Two time Canadian Comedy Award winner Sandra Battaglini joins the show this week and drops some knowledge on what we didn't know about the comedy industry. She explains the art of 'Clown', it's influence and how many of the mainstream comedians are actually clowns but may not realize it. Sandra also co-founded The Canadian Association of Stand-Up, Sketch and Improv Comedians (CASC), leading into conversations about flaws within the comedy industry in Canada. We talk about it from all angles, including the quality of talent, how Canada is at a disadvantage, Americans staling Canadian content, how to get out of this mess and much more.

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Intro

0:00 - Teaser

0:13 - Pronouncing Italian Names

0:42 - Sicily 

1:18 - Italian Wedding Drama

2:33 - Italian Stereotypes + Holding a Grudge

3:16 - All Italians Do This (Italian Trash Talk)

6:00 - Best Part About Being Italian 

6:38 - Snake Festival in Italy

9:11 - Digby’s World Famous Scallops 

9:58 - Brief History Lesson 

Getting Started in Comedy

10:38 - History Major

11:25 - Post Secondary Influencing Material

12:06 - Start in Comedy

12:54 - Second City Comedy Theatre  

14:48 - Getting Hooked

Clown Comedy

15:22 - Becoming a Clown

16:44 - What is Clown?

17:52 - North American vs European Clowns

18:25 - Baskets - Zach Galifianakis

18:41 - Performers You Didn’t Know Were Clowns

19:43 - Studying Clown

20:23 - Sacha Baron Cohen

20:41 - The Anti-Clown (Bufon)

21:51 - Cabaret 

24:23 - Clown Characters

26:19 - Parents Reaction to Comedy

The Comedy Industry

27:37 - Comedian Association of Stand Up Comedians

27:57 - Why Isn’t Comedy Recognized as an Art

30:23 - Open Letter to the Prime Minister

32:24- Roasting Art Shows

34:18 - Stepping Down From Lobbying

36:46 - Prioritizing Stand-Up Comedy

37:59 - Canadian Entertainment Barriers

38:49 - America Stealing Canadian Art

40:12 - Best Comedy Scene in the World

40:39 - Why It’s Hard For Canadian Talent to Grow

41:06 - The Music Industry Blueprint

42:40 - Why Canadians Can’t Create Art in the U.S.A

44:22 - How to Break Through in America

45:13 - Why Americans Make Movies in Canada

45:58 - 9/11 Influence on Comedy Industry

46:32- Starting Over 

46:58 - Utilizing Social Media

48:11 - This Poisoned Comedy

48:55 - Sticking It to the Man

Outro

52:35 - The World’s Biggest Problem

53:48 - How I Find Balance

54:58 - Words of Wisdom

55:45 - Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

56:52 - Microdosing

57:18 - What is a Comedian?

58:25 - Andrew Santino Cheeseburger

59:36 - Go Plant Some Seeds

1:00:13 - Outro