Stupid Comedy Stuff

Role Models/David Wain

• Emma Kat • Season 1 • Episode 4

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0:00 | 38:54

Taste the beast! I'm finally back with a new episode, and I'm here to talk about the 2008 comedy "Role Models," and its amazing director, David Wain. He has a new movie out called "Gail Daughtery and the Celebrity Sex Pass," and since he's giving me countless hours of free entertainment, I figured I'd give him a free promo. 

Please enjoy my little book report on this delightful film and a short biography of the man who made it. 

Roger Ebert: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/role-models-2008

Paul McCartney/Wings: https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2008/12/a-melodic-tribute-to-70sera-paul-mccartney?verso=true

Mrs. Wain: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/palmbeachpost/name/nina-wain-obituary?id=22671412

Wain nose job: https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/05/magazine/way-we-live-now-8-5-01-questions-for-david-wain-michael-showalter-camping-it-up.html

Directing interest: https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/david-wain/bio/3000516578/

Bobb’e Thompson arrest: https://www.tmz.com/2021/06/25/role-models-star-bobbe-j-thompson-busted-gun-possession/

David Wain Bio: https://davidwain.com/bio

Other David Wain arrest: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-11816071

SPEAKER_03

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Hello. Welcome back to Stupid Comedy Stuff. Episode Quattro. Next official episode. Yes, I um I released the first three and then immediately went on hiatus, which is pretty much how I've always done life. That's just, you know. That's pretty much, you know, that's just my trajectory. Um, but I'm back and I'm here today to talk about the film role models, as well as its amazing director, David Wayne. He really is like a role model to me, you could say. So there you go. And uh he's got a new movie out. It came out Friday, actually. It's called Gail Daughtery and the Celebrity Sex Pass. So that's uh also partially why I wanted to record this podcast. Uh that's his sixth movie. And I love David Wayne. I mean, I'm I'm a huge, huge fan of the state. I'm wearing my state shirt if you're watching on YouTube. Uh I got to see them when they performed at Moontower Comedy here in Austin in 2024. And um, yeah, we'll we'll talk about that in a little bit, but I uh I'm gonna just do a quick recap on this movie, give you a little bit of info that I found on it, and then give you a little quick biography on Mr. Wayne, the uh the auteur who brings us such delightful pictures. And here we go. Um yeah, I know, I know what you're thinking. Like, oh, is she only gonna talk about old movies? Um yeah, maybe. Yeah, I don't know. I I'm still kind of figuring out what this podcast is gonna be. Uh I'm uh on top of everything, I'm also starting a pet care business. I uh quit my insurance job in January and am rapidly running out of money. Like rapidly. Yeah, if you've ever seen a kid go down the the Pennywise drain, like that's that was a terrible example. But just yeah, just imagine sources or resources quickly depleting. That's that's my money. Um and so I'm you know trying to start a pet care business, uh, which is also why I haven't been doing much podcasting or much stand-up, really. Um I'm I'm gonna go perform tomorrow night. I'll be performing at DEI Comedy here in Austin. And uh I will also be doing a storytelling show on August 6th with Testify ATX. So uh look for more information on that on my social media. Hey, look at that. She's promoting. Oh my god, aren't we proud? I hope so. I'm proud. I'm proud of me. Well, let's let's see. I'm I'm trying to get through this podcast minimizing the amount of times I say um and so and uh so so uh we'll see. We'll see how it goes. Uh you know, this is like a practice podcast for me. I I probably shouldn't admit that out loud, but you know, I mean what like how do you get better stuff? Like really the only way is just to do it, just to put it out there and show the world your messy side. Uh yeah, I guess I could do a private podcast that no one would listen to. And but how would I get better? You know, I need I need the the commentary on on my terrible voice and and my horrible stutter and and my stupid jokes and you know and and and how how unfuckable I sound, and and then perhaps then I will improve. So so so bring it on, Manosphere. I want to hear your thoughts. No, I don't, just kidding. But anyway, role models.

SPEAKER_09

Why do we still do this job? This is the best job in the world, man. We get to wear awesome outfits, and it's totally easy to do hungover. Let's Rock West Academy. The energy drink, Minotaur, is good. Woo! Taste the beast, Minotaur! And a large black coffee.

SPEAKER_08

Do you mean the venty?

SPEAKER_09

No, I mean a large. Really?

SPEAKER_08

You can fight with everybody. I can't stand it anymore. I'm moving out.

SPEAKER_09

Good morning. Just doing my part to make this big move. Shut up. Like I said.

SPEAKER_10

Oh, hey! What are you gonna need to let it down? Too late, it's already though.

SPEAKER_08

Destruction of school property, vandalism. Who wanted to give you 30 minutes of jail? I work my magic a hundred times to add 15 minutes of it. You're going a sturdy way.

SPEAKER_05

We bring adults and children together to enhance the lives of these children through one-on-one friendship.

SPEAKER_04

Your kid's name is Doggy Fox. This is Danny. He wants to be your new friend. Oh, it's a really hundred percent. Yeah, don't judge. No worries, Melie. Ronnie's one of our youngest. No one's lasted more than a day. But I think you're perfect because you're young and you don't want to go to prison.

SPEAKER_09

What's up, Ronnie?

SPEAKER_06

Take my pants off.

SPEAKER_09

What? Talking for half an hour. Kids barely said a word. I want to be alone today. No, no, no. No, no, no, no, no. Maybe you should think about losing the cake. People tend to avoid people in cake. It's ball. Never stare at the movies, kid. Cold screening. You don't think I've noticed the 34 speeds record to the left of us? Don't look at the deck. It will take a couple of boys. Yeah. To make Ben Bad this community service giving me some perspective. You can play.

SPEAKER_06

Stop playing dear games.

SPEAKER_09

I'm not Ben Affleck.

SPEAKER_06

You're white, then you Ben Affleck.

SPEAKER_09

You are white. That's true. I am white.

SPEAKER_06

Let's go.

SPEAKER_09

It's tomorrow, Ronnie.

SPEAKER_01

Let's go. I love this movie. I do. I mean, well, the uh you're like, yeah, really? What? You do? Yeah, no, I I mean, you know, David Wayne, I love him. He's just an incredible director. Um, you know, really, in my eyes, he can do no wrong. And if you have not seen this movie before, it came out in 2008. And uh, quick synopsis: it stars Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott. Sean William Scott, probably best known as Stifler from American Pie. And uh Paul Rudd, probably best known as uh the best human that the planet has ever produced. I mean, truly, like, is is he flawed in any way? Like, does is there anything wrong with Paul Rudd? I mean, does he leave his toenail clippings on the bathroom floor? Um, you know, does he think the WNBA is boring? Like, doubt it. I doubt it. You know, I he's perfect. I mean, uh he's so perfect that if he were a woman, he would be president. Calling it right now. Paula Rudd for president. So I um so yeah, it's it stars these two guys, uh Paul and Sean, and uh they play a couple of just average Joes who work for a uh an energy drink company, and they go to schools telling kids, don't do drugs, but uh do buy our energy drink. Um, you know, because it's it's it's much better for you than cocaine, you know, even though it is cocaine, um, basically, right? So uh so yeah, that's 30 gig. Um Sean William Scott loves it. His character absolutely loves it. His character's name is Wheeler, and he gets to dress up in this crazy Minotaur costume. Oh, yeah, that's I always forgot that's the name of the drink. It's called Minotaur. So he gets to dress up like a Minotaur when they go to the schools, and his line, he goes, taste the beast. And then Paul Rudd is you know, he's the straight guy. You know, he's often the straight guy in movies. He's just like, uh, you know, don't do drugs, kids. Yeah, drink this sugar caffeine monstrosity instead. But yeah, so Paul Rudd hates his job. His name is Danny, and Wheeler loves it. And then um one day, you know, Danny is he's such a miserable jerky, douchebaggy guy that uh he he gets into a fight as Starbucks or you know, a knockoff Starbucks with the barista because she asks him if he wants to order a Venti coffee, and he's like, you know, why do you call it Venti? You know, that's he just gets into a fight with her, and um and his girlfriend, Elizabeth Banks, breaks up with him because she's like, You're such a jerk. I hate being around you. You know, you you get into a fight about the name of a coffee for God's sakes. Like you and you're not even good in bed. She doesn't say that, but you know, like how could a guy that jerky be? I you know. Um so uh so she breaks up with him and he he's in such a bad mood that uh he um he illegally parks their their company vehicle, which is this you know customized truck with Minotaur tusks resale value 20 bucks, I'm sure. But yeah, so he parks it illegally. It's getting towed, and um he tries to steal it back from the tow truck driver by driving it up a statue and it's chaotic mess. So um, so he and Wheeler are slapped with a bunch of felonies or misdemeanors, I guess, probably not felonies, but yeah, they're they're hit with a bunch of criminal charges, and um, and rather than going to prison, uh, they are able to get a community service uh option, which is nice. So uh they end up going to this program called Sturdy Wings, which is like a big brothers, big sisters type of deal. And it's run by the uh emanable Jane Lynch, and her character in this is just incredible. I mean, you know, Oscar Bate, uh, where are you on this academy? Why were you asleep during her performance? Um she's just incredible. Uh, you know, she likes to her line is you know, you can't BS a BSer. And I used to often think about that line during my insurance job when I would get off the phone, or often when I was still on the phone with somebody who was, you know, clearly full of it, you know, trying to feed me some kind of some kind of horse shit just to get their claim paid. And I was like, you know, you can't BS a BSer. What do you think you're talking to? Come on. So yeah, so they go to this program um and they they get hooked up with a couple kids who are they're polar opposite. Um Paul Rudd is hooked up with a kid named Augie who is played by uh Christopher Mince Ploss, best known as um Mick Lovin, in that film Super Bad. That I said that film, like it's some kind of I don't know, that film. I don't like Super Bad really, so that's why I you know kind of dismissively dismissively referred to it. But anywho, um yeah, so he's in that movie and that's what he's most famous for. And then um Sean William Scott gets hooked up with a kid named Bobby L or sorry, Bobby J. Thompson, who's who's kind of a menace. He's he's like a holy terror at this kid. He's you know, this kid is like why I don't have kids. I s I I'm telling you, like I if I had a kid, I would have a kid like like Bobby J. Thompson in this movie. Um, yeah. I mean he he's like he's he's nine years old and he already knows like every swear word from George Carlin's, you know, dirty words he can't say until and and he uses them in every sentence that he says. And and he um he steals Wheeler's car at one point. Uh yeah, he he likes to call Paul Redd's character Ben Affleck because he's white. He's like, yeah, shut up, reindeer games. Like, yeah. Like, yeah, if I had a kid like that, oh my god, I I would just be hiding in my room all day. See, only cats, no kids. So um, and oh, you know, but the Augie, the kid that's uh set up with uh Danny, he's he's not a holy terror. Uh he is a um a holy nerd. He is a a kid who loves role play, he loves fantasy, he he would be like a DD type kid, although they never mention Dungeons Dragons in the film, but you know, he is he is fits that mold. And uh and he loves what they call like LARP in real life, live action roleplay. But uh in the film they call it a lair. You know, they changed a little bit. So he has this group where he goes and he wears a costume and he's a member of a guild and they uh engage in battles and it's you know a fight for various kingdoms, and you know, I mean, like stuff like that is pretty cool. And it's it's always been kind of ridiculous to me that that you know, people who participate in that get you know, kind of the the ideas like, oh, you don't have any friends, you're a loser. I'm like, well, you have friends, and the people you're LARPing with are your friends. Like, I mean so anyway, um, but yeah, that's that's his thing. Um and uh we learn Danny and the two kids, you know, they're it's like a um, you know, the whole fish out of water kind of story. You know, it's like how are these two guys ever going to to bond with these two kids, right? Um, but what do you think happens? Like, of course they do. They they find their common ground. Uh, and mostly it's over KISS, the band Kiss. Uh Wheeler is a huge fan of that band. He he teaches um uh Bobby Thompson's character how to uh appreciate classic rock, um, particularly for its um its uh uh sexual angle, it's um uh the groupies associated with with uh you know that era of music. Um he calls Kiss, he's like they're those are the four of the smartest guys that ever lived. Uh you know, they they put on these this makeup, they learned how to play guitars, and it was also that they could get just a mountain of pussy and you know. So Ronnie, you know, that's that's Bobby J's character. He goes, I'm listening. He's what nine years old. So um, and and in the ends, in the end, uh the four, uh Wheeler, Augie, Danny, and Ronnie, they all dress up like the four members of Kiss and they form their own guild and go to the lair battle and uh run into the action, and many a foam sword is is swung. Uh, you know, many many lives are are fictionally lost, and then ultimately Agi becomes the king. He he kills the king, played by Ken Jong, who's really funny in this movie, um, and he is declared the new king of uh of the kingdom. I can't remember what the name of the kingdom is right now. But so that's how it ends. Although the girl he has a crush on later runs up out of the bushes and comes and stabs him with her her uh foam sword, and so she uh actually becomes the queen. It's a little twist that no one saw coming. But um, so yeah, I role models. It's it's so good. If you haven't seen it, you should see it. You know, like I said in my last podcast, check your local library. I guarantee you they got it on DVD, they got it on Blu-ray. I've got the DVD right here, but I love it enough to own it. Um, and I just want to say that you know, this DVD, it's what a bunch of bullshit that Bobby J. Thompson is not on the cover of this DVD. You know, like if you're watching on YouTube, like I'm holding it up. I mean, we've got Christopher Minz Plus, we've got Sean William Scott, and we've got Paul Rudd. And and where is the fourth star of this movie? Just missing, missing. They they cut out the blackhead. Like, why? Oh, why? I can't I can't imagine. I mean, you know, come on, this movie came out the same year that Obama was elected to office. Like I'm that's disgusting. Like, I whose choice is that? I certainly not David Wayne's. It could not have been. No. Um, we're gonna go with probably Elon Musk. Like, I he as far as I know was not involved in the making of this movie, but we'll just we'll just pin that on him. Um but yeah, so uh I don't recall the first time I saw this movie. I it was probably shortly after it came out because uh I used to live in Michigan. I had a roommate who was who was pretty awesome. We used to she was also really into the state and Stella. Um and we Stella is do I have to explain Stella? I guess because I just mentioned it. So um Stella is a comedy group that David Wayne was in shortly after The State and uh this uh starred David Wayne, Michael Ian Black, and Michael Showalter. They had a short TV show on Comedy Central, and um mostly they uh did sketch live sketches, live shows in New York and toured. Um but yeah, my my roommate at the time was a big fan of that group, and um so so yeah, we would watch a lot of David Wayne content, state David Wayne, you know, etc. And uh so I'm pretty sure that's the first time I saw it, probably around 2008, 2009. But I have a very clear memory of watching it in September 2010, uh, you know, that month and year specifically. I was moving to Austin then, and uh one of my best friends was coming with me. Uh, you know, she drove down from Michigan with me, and we had stayed the night in Oklahoma City, and this was so crazy. There was a hurricane, like an actual fucking hurricane hit Oklahoma. Like, how often does that happen? I mean, it was certainly not the worst thing to have in Oklahoma City. Like, yeah, let's let's be fair, but but it was it was torrential downpour, like and we oh, there goes my cat's feeder. Speaking of hurricanes, hurricane of food is coming, and you know it's funny, the um the documentary about wet hot American summer, David Wayne's first movie, which is also my favorite movie, is called Hurricane of Fun. So the irony, no, not really, but um, yeah, so sorry to have to listen to that. I'm not stopping, I don't care. But yeah, so we um we were stuck in the hotel. It was raining, it was pouring. Um, an old man was snoring somewhere, I'm sure. And uh we couldn't leave. So um, so we just yeah, it was 2010, so cable television was still a thing, and uh we put on our cable television in the hotel room, and role models had just come on TV, you know, like it had just started. Opening credits rolling. And I said to my friend, I was like, hey, we should watch this. This is a really good movie. Like she had never seen it before. So so we sat down and we watched it, and and man, did that ever save our sanity? You know, like I said, we were stuck in that hotel room. We were hundreds and hundreds of miles still away from our final destination, and we were two kids, we're 25 years old, something like that. And it just we were frustrated, I had a terrible headache. See, I remember all these details, and my cat was with me, like litter spilled on the floor. Like it was just yeah, just like lots of stressful things. And and yet, like we watched this movie and and we laughed our fucking asses off, and it really just like helped like just dissolve the tension of the situation. So, so thank you, David Wayne. I mean, you know, I I owe you lots and lots of thank yous, but but this one specifically, you really helped save save my sanity when I was moving to Austin and stuck in Oklahoma City during a once-in-a-generation hurricane. So, so thank you for that. I appreciate that. Now, um I want to share like some details that I found out about this movie just because I am a nerd and I love uh trivia and history. So um now uh the movie premiered at the Austin Film Festival in 2008, and so what that means is it debuted in Austin two years before I did, which I think is cool. I don't know why that's just funny to me. Um, and it was David Wayne's first big budget studio movie, which I feel like you can tell that it's you know, the a little bit more money behind it than his first two movies, which were Wet Hot American Summer and The Ten. Both movies I really like. Um, but you know, like with this one, I mean, you can see that it's you know, like there's some there's some Hollywood gloss on it, I guess. Whereas like, you know, like a specific like a film like Wet Hot American Summer, which you know, as I said, is my favorite movie, it's it's definitely has that um that indie, you know, Richard Link letter kind of like, oh, almost like we're making a movie in our backyard kind of you know, aesthetic to it. Um and uh oh, Roger Ebert, boy, I'll tell you what, I I'm gonna reveal a little secret and slash brag. Uh when I I interviewed David Wayne one time, and um, ooh, I know, but don't worry, I embarrassed myself because um because the one of the first things I said is. Him was uh it was a quote from Roger Ebert, and because I thought I was being like, you know, kind of like like high society and classy or whatever, I thought I was gonna impress him. And and he was like, Well, you know, he hated my first movie. I was like, oh, sorry. Like, yeah, I had to like apologize for for Roger Ebert's review of What How American Summer, which you know, by the way, I completely disagree with. Yeah, you know, Roger Ebert is someone I respect and admire so much, but but no, he was wrong. You can you can be a smart, respectable subject matter expert, and you can still be wrong. So you were certainly wrong about that movie. He's wrong about others. But guess what? He was right about role models because he loved it. It it was the first movie of Wayne's that he enthusiastically endorsed. Um, and he said that uh, get this. He said Bobby J. Thompson will have his own show on Comedy Central before he's 25. Now, uh, you know, sadly that didn't pan out, but um, but he did get a short-lived TV show on Cartoon Network, which was called Bobby Says. And so he was kind of, you know, did predict the future a little bit. Um, but uh Thompson, he's also been in That's So Raven and 30 Rock and the Tracy Morgan show. So um I feel like this is the only thing I've personally seen him in. Um, but yeah, that's uh that's not his fault that I'm an ignoramus. Yeah. So um now this this kind of bummed me out. In uh 2021, uh Bobby J. Thompson, he was arrested for illegal possession of a stolen firearm at LAX. Um, don't know any more details than that, really, but um, you know, I I it kind of looks like maybe he hasn't really done too much acting since then. So um, you know, seems like it was you know perhaps kind of like a you know significant moment. Um but I I feel like this is kind of an interesting parallel, uh, because in that same year in 2021, uh, you know, when he was arrested, Christopher Mitz Plass, his co-star, you know, basically the who played the other the two kids. There's Bobby J. Thompson and Christopher Mitz Plass. So he he's playing the opposite him. Um yeah, Minz Plas in 2021, you know, he's not arrested. He the opposite. He starts playing bass with Ben Queller. So you know, to me, it's like it's almost impossible not to look at that and be like two very different outcomes for for two actors that appeared in in the same film, right? But yeah, I'm still still pissed that he's not on the cover of the DV. So that's that's just fucked up. Anyway, um, but yeah, so uh Keegan Michael Key is briefly in this movie. This is when he was still you know, like kind of up and coming. And um, guess who else is? Louis CK. Yeah, he plays a janitor. Yeah. Small part for a for a small man with a small okay. Okay, we're done. Okay, I can't wait to see if anyone comes for me on that one. And I the song okay, so this is the last thing I'm gonna share about the movie before we move on to to David Wayne. Yeah, but that song that the that's kind of it keeps coming out uh or keeps coming up throughout the movie, the Love Take Me Down to the Streets, you know, like so what happens in the movie is um uh uh Paul Redd's character Danny, he he encounters this guy at the Sturdy Wings program, this guy who's played by the incredible actor AD Miles, who's who's in a lot of David Wayne projects. Uh but yeah, this he he's just this way too enthusiastic. Um, you know, uh just he's a very interested volunteer, let's say, at the at the Sturdy Wings organization. But um, but yeah, he starts singing, he he'll like he'll sing this song occasionally, and he goes, Love, take me down to the streets. And he goes, Yeah, you remember that wings hit from the 70s, Paul McCartney Wings, and and Paul Reddit is like, I don't think that's a wings song, and and it'll keep happening. Like they they go on a camping retreat, and and then David Wayne is he has a cameo in the film. He's a guy who can barely play guitar. He's trying to play Kumbaya, and he just can't get it. But then he can play the song. He can play Love, Take Me Down to the Street. Well, you know, it turns out not a wing song. Paul was right. Um the song was co-written by 80 miles, the actor, and a man named Charles Ganza. And then it was performed by Joey uh Cortullio, who is a Paul McCartney sound alike, which is pretty cool. Um, so yeah, they they made a nice facsimile wings song, which which in my opinion really does sound like a wing song. Um, so yeah, pretty great job. Um now, okay, let's talk about David Wayne, the uh the the director. Uh he is just like I said, he is great. Um, you know, we love him. Um, you know, you know, like duh. Um, but David Benjamin Wayne is born August 1st, 1969, in Shaker Heights, Ohio. And uh something cool about Shaker Heights, uh, this city was a finalist for All American City in 1989. So go Shaker Heights. Um, you know, also he was born August 1st, 1969. He was actually born exactly two weeks before the Woodstock Festival in New York. So, I mean, that's that's pretty cool, I think. I don't know if his parents tried to go or not. Probably not, but um, yeah, so uh and Shaker Heights, that city, it's founded by Shakers. And so when I was a kid, uh the Shaker, you know, Shaker religion, if if anyone's familiar with that. So um, you know, it's funny, when I was a kid, I used to think that Quakers were the same thing as Shakers, but you know, it turns out they're like completely different. Um, but you know, I also thought that earth, wind, and fire and blood, sweat, and tears were the same thing. So, you know, um, maybe don't, you know, rely on like 12-year-old Emma to try and define cultural things. But um, but turns out the shakers they're named that because uh they shake a lot during their services. And I haven't witnessed it myself. That's just what I read. But um, they also practiced pacifism and celibacy. Um you know, I bet I would probably assume David Wayne is a pacifist. Um, you know, he he seems like a pretty, pretty chill, um, you know, like conflict free type of guy. Um and celibacy, uh, well, he has two sons, so uh, I I think we know how he feels about that one. Uh, he's against it. Yeah. So um, okay, so uh he is the youngest of four, and he's also his mother's favorite. I'm just kidding, I don't know that for sure, but you know, he's he's my favorite, so we'll just assume he's his mom's favorite. And uh speaking of his mom, she attended the prestigious Interlocken Musical School in Traverse City, Traverse City, Michigan. Um, I love Traverse City, yes. I used to go there a lot when I was a kid. Um, and uh she also studied clarinet and piano at University of Michigan, which is a very good school. Like, good for her. I mean, okay, David Wayne is in a band right now, he's in the what, the the middle-aged jam band. So um, so he must have gotten his musical interest from his mom. I've yeah, come on, yeah, he must have. Um, and he okay, get this. When he was 14, he had a nose job, and he had to have it because he had a deviated septum. Um, but he he claims like he said that he still used that information to try and impress a girl that he had a crush on, which is so so brazen. Like, yeah, what a what a like tough little little 14-year-old baller, you know. I mean, you know, beat that Paris Hilton, right? Like, I'm sure she wanted a nose job at 14. Her septum was just fine, probably. But um, his interest in directing started uh when he got a camcorder from his dad at age 10. That's cool. I mean, yeah, I would have loved a gift like that, you know, when I was younger. Um, you know, I I feel like the only really cool, you know, maybe why I'm a podcaster, I got a like a talkboy recorder, you know, like from Home Alone 2. And um, but I I feel like I have this memory, I it could be fake, but I I think my parents took it away from me at some point because they got so sick of me recording literally everything.

SPEAKER_07

I I mean everything, you know, like like my parents' fights and everything, you know, and then would play it back slowly, like, no, you're not filing for divorce. I'm filing for divorce. No, fuck you, I'm keeping the house.

SPEAKER_01

So yeah, I I think they got sick of that shit and you know, took it away from me. Um, but yeah, so uh David Wayne went to New York University. Again, great school. I tried to go, they wouldn't take me. Smart choice. Yeah, they had to keep the riff ref out. Um, but yeah, so and that's where he met uh the friends who would eventually become first the new group and then the state. The state. Yes, we have finally arrived at the state. Uh the state was a sketch group that was on MTV. They were on MTV from I hope I'm gonna get this right, 93 to 95. And oh my goodness, they are responsible, I'm pretty responsible for for who I am today, for my sense of humor, for um, you know, how I approach um how I approach uh you know if my dad's being too cool, or how I approach like leaving a situation and I go like I'm out of here. Yeah. So not really. But um, but yeah, so uh the f so I fell in love with the state when I was like 17 or 18, you know, long after it had already been over. And um, and I found out about them because of Wet Hot American Summer, because I loved that. I saw that movie in high school and I loved it so so much. And I learned that half the people in that movie had been in a sketch comedy group that was on MTV. I I don't know how I found that out. I don't well, we had internet kind of, but you know, just just kind of, right? I'm talking about like the early 2000s. So um, so here's what I did. Confession time. Here's what I found out about the state. I uh I went on LimeWire. Remember that? Hey Millennials, hey, I went on LimeWire and um I downloaded some sketches. Uh and you know, sorry, I there was no other way or place for me to get it. Um the the DVDs were not out at the time. Uh, I do own them now. But um, so yeah, I I downloaded some sketches and I'm pretty, I I think the first state sketch I ever saw was uh Thomas Lennon doing the old fashioned guy. That's like a sketch where he's he's just like walking down a riverbank and whistling, I can't whistle, or I do it for you. And and he goes, you know, in my opinion, the the sun and moon are we should worship the sun and moon as powerful gods and revere them. And then he just he's like whittling a block of wood and then he just walks away. He'll just say some some crazy shit like that, just very casually. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the first stage catch I ever saw. And and just yeah, that was it. Hooked. Yeah, it's just like how can how can anyone do this? How is this even allowed to be like this weird and this this how can you do this? Like um, but anyway, here's a short clip of um of uh David Wayne's colleague Michael Patrick Jan, who is also a director now in his own right, uh speaking about um uh how they they work and the background of the state.

SPEAKER_00

David Wayne and I worked in MTV News and they were developing this new show. You wrote it, you watch it, which is an absolutely terrible, terrible show. And both David and I were filmmakers, so they asked us if we had any thoughts about it. So we said, yeah, we'll we'll we'll hand in some pieces. We did three pieces completely for free, which we shot on a home video camera with everybody who was around, happened to be around at that on that day. And we shot three pieces in one day and edited them and handed in. And then about six months later, they called us and said that they were actually going to do the go ahead and do the show. And uh and they set all 11 of us up in this tiny little box that they called an office with one desk and one chair and a phone and a shelf. And that's all we were given. We're given and fifty plus fifty dollars a week as a production budget. And as it turned out, it turned out all our pieces turned out pretty well. We were pretty much left alone. The show was like a sinking battleship on fire. So that every while they were busy doing damage control for everything else, we were sort of sneaking around in the back and and just doing pretty much whatever ideas that we we came up with, and they were just like, fine, fine, whatever, whatever, just go do it. Because we weren't costing them anything. So they let us do whatever we wanted, and it turned out really well.

SPEAKER_01

So um at this time, David Wayne, he's directed five movies and countless episodes of television. And again, Gail Daltrey and the Celebrity Sex Pass. This is his uh sixth movie, is already out in theaters now. You're welcome for the free ad. I mean, it's yeah, not even close to paying you back for how you've transformed my life, but there you go. Um, and yeah, like I said, I've I've been lucky enough to meet David Wayne a couple of times, uh just twice, and uh and I did interview him once. Uh, I used to write for a comedy website, and I interviewed him for an article I was writing about the 10th anniversary of How to Meg in Summer. And look, now we're celebrating the 25th. Isn't that wow time? It sure moves in a linear fashion, doesn't it? But okay, I'll leave you guys with this. So I um I wanted to find out if if David Wayne had ever been arrested and perhaps like you know, had like a community service type of experience similar to this movie. I mean, um he was not the original writer director on this movie. The script changed hands a few times, but regardless, yeah, I wanted to see if if he could relate to what was going on. So I Googled David Wayne arrested, and yeah, you know, it looks like unless I miss something, it looks like our David is pretty squeaky clean, but but check this out. I did find another David Wayne who lives in the UK who was guilty of trafficking GHB to drug gangs. I mean, how naughty. What would Jane Lynch's character say to him? I know exactly what she would say. You can't BS a BS her. All right, thank you guys. That's good. I'm gonna wrap it up. Thank you for listening to stupid comedy stuff. I am Emma Katz. Uh, like, subscribe, comment, rate, review, all that good stuff. Uh, still learning how to podcast. Thank you for being my guinea my audience full of guinea pigs. That's a really cute visual. And have a wonderful day. Hopefully, I'll be back with a new episode soon. Bye.

SPEAKER_02

Love take it down. Love take it down.