A Verbose Dialogue about Language (ft Joseph Green)

a conversation with comedian Joseph Green about language, chakras and more.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Podcast Introduction  
02:16 - The Pleasure of Language Processing  
08:06 - Energy and Chakras  
15:22 - The Year I Lay Down  
25:15 - Experiencing Pleasure On Stage  
30:32 - Vulnerability as the Essence of Humor  
35:47 - The Instagram Note Mishap  

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Sharm Namdaren and Joseph Green explore the fascinating relationship between language, vulnerability and comedy in this thought-provoking conversation about creative expression.

• Joseph approaches language with deliberate care, similar to how some people experience flavours in food
• The throat chakra relates to communication and can manifest as vocal tension during performances
• Processed anger becomes boundaries while healed vulnerability transforms into humor
• Audiences feel emotionally safe enough to laugh when performers share failures while demonstrating resilience
• Effective comedy requires creating genuine connections through authentic vulnerability rather than merely being clever
• Good performers balance authenticity with audience care, ensuring everyone feels safe enough to engage
• The Instagram note mishap demonstrates how unintentional vulnerability creates perfect comedic moments
• Clowning teaches that audiences laugh when they can see you're okay despite your humiliation
• Starting performances with genuine present-moment feelings creates unique connections with audiences

Try exploring what's vulnerable about something rather than just what's funny – you'll often find they're the same thing!

Transcript

Podcast Introduction

Sharam Namdarain 0:00

Hi, welcome to the Sharm Namdaren podcast. I'm Sharm Namdaren. This is the podcast, and this episode is titled A Verbose Dialogue About Conversation. Now, why do you think I bring that up?

Joseph Green 0:11

And hello, introduce yourself, thank you. My name's Joseph Green and I'm notoriously verbose, apparently.

Sharam Namdarain 0:17

Yeah, no, I like the way you process language, so this is the point. This is why. Okay, because I want this podcast to have more interesting conversations.

Joseph Green 0:26

Thank you.

Sharam Namdarain 0:27

And I think you're an interesting person. Wow, thank you. The reason why I bring you on is because I guess what I would say is one of my superpowers is. I understand and I can see how people process information, if that makes sense. So, like a guy I work for, he processes flavor in food extraordinarily well, oh wow, and it's really interesting to see him eat something and be like hmm, tasty. It's like it's quantifiable.

Joseph Green 0:52

He can articulate the textures.

Sharam Namdarain 0:54

It's more of a quantity of taste rather than a like. He's very good at making it more impactful.

Joseph Green 0:59

Yeah, sure.

Sharam Namdarain 1:00

And maybe textures, is secondary to a quantitative level. What I've noticed with you is I've watched you almost pick your words in the same way this person would have tasted flavor Like. It seems to me and I'm presuming I'm very presumptuous here. You might tell me I'm completely wrong and thank you for addressing the audience with your very sensual gaze. It seems as if you have a how do I put this into words? An almost uh, deliciousness in the way you approach language wow, that's such a big compliment.

Joseph Green 1:34

Yeah, thank you so much is that?

Sharam Namdarain 1:36

is that wrong to assume that you taste language like someone might taste?

Joseph Green 1:41

food, I don't know. I don't want to get too sentimental about it, but you want to take care of the words that you use.

Sharam Namdarain 1:48

Yes, there we go, I'm not wrong.

Joseph Green 1:52

Yeah, so I don't know what do we want to talk about? Okay, yeah, so that's a big topic right.

Sharam Namdarain 1:59

So, for example, I think one of the things I guess this is just the side effect of, say, comedy, I don't know if it's you've been like this for your whole life, but like you've got your joke and I talk about one of your jokes where you talk about the punisher. Oh, that punisher joke.

Joseph Green 2:10

Yeah.

The Pleasure of Language Processing

Sharam Namdarain 2:11

But that is a cause. It's like all comedians, I would say, digest humor in something you know. You're like oh, but what I feel like you've digested in your joke about the punisher and we, you know, see joseph green to see it, I'm not gonna fucking rattle off his whole joke here is that it is I don't know how long is a bit like a five minute bit, four minutes, three minutes, three minutes all about the word the punisher. That's interesting. The, the two interpretations of it a childlike interpretation and the situation and the humor of the situation are then about how someone else then comes into the situation and you're like, oh no, don't worry, daddy, he's the punisher and how the other angle of it sees you in a different light yeah and I feel like the way you've digested that and I've seen you almost pause before words to be like yes, no, this is what I want to say, rather than myself, who dare I, is a little bit immature with my language sometimes.

Joseph Green 3:07

It's funny that you call it the Punisher joke, because also it feels a little bit self-indulgent to talk about my own joke. But if you want, to talk about it.

Sharam Namdarain 3:14

I'm happy to talk about it. It's an interesting conversation.

Joseph Green 3:16

You just have to trust that it will be. Actually, when I think of that joke, you know, you know how a lot of comedians are in the habit of having one or two words for different jokes or bits they have. Yeah, it's the thing Whenever I write that bit down, it's never the Punisher, it's always the Jumping Castle. Oh, yeah, yeah yeah, because that's the whole key of that. I'm thinking of what's the image that I want to transmit and communicate to the audience and the main image is me on a jumping?

Joseph Green 3:45

castle with all these kids and that happened to call me the punisher and for sure that like has laughs throughout the whole thing. Yeah yeah, but but I think we're in the practice of thinking what's a funny image and then what are the simplest words to convey that image to an audience.

Sharam Namdarain 4:05

I would agree with that yeah, um did you do that with um luke kidjo, was that one you did? That one did I perform it.

Joseph Green 4:13

Yeah, haymer hall.

Sharam Namdarain 4:13

Yeah, yes, I did how did people react to that? Because I heard you talk about other ones, but I didn't yes, it went well.

Joseph Green 4:20

Yeah, it went like how I expected it to go, precisely. If it goes well, yeah.

Sharam Namdarain 4:28

I like. Yeah, so you're saying you don't necessarily focus too much, like you're not enjoying, like maybe there's a projected reality here.

Joseph Green 4:38

No, I think it's not. It's not about the language. The language is only a means to connect with the audience. Yeah. And so of course, course, I'm enjoying the connection in those pauses and that space and silent spaces I'm just playing with, maybe, attention between myself and the audience, and different words can do different things of course, but if it's all about just jerking yourself off because of certain, I love this word, it's so delicious, I'm not saying, yeah, that's not what I'm no, no, no no, I get what you're.

Sharam Namdarain 5:11

I'm just checking this as we go along, sure, just because it's the first time I'm using this. Yeah, oh, look at that. It is recording fantastic. All right, keep talking, yeah, the the.

Joseph Green 5:19

The words are sort of incidental to transmitting your own spirit to the people in front of you do you?

Sharam Namdarain 5:26

that's a wanky thing to say but it's be wanky, be wanky, love yourself bro that's for sure.

Joseph Green 5:31

Sure, and but that's what I really feel very um serious about stand up in that sense that when you're on stage, you should be trying to communicate, transmit something of your own spirit to the audience. And sometimes words are the best way of doing that. Sometimes they're not. It can be a look. It can be just what your body's doing.

Sharam Namdarain 5:55

So in that moment with say there, for example, the jumping castle punisher joke, you're saying trying to translate your spirit. I love translation. I think that's a transmission is another.

Joseph Green 6:08

What was the phrase? My partner used to be a yoga teacher and she used to say that what sort of yoga did she teach?

Sharam Namdarain 6:11

vinyasa flow? No one's ever asked me that question before. I actually don't know how to answer that. Yin uh, one of the good ones? I don't know. I actually don't know classic um, but one thing she used to say was that people used to pick up on her habits. Even though she never told them to. They'd almost read more. They'd change their eating habits through following her and doing the yoga practices.

Joseph Green 6:33

Is your girlfriend like a yoga influencer as well? No, no.

Sharam Namdarain 6:37

She sort of used to be like a local one.

Joseph Green 6:39

Yeah, yeah.

Sharam Namdarain 6:40

We've both gone from that. We've both been in like life coaching circles as well. Yeah, okay, but that was pre, uh, pre life coaching, like she just was, I think, in Queensland, sort of just like a local yoga teacher, and she just developed the following through that and just had an email and just connected with them.

Joseph Green 6:58

Oh, very nice, and so I used to teach Kundalini yoga.

Sharam Namdarain 7:01

You fucking, you've done everything.

Joseph Green 7:02

I've done a few things, you've done everything.

Sharam Namdarain 7:04

I've done a few things, You've done a few things. Yeah, Just before I was like oh yes, I was in the.

Joseph Green 7:07

was it VFL? I did play in the VFL in 2004. Yes, and then you also taught.

Sharam Namdarain 7:11

What was it? What did I teach? Yeah, no, you were just saying. Now you said Kundalini yoga is one of the main yogas either.

Joseph Green 7:21

No, it's more pranayama based, which is breathing. Please help me.

Sharam Namdarain 7:26

And this is why you were like what kind of yoga? So kundalini energy is almost like a sexual energy, correct, but a misconstrued sexual energy.

Joseph Green 7:35

Yeah, kundalini yoga isn't about sex or even your sexual energy. No, it's about gee, I'm really no, no, good, good, good.

Sharam Namdarain 7:43

This is what I wanted. It's about the verbose dialogue, about whatever I said. The kundalini.

Energy and Chakras

Joseph Green 7:48

The kundalini is an energy that moves throughout your whole body yes, and through your chakras yes, and and and the main, yeah, physical part that or conduit that allows the energy to move is, is the spine. So you're doing a lot of breathing breath hold. Yeah, I'll tell you a lot of this just to open that heart chakra.

Sharam Namdarain 8:08

And maybe this is why, when I talk to you, I go there is an energetic dissection of the words, because is it about not necessarily sexual energy, but is there a pleasure involved? I don't know In stand-up, of course, no, no, no. But is there a pleasure involved? I don't know In stand-up, of course, no, no, no. In the Kundalini, oh, is there pleasure involved? Is it an energy that people often associate?

Joseph Green 8:31

Because I want to talk about chakras in a second because I find that topic very interesting, I'll talk. Yeah, yeah, of course, we can talk about anything.

Sharam Namdarain 8:38

Because I'll well on a similar let's. I meditate a lot. Yes, often when people ask me how's your day been, I just say, well, I've been meditating and this is the breakthrough I've had.

Joseph Green 8:47

What do you do for your meditation?

Sharam Namdarain 8:48

so it's a combination of stuff I've learnt from coaching and Vipassana.

Joseph Green 8:52

You know that the silent retreat, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a 10 day silent retreat, vipassana.

Sharam Namdarain 8:58

Yeah thank you for the people that don't know, but basically it's just. Uh, I'm um, I'm almost just, I'm surrendering to any emotion. I'm feeling good, bad, whatever. I have almost dedicated a small portion of my life to this. For example, 20. It was pre-covid. Whatever the year was 2019, 2019 I was like I am processing my depression. I ran out of money, I moved back with my family and I literally lay down, meditating for almost an entire year. My girlfriend calls it the year I lay down.

Joseph Green 9:28

Were you going out with your girlfriend at the time?

Sharam Namdarain 9:31

Yeah, we were together, but sort of like I think we'd both been getting back together.

Joseph Green 9:34

I've heard to compassionately hold the space for you to. Oh, my God, it was the best. She must love you very much.

Sharam Namdarain 9:39

Well, we weren't living together at the time, so at the time, so I'd call. I would call it at the end of the day and have so much to talk about, and I was always surprised and it was my sanity check almost at the end of every day. Yeah, uh, and it helped me get through it all. Thank you for checking the microphone, um, but one of the things I observe through my meditation practice is often any, any process, any emotion I'm processing has different centers, and those centers, when I look up chakras, are like oh, that's what I'm going through, yeah, for example, I'll have a breakthrough, and it's like it feels here, like I'm meditating on this section, and that's what does it call it? The solar plexus, the solar it's what you digest, chakra.

Joseph Green 10:15

Yeah, see, look at that, it's. It's done so many things there's. I mean, there's a lot of like. Your self-esteem and sense of self-worth is like connected here. It's also the foundation of your heart as well yeah so there's an interesting um relationship that, like proximate chakras, have with each other.

Sharam Namdarain 10:36

That's interesting. I did not know that there was a relationship between them as in like.

Joseph Green 10:40

As you said, it's just flowing energy Fun, yeah, like ideally you want your energy to be flowing, you know, through your chakras, but also like realistically in life some moments, some situations need you to protect yourself. So maybe it's not always open to have all seven chakras wide open.

Sharam Namdarain 10:59

Yeah, you're right. Yeah, you're privy to the whims and willies of the universe. Can you hold this for a second? Of course, yeah.

Joseph Green 11:10

Cheers.

Sharam Namdarain 11:11

Yeah, and so I think, and so I think this is why I wanted to sort of talk to you about this, because I watched you when you were emceeing at Red Betty. There was, it felt like and again, this is Captain Wankery here and I do not care, but I'm just prefacing it because you've been like oh, it was so wanky that you enjoy the words that you're saying. You enjoy it, it's pleasurable for you almost more than what the audience is perceiving and it's more pleasurable for me than it is for them.

Sharam Namdarain 11:48

Or at least you're enjoying. No, how do I put it into words? It's like you're eating the food that you're cooking and you are serving it and you go. I know this is good and you're tasting it, but it's almost at a verbal level. There's sensuality in your voice.

Joseph Green 12:04

Wow, that's so nice. Maybe I think, yeah, maybe I hope it's good?

Sharam Namdarain 12:08

No, because I listen, I watch my things back.

Joseph Green 12:10

That's funny analysis. No one's ever said that to me before.

Sharam Namdarain 12:14

Yeah, I will give you a weird analysis. When I watch my clips back, I actually feel pain in my own voice watching it back because there's tension here and maybe I'm trying to bypass I've definitely been that in the way like bypassed blocks around love.

Joseph Green 12:27

What do you?

Sharam Namdarain 12:28

think you need to do. I don't. It's the throat chakra thing, right.

Joseph Green 12:30

I know, yeah, you know this so please support me in this.

Sharam Namdarain 12:33

I feel like this is like minds coming together.

Joseph Green 12:36

I think, like do you want me to talk about you now? Oh, we can Like. I think like, if you're feeling this sort of tension in your throat repeatedly, then maybe there are certain questions you can ask around that of, like, what am I not saying? That could be said Yep, Okay, and, and, and ponder that question and see, just observe what comes up. You might feel something in your stomach, some apprehension. I feel dizzy.

Sharam Namdarain 13:04

As soon as you said that, I'm like whoa interesting. It feels like a lot of unprocessed thought.

Joseph Green 13:09

Okay, yeah you said that I'm like whoa interesting. It feels like a lot of unprocessed thought. Okay, yeah, but so just maybe something between your third eye, your intuition, and what you're communicating, or how I'm not, I'm just talking shit. No, but. But it's good to ponder these things. Yeah, but to pay attention to what your physiology is doing on stage.

Sharam Namdarain 13:28

Yeah.

Joseph Green 13:28

Because you want to be loose and free and open.

Sharam Namdarain 13:31

It's tight, my voice is tight, that's how I look back and I go. Well you're the best judge of that. Yeah, well, I yeah maybe it's because I watch it and I go, oh, I see the tension and I'm now revisiting a trauma that I'm recreating in my throat of like a bypassing of something. Or maybe it's because there's a part of me that thinks it's comedically. I talk like this, like in certain parts, but then it's like that, I feel, hurts me in a way. Actually, what hurts you, like just the constriction, yeah, the constriction of my vocal cords and what do?

Joseph Green 14:04

you think the remedy is to feel freer in your vocal cords.

Sharam Namdarain 14:12

Well, ironically, it makes me think a lot about um, when I was in high school, my cousin's an opera singer, so the namdarian name amongst singing people are like oh you're, you're like, you're like ben namdarian, the opera singer wow. The neurosurgeon opera singer, wow. And so I was forced into singing, where I then learned how to adjust my throat.

Joseph Green 14:32

So maybe it's ironically like a um but surely using it, learning about your own breathing, but also like where you position your voice as well yeah.

Sharam Namdarain 14:41

So there's breathing, there's diaphragm, but there's also like, oh, like when you want to sing higher, you can actually put it lower in your mouth, okay yeah and ironically, I've been like oh, I would like to probably bring a melodic thing which I think you naturally have, which I'm projecting onto you with the digestion of your own, the pleasure in your own words. I think it is like I wish you were On the idea of pleasure.

Joseph Green 15:01

Whether it's spoken or unspoken, it's important to experience pleasure on stage. Yes, I agree experience pleasure on stage. Yes, I agree, and and and share it with the people. Yeah, also, pleasure can be used more broadly. It can be like sharing your failure with with the audience what's embarrassing to you.

The Year I Lay Down

Joseph Green 15:18

What, what, what did like? Are you shamed, a little bit ashamed about where have you failed in life? And then sharing this with an audience is a very there's a pleasure to that, but because you're confronting a part of your own psyche where maybe you haven't well, I haven't, for example, explored all these things, but then when I'm ventilating it, giving it air and giving it visibility, I'm like hey, what do we think of this? Aren't I an idiot? I'm such an idiot yeah, yeah and failure and they're like are we?

Joseph Green 15:52

we love this. And you know, one time I said this I went on one date with this woman. She said something so profound uh, and she's not in the performing arts or a comedian or anything. I said to her I think when I'm performing, audiences love to see me fail. And she said do you think they love to see you fail? Or maybe when you share your failure, they feel less alone about their own failure? Should we wait?

Sharam Namdarain 16:18

I don't know if that will be in it or not but, it's gone. Now I have a working theory which I cannot back up, that all humor is three things.

Joseph Green 16:27

Yeah, interesting. What are the three things?

Sharam Namdarain 16:29

It's a fart, a burp or falling over that. All humor is three things, yeah, Interesting. What are the three things? It's a fart, a burp or falling over Interesting.

Joseph Green 16:35

And the fart and the burp. A fart, a burp, or falling over, yeah, so the fart and the burp.

Sharam Namdarain 16:38

I cannot figure out what I mean by that, but when I say it in those words, it makes perfect sense. But the falling over is the like. That's what that is like when you, when you fail on stage, people laugh at it because.

Joseph Green 16:50

Or when you're not afraid to fail as well, like when a joke doesn't land and you're like well that was meant to be funny yeah, and the thing about well, we can talk about the fart and the burp, but regarding regarding the falling over, what's also important to note is that you still need to take care of yourself in the falling over. I had a very good clown teacher tell me that we're not when you were, when I was at clown school. Yes, of course it's not that we're laughing at you falling over the banana peel and hitting your head.

Joseph Green 17:25

We don't laugh if you just slip over the banana peel and you hit your head, but we do laugh if you slip over and you fall down. But as you fall down, you can still see us and you're sharing your eyes with us. And so just through sharing your eyes with the audience, literally or metaphorically, we can see oh, they're okay, they're not totally injured. They have humiliated themselves and they're just sharing that moment.

Joseph Green 17:54

Just, they're on the floor like this and this is important just to have that moment of transparency about your own foibles and letting the audience see it Like look, I stuffed up here I am, but I'm okay. But, I did do a dumb thing.

Sharam Namdarain 18:11

Yeah, and you're aware of it and you're safe.

Joseph Green 18:13

So this is nice, but you do need to be taking like a base level of care, self-care, in order to because, if, say, you just shatter your head, just crack it open.

Sharam Namdarain 18:27

Hilarious.

Joseph Green 18:30

A little bit but. But like, the idea is funny, but if you genuinely see, yeah, you have to take.

Joseph Green 18:37

Have some trust in the actual humanity of an audience that, collectively, en masse, if someone just genuinely hurts themselves, they're going to be like, ah, we don't want to see someone hurting themselves so much. And similarly, if you've been too self-deprecating or too self-flagellating, it can. The audience is like, ah, we want to, we don't mind you being an idiot, but like, we still care, yeah, yeah, and I so. I think this is like a tension to play with between a performer and the audience, because you, you need to be able to still, in all of those intricacies the entire time, be taking care of the audience, because you're in charge energetically. You've got to be making sure everyone in the room is safe.

Joseph Green 19:23

Yeah, it's really on you that makes sense and even if it's a shit show of people yelling and falling out and heckling, it's still. You're the one with the conch. You've got the mic. So, it's still your responsibility, but it's fun, you're providing safety for them to perceive. Well, I think they have to feel somewhat emotionally safe, just in order to laugh, just on a base level, if you're not feeling emotionally safe, just in order to laugh, like just on a base level, if you're not feeling emotionally safe then, your nervous system starts to constrict and you just, you're just less likely to laugh.

Joseph Green 20:01

So you want to prime them. What are the best conditions that make them likely to laugh? And if you're having fun, and you're experiencing pleasure in what you're doing, well, he or she is having fun. Might as well try and jump on the train of this fun train.

Sharam Namdarain 20:19

I agree with everything you're saying. I had a response, but I cannot remember it.

Joseph Green 20:24

Yeah, go on.

Sharam Namdarain 20:25

I was going to say the fart and the burp. What do? You think? That is yeah, the fart and the burp. I don't know if it's true. I was just walking down the street and my brain was like, oh yeah, that's it, and then I haven't been able to do it.

Joseph Green 20:35

Well, okay, so they're both sounds coming out of different holes?

Sharam Namdarain 20:38

Yeah, exactly. Are they accidental? Are they revelations of?

Joseph Green 20:42

reality. There's something about farting and burping total control over, and it's a revealed nature. A lot of comedy is good when the performer is slightly, not entirely, in control.

Sharam Namdarain 20:55

Yeah.

Joseph Green 20:55

It's nice to just slightly don't not know what you're doing. I mean I. I have a thing I do most of the time which is like never know the first words I'm going to say on stage yeah, so I'm slightly off balance.

Sharam Namdarain 21:10

Is that you actually try that, like that's what you actively?

Joseph Green 21:13

hey, mahal, I pretty much knew what I was literally every other gig.

Joseph Green 21:18

I'll never know what the first words will be, so then, then I have to be. It just forces you to pay attention, yeah, and and if, if you're genuinely paying attention to the audience, the audience will feel it. You might say something funny and they they really like ah, wow, we love this. They're commenting on something that's alive in the room right now, or you at least demonstrate to them I'm, I'm here with you guys, whatever's happening, this is unique to us and, unconsciously, an audience feels nicer about this I agree with that very much.

Sharam Namdarain 21:51

I feel like when I start, every time I start a set, I'm always like start if I'm not sure what I'm doing, just start with how I'm feeling. Yes, um, there was one time it was amazing. To this day I haven't been able to replicate it. I bombed really hard at one gig, yeah, uh, and then I came to dirty and I came on. Just it was like in that exact show I'm doing, and I came on screaming I didn't kill myself today, yeah, and it was this whole thing about how I didn't kill myself. There must be a reason to live. Yes, it's like if I find my car and if I go to my car my parked car and it's still there, I'm thankful that it's there because it could have been stolen and I don't assume that it will be there. I'm appreciative. So, clearly, I must have a reason to live and it was this whole thing. It was weirdly crushing and everyone was like new opener, yeah, and I'm like I, that's just how I was feeling in that moment.

Joseph Green 22:45

There is no way I'm not constantly thankful, so that has all the ingredients yes, exactly of like you're sharing your failure yeah also, you're retaining your optimism down, you're retaining your hope. It's. It's important, even though you've fallen down, to stay hopeful. Otherwise, if you're defeated, we have no reason to watch you. If you're an idiot who's fallen over but like no, no, I'm still brilliant. We're like, okay, silly goose, what you got up your sleeve and?

Joseph Green 23:08

and so you, if you bring in this energy like I didn't kill myself, oh, it's amazing yeah, it's like a toxic positivity, but yeah it's like okay, we think he's a bit of an idiot, but he's happy to be living and we like this energy yeah, and it was also.

Sharam Namdarain 23:21

It was just a really interesting thing, I think the fart and the burp is.

Joseph Green 23:25

Look, I have a greater theory which I've got very close to my chest okay, but I need to start letting it out.

Sharam Namdarain 23:32

Uh, so my perspective is holding his heart, chakra, yes it's important because it is very close and deep in my chest, but I feel like it's time to talk about it. Uh, so in in coaching world, I would often say that we get angry when anger is good, because processed anger becomes boundaries.

Joseph Green 23:50

We get angry when people break our boundaries.

Sharam Namdarain 23:53

Yeah, my therapist is always going on Because you have constant unyielding boundaries that are broken and anger issues.

Joseph Green 23:59

He's saying you need to be better with your anger. Yeah okay, change your relationship to it.

Sharam Namdarain 24:04

use it constructively, communicate it kindly for yourself and people around you yeah, I think it's because it's such an easy thing to put a veil of shame around yes, and not give voice to when I was a kid, my I used to have big outbreaks of anger and everyone who's like charm had anger, like just randomly, once every few months, just yelling and screaming and stuff. I remember it. And then as an adult I'm like oh, I don't have anger issues because I don't have issues getting angry anymore. Yeah, that to me is a more truer statement. I remember I figured this out when one day I was I was walking across the street and a truck tried to turn and the truck was too early and the guy in the truck was mad. It was like he's like, dude, what are you doing crossing the street? And I was like it's my, it's the green person, I can walk. And I realized I was angry at him because he was breaking my boundary of this is safe to walk?

Sharam Namdarain 24:52

yeah he was angry at me because I was breaking his boundary of I've got to go, and this guy's in my way, yeah, and so you know, processing and uh, your emotional state of anger becomes a boundary, like people in comedy, like running a room makes me angry all the time.

Experiencing Pleasure On Stage

Sharam Namdarain 25:05

And it's because someone's broken my boundary and once I fully feel it, it's like I'm strengthening that boundary. But here's my theory about humor. If healed big arms for this one if healed anger becomes boundaries, healed vulnerability becomes humor, and it's an experiment. This is the fun part. You can play this with any joke. Replace the word what's funny about this with the question what's vulnerable about this? Same answer it's insane and that's why I've kept it so close. But it's. But you can't go running around going oh, what's vulnerable about this? To come up with a joke. It doesn't like you've got to just be like what's funny about this or what you know.

Sharam Namdarain 25:50

you're still processing it yeah, I mean you need to be risking something yeah, exactly, but it's an interesting like knowing it, you can use it as a shield and that's what I did. Um. The first joke I then learned from that was you know my, have you heard my 2024 time to fuck joke? No, oh, it's just the bit. So the bit is um. You know, you guys know instagram notes. It's the instagram note.

Joseph Green 26:12

So yeah, I'll do the bit. I don't care, I don't care, yeah um, it's a.

Sharam Namdarain 26:16

It's a good opener because it gives people a chance to like, know who I am and learn about me, and it's a slow, gentle thing. But basically I posted an Instagram note at the end of last year. You know, instagram notes little, it's like a Facebook status but I posted one that said, 2024 is over time for me to fuck up 2025. Yeah and um, I didn't realize, but Instagram doesn't show people the whole message if it's above a particular character.

Sharam Namdarain 26:39

So for the entire day I got screenshots. So now this is the anticipatory humor you go oh, he's going to have fucked up. For the entire day I got screenshots people sending me messages of what I'd actually posted which is yeah, 2024 is over time to fuck. And then I go oh time to fuck. Blah, blah, blah. There's all this stuff about it, whatever that's very funny, yeah, but the vulnerability there is.

Sharam Namdarain 27:03

That I shared a moment of. I was very proud of this one thing, but I wasn't aware that I was actually vulnerable in the, the accidental, the limitations of technology.

Joseph Green 27:09

Also, what's funny is that your intention was to share this vulnerability. Yeah, it was it was one I fucked up. This year. I'm going to do it again, yeah.

Sharam Namdarain 27:17

But actually what?

Joseph Green 27:18

presented to the world was this audacious statement like 2021 time to fuck everybody.

Sharam Namdarain 27:24

Yeah, exactly, shams on the town.

Joseph Green 27:28

Yes, and that's the whole. That's the yeah and which wasn't your intention. No, so this is very funny. Yes, exactly.

Sharam Namdarain 27:32

And that's there's the clowning and how you process it. I'd say it's the vulnerability of oh no, I didn't mean that. For me, that's a I am trying. A past version of me was always trying to make sure that the image I presented.

Joseph Green 27:43

And then a part of you like maybe it is yeah, maybe it is time to fuck.

Sharam Namdarain 27:46

Yes, which is funny because I'm I think, because I'm in a committed relationship. Yes, it's. I don't know how to make it's like oh, it's been a wonderful year of sex and it's like well it has been, it has been a year Congratulations.

Joseph Green 27:58

Thank you. How's your?

Sharam Namdarain 27:59

year. Are you in a relationship?

Joseph Green 28:01

I'm not in a relationship.

Sharam Namdarain 28:02

Okay, do you have the time? By the way, do you have a watch 5.28. Okay, we got plenty time. Oh, my god, we got so much time. Yeah, so that I think that's interesting because, with your, that saved me that time thing of like.

Joseph Green 28:16

are you in a relationship? No, what's the time?

Sharam Namdarain 28:18

Yeah, thank you, brother. Yeah, because, are you? Oh, thanks for bringing it back up, because with the Punisher, the vulnerability there, if you play that experiment, is the vulnerability is, on one end, these children are enjoying you calling you the Punisher, but actually it makes you look like a bit of a pedophile. No, I don't know if that's the thing, but there's a different interpretation. Yeah, I don't know if that's the thing, but there's a different interpretation. Yeah, I don't know, that's too harsh of a word I would say For me it's interesting if people have that interpretation, because I do what's your, I mean.

Joseph Green 28:50

I do love like playing with kids, which you know out of context?

Sharam Namdarain 28:53

Yeah, out of context.

Joseph Green 28:54

People are so scared to say, oh, don't even say that, but it's like yeah it's like kids most of the time are very free and uninhibited and play very well, like they commit to an imaginary world and a game and they play with complete commitment. And that's what we need to be doing more.

Sharam Namdarain 29:13

Yes, I agree with that.

Joseph Green 29:15

As comedians or just as human beings. As humans, I agree, but for me the bit of the jumping cast was like oh, this is me just getting on their level and playing the game. And what's the game? They've called me the punisher. What do I have to do? You've got to punish us All. Right, you've been punished. You've been punished.

Sharam Namdarain 29:36

You don't want to ruin the joke, but there's more to it than that it escalates and I just play and I'm always committed to the parameters they create. Oh, interesting.

Joseph Green 29:47

And it's always at their behest that they're like no, no, this is how you play.

Sharam Namdarain 29:52

I'm like okay, yeah, this is the thing. Kids are like that. They're like you're doing it wrong.

Joseph Green 29:57

If you want me to play this way, I'll play this way. And for a lot of people be like oh, that's inappropriate now because you're like picking up children just willy-nilly, and especially children you don't know, yes, but obviously the sometimes you have no idea what's funny or how or why it will be funny, other than this was a fun thing I did. Let me share the fun thing and see if people laugh at any of it. And if they laugh, that's how it escalated if they laugh it.

Joseph Green 30:22

I mean it was a fun thing I did.

Sharam Namdarain 30:23

Let me share the fun thing and see if people laugh at any of it and if they laugh.

Vulnerability as the Essence of Humor

Joseph Green 30:24

That's how it escalated. If they laugh, I mean, it was a true enough story that I was playing with these kids in a jumping castle and the only adult and throwing them around. So it's like, okay, how can that, how can this?

Sharam Namdarain 30:39

how can this be a?

Joseph Green 30:40

bit.

Sharam Namdarain 30:42

Wait for the dogs to finish fighting. No, that's all right.

Joseph Green 30:47

So most bits have a sort of like internal game to them as well. I don't know what the vulnerability is of the jumping castle bit or the Punisher bit. What do you think the?

Sharam Namdarain 31:00

vulnerability is? I think it's the misinterpretation, because you are right in the sense that… that I'm risking being like aisher bit. What do you think the vulnerability?

Joseph Green 31:03

is. I think it's the misinterpretation, because you are right in the sense that… that I'm risking being a threat to kids, do you think?

Sharam Namdarain 31:07

No, it's the misinterpretation of adult behavior with children.

Joseph Green 31:14

Yes.

Sharam Namdarain 31:15

You said it perfectly. As adults, we're almost unable to play. And then we start to play and kids have this intense world and you enjoy the thing, but we're almost afraid to be seen enjoying.

Joseph Green 31:26

Yeah. Especially, I don't know in this spot of time. Yeah, people don't want to be seen to be having fun or playing or committing to like a children's game.

Sharam Namdarain 31:35

Yeah. So there's not only that, the, the, the vulnerability of actually being like no, I will. Vulnerability of actually being like no, I will commit and I will enjoy this, but also the foibles of potentially being seen as I don't know, just a creepy man with kids, I guess.

Joseph Green 31:47

Yeah what I've seen.

Sharam Namdarain 31:48

Yeah, and and I'm I guess I'm aware that that's an interpretation that could be made- yeah, but that's not your interpretation I feel, so confident that, like I'm a safe guy yeah, you are a safe guy and I think that's and and that I'm playing innocently and with curiosity and the right spirit that's the healed vulnerability, because you're not saying that you are actually vulnerable. In that way, you are safe. It's vulnerability plus safety. Yes, yeah, sure. Yeah.

Joseph Green 32:17

But it's fun, I think. Yeah. To like be sharing these like fun things, whatever they are. No, yeah, I agree, and uh, if something is like curious to you and giving you pleasure, then it's, and especially if it's something like you've told the two or three people, then most of the time, as comedians like, oh I keep wanting to retell this story. I should probably share it on stage and see I have um this.

Sharam Namdarain 32:48

my partner has explicitly stated that I cannot state anything that's actually about our sex life. Oh, wow. But there are many things, because we laugh so much together that there are many things that I would love to talk about but cannot in a public forum. So this is the most that I will, especially in a recorded thing.

Joseph Green 33:11

Just to touch that. There's a boundary that you've there is a boundary between yourself. Um, that's good, that's healthy.

Sharam Namdarain 33:16

Yeah, and she will communication a thing will happen and she's like please do not mention this yeah even to the point. With this podcast she's like you cannot decide the name. That is something I would never publish online. Yeah, that's that, but that's different people for different things I find it's a fun thing for me to figure it out. What do you think this podcast should be called? By the way, it should have the why please support me.

Joseph Green 33:38

I don't know. There's just like a cadence or musicality of the sharam. Maybe it's a familiarity with other notorious podcasts that have the preceding the name of the person, but I don't know. It just seems sounds better to me.

Sharam Namdarain 33:56

So what do you think? That's the most important thing so I think you're right in the sense that the is an anchoring word yes so it's like you don't know what, uh, a sharam is, but you do know what a that is. So the that prefacing the sharam says this is either something of noteworthiness or the next thing is going to be a, I guess a pronoun, so it gives you interpretation of that following word, so the sharam is like oh, it's, that's a pronoun um, it's.

Joseph Green 34:22

It's a noun, isn't it?

Sharam Namdarain 34:24

oh, now no, the pronoun is a name, a pronoun is like he, she, they.

Joseph Green 34:29

Oh, I'm wrong, okay, so just a noun. Then your name is a noun, okay Is there a word for naming names rather than If you want to be specific, you can say proper noun.

Sharam Namdarain 34:38

Okay. But I think your name is a noun, as opposed to if there was no, the Sharm could be anything.

Joseph Green 34:45

Yes. Yeah, especially with the way, and it's your full name as well. Yes, exactly, and it's your full name as well. Yes, exactly.

Sharam Namdarain 34:51

so that creates more clarity, well mostly because DJ Sharm has just anything Sharm, of course.

Joseph Green 34:56

DJ Sharm, my arch nemesis he doesn't even know it.

Sharam Namdarain 34:59

He's a DJ in Hollywood. He has here sharmcom. He has other just simple, just anything that is just Sharm. His podcast is called Wildcast the official Sharm podcast. Wow, wildcast the official. Sharm podcast. Wow, so that's why it's not called just the Sharm podcast. Yeah, because he's got the official in his I'm going to give him so much business in the future when I'm eventually more on something. Yes.

Sharam Namdarain 35:23

You know, as things go up. Yeah, I like just Sharm's podcast podcast apostrophe s, mostly because if you would say, oh, what podcast were you on? I was on sharmland arian's podcast. Oh, what's it actually called?

The Instagram Note Mishap

Sharam Namdarain 35:39

oh, no, that's the name yes like it was just uh, like there's nothing more to it. It's just literally audio and maybe a visual component. Yes, and I liked the simplicity of that. Sorry, just spat on you, um, but the, I don't know. I think I'm eventually gonna get burnt out by the whole. Like I'm down to the. I've had a lot of names, it's so many I feel like you don't want to use the.

Joseph Green 36:00

You just want your name.

Sharam Namdarain 36:02

Apostrophe s podcast yes, but then there's also I've I've been arguing with ai about this. Thank you for being on this journey. Yes, with me is that I like what's good for SEO and it's like the apostrophe S isn't bad, but the clarity of having no apostrophe S is slightly better for, dare I say, brand recognition or something, and also some SEO things don't recognize.

Joseph Green 36:28

In the end you have to sort of take a leap and trust your own instinct.

Sharam Namdarain 36:34

Oh, do you know why? I know what I'm doing with this Is that when I was a coach, I changed my name for three years Harvey Hook was the name I went by.

Joseph Green 36:43

Have we spoken about this? Your audience knows Harvey Hook.

Sharam Namdarain 36:45

No, but maybe they do, some will, and maybe they'll have heard Whatever. We'll talk about it later everyone.

Joseph Green 36:52

He had a name Harvey Hook. Yeah, An alter ego.

Sharam Namdarain 36:55

Yeah, alter ego, and so identity crises are in my. It's unprocessed identity crisis. I know I'm manifesting some unprocessed shit that needs to be processed through the naming of it. That's why I don't have any issues with the names of the episodes. It's just the overall name episodes it's just the overall name.

Joseph Green 37:15

I am dealing with the past, unprocessed self, through just whatever this is. I think you just make a commitment and and like I can change it later yeah, but like I change it every week or not, but just make whatever feels truest. Yeah to you, without even you've had the consultation with ai and and now, with all the information it's given you, you have to be the ultimate arbiter of what you execute on, yeah, and that's and, and, and, then everything else will flow yeah, uh, I shall yeah uh, cool, I think we can.

Sharam Namdarain 37:50

It's up here good luck.

Joseph Green 37:52

Anything you want to say to the people, I'll have a show next year oh okay, do you know what it's called?

Sharam Namdarain 37:57

it's probably going to be called.

Joseph Green 37:58

The Joseph Green Podcast. No Mushroom Lady and the Clown oh, beautiful.

Sharam Namdarain 38:03

That's a name that inspires imagery, and also also, you're anchoring it in the Mushroom Lady well, I worked on the trial.

Joseph Green 38:10

I don't know if you're aware of this you've made jokes about it, but I never you don't know if it's true or not.

Sharam Namdarain 38:14

Yeah, no, it's, don't tell me if it's true or not, I don't want to know. It is true?

Joseph Green 38:17

oh, I'll tell you it is okay, I worked as the associate to the judge up and, and, and I resigned on the eve of the trial to go to clown school. So this is this is this is the the premise of the show, so stay tuned, please. Thank you, yeah, you really.

Sharam Namdarain 38:36

Yes, I thought clown school was like five years ago or something like I went to clown school.

Joseph Green 38:42

There's a recent school is continuing okay, don't stop you never stop learning as a clown okay you should know that of all the people no, I don't, apparently I don't.

Sharam Namdarain 38:52

All right, uh, all right and cut thank you, okay, bye, thanks brother I like, yeah, there we go, look at that how long that's good.

Joseph Green 39:02

Is that the sort of time we were aiming for? Thank you.