May 25, 2025 • 43 mins
Featuring HENRY YAN, he wanted to do a podcast with me for YEARS.
Now it happened. Oh boy.
Henry Yan and Sharam Namdarian discuss the psychology of comedy and more.
Is something funny because it is fun?
Is something tasty because it has taste?
Chapters:
00:00:00 Welcome to the Yan and Ram Episode
00:01:43 AI Therapy Adventures
00:07:56 The Philosophy of Comedy
00:14:44 Authenticity vs Emulation
00:26:19 Colorblindness and Banana Jokes
00:33:15 The Awkwardness Question
00:40:53 Being True to Yourself
Here is some SEO Text, read it or not.
• Sharam shares his experience with AI therapy, revealing how it helped identify his tendency to second-guess his creative instincts
• The concept that every joke contains an entire "universe" of possibilities and implications
• Henry's "no jokes 2023" philosophy and what it really means
• How Sharam's coluorblindness created an entire comedy bit about not being able to distinguish between yellow and green bananas
• Discussion of what makes something "awkward" versus "cool" on stage
• Why some comedians feel compelled to emulate others while some naturally trust their own instincts
• The psychology behind authentic performance and why it connects more deeply with audiences
• Reflection on how early experiences shape our willingness to be ourselves in public settings
Send me Fan Mail! It could be anything, we are desperate at this point.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Henry Yan (00:00):
How expensive are these mics Ram?
They're like $300-ish Wow, okay, I must treat it with care.
$300 for a mic dude Wow, that'simpressive, eh.
Sharam Namdarian (00:13):
Welcome to this very special episode of
Shahram.
Damdarian Starts a Revolution.
It's what we call a Yan and Ramepisode.
Henry Yan (00:21):
Ram Yan.
Sharam Namdarian (00:25):
This is a concept of an episode we've
entirely thought of or conceived.
Has it started?
Yeah, we have started.
Entirely thought of orconceived because we like to
scream each other's names.
Henry Yan (00:37):
We are.
Sharam Namdarian (00:39):
That's it, yan .
That's it.
That's the chemistry we haveand that is Entire message chain
.
You messaged me, you justreplied, ram, to one of my
messages and I was like Iunderstand everything you've
said.
Henry Yan (00:53):
You've said ten things and I understand all of
those things.
It's like Pokemon, you know,when they only say the word.
Sharam Namdarian (00:58):
Yeah, yeah, that's it.
Henry Yan (01:02):
Yeah, ram.
Sharam Namdarian (01:03):
Yan.
Henry Yan (01:05):
Ram Yan Yan.
Sharam Namdarian (01:05):
That's it, yeah, ram yan, ran yan yan yeah
so all the things we were like,save it for the podcast, we're
gonna save it for this dude,I've got nothing to say now.
Henry Yan (01:15):
Yeah, that's fair enough.
Yeah, how are you being?
What are you preparing for now,mr?
Sharam Namdarian (01:20):
oh, henry yan, you're asking me what I've been
doing.
I'm just yeah, I can ask whatare you?
Henry Yan (01:23):
yeah, now we can.
I asked you Before you evenasked me, so I need the answer.
Sharam Namdarian (01:28):
I have been working on me.
Oh what.
Henry Yan (01:31):
Why?
That's my simple answer.
Why would you?
Sharam Namdarian (01:32):
work on you Because I'm pretty good, but I
could be slightly More gooder Atwhat I've been telling you.
Henry Yan (01:39):
I've been doing ai therapy hey, oh, yeah, yeah,
it's really smart yeah, so it'sbeen.
Sharam Namdarian (01:44):
It's really smart when you combine it with
um, because I used to do lifeand relationship coaching yeah
yeah, yeah.
So it's like I feel like I'musing it to be an intense life
coach that I need wait, do youwant to be a life coach?
Henry Yan (01:56):
no, not anymore.
So what are you trying to?
Sharam Namdarian (01:58):
be, then I'm trying to be a comedian oh, okay
, I'm trying to be insane andI'm using it to I was telling
you before I'm using it to likesmooth out all my psychological
issues with comedy well, thequestion is yeah, and the issues
helping you no.
Okay, I'm talking about the um,you have a second guess
yourself, yeah yeah, of course,yeah it's like imagine a world
(02:22):
where that isn't.
Oh, dude, you're telling meabout this.
Yeah, that's what I was saying.
Oh, dude, you're telling meabout this.
Henry Yan (02:25):
Yeah, that's what I was saying.
Oh yeah, dude, that was so good.
You should say it on yourpodcast.
Sharam Namdarian (02:31):
So one of them , I'll tell you two, one of them
, which is the one I told youand I can now talk about more,
and the other one I did on theway here because you can talk to
the AI.
Henry Yan (02:38):
Oh really.
Sharam Namdarian (02:39):
Yeah, the one I did that I was talking about
with yan was um very much like ahey ai.
I struggle with my transitionsbetween jokes.
I think I'm too harsh or toobrapped or abrupt or whatever
yeah and it was like you don'ttrust your own creative yeah
ideas and I'm like that fuckingthat hurt because it was like
it's true.
(02:59):
I don't trust myself.
I think I should get it better.
Get it better and how often?
Henry Yan (03:02):
imagine an ai.
You know, like if a persontells you that you'd be offended
, but if a robot tells you thatyou're just like yeah, you're
right.
Sharam Namdarian (03:10):
That's what my girlfriend thinks she's like if
you actually had a persontelling you this, you'd hate
them yeah but because it's arobot, you're like, yeah sure,
fair enough, I believe in you?
Yeah, that's crazy yay uh, andI also did it um interview.
Podcasts on the way here.
Henry Yan (03:24):
Oh, you did another podcast.
Sharam Namdarian (03:25):
No, no, as in.
I did an AI therapy sessionwhile I was driving here on
interview podcasts.
Henry Yan (03:31):
Okay.
Sharam Namdarian (03:32):
And it was like you don't trust your own
spontaneity.
You feel like cause.
Sometimes I feel like, oh no,what is it about?
What are we trying to do here?
Henry Yan (03:39):
You know, this is what I mean.
You know, every time I've beentelling you, I've been telling
you you gotta, why are you doingjokes?
Yeah, that's, you ain'ttrusting it.
Sharam Namdarian (03:48):
Dude, you do more jokes, you do so many jokes
.
Henry Yan (03:51):
Yeah, but those come in.
They come in the moment though.
Sharam Namdarian (03:54):
Oh, do you, is your notebook just premises?
Henry Yan (03:59):
It's just keywords, yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (04:00):
Keywords, but then words, yeah, words.
But then are you like, but youhave jokes for everyone
listening.
To give you some context waityou, yeah, yeah I am sharam
namdarian and this is henry yanand henry yan and I have a
(04:20):
premise, not a joke.
I would call it an in premise,not an in joke yeah, to have
absolutely no jokes.
I think it was.
What was it?
No jokes?
What year?
2023?
Yeah, it was no jokes.
2023, where you have no jokesin the entire year of 2023 and
yan, to this day, has said hehas no jokes.
I ain't got jokes, but I'veseen him do jokes and then when
(04:44):
he sees me perform, he getsoutrageously mad.
He like throws shit againstwalls.
He goes absolutely crazy, youwouldn't expect it from such a
docile lamb of a man.
Henry Yan (04:57):
From the Henry Yan.
He's the lamb, I'm the ram.
But, yeah, no jokes 2023.
But I've been telling you thisway.
Sharam Namdarian (05:06):
You gotta stop joking and start premising or
start living baby, start living,start being, start being.
You go up and you're like, um,I'm scared of women, uh, so I've
been chasing them, I don't knowwhat wait a minute.
Henry Yan (05:21):
Wait a minute.
I'm doing an exaggeratedversion.
I'm not gonna.
That's not what you say.
That's not what you say.
Yeah, but yeah, I think the AIis right.
Rem.
Sharam Namdarian (05:32):
Yeah About, yeah About having no joke.
That's not what it says.
That's not what it's.
It actually says me to trustthat I have a joke, despite the
fact that sometimes I can't putit to words.
Oh, that's what you've beensaying the whole time.
Henry Yan (05:44):
I've been saying you don't need to, you just ram it
up.
Sharam Namdarian (05:52):
Have the what would you describe as the ram
quality, and I'll.
Yeah, what would you describeas my when you say ram it up,
what's that?
Henry Yan (06:03):
I don't know, just be yourself.
Sharam Namdarian (06:04):
Yeah, fair enough.
Henry Yan (06:08):
You know, yeah, ram it up.
What's that?
I don't know, just be yourself,yeah fair enough you know, yeah
, well, you know, you just do,you know, I just do.
I think like, um, yeah, man, Ithink, uh, no jokes.
Sharam Namdarian (06:15):
No jokes is the way to go I think no jokes
works, adam, and I have beensaying the.
Henry Yan (06:22):
Who.
Sharam Namdarian (06:23):
Adam A-D-E-M.
We always say you can't befunny if you're not having fun.
Henry Yan (06:33):
That's right.
Sharam Namdarian (06:34):
But then we jacked up the stakes to you
can't have fun if you're notbeing funny.
It's pretty funny, we like itbecause it makes it
unnecessarily mean.
Henry Yan (06:44):
But you pretty funny, we like it because it's like it
makes it unnecessary, I mean.
But you know, funny is like itstems from fun.
Sharam Namdarian (06:50):
Yeah, yeah oh, I get so mad about that because
it does, but it doesn't do.
You know why?
Okay, I'll tell you.
I'll tell you because I've seenpeople with taste with, like
they can taste food to a levelthat I can't taste food yeah and
I've seen them when they tastefood, they go that's tasty yeah,
yeah because it has volume oftaste yeah but if something is
(07:13):
funny, it doesn't necessarilymake it volume of fun.
You're not like wow, that was sofun.
Funny and fun are a little bitdifferent, do you agree, or?
Henry Yan (07:24):
disagree.
I'm I tend to, I'm tending todisagree, but I don't understand
what I'm disagreeing with rightnow.
Sharam Namdarian (07:29):
I need you to disagree.
I need someone to tell me I'mright.
Henry Yan (07:31):
Tell me more before I because I I have a sense that I
disagree, but I don't know whatyou're saying.
Sharam Namdarian (07:36):
If something has taste.
If you describe something astasty, it has quantity of taste.
You're like, wow, that's reallytasty, I can taste a lot.
If something is sexy, it hasquantity of taste.
You're like, wow, that's reallytasty, I can taste a lot.
If something is sexy, it hasquantity of sex.
It's got a sexual energy to it.
But if something is funny,would you say it has quantity of
fun in it.
Or is there an extra specialsauce that keeps comedians
(07:56):
addicted to the fucking journeyand the chase and trying to
figure it out for their wholelife?
Henry Yan (08:00):
I think this is the issue Fun is never quantifiable.
Sharam Namdarian (08:09):
yeah, wait yes , it is.
Do you know why I'm saying that?
Have you ever played a reallyfun video game?
Henry Yan (08:13):
oh, that's true, but it's a funnera video game no,
but this is the issue like it'snot quantifiable in the sense
that like it goes against fun tocompare yeah, and quantify fun,
yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (08:23):
So that's why it's not quantifiable yeah, I
agree with not, unless you'relike a super nerd, where you're
like, well, this is reason, likefrom a logical level.
But I think my understanding,if you're trying to quantify fun
, it's probably because of atrauma, like it's a trauma
response like fun is somethingto um to have fun with To have.
(08:44):
Yeah.
Henry Yan (08:46):
And to hold yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (08:47):
Are you happy with the Speaking of fun?
Are you happy with the sun Um?
Henry Yan (08:52):
Sun on your face.
Sharam Namdarian (08:53):
Yeah, it's pretty good.
Okay.
Yan wanted sun on his face, sohe gave the Yan.
Henry Yan (08:58):
You don't like it.
Sharam Namdarian (08:59):
No, no, I do.
I'm just conscious of um Uh,sunburns, oh yeah, we can move
on.
No, I'm not gonna of sunburns,oh yeah we can move on.
Henry Yan (09:05):
No, I'm not going to move.
It's too late now.
Sharam Namdarian (09:07):
I'm just letting you know as a bold guy
oh yeah, I will be there soon no, you won't, I'm getting there.
You shaved your, you did.
You did actually shave yourhead off when you went to New
Zealand.
What was it last year orsomething?
Yeah, yeah, how was that?
Henry Yan (09:20):
it was cool, it was pretty funny, eh?
Because, like, first day Ishaved it and then I went to go
play basketball and then thiskid like because the basketball
court was next to like theplayground, and then the kid
came up to me.
He's like man, you're MichaelJordan.
Sharam Namdarian (09:31):
Oh, and you were like yes, yeah, I was like
there's no difference.
Henry Yan (09:39):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no, michael,
Jordan but Ram, I think we wereonto something there and I
forgot what we were talkingabout and I was getting very
invested in that conversation oh, okay, we can go back to that
conversation.
Sharam Namdarian (09:49):
So it was.
Henry Yan (09:50):
If something is, no, no, something about what your AI
therapy and stuff oh that,we'll go back all the way to
that.
Sharam Namdarian (09:56):
Yeah, keep talking to me about that the AI
therapy really interestingbecause it provides a really
cutthroat, brutal response thatat first it was getting me in
real tears about things like Idid a whole episode are you
crying?
Uh, almost I couldn't tell Iwas laughing.
I did an episode, uh, ofwhatever.
This is where I just did like aby yourself, yeah, by myself,
(10:18):
okay, I don't always.
Yeah, you're technically thesecond interview.
I did one with alessio, but Ican't put it up okay, wait, why
why?
not, I don't want to put say iton words, on camera, oh, okay,
would that make this episodealso eligible?
No, okay, no, no, no, no, no,no, no, no, it's.
I'm still figuring it out interms of why, when I did that
(10:42):
episode with him, yeah it's pat.
It's got to do with packaging.
I don't know what the episodeis what do you mean?
Packaging, packaging.
It's like hey, it's a comedyshow, come see the comedy show
yeah, and if they start servingyou dinner, you're like what the
fuck is this?
Henry Yan (10:54):
yeah, so I don't know how to like actually say what
it is oh, dude, also I must sayyou've done a really good job
with um the, your gig that yourun.
You mean Dirty Secrets Comedy.
Yeah, I think you've done areally good job with it, eh.
Sharam Namdarian (11:07):
Thank you.
Henry Yan (11:09):
I'm happy to see what's happening with it eh.
Sharam Namdarian (11:13):
Thank you.
Well, I've been trying to.
I think I naturally I'm verygood at taking something that
someone else has done and tryingto make it really good.
Ramming it up, yeah rammingthat up so like dirty secrets
was established before.
Henry Yan (11:27):
Where are?
Sharam Namdarian (11:27):
you ramming it up though.
Uh, we're trying to basicallysell it out to crazy amounts of
tickets, basically.
So we can get more experienceand leverage it, and it's doing
really well right now.
Yeah, we had like somethinglike we had like 35, we sold out
, like oversold it on Wednesday,dude, that's awesome.
And then Thursday was all right.
Maybe it was like 10, 15 people, yeah, yeah, yeah, and we'll
(11:47):
see what happens today, but it'sbeen pretty like crazy.
But.
Henry Yan (11:51):
I'm burping, I'm burping now that's so cool.
Sharam Namdarian (11:53):
Packaging is good.
Anyway, point of the story iswith the AI therapy, yeah, like
there's like a little, there's ayou really harsh questions like
yeah yeah, what are the masksand roles that you play?
Henry Yan (12:05):
but how do you know the answer to this?
Sharam Namdarian (12:07):
well you, it asks you and you answer so what
if?
you don't know the answer.
Well, then you say I don't know.
And then it says the craziestthing.
It says you don't know theanswer because you've actually
been so blocked and so basicallytraumatized I'm paraphrasing
now but you've been so blockedand traumat, basically
traumatized I'm paraphrasing nowbut you've been so blocked and
traumatized for your whole lifethat you actually you've
(12:29):
forgotten what the answer is.
So it's like if the, if thequestion is something like who
are you really underneath all ofthese, whatever this is, and
your answer is I don't know, itgoes.
Yeah, you actually abandonedyourself.
That you don't know who you are, if that makes sense.
So like I don't know is stillan answer yeah, dude, I can see
how that hurts man.
Henry Yan (12:48):
That's crazy.
Sharam Namdarian (12:49):
So if you're like, one of the questions is is
like if you're like completely100, hypothetically something
you'd relate to?
Is like if you're a completely100, not afraid of saying
anything on stage?
Henry Yan (13:00):
yeah anything.
Sharam Namdarian (13:02):
What would you say?
And your answer is I don'tfucking know.
Then it's like yeah, it'sbecause you've abandoned
yourself and you've blocked offfrom who you truly are deep down
like something like that but Idon't know, I'm not saying that
that's you, I'm just saying asan example, I don't know is
often a result of, uh, beingblocked off from your own basic.
(13:24):
I'm going to sort of like yourcosmic intelligence I don't know
how else to describe it yourhigher self.
That was always myunderstanding with relationship
coaching.
It was always like deep down youknow what to do with
relationships.
You've been with relationshipsfor your whole.
You've been talking to peopleyour whole life.
Okay, you know when someonelikes you.
You know when someone wants tospend time with you?
Henry Yan (13:46):
I do not know.
Sharam Namdarian (13:48):
Maybe because your jacket is a bit Scratchy.
Just don't leave it on yourjacket.
Henry Yan (13:51):
That's all I was going to say.
Okay.
Sharam Namdarian (13:54):
Yeah, you do, I don't Do, I like you.
Henry Yan (13:58):
Or am I only liking?
Sharam Namdarian (13:58):
you because we're doing a podcast together,
or do you discount?
Henry Yan (14:03):
I feel like we like each other.
Sharam Namdarian (14:04):
Yeah, that's it, yeah don't, because sharam
par sharam, before all this aitherapy would honestly discount
the affection we had by beinglike oh, it's just a
professional thing I actuallyconnect easier through
professional formats, which I'mlearning to let go.
Yeah, because I justify it.
I'm like I'm almost too afraidof friendships.
I'm I'm a bit I'm over now.
That's why I can say it.
(14:25):
But I've been in the past veryafraid of friendships to the
point that it had to beprofessional.
It's crazy.
It's why I can.
We can go who my dad, who mymom, but whatever, Like it
doesn't really matter.
Henry Yan (14:37):
Yeah, okay, that's kind of wild.
Yeah yeah, I'm glad that you go.
It's wild man, yeah yeah, whatwere we talking about before?
I find this very interesting,ram.
Yeah, that's good Because youknow how you were, like a
relationship coach or whatever.
Yeah, but like it's crazy man,why?
(14:58):
Because it's like the AI is sogood at this stuff.
It's like why do we need youknow?
Sharam Namdarian (15:05):
so there's a couple things.
The first thing is is, if youhave a panic attack during a
really intense, say, coachingsession, the ai can't be.
Like I think we should slowdown, like you will just have a
panic attack without humanresponse, shit.
But also, realistically, Idon't know how else to answer
that question, apart from thefact that you have a human there
(15:26):
.
I think I'm quite good at usingit because I you know what I
mean like, if you, if you are acopywriter and you use ai to
write you, whatever it is, anarticle, you will then use your
expertise.
People are using it to,basically it's to replace
something.
But if you do nothing aboutcopywriting, you don't know if
something's good or bad.
(15:46):
You can still output something.
It's a lot.
There's so much.
I don't know.
I don't know how much into AIyou've looked into.
I've looked so much into it.
Henry Yan (15:53):
I haven't looked into it, yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (15:55):
I am all over it, Okay.
Another example would be Iactually think it's going to
make live performance andtheater more valuable and actual
art more valuable because, yeah, you can make anything now yeah
, you can make anything, yeah asin like draw me a shitty
(16:15):
version of the mona lisa as a asthe studio ghibli thing oh you
could do that within a minuteyeah, that's true but then you.
So now you have that dopaminehit.
Look what I did, yeah.
But then I say, do it withoutai.
You can be like I don't knowhow to do it.
So from my intense element ofusing it, all what I've learned
is is that when I actually go tosee proper art, yeah, my brain
(16:40):
goes.
That's crazy, and I actually,because when you see a non-human
do a human thing, you go, oh,anyone could do it.
But then when you see a humando it, it goes, oh shit, they
actually put in so much work, somuch effort, because now you
have context.
You don't even know how to holda brush.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, dude,yeah.
Henry Yan (17:01):
I had this interesting thought.
Sharam Namdarian (17:03):
Yeah.
About the taste thing yannetram, I mean yannet yannet up
taste it, yeah, if something'sgot a lot of taste.
Henry Yan (17:11):
So what were you saying again about like um, like
someone who can taste moreright?
Sharam Namdarian (17:18):
yeah, I just noticed this about someone I
work with who has a great senseof taste, fantastic sense of
taste, and I watched him eatthings and taste it and he would
be like like he really tastedit at a level that I go I should
.
I wish I could taste food theway he tastes food.
And then he goes it's tasty.
And he was like, oh, it haslike a quantity level and I
(17:39):
would taste it like, oh yeah,he's actually talking about
volume of flavor right there ohno, no, oh yeah.
Henry Yan (17:43):
I think the part that I wanted to say was like, like,
everyone has taste, right.
Sharam Namdarian (17:52):
Yeah, everyone has taste.
Henry Yan (17:54):
But also it's like taste is not limited to just
food, you know oh yeah, so I wasusing flavor taste specifically
like in the mouth but, you'reobviously referring to say say
like taste of music.
Yeah, or taste of whatever.
Yeah, like I don't have goodmusic taste so I just listen to,
I guess, pop yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (18:16):
Or do you not trust your own music taste?
Henry Yan (18:18):
Yeah, maybe, but I think it's more like I don't
care enough about it.
Sharam Namdarian (18:23):
Yeah, do you wish you cared about it, or you
just don't care?
You don't even care that youdon't care.
Henry Yan (18:28):
But why, like you, can't wish something that you
don't.
You know, it just is or itisn't, isn't it?
Sharam Namdarian (18:35):
I mean, you could be like I don't have good
taste in music, but I would liketo get to know it.
Henry Yan (18:41):
Yeah, but like saying that doesn't mean you really
want to Like, if you did want to, you would do it.
Sharam Namdarian (18:45):
You are right about that.
But sometimes like I wish Iwent to the NGV more.
I went a lot as a kid.
I wish I would go there more.
Doesn't mean I'm going to do itlike every weekend anymore
Doesn't mean I can't.
I don't know.
You want to be better at comedy.
Henry Yan (18:58):
I'm assuming oh man, I love comedy so much yeah
exactly.
Sharam Namdarian (19:00):
You love it so much yeah, doesn't mean you
don't want to get better at it?
Have you reached your potential?
But I you're pretty good.
Henry Yan (19:08):
I'm trying to say I think of comedy.
So much though yeah, yeah, yeahyeah like I don't need to try
to do it because I want.
Sharam Namdarian (19:14):
Like I inn innately, just do it so much
like yeah, that's what I mean.
Henry Yan (19:18):
Like, oh, that's, I figured out what I'm trying to
say, but you finish what you'regonna say, sorry I was just
saying like I don't have musictaste, but I have, like I feel
like I have comedy taste becauseI know, like, what I like yeah,
I.
Sharam Namdarian (19:31):
What I realize is is my response to your
statement is is that someonelike you could want to have more
taste in music if it wasgenuinely within them, but not
act upon it because they havelike a blockage, like, oh, it's
not for me, or I'm too old, orI'm too whatever, or I'm not
(19:54):
cool enough, so they never try.
Yeah, that's, that's really it.
Henry Yan (19:58):
But you're saying underneath all of it, you don't
even care yeah, yeah, that'sgreat, that's good, that's a
liberating place to be.
Only thinks about yeah my brainis only obsessed with one thing
.
Yeah, same that.
Sharam Namdarian (20:10):
But also I don't know survival making money
.
I paint warhammer, I do that oh, that's cool, yeah, yeah sure
you do other things.
Henry Yan (20:17):
Said you played basketball, you're not like oh
yeah, I'm not great, you know,yeah, but like I'll do it, I
thought you were the MichaelJordan of I am, yeah, when I'm
bald, yeah but not right now,nah, nah, but I think, yeah,
yeah, that, um, therapy stuff isintense.
Do you have to pay for it?
Sharam Namdarian (20:34):
oh, I just pay for the normal chat GPpt thing
it's just one prompt to ask me10 questions.
Uh, ask me 10 questions aboutunmasking the roles and this and
that oh yeah, okay and like theroles I'm playing.
So it's like, for example, I didone on mc'ing and it's like
what role do you play whenyou're feeling bad about mc'ing?
I'm like I play the role ofsomeone who's not good enough
(20:56):
that I'm the mc, I'm not one ofthe acts.
And then it's like, okay, wellthen, what does that protect you
from?
And it's like, oh, it protectsme from.
Uh, maybe I'm feeling bad inthe moment, maybe I'm overworked
or this or that.
So it helps me deal with howI'm feeling at the moment.
It's like, okay, well then then.
It then explains what youranswer is, what you're actually
(21:17):
trying to say, just in morewords, like it reflects back
that you and you go.
Henry Yan (21:20):
Oh, that's really good.
Sharam Namdarian (21:22):
And then after that it'll be like, okay, well,
what would the higher versionof you say, like if you, if you
were gonna step in as, say,you're an mc, but it didn't mean
you were less of a comedian,how would you act that way?
How would you do that?
And I'd be like I'd fuckingwalk in, I'd own the show, I'd.
It would be like I'm doing aspot but I'm holding the
(21:42):
presence.
It's like it's me plus, it'slike great, cool, yeah.
So it also leads you throughquestions to find out the
version of you that doesn't have, say, the insecurity or the
anxiety.
What would that version of yousay so you can actually start
stepping into that role?
Henry Yan (21:59):
But why do you need to own the show?
Sharam Namdarian (22:01):
No, you don't need to.
Oh, okay, it's more like whatwould, because it's different,
different for everyone.
Yeah, like my thing was justlike sometimes I feel bad about
it.
I'm like, oh, I should be themain guy For what, like in a
show or whatever, and it's likesometimes I like MCing.
(22:22):
I mean, I do, I don't think.
Henry Yan (22:23):
I'm pretty good at it .
Okay, what is the main guy?
Sharam Namdarian (22:25):
the main guy is no, no, no, it's any one of
the main acts.
Oh, not main acts, any one ofthe acts oh, okay, okay, right,
I see, but it's like what if itdidn't?
Because sometimes the MC emceelike you, just you don't have to
be as good as everyone elsesometimes, oh yeah probably.
Henry Yan (22:42):
Yeah, I've heard the joke.
Sharam Namdarian (22:44):
I've heard the joke.
Yeah, huh you gotta be betteryeah, yeah, I like your.
I like your reaction toeverything.
Actually, what do you mean?
Um, how do I put it into words?
Yeah, like, are you going?
You got to be better.
Yeah, I now don't care if I'memceeing or not.
(23:04):
I'm emceeing obviously takeswork but here's a question yeah
why are you doing comedy?
because many reasons.
I like to make people laugh.
I enjoy the psychology of it.
I like entertainment.
I think it combines pretty muchevery other thing I've done
with my life into one neatpackage.
(23:25):
Uh, it's a puzzle that I'llnever finish solving, like I
like to solve puzzles yeah,right okay why are you doing
comedy?
Henry Yan (23:37):
oh, because it's fun.
Yeah it, it is fun yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (23:40):
All that I forgot to say yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah.
Henry Yan (23:45):
Yeah, I guess, yeah, I don't know.
I think it's like you know,based on what a person's like
jokes are, or whatever you can,you can kind of see why they're
doing it, you know Hmm.
Yeah, why?
Sharam Namdarian (23:58):
they're doing it.
You know, yeah.
Do you think why someone doessomething?
I think yeah.
Why do you think?
Do you think why someone doessomething is important?
100 yeah, yeah, like, likethat's the only thing yeah, I
think it's the seed, but thetree grows it's the thing that's
going to determine how obsessedyou are with it and how good,
(24:19):
you get with it.
I'm pretty obsessed.
Henry Yan (24:23):
Yeah, I'm not saying you're not.
Sharam Namdarian (24:24):
I was going to say I reckon you were saying
how much you were obsessed withit yeah.
I wasn't not saying you weren'tNot saying that I was.
Henry Yan (24:36):
You know what I'm saying?
Not, really, not this time.
Sharam Namdarian (24:42):
No, I wasn't saying you weren't saying that
I'm not obsessed with it oh,okay, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah,
yeah, I think, as time goes on,it just gets more interesting
comedy, yeah, yeah yeah, like itbecomes this.
What I, what I'm currentlyinterested in, is the language
of comedy in the sense of whatyou're communicating, because
(25:06):
you're not just saying this isfunny and what's pointing out
what's funny about it?
There's sometimes like a deeperlogic behind it, like you're
revealing parts of yourself,your own way of viewing the
world.
You're revealing fallacies inthe world and and also just like
basic fallacies andcontradiction of the mind, like
oh, you thought I was sayingthis, but now I'm saying this
hat.
(25:27):
Like, yeah, at the core level ofit, if that makes sense yeah, I
guess you yeah like I've got ajoke that I've um, I'm now
retired because when it works,it works, and if it doesn't work
it's the worst.
It's a joke about me eating myown uh, having a taste of what
my own semen tasted like okay,yeah.
So when it works, it goes realwell, and when it doesn't work,
(25:53):
I'm like I feel like I've lostthe crowd and I I've just I
cannot deal with it just now.
I need to return back to it ina year wait, why are you doing
jokes?
oh yeah, shit, I forgot no jokes, no, but what I like about it?
The premise.
The premise is how one thingcan change a perspective of a
thing you've been doing for yourwhole life.
How one experience and it'slike how me tasting it is like
(26:17):
oh, I didn't know, that's what Itasted like Did you taste it?
Henry Yan (26:21):
Yeah, I tasted it, okay.
Sharam Namdarian (26:22):
And it tasted boring, it tasted weird, it
tasted almost not what Iexpected to and it was just like
, oh my God, that's what otherpeople, if someone was like,
give it to me, that's whatthey've been tasting.
And I love that as a concept, Ilove that as an exciting, like
a oh, like I must say, this isnot usually the realm of topics
(26:44):
I explore.
Henry Yan (26:46):
Yeah, yeah, I don't really talk about this stuff,
but go off, keep going, go off,man.
Sharam Namdarian (26:56):
Yeah, no, you're you.
Yeah, I need to be morefamily-friendly more digestible.
Henry Yan (27:04):
I mean, yeah, you can talk about it, but I probably
don't have any input because Idon't really.
Yeah, no, no, no, that's fine.
Sharam Namdarian (27:12):
We're not talking about eating one's own
seed.
What we're talking about isjokes, the psychology behind it.
Yeah, okay, yeah, behind ityeah okay, yeah, yeah, yeah do
you know what I mean?
Like the, the universe thatevery joke has, I think is very
interesting sorry, the universeof every premise what's it?
(27:34):
What's a joke you've been doingnow or that you've done in the
past?
Maybe one of the ones from rawlike what's an example of one?
Henry Yan (27:40):
we'll dive into what I'm trying to say oh, okay, I've
been talking about one that I'mreally working on.
Now is one about playing rugby.
Okay, yeah and what.
Sharam Namdarian (27:50):
What's what?
What excites you about that youdon't have to reveal the joke?
What excites you about that?
Henry Yan (27:55):
job.
Oh, it's just so stupid yeahwhat's stupid about it?
The like rugby, or you playingrugby, me playing rugby.
Sharam Namdarian (28:03):
Yeah because what you're?
You're a frail.
Henry Yan (28:06):
If someone, if someone who plays rugby touches
you, you'll explode like whatyeah, kind of, but also it's
like the fact that, oh well, thethe joke is basically oh man,
yeah you don't have to share it.
Sharam Namdarian (28:18):
If you don't want to like, it's fine.
All we can't really have thisdiscussion then.
Because the whole joke.
I just told you what my jokewas about without telling you
the actual thing the whole jokeis about.
Okay, then pick a different one.
Pick an older one that'salready online.
Pick one of the Raw set.
Henry Yan (28:37):
Oh, I guess, maybe the Tao thing, I it.
Oh, I guess maybe the the towelthing, I don't know, the towel,
the towel one?
Sharam Namdarian (28:43):
I haven't seen it.
Oh, it's the raw set.
Yeah, but what was the?
So what's the the towel?
It's a towel joke.
Joke about towels.
I don't know it, I'm sorry I'mone of the three people that
haven't properly seen I've seenclips.
Henry Yan (28:52):
I haven't seen the towel bit.
Oh, that's so good.
Okay, what have you seen?
Maybe we can just talk aboutthat.
I don't know the uh upside downwater.
Sharam Namdarian (29:00):
Oh, that is the towel thing oh, that is the
towel thing, yeah, oh, yeah, Idon't.
Henry Yan (29:04):
Yeah, it's.
It's just about how, um, weused to share a towel and we're
well, we still pour you knowyeah, okay, yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (29:11):
And what's funny about that to you?
Henry Yan (29:14):
the premise, not the joke.
It wasn't, uh, I don't know, itwasn't funny to me, but someone
told me I should talk about it,so oh, okay, yeah oh well,
there is that, because I've hadstuff about being colorblind and
not being able to seecolorblind.
Sharam Namdarian (29:27):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay I've got a great new
one that I love that I've beendoing it.
It's about how I can't tell ifbananas are yellow or green, and
so play eating bananas reallyyeah, I can't it's.
I can't tell if one's rightthat's really interesting so
many weird ramifications, butthe philosophy behind that that
I love.
I love the exploit the universethat every joke has is what are
(29:50):
all the ramifications of me notbeing able to see yellow and
green with a banana?
Yeah, how does that extend?
Who are the people I meet?
I use other people as my eyesall the time, if that makes
sense, like if I go and buy abanana at the shop and this is
why I'm saying the joke like um,there's the guy I have to ask
him.
I don't know what he's goingthrough with his whole life, but
(30:11):
now he has to stop it to helpme determine what bananas are.
That's interesting, like is itripe or is it not?
Because that little sign Idon't know if you've seen it.
I find it so funny.
Henry Yan (30:19):
Yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (30:20):
It's mostly because of what I see.
There's the little sign that islike this is what a ripe banana
is and this is what a rawbanana is, and it has a green
banana for the raw and a yellowbanana for the ripe one.
Yeah, but to me that's the samebanana.
That's funny.
Henry Yan (30:39):
Yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (30:40):
It's really funny and it's a universe.
Henry Yan (30:44):
That's like how do you drive when there's traffic
lights?
Sharam Namdarian (30:48):
Oh, I can see the difference between that.
They're very different, as inthey're different in tonality
and they're a different position.
They're quite different.
Henry Yan (30:57):
Oh, okay, so you can see that.
Sharam Namdarian (30:58):
Even within the spectrum of colorblindness,
they're still quite're quitedifferent.
Oh okay, so you can't, evenwithin the spectrum of color
blindness they're still quitedifferent.
Yeah, oh, okay, yeah, becausethat would be kind of dangerous
yeah yeah, okay, that's reallyinteresting man yeah, it is
interesting, and it's funny likethe whole joke is me being like
I bet there's going to be, likeone day, a guy at coles who's
like like he's having the worstday of his life and I'm going to
make him accidentally killhimself himself, like he's gonna
(31:19):
be like this is me doing thebit where he's like oh man, ai's
taking my job.
Oh uh, fucking uh, I can't evenafford rent.
Like this is crazy.
I'm gonna have to work atwoolies and coals.
And then I come up to him goingwhat color are the bananas?
Henry Yan (31:34):
yeah, that's funny like that's the.
Sharam Namdarian (31:36):
You know what I mean.
Like to me, that's universe.
That's a joke, is a universe.
There's so much in it.
Yeah, and I think that's abeautiful metaphor and I thank
you for this episode because nowI finally have it in words,
because I didn't know how todescribe how helpful,
interesting.
Yeah.
Henry Yan (31:54):
Yeah, I feel like there's so much there.
Eh, yeah, yeah In the bananabit.
Yeah, I feel like there's somuch there.
Sharam Namdarian (31:59):
Eh, yeah, yeah In the banana bit.
Yeah yeah, there's so much.
I want to turn, I want tostretch it for as long as I can.
If I could get it into 20minutes or five minutes, you
know what I mean.
Like I'm just, I'm going to putit at the start of every set
for a while and see if I can addsomething to it.
Oh yeah yeah, I think thatwould be a really good bit once
(32:22):
you work on it.
Yeah, you are, I was sayingabout this before, and then
we're like let's save for thepodcast.
You're like accidentally, we'resaying, before you know there's
luke mcgregor yeah who's likequite awkward on stage?
Yeah, almost intentional heplays that up yeah, what I like
about you on stage is you're notreally playing that up.
Oh yeah, you come off asawkward A little bit.
Henry Yan (32:45):
I literally didn't know.
Sharam Namdarian (32:48):
As in till I just said it or till recently.
Henry Yan (32:51):
No, just recently, Like because I used to always
think I was awkward, like Ithought I was, like you know, a
pretty normal cool dude.
Sharam Namdarian (33:02):
Yeah, you know , pretty normal cool dude, yeah
I still, I still think so, butlike I didn't know, I was
awkward, you know?
Yeah, no, you're a normal cooldude, but also but the thing is,
what constitutes awkward?
Henry Yan (33:12):
yeah, is that just like you see the world
differently and so you act onwhat you think is correct?
Sharam Namdarian (33:19):
I.
That's a good question, and Idon't think what you said is the
answer.
Henry Yan (33:26):
That is a good question, yeah, right.
Sharam Namdarian (33:29):
Yeah, like what makes something awkward.
Henry Yan (33:31):
Yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (33:31):
Is it the smoothness to?
Yeah, the reason why I relateto this is because when I was
young and my mate was like wellwe're going to meet is because
when I was young and my mate waslike well, we're gonna meet
girls, and he was like you know,like with comedy you gotta film
yourself.
So we filmed each other having aconversation with each other
just to see like what we cameoff as, yeah, he was, he was
very, he was very professionalabout it and I was like I don't
(33:52):
know why we're doing this.
I understood why we're doing itbut yeah I wasn't the arbiter
anyway.
He thought he was massivelyawkward and weird, yeah, and I
thought I was like mr cool dude,yeah.
And then when we watched theconversation, oh, I was.
I was the awkward guy I'm all,arms all legs.
I'm gonna fall over at anypoint in time.
Henry Yan (34:11):
That's so funny and he was the cool guy yeah, that's
really I don't know maybe whatdefines your awkwardness.
Sharam Namdarian (34:17):
My awkwardness is that I will literally
probably fall over and hurtpeople.
Henry Yan (34:21):
Yeah, okay, like at any time.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and it's noteven intentional.
Sharam Namdarian (34:24):
Like I'm just going to concuss myself at any
point in time, no matter what.
Henry Yan (34:30):
Yeah, yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (34:30):
I'm happy to be here.
Yeah, so when you see me onstage or in real life, what are
the things that I do that can bedefined as awkward?
Uh well, you're often talkingabout how you're starting to
figure out I don't know, I'massuming I can talk about this.
You're talking about this onstage.
(34:50):
Uh, you're starting to figureout how to talk to girls and
going on dates and stuff likethat oh so the awkwardness.
There is a little bit like Idon't know how to navigate this
situation yeah but the coolness,so there is a cool part to it.
the awkwardness there is alittle bit like I don't know how
to navigate this situation.
Yeah, but the coolness, sothere is a cool part to it.
The coolness is you going?
Henry Yan (35:10):
I don't know how to navigate this, but I'm still
going to try.
Sharam Namdarian (35:11):
Oh yeah, so that's the cool part.
Henry Yan (35:12):
Yeah, the awkwardness part is.
Sharam Namdarian (35:13):
I don't know how to navigate this.
Henry Yan (35:15):
Oh, I see.
Sharam Namdarian (35:16):
So that's.
I think there's a lot of.
The coolness is in your generalvibe is there's a lot of stuff.
You're like I'm not really surewhat I'm doing here, and it's
probably even the best thingabout it is you don't even know
that.
You're not sure, I don't know,I'm just speculating here.
But the awkwardness is there'sa lot of stuff.
(35:39):
I would say that you seem likeyou're figuring it out.
How do I put this into fuckingwords?
oh yeah, like with girls, you'relike I don't know how to do it,
but you're gonna do it anyway,and that's good.
You're not gonna get it rightbefore you get it right yeah,
but do most people just get itright straight away?
No, some people have a rolemodel, so they'll have like okay
(36:00):
, I never looked into this yeah,that's see, that's the
interesting thing.
So some people have a rolemodel whether it's a conscious
or an unconscious role model of,basically, someone they're
trying to emulate.
Henry Yan (36:09):
So they're trying to avoid being awkward oh, but I
think the difference is I'm justtrying to be like what I feel
is great, like I'm just tryingto be me.
I'm not trying great, like I'mjust trying to be me, I'm not
trying to emulate anyone and, asas the coach in me goes, that's
far better.
Oh, yeah, okay.
Sharam Namdarian (36:25):
Far more authentic.
That makes my heart fuckingsing.
Henry Yan (36:28):
Oh yeah, you know what I'm talking about, tasty.
Sharam Namdarian (36:30):
Yeah, oh, quantity of taste, oh shit.
Henry Yan (36:35):
That's got authenticity.
Oh shit, that's quality ofauthenticity.
But I think this is what I tellyou when you go on stage you
just got to do you you know yougot to ram it yeah.
Like yeah, I think yeah, Idon't know.
I don't know.
I don't know why other peopledon't do it, but I feel like
(36:57):
maybe I've been blessed or maybe, yeah, I don't know.
Sharam Namdarian (37:02):
I think we're all blessed in different ways,
but the way you've been blessedhas probably been.
Yeah, like as you said, you'rejust doing what you think is
cool.
Henry Yan (37:10):
But why doesn't everyone do what they think is
cool?
I don't know, that's like like.
Why would you emulate when youcan be?
Sharam Namdarian (37:21):
ah, ah, trauma , there we go.
Answer solved what do you meantrauma?
Uh, what I mean by that isbasically uh, I, to take it back
, rephrase sankara.
Sankara is the the great wordfor it, it's a.
Sankara is a sanskrit buddhistword, I think means reaction, so
(37:44):
it's basically sort of like asoft version of trauma.
So it's like long story shortlittle boy, not yan someone else
not yan someone else.
Henry Yan (37:59):
I'm gonna use comedy as the example, but little boy,
not yan, yeah, someone elseentirely.
Sharam Namdarian (38:04):
Let's call him dan, little dan, stan, stan,
okay.
Stan, little stan wanted to befunny around friends okay, and
tried and was rejected.
And little stan never forgot itand grew up oh, so then he
doesn't.
Henry Yan (38:21):
He thinks he doesn't know what funny is.
Sharam Namdarian (38:23):
Yes, so then he must like emulate someone
else that is correct whereaslittle yan never had that
experience, or better yet hadthat experience and deemed it
was like whatever they're wrongor who cares, none of this
matters oh, yeah, yeah, yeahinteresting.
That's the key.
Key different is the experienceis irrelevant, it's more about
(38:45):
how.
So you're saying were youblessed?
Yeah, because you process thatif that happened in your life
yeah maybe you never tried at ayoung age.
You're like whatever, becauseI've had many things where in my
life where people like you'reso cool with that, I'm like I've
never had a problem with that Iwas blessed in that way.
Henry Yan (39:02):
Oh yeah, what?
What is an example of somethingyou have list with?
Sharam Namdarian (39:06):
uh, I am perfectly comfortable, uh,
dealing with a significantamount of, dare I say, like, in
a similar sense like awkwardnessin new situations.
Oh so, like I'll often bethrown into, I've been trying to
figure out a joke in this whereI'm like I've got no social
anxiety and I think you shouldhave some social anxiety.
That's the premise, like but,um, yeah, so there's a lot of
(39:30):
usual workplace scenarios like,for example, with my current
work with social media marketing, I'm only in front of the
camera because I was likesomeone needs to say this on
camera and no one else iscomfortable with it but this is,
this is the thing.
Henry Yan (39:45):
It's like.
Sharam Namdarian (39:45):
You know what needs to be done in that
situation, so no one else can doit.
Yeah, and I also am comfortablesaying it yeah, because I'm
like I saying it yeah, becauseI'm like I'm gonna be awkward,
I'm gonna get it wrong, I'mgonna do whatever I'm just gonna
say it and nothing like whatare the?
What are we gonna do not?
Henry Yan (40:02):
yeah, not say it.
Sharam Namdarian (40:03):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and other people have to
work up to it.
And then I notice other peoplethen emulating me.
They're like, oh, he's done itthis way, maybe I could do it
that way.
Oh, yes, because there's a some, it's an interesting.
The psychology behindeverything I find very
interesting.
I don't know if that comes.
Henry Yan (40:19):
That makes a lot of sense, right?
Thanks, yeah, I think, likewith comedy, it's like I think I
just do what I find is fun andit like I feel like if I'm
having fun, people are havingfun, so it doesn't matter, you
are good like that oh, thank you, thank you have you run a room
(40:43):
before I have?
Sharam Namdarian (40:44):
yeah, yeah, you ran in Thalberg nah, nah.
I ran one in New Zealand.
Oh okay, and how was that like?
Henry Yan (40:49):
yeah, okay.
What do you mean why?
What were you?
What do you mean why?
Sharam Namdarian (40:53):
What were you?
What do you?
Henry Yan (40:56):
How long did you run it for?
Like six months to a year maybe.
Oh yeah, why.
Sharam Namdarian (41:03):
I don't know where I was going with that, but
I think what I was trying tosay was you can sort of see
who's having fun and who's not.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, andyou see it and you go.
I could be having more fun oh,okay, yeah but I've definitely
I'm gonna be very honest I'vedefinitely been an emulator in
(41:26):
comedy in my past oh, I thinkeveryone does at some point.
Though, yeah, like you start out, especially like I don't have
you ever seen someone so goodLike in a way that you're like
oh, that's.
Whatever they're doing is thebest.
Henry Yan (41:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah , yeah.
I don't know.
Sharam Namdarian (41:43):
That's their thing.
It's probably time for me to goset up.
Speaking of that, go set updirty.
Henry Yan (41:48):
Oh man dude.
Sharam Namdarian (41:50):
This was a fun .
This is fun.
Did you have fun?
Henry Yan (41:53):
yeah, it was good man that sun, though.
Yeah, sun is gone, so Jan mustgo back to the sun.
Sharam Namdarian (41:59):
I must go back is there anything Jan wants to
say to the people?
Henry Yan (42:03):
the people must know, not really okay cool.
I don't know how would you liketo close the show?
Sharam Namdarian (42:13):
I don't have anything to close the show.
It's completely't have anythingto close the show.
It's completely fine.
This has been Yan and Ram on avery special.
Shahram Namdarian Starts aRevolution, A podcast where
we'll probably start arevolution.
I don't know what about and Idon't really care what about.
Henry Yan (42:28):
See, you're emulating right now.
Sharam Namdarian (42:30):
No, I'm doing a.
It's called packaging bro.
Henry Yan (42:35):
It's called packaging , bro.
It's called packaging.
Sharam Namdarian (42:36):
What do you mean packaging?
Who am I emulating Right now?
Who am I emulating?
Just how you're doing the I'mdoing a voice.
Henry Yan (42:41):
Here we are.
We're going to do.
Sharam Namdarian (42:44):
I was like oh dude.
Yeah that's natural evolution.
Henry Yan (42:47):
I've done.
Sharam Namdarian (42:48):
Yeah, with my old coaching business I did like
so many podcasts.
How expensive are these mics Ram?
They're like $300-ish Wow, okay, I must treat it with care.
$300 for a mic dude Wow, that'simpressive, eh.
Sharam Namdarian (00:13):
Welcome to this very special episode of
Shahram.
Damdarian Starts a Revolution.
It's what we call a Yan and Ramepisode.
Henry Yan (00:21):
Ram Yan.
Sharam Namdarian (00:25):
This is a concept of an episode we've
entirely thought of or conceived.
Has it started?
Yeah, we have started.
Entirely thought of orconceived because we like to
scream each other's names.
Henry Yan (00:37):
We are.
Sharam Namdarian (00:39):
That's it, yan .
That's it.
That's the chemistry we haveand that is Entire message chain
.
You messaged me, you justreplied, ram, to one of my
messages and I was like Iunderstand everything you've
said.
Henry Yan (00:53):
You've said ten things and I understand all of
those things.
It's like Pokemon, you know,when they only say the word.
Sharam Namdarian (00:58):
Yeah, yeah, that's it.
Henry Yan (01:02):
Yeah, ram.
Sharam Namdarian (01:03):
Yan.
Henry Yan (01:05):
Ram Yan Yan.
Sharam Namdarian (01:05):
That's it, yeah, ram yan, ran yan yan yeah
so all the things we were like,save it for the podcast, we're
gonna save it for this dude,I've got nothing to say now.
Henry Yan (01:15):
Yeah, that's fair enough.
Yeah, how are you being?
What are you preparing for now,mr?
Sharam Namdarian (01:20):
oh, henry yan, you're asking me what I've been
doing.
I'm just yeah, I can ask whatare you?
Henry Yan (01:23):
yeah, now we can.
I asked you Before you evenasked me, so I need the answer.
Sharam Namdarian (01:28):
I have been working on me.
Oh what.
Henry Yan (01:31):
Why?
That's my simple answer.
Why would you?
Sharam Namdarian (01:32):
work on you Because I'm pretty good, but I
could be slightly More gooder Atwhat I've been telling you.
Henry Yan (01:39):
I've been doing ai therapy hey, oh, yeah, yeah,
it's really smart yeah, so it'sbeen.
Sharam Namdarian (01:44):
It's really smart when you combine it with
um, because I used to do lifeand relationship coaching yeah
yeah, yeah.
So it's like I feel like I'musing it to be an intense life
coach that I need wait, do youwant to be a life coach?
Henry Yan (01:56):
no, not anymore.
So what are you trying to?
Sharam Namdarian (01:58):
be, then I'm trying to be a comedian oh, okay
, I'm trying to be insane andI'm using it to I was telling
you before I'm using it to likesmooth out all my psychological
issues with comedy well, thequestion is yeah, and the issues
helping you no.
Okay, I'm talking about the um,you have a second guess
yourself, yeah yeah, of course,yeah it's like imagine a world
(02:22):
where that isn't.
Oh, dude, you're telling meabout this.
Yeah, that's what I was saying.
Oh, dude, you're telling meabout this.
Henry Yan (02:25):
Yeah, that's what I was saying.
Oh yeah, dude, that was so good.
You should say it on yourpodcast.
Sharam Namdarian (02:31):
So one of them , I'll tell you two, one of them
, which is the one I told youand I can now talk about more,
and the other one I did on theway here because you can talk to
the AI.
Henry Yan (02:38):
Oh really.
Sharam Namdarian (02:39):
Yeah, the one I did that I was talking about
with yan was um very much like ahey ai.
I struggle with my transitionsbetween jokes.
I think I'm too harsh or toobrapped or abrupt or whatever
yeah and it was like you don'ttrust your own creative yeah
ideas and I'm like that fuckingthat hurt because it was like
it's true.
(02:59):
I don't trust myself.
I think I should get it better.
Get it better and how often?
Henry Yan (03:02):
imagine an ai.
You know, like if a persontells you that you'd be offended
, but if a robot tells you thatyou're just like yeah, you're
right.
Sharam Namdarian (03:10):
That's what my girlfriend thinks she's like if
you actually had a persontelling you this, you'd hate
them yeah but because it's arobot, you're like, yeah sure,
fair enough, I believe in you?
Yeah, that's crazy yay uh, andI also did it um interview.
Podcasts on the way here.
Henry Yan (03:24):
Oh, you did another podcast.
Sharam Namdarian (03:25):
No, no, as in.
I did an AI therapy sessionwhile I was driving here on
interview podcasts.
Henry Yan (03:31):
Okay.
Sharam Namdarian (03:32):
And it was like you don't trust your own
spontaneity.
You feel like cause.
Sometimes I feel like, oh no,what is it about?
What are we trying to do here?
Henry Yan (03:39):
You know, this is what I mean.
You know, every time I've beentelling you, I've been telling
you you gotta, why are you doingjokes?
Yeah, that's, you ain'ttrusting it.
Sharam Namdarian (03:48):
Dude, you do more jokes, you do so many jokes
.
Henry Yan (03:51):
Yeah, but those come in.
They come in the moment though.
Sharam Namdarian (03:54):
Oh, do you, is your notebook just premises?
Henry Yan (03:59):
It's just keywords, yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (04:00):
Keywords, but then words, yeah, words.
But then are you like, but youhave jokes for everyone
listening.
To give you some context waityou, yeah, yeah I am sharam
namdarian and this is henry yanand henry yan and I have a
(04:20):
premise, not a joke.
I would call it an in premise,not an in joke yeah, to have
absolutely no jokes.
I think it was.
What was it?
No jokes?
What year?
2023?
Yeah, it was no jokes.
2023, where you have no jokesin the entire year of 2023 and
yan, to this day, has said hehas no jokes.
I ain't got jokes, but I'veseen him do jokes and then when
(04:44):
he sees me perform, he getsoutrageously mad.
He like throws shit againstwalls.
He goes absolutely crazy, youwouldn't expect it from such a
docile lamb of a man.
Henry Yan (04:57):
From the Henry Yan.
He's the lamb, I'm the ram.
But, yeah, no jokes 2023.
But I've been telling you thisway.
Sharam Namdarian (05:06):
You gotta stop joking and start premising or
start living baby, start living,start being, start being.
You go up and you're like, um,I'm scared of women, uh, so I've
been chasing them, I don't knowwhat wait a minute.
Henry Yan (05:21):
Wait a minute.
I'm doing an exaggeratedversion.
I'm not gonna.
That's not what you say.
That's not what you say.
Yeah, but yeah, I think the AIis right.
Rem.
Sharam Namdarian (05:32):
Yeah About, yeah About having no joke.
That's not what it says.
That's not what it's.
It actually says me to trustthat I have a joke, despite the
fact that sometimes I can't putit to words.
Oh, that's what you've beensaying the whole time.
Henry Yan (05:44):
I've been saying you don't need to, you just ram it
up.
Sharam Namdarian (05:52):
Have the what would you describe as the ram
quality, and I'll.
Yeah, what would you describeas my when you say ram it up,
what's that?
Henry Yan (06:03):
I don't know, just be yourself.
Sharam Namdarian (06:04):
Yeah, fair enough.
Henry Yan (06:08):
You know, yeah, ram it up.
What's that?
I don't know, just be yourself,yeah fair enough you know, yeah
, well, you know, you just do,you know, I just do.
I think like, um, yeah, man, Ithink, uh, no jokes.
Sharam Namdarian (06:15):
No jokes is the way to go I think no jokes
works, adam, and I have beensaying the.
Henry Yan (06:22):
Who.
Sharam Namdarian (06:23):
Adam A-D-E-M.
We always say you can't befunny if you're not having fun.
Henry Yan (06:33):
That's right.
Sharam Namdarian (06:34):
But then we jacked up the stakes to you
can't have fun if you're notbeing funny.
It's pretty funny, we like itbecause it makes it
unnecessarily mean.
Henry Yan (06:44):
But you pretty funny, we like it because it's like it
makes it unnecessary, I mean.
But you know, funny is like itstems from fun.
Sharam Namdarian (06:50):
Yeah, yeah oh, I get so mad about that because
it does, but it doesn't do.
You know why?
Okay, I'll tell you.
I'll tell you because I've seenpeople with taste with, like
they can taste food to a levelthat I can't taste food yeah and
I've seen them when they tastefood, they go that's tasty yeah,
yeah because it has volume oftaste yeah but if something is
(07:13):
funny, it doesn't necessarilymake it volume of fun.
You're not like wow, that was sofun.
Funny and fun are a little bitdifferent, do you agree, or?
Henry Yan (07:24):
disagree.
I'm I tend to, I'm tending todisagree, but I don't understand
what I'm disagreeing with rightnow.
Sharam Namdarian (07:29):
I need you to disagree.
I need someone to tell me I'mright.
Henry Yan (07:31):
Tell me more before I because I I have a sense that I
disagree, but I don't know whatyou're saying.
Sharam Namdarian (07:36):
If something has taste.
If you describe something astasty, it has quantity of taste.
You're like, wow, that's reallytasty, I can taste a lot.
If something is sexy, it hasquantity of taste.
You're like, wow, that's reallytasty, I can taste a lot.
If something is sexy, it hasquantity of sex.
It's got a sexual energy to it.
But if something is funny,would you say it has quantity of
fun in it.
Or is there an extra specialsauce that keeps comedians
(07:56):
addicted to the fucking journeyand the chase and trying to
figure it out for their wholelife?
Henry Yan (08:00):
I think this is the issue Fun is never quantifiable.
Sharam Namdarian (08:09):
yeah, wait yes , it is.
Do you know why I'm saying that?
Have you ever played a reallyfun video game?
Henry Yan (08:13):
oh, that's true, but it's a funnera video game no,
but this is the issue like it'snot quantifiable in the sense
that like it goes against fun tocompare yeah, and quantify fun,
yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (08:23):
So that's why it's not quantifiable yeah, I
agree with not, unless you'relike a super nerd, where you're
like, well, this is reason, likefrom a logical level.
But I think my understanding,if you're trying to quantify fun
, it's probably because of atrauma, like it's a trauma
response like fun is somethingto um to have fun with To have.
(08:44):
Yeah.
Henry Yan (08:46):
And to hold yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (08:47):
Are you happy with the Speaking of fun?
Are you happy with the sun Um?
Henry Yan (08:52):
Sun on your face.
Sharam Namdarian (08:53):
Yeah, it's pretty good.
Okay.
Yan wanted sun on his face, sohe gave the Yan.
Henry Yan (08:58):
You don't like it.
Sharam Namdarian (08:59):
No, no, I do.
I'm just conscious of um Uh,sunburns, oh yeah, we can move
on.
No, I'm not gonna of sunburns,oh yeah we can move on.
Henry Yan (09:05):
No, I'm not going to move.
It's too late now.
Sharam Namdarian (09:07):
I'm just letting you know as a bold guy
oh yeah, I will be there soon no, you won't, I'm getting there.
You shaved your, you did.
You did actually shave yourhead off when you went to New
Zealand.
What was it last year orsomething?
Yeah, yeah, how was that?
Henry Yan (09:20):
it was cool, it was pretty funny, eh?
Because, like, first day Ishaved it and then I went to go
play basketball and then thiskid like because the basketball
court was next to like theplayground, and then the kid
came up to me.
He's like man, you're MichaelJordan.
Sharam Namdarian (09:31):
Oh, and you were like yes, yeah, I was like
there's no difference.
Henry Yan (09:39):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no, michael,
Jordan but Ram, I think we wereonto something there and I
forgot what we were talkingabout and I was getting very
invested in that conversation oh, okay, we can go back to that
conversation.
Sharam Namdarian (09:49):
So it was.
Henry Yan (09:50):
If something is, no, no, something about what your AI
therapy and stuff oh that,we'll go back all the way to
that.
Sharam Namdarian (09:56):
Yeah, keep talking to me about that the AI
therapy really interestingbecause it provides a really
cutthroat, brutal response thatat first it was getting me in
real tears about things like Idid a whole episode are you
crying?
Uh, almost I couldn't tell Iwas laughing.
I did an episode, uh, ofwhatever.
This is where I just did like aby yourself, yeah, by myself,
(10:18):
okay, I don't always.
Yeah, you're technically thesecond interview.
I did one with alessio, but Ican't put it up okay, wait, why
why?
not, I don't want to put say iton words, on camera, oh, okay,
would that make this episodealso eligible?
No, okay, no, no, no, no, no,no, no, no, it's.
I'm still figuring it out interms of why, when I did that
(10:42):
episode with him, yeah it's pat.
It's got to do with packaging.
I don't know what the episodeis what do you mean?
Packaging, packaging.
It's like hey, it's a comedyshow, come see the comedy show
yeah, and if they start servingyou dinner, you're like what the
fuck is this?
Henry Yan (10:54):
yeah, so I don't know how to like actually say what
it is oh, dude, also I must sayyou've done a really good job
with um the, your gig that yourun.
You mean Dirty Secrets Comedy.
Yeah, I think you've done areally good job with it, eh.
Sharam Namdarian (11:07):
Thank you.
Henry Yan (11:09):
I'm happy to see what's happening with it eh.
Sharam Namdarian (11:13):
Thank you.
Well, I've been trying to.
I think I naturally I'm verygood at taking something that
someone else has done and tryingto make it really good.
Ramming it up, yeah rammingthat up so like dirty secrets
was established before.
Henry Yan (11:27):
Where are?
Sharam Namdarian (11:27):
you ramming it up though.
Uh, we're trying to basicallysell it out to crazy amounts of
tickets, basically.
So we can get more experienceand leverage it, and it's doing
really well right now.
Yeah, we had like somethinglike we had like 35, we sold out
, like oversold it on Wednesday,dude, that's awesome.
And then Thursday was all right.
Maybe it was like 10, 15 people, yeah, yeah, yeah, and we'll
(11:47):
see what happens today, but it'sbeen pretty like crazy.
But.
Henry Yan (11:51):
I'm burping, I'm burping now that's so cool.
Sharam Namdarian (11:53):
Packaging is good.
Anyway, point of the story iswith the AI therapy, yeah, like
there's like a little, there's ayou really harsh questions like
yeah yeah, what are the masksand roles that you play?
Henry Yan (12:05):
but how do you know the answer to this?
Sharam Namdarian (12:07):
well you, it asks you and you answer so what
if?
you don't know the answer.
Well, then you say I don't know.
And then it says the craziestthing.
It says you don't know theanswer because you've actually
been so blocked and so basicallytraumatized I'm paraphrasing
now but you've been so blockedand traumat, basically
traumatized I'm paraphrasing nowbut you've been so blocked and
traumatized for your whole lifethat you actually you've
(12:29):
forgotten what the answer is.
So it's like if the, if thequestion is something like who
are you really underneath all ofthese, whatever this is, and
your answer is I don't know, itgoes.
Yeah, you actually abandonedyourself.
That you don't know who you are, if that makes sense.
So like I don't know is stillan answer yeah, dude, I can see
how that hurts man.
Henry Yan (12:48):
That's crazy.
Sharam Namdarian (12:49):
So if you're like, one of the questions is is
like if you're like completely100, hypothetically something
you'd relate to?
Is like if you're a completely100, not afraid of saying
anything on stage?
Henry Yan (13:00):
yeah anything.
Sharam Namdarian (13:02):
What would you say?
And your answer is I don'tfucking know.
Then it's like yeah, it'sbecause you've abandoned
yourself and you've blocked offfrom who you truly are deep down
like something like that but Idon't know, I'm not saying that
that's you, I'm just saying asan example, I don't know is
often a result of, uh, beingblocked off from your own basic.
(13:24):
I'm going to sort of like yourcosmic intelligence I don't know
how else to describe it yourhigher self.
That was always myunderstanding with relationship
coaching.
It was always like deep down youknow what to do with
relationships.
You've been with relationshipsfor your whole.
You've been talking to peopleyour whole life.
Okay, you know when someonelikes you.
You know when someone wants tospend time with you?
Henry Yan (13:46):
I do not know.
Sharam Namdarian (13:48):
Maybe because your jacket is a bit Scratchy.
Just don't leave it on yourjacket.
Henry Yan (13:51):
That's all I was going to say.
Okay.
Sharam Namdarian (13:54):
Yeah, you do, I don't Do, I like you.
Henry Yan (13:58):
Or am I only liking?
Sharam Namdarian (13:58):
you because we're doing a podcast together,
or do you discount?
Henry Yan (14:03):
I feel like we like each other.
Sharam Namdarian (14:04):
Yeah, that's it, yeah don't, because sharam
par sharam, before all this aitherapy would honestly discount
the affection we had by beinglike oh, it's just a
professional thing I actuallyconnect easier through
professional formats, which I'mlearning to let go.
Yeah, because I justify it.
I'm like I'm almost too afraidof friendships.
I'm I'm a bit I'm over now.
That's why I can say it.
(14:25):
But I've been in the past veryafraid of friendships to the
point that it had to beprofessional.
It's crazy.
It's why I can.
We can go who my dad, who mymom, but whatever, Like it
doesn't really matter.
Henry Yan (14:37):
Yeah, okay, that's kind of wild.
Yeah yeah, I'm glad that you go.
It's wild man, yeah yeah, whatwere we talking about before?
I find this very interesting,ram.
Yeah, that's good Because youknow how you were, like a
relationship coach or whatever.
Yeah, but like it's crazy man,why?
(14:58):
Because it's like the AI is sogood at this stuff.
It's like why do we need youknow?
Sharam Namdarian (15:05):
so there's a couple things.
The first thing is is, if youhave a panic attack during a
really intense, say, coachingsession, the ai can't be.
Like I think we should slowdown, like you will just have a
panic attack without humanresponse, shit.
But also, realistically, Idon't know how else to answer
that question, apart from thefact that you have a human there
(15:26):
.
I think I'm quite good at usingit because I you know what I
mean like, if you, if you are acopywriter and you use ai to
write you, whatever it is, anarticle, you will then use your
expertise.
People are using it to,basically it's to replace
something.
But if you do nothing aboutcopywriting, you don't know if
something's good or bad.
(15:46):
You can still output something.
It's a lot.
There's so much.
I don't know.
I don't know how much into AIyou've looked into.
I've looked so much into it.
Henry Yan (15:53):
I haven't looked into it, yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (15:55):
I am all over it, Okay.
Another example would be Iactually think it's going to
make live performance andtheater more valuable and actual
art more valuable because, yeah, you can make anything now yeah
, you can make anything, yeah asin like draw me a shitty
(16:15):
version of the mona lisa as a asthe studio ghibli thing oh you
could do that within a minuteyeah, that's true but then you.
So now you have that dopaminehit.
Look what I did, yeah.
But then I say, do it withoutai.
You can be like I don't knowhow to do it.
So from my intense element ofusing it, all what I've learned
is is that when I actually go tosee proper art, yeah, my brain
(16:40):
goes.
That's crazy, and I actually,because when you see a non-human
do a human thing, you go, oh,anyone could do it.
But then when you see a humando it, it goes, oh shit, they
actually put in so much work, somuch effort, because now you
have context.
You don't even know how to holda brush.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, dude,yeah.
Henry Yan (17:01):
I had this interesting thought.
Sharam Namdarian (17:03):
Yeah.
About the taste thing yannetram, I mean yannet yannet up
taste it, yeah, if something'sgot a lot of taste.
Henry Yan (17:11):
So what were you saying again about like um, like
someone who can taste moreright?
Sharam Namdarian (17:18):
yeah, I just noticed this about someone I
work with who has a great senseof taste, fantastic sense of
taste, and I watched him eatthings and taste it and he would
be like like he really tastedit at a level that I go I should
.
I wish I could taste food theway he tastes food.
And then he goes it's tasty.
And he was like, oh, it haslike a quantity level and I
(17:39):
would taste it like, oh yeah,he's actually talking about
volume of flavor right there ohno, no, oh yeah.
Henry Yan (17:43):
I think the part that I wanted to say was like, like,
everyone has taste, right.
Sharam Namdarian (17:52):
Yeah, everyone has taste.
Henry Yan (17:54):
But also it's like taste is not limited to just
food, you know oh yeah, so I wasusing flavor taste specifically
like in the mouth but, you'reobviously referring to say say
like taste of music.
Yeah, or taste of whatever.
Yeah, like I don't have goodmusic taste so I just listen to,
I guess, pop yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (18:16):
Or do you not trust your own music taste?
Henry Yan (18:18):
Yeah, maybe, but I think it's more like I don't
care enough about it.
Sharam Namdarian (18:23):
Yeah, do you wish you cared about it, or you
just don't care?
You don't even care that youdon't care.
Henry Yan (18:28):
But why, like you, can't wish something that you
don't.
You know, it just is or itisn't, isn't it?
Sharam Namdarian (18:35):
I mean, you could be like I don't have good
taste in music, but I would liketo get to know it.
Henry Yan (18:41):
Yeah, but like saying that doesn't mean you really
want to Like, if you did want to, you would do it.
Sharam Namdarian (18:45):
You are right about that.
But sometimes like I wish Iwent to the NGV more.
I went a lot as a kid.
I wish I would go there more.
Doesn't mean I'm going to do itlike every weekend anymore
Doesn't mean I can't.
I don't know.
You want to be better at comedy.
Henry Yan (18:58):
I'm assuming oh man, I love comedy so much yeah
exactly.
Sharam Namdarian (19:00):
You love it so much yeah, doesn't mean you
don't want to get better at it?
Have you reached your potential?
But I you're pretty good.
Henry Yan (19:08):
I'm trying to say I think of comedy.
So much though yeah, yeah, yeahyeah like I don't need to try
to do it because I want.
Sharam Namdarian (19:14):
Like I inn innately, just do it so much
like yeah, that's what I mean.
Henry Yan (19:18):
Like, oh, that's, I figured out what I'm trying to
say, but you finish what you'regonna say, sorry I was just
saying like I don't have musictaste, but I have, like I feel
like I have comedy taste becauseI know, like, what I like yeah,
I.
Sharam Namdarian (19:31):
What I realize is is my response to your
statement is is that someonelike you could want to have more
taste in music if it wasgenuinely within them, but not
act upon it because they havelike a blockage, like, oh, it's
not for me, or I'm too old, orI'm too whatever, or I'm not
(19:54):
cool enough, so they never try.
Yeah, that's, that's really it.
Henry Yan (19:58):
But you're saying underneath all of it, you don't
even care yeah, yeah, that'sgreat, that's good, that's a
liberating place to be.
Only thinks about yeah my brainis only obsessed with one thing
.
Yeah, same that.
Sharam Namdarian (20:10):
But also I don't know survival making money
.
I paint warhammer, I do that oh, that's cool, yeah, yeah sure
you do other things.
Henry Yan (20:17):
Said you played basketball, you're not like oh
yeah, I'm not great, you know,yeah, but like I'll do it, I
thought you were the MichaelJordan of I am, yeah, when I'm
bald, yeah but not right now,nah, nah, but I think, yeah,
yeah, that, um, therapy stuff isintense.
Do you have to pay for it?
Sharam Namdarian (20:34):
oh, I just pay for the normal chat GPpt thing
it's just one prompt to ask me10 questions.
Uh, ask me 10 questions aboutunmasking the roles and this and
that oh yeah, okay and like theroles I'm playing.
So it's like, for example, I didone on mc'ing and it's like
what role do you play whenyou're feeling bad about mc'ing?
I'm like I play the role ofsomeone who's not good enough
(20:56):
that I'm the mc, I'm not one ofthe acts.
And then it's like, okay, wellthen, what does that protect you
from?
And it's like, oh, it protectsme from.
Uh, maybe I'm feeling bad inthe moment, maybe I'm overworked
or this or that.
So it helps me deal with howI'm feeling at the moment.
It's like, okay, well then then.
It then explains what youranswer is, what you're actually
(21:17):
trying to say, just in morewords, like it reflects back
that you and you go.
Henry Yan (21:20):
Oh, that's really good.
Sharam Namdarian (21:22):
And then after that it'll be like, okay, well,
what would the higher versionof you say, like if you, if you
were gonna step in as, say,you're an mc, but it didn't mean
you were less of a comedian,how would you act that way?
How would you do that?
And I'd be like I'd fuckingwalk in, I'd own the show, I'd.
It would be like I'm doing aspot but I'm holding the
(21:42):
presence.
It's like it's me plus, it'slike great, cool, yeah.
So it also leads you throughquestions to find out the
version of you that doesn't have, say, the insecurity or the
anxiety.
What would that version of yousay so you can actually start
stepping into that role?
Henry Yan (21:59):
But why do you need to own the show?
Sharam Namdarian (22:01):
No, you don't need to.
Oh, okay, it's more like whatwould, because it's different,
different for everyone.
Yeah, like my thing was justlike sometimes I feel bad about
it.
I'm like, oh, I should be themain guy For what, like in a
show or whatever, and it's likesometimes I like MCing.
(22:22):
I mean, I do, I don't think.
Henry Yan (22:23):
I'm pretty good at it .
Okay, what is the main guy?
Sharam Namdarian (22:25):
the main guy is no, no, no, it's any one of
the main acts.
Oh, not main acts, any one ofthe acts oh, okay, okay, right,
I see, but it's like what if itdidn't?
Because sometimes the MC emceelike you, just you don't have to
be as good as everyone elsesometimes, oh yeah probably.
Henry Yan (22:42):
Yeah, I've heard the joke.
Sharam Namdarian (22:44):
I've heard the joke.
Yeah, huh you gotta be betteryeah, yeah, I like your.
I like your reaction toeverything.
Actually, what do you mean?
Um, how do I put it into words?
Yeah, like, are you going?
You got to be better.
Yeah, I now don't care if I'memceeing or not.
(23:04):
I'm emceeing obviously takeswork but here's a question yeah
why are you doing comedy?
because many reasons.
I like to make people laugh.
I enjoy the psychology of it.
I like entertainment.
I think it combines pretty muchevery other thing I've done
with my life into one neatpackage.
(23:25):
Uh, it's a puzzle that I'llnever finish solving, like I
like to solve puzzles yeah,right okay why are you doing
comedy?
Henry Yan (23:37):
oh, because it's fun.
Yeah it, it is fun yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (23:40):
All that I forgot to say yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah.
Henry Yan (23:45):
Yeah, I guess, yeah, I don't know.
I think it's like you know,based on what a person's like
jokes are, or whatever you can,you can kind of see why they're
doing it, you know Hmm.
Yeah, why?
Sharam Namdarian (23:58):
they're doing it.
You know, yeah.
Do you think why someone doessomething?
I think yeah.
Why do you think?
Do you think why someone doessomething is important?
100 yeah, yeah, like, likethat's the only thing yeah, I
think it's the seed, but thetree grows it's the thing that's
going to determine how obsessedyou are with it and how good,
(24:19):
you get with it.
I'm pretty obsessed.
Henry Yan (24:23):
Yeah, I'm not saying you're not.
Sharam Namdarian (24:24):
I was going to say I reckon you were saying
how much you were obsessed withit yeah.
I wasn't not saying you weren'tNot saying that I was.
Henry Yan (24:36):
You know what I'm saying?
Not, really, not this time.
Sharam Namdarian (24:42):
No, I wasn't saying you weren't saying that
I'm not obsessed with it oh,okay, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah,
yeah, I think, as time goes on,it just gets more interesting
comedy, yeah, yeah yeah, like itbecomes this.
What I, what I'm currentlyinterested in, is the language
of comedy in the sense of whatyou're communicating, because
(25:06):
you're not just saying this isfunny and what's pointing out
what's funny about it?
There's sometimes like a deeperlogic behind it, like you're
revealing parts of yourself,your own way of viewing the
world.
You're revealing fallacies inthe world and and also just like
basic fallacies andcontradiction of the mind, like
oh, you thought I was sayingthis, but now I'm saying this
hat.
(25:27):
Like, yeah, at the core level ofit, if that makes sense yeah, I
guess you yeah like I've got ajoke that I've um, I'm now
retired because when it works,it works, and if it doesn't work
it's the worst.
It's a joke about me eating myown uh, having a taste of what
my own semen tasted like okay,yeah.
So when it works, it goes realwell, and when it doesn't work,
(25:53):
I'm like I feel like I've lostthe crowd and I I've just I
cannot deal with it just now.
I need to return back to it ina year wait, why are you doing
jokes?
oh yeah, shit, I forgot no jokes, no, but what I like about it?
The premise.
The premise is how one thingcan change a perspective of a
thing you've been doing for yourwhole life.
How one experience and it'slike how me tasting it is like
(26:17):
oh, I didn't know, that's what Itasted like Did you taste it?
Henry Yan (26:21):
Yeah, I tasted it, okay.
Sharam Namdarian (26:22):
And it tasted boring, it tasted weird, it
tasted almost not what Iexpected to and it was just like
, oh my God, that's what otherpeople, if someone was like,
give it to me, that's whatthey've been tasting.
And I love that as a concept, Ilove that as an exciting, like
a oh, like I must say, this isnot usually the realm of topics
(26:44):
I explore.
Henry Yan (26:46):
Yeah, yeah, I don't really talk about this stuff,
but go off, keep going, go off,man.
Sharam Namdarian (26:56):
Yeah, no, you're you.
Yeah, I need to be morefamily-friendly more digestible.
Henry Yan (27:04):
I mean, yeah, you can talk about it, but I probably
don't have any input because Idon't really.
Yeah, no, no, no, that's fine.
Sharam Namdarian (27:12):
We're not talking about eating one's own
seed.
What we're talking about isjokes, the psychology behind it.
Yeah, okay, yeah, behind ityeah okay, yeah, yeah, yeah do
you know what I mean?
Like the, the universe thatevery joke has, I think is very
interesting sorry, the universeof every premise what's it?
(27:34):
What's a joke you've been doingnow or that you've done in the
past?
Maybe one of the ones from rawlike what's an example of one?
Henry Yan (27:40):
we'll dive into what I'm trying to say oh, okay, I've
been talking about one that I'mreally working on.
Now is one about playing rugby.
Okay, yeah and what.
Sharam Namdarian (27:50):
What's what?
What excites you about that youdon't have to reveal the joke?
What excites you about that?
Henry Yan (27:55):
job.
Oh, it's just so stupid yeahwhat's stupid about it?
The like rugby, or you playingrugby, me playing rugby.
Sharam Namdarian (28:03):
Yeah because what you're?
You're a frail.
Henry Yan (28:06):
If someone, if someone who plays rugby touches
you, you'll explode like whatyeah, kind of, but also it's
like the fact that, oh well, thethe joke is basically oh man,
yeah you don't have to share it.
Sharam Namdarian (28:18):
If you don't want to like, it's fine.
All we can't really have thisdiscussion then.
Because the whole joke.
I just told you what my jokewas about without telling you
the actual thing the whole jokeis about.
Okay, then pick a different one.
Pick an older one that'salready online.
Pick one of the Raw set.
Henry Yan (28:37):
Oh, I guess, maybe the Tao thing, I it.
Oh, I guess maybe the the towelthing, I don't know, the towel,
the towel one?
Sharam Namdarian (28:43):
I haven't seen it.
Oh, it's the raw set.
Yeah, but what was the?
So what's the the towel?
It's a towel joke.
Joke about towels.
I don't know it, I'm sorry I'mone of the three people that
haven't properly seen I've seenclips.
Henry Yan (28:52):
I haven't seen the towel bit.
Oh, that's so good.
Okay, what have you seen?
Maybe we can just talk aboutthat.
I don't know the uh upside downwater.
Sharam Namdarian (29:00):
Oh, that is the towel thing oh, that is the
towel thing, yeah, oh, yeah, Idon't.
Henry Yan (29:04):
Yeah, it's.
It's just about how, um, weused to share a towel and we're
well, we still pour you knowyeah, okay, yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (29:11):
And what's funny about that to you?
Henry Yan (29:14):
the premise, not the joke.
It wasn't, uh, I don't know, itwasn't funny to me, but someone
told me I should talk about it,so oh, okay, yeah oh well,
there is that, because I've hadstuff about being colorblind and
not being able to seecolorblind.
Sharam Namdarian (29:27):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay I've got a great new
one that I love that I've beendoing it.
It's about how I can't tell ifbananas are yellow or green, and
so play eating bananas reallyyeah, I can't it's.
I can't tell if one's rightthat's really interesting so
many weird ramifications, butthe philosophy behind that that
I love.
I love the exploit the universethat every joke has is what are
(29:50):
all the ramifications of me notbeing able to see yellow and
green with a banana?
Yeah, how does that extend?
Who are the people I meet?
I use other people as my eyesall the time, if that makes
sense, like if I go and buy abanana at the shop and this is
why I'm saying the joke like um,there's the guy I have to ask
him.
I don't know what he's goingthrough with his whole life, but
(30:11):
now he has to stop it to helpme determine what bananas are.
That's interesting, like is itripe or is it not?
Because that little sign Idon't know if you've seen it.
I find it so funny.
Henry Yan (30:19):
Yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (30:20):
It's mostly because of what I see.
There's the little sign that islike this is what a ripe banana
is and this is what a rawbanana is, and it has a green
banana for the raw and a yellowbanana for the ripe one.
Yeah, but to me that's the samebanana.
That's funny.
Henry Yan (30:39):
Yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (30:40):
It's really funny and it's a universe.
Henry Yan (30:44):
That's like how do you drive when there's traffic
lights?
Sharam Namdarian (30:48):
Oh, I can see the difference between that.
They're very different, as inthey're different in tonality
and they're a different position.
They're quite different.
Henry Yan (30:57):
Oh, okay, so you can see that.
Sharam Namdarian (30:58):
Even within the spectrum of colorblindness,
they're still quite're quitedifferent.
Oh okay, so you can't, evenwithin the spectrum of color
blindness they're still quitedifferent.
Yeah, oh, okay, yeah, becausethat would be kind of dangerous
yeah yeah, okay, that's reallyinteresting man yeah, it is
interesting, and it's funny likethe whole joke is me being like
I bet there's going to be, likeone day, a guy at coles who's
like like he's having the worstday of his life and I'm going to
make him accidentally killhimself himself, like he's gonna
(31:19):
be like this is me doing thebit where he's like oh man, ai's
taking my job.
Oh uh, fucking uh, I can't evenafford rent.
Like this is crazy.
I'm gonna have to work atwoolies and coals.
And then I come up to him goingwhat color are the bananas?
Henry Yan (31:34):
yeah, that's funny like that's the.
Sharam Namdarian (31:36):
You know what I mean.
Like to me, that's universe.
That's a joke, is a universe.
There's so much in it.
Yeah, and I think that's abeautiful metaphor and I thank
you for this episode because nowI finally have it in words,
because I didn't know how todescribe how helpful,
interesting.
Yeah.
Henry Yan (31:54):
Yeah, I feel like there's so much there.
Eh, yeah, yeah In the bananabit.
Yeah, I feel like there's somuch there.
Sharam Namdarian (31:59):
Eh, yeah, yeah In the banana bit.
Yeah yeah, there's so much.
I want to turn, I want tostretch it for as long as I can.
If I could get it into 20minutes or five minutes, you
know what I mean.
Like I'm just, I'm going to putit at the start of every set
for a while and see if I can addsomething to it.
Oh yeah yeah, I think thatwould be a really good bit once
(32:22):
you work on it.
Yeah, you are, I was sayingabout this before, and then
we're like let's save for thepodcast.
You're like accidentally, we'resaying, before you know there's
luke mcgregor yeah who's likequite awkward on stage?
Yeah, almost intentional heplays that up yeah, what I like
about you on stage is you're notreally playing that up.
Oh yeah, you come off asawkward A little bit.
Henry Yan (32:45):
I literally didn't know.
Sharam Namdarian (32:48):
As in till I just said it or till recently.
Henry Yan (32:51):
No, just recently, Like because I used to always
think I was awkward, like Ithought I was, like you know, a
pretty normal cool dude.
Sharam Namdarian (33:02):
Yeah, you know , pretty normal cool dude, yeah
I still, I still think so, butlike I didn't know, I was
awkward, you know?
Yeah, no, you're a normal cooldude, but also but the thing is,
what constitutes awkward?
Henry Yan (33:12):
yeah, is that just like you see the world
differently and so you act onwhat you think is correct?
Sharam Namdarian (33:19):
I.
That's a good question, and Idon't think what you said is the
answer.
Henry Yan (33:26):
That is a good question, yeah, right.
Sharam Namdarian (33:29):
Yeah, like what makes something awkward.
Henry Yan (33:31):
Yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (33:31):
Is it the smoothness to?
Yeah, the reason why I relateto this is because when I was
young and my mate was like wellwe're going to meet is because
when I was young and my mate waslike well, we're gonna meet
girls, and he was like you know,like with comedy you gotta film
yourself.
So we filmed each other having aconversation with each other
just to see like what we cameoff as, yeah, he was, he was
very, he was very professionalabout it and I was like I don't
(33:52):
know why we're doing this.
I understood why we're doing itbut yeah I wasn't the arbiter
anyway.
He thought he was massivelyawkward and weird, yeah, and I
thought I was like mr cool dude,yeah.
And then when we watched theconversation, oh, I was.
I was the awkward guy I'm all,arms all legs.
I'm gonna fall over at anypoint in time.
Henry Yan (34:11):
That's so funny and he was the cool guy yeah, that's
really I don't know maybe whatdefines your awkwardness.
Sharam Namdarian (34:17):
My awkwardness is that I will literally
probably fall over and hurtpeople.
Henry Yan (34:21):
Yeah, okay, like at any time.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and it's noteven intentional.
Sharam Namdarian (34:24):
Like I'm just going to concuss myself at any
point in time, no matter what.
Henry Yan (34:30):
Yeah, yeah.
Sharam Namdarian (34:30):
I'm happy to be here.
Yeah, so when you see me onstage or in real life, what are
the things that I do that can bedefined as awkward?
Uh well, you're often talkingabout how you're starting to
figure out I don't know, I'massuming I can talk about this.
You're talking about this onstage.
(34:50):
Uh, you're starting to figureout how to talk to girls and
going on dates and stuff likethat oh so the awkwardness.
There is a little bit like Idon't know how to navigate this
situation yeah but the coolness,so there is a cool part to it.
the awkwardness there is alittle bit like I don't know how
to navigate this situation.
Yeah, but the coolness, sothere is a cool part to it.
The coolness is you going?
Henry Yan (35:10):
I don't know how to navigate this, but I'm still
going to try.
Sharam Namdarian (35:11):
Oh yeah, so that's the cool part.
Henry Yan (35:12):
Yeah, the awkwardness part is.
Sharam Namdarian (35:13):
I don't know how to navigate this.
Henry Yan (35:15):
Oh, I see.
Sharam Namdarian (35:16):
So that's.
I think there's a lot of.
The coolness is in your generalvibe is there's a lot of stuff.
You're like I'm not really surewhat I'm doing here, and it's
probably even the best thingabout it is you don't even know
that.
You're not sure, I don't know,I'm just speculating here.
But the awkwardness is there'sa lot of stuff.
(35:39):
I would say that you seem likeyou're figuring it out.
How do I put this into fuckingwords?
oh yeah, like with girls, you'relike I don't know how to do it,
but you're gonna do it anyway,and that's good.
You're not gonna get it rightbefore you get it right yeah,
but do most people just get itright straight away?
No, some people have a rolemodel, so they'll have like okay
(36:00):
, I never looked into this yeah,that's see, that's the
interesting thing.
So some people have a rolemodel whether it's a conscious
or an unconscious role model of,basically, someone they're
trying to emulate.
Henry Yan (36:09):
So they're trying to avoid being awkward oh, but I
think the difference is I'm justtrying to be like what I feel
is great, like I'm just tryingto be me.
I'm not trying great, like I'mjust trying to be me, I'm not
trying to emulate anyone and, asas the coach in me goes, that's
far better.
Oh, yeah, okay.
Sharam Namdarian (36:25):
Far more authentic.
That makes my heart fuckingsing.
Henry Yan (36:28):
Oh yeah, you know what I'm talking about, tasty.
Sharam Namdarian (36:30):
Yeah, oh, quantity of taste, oh shit.
Henry Yan (36:35):
That's got authenticity.
Oh shit, that's quality ofauthenticity.
But I think this is what I tellyou when you go on stage you
just got to do you you know yougot to ram it yeah.
Like yeah, I think yeah, Idon't know.
I don't know.
I don't know why other peopledon't do it, but I feel like
(36:57):
maybe I've been blessed or maybe, yeah, I don't know.
Sharam Namdarian (37:02):
I think we're all blessed in different ways,
but the way you've been blessedhas probably been.
Yeah, like as you said, you'rejust doing what you think is
cool.
Henry Yan (37:10):
But why doesn't everyone do what they think is
cool?
I don't know, that's like like.
Why would you emulate when youcan be?
Sharam Namdarian (37:21):
ah, ah, trauma , there we go.
Answer solved what do you meantrauma?
Uh, what I mean by that isbasically uh, I, to take it back
, rephrase sankara.
Sankara is the the great wordfor it, it's a.
Sankara is a sanskrit buddhistword, I think means reaction, so
(37:44):
it's basically sort of like asoft version of trauma.
So it's like long story shortlittle boy, not yan someone else
not yan someone else.
Henry Yan (37:59):
I'm gonna use comedy as the example, but little boy,
not yan, yeah, someone elseentirely.
Sharam Namdarian (38:04):
Let's call him dan, little dan, stan, stan,
okay.
Stan, little stan wanted to befunny around friends okay, and
tried and was rejected.
And little stan never forgot itand grew up oh, so then he
doesn't.
Henry Yan (38:21):
He thinks he doesn't know what funny is.
Sharam Namdarian (38:23):
Yes, so then he must like emulate someone
else that is correct whereaslittle yan never had that
experience, or better yet hadthat experience and deemed it
was like whatever they're wrongor who cares, none of this
matters oh, yeah, yeah, yeahinteresting.
That's the key.
Key different is the experienceis irrelevant, it's more about
(38:45):
how.
So you're saying were youblessed?
Yeah, because you process thatif that happened in your life
yeah maybe you never tried at ayoung age.
You're like whatever, becauseI've had many things where in my
life where people like you'reso cool with that, I'm like I've
never had a problem with that Iwas blessed in that way.
Henry Yan (39:02):
Oh yeah, what?
What is an example of somethingyou have list with?
Sharam Namdarian (39:06):
uh, I am perfectly comfortable, uh,
dealing with a significantamount of, dare I say, like, in
a similar sense like awkwardnessin new situations.
Oh so, like I'll often bethrown into, I've been trying to
figure out a joke in this whereI'm like I've got no social
anxiety and I think you shouldhave some social anxiety.
That's the premise, like but,um, yeah, so there's a lot of
(39:30):
usual workplace scenarios like,for example, with my current
work with social media marketing, I'm only in front of the
camera because I was likesomeone needs to say this on
camera and no one else iscomfortable with it but this is,
this is the thing.
Henry Yan (39:45):
It's like.
Sharam Namdarian (39:45):
You know what needs to be done in that
situation, so no one else can doit.
Yeah, and I also am comfortablesaying it yeah, because I'm
like I saying it yeah, becauseI'm like I'm gonna be awkward,
I'm gonna get it wrong, I'mgonna do whatever I'm just gonna
say it and nothing like whatare the?
What are we gonna do not?
Henry Yan (40:02):
yeah, not say it.
Sharam Namdarian (40:03):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and other people have to
work up to it.
And then I notice other peoplethen emulating me.
They're like, oh, he's done itthis way, maybe I could do it
that way.
Oh, yes, because there's a some, it's an interesting.
The psychology behindeverything I find very
interesting.
I don't know if that comes.
Henry Yan (40:19):
That makes a lot of sense, right?
Thanks, yeah, I think, likewith comedy, it's like I think I
just do what I find is fun andit like I feel like if I'm
having fun, people are havingfun, so it doesn't matter, you
are good like that oh, thank you, thank you have you run a room
(40:43):
before I have?
Sharam Namdarian (40:44):
yeah, yeah, you ran in Thalberg nah, nah.
I ran one in New Zealand.
Oh okay, and how was that like?
Henry Yan (40:49):
yeah, okay.
What do you mean why?
What were you?
What do you mean why?
Sharam Namdarian (40:53):
What were you?
What do you?
Henry Yan (40:56):
How long did you run it for?
Like six months to a year maybe.
Oh yeah, why.
Sharam Namdarian (41:03):
I don't know where I was going with that, but
I think what I was trying tosay was you can sort of see
who's having fun and who's not.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, andyou see it and you go.
I could be having more fun oh,okay, yeah but I've definitely
I'm gonna be very honest I'vedefinitely been an emulator in
(41:26):
comedy in my past oh, I thinkeveryone does at some point.
Though, yeah, like you start out, especially like I don't have
you ever seen someone so goodLike in a way that you're like
oh, that's.
Whatever they're doing is thebest.
Henry Yan (41:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah , yeah.
I don't know.
Sharam Namdarian (41:43):
That's their thing.
It's probably time for me to goset up.
Speaking of that, go set updirty.
Henry Yan (41:48):
Oh man dude.
Sharam Namdarian (41:50):
This was a fun .
This is fun.
Did you have fun?
Henry Yan (41:53):
yeah, it was good man that sun, though.
Yeah, sun is gone, so Jan mustgo back to the sun.
Sharam Namdarian (41:59):
I must go back is there anything Jan wants to
say to the people?
Henry Yan (42:03):
the people must know, not really okay cool.
I don't know how would you liketo close the show?
Sharam Namdarian (42:13):
I don't have anything to close the show.
It's completely't have anythingto close the show.
It's completely fine.
This has been Yan and Ram on avery special.
Shahram Namdarian Starts aRevolution, A podcast where
we'll probably start arevolution.
I don't know what about and Idon't really care what about.
Henry Yan (42:28):
See, you're emulating right now.
Sharam Namdarian (42:30):
No, I'm doing a.
It's called packaging bro.
Henry Yan (42:35):
It's called packaging , bro.
It's called packaging.
Sharam Namdarian (42:36):
What do you mean packaging?
Who am I emulating Right now?
Who am I emulating?
Just how you're doing the I'mdoing a voice.
Henry Yan (42:41):
Here we are.
We're going to do.
Sharam Namdarian (42:44):
I was like oh dude.
Yeah that's natural evolution.
Henry Yan (42:47):
I've done.
Sharam Namdarian (42:48):
Yeah, with my old coaching business I did like
so many podcasts.
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