Brad Grossman

[0] Welcome, welcome, welcome to armchair, expert, experts on experts.

[1] I'm Dax Shepard.

[2] I'm joined by Monaster Moister.

[3] Good morning.

[4] A good morning to you.

[5] How are you?

[6] Good.

[7] You brought over a very special mug today.

[8] I did.

[9] Do you want to read it?

[10] The luncheonette.

[11] The luncheonette.

[12] Gives me warm fuzzies to see that.

[13] Of course.

[14] Me and Peter pretending we owned a recording studio.

[15] Boy, the fun we had.

[16] So today's guest is very interesting because I met this person at a dinner party.

[17] I don't know, 10 years ago.

[18] And he was so interesting.

[19] I learned that he had been Brian Grazer's cultural liaison.

[20] He literally would educate Brian Grazer, the very famous producer, every morning on what is happening in culture or in the zeitgeist.

[21] And so after meeting him, I learned of his zeit guide culture classes.

[22] And I've been reading the zeit guide of his for the last 10 years.

[23] It's one of my favorite emails to get.

[24] So we're having him on today.

[25] He's an author, an entrepreneur, and a publisher, and creator.

[26] and host of Zykeguide's culture class.

[27] Zyteguide is a cultural almanac which synthesizes the need to know hot button issues we need to keep track of throughout the year.

[28] Go to Zytegide .com and use code armcherees for 50 % off Brad's first culture class of the year.

[29] Please enjoy our friend Brad Grossman.

[30] Wondry Plus subscribers can listen to armchair expert early and ad free right now.

[31] Join Wondry Plus and the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts.

[32] Or you can listen for free wherever you get your podcasts.

[33] He's an armchair and spare.

[34] Okay.

[35] Okay, Brad's here with a non -swivel chair.

[36] There was a last minute game day decision made to get rid of the swivel chair, which I appreciate.

[37] Are you a fidgetter?

[38] Did you think to yourself, you know what?

[39] I'm a fidgetter, and I'm going to spin around the whole time.

[40] I'm developing on more stability.

[41] Okay.

[42] Is that a 2021 resolution?

[43] It's been a 1975 and I think we're getting there.

[44] We're getting slowly but surely, steadily, baby steps.

[45] Now, I just want to everyone to know, I met you, Brad, at a dinner party.

[46] Man, I want to say 10 years ago at this point.

[47] And I learned about your role at Imagine, which is a great historic production company here, Ron Howard and Brian Grazier, who you worked with.

[48] and you were so knowledgeable about everything.

[49] And then we learned at this dinner party that you have something called Zykeguide, which you then signed Kristen and I up for, and we get it weekly.

[50] And it's awesome.

[51] It's a cheat sheet for everything that is in the zeitgeist.

[52] That's popular catch words you hear, which happens, I think, to all of us, you're just moving through the world and you're hearing like, oh, what's this new word?

[53] Everyone seems to have embraced and knows what it means.

[54] And so you have a culture guide that helps people.

[55] stay abreast of the ever -changing zeitgeist.

[56] Is that a good description of it?

[57] It pretty much is.

[58] Not everybody.

[59] You're clearly very, very in tune, but not everybody knows what the word zeitgeist means, right?

[60] It is not a popular word, right.

[61] Zykeis is actually a German word.

[62] That means spirit of the time.

[63] So that's my mission to embody that, to help guide people through our constantly changing culture, like guiding them through the zeit, which is time.

[64] Yeah.

[65] So how do you know what you're going to explore?

[66] Is it a synthesization?

[67] A synthesization?

[68] curious about these things you're hearing, or is it all those things?

[69] Well, it is all those things, but you use two really good terms that define.

[70] In fact, one of my clients just pitched me as part of their project, then called me a cultural explorer.

[71] And yeah, I'm basically a student of the world.

[72] And while you all have your real jobs, I'm going out there like an octopus, sucking up all this interesting information that is based on my curiosity and my questioning of what's really happening and I synthesize all of it and I have researchers who help me and then I serve it on a platter to my audience, whether there's CEOs or leaders or like you said, Brian Grazer, and now you and your audience.

[73] So you have a couple facets to your business.

[74] One is Zykeguide, which anyone listening could become a subscriber to Zykeguide.

[75] Not only that, I think you even have come up with a code for armcherry so they can get it cheaper.

[76] Is that true?

[77] Yeah, well, I moved on because of the spirit of the times, because nobody reads anymore.

[78] I do these culture classes now.

[79] I customize them for companies, but I also do it for anybody.

[80] And on the 27th at 1 p .m. Pacific time and 4 p .m. East Coast time, I am going to do one, like I always do, but for the arm cherries, which is actually the code arm cherries in caps.

[81] offering 50 % off.

[82] So it's 25 bucks for, I'm calling it around the world in 60 minutes, everything you need to know in 2021.

[83] Oh, wow.

[84] Okay, so really quick, you want to talk about a polarizing topic.

[85] It's how to spell arm cherries.

[86] Now, I spell it A -R -M -C -H -E -R -R -I -E -S.

[87] Like the fruit.

[88] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[89] It's arm and then the fruit.

[90] How do you spell it?

[91] Well, I looked it up and I listened to your podcast every week.

[92] So, I thought instinctually that it was armchair, as your podcast defines itself.

[93] And then I thought, you know what, that's a really good way to brand you in terms of a Zite guy's kind of thing because you're both so sweet.

[94] Oh, that's great.

[95] It's such a, I mean, you really, I just want to praise you, like you really connect with humanity.

[96] And that's what I try to do in the work that I do as well.

[97] I like to be more the guide than the Zite.

[98] Of course, people want to know the Zite, but I want people, and I did it with kids originally as a tutor, and then I did it for Brian Grazer to imagine the Academy and Emmy Award winning producer, which you were part of one of the show's parenthood, right?

[99] Yeah.

[100] And all my clients and my audience of culture class, I want them to all come away from the experience, feeling inspired, enlightened, less anxious, like they have an edge.

[101] I don't want them just to be the smartest in the room.

[102] I want them to connect with the knowledge and figure out what it means to them on an internal basis.

[103] Well, that's what I was going to say about the different facets of your business.

[104] So one was zeit guide and then also being brought in as a cultural expert to different companies to help them navigate and decide where they should be heading.

[105] So everything I read of yours has a kind of practical suggestion for being nimble and flexible in an ever -changing economy.

[106] me. I call it cultural agility.

[107] You've got to be agile to the constantly changing culture that's surrounding everything you do.

[108] And now it's obviously more complex, more confusing, and happening more quickly than ever before.

[109] Well, in one of your guides a couple weeks ago, I noticed this, which I had not heard this, maybe this is a very common phrase, but the COVID catalyst, like really examining how COVID has become this huge disruptor that has accelerated these plans that were maybe floundering or just not being implemented.

[110] And it just caused everything to kind of leap forward by like the most conservative estimate being like three or four years.

[111] That's what McKinsey said.

[112] It flushed.

[113] You passed the pop quiz.

[114] Just to clarify one thing, yes, I do these weekly newsletters for anybody for free, right?

[115] So I'm glad you read those.

[116] That means a lot to me. Oh, they're the greatest.

[117] I'm like, oh yeah, here we go.

[118] These are the three things that I'm going to hear about and I'm going to now be able to form an opinion about.

[119] And feel inspired, right?

[120] More connected.

[121] I'm hoping.

[122] So the cultural catalysts, I would put it on you and anybody else, whether their clients or, you know, students of mine, I call them students because everybody's learning.

[123] You know, it catalysized.

[124] And if you don't remember chemistry, catalysis speeds things up.

[125] It accelerates things.

[126] Everything in people's lives.

[127] But on a business level, right?

[128] I mean, all my clients and these legacy companies, they were all talk.

[129] They're like digital transformation, right?

[130] We got to start upify.

[131] We've got to be relevant, but it was all talk.

[132] Everybody was just speaking on stages.

[133] That's why I don't like the term thought leader.

[134] Like, you need to be a cultural leader.

[135] And I feel that COVID gave everybody a chance to really invest in the technology that they've always needed to do.

[136] And you've seen it with McDonald's putting AI in their drive -thrus and Target, you know, is competitive with Amazon and Walmart.

[137] I mean, it's amazing.

[138] Yeah, so there's a couple you listed that I was intrigued by.

[139] So what is McDonald's done?

[140] Because Monica and I started a Christmas Eve Eve tradition where we eat a bunch of McDonald's, which we did successfully this year, lots of Big Macs and stuff.

[141] So, of course, I want to know what McDonald's is doing that's been catalyzed by COVID.

[142] Well, like most fast food restaurant brands, they've all been experience and doing deals with DoorDash, which just went public, to basically get.

[143] their food and use technology to quickly get their food to the consumer, right?

[144] They became direct -to -consumer DDC, and people used it in retail, right?

[145] And people used it in media, which is streaming, right?

[146] Right.

[147] I'm calling it now, my new buzzword, D -to -H, direct -to -home.

[148] So that's one.

[149] It's like they invested that.

[150] The AI thing, it's like they know who you are as a customer.

[151] And when you drive through, they have all this technology and this data of who you are.

[152] Wait, how?

[153] How does it work?

[154] Yeah.

[155] Well, they take all your information, right?

[156] From Google or everything?

[157] Social media.

[158] They've bought the info.

[159] Well, it's easy to get, too, through all these social listening algorithms or platforms that anybody could buy off the shelf.

[160] But they also invested in their own AI, too, artificial intelligence, which is machine learning.

[161] as you know.

[162] But the most interesting thing that I thought that McDonald's is doing, they made these deals, right, with celebrities like Travis Scott and Jay Belvin, the reggaeton musician, right?

[163] They made these meals with them.

[164] That was great on a marketing end.

[165] I think like the Travis Scott meal was like sold out.

[166] It's crazy.

[167] That's the drummer from Blink 182 with great tattoos, Travis Scott.

[168] Yeah, the one that's married or hanging out with one of the Jenner's.

[169] I can remember which one.

[170] Fantastic.

[171] But did you see his thing on Fortnite?

[172] No, I don't even know what Fortnite is, Brad.

[173] I mean, it's a video game.

[174] I want to do a culture class just for you.

[175] On me. Culture class for dummies.

[176] Right?

[177] Nobody knows anything.

[178] Well, what has impressed me so much, right, is how not only consumers and employees of companies and companies have really pivoted on a digital level through this whole thing, but how celebrities and individuals all over the world have created and connected themselves to consumers or creating performances on these new platforms that really catalyze or accelerate.

[179] Okay, so Travis Scott, he's a musician.

[180] Dre Belvin, a musician as well.

[181] They can't perform in public, right?

[182] I mean, nobody's going to live events.

[183] So what did they do?

[184] There's this game called Fortnite, right?

[185] that millions and millions of people are on.

[186] It's like, you know, all over the world, you could compete.

[187] The definition is game as a service, right?

[188] You go in for free.

[189] You buy things.

[190] There's so many examples of those games, but that's one of the most popular ones.

[191] And through COVID, just an aside, like, gaming has skyrocketed.

[192] So because they're so popular and because they have an audience, because nobody's going to live stadiums, they've created these avatar eyes, like, you know, we both love to make up words.

[193] He created an animated game figure of him of creating this concert in the game.

[194] Okay, so you're in the game, and then they offer you, hey, do you want to go see Travis Scott play?

[195] Right.

[196] And you can do that.

[197] Right.

[198] And I think there were like 27 million people who saw it.

[199] Don't quote me on that number.

[200] No way.

[201] crazy amount.

[202] Yeah, and then Jay Belvin did it.

[203] And then there's another gaming platform that all these kids do called Roblox and Little Nas X actually did a concert on that.

[204] So it's fascinating to me, and this is why I think we are embarking on a cultural renaissance here, that all these amazing people have been using these new platforms to connect with their audience, not just social media, not just podcasting, but doing it on these gaming platforms.

[205] And then, And TikTok is a whole other insight that I could talk to you about, but I'll just let you ask questions.

[206] Yeah, yeah.

[207] Is it leaked at all, like, how they've monetized that?

[208] So, like, Travis, if 27 million people decided to view that, if he got even 10 cents on the dollar, that'd be $2 .7 million.

[209] Has it been leaked what people are making by doing that?

[210] It's a good question.

[211] I'm not really sure by that.

[212] But I also know that a lot of brands have been sponsoring these things as well.

[213] So think of it in the same way that people.

[214] would pay for a concert.

[215] They would finance a concert.

[216] And there is money that Fortnite makes by people buying.

[217] Now, I don't know for sure if people had to buy a ticket to see the concert.

[218] I don't think so.

[219] Okay, okay.

[220] But yeah, they're exploring that.

[221] I mean, that's what's so exciting about this right now.

[222] And, you know, it's not just celebrities.

[223] I mean, they're a brand selling stuff on these gaming platforms as well.

[224] A huge and new one that everybody's been using.

[225] women have really gravitated towards this is called Animal Crossing.

[226] Do you know about this, Monica?

[227] I've heard it, but I'm a woman.

[228] And I have heard of it, but I don't play it or know really anything about it.

[229] What happens on Animal Crossing?

[230] It's an app.

[231] It's a game.

[232] Okay.

[233] And you just share things.

[234] You just do things together online.

[235] Can you immediately click through to buy products?

[236] Is that the kind of advantage of it?

[237] I think Gilt Group had a deal with them.

[238] And, you know, this was an amazing way.

[239] And this whole gamification of commerce is also, you know, I think it was Balenciaga, instead of doing a fashion show right now, they created a game, right?

[240] So I've been so inspired to see, you know, all these brands and individuals kind of pivot to digital.

[241] So what's more exciting to me, and I don't know what's going to actually happen, but there's going to be when we go out into IRL in real life, right, there's going to be this, like, combustibility of, like, digital deluge that's just going to be pouring out of our homes and being combined with whatever's happening in real life.

[242] A lot of these have to be artificially inflated due to the pandemic, right?

[243] And when we return, I guess the big question is, like, what's going to stay?

[244] What was sustainable?

[245] I know a lot of people initially were like, fuck, yeah, working from home works.

[246] So, like, the first six months, everyone's like, absolutely, no more commute.

[247] Oh, good for the climate, blah, blah, blah, positive.

[248] And then is the fatigue of being a lone war on and then not having a little capsule to ride to work and reset yourself?

[249] All these other downstream problems started to kind of materialize.

[250] And now it seems like people are re -questioning what the value is.

[251] And maybe it's some hybrid, I guess.

[252] But is that a big topic for 2021?

[253] It's a huge topic.

[254] Many of my clients I work with is with the CEO, with the CHRO, and that's a corporate word for a chief human resource officer, who I believe.

[255] have literally the hardest and most important job right now.

[256] I've experienced human resource heads who you see them twice when you get hired and when you get fired.

[257] But now they really are mandated to create this new kind of work culture and what does that mean?

[258] And, you know, they have to think about new benefits now, right?

[259] I mean, mental health is on the top of the pinnacle of concerns.

[260] Addiction as well.

[261] You know, many people who have have been sober, didn't have the community.

[262] So there is that part of their demographic, their employees who need to go back to work.

[263] And so this personal.

[264] But like you said, hybrid, there are a lot of other people who really love it.

[265] You know, people are going to be like, oh, I want to go back to work.

[266] But once they spend two hours in their car going to the office, they're going to be like, screw this, right?

[267] Yeah, how does the company answer that issue?

[268] Like, is everyone going to get to pick?

[269] Great question.

[270] There was an article that I read yesterday that said that they should really talk to their employees and see what they want, that this should be a collaborative effort.

[271] Like, that's obviously the trend that has been going on about how employees have more of a voice than ever before.

[272] And so, you know, the most progressive companies with the most progressive cultures are going to do this in a collaborative way and see what works.

[273] Yeah.

[274] I don't think there's going to be as much travel.

[275] First of all, people are so sick of, like, traveling all over the world.

[276] Some people love it.

[277] Some people didn't.

[278] Well, you heard about these flights that were leaving Hong Kong, I believe, and they would just fly out for three hours and then they would fly back.

[279] People were booking them.

[280] They were full.

[281] People who missed travel, but didn't want to go anywhere and take any risk.

[282] Wait, what?

[283] Yes, just talk to that.

[284] That's fascinating.

[285] They love it.

[286] It was in the New York Times.

[287] I don't know, like six months ago, these people just longed to be on that airplane and going somewhere.

[288] And so they would just fly the plane in a circle.

[289] Oh, my God.

[290] But like, weren't they fearful of COVID on the plane?

[291] At that time, Hong Kong, I believe, was like, you know, one in fucking 20 ,000 people, whatever.

[292] They had an incredibly low rate of contraction.

[293] So they felt great as a little island.

[294] And so they mistrave, but they were afraid to go somewhere.

[295] So that's so weird that's not traveling that's on the way to travel for us it's not although I will say when you get to fly first class like if we go to do a live show in New York and we fly first class for me as a father of two that is a heavenly five hours because I'm not beholden or responsible for a damn thing.

[296] I'm in the air.

[297] So in that way I a little bit relate to like it's kind of a just get out of jail free.

[298] I'm truly offline.

[299] I'm up in the air.

[300] Wouldn't you rather teleport, though?

[301] God, yes.

[302] Okay.

[303] Are you really offline, though?

[304] I have a little policy where I do not join that internet.

[305] I am offline.

[306] I tell people, oh, I don't join the internet.

[307] I don't want to spend $19 on it or whatever.

[308] We've had so much fun on airplanes together.

[309] I know, but if I could teleport, I would rather do that.

[310] You wouldn't want to fly with me in first class right now in a little five -hour loop?

[311] No. Oh, my God.

[312] We could just hang out here.

[313] Oh, my God.

[314] Okay, sorry, Brad, to get you at the car.

[315] That's okay.

[316] I love flying.

[317] when it's first class, too.

[318] It's really nice.

[319] It's really nice.

[320] But I love that you don't go online either because, you know, it's the only place that you really are forced to think linearly, right?

[321] Uh -huh.

[322] You know, you have your newspapers, you have your magazines, you have your books.

[323] You're not all over the place in the hypertextual way.

[324] There's so many fun things on your list of COVID catalysts, but I just, because this, again, is of particular interest to Monica and I, what's domino's doing and how real is this stuff that's the thing so much of it is marketing and people want to compete but domino's has always gotten a lot of let's just say attention because they've invested more in digital technology even before so they have their own you know last minute delivery having their own drivers instead of dealing with like the uber eats or the postmates or the door dashes of the world, right?

[325] So they have their own thing.

[326] But they've also been known, like everybody else, that talks about drones, that they've been developing technology for smart cars and drones as well for the future of delivery.

[327] I mean, yesterday the FAA just reported that they're going to allow drones to travel at night and stuff like that.

[328] So really?

[329] Yeah, you wouldn't find that freaky?

[330] Well, certainly when I see a drone above my house, I am very paranoid and I think it's a paparazzi.

[331] And in fact, it has been a paparazzi before.

[332] I don't know what's paranoia and what's reality.

[333] But at any rate, I don't know, here we go.

[334] This is the age old dilemma we're in hourly with technology, which is like, yeah, I guess I'm going to give up some of my privacy so that I can have convenience, just like I gave up a lot of my privacy to have the convenience of the internet.

[335] And it's just like that line gets blurrier and bluer, I guess, every day as the offerings are that much more tempting.

[336] Right.

[337] And you're also seeing the more negative repercussions by the day because of technology.

[338] We're seeing, you know, cybersecurity attacks.

[339] Misinformation is more rampant than ever before.

[340] And, like, basically, the other plague that's happening to our culture right now.

[341] Yeah.

[342] So I'm using the term right now mindful innovation.

[343] So, you know, you got to think about all the repercussions that possibly can happen.

[344] And, like, think like a science fiction writer.

[345] I mean, did Mark Zuckerberg?

[346] ever think that his platform could be one of the most destructive elements of society, culture.

[347] Yeah, I couldn't agree more.

[348] You do quickly realize that many of the things are very well -intentioned, and just the outcome is almost unimaginable as YouTube has found out and as Facebook has found out.

[349] And people are racing to be competitive, right?

[350] And that is problematic.

[351] Like, I spoke at a, let's just call it an apparel company a couple months ago.

[352] ago.

[353] And they sent me a denim jacket that's like a smart jacket, which, you know, I don't know if I lose it.

[354] I could find it.

[355] It measures my thing.

[356] I didn't even use it, right?

[357] And I'm like, okay, are you thinking about like the privacy issues and security?

[358] But then there's great things about technology that's going to be really helpful and completely necessary.

[359] I mean, through this race of the vaccine, right?

[360] I mean, talk about an acceleration of technology.

[361] Yeah, going from the fastest ever having been four years to this being 11 months or whatever it was.

[362] More.

[363] I mean, as a gay man who experienced the 80s, right, there still isn't a vaccine for HIV, right?

[364] Right.

[365] And I'm just saying because, like, obviously that was a cultural, crazy experience fear.

[366] And, yeah.

[367] Well, that is telling, though, isn't it?

[368] Yes.

[369] Yeah.

[370] We don't have to go there.

[371] No, no. We always should.

[372] Like, when you can point out something so clear cut, which is...

[373] Who does it affect?

[374] Gay men, drug addicts, black and brown people, and people in Africa.

[375] Probably the most marginalized.

[376] I mean, there's a lot of marginalized people in society.

[377] Yeah, straight America was like, we figured it out.

[378] Wear a condom.

[379] Fuck you.

[380] You know, you go control your behavior.

[381] But not us.

[382] We're like, no, we want to go shake hands with strangers.

[383] So figure out how we can do that.

[384] Yeah.

[385] I'll rally for you.

[386] Thank you.

[387] Thank you.

[388] Thank you.

[389] I mean, talk about mindful innovation there.

[390] It's like, you know, how many rubber gloves and masks are just everywhere.

[391] We didn't have condoms in the street everywhere, but that's true.

[392] It's so true.

[393] Well, you use a term infodemic, which I really like.

[394] Wow, you really studied up.

[395] Brad, I appreciate you and you're worthy of my studies.

[396] But infodemic, this is something that is of great concern to us.

[397] There was this Sunday, 60 Minutes, had a story.

[398] on a woman.

[399] I mean, you just can't believe this story.

[400] She was an Iraqi vet from one of the Iraq wars.

[401] She is a cyclist that cycles for, you know, some armed forces team.

[402] She competed in a race in Wuhan prior to the pandemic, and she had a crash there.

[403] And based solely on that, there is a huge faction of the country that has decided she somehow both brought, brought Corona to Wuhan in her bicycle.

[404] She had capsules.

[405] From where again?

[406] She's an American.

[407] She is a veteran and a cyclist.

[408] And simply because there was a cycling event there around that time, that's all the little clues that these people needed to figure out she had brought it there.

[409] And then the other faction is she got in this bicycle crash in that race and then went to a hospital and contracted it and brought it back.

[410] Well, in fact, when they interviewers, she never went to a hospital.

[411] So that's just not even true.

[412] But the result of which is she's had hundreds and hundreds of death threats.

[413] There's tens of thousands of people who think she started Corona and have been attacking her and her husband.

[414] And it's absolute fantasy.

[415] There are people who are using the things that these conspiracy theorists are saying to actually try to keep themselves in power.

[416] Yeah, people are definitely benefiting and weaponizing all of this.

[417] Yeah, they had the guy as well in this 60 -minute segment.

[418] whose son was murdered at Sandy Hook.

[419] And he's had to move his family seven times since that horrendous event, which is the worst thing that could happen to any human being on planet Earth.

[420] And then additionally, he's got to deal with all these fucking bozos and move his family around all the time because it's not absent threats.

[421] These people really believe he is an actor who's going to take away their liberty.

[422] And it's hard to imagine that people could believe this.

[423] but I guess all the stuff on the internet has the appearance of the same value.

[424] Anything written in text seems to carry the same weight as the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal or any of it.

[425] Yeah, yeah, it's very troubling.

[426] Wait, so is infodemic meet?

[427] Yeah, what is the infodemic mean?

[428] Well, actually, thank you for saying that I coined it.

[429] It actually was the World Health Organization who came up with the term.

[430] Okay.

[431] who finally declared COVID to be a pandemic, but they did a whole study saying that the information or the false information is worse than the pandemic itself.

[432] And again, like you said, the COVID was a catalyst.

[433] I also think that COVID was a magnifier of all the systemic problems in both society and the way that we do business, right?

[434] It pissed me on so much every time he would say the China virus or something, because that's fine if he's going to do it.

[435] But I want him to also call it the American chicken pox, the American measles.

[436] You know, I don't even know where all these different, but we don't do that.

[437] Well, we did when we called it the Spanish flu back in 1983.

[438] It didn't even originate in Spain, right?

[439] But even if it did, right?

[440] Exactly.

[441] It's pejorative.

[442] Yes, it doesn't mean anything.

[443] And certainly we're not listing all the ones that we are the original.

[444] of it doesn't fucking matter who's to blame no one went out shopping for a virus ever to my knowledge well people get tapeworms to lose weight but in general no one went out and shop for a virus so they could give it to you everyone's a victim stay tuned for more armchair expert if you dare we've all been there turning to the internet to self -diagnose our inexplicable pains, debilitating body aches, sudden fevers, and strange rashes.

[445] Though our minds tend to spiral to worst -case scenarios, it's usually nothing, but for an unlucky few, these unsuspecting symptoms can start the clock ticking on a terrifying medical mystery.

[446] Like the unexplainable death of a retired firefighter, whose body was found at home by his son, except it looked like he had been cremated, or the time when an entire town started jumping from buildings and seeing tigers on their ceilings.

[447] Listeners, it's Mr. Ballin here, and I'm here to tell you about my podcast.

[448] It's called Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries.

[449] Each terrifying true story will be sure to keep you up at night.

[450] Follow Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries wherever you get your podcasts.

[451] Prime members can listen early and add free on Amazon Music.

[452] What's up, guys?

[453] It's your girl Kiki, and my podcast is back with a new season, and let me tell you, it's too good, and I'm diving into the brains of entertainment's best and brightest, okay?

[454] Every episode, I bring on a friend and have a real conversation.

[455] And I don't mean just friends.

[456] I mean the likes of Amy Poehler, Kell Mitchell, Vivica Fox.

[457] The list goes on.

[458] So follow, watch, and listen to Baby.

[459] This is Kiki Palmer on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcast.

[460] Going back to technology real quick, I wondered if you think that because we're at this heightened level of technology, that it's going to circle back around to non -technology.

[461] Like we were just reading about Amazon creating a phone that has like Kindle technology.

[462] Maybe it's a Kindle phone.

[463] I don't know.

[464] I can find out more about that.

[465] But that doesn't have any social media on it that only has text and calling.

[466] And it's like a remedial phone that they're going to start offering.

[467] Like stuff that's useful.

[468] Like the return to the Luddite, right?

[469] Like in the 20s, which is interesting because people have been comparing this pandemic to the 1918 influenza, right?

[470] And what happened afterwards, many people, as I'm sure you've read in many cases, especially in the entertainment business, how everybody's saying the roaring 20s happened after the 1918 influenza.

[471] But we also had the Dottes and, you know, like Douchamp.

[472] What are Dottes?

[473] Dada was the movement that Marcel Duchamp created with the bicycle wheel.

[474] Do you remember?

[475] No, I mean, I can picture that bicycle wheel.

[476] But what were they all?

[477] about?

[478] They were basically protesting against the modernization of society.

[479] Okay.

[480] Okay.

[481] Right?

[482] And that was a big movement.

[483] It led to the surrealist movement and I led to psychoanalysis.

[484] I mean, all these forces in the 20s and beyond were coming together and you saw such divisions, right?

[485] And I do think what's happening now is, yes, I'm hoping that we're going to embark on a cultural Renaissance, like the Roaring 20s, and we're going to figure out what entertainment and culture is going to be about.

[486] But there's also, I mean, we just saw in this election, there's so many divisions, right?

[487] And just to use the theme of division, we're seeing divisions in marriages, right?

[488] Divisions in friendships.

[489] And we're also going to see divisions within the parties, even the Democratic Party, right?

[490] And then when everybody gets the vaccine, there's going to be a division between the people who are just going to figuratively rip off all their clothes and start dancing in the streets and then other people who are going to be more trepidations, more fearful of what's going to happen.

[491] So I think the technology of what you're saying, Monica, is very astute.

[492] There is going to be a population that's going to step back from all that.

[493] I even know that Gen Z's, I just read a study that a large portion of them think that social media is toxic.

[494] I find that encouraging.

[495] Yeah.

[496] So it's interesting.

[497] I don't know if we are going to figure out.

[498] Maybe we're going to be so technologically inclined in work and leisure is going to be, let's put the technology away and let's go play badminton or something.

[499] Well, okay, I want to hit on two more little things before we get into what's coming in 2021 because it's in the infodemic umbrella, which is what's the great reset?

[500] I did not know about that until I read it in the zeit guide.

[501] I've been calling COVID a magnifier, an illuminator of the systemic problems, right?

[502] So this has caused us, and I'm hoping, that it's going to turn out positively, to step back and really think about our lives and our role in society.

[503] And we've seen every systemic problem from systemic racism and social injustice.

[504] we sat back and saw on social media and everything else the wildfires so we've been reminded about how bad climate changes mental health is literally at the pinnacle of conversation right or mental wellness so my hope is that this magnification and this crescendo of all these crazy things that we are aware of right now is going to help us reboot our sense of humanity so to speak, so that COVID has been like this symbol that disrupted the way that we lived before.

[505] And thank you for reading my Zykeye.

[506] But last year, at the end of 2019, my theme was the world is on fire, right?

[507] Think about pre -COVID, right?

[508] You had Greta Toomburg speaking about climate change.

[509] You had protests all around the world, you know, with Hong Kong and China.

[510] Remember all these things, right?

[511] that the world was just a mess and that we got to sit back and COVID allowed us to see, you know, what's happening.

[512] So I'm hoping that COVID is going to be this reset of how we want to reboot the world, reboot our sense of humanity, and also spiritually and individually, like, reboot ourselves and figure out how we want to live the rest of our lives.

[513] And then there's the resets in business.

[514] Yeah, it does parallel a little bit like a bottom for an addict.

[515] Like this year kind of feels a little bit like a bottom.

[516] And there's an opportunity here to embrace the bottom and make some real change.

[517] Or we could ignore it and stay in denial, which is always an option as well.

[518] I call that the COVID excuse, which is the opposite.

[519] I mean, there's two factions here.

[520] There's two trends in terms of what you said.

[521] And even I am experiencing this.

[522] right now.

[523] Sober curiosity, right?

[524] I actually, you know, I'll come clean.

[525] I've been drinking and eating more than I've ever had before.

[526] And I kept on saying, you know, it's COVID.

[527] Like, you know, like, it's an excuse.

[528] And a lot of people have felt that way.

[529] But I also see the other side where people like me are thinking about sober curiosity when I get out of this bubble, right?

[530] Like, what would it be that we kind of cut all these things out?

[531] of our lives.

[532] There's both ways.

[533] Yeah, I hear a lot of that.

[534] I hear a lot of that.

[535] So what's going to happen in 2021?

[536] You know, I see 2021 and happening in four parts, right?

[537] So right now, if you look at the front pages of any digital or tangible newspaper, like the world's even worse.

[538] I don't know when you're airing this, but, you know, we're going to see if Congress is going to vote on, you know, our president being president.

[539] We have the elections in Atlanta now, but Iran decided to develop nuclear weapons, climate changes again at the pinnacle of conversation.

[540] So I feel that right now in 2021, from all the data that I'm seeing, combined with the hope that I have in my conversations with my clients, is that this isn't a reborn year.

[541] It's not like any other new year where you're going to be saying, okay, the year's going to be amazing.

[542] Yes, there's a light at the end of the tunnel, but we have a fucking lot of work to do, right?

[543] We have to roll up our sleeves.

[544] So that's like the first part of 2021.

[545] And I hope that's going to be accelerated, that whole part of the beginning, to create a rebirth of humanity when our new administration comes in.

[546] And it's like also the year of the expert, right?

[547] He's actually surrounding himself by real experts with real knowledge, which is great.

[548] So, you know, that's the second part, let's call it the second quarter of 2021.

[549] And, you know, there's going to be a lot of turmoil, I think.

[550] But if our administration does what our future president says we're going to do, we're going to deal with this darkness, but he's going to help shepherd of this through.

[551] And then when everybody gets vaccinated, I see, and I mentioned this before, there's going to be a division with the people who are going to just like, we're going back, we're going to party in the streets is going to be like marty gras everywhere i think that's more of the young people right sure and then there's going to be people who are going to still be trepidacious and then we're going to go out into the real world and people have been saying the new normal but it's going to be the new anxiety what does that mean there's so many like moving molecules that it's going to take real work and real integrity and real vision and real leadership to hopefully put those molecules together and create a better world.

[552] Well, hopefully, though, there's no way having just experienced COVID not think, well, that's one of a million, cabillion viruses.

[553] So we didn't kill Godzilla and then that was the only monster living in the sea.

[554] So the handshake, is it gone?

[555] I'd like to see it go, personally.

[556] Really?

[557] You're about the elbow bump?

[558] Did you watch the crown where, like, Queen Elizabeth went out to see all of her people, and she puts on the gloves.

[559] Yeah.

[560] Well, you would probably know the history, right?

[561] I mean, originally, shaking hands is to basically tell someone you're not going to murder them, right?

[562] It had an actual practical purpose.

[563] But I don't think anyone believes that someone's holding a sword behind their back or a handgun in the other hand.

[564] So I just wonder, is it one of these vestigial things that doesn't even mean anything anymore that we're stuck with?

[565] Why do we need to touch people we meet?

[566] You don't miss hugging people?

[567] I love hugging.

[568] Okay.

[569] But you're going to hug the people you know and love.

[570] It's not like I bump into 45 people at Starbucks who maybe liked parenthood and I got to touch all of their hands.

[571] You know, why is that necessary?

[572] Why can't we just chat and we can have an exchange of ideas and share a moment?

[573] I don't know why we have to touch each other.

[574] I think you're right.

[575] I can see that.

[576] And I think you being such an influencer in the world, you might be starting that culture just by saying this.

[577] But, you know, other cultures, like in some Asian cultures, like the bow, right?

[578] Yeah, I'll do that.

[579] I'll do that again.

[580] The bow in the business card.

[581] Although you don't like bowing.

[582] When we talked about the crowd, you did not like that people bowed to the queen.

[583] Yeah, I hate that's bullshit.

[584] But if the queen bowed to everyone and they bowed to her, I'd be into it.

[585] Yeah, I don't like the status thing of it that she gets bowed to.

[586] I love her.

[587] I felt that way, too, when I watched it.

[588] I felt very uncomfortable.

[589] Wasn't it good, though?

[590] Oh, it was so good.

[591] That's such a good job.

[592] Oh, I know.

[593] I know.

[594] I felt a little bit like one of these people.

[595] It's like I'll say something maybe liberal on here, right?

[596] And then I'll get some message like, I can't listen to you now.

[597] And I'm like, but I found myself guilty of it, which is I'm so offended by the notion of royalty that as much as I'd get into enjoying the show and be like, like, this is such bullshit.

[598] These people are going to marry people they don't like.

[599] That's why it's fascinating, that that's the world.

[600] that they've created and they're trying to maintain and there's kind of no reason to maintain it, but they have to because that's their whole life.

[601] It's so interesting.

[602] Well, it's definitely like laden with conflict, I acknowledge.

[603] Yeah.

[604] And they're sad.

[605] Yeah.

[606] That's what I'm saying is everyone's losing.

[607] Every single person's losing in this fantasy where they're more important than other people.

[608] Anyways, I had a hard time getting past that Brad and it's embarrassing.

[609] I mean, to connect the dots there in terms of royalty and also just shaking hands, you know, There's tradition.

[610] Also, not just royalty, but look at our patriarchal system, right?

[611] I think that's another silver lining of COVID.

[612] Basically, we're going to dismantle all these systems and cultures that, you know, are so archaic and aren't relevant anymore, whether it's shaking hands.

[613] So, yeah, I think that's going to happen, too, in terms of our cultural renaissance moving forward.

[614] There's going to be a lot of different behavioral habits that are going to be forming.

[615] Yeah.

[616] And I am sympathetic to people, because I do think what gets conflated quite often is tradition and stability.

[617] I think everyone desires stability.

[618] And what is probably what fear is triggered by change is instability, which I totally get.

[619] But I do think those things are conflated.

[620] I don't really think tradition necessarily represents stability.

[621] In fact, most of the instability of this year is the outcome of outdated traditions.

[622] Absolutely.

[623] But I think, okay, so there's tradition, but I also think there's ritual.

[624] There are two different things.

[625] Yes, yes.

[626] So ritual, I think, is tradition with heart, soul, and authenticity.

[627] I still, you know, even though I'm Jewish and even though I have problems with a lot of the patriarchal, homophobic constructs that were created, I still love the ritual.

[628] I wouldn't say the tradition, the ritual of coming together on Friday night and being with family and friends.

[629] And I would say that it was more during this COVID crisis was very helpful to me as well.

[630] So it's not like we have to dismantle everything.

[631] We're back to the reset, right?

[632] We just have to tweak it in a way that's more sustainable to humanity.

[633] I couldn't agree with you, Mark, because I've been to many a Passover and a Seder, and I love it always, even though I don't buy into the underlying foundation of it all, the share of humanity in those structured rituals is palpable.

[634] You can't really deny it.

[635] So, yeah, I'm hoping for some movement where people get to cherry pick all the wonderful things about their religion and then just be willing to jettison some of the stuff that's destructive and some openness to like, I totally think people congregating on a Sunday is fucking beautiful.

[636] They can all share and sing a song and then they can be nice to their neighbors at the end of it and check in.

[637] Awesome, awesome, awesome.

[638] I wish there was someone kind of leading that movement to keep the beautiful rituals without maybe the oppressive nature of some of it.

[639] In Jewish communities, there's a large demographic of believers who are reforming or reconstituting the notion.

[640] Like, I go to a, it's not even called shul or temple or synagogue.

[641] He actually does it at like the Javit Center.

[642] His name is Amachai Levin, and, you know, he was practicing and leading congregations without even having a rabbinical degree, whatever the stamp of approval is.

[643] And he's gay.

[644] And we wouldn't say like he, he, he, he, or God, God, God, God, God, God, God.

[645] It would be, you know, whatever you want to believe in.

[646] I just think everything has to be constantly redefined.

[647] Work, right?

[648] Like the same kind of thing, the way that we are related to, and this is what I'm talking to all my clients about, like, what is the future of work now and how can we reconstitute that?

[649] We all know that it's been inequitable with, you know, racial injustice, sexism.

[650] We've learned about hashtag me to homophobia, transphobia, ageism.

[651] That's going to be the next thing.

[652] how do we literally take all that old white man kind of system that shaped everything and created everything but use a lot of the great things that we loved about work burnout pre -COVID was at an all -time high so it's like this has been a time to evaluate and again I'm looking at such an optimistic level and this is why I'm more the guy than the zeit because this is what I hope for that we're going to leave the bad.

[653] This is our time to leave the bad in our personal lives, in our work lives, in society, geopolitically, but we have a lot of work to do.

[654] Yeah.

[655] I have one last juicy greed question, which I already had one money question.

[656] Here comes the second one.

[657] Your last zeit guy dealt a lot with how Hollywood's changing.

[658] And what was fascinating to me is someone who has spent now 20 -some years in this industry, and I think I know how it works, to see that HBO Max released Wonder Woman, real time on that platform, in addition to being in theaters, that to me seemed unimaginable four years ago with these tent pole movies that cost a couple hundred million dollars.

[659] But I guess the success of Disney Plus maybe, if you're looking at, I guess, potentially 800 million a month in revenue for 12 months, now you're looking at making $9 billion.

[660] What's the difference if you got it there from the theater?

[661] It starts making sense.

[662] And so is the model making sense?

[663] I'm hoping it does not make sense because I am a cinephile and I still like the IRL in real life experience of going to the movies.

[664] And I do believe that, I mean, we knew that the movie business was about to crash and burn unless somebody reconstituted what that experience of seeing a movie in a theater is going to be.

[665] And COVID has been that accelerator because, like, we've seen every single.

[666] media company going streaming.

[667] So the cool thing about streaming for these businesses is that they don't have to give any money to the exhibitors.

[668] And the deals that they're making with talent are also not the same.

[669] So these media companies can save a lot of money.

[670] But I am feeling hopeful about it.

[671] I think that once we all take off all our clothes and dance in the streets, people will want to go to the movies and it'll be a new thing, like I said, we're embarking on a cultural renaissance.

[672] But I believe in the creative people in your business, my business, to really figure out an experience that people are going to want to be around other people and experience it.

[673] But it depends, right?

[674] Because like when you talk about movie theaters, I miss the movie theater so much too.

[675] But every time I've been in a movie theater in the last couple of years, I have this sense of like, is there going to be a shooting today?

[676] And I haven't obviously had that feeling in a year anywhere I go because there's not a place where there's so many people packed in that that fear has been removed.

[677] And I like that that's been removed.

[678] So there is a sense of when we're all running around in the streets, how are people behaving?

[679] Because remember, we were at an all time high with mass shootings.

[680] If those come back, I think people are going to be like, fuck this.

[681] It's a very, very good point.

[682] Maybe theaters are going to become more like airports, right?

[683] There's going to be security and to scam people going through, and you're going to get your temperature taken at the same time.

[684] And then get completely nude and watch the movie.

[685] Once all the variables.

[686] Yeah.

[687] I mean, everything has vulnerability to that.

[688] So again, I'm hoping that there's a population of people.

[689] who are thinking about all the things happen in B .C. before COVID that we were dealing with, like whether it was hashtag Me Too and these protests and inequality and gun control and opioid addiction, all these things, right?

[690] COVID definitely pushed those things aside, COVID and politics, and we can't forget those systemic issues that we were facing before, one being gun control.

[691] Everything is being addressed and I'm addressing it.

[692] we definitely need a global playbook.

[693] We need tight guys to help everybody kind of look at the procedures of how we're going to fix these problems.

[694] I mean, we have to put all these problems on the table that we've been thinking about and seeing that have been magnified through all this.

[695] And we can't do everything, but we're going to have to prioritize.

[696] And back to what I was saying before, that COVID, it's a warning.

[697] It's a warning that shit happens.

[698] We're vulnerable.

[699] We're vulnerable.

[700] and the next pandemic is climate change.

[701] Yeah.

[702] It's going to affect everyone.

[703] Yeah, you can't buy your way out of it.

[704] I read somewhere that people are going to start naming in the same way that we name hurricanes, heat waves.

[705] Oh, really?

[706] So like heat wave Harry, heat wave Harriet.

[707] I mean, there's going to be a lot of once we get back to whatever the new normal is.

[708] Like a lot of people, a lot of academics, a lot of scholars, we need them, a lot of experts, it's starting to kind of explain what happened and what we need to do.

[709] Yeah, we need to start really simple with like a top three to -do list that the world agrees on.

[710] Like, let's just start here.

[711] Well, number one, don't throw your masks and gloves on the floor.

[712] Yeah, so please, please put them in the proper place.

[713] Brad, so fascinating.

[714] Where would people go if they wanted to sign up for any of your seminars?

[715] It's zeit .com, Z -E -I -T, and guide like tour guide .com.

[716] Perfect.

[717] So zikeguide .com, and you can get the full soup to nuts, walk through a million different fascinating topics.

[718] Including TikTok.

[719] I'm a TikTok expert.

[720] So you want to learn about that.

[721] I'll give you a private lesson.

[722] Okay.

[723] Okay.

[724] Well, Brad, thank you so much.

[725] And stay safe.

[726] And of course, can I suggest you have BC before COVID?

[727] A .V. As after vaccine.

[728] So CNAV, hopefully nude, partying in the streets.

[729] Totally.

[730] All right, be well.

[731] Thank you.

[732] Bye.

[733] Thank you.

[734] Bye, Brad.

[735] Stay tuned for more armchair expert, if you dare.

[736] And now my favorite part of the show, the fact check with my soulmate, Monica Padman.

[737] Do you know what I've been wondering lately?

[738] Tell me. Do you think that they're going to invent an at -home IV that you can put in yourself so you don't have to drink?

[739] water anymore oh it's hard for me to desire that as someone who loves drinking water i think about it once a day that i wish so badly i could just get the hydration without me having to will you tell the people what happens every time you walk in here what has been done pp cup i have put a water on your chair in hopes that you would drink it not today yes today where i put it on your chair on this yellow chair before you got here, and you had to have moved it.

[740] Probably up there were the other ones you move them to, but I put one on your chair and I put one either on your armrest or your chair every day.

[741] I never notice it because I hate water.

[742] I don't want to hate it.

[743] Yeah, man, I feel it when I don't have enough water.

[744] I need so much water all the time, or I feel it.

[745] Me too, but I just can't.

[746] It's so weird to me. I can't get myself to the cup.

[747] Fill it up.

[748] so you want an IV you go to the hospital I'll give you an IV bag I know but I'm just saying like every morning I wish I could just wake up and like open up my bag put it in do my errands uh huh well I think what you're asking for exists which is you want a port you want them to put a port in your body so that you can access you can put all kinds of injections in there without them having to retap your vein every time so do you want me to get you a port yeah okay I'll call in some favors like Sanjay, the different doctors, we know.

[749] Sanjay would never allow that.

[750] He's too ethical.

[751] He put one right in your head because he's a neurologist.

[752] Neurosurgeon.

[753] And he could do like a bow shape, so it always looked like I had a little bow in my hair.

[754] Oh, yeah.

[755] And the bow would be filled with, um, water.

[756] With electrolytes in it.

[757] Oh, I would love that.

[758] Electrolite rich, rich, rich, rich.

[759] Because I'm starting to think maybe my seizure was due to a low level of electrolytes.

[760] I think so, too.

[761] But I still can't get myself.

[762] It's wild.

[763] We all have some funny things.

[764] That's one of your funny things.

[765] It is weird.

[766] So you're so responsible.

[767] And you, as you say, on race 270, you know, you're in total control of your diet.

[768] You don't have to fight any urges.

[769] You can moderate.

[770] I mean, look, I don't want to say total, but I'm pretty good.

[771] Maybe when it comes to sweets, maybe.

[772] But in general, you're pretty good.

[773] And the notion that you don't drink water is just astounding to me. It's a mental hurdle.

[774] I don't know what it is.

[775] I mean, I like drinking at your house.

[776] hot water.

[777] Okay.

[778] But I don't like doing that at my house because I don't have the hot water tap.

[779] It's the hot.

[780] I'm excited for that for my new house.

[781] That's a priority.

[782] You'll see if Delta makes one since they're going to be outfit in you.

[783] Yeah.

[784] Here's what I would love for you to do is to get one of those absurdly sized jars like Eric Carey's around.

[785] No, Molly got me one.

[786] Oh my God.

[787] You already have it.

[788] Yeah.

[789] You need to fill it up in the morning and you have to drink that throughout the day.

[790] Like that's your homework.

[791] Haven't you seen my book bat?

[792] I mean, My purse, it's too heavy already.

[793] And so I tried carrying that around a little bit, and it was too heavy.

[794] Well, you know how you make it lighter?

[795] You drink the water inside.

[796] No, the vessel itself is heavy.

[797] And I have to carry it around.

[798] I have too much to carry.

[799] Oh, water.

[800] We all have all these reasons why we can't do the things we don't do.

[801] Yours is now the weight of your bag.

[802] Well, that's a real thing.

[803] Yeah, I agree.

[804] You can't drink water.

[805] It can't be done for you.

[806] You're unique.

[807] No, I'm not saying that.

[808] Well, your other option is to not do that and then to drink water everywhere you go, but you're not doing that.

[809] So I'm just trying to think of how you're going to launch a plan that might yield some results.

[810] Part of it is I don't like washing the water bottle.

[811] So I did buy this one from Nordstrom.

[812] That you can throw away?

[813] No, it cleans itself.

[814] I got excited about that.

[815] Actually, I don't know if it was from Nordstrom, but I got excited about that.

[816] But then it came, and then I think you have to charge it.

[817] And I was like, ugh.

[818] So.

[819] Oh, it has UV light inside?

[820] I don't know what it has.

[821] Yeah.

[822] Is it next to the books you haven't read?

[823] Where did you put it?

[824] I put it with all the rest of my water bottles.

[825] I have many.

[826] Ah.

[827] Sometimes they sell.

[828] Okay.

[829] Well, you're not, you're not biting on any of my solution.

[830] So what is your solution?

[831] Do you have a solution you think might work?

[832] Ivy.

[833] That's not a solution.

[834] I don't have to do a poor.

[835] I could just do regular IV.

[836] Okay.

[837] Okay.

[838] All right.

[839] Well, if anyone out there has that invention, please reach out.

[840] You know, it's going to require a needle be put in your arm.

[841] I don't mind.

[842] Oh, you don't?

[843] I really don't mind that.

[844] Okay.

[845] Well, then, yeah.

[846] I think it would be a good solution for me. Oh, my God.

[847] This is very identical to people who want to quit drugs, but they don't want to go to A. That's unacceptable.

[848] So they'll move to the middle of nowhere, Alaska.

[849] Like, people do this.

[850] They try to come up with a geographical solution to this thing because they refuse to do the So your solution is to have an IV bag.

[851] It's as crazy as moving to the middle of Alaska to quit drug.

[852] Yes, it is.

[853] Because I'm actually getting the hydration.

[854] And they're quitting heroin because you can't buy it in the middle of the tundra.

[855] Okay, good for them.

[856] That works for them.

[857] You're not very supportive of my invention.

[858] I'm a little more supportive of that than your veneers, if we want to put it on a scale.

[859] Oh, my God.

[860] I'd rather you have a. IV bag to get your water than to get veneers.

[861] Verniers.

[862] My dentist sent me some cookies.

[863] That's a funny present for a dentist.

[864] It was, but I was very appreciative.

[865] He's so awesome.

[866] And that just reminded me that I have to keep thinking about veneers.

[867] His plan worked.

[868] And I'm thinking about it still.

[869] But you know what?

[870] You're just going to have to...

[871] Be happy with it if I get it.

[872] Yeah, I'll be supportive of whatever.

[873] Well, that's not true.

[874] People shouldn't be supportive of whatever people do.

[875] No, not whatever, but like.

[876] I can bite my tongue.

[877] I can promise you that.

[878] I make that promise right here right now.

[879] 2021.

[880] I'm probably not going to, but I don't want my dentist to know that.

[881] Because I want to keep sending me cookies.

[882] Yeah, that's fair.

[883] Okay, Brad.

[884] Brad Grossman.

[885] Oh, I have one more, I have one more thing to say.

[886] One more bit of house cleaning?

[887] Yes.

[888] Or a grievance.

[889] House cleaning is a ding, ding, ding about this.

[890] The big elephant in the room is that I smell right now.

[891] But you don't, but continue.

[892] I smell like a chicken.

[893] A chicken fire.

[894] You smell like a smoked chicken.

[895] Well, I'm getting more into cooking.

[896] These cooking videos really ignited a fire in it.

[897] Yeah, it's been fun to watch.

[898] I have not had any of the meals yet, which I've been heard about.

[899] Yeah.

[900] The fact that you made a big ziti for Laura, Matt, and, you know, how many, let me ask you this, how many meals have I made you?

[901] A lot, but listen to me. Okay.

[902] I presented the idea of an anchovy pasta and you were perturbed.

[903] No, I wasn't.

[904] I said, I want it.

[905] You told me you were going to cut down the amount of anchovies and you thought that would be a good solution.

[906] I said, I can't wait to try it.

[907] I saw the look on your face.

[908] And then you told me, I've decided I'm not making that for you.

[909] Yeah, because I got scared because you got, you looked scared.

[910] I was not scared.

[911] Your mouth said stuff, but your face really told me the true story.

[912] You were scared of it.

[913] I thought, okay, this is not a good place to start.

[914] I'll start with the Ziti.

[915] But I still have to try it out first.

[916] I can't just make it for the first time and then give it to you and then it's gross.

[917] So I tried it.

[918] It was amazing.

[919] Yeah, thanks.

[920] And then that day.

[921] Glad to hear it went well.

[922] Unfortunately, it was, it fed six to eight people.

[923] And I was playing spades out of day.

[924] one of the six -day people.

[925] No, this is what happened.

[926] So I ate a bunch of it.

[927] Then I went upstairs.

[928] I said, hey, do you guys want any of the CD I made it?

[929] They took some.

[930] Then I was like, oh, maybe I'll bring some to Dax tomorrow.

[931] But then I thought, I need it to be fresh the first time.

[932] Oh my goodness.

[933] But I'm going to make it this week.

[934] Okay.

[935] For you.

[936] Okay.

[937] Stay tuned for an update.

[938] Okay.

[939] Also, side note, Alison Roman, who is the cooking video chef.

[940] Mm -hmm, that you're obsessed with.

[941] She reached out to me, and I'm so excited because she invited me to a cooking class that she's hosting.

[942] Via Zoom.

[943] Oh, virtual cooking class.

[944] Fun.

[945] I'm so excited.

[946] But I hope this doesn't happen.

[947] What happened yesterday.

[948] I made a skillet chicken.

[949] It was beautiful.

[950] Chicken thighs.

[951] Allison's trying to get me to eat more chicken thighs.

[952] Why?

[953] She just wants people to try chicken in different ways, you know?

[954] Oh, okay.

[955] Instead of just chicken burrows.

[956] No, no, thighs are where it's at.

[957] Oh, my God.

[958] That's the best meat on the chicken thighs.

[959] chicken.

[960] When I go to Rosco's chicken and waffles, you get thighs.

[961] Hit me with only thighs is what I tell them.

[962] Wow.

[963] Yeah.

[964] When I leave there, I'm worried I've fucked up the proportion that they assigned that day.

[965] Like, okay, we're going to sell 25 whole chickens.

[966] Hopefully people ordered this pretty evenly.

[967] And then I come in there and get six thighs.

[968] And I'm like, I'm going to just screwed up the calculations.

[969] Well, I was thigh shy.

[970] Okay.

[971] She convinced me. So then I made this beautiful skillet chicken.

[972] It was so good.

[973] Unfortunately, I have a small apartment.

[974] I haven't moved in my house yet.

[975] There's no hood.

[976] Right.

[977] There's no vent.

[978] There's no exhaust.

[979] There you go.

[980] So all of a sudden, my smoke alarm starts going off.

[981] And I'm like, oh, I guess it is smoky and it wasn't really smoke.

[982] And you're way too short to address a smoke alarm problem.

[983] Exactly.

[984] So I'm just fanning with my towel, trying to get the smoke cleared and opening up all the windows.

[985] Very nervous my landlords are approaching.

[986] Uh -huh.

[987] They're very on top of things.

[988] are.

[989] It's also a double entendre because they're on top of, they live in the building.

[990] They are quite literally on top.

[991] And that was a big to -do, okay?

[992] But then the smoke detector stopped.

[993] Everything was far.

[994] Or ran out of battery.

[995] Something happened.

[996] Everything was fine.

[997] I ate the chicken.

[998] It was delicious.

[999] Then I went to your house to watch Tiger Woods documentary.

[1000] Amazing.

[1001] Guys, what a, what a fucking doc.

[1002] God, so much to talk.

[1003] That's another tangent.

[1004] But anyway, then I came home and realized my house smelled so.

[1005] strongly of chickens.

[1006] It smelled like an El Pollo loco in there, is what you're saying.

[1007] I don't know what it smells like in there, so I can't say, but probably more intense.

[1008] Okay.

[1009] I think they grill their chicken.

[1010] I think that's their thing.

[1011] But did it smell like someone had grilled like 100 chickens in your house?

[1012] Yeah.

[1013] Like you just, it was permeated everything.

[1014] Oh, wow.

[1015] I would like that.

[1016] And I got really.

[1017] Self -conscious.

[1018] Well, no, because it was just me, but I had an anxiety spiral about it.

[1019] Right.

[1020] Got into my bed.

[1021] I was like, it's everywhere.

[1022] The smell is ever right.

[1023] I can't get rid of it.

[1024] And I didn't know what to do because I couldn't open windows.

[1025] I'm on the first floor.

[1026] Couldn't open windows.

[1027] I was too scared to do that.

[1028] For an intruder.

[1029] In the middle of the night, I did open some windows in my room.

[1030] If the intruders are asleep by now.

[1031] Exactly.

[1032] Anyway, it was a predicament and I smell like it.

[1033] You got overwhelmed.

[1034] Big time.

[1035] Yeah.

[1036] And I kept thinking, but I want to keep making this chicken.

[1037] Yeah.

[1038] Well, you're going to have to, you know, as you recall, I went through a huge face.

[1039] where I was making chicken wings and thighs in the air fryer.

[1040] Yeah.

[1041] I don't know why I've stopped that because it was the most delicious thing ever.

[1042] But at any rate, you know, it kicks out a good deal of smoke.

[1043] So I had to learn to park that thing.

[1044] I'd either cook them outside.

[1045] I know.

[1046] I don't have that option.

[1047] You don't have that option.

[1048] But now I cook them right under our vent.

[1049] And again, I know you don't have an exhaust.

[1050] I'm trying to rub your nose in our exhaust.

[1051] But you'll figure out a way.

[1052] I will because it was delicious.

[1053] Anyway, okay.

[1054] Brad.

[1055] Bradley Grossman.

[1056] Okay, so the Travis Scott McDonald meal, you wonder what was in that.

[1057] Yeah.

[1058] It's a medium sprite, a quarter pounder with bacon and fries with barbecue sauce.

[1059] Ooh, baby.

[1060] Travis made $20 million from the deal.

[1061] No. Yep.

[1062] What?

[1063] Also, you said that it's a drummer from Blink 182.

[1064] Brad didn't correct you, but it's not.

[1065] The Blink 182 drummer is Travis Barker.

[1066] Oh, Travis Barker.

[1067] I love him.

[1068] Travis Scott is a rapper.

[1069] Okay.

[1070] He has a baby with Kylie Jenner.

[1071] Oh, okay.

[1072] That's great.

[1073] Oh, Kardashians.

[1074] I guess.

[1075] Ding, ding, ding, ding from last time.

[1076] Yeah.

[1077] Anyway, so he's really hot right now, probably why he's getting...

[1078] Is he that...

[1079] Does he also design Jordy's?

[1080] Oh, my God, yes.

[1081] I think I have a pair of his...

[1082] The cactus ones, I think, are him.

[1083] Let's look.

[1084] This motherfucker's got the golden touch.

[1085] He touches a hamburger meal, $20 million.

[1086] He touches a Jordi, my favorite pair.

[1087] Yeah, Travis.

[1088] Scott has also a deal with Nike and he has those blue shoes that I got you that are the best ones.

[1089] Air for retro Travis Scott Cactus Jackman's shoes.

[1090] My favorites.

[1091] Such a pretty blue.

[1092] Beautiful blue.

[1093] Travis Scott.

[1094] Good job.

[1095] I should go get his meal and eat it in majorities.

[1096] Do you think there's some synergy there?

[1097] Like it would be they'd compliment each other?

[1098] I'd be afraid to drip some of that.

[1099] barbecue sauce on my cactus, though.

[1100] You'd be careful.

[1101] I mean, no offense to Travis Barker, but this was a big mess up on our part that we said Travis Barker, Blank, 182.

[1102] Travis Scott, we're sorry.

[1103] Yeah, everyone's sorry.

[1104] We're so sorry.

[1105] Okay.

[1106] How many people view the Travis Scott concert on Fortnite?

[1107] He said around 27 million.

[1108] Brad confirmed today that is correct.

[1109] I wonder if they heard it.

[1110] They did.

[1111] Are you going to leave it?

[1112] I'm going to cut it.

[1113] Okay.

[1114] I just cut it, the cheese.

[1115] What do you think the term cut the cheese comes from?

[1116] Maybe when cheese used to be packed in big wax things to transport it before refrigeration, perhaps when they would cut into that wax, if the cheese had spoiled, it was just a tremendously bad smell.

[1117] Oh.

[1118] That's my guess.

[1119] Oh, you're connecting it to smell.

[1120] Okay, I always connected it to sound somehow, but I didn't know why.

[1121] Well, you go on to your next fact, and now I'll handle this fact.

[1122] Okay.

[1123] Well, this is a ding, ding, ding, because this is another origin question.

[1124] Okay.

[1125] Where did the handshake come from?

[1126] You said, and you're right, but I'm just going to elaborate.

[1127] Also, we may have already done this in the past because it is sounding familiar, but this is from the history channel.

[1128] The handshake has existed in some form or another for thousands of years, but its origins are somewhat murky.

[1129] One popular theory is that the gesture began as a way of conveying peaceful intentions.

[1130] by extending their empty right hands.

[1131] Strangers could show that they were not holding weapons and bore no ill will toward one another.

[1132] Some even suggest that the up and down motion of the handshake was supposed to dislodge any knives or daggers that might be hidden up a sleeve.

[1133] Yet another explanation is that the hands was a symbol of good faith when making an oath or promise.

[1134] When they clasped hands, people showed their word was a sacred bond.

[1135] An agreement can be expressed quickly and clearly in words, but it is only made effective by a ritual gesture.

[1136] Open, weaponless hands stretched out toward one another, grasping each other in a mutual handshake.

[1137] Yeah, this is not necessary anymore.

[1138] Right.

[1139] Agreed.

[1140] Etymology.

[1141] The idiom reference the foul smell emitted by some cheese, many of which have a rind that keeps the odor in.

[1142] Once the rind is pierced, as in the case of slicing, the smell is released.

[1143] Mm -hmm.

[1144] Wow.

[1145] I said wax casing.

[1146] They're saying rind.

[1147] You know, I still take this as a victory.

[1148] Yeah, you should.

[1149] Okay.

[1150] Can I read you one more definition?

[1151] Because it's more technical and it makes it funnier.

[1152] Of cut the cheese, yes.

[1153] The adjective cheesy can be used figuratively to refer to anything that smells bad, such as fermented cheese.

[1154] Eventually, cutting the cheese was later applied figuratively to refer to flatulence because, like cutting a smelly block cheese, a fart can suddenly cause a smelly odor to broadcast over a wide area.

[1155] To broadcast over a wide area.

[1156] Wow.

[1157] Oh, wow.

[1158] I like that.

[1159] Me too.

[1160] I like this game.

[1161] Underneath that was suggested other questions that people ask a lot.

[1162] And one was, what does the phrase cut the mustard come from?

[1163] Cut the mustard?

[1164] I've never heard that.

[1165] Oh, yeah.

[1166] He doesn't cut the mustard.

[1167] Oh, like cut the shit?

[1168] No, doesn't meet the specifications.

[1169] Oh.

[1170] Yeah, I didn't cut the mustard, so they fired him.

[1171] Oh, I've never heard that.

[1172] But I guessed, and I guessed right, I thought it's probably a bastardization of muster, which is when you line up in the military troop, they call a muster and it was that an expression for assembling military troops for inspection past the muster is where it really comes from i could do this all day long okay what else is there what does the cut mean sexually well i think we all know what that means the cut the vagina secret sexual activity with a person other than one's partner oh i've never heard that either Wow.

[1173] Who would ask this question?

[1174] What does cheese mean?

[1175] That's not a fucking question that people are asking.

[1176] That is all.

[1177] That's it?

[1178] Yeah.

[1179] What does cheese do to your body?

[1180] What does cheese mean sexually?

[1181] What does BB mean in texting to a girl?

[1182] What does cut a rug mean sexually?

[1183] I thought cut a rug was dancing.

[1184] Be too.

[1185] Definitions include to have sex or engage in other sexual activities.

[1186] That doesn't help me. No, we've gone off the rails.

[1187] What does fish market mean sexually?

[1188] Ew.

[1189] Fish market.

[1190] A 19th century term for a brothel.

[1191] Using a sentence, I've had a long day and I need to pay a visit to the fish market.

[1192] That seems.

[1193] That has some, oh my God, ding, ding, ding, ding of your apartment.

[1194] It has some olfactory connotation.

[1195] It sure does.

[1196] But my apartment does not have a fish market smell.

[1197] You didn't have a fish fry in there.

[1198] Thank God.

[1199] Well, I love you.

[1200] I love you.

[1201] Love you.

[1202] And we'll stay tuned about whether you make me bake Ziti by next.

[1203] Oh, correct.

[1204] So stay tuned for that update.

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