Ari Shaffir's Skeptic Tank

Mark Normand, fresh off the success of his new special "Out To Lunch" (available now on YouTube), met me on the deserted streets of New York to play the 5 things we miss game. We probably got to like 2. Maaaaaaaybe 3. But who cares really? Mark is hilarious and this episode was funny as crap with broccoli. I should legitimately have this guy on once a month. 

Make sure to watch Mark's special, "Out To Lunch" now! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDolNU89SXI&t=170s

This episode is brought to you by http://sheathunderwear.com. Use promo code "Ari" to get 20% off your first order!

The Music

Counting Crows - Round Here

Suzanne Vega - Tom's Diner

Missing Persons - Walking in L.A.

Sex Pistols- Pretty Vacant

Joey Diaz is one of my all time stealing heroes. He is an inspiration to shoplifters everywhere. Even though he's semi-retired since having a child, his legend lives on. This episode is all about stealing. From one of the former greats to a current title contender. Please steal this episode. 

This episode is brought to you by sheathunderwear.com. Use promo code "Ari" to get 20% off your first order.

The Music

The Smiths - Shoplifters of the World Unite

Temple of the Dog - Hunger Strike

Max Romeo - Stealing in the Name of Jah

Etta James - Steal Away

Robert Kelly joins me for the first in a series of podcasts where I'm just gonna do some wishful thinking. Fun podcast with a good friend. It's nothing serious. It's all about the stuff we've been thinking about doing. For now, it's because we can't really do anything. A year from now, it'll probably be about the things in life we've been procrastinating. But this is now. And Bobby goes over all the stuff he's been itching to do. These don't have to be the most important things. These are just some activities that have been bouncing around in his head.

1) Walking Around The Mall

2) Cigar Bars

3) Staring at Girls

4) Hanging Out At Comedy Clubs with Comics

5) Hotel Room on a Saturday Night when the Week is Over

The Music

Sam Cooke - Another Saturday Night

Biz Marquee - Albee Square Mall

Beatles - With A Little Help From My Friends

Mika - Big Girls (You Are Beautiful)

Jessica Michelle Singleton came on to talk to me about taking a 10 day vow of silence for Vipassana meditation. I tried it a few years ago and failed. Still got a ton out of it. But she made it all the way through. And this conversation really reminded me of everything I got out of it even though I didn't make it. It's so good for you! 

Jessica Michelle Singleton has two podcasts. "Ignorance is #Blessed" and "Two Filthy Nerds." She's also related to the most prolific standup comedians of the last decade.

The Music

Bjork - It's Oh So Quiet

No Doubt - Don't Speak

Macklemore - Vipassana

Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence

Mazzy Star - Sweet Mary of Silence

Joe List has a bad attitude and a worse stomach. He ate nothing but chicken parm sandwiches and Chipotle for the last 14 years and then for some reason, one day last year his stomach just stopped working. He has silent reflux. And it's a bigger problem than heart disease, Covid, comedy bloggers, and emotional support peacocks. There's a lot of talk about male ejaculate in a podcast about glorified heartburn. 

Listen to Joe on one of his two podcasts, the new Mindful Metal Jacket (I was on episode 11) or the ever popular Tuesdays with Stories that he does with Mark Normand.

The Music

The White Coffin Terror - Silent Night Deadly Night

Future (feat Andre 3000) - Benz Friendz

Duran Duran - The Reflex

Simon and Garfunkel - The Sounds of Silence

Sean Patton becomes the first Skeptic Tank guest to ever appear via webcam to tell me about what New Orleans was like for him in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Pretty much Skeptic Tank is the only podcast where you'll hear about stuff like this in a funny podcast. Anyway, that time seemed to me to have a lot of parallels to what's going on right now. So he told me about some of the stuff that went down out there. Really great, funny conversation that helped me deal with quarantine zero percent better so don't expect any answers.

Check out Sean's podcast, "5 Words." I'll be on in a couple weeks.

And please help support him if you can, by downloading his new standup album, Scuttlebutt.

Mark Normand became the first (and only) guest in the newly built Skeptic Tank Studio! This was recorded March 17, the first day bars and restaurants were closed in New York. We talked about what it was doing to standup, our fears, made jokes about everything, and drank some ice cold Coronas while we did it. This podcast is also the first on the new Skeptic Tank youtube channel. (youtube.com/SkepticTank) Check that out for full episodes, episode clips, brand new podcasts, and lots of new content. And subscribe! That's where all the live episodes will live from now on as opposed to the other YouTube channel that was just a still picture with the audio over it. 

Nobody knew how far Covid 19 would go and nobody was yet saying even not to meet up with friends. But in between recording this podcast, and before my interview the next day, it started to seem more like a health risk to have a guest and my producer come to the studio. So we called it off until we learned more. But before we did, Mark and I talked about all that was happening with the Swine AIDS.

I spent half of February looking for a place and half of March building it. We'll be back. Probably. Who knows?

Check out Mark's podcast, Tuesdays with Stories, that he does every Tuesday with Joe List. It's a great podcast and their back catalog should eat up tons of your free time. 

This episode was brought to you by Sheath Underwear. If you go to SheathUnderwear.com and use the promo code "Ari" you save 20% off your order! That's a fifth!

Chino LaForge met me before one of our shows to tell me about the history of the country of Hawaii. I think it ain't even really part of America. Honestly. I know it is, but I don't agree. Chino broke down all the history and then we moved on to what it's like there now. Really interested conversation.

Roberty "Bobby" Kelly had me over to the YKWD studios to record an album commentary episode of Skeptic Tank on his first comedy album, Robert Kelly Live. On these episodes I break down a comic's (usually) first album and we discuss all the things that went into making all the jokes, recording the album, how their styles have changed, what inspired the bits, and all sorts of stuff from an academic point of view on comedy. 

We did this to help promote Robert's set on season 2 of The Degenerates on Netflix. So make sure to open up Netflix and watch Bobby's set on there.

My final dates for Ari Shaffir: Jew  are:

Oahu - Jan 15

Maui - Jan 17

Kauai - Jan 19

Portland - Jan 23

Pittsburgh - Jan 25

Charlotte - Jan 26

New York - Feb 7 and 8

Tickets are at http://www.arishaffir.com/tour