
Speaker 5 (05:57):
You know?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Like I don't know. So I've been trying to figure that, right.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Well, that's like when I was telling you I bought
a house in Oakland and and for what I got
would have been three times as much, yeah, in the
surrounding towns. And when I got robbed, the cops said, well,
it was a kid, because he stole video games and stuff.
And I took it as a personal affront that he
left my Raider season tickets. Like he's like, nah, I
(06:22):
don't want to and they're like, well, it's just a kid,
and I was like, yeah, but that still sucks. And
so I'm like, yeah, don't worry about it. It's just
a kid.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Did you have boots boy the door?
Speaker 3 (06:33):
I see you see what I mean?
Speaker 1 (06:36):
I did not go bootsy. I probably should have some
high button boots by the door. But it's it's also
funny too, how when I see some people, because there
are still some neighborhoods that are dodgy. And I grew
up mostly in Richmond, California, which is predominantly black area
right across the Bay, and and people are always like, oh,
they have white people there. I'm like, yeah, they California,
(06:58):
but there were there's still some neighs where I see
a lot of young people riding their bikes and I
kind of want to tell them, you know, twelve thirty
at night, you probably don't want to be riding your
bike around here. But it's almost like this badge of honor, like, no,
I am proud that I'm changing this neighborhood. It's like,
that's cool that you're investing into the neighborhood. But you know,
don't act like everything's pollyanna ish too.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
I mean I've heard those stories too, where you know,
an outsider comes into the neighborhood and it's he, you know,
and they pay the consequences sometimes of being you know,
an outsider or seemingly so or or some of the
first last time when I was here for Sketch Fest,
I was in an uber and it was a lovely
Pakistani driver. And you know, a lot of reports have
(07:45):
said the San Francisco has gotten way less safe since
the pandemic, right, And I've noticed definitely. I mean I've
noticed some of my favorite cafes and things that didn't survive.
And they were like in the Business district, you know,
right on Market Street, right. And so the Uber driver
he turns and he looks at me, and he's like,
(08:06):
you know, make sure you don't go to certain neighborhoods.
You seem like a really nice African American woman. When
I tell you, I laughed so hard because I couldn't
understand the stipulation.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
You know, I couldn't understand the specifics.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
But I think anytime anyone gets a warning for whatever reason,
you better eat that warning.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
You know.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
It's like they tell tourist New York, once you get
to one hundredth Street, don't go any further. I'm like,
the park goes past the hundred street. What are you
talking about?
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Yeah, well they don't say that anymore.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
I grew up on one hundred and thirteenth and seventh,
which was considered Harlem. It was three blocks north of
Central Park and right smack in the middle of the
avenues that cover Central Park. And when I went back,
maybe like I go back often, but when I realized
this was maybe about two years ago, it wasn't called
Harlem anymore.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
That it was called Central Park North.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Oh that's right, we did have a Central Park South.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Yeah, And I was like, and like, you know, people
original people, they'll fight, they'll fight you, you know, like, no,
this is Harlem.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
And it's like, yeah, it is Harlem.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
But I think that that's all money and like real estate,
that's all just about selling.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
It's not well, they've tried to change Hell's Kent Kitchen
to Clinton Yeah remember that.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Even even where there's the meta buildings, it's just called
Hudson Yards. But it's like that was by the bus stays.
Nobody went there. That was like, no, you want to
get slapped by pimp and hit on by ho.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Sorry. Sorry, I don't know if I can say that.
I'm sorry, you can.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Say, well, it's like so Chelsea Piers, yeah, and Hudson
Yards and all those huge, huge buildings going up there.
For me, I like walking the high line and done
that a couple of times. And that's from like what
fourteenth to whatever.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Yeah, whatever, maybe like the TI twenties.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Yeah, something like that, and that's all was a little
bit fun too. But for me it's all new because
you know, I had gone to Europe a lot, and
it wasn't until like, I don't know about i'd say
seven or eight years ago, I started going to New
York often. And it's cool because as a kid, you
hear the bronx Brooklyn, Staten Island and I don't know,
and then so it's like, oh, that's there, that's here. Yeah, yeah,
(10:20):
that's cool.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
I find it really interesting when people who are not
from New York City, maybe have never even visited, don't
kind of understand the structure of the city.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
And so I always tell people.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
I'm like, yeah, I'm from Harlem and they're like, oh,
I thought you were from Manhattan. I'm like, I am
from Manhattan and they're like, oh, but I thought you
were from Harlem. I'm like, Harlem is just Harlem is
like a very small neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, right,
And they were like oh, I was like, yeah, like
there's five boroughs. I was like, in Manhattan, you may
never see it written down because it's the only borough
(10:53):
that identifies as New York, you know, like when in
postal codes and stuff. But a lot of people don't,
you know. And I mean I think it's great. I
think that, you know. I mean, I feel like we've
done so well Harlem has you know, like, nah, we.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Heard Jill this was telling me he used to live
in Harlem. Yeah, back in the day when he first
started for me, when I stayed in the East Village.
I was at Saint Arkson first, and I'm like, I
always heard about Alphabet City Avenue Avenue B. I'm like, oh,
this is where Alphabet City is. And then it's like, well,
don't go past B. And then like Ari Shafir about
a place like on Avenue C or something like That's
that's not that bad anymore.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
Yeah, no, just go where you want. And you know,
Carrie May, No.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Carrie May, it's just take a quick break. We'll come
right back with Zaying av Johnson. She is headlining Cobs
tonight and tomorrow. I'll come on back.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
Okay, it's here, everyone, stay calm. It's Cole's lowest prices
of the season. And when I say low, I mean low.
I got my kids. Jumping Bean ceased for three ninety nine,
treated myself to some cute teas and tank tops under
five bucks.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
And got grapevines for our patio. Did you percent off?
Let's say your coalscaz on. All of it sounds too
good to be true.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
I guess you'll have to go to Cole's and find
out for yourself.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Flex styles offers in May fifteen. Some exclusives apply Sea
Store close like pretty Tails.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
What seems to be the problem, doctor?
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Thank god?
Speaker 1 (12:16):
My husband found out Cricket Wireless has five G plans
for fifteen dollars a month, and his.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Job just dropped.
Speaker 5 (12:21):
Did you hear about crickets blazing fast five G?
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Yep?
Speaker 5 (12:24):
Huh what about their reliable nationwide coverage? Yes, that too,
I see. Unfortunately there's no cure, but you will have
really fast five G.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Get jaw droppingly fast five G for fifteen dollars a month.
Smile You're on cricket.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
Cricket five G requires a compatable device and is not
available everywhere. Video may be limited to este's may apply
term third tricks. The apply subject to change seatore for details.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
You're listening to the Comedy All Stars podcast with Rick Tittle,
powered by eight Side Network. All right, welcome back to
the show. We're tittle with you coast to coast around
the world on American Forces. Zanab Johnson is with us.
She's the headline comedian at Cobbs tonight and tomorrow and
lovely and talented actress as well. Yeah, and could you
(13:04):
tell the people about some of the stuff you're doing
as we speak, please.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Yeah. So, I'm on a show on Amazon called Upload,
created by Greg Daniels, who created The US Office.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
That's a comedy.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
It's been on for three seasons, So if you haven't
watched it and you have Prime, go ahead and watch it.
We're actually shooting our fourth and final season this summer.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
We're wrapping it up.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
The arc is coming down.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
The arc is coming down. But it's good that we
get to finish it, you know. Some I think with
the you know, we recently had like the writers' strike,
the actors strike, and a lot of things got cut
and a lot of stories just were into it. I
don't know if you saw the show Winning Time, Yeah,
that I thought that show was fun. I feel like
(13:45):
any show or you know, movie about sports is gonna
be good for the most part. But I was watching
it in the last like seven minutes of the season finale,
I was like, wait, what is it?
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Why are they doing? Why are they telling where these
people are now?
Speaker 3 (14:01):
And then I like, I was furious, and then I
googled and saw like that it got canceled and they
had no idea. Yeah you know, so so we're lucky.
Did we get to end on our turn?
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Yes? There were. Greg fitz Simmons's in here when Crashing
was on. Yeah, and he was writing for that show.
And after the second season, like halfway through, he's like, well,
we got to start the new arc and they're like,
we're not gonna do it. Yeah, we're gonna We're gonna
end it.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
He's like the cushiest job on television, in my opinion,
is those procedural shows, like if you're on like a
network procedurals, not even a hitch, like not even a
hit streaming show, like you know, people could be like, yeah,
I'm a hit on Bridgerton, but I still live in
an apartment right, People are saying that. But if you
are on like an NBC ABC, you know, like you're
(14:46):
shooting twenty four episodes in the year, Yeah, it's in.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
It's you get to show up like.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
It's not a single camera show usually, and so you
just just show.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Up to a studio lot.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
All the conditions are controlled just a it's it's the
ideal job.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
So for you, did you take to acting like a
fish to water or how much you know? Did you
do the least Steinberg or method acting or what.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Was your Yeah, I've taken classes.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
No, I wouldn't say I've taken any specific like school
of you know, of acting, but I've definitely taken scene study.
I went to RADA for a summer, which is RADA
is the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Yeah, and I did a summer there in the West End.
I can't remember.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
I was gonna say Theater district possibly.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
But it's a pretty esteemed school.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Yeah, and I've taken Like in Los Angeles for comedy,
there is a teacher of school, Leslie Khan, and she's
pretty known. Yeah, and so I've I've studied at her school.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
And yeah, I don't.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
I love acting because I love the art of storytelling.
Acting doesn't come as easily to me as stand up.
I find it much easier to just be myself, right,
But I do find that in the world of what
other people create, it can be really fun to to try,
(16:20):
you know. Yeah, and I hear I get a lot
of compliments. A lot of people love me on the show.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
That's great. Well, I mean you're very likable and I
don't cancel me. But you know, you're good looking.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
But here's the thing. Here's the thing. The cast of
UPLOAD everyone's good looking.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Well, most times in American TV, you kind of have
to be good looking. That's why I like British TV,
where everyone's ugly. Yeah, because it's like I didn't confirm that.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
I'm sorry, it's funny.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
You watched it. They spend a lot of time over there,
and it's like everyone in the show's three hundred pounds
and has cysts and boils. And in America it's funny.
I never really thought about that. But for the most part,
you gotta be good looking.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
I mean, there's like they're yeah, they're they're If you're
not good looking, right in America, and you're an actor,
then you're considered a character actor.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Right, That's the that's the way we say not good.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Something compelling, like an amazing like Dom Delaise, he's hilarious, Balloon.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Yeah, you know, but I was.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
I was in a meeting with Sony Studio execs. Our
lead on Our leads on the show are Robbie Amel
and uh Andy Allo. And the first question in the meeting,
and this is this is the Sony execs.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
They're like, who's hotter, Robbie or Andy?
Speaker 1 (17:44):
And I'm like, my gosh. In Tina Fay's book that
The Bossy Pants, she said that she did some pilot
and she heard that when these network executives watched it,
there are these three old guys and they said, there's
no one in this show I want to f and
(18:05):
that was their response. And then she's like, well, no
one wants to Yeah, yeah, but but they didn't care
about the story or how the compelling it was, or
the acting or the humor it was like. And then
I think back, like because when I heard that, I
was like, then I started thinking about every sitcom I
ever watched, and you had to throw a Lannie Anderson
in there. And even though she's talented, it's like, because
(18:26):
this executive sex cells, I guess, yeah, that's what they wanted.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Yeah yeah, And I mean it always is in the
in the business of the woman the female character unfortunately.
But you know, someone asked me a little while ago about, like,
how what is it like to be like an attractive comedian?
Speaker 2 (18:45):
And I was like, I think times have changed.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Like I don't think the the aesthetic of the female
comedian today is unattractive or you know, like or severely
overweighted or some like I just well, all bodies exist,
I think for the most part, like sex is also
selling in comedy too. Look at you know, somebody like
(19:08):
a Matt Rife or Nicki Glacer or you know, like
they lean into it, you.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Know, whatever works for you. Yeah, and Nicky came in
here for years before she really blew up.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Yeah yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
And the thing is like Matt Rife blew up before.
I really I usually I see people on the way
up He's like, Oh, there's this guy with a six
pack and girl lips and beautiful eyes, and I'm like,
I go, don't hate on him. I mean, if he's
not funny, that would only last five minutes, you know.
But it's like these TikTokers. I understand why clubs book
them because they'll sell out. Yeah, but a lot of
(19:41):
times they'll have like five strong, fifteen good it's like
you have another forty five minutes to go. Yeah, yeah,
and then it's like yeah yeah, but yeah, I mean.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
The girl lips is funny. I'm sorry. That's where I stuck.
That's for some reason where I was.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
You haven't heard a word since I said that. That's
how I described him when I thought, I'm like, oh,
he's got girl lips, a six pack, and beautiful eyes.
I just before the hour before you came in, I
had rosebud Baker and she was talking about because I
told her I saw the documentary where she was trying
to get to JFL. Yeah, and and and they're still
(20:19):
to this day, and male comedians will joke like women
aren't funny or whatever, you know, but I think about her.
I Kelsey Cook's been in here, Rachel Feinstein's been in here.
They're all very attractive. But for me, I don't care
if you're straight or gay, or trans or black or white.
I just want to laugh. If you're funny, that should
be the criterion.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
You're absolutely right.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
However, there are biases that we are unaware of.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
They are ingrained in our day. They are inherent, like attracts,
like yes, yeah, and.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
There is a thing there it's easier to listen to
people who are who you find attracted. Forget what everybody
else do, but who most people find attractive.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
It's very easy to listen to those people.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
You know.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Well, it's it's it's an aesthetic. Whereas I remember hearing
this thing the psychologist said that straight men want to
be around good looking men and it's not gay. It's
just because you're attracted to things that look good.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
No, it's gay. No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding here, it's
for sure gay. No, I'm kidding.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
Well, it's I mean, it's it's kind of true in
a way that you or And then of course is
a thing. It's like, you know, you don't want to
judge somebody by their looks, but these things are ingrained.
Sometimes there's no doubt.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
So you know, I hosted a show on Netflix called
one hundred Humans, and we did it was very experimental,
and one of the experiments was, you know, do we
do we respect accents? And we had a woman come
in who did three different accents. And when she did
the and she just read, it was like she was
reading in the back of a freaking.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
You know, cleaning container or something.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
The most boring thing that you can recite, and when
she did it in a British accent, everybody was like, yeah,
she seems so intelligent. I paid attention to everything she said,
you know, like I feel like I really walked away
with it. I mean, she was reciting nonsense, and then
when she did it kind of like in a southern drawl,
like an American South, they were like, I wouldn't listen,
(22:24):
like she's yeah, why would I listen to her?
Speaker 1 (22:27):
It's like, yeah, I hate that whole thing about a
British accent automatically makes you posh. But I admitted something
on this show a couple of years ago. I had
this guy on and I forgot what book he wrote,
but he was talking about some of the most poignant
human relations and love and death and loss and triumph
by he talked a lot. I'll tell you what I'm
laying what I did, And so as soon as I
(22:49):
heard it, I was like, oh, now, yeah, but you
listened to him. I'm like, this guy's ten times smarter
than I am. But I immediately, whether it's with social, economic,
whatever it is, when I heard I was like, this
guy's a dumb ass.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Iana van Zan you know that is you know, she's
a she's a kind of like a he I don't whatever.
She's a TV personality now off the offspring of like
Oprah doctor phil Iona anyway, uh, and she talks and
she kind of helps people on her show. And I
listened to an interview with her and she's like, you know,
a lot of people missed the lesson because of what
(23:25):
the person looks like or what they sound like, or
where they come from. And she's like, one of our
biggest tasks as human beings is to focus on the
message and not the messenger. And I think that that's
I mean, I'm always trying to like distinguish between the two.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Do you know doctor Harry Edwards.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
I don't. We don't know each other's people.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Do you know? But he's this He was a still
is an activist. He's a professor. I took a class
from him at cal and he was the guy behind
the John Carlos Tommy Smith of Mexico sitting on it.
And one time Donahue flew him in for the show
and he said, I was staying at the Essex House
(24:08):
hotel in downtown Chicago, and I was in the lobby
with ten other businessmen, all white, and the chauffeur came
in and walked up to all other nine white guys
and said doctor Edwards until he finally got to me.
He's like, you're doctor Edwards.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
It's just a preconceived No, yeah, and how dare you, chauffeur?
That would be the kicker you know?
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Like And by the way, our podcast Rick and Zandam's
Race Relations, that's gonna be getting underway too. We'll take
a quick break and we will come on back because
we have all the answers on Sports Byline. We got
Zane M. Johnson at Cobbs Comedy Club and we were
just talking about a crush you had and a guy
when he was younger.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
No, no, no, I have a crush.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
I had a crush on him currently currently as an
older man, much older than me. But I did go
back because the Internet I was able to google pictures
of him young and at made me feel like I
would have definitely.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Been somebody on his card.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
Did you hear the thing about Axel Rose with that No,
So this was a couple of months ago. Apparently there
was a picture of Axel Rose like in the late
eighties with the six pack and all his goofy clothes
and there was some supermodel who's famous on the internet,
and she said what I would have done, and then
he tweets back, I'm right here, and then she wrote back,
(25:31):
I'm good, and then he wrote back, I'm literally the
same guy and then ghosted.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
So yeah, he should have just like took the compliment
and just remembered his heyday.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
But I've had that before. Like I remember, I was
in high school.
Speaker 3 (25:46):
I was like fifteen, and I had a question on
a guy who was like nineteen years old and he
was like.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
Slim, fit athlete, all of that. Then I ran into him.
I had a crush. Never nothing ever happened.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
He was a responsible guy who knew he was We
were age incompatible, right, And so then when I got
to college, I randomly bumped into him and I dated
him for a little while. He was fat. He was
I mean I mean not just fat, like like pH fat.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
He was huge.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
And my sister, my older sister was five years older
than me, she was like, what are you doing, Like
this is not even so surprised, Like you're so you're
such a fit. You know, you're you're attracted to people
who do the same things you do. And I was like, yeah,
but for some reason, I don't see it like I
still see the eighteen year old Yeah. And then and
(26:40):
then one day I stopped. I said, wait a minute,
you're like you look like a hurt.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
I had the Shallow Howe movie before it ever came out.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
That's pretty good. I remember I had a crush on
a girl when I was like in junior high and
then I saw in college and she was even more beautiful.
But all she talked about was how the United States
should be communists, and I thought, oh, whatever, You're entitled
to your opinion. And then it started getting into death squads,
and then she looked really ugly to me, and then
I thought, that's maybe a sign of maturity, that it's
(27:09):
no longer how you look like if you're kind of
a gross person. Yeah, speaking of gross people. Tonight it's
about segue. We got ten seconds. What do we get
at Cobbs Comedy Club Tonight?
Speaker 3 (27:20):
You get tomorrow, you get me, you get a full
hour of me and my new hour. I'm talking about guns,
I'm talking about possums, I'm talking about home ownership. I'm
still talking a little bit about my family, and you
guys know I'm a black Muslim American woman, so don't
miss it.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Zayam Johnson, thanks for coming in.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Thank you, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
It takes so long.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
Next time, this isn't so fun, I won't.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
All right, good stuff, I'm right to Thet'll see you Monday,
nine am. Pack time.
Speaker 6 (27:48):
Okay, it's here, everyone, Stay calm. It's CLO's lowest prices
of the season. And when I say low, I mean low.
I got my kids jumping bean seased for three ninety nine,
treated my sell to some qute t's and tank tops
under five bugs, and got grape fines for our patio
thanfty percent off.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
Last I aren colescaz on. All of it sounds too
good to be true.
Speaker 6 (28:10):
I guess you'll have to go to Cole's and find
out for yourself.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Flex styles offers in the May fifteen. Some exclusives apply
sea store calls.
Speaker 5 (28:17):
I have for details what seems to be the problem?
Speaker 4 (28:20):
Doctor?
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Thank god? My husband found out Cricket Wireless has five
G plans for fifteen dollars a month, and.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
His jaw just dropped.
Speaker 5 (28:26):
Did he hear about crickets blazing fast? Five G?
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Yep?
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Huh.
Speaker 5 (28:30):
What about their reliable nationwide coverage. Yes, that too, I see.
Unfortunately there's no cure, but you will have really fast
five G.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Get jaw droppingly fast five G for fifteen dollars a month. Smile,
you're on cricket.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
Cricket five G requires a compatable device and is not
available everywhere. Video may be limited to Este's may apply
Term thirtrictions apply subject to change store for details.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
Thanks for listening in to the Comedy All Stars podcast
with rig Hittle on the eight Side Network
Host
Rick Tittle
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